“Hm, what’s with the silence? You all look like you swallowed your tongues.”
A loud, cheerful voice rang out from the crystal orb Whitney had placed on the table.
“Long ti no see, everyone. Isn’t it a bit rude not to say hello?”
But anyone who knew the owner of that upbeat voice would’ve shuddered instinctively.
“The Shadow Witch... So even the black mages’ second-in-command shows herself now.”
“Her power rivals even the Elders of the Demonic Cult. A truly vile force.”
“...Ufufu. I wonder how I managed to get through your security?”
Long before she beca a black mage, she had already committed countless war cris and mass killings. After embracing black magic, she delved into horrific, inhumane research.
She was the de facto second-in-command of the Shadow Conclave—powerful enough to have survived multiple battles with both the Theocracy and Lun Ordo.
That was the true nature hidden behind the bright, playful voice echoing from the crystal.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, showing yourself to us like this—but you’d best put away any foolish ideas.”
Still, the response from Chair Salem and the rest of the Elder Council remained calm.
“Was it the ancient magic protecting Lun Ordo that drew you here? I suppose that is troubleso.”
“......”
“I hear the oaths bound by that ancient covenant override even royal and theocratic authority. Quite the convenient barrier system, isn’t it?”
Even the Shadow Witch acknowledged it—Lun Ordo’s defenses were formidable.
“Whitney, if you weren’t a mber of Lun Ordo, I couldn’t even speak through this orb.”
“...So activating the orb was the trigger.”
“But don’t worry. All you allowed was a call, nothing more. I can’t go beyond that.”
Her ability to speak now was only possible because she had slipped through a crack—barely.
“Oh, and your mansion has a similar setup, you know? I tried to sneak in while you were away, but it wasn’t easy.”
“...What?”
“Doesn’t seem like it was the great Shadow herself either. What kind of tricks are you using?”
Just as Whitney began to wonder what she was even talking about—
“Do you really think you can pay the price for trespassing in the sanctuary of Light?”
From the high seat, Tiffany Astellade’s voice rang out, cold and cutting.
“Haha. The new head of Lun Ordo is just a child. Are you seriously buying into all this?”
But the mont her tone laced with killing intent filled the room, the Shadow Witch’s mocking laughter echoed back.
“Looks like I’ll have to remind you how the previous Guardian of Radiance died.”
“...Shut that filthy mouth!!!”
“Oh my. That fiery temper—I like it.”
Tiffany, eyes now turned snow white, spat her curse through clenched teeth. Yet the Shadow Witch remained ever soft-spoken.
“Playing with soone like you is honestly my favorite thing.”
“......!”
Then, without warning, black smoke began pouring from the crystal.
“There. I made a little barrier for just the two of us—how about it? Even your Elders would need thirty minutes to break through this one.”
“......”
“All possible thanks to you accepting the call. Truly—thank you again. Fufu...”
As the smoke quickly enveloped Whitney, the space around him was severed from the outside world—just as she said.
“Enough chatter. Get to the point.”
“Kukuku... Giving orders now, are you?”
“...I said, get to the point.”
Whitney, calmly scanning the sealed-off room, dropped the honorifics and t the Shadow Witch’s playful tone with a deadly stare.
“I see why the great Shadow has her eyes on you.”
“......”
“Even your expressions tremble with raw instinct. You really do have talent.”
Her voice trembled in glee, and then—finally, as if she’d been waiting—she got to the real reason.
“Well then, let’s get to it. The ti and location for the next Shadow Conclave has been decided.”
“...What?”
“I’ll be coming to pick you up that day. You’ll be attending with .”
Whitney’s expression darkened further as he stared into the crystal.
“By the way, your role is as the stand-in for the Great Shadow herself. Rember?”
“......”
“Aha, don’t get so tense. I’m practically her only loyal subordinate, you know.”
Though her voice could only travel, she sohow gave the impression of a soft, conspiratorial whisper.
“No one else in the black mage circles knows this secret. I’ll be by your side, assisting you personally.”
“Having the Shadow Witch as your personal escort? That’s a luxury no one else can claim.”
Still scowling, Whitney asked in a low voice—
“Far as I know, none of the executives are ‘loyal.’”
“...Oh my.”
“So what is it you really want?”
The Shadow Witch’s tone instantly shifted—silky, laced with sothing far more sinister.
“Already stepping into your stand-in role? I like you # Nоvеlight # more and more.”
“......”
“Kukuku. You really don’t have to stare at that intensely.”
Whitney couldn’t help but grimace—was it just his imagination, or could she see him sohow?
“Well, you’re right. I do have an ulterior motive.”
And with that, she finally started revealing her cards.
“Not many in the Shadow Conclave know the truth—that our Great Shadow doesn’t have the ‘power of domination.’”
“...Domination.”
“Yes. That unique power that only you in this world possess.”
It seed she knew the sa conclusion Lun Ordo had reached through years of analysis of Whitney’s mana signature.
“You know what I’ve learned from living in this world?”
“To survive—and to rise—you have to latch onto the right person.”
Whitney’s scowl deepened, but the Shadow Witch paid it no mind.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“One lower-ranked mage who was just like ... chose to follow Pedro instead of . And he ended up torturing you... then got himself killed.”
“......”
“That’s life. It all cos down to instinct.”
Her tone seed polite, but her words grew increasingly aggressive.
—Goooooh...
anwhile, the black smoke leaking from the orb had slithered up to Whitney’s shoulder, gently curling around him.
“And right now... my instincts are screaming to follow you.”
Feeling as though long fingers were brushing his shoulder, Whitney swatted the smoke away—but it reford just as quickly.
“Throughout history, many stand-ins have dethroned their monarchs and beco the real thing, you know?”
“...You’re not afraid of consequences, are you?”
As the smoke settled into the shape of a small witch seated atop the table, Whitney let his irritation show.
“As that old bastard said earlier—Lun Ordo is protected by ancient, indecipherable magic.”
“......”
“No being, without the white mage’s permission, can even influence this place, let alone step inside.”
The tiny witch sitting at the edge of the table, legs swinging, responded to him with a twisted grin stretched across a face wreathed in smoke.
“Isn’t that only natural for the so-called Great Shadow, who doesn’t even have the power of dominion? Kukuku...”
With that, the small fragnt of the Shadow Witch slowly extended her hand toward Whitney, who was looming over her.
“Anyway, let’s work well together. I’m just as interested in you as I am in the Great Shadow.”
“When the ti cos that the black mages are brought under control, I hope you won’t forget that I was the first to bow my head to you.”
“...Do the other executives think like you?”
But Whitney, ignoring her gesture entirely, asked in a voice that remained cold. The Shadow Witch’s fragnt tilted her head while still holding out her hand.
“Who knows... I wonder?”
“......”
“I say this, but I don’t fully trust you just yet.”
She let out a muffled giggle behind her hand, then again stretched her mouth into a grin and whispered.
“But if I were to give you a little hint, there might be at least two others who think like ?”
“......”
“For the Great Shadow Witch to go so far as to offer a hint just to stay in your good graces... this is a real achievent, you know? You should brag about it.”
Even so, Whitney never took the hand she was offering.
“Well then, I’ll be off.”
– Crackkkkkk...
“So crazy bitch over there is tearing through my barrier with space itself, so I should probably get going.”
With a look of reluctant regret, the witch’s fragnt glanced up at him—then spotted a newly ford rift beside her and began to dissipate into smoke.
“Running away?”
“Of course I’m running. Now I see there are two crazy bitches ripping apart my grand magic by brute force. How could I face that in this state?”
Sure enough, through a rift roughly the size of a single brick, redia’s gaze was now glowing more crimson than ever.
– Creeeeaaaaak...
And on the other side, a slender hand—presud to be Tiffany Astellade’s—was forcing its way through the Shadow Witch’s barrier, widening the gap.
“Well, I suppose the story might change if you let my real body co here...”
“Keep dreaming.”
“...Yeah, I was kind of scared too. Just saying things.”
Watching the two won flagrantly violate the established rules of magical theory, the Shadow Witch, though not showing it, was clearly dumbfounded.
“Why... did they have to co now of all tis?”
“...Well, like I said earlier, I was trying to avoid the Great Shadow’s gaze.”
As Whitney voiced his final question in an overtly irritated tone, the witch’s fragnt, now half-scattered, responded with a voice full of laughter.
“But hey, I’m the one who reached out to align myself with you. Shouldn’t you overco at least this much on your own if I’m going to believe in you?”
“......”
“Then, until next ti. Kukukuku...”
Leaving those words behind, the witch’s fragnt fully dissolved into the surrounding air and vanished.
– Crashhh!
The next mont, the barrier the Shadow Witch had erected was shattered into pieces and scattered in all directions, completely destroyed in just under three minutes—far faster than she had expected.
“Everyone, I’m oka— ah.”
Then, in the very next breath—before Whitney could even react—his body was enveloped by soft flesh.
“...You bastard.”
Princess redia, drenched in cold sweat, was holding him tightly in her arms, her breathing ragged.
“If you’re okay, you should’ve said sothing.”
“P-Princess...”
“I was worried...”
Even for redia, it must have been too much to literally rip through space itself. Her body limp, she t Whitney’s gaze for a mont and muttered faintly—then buried her face into his shoulder.
“T-That was... my line...”
anwhile, on the other side, Tiffany Astellade—who had co rushing over—muttered to herself with a slightly sulky expression.
“...Wait a minute.”
Her eyes suddenly widened.
“That’s not... it can’t be...”
Her face going pale, her gaze locked onto the back of redia’s right hand, where a black brand had surfaced.
“D-Don’t say it!”
redia snapped her head up and raised her voice in panic, but it was already too late.
“...A terminal curse?”
From Tiffany’s mouth, the na of the curse had already slipped out.
“......”
And with that, a heavy silence descended upon the conference room.
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