“Hello?”
“......”
“Oh my, you two seem to have ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) gotten close in that short ti.”
The Shadow Witch, standing ahead with the executives, waved at us as Maier and I walked through the entrance.
“Stop.”
“...?”
“Stay right where you are.”
Before I could respond to her, a voice thick with murderous intent cut through the air.
“You are not permitted to co any closer.”
“...And why not?”
“I said stop.”
Following that voice, I turned my gaze—and saw a massive spear ford of swirling black smoke aid directly at .
“Whatever the Shadow Witch thinks, we do not yet trust you.”
“Well, that’s a little hurtfu—”
“Shadow Witch. Even for you, this was far too unilateral.”
The one aiming the spear at and snapping at the Shadow Witch in a voice filled with cold vigilance was none other than one of the four executives of the black mage union: the Death Knight.
Clad head to toe in black armor and helt, his identity was shrouded in mystery. Still, like the Shadow Witch, he was a force said to be capable of toppling an entire kingdom.
Yes, his overwhelming skill with the spear and physical might were extraordinary, but his true terror lay in his summoning waves—vast floods of summoned creatures he could call upon. The pinnacle of necromancy, she (or perhaps he?) was such that no army could overwhelm her through sheer numbers alone.
No—so kingdoms wouldn’t even need her direct involvent to be crushed.
“You seem to think necromancy doesn’t work in this place.”
“......”
“You’re not wrong. But I don’t need that to run you through.”
Still, after coming all this way and putting my life on the line, I wasn’t about to turn back. I moved to take another step forward—but the voice from within the helt beca even colder.
‘...Unexpectedly, a rigid knight type, huh.’
Even just from their words and posture, I got a vibe that was more like a traditional knight—or maybe even a holy knight—rather than a black mage.
It made wonder: if Lunelle had sided with the black mages instead of the emperor or ... would she have ended up like this?
“Haha! Instead of being so harsh, why not give him a chance to prove himself, hmm?”
“...Don’t butt in.”
“Oh dear, soone’s in a sour mood today.”
The next one to speak was the jester standing beside the Death Knight, who had co to an awkward stop just like .
“But hey, it’s always a good thing to make new friends.”
“...I don’t need any.”
“Ah, right. You’ve always had none to begin wi—”
The jester froze mid-sentence, eyes going wide, and quickly bowed his head.
—Vwoom!—
A split second later, the Death Knight’s massive spear tore through the air where the jester’s head had just been.
“My, my. Is this a rank challenge? But I thought those were issued by the low to the high, no?”
“......”
“I’m quite content with being third place, you know. I’ve no desire to be second.”
Watching the exchange, I began to grasp the jester’s role.
A whimsical, talkative man whose humor left a lingering sense of discomfort—his deanor was a mask. That much was clear.
I didn’t know much, but people with such extre personas always had sothing buried deep beneath. There must’ve been a reason he kept up that act.
“Look, of all tis, now is not the mont. This is the eting.”
“...Tch.”
“If you keep causing trouble, I’ll be the one held responsible.”
While I was deep in thought, the Shadow Witch finally stepped in just as the Death Knight was about to strike the jester again, prompting him to reluctantly pull back his killing intent and withdraw his spear.
“Really now, imagine spilling blood during this sacred gathering. Our dear Great Shadow would be just... oh, terribly displeased.”
“......”
“You agree, don’t you, Puppeteer?”
With a silky tone, the Shadow Witch turned to the last executive—the Puppeteer, who had been trembling non-stop.
“Y-Yes? H-Huh, yes. Of course, I-I agree!”
“...You seem more nervous than usual today.”
“N-Not at all!”
Shaking like a leaf, the Puppeteer responded on the verge of tears.
Ranked fourth. The youngest among the executives, he seed absolutely terrified of them.
Or... no. He seed terrified of .
The mont our eyes t, he flinched violently and looked down, as though I had triggered a seizure.
‘Ah, right. He was with the emperor that ti.’
Thinking back, on the day I blacked out after confronting the emperor, the Puppeteer had been in the room.
I have little mory of what happened then. Every ti I tried asking the duchess about it, she’d awkwardly avoid my gaze and change the subject.
—Tremble tremble tremble...—
But seeing soone around Sasha’s age trembling like that, I could guess that whatever I’d done that day... it wasn’t normal.
“...Still, you’re kinda cute like this. Way better than your usual gloomy look.”
“T-Thank you?”
“Hehe.”
“Eeek.”
Still hiding behind a giant teddy bear, the Puppeteer flinched hard at her head pat—then let it happen without complaint.
“Well then. Everyone’s in agreent, right?”
“......”
“Death Knight. Still got sothing to say?”
With the atmosphere finally settling, the Shadow Witch turned to the Death Knight, who still looked dissatisfied.
“It’s not that I object...”
“Then what? You don’t like my guest, and you want to throw a tantrum?”
“The guest’s presence is acknowledged. But he’s demanding a role beyond that, is he not?”
The Death Knight sent another cold stare at (I couldn’t see through the helt, but it felt like it), and growled lowly.
“What gives you the right to declare a eting?”
“......”
“That privilege belongs only to the Great Shadow.”
He began striding toward .
“Especially not so filthy white mage like you.”
“Filthy? Now, that’s a bit harsh.”
“Oh? Did that offend you? Then draw your sword or whatever and prove yourself.”
At that, I glanced toward the Shadow Witch. She only shrugged.
“M-Milord! It’s dangerous!”
“...Haa.”
“M-Maybe we should just run? Yes?”
Sasha—the Great Shadow in disguise—whimpered behind , her act so convincing it was honestly disturbing.
‘So I have to handle this myself, huh.’
The threat before ... I’d have to deal with it.
“If you don’t prove yourself, I cannot acknowledge you as the Great Shadow’s proxy.”
Problem is, the one standing before could likely crush an entire kingdom’s army.
So how do I prove myself in this situation?
Wait—think. Stay calm.
‘Co to think of it, whenever I blacked out before, there was a common factor.’
Bits and pieces I’d heard from Lunelle and Parsha. The hazy mories of the emperor. Even what just happened earlier.
If I combined it all...
‘Could it be... the Power of Domination activates when I open my eyes?’
It sounded ridiculously cliché, like sothing straight out of a generic power fantasy light novel (and yes, I read a ton of those during my hospital days).
But I couldn’t ignore the pattern.
“If you’re just going to stand there, I can give you a reason to move.”
Now wasn’t the ti to be picky.
“Fine then, I’ll show you.”
So I lowered my voice, just like one of those over-the-top protagonists, and t the Death Knight’s eyes with all the fake confidence I could muster.
“Hup.”
I took a breath—and opened my eyes wide.
“......”
Silence fell over the cave.
‘...Shit.’
After a long pause, I looked around—and was struck by a horrifying realization.
‘That... wasn’t it?’
Nothing happened. Not even a flicker.
“Well, what the...”
Okay, to be fair, the Death Knight did flinch and take a few steps back when I stared at him. That was sothing.
“...Unnerving.”
But the muttered words from him through the helt didn’t make feel any better.
“......”
Ti passed.
“Hey, could you... maybe stop glaring like that?”
“Oh. Uh, sure.”
“If I overdid it... I’ll apologize.”
With his voice completely drained of energy, the Death Knight looked away—and I shut my eyes, defeated.
‘Kill now.’
Unfortunately, it was a cave. Plenty of rat holes around, but none big enough for to crawl into.
—Ssssss...—
“...!?”
Then, suddenly, the seal on my chest—the one etched from my contract with the Great Shadow—began to burn red-hot.
***
“...Huh?”
As Whitney stood there, still frozen in his awkward pose, sothing shifted.
The Death Knight, who had been watching him suspiciously, suddenly widened his eyes.
“This is...”
“Wow! Amazing!”
“Eeeek!”
And the other three executives behind him reacted the sa.
—WOOOOOM—
A pressure descended. A heavy, oppressive dark mana—so dense that even all their combined power couldn’t compare—poured out from Whitney.
“Grr...!”
The Death Knight, closest to him, grit his teeth and tried to resist.
“...Stronger than I expected.”
“Oh my. Are we sure the Great Shadow herself didn’t just arrive?”
“Gah...!”
In monts, all but the Shadow Witch herself were forced to their knees.
“This should be enough proof.”
Whitney—face cold and expressionless—spoke in a voice that echoed like steel in frost.
“I’ll begin the eting in five minutes. Inform everyone.”
“......”
“I won’t take objections.”
That overwhelming shift in aura, the sheer killing intent, even shook the Shadow Witch who had been antagonizing him monts earlier—forcing her to nod silently.
“You know, Whitney...”
As soon as the pressure lifted and the executives scrambled out of the cave, Whitney let out a gentle smile... and then began to speak in a tone that didn’t suit him at all.
“You really shouldn’t take a black mage at their word.”
Or rather—it wasn’t Whitney anymore.
It was the Great Shadow, who had just taken full control of his body through their contract seal.
“Just borrowing this for a sec.”
She whispered, running her hands over Whitney’s body with an impish grin.
“...Huh?”
And at the sa ti—
A single person regained consciousness.
“W-Where... am I?”
It was Sasha—her last mory being near the estate, overseeing servants collecting honey in the forest.
The very place the Great Shadow had entered her.
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