Shadow

 Chapter 17

Split of the Crown (8)

  Fristov

The destined time had come, and the Queen’s convoy set off toward the northern city of Fristov!

 It was the closest city to Nixara, regardless of the distance between them… And though it was a frozen city, it was warmer compared to Glasin in the northern pole of Norton!

Meanwhile, the servants made sure to prepare the convoy’s special train, which would traverse the supply routes from Nixara, passing through countless cities, all the way to the frozen Graive plains, the gateway to Fristov.

Asma was busy instructing the servants to gather supplies, while Ivan assisted her by providing them immediately…

After all essential resources were prepared, eight carriages were loaded with organic waste, placed in special wagons designed by the Queen herself, with help from Prince Ivan, an expert in advanced engineering. The train consisted of ten wagons plus the engine carriage.

• “Everything ready, Ivan? We didn’t forget anything, right?”
• “Yes, Your Majesty! Everything is in perfect order!”
• “Excellent!”

Asma’s eyes swept over the eight train carriages one last time. Then she thought, “Although this world is already amazing compared to mine in terms of technology, energy type, and construction speed… they still aren’t aware of the innovations in my world!”

She went closer to the sealed carriages, which had no windows or ventilation…

“…Ivan helped me so much in designing and building this train in just two days! I designed the wagons as cylindrical anaerobic iron tanks! Since they are airtight, no oxygen can enter at all! They were prefilled with organic waste, manure, and straw… and I even installed a side pipe to supply more waste upon arrival in Fristov. Shadow had told me that the supply lines would deliver additional waste! Kyaaa! What a profitable operation!”

A vile, materialistic smile spread across her face. Ivan mirrored the same wicked grin. They exchanged sly looks, and Asma thought:

“…Hohoho! We mixed water with this golden waste to facilitate anaerobic bacterial decomposition! It will produce a significant amount of methane and carbon dioxide, which will be collected in the metal collection tank above! This precious wealth can warm Fristov and generate money from various countries! Hahahahahahaha!”

Asma’s laughter rang out, and Ivan joined her in the sinister chuckles.

Shadow stood quietly behind them, cutting through her laughter:
“…Fristov will suffer from these lunatics soon enough!”

Both of them fell silent and embarrassed. Asma stammered:
“It… it’s just… excitement!”

Shadow showed no reaction, his face cold as usual.
“Alright. What about the fermented waste? I fear Fristov might be hit with the stench that engulfed my palace!” He covered his nose as he spoke. Indeed, he was right: the previous two days had been the peak of Asma’s laboratory experiments! She had conducted simplified tests on the waste to adjust the mixing ratios of waste and water… so that by the end, the palace smelled like decomposed animal dung!

Asma grinned widely and raised her index finger toward Shadow recklessly. He stepped back, eyeing her finger pointed at his face.
“Don’t worry!” Asma said enthusiastically. “Down below, there’s a pipe to drain the fermented liquid waste! It’s a treasure too! Rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, I’ll use it as excellent agricultural fertilizer in Fristov!”

• “Alright.”

Asma noticed Shadow’s lack of enthusiasm and looked away. She continued:
“…Even though Fristov and Glasin are frozen, Ivan cast the Shadow Fire enchantment on the tanks to maintain a warm temperature even in the harsh cold. Methane gas will be produced within a day or a few days!”

• “Good!”

Feeling bored, Asma stopped talking and walked away.

Ivan frowned.
“You are truly unbearable!”
Shadow raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“…And what did I do?”
“We put a lot of effort into this, and you don’t even appreciate it!”
“…It’d better work after all that effort!” Shadow said coldly, then left, leaving Ivan seething.

…

At precisely 1 a.m., the supply train departed for Fristov! Asma bid farewell to Ivanka warmly, and Ivanka returned it politely and respectfully.

Ivan left a letter for Ivanka; she didn’t care to open it, knowing exactly what was inside…

Asma’s eyes met Shadow’s, and she turned away, closing her eyes in anger.

Shadow smiled, and she noticed his smile despite the distance and the massive crowd gathered to see off the convoy.

Shadow didn’t approach the train at all; he simply watched from afar with his personal guard, Baron, by his side.

He allowed Ivanka to go bid the Queen farewell. Asma looked in astonishment at the King’s smile.
“Why is he smiling? What’s funny? You son of…”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ivanka’s final farewell before the train gradually picked up speed and left Nixara station.

 Asma accepted the beautiful white bouquet Ivanka gave her. The train departed, and Ivanka grew smaller and smaller until she vanished from sight along with the crowd, as the train carved its way through the cities, arriving in Fristov after a week…

…

Asma sat in the first carriage, reserved for the Queen, while Ivan sat in the second carriage.

There was a knock at the door:
“My Queen! May I enter?”

• “Go ahead, Ivan!”

The door opened.
“Your Majesty! The King has confirmed that the army’s supply corps will deliver a weekly share of waste to Fristov… so no need to worry!”

• “Wonderful! Thank you for your hard work!”
• “It’s my duty, Your Majesty!”
• “Ivan! Aren’t you exhausted from your Shadow Fire enchantment Technique? I fear I’ll be drained in Fristov when using my light powers for farming!”
• “Oh! Don’t worry, Asma! You’ll get used to it! Ivanka was like you when she was a child, but now she’s the strongest knight! The important thing is to understand how your abilities work!”
• “…Understand?” She smiled enthusiastically. “I’m ready!”

…

On the other side, through the secret passage leading to the King’s quarters, Shadow stood at the entrance and walked a few steps forward… Light footsteps approached the King politely, and the competitor of the strongest knight of the kingdom, Baron, appeared. Ivanka stood with a serious, cold expression.

• “Alright, Ivanka! What did your shadows in Valembra tell you? Have you conducted the field audit?”
• 
  
• “Yes, Your Majesty! Currently, all grain storage, supply convoys, checkpoints, and southern relocation warehouses are being audited and counted!”
• 
  
• “Check the number of each convoy and the seal on each deal! There must be some discrepancy; the convoys that were supposed to reach the southern relocation warehouses of Fristov and Glasin didn’t arrive! It’s impossible for it to be an accident!”
• 
  
• “Of course, Your Majesty!…” 
• Ivanka paused slightly, then lowered her head and cautiously presented an idea. 
• 
  
• “…Your Majesty! I have suspicion about something extremely delicate! It could destabilize Norton in the near future, but it’s just a suspicion without evidence…”
• 
  
• “Tell me.”
• 
  
• “…Your Majesty, investigations have revealed followers claiming to represent a new ideology in Norton that advocates freedom and purifies the bloodline from impure mixing!”
• 
  
• “Followers?! You mean an illegal new movement?”
• 
  
• “Yes! I don’t know if they’re connected to Deputy Albert’s tax embezzlement, but my suspicion grew because all leaders of this popular movement work as drivers and managers of supply wagons to Fristov. All reports are signed with their names, and if any collusion occurs and the convoys disappear, then…”
• 
  
• “The drivers must be pawns of a large criminal network intending to spread corruption in Norton! But for whose benefit, I wonder?” Shadow smiled calmly, cunningly.
• “…Do you know the name of this popular movement?”
• 
  
• “The Owl, Your Majesty! They are active in Valembra, especially among military families there!”
• 
  
• “Ivanka! Keep a close watch on them, and I will personally conduct an intensive audit of Valembra’s munitions!”
• 
  
• “At your command, Your Majesty!”
• 
  
• “Also, we will prepare a test batch of grains with marked signs! We will track this convoy through the checkpoints and see if it reaches the southern relocation site. If it reaches Valembra simultaneously, it confirms Albert and Antoine are embezzling! But we won’t stop there! The network behind them is the greater threat!”

Ivanka nodded. Shadow looked at her calmly.“Ivanka! Keep me informed of any updates, and do nothing without reporting back to me first! That’s an order!”

• “Of course, your majesty!”

…

In the pitch-black darkness, through the branches of the dark forest, Shadow stood beneath the Aletheia Tower, gripping one of the shadows that had chased Asma…

He dragged it from its hair effortlessly after beating it unconscious.

Shadow flew it to the highest point in all of Norton: the towering Agartha of Darkness!

He finally slaughtered the shadow, its black blood spilling beneath Agartha, which spun at an incredible speed, matching the rotation of binary magnetic stars!

 Its massive waves emitted tremendous energy beams from its poles, enough to illuminate the entire planet and provide clean renewable electricity! Despite its weakened state due to Felix’s enslavement of Norton’s nymphs, Agartha remained stable thanks to Shadow’s plan.

Shadow’s hair whipped in the air from the speed of Agartha’s rotation. He looked coldly at the glowing dark violet sphere, then shifted his gaze to the slaughtered shadow…

He lifted it into the air and threw it into Agartha. As he did, its rotation sped up, glowing brighter, sending transverse waves announcing to all of Norton that Agartha was fully activated like in the old days before the Great Agartha War against the Gytophos fairies!

This meant only one thing!

 The King had just used the forbidden power of Agartha of Darkness!

His technique was secret and forbidden; no one in Norton was allowed to know how to control Agartha of Darkness except Shadow and Ivan’s father… Asrahan… before his death… Even Prince Ivan didn’t know how to control it!

Shadow took a strange bottle, collecting a liquid portion of Agartha’s energy extracted at some stage of activation.

“…Norton is worth this effort! Don’t dream of using Agartha of Darkness, Felix’s granddaughter! I will supply you with renewable energy myself instead! Sacrificing one of Gytophos’ dead shadows is no concern of mine… All the foolish light fairies are the cause of our current predicament!”

Shadow glanced disdainfully at the spilled black blood…
“…It’s glorious to bury your people beneath Alethia Tower. If killing one of your shadows is the price to extract a small portion of Agartha of Darkness in my hand, it’s worth it!”

He raised the bottle to his eyes.
“One soldier is enough! Your powers must have been strong, light fairies… so I must keep you to support Agartha of Darkness that weakened due to the foolishness and recklessness of Alethia’s Minister … That fool Felix! Who dared enslave me to serve this foolish market woman!”

Shadow collected the black blood of a Gytophos soldier, preserved it in another bottle, smiled, and left the tower to send renewable energy supplies to Fristov, which Asma would use for agriculture in the greenhouses.

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