My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

The ride back was quiet. Emilia couldn’t bring herself to interrogate the man in front of his child, even though she knew he was hiding something. She had seen enough to know that his story had holes in it, but she also couldn’t ignore the way the boy had rushed into his father’s arms the moment he saw him crying.

Abellona, on the other hand, felt somewhat relieved. They had traveled for days to reach the town, and it would take them just as long to return to the capital.

It would have been faster to simply fly there, but she wanted to keep an eye on Emilia.

She felt absolutely no guilt about betraying her.

If Emilia discovered the truth, it could cause a civil war. If handled poorly, that conflict could even bring about the fall of the empire. These were turbulent times, and the empire had already endured too much in recent years.

The empire had lasted for three epochs, from the end of the First Epoch to the present. It was ancient, with deep roots, traditions, and institutions. It was far more powerful than it appeared on the surface, but after the Demon Wars and the rise of the Temple, Abellona couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps its time was finally coming.

Many empires rose and fell.

Perhaps that was simply the way of the world.

Or perhaps this empire would die along with the entire world.

The empire wasn’t sitting still, either. It had once again rallied the entire world. Everyone who mattered would eventually gather in Valthreon. Enemies and allies alike would stand on the same battlefield, fighting together for the right to survive.

Some of them would undoubtedly have hidden agendas, but there was nothing that united people quite like the threat of total annihilation.

Abellona wondered what the world would look like if they actually won.

Would everything simply return to the way it had been?

Probably not.

There would be power vacuums. New forces would rise to fill them. Old grudges would resurface, new enemies would emerge, and countless battles would follow.

War was a constant.

And war only gave birth to more war.

More suffering.

More hatred.

She lowered her gaze toward her abdomen.

’Is this the world my child will grow up in?’

A bleak world where hatred and conflict never truly ended.

Would she even be alive to see her child grow up?

And if she wasn’t...

Would her child even be accepted into this world?

She knew the fate of children born outside of marriage, especially within noble society. She knew the whispers, the discrimination, and the expectations that would follow them for the rest of their lives.

Her expression slowly hardened.

Her mind was made up.

What she wanted was for herself and her child.

And Abellona was not some weak woman waiting for someone to save her. Everything she had possessed, every bit of power she had gained, she had earned with her own hands.

People did not lack strength.

They lacked the will to use it.

She had the will to obtain what she desired.

And right now, her desire was simple.

The throne.

”Why did you let him go, Sister?” Terra asked coldly from across the carriage.

”We already asked him what we wanted to know,” Emilia replied.

Her gaze remained on the road ahead.

”We did, but he mixed in some lies. I don’t believe for a moment that he truly doesn’t know anything,” Terra muttered, her expression remaining calm.

Abellona nodded, keeping her own expression composed.

”I agree. But people have their reasons. Besides, this proved to be a dead end. I thought I might find something related to Amon by helping you, but sadly, nothing came of it.”

She paused.

”And Terra, we’ve been summoned back. You understand that, don’t you?”

Terra nodded. She had received the summons as well.

All military forces were being ordered to converge on the capital. There would be a strategy meeting, followed by a summit and then detailed military planning along the borders before the siege of Lysithara began.

The ruined city.

The Path of Kings.

It was easily one of the most glorious places in the world, a city built by man for man.

But this time, it would serve as the stronghold of ancient outsiders who had descended from beyond the stars.

They were the enemy.

Terra leaned back into her seat and remained quiet for a while.

”I bet Damon Grey would’ve found a way,” she said eventually. ”Too bad he’s in the Anarchy Mountains.”

She pulled out a pager and glanced at it.

”We should contact him. He hasn’t sent a report in a while.”

”Speaking of which...” Terra’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She waited until the pager stopped humming before continuing.

”Didn’t you say you wanted to go to the Anarchy Mountains, Sister? The clue we received was what made you change your mind.”

Emilia fell silent.

Her eyes slowly shifted toward the window as she recalled the mysterious voice and what it had told her about the Anarchy Mountains.

After a moment, her expression changed.

”Let’s head there.”

”Good. Then we can stop by and pick up Damon before heading back to the capital. Is that good with you, Princess?” Terra asked while the pager continued to hum in her hand.

Emilia glanced at Abellona. The princess immediately lowered her head, and Emilia couldn’t help but notice how reluctant she seemed at the thought of meeting Damon.

That reaction more or less confirmed what Emilia had already suspected.

She couldn’t help but admire the princess’s audacity. Getting herself involved with Damon Grey was already dangerous enough, but doing something like this at such a turbulent time was practically inviting trouble if the truth ever got out.

Just as Emilia was about to speak, the pager finally received a response.

Terra lifted it toward her face.

”Lord Grey, you are a difficult man to get a hold of. We wanted to inquire about your situation, if you don’t mind.”

”Actually, I do mind.”

A woman’s voice came from the pager.

Abellona’s head snapped up the moment she heard it.

’What the hell?’

Her eyes widened.

’Who is this woman?’

She instantly recognized that voice as unfamiliar, and her mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

’That bastard. Who is he sleeping with this time?’

Her expression darkened.

’How could he do this to me? To our child?’

And the audacity to give this woman his pager!

”Excuse me, who are you?” Terra asked, equally confused by the unfamiliar woman’s voice.

”Who do you think you called? Is this some sort of prank call? I’m already in a bad enough mood as it is. Why the hell do women even bleed? Damn it!”

There was a brief silence.

”You’ll need more tampons,” another female voice said from the other end.

The voice was familiar.

It was Lilith Astranova.

”Leave me alone,” the first woman snapped.

”What do you want, Lady Hightower?”

The irritation in her voice was impossible to miss.

Emilia raised an eyebrow.

Who exactly was this arrogant woman?

”First, we would like to know who you are. And please put Damon Grey on the line. We wish to speak with him.”

A deep breath came from the other end.

”Oh, Emilia. It’s been a while. How have you been? You’re really still with Terra? You and your sister must really get along.”

The woman’s tone was familiar.

Very familiar.

Emilia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

She glanced toward Abellona.

Abellona immediately took the pager from Terra and held it close to her face.

”Damon?”

”In the flesh,” the woman replied.

Abellona’s expression became complicated.

”Can I ask why you sound like a woman? Is this some strange new hobby you’ve picked up?”

Her tone carried genuine concern.

”Hobby? Ohhh, no, it’s not like that. I’m just a woman now. I’m currently in the red period of the month, so us ladies can relate, but I hear it’s temporary. The cramps are killing me, though.”

Abellona’s expression slowly froze.

It was Damon.

There was absolutely no doubt.

The attitude, the careless way he spoke, the sheer shamelessness of his words... it could only be Damon Grey.

”Why are you a woman?” Terra asked slowly.

Even she wanted to know the answer.

”Nah, it’s no big deal. I just lost my physical body to a little thief. I’ll get it back eventually, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Abellona glanced at Terra.

Terra glanced back.

Neither of them seemed particularly convinced.

”I see,” Emilia said. ”We’re heading toward the Anarchy Mountains. We wanted to make sure you were still there.”

”Yeah, I’m in the area. There’s a large military garrison moving toward Lysithara, and I’m currently in one of their outposts. Finding me shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Damon’s voice remained calm and strangely sweet despite everything he had just said.

’He must make quite the maiden,’ Abellona thought despite herself.

”How will we recognize you when we see you, since you are a woman now?” Emilia asked, glancing toward Abellona.

Damon answered without hesitation.

”Just look for the woman with the nicest ass. It’ll be me.”

”Damon!”

A sharp smack sounded through the pager.

”Ouch! Lilith, why’d you hit me?”

Abellona immediately lowered her head, her face turning red.

’Why does he have to embarrass me like this?’

And what exactly was he talking about when he said he had lost his body?

He was always getting himself into strange situations.

The carriage continued speeding toward the Anarchy Mountains, while Abellona sat quietly with the knowledge of Godric Ravenscroft’s secret weighing heavily on her mind.

No one must know.