Chapter Forty: Darkness and “Darkness” Hit It Off at Once

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Lak had once prided himself on being Mino’s lifelong archenemy, the person who detested Mino more than anyone else.

He had even secretly established a “Mino Victims’ Alliance” within the political party he had founded, and taken great satisfaction in it.

But now he knew he had been wrong.

After witnessing Shana’s performance, he realized just how utterly mistaken he had been.

No amount of covert contempt could compare with the most vicious slander! To dare speak ill of Mino in front of a crowd—what kind of courage did that take? It was almost as though criticizing Mino were the most natural thing in the world to her!

Lak looked at Shana, his emotions surging as an inexplicable trace of admiration welled up within him.

And you, my friend, are the true Mino-hater!

Elsewhere.

“Hey…” Tonk stared at Shana, standing at the center of the gathering storm, completely dumbfounded. For a moment, he even forgot to be angry. “Is that girl’s brain broken? She talks like that and isn’t afraid of getting beaten up?”

Dane and Jenny had only just arrived as well.

Dane had originally intended to find another opportunity to test Lak, but upon sensing the situation from afar with his exceptionally keen instincts, he discreetly retreated to the side. As for Jenny, she was simply socially anxious and wanted to wait until the crowd had thinned before getting something to eat…

A trace of indifference flashed through Dane’s eyes, though he put on a bitter smile. “Perhaps that would be true of someone else, but with Shana… We should probably mind our own business.”

Jenny nodded. “Shana is amazing. Even after Mino became the Chosen Hero, she can still talk like that.”

“Hey!” Within Lak’s mind, sensing his excitement, Darkness growled harshly. “Don’t make any rash decisions!”

“I know.” Lak drew a deep breath and slowly calmed himself.

“Even if her personality is unusual, that alone isn’t enough reason to choose her for our plan… We still need to observe her carefully.”

Lak’s expression was exceedingly severe. “She must possess grand ideals and ambition before she can be worthy of the opportunity we grant.”

At the long table, someone was finally driven to desperation by Shana’s impervious attitude. He slammed his hands on the table and shouted,

“No matter what, Mino the Chosen Hero is the strongest hero in human history!”

“For all these years, no one has ever managed to accomplish what she did. Even if we candidates for the title of hero become heroes ourselves, do we really dare claim that we’ll surpass Mino?!”

The scene fell silent at first. Even many of those present did not dare respond to such a statement.

But then Shana’s utterly fearless voice shattered the silence.

“So what if Mino is merely Mino, even if she is the strongest hero in human history?” Shana’s red eyes brimmed with confidence as she declared energetically,

“I can take her place!”

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The earthshaking declaration rang out, and Lak staggered backward, his eyes trembling with shock.

What a domineering proclamation!

No ordinary person of this era could have uttered those words on the spot. They radiated an endless, boundless ambition. Simply hearing them was enough to make one feel suffocated!

“It’s her. It has to be!” Lak’s voice trembled with excitement.

“Calm down! Didn’t you say so yourself? We have to observe her carefully. Look, she’s leaving. Let’s secretly follow her for a while.” Darkness urged him from within.

At the long table, Shana blinked. Perhaps because she had finished breakfast, her eyes were filled with contentment.

Facing the crowd, she smiled with an air of disdain, as though she considered herself above them all. Then she gave her cloak a vigorous sweep and turned away, slowly departing as it drifted lightly behind her…

Lak nodded. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he cast a spell to diminish his presence and followed Shana from neither too near nor too far.

Not far from the dining area stood a dense cluster of trees. Shana walked beneath one of the shaded canopies, enveloping herself in shadow.

“This girl’s thought process really is rather strange. Are you certain you want to choose her?” Darkness spoke again within him.

“I can sense that her lack of respect for Mino comes from the bottom of her heart, as though she was born with it.”

Lak nodded. “That is the most important point. Besides, you saw how arrogant she was, didn’t you? At the very least, she doesn’t seem like a good person.”

“But didn’t you say her past was utterly ordinary? Can someone like that truly fall into darkness?” Darkness was still somewhat uneasy.

“Have you misunderstood something?” Lak lowered his head, looking utterly baffled.

“Who said… falling into darkness necessarily requires a reason?”

“Hey! That isn’t what you said just now!” Darkness practically sprouted veins in anger.

“Quiet! Hurry—she’s doing something again.” Lak cautiously moved a little closer to Shana. Her murmuring voice gradually reached his ears as she spoke toward the shadows beneath the trees.

“…”

“Heh. Hehehe.”

“You ask how it feels to be rejected? It was nothing more than the noisy babbling of a bunch of foolish mortals. They were destined never to understand my thoughts.”

Lak was puzzled.

“Who is she talking to?”

“Perhaps some familiar spirit is dwelling within her. I can’t even detect where it comes from… Could it be an existence of the same origin as me?!” Darkness exclaimed in surprise.

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“You mean…?!”

Lak grew even more astonished. Did that mean Shana was on Darkness’s side as well?

For an instant, Lak felt as though everything had fallen perfectly into place, as though success had come without the slightest effort.

At that moment, Shana gave a soft laugh toward the “shadow” beneath the trees.

“The position of Chosen Hero? Do you think I care about that? Even if I cannot obtain it…” She slowly extended her bandage-wrapped right hand, her eyes deep and solemn. “With the violent power of darkness within me, I can bring despair upon this world at any time.”

“The bloodline I bear, one that is destined to destroy everything, was never meant to have anything to do with the position of Chosen Hero.”

“So it really is as I thought.” Lak’s expression instantly turned grave. “I knew she was no ordinary girl!”

“Can you sense how powerful the force she mentioned truly is?”

“No… I can’t. The cloak she wears is unusual. It can conceal fluctuations of power. No wonder… no wonder the people in the training camp failed to discover it. Such precautions are only proper.” Darkness was growing restless as well, affirming his conclusion with mounting excitement.

“I understand now. She must have received the inheritance of darkness too!”

“Lak, there’s no need to hesitate. She is our ideal collaborator. We won’t even need to lure her into corruption!!!”

Lak suddenly understood.

He had spent all these years painstakingly concealing his identity, while this girl had openly infiltrated the most sacred Chosen Hero training camp. Was this what people meant by hiding in plain sight? What a brilliant decision, what magnificent ambition!

And now, he could help her!

“Who’s there?!”

Suddenly, Shana yanked at her cloak, her expression becoming intensely solemn.

She abruptly struck a defensive pose that, for some inexplicable reason, showed no trace of power and offered little actual protection—but was impossibly cool.

The direction she faced…

Was precisely where Lak was hiding!

Lak was once again filled with a mixture of astonishment and admiration.

Could it be… that she had even detected the magic of a kingdom archmage like him?!

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