Chapter 34: Finally, Has Someone Sensed the Darkness?

The pitch-black sky continued to spread toward the royal capital.

Rumbling thunderclouds drifted aimlessly around the city, encircling a round tower built of dark stone. The surface of the tower was covered in cracks that resembled poisonous snakes, and as the flashes of lightning flickered, they illuminated countless eerie runes etched into the structure.

On the top floor, in a dim room, strange instruments were scattered across a table: crystal vials containing boiling, unidentified liquids, bones inscribed with malevolent incantations, and parchment scrolls stained with dried blood.

At the heart of the darkness, a sinister mage with a receding hairline ceased his work. The air in the room stopped swirling, leaving behind only a faint, chilling aura.

拉克 (Lak) ended his incantation and looked up, his gaze piercing through the walls toward the palace. The corners of his mouth curled upward in a cruel and sinister smile.

"Finally... it is done."

"Prince Ota’s collapse was perfectly timed. To have this interference magic perfected just before the Hero’s Ceremony is held—it is truly fortunate."

From the shadows, "Darkness" coalesced once more within Lak’s body, emitting a raspy, cackling laugh:

"Since the Awakening Ceremony will now be presided over by you, this interference magic can be put to use... When the time comes, no one will be the wiser, and we shall hold the power to choose the Hero in our own hands!!!"

Although three days were not enough to replicate mind-control magic, Lak had devised another feasible dark plan during this time:

Select a Hero candidate who harbors darkness within their heart, and then slowly, surely, lure them into corruption!!!

This plan would normally have been difficult, as the Hero’s Awakening Array primarily selects those who have garnered the Goddess's attention; those with dark hearts or unstable minds are usually filtered out first. But now, Lak had developed this "interference magic"!

Once activated, he could dictate exactly whom the Goddess would choose to become the Hero!

"The only drawback to this magic is that it cannot be effective over long distances, but now..." Lak smiled, feeling as if even luck was on his side.

First, Mino’s capture had resulted in the equally qualified Saintess Lena remaining at the border.

Then, Prince Ota had fainted at such a critical moment.

Finally, due to the prophecy of the Round Table, the nobles were suspicious of one another, and no one had opposed his taking charge of the Awakening Ceremony.

As the ceremony’s host, Lak would be in the closest possible position to cast his interference magic. He could choose the person most prone to falling into darkness to become the next Hero at any moment!

"I don't know what set all this in motion, but it seems we have that mastermind to thank..." Lak chuckled softly. He was not overly cautious; at the very least, he was the biggest winner in this ceremony.

Inside the dark tower, Lak’s voice was gradually swallowed by the gloom.

"Next, I must find the right candidate..."

...

At the palace, the head maid entered at a knock, placing a small stack of papers on the desk.

"Princess Kalia, the list of Hero candidates has arrived," the head maid said softly.

Kalia flipped through the pages and sighed. "The capital has been so turbulent lately; even Brother Ota has... I hope tomorrow’s Hero Ceremony proceeds successfully and that a Hero capable of bearing the nation’s hopes emerges."

The head maid stood by, knowing that Princess Kalia needed consolation at this time. "Thankfully, thankfully we still have Chief Lak."

"Even the Demon Race will not be able to stop the birth of a new Hero."

"A new Hero, is it..." Kalia leafed through the documents, faces flashing before her eyes.

In her heart, the only person worthy of the title of Hero was Mino. However, as a member of the royal family, she had to maintain faith in the future Hero.

It was just that...

"The candidates this time are all too young," Kalia sighed. "The interval is still too short."

Even among Hero candidates, there were those who stood out. Mino, for instance, had been chosen by the Goddess without any suspense under the watchful eyes of all.

But only a few years had passed, and among these candidates, very few could be compared to Mino.

"Oh?" Suddenly, Kalia’s slender fingers stopped on one of the pages.

"Shana? She has become a Hero candidate already?!" Kalia looked at the list in her hands in surprise, then murmured:

"If she could become the Hero, Brother Mino would surely be happy..."

But soon, Kalia remembered something, and a look of vexation crossed her face.

She recalled a certain condition; if that were the case, then—Shana might have no chance of becoming the Hero at all.

...

The next day.

Wrapped in a simple black robe, Lak strolled through the palace. Guided by an attendant, he arrived at a somewhat empty camp, cordoned off by layers of guards.

"Chief Lak!"

At the camp entrance, the captain of the Knights looked at Lak with respect and pleasant surprise.

"The Hero’s Awakening Ceremony does not begin for another three hours. Why have you arrived so early?"

Lak nodded in greeting, forcing a look of kindness. "I wanted to see these children who hope to become Heroes first, to see which of them is most likely to receive the Goddess's favor."

"I see." Erwin believed him and sighed with emotion, "You truly are a kind-hearted Archmage!"

Lak merely smiled. Accompanied by Erwin, he quickly entered the Hero candidate training camp.

Young men and women in simple cloth garments were scattered about, preparing for the upcoming awakening. Lak unobtrusively donned a gold-rimmed monocle: it was a precious magical artifact capable of revealing a glimpse of a person’s past experiences.

Suppressing his urge to pry, he looked around with a calm expression, scouting for a suitable subject.

*Slap!*

Nearby, distracted, he lightly collided with a figure passing by.

Lak paused and turned to look at the person he had bumped into. It was a young girl with long, red hair and eyes as bright as rubies. Unlike the others in the camp, she wore a black cloak and a pitch-black eyepatch over her right eye.

Her face still retained a touch of youthful innocence, but she cast a disdainful glance at him.

"Watch where you're going."

Lak frowned, a sense of coldness rising in his heart. The girl hadn't made any attempt to step aside while walking, which was why they had collided; it was somewhat disrespectful.

Seeing the red-haired girl walk away, Erwin, standing nearby, explained with an awkward expression.

"Please, don't mind her."

"Shana is... well, her personality is a bit different from the others."

Lak nodded indifferently, indicating that as the Chief of the Round Tower, he would not bicker with a child, and he gently adjusted his monocle.

He had just used the magical artifact to glance at her history. Her background was merely a bit impoverished, but he was not satisfied... Mediocre, far too mediocre!!!

He needed someone with a tragic background, a "lone star of ill omen" type—someone whose fall into darkness would feel much more significant, wouldn't it?

Besides, he could never form an emotional resonance with such a naive, bratty child.

With a soft chuckle in his heart, Lak shook his head and left.

The two figures drifted apart, heading in opposite directions.

In a blind spot, the girl slowly came to a halt.

She looked back, lowered her head, and whispered:

"The scent of darkness..."