Chapter 14

“Is he gone?”

“…He is gone, Your Majesty. I cannot feel his presence.”

“I see. You disapprove of something.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. You can tell me what it is.”

Queen Savane encouraged. And so the oldest of the Left Hands opened his mouth.

His name was Hif.

“I believe that total absolution is going too far.”

“Yes, from your point of view, it would be. But as I said, it’s pointless. If Leon was serious, none of it would matter.”

“But still…”

As Leon had been granted absolution, he could carry weapons and use magic. It would be possible for him to unsheath his sword in front of the queen and swing it.

With absolution, the Left Hands would not be able to move without the Queen’s command.

As long as he didn’t actually hurt anyone without reason, his actions would have to be overlooked.

“Hachina. Go and check the room’s charms.”

“Certainly.”

One of the Shadows began to check behind picture frames and under carpets and flower vases.

“I have checked them all. There is no problem.”

“What does this mean, Hachina?”

“I do not know. The entire room is covered in multiple barriers that prevent the use of magic. It is hard to think that all of them could stop working at once.”

“How effective are these charms?”

“They are inspected every day to ensure they are working. I made sure of it myself before you entered the room, Your Majesty.”

Hachina seemed very disturbed.

“Hif. I’m sure you understand what has happened.”

The elder who had spoken first replied.

“The charms will not be able to stop the spell-caster if he has magic that surpasses the creator of the charms.”

“Exactly. In fact, it was exactly the same with his father.”

At this revelation, the faces of the Left Hands changed to expressions of surprise.

“The Fallen One? I had heard he could use magic, but not…”

“Indeed. But they call him the Grim Reaper now.”

“Yes.”

“So, you should call him that as well. He is your predecessor, after all.”

“I will do so.”

Leon’s father, the Grim Reaper, was once Princess Savene’s Left Hand.

This was during the reign of King Jahal.

King Jahal had one son and one daughter.

The 18-year old Gilbert and the 14-year old Savane.

“The Dragon Mark has appeared on my little sister. Get rid of her at once.”

On that day, Gilbert saw the young girl as a threat, and so he sent word to a league of assassins from the country of Makoku.

Days later, an assassin appeared in front of Savane.

The person that had come to kill her, was Harui. He had only just turned 15.

But when Harui snuck into the princess’s bedroom, he could not help but fall in love.

And by the time the King’s Left Hands realized that something was wrong and came to the princess’s bed-chamber, Harui had already sworn an oath of loyalty to her.

“I will settle matters first.”

Harui said, as he left Savane. And then 10 days later, he reappeared.

“How did things go?”

“I have finished it all.”

“I see.”

And from that day, Harui lived as a loyal Shadow for Savane.

As for Savane’s older brother, Gilbert. He died in an accident during the time that Harui was away.

He had gone out riding in hilly terrain and fallen off of his horse.

Something had startled the horse, and its legs had unluckily fallen into a depression in the ground. And so Gilbert was thrown.

It was said that Gilbert fell on his head and broke his neck.

He was dead when he was discovered.

There was nothing unusual about it.

Even still, King Jahal had summoned Savane and made her swear her innocence.

That night, when the King awoke uncomfortably in his bed, he saw that two swords were crossed over his neck and stabbed into the bed.

If he moved, he would cut his neck. That was how they were positioned.

Its purpose was clear. It was a warning.

Cold sweat dripping from his body, King Jahal called his Left Hands.

The Left Hands who guarded him were terrified, but insisted that there was nothing wrong with the security.

“Then who did it?”

He knew who had ordered it.

It was obvious.

But how had they gotten in?

Who carried it out?

He would never know.

But there was someone who was capable of slipping into the king’s room without being noticed by anyone.

And this warning.

If he reacted too boldly, the blades would close in on his neck.

“It was not one of us.”

The Left Hands said. What could they say?

“Speak of this to no one.”

“Yes!”

He couldn’t go against someone who surpassed his Shadows.

The king was wise enough to understand that, at least.

The following year, King Jahal watched as Savane become a Dragon Master. And then he went into hiding.

Hif had been the leader of King Jahal’s Left Hands at the time. And so he met Harui for the first time once Savane became the new Queen.

“While you may have lived longer, you will work under Harui. Harui already knows everything about you.”

These were surprising words, but Hif was even more surprised when he saw Harui standing by the Queen.

“I have watched you for a while, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Someone who watched Hif. Hif, who was the King’s Shadow and never showed himself to others.

This meeting alone told Hif everything.

Queen Savane enjoyed talking with her Shadow.

She would even tease and joke with Harui sometimes.

Hif could see that their relationship was very relaxed.

Of course, Hif saw Harui as dangerous, and he gathered as much information as he could.

Eventually, he found out that Harui had originally come to assassinate the Queen, and that he had fallen in love.

The ‘fallen one.’ In other words, the assassin who had fallen in love at first sight. That was who Harui was.

And now, Harui’s 16-year-old son, who was also called ‘Shadow Crosser,’ had come to the Royal Capital.

And he had done so while bearing the Dragon Mark.

This son, Leon, had now been given complete absolution.

Hif knew too well what this meant.

“…Our men. Our power. And yet we cannot stop that boy.”

Hif became terribly depressed.