The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 3 (Light Novel) Read online

  After all, I haven’t had a chance to go bandit hunting recently, and the Lawless City is basically a glorified crew of bandits. And when it comes to outlaws, what’s theirs is mine.

  “It’s made Epsilon’s job considerably easier, as well. Now, as far as the Oriana Kingdom internal affairs go…”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Like Claire said, I’m going to have to think about what I want to do in the future.

  At the end of the day, it all comes down to money. As long as I can make some cash, everything will all work out.

  And did I mention the Lawless City is full of glorified bandits?

  I’d bet anything that their boss is making mad bank off all the shady stuff they’re doing.

  In other words, all I have to do is bust in and make off with their treasure, and my problems will go away. Easy.

  “The Shadow Garden continues to grow at a satisfactory rate, and the laboratory at Alexandria has begun development on the steam engine, with…”

  “Uh-huh.”

  If I focus on amassing enough money to spend the rest of my life goofing off, I’ll never have to worry about finding a real job.

  Heck, I can even try out a bunch of different unassuming jobs: a gatekeeper, a guard, a bum, a baker… The possibilities are endless.

  By having access to money, one can live one’s life unshackled to it.

  Ooh, that sounds kinda smart.

  Anyhow, there are three influential parties in the Lawless City, and unfortunately for them, one of the three is going down.

  Which one should I pick, though? Eenie-meenie-miney-mo…

  I mean, I could just annihilate all three, but then I wouldn’t have anything to look forward to in the future.

  Honestly, this Blood Queen lady sounds the most interesting, and I can think of badass ways to kill a Progenitor Vampire, but at the same time, it’s the kind of thing where I wanna save the best for last.

  Decisions, decisions.

  As things stand, the Blood Queen really does feel like the best candidate.

  “…and that concludes my report.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “If there’s anything I’ve omitted or overlooked, by all means, let me know…” Beta is kneeling before me with her head bowed.

  “It reeks…”

  When she hears me, she twitches.

  “The Lawless City… It reeks of blood…”

  “Thank goodness he wasn’t talking about me…,” Beta murmurs quietly.

  “It seems the Blood Queen is up to something…”

  “That’s correct. We couldn’t find a strong connection between her and the Cult, so we didn’t feel the need to do anything about it, but…”

  “A storm is coming… A storm of blood…”

  “A storm of what…?”

  “Look at the moon, Beta.”

  “Huh…?”

  I point at the vaguely red moon hanging in the air outside the window.

  “Huh, is it a little redder than usual…?”

  “Took you long enough to notice… That’s the Red Moon…”

  “—?! Wait! Is that really the legendary Red Moon…?!”

  “…And if it is?”

  I cast a sidelong glance at Beta, who’s staring dumbfoundedly at the sky, then hold my bloodred glass of wine up to the lamp as I take a sip.

  The “legendary Red Moon,” huh?

  Anything sounds cool if you stick the word legendary in front of it.

  “Th-that can’t be…! If that’s the case, then the Lawless City—no, everything around it will be wiped out…!”

  “Worry not.”

  “B-but people are in danger! We need to dispatch the Shadow Garden at once—!”

  “Didn’t I tell you? Worry not…”

  “—Ngh!! F-forgive me…”

  I look down at Beta as she trembles before I leisurely cross my legs.

  “Leave this to me.”

  “You don’t mean… You’re planning on handling this one alone, Master Shadow?!”

  “Are you trying to stop me…?”

  “I understand that’s the most efficient way to handle the situation, but…Master Shadow, what if something were to happen to you?!”

  “Worry not.” The corner of my mouth curls into a grin. “After all…the moon is just a little redder than usual. Right?”

  “—?!” Beta looks at me, eyes wide.

  She initially looks shocked, but her face quickly softens into a gentle smile.

  “I fear I forgot who I was talking to.”

  She offers me a deep bow.

  “The moon is just a little redder than usual… Against you, Master Shadow, even the legendary Red Moon amounts to little more than that. I’ll be praying for your success.”

  Damn. All it took was the moon looking kinda red, and now it’s the “legendary Red Moon.” Beta’s always been good at this stuff.

  “Don’t you think…the moon looks beautiful this way?”

  “Hee-hee… So it does. And it’s thanks to you that we can see it that way.”

  “Will you drink with me…?”

  “Yes! Gladly.”

  Beta and I gaze up at the moon as we enjoy our wine.

  Looks like I’m gonna be able to start my fall break at the Lawless City with a bang.

  The Lawless City is, to put it succinctly, one giant slum.

  The homeless are huddled everywhere, shanties line the roads, and the foul stench of garbage permeates the air.

  But that isn’t all the city has to offer.

  For example, it’s home to a notable peculiarity—three skyscrapers towering above its streets.

  “That’s the Blood Queen’s castle. The Crimson Tower…,” comments a man who looks like a professional wrestler heel. He gazes up at the bloodred edifice. It looms over him, illuminated by the setting sun.

  “What’s wrong, Quinton? You chicken?”

  Standing beside him is a handsome blond man.

  “Like hell I’d go chicken, Goldy. I just ain’t never seen a building that tall before.”

  “Hmm… You know, I’ve fought all over the world, and I have to admit, it is an impressive spire. It’d probably take all day just climbing it.”

  The two of them sigh as they cast their gazes up at the Crimson Tower.

  It looks almost like a spiral of blood circling up into the sky. Neither of them can even begin to imagine how it was built.

  “Just ’cause they got a fancy tower don’t mean that the guy inside’s strong. Let’s get a move on.”

  “At the end of the day, they’re just a band of hoodlums, after all. The Blood Queen’s head is ours for the taking.”

  Quinton and Goldy’s appearances make them seem like complete opposites, but they hit it off surprisingly well from the day they first met. Maybe it was because they bonded over having been beaten by the same opponent, but for whatever reason, the two of them have been working as a team since the Bushin Festival.

  They walk through the Lawless City under the evening sky. The closer they get to the city’s center, the less it feels like a decrepit slum and the more like a multicultural hodgepodge.

  “Well, that’s a surprise…”

  “Yeah… Stay sharp.”

  People merely looking in from the outside never see this aspect of the Lawless City.

  The buildings aren’t the only thing that are different. The people passing by them are no longer commonplace bums, but ruthless hunters casing them with gleams in their eyes.

  Not a single person around them seems like an easy target.

  Quinton and Goldy immediately pick up on that.

  They brace themselves as they walk, ready to draw their swords at a moment’s notice. The buildings around them start to take on a unified aesthetic.

  It’s proof they’ve made it to the Blood Queen’s turf.

  They notice a change in the air, too.

  “We’re close.”

  Strangely, there are no signs of any residents. H
owever, there’s clearly something scuttling around inside the houses. Quinton and Goldy can see the Crimson Tower straight ahead.

  They tighten their focus and press on.

  Finally, they reach the tower.

  “This must be the front entrance…!”

  Quinton approaches the massive door. Ominous, inhuman figures are carefully etched across its surface. “Here we go.” He reaches out to touch it, but…

  “Hee-hee-hee. Stop right there…”

  …someone calls out to him. The voice is painfully hoarse, to the point it’s almost difficult to make out the words.

  Quinton’s hand freezes, and when he looks around, he spots a filthy mound of cloth piled up beside the door. Then he sees it move—there’s someone wrapped up in it.

  “Hee-hee-hee. You two aren’t qualified enough to touch the door…”

  With that, the person wearing the tattered rags stands.

  It’s a gaunt man. He’s taller than Quinton, but his cheeks and eyes are sunken. He’s little more than skin and bones. His dirty white hair stretches all the way down to his shoulders.

  The best way to describe him would be a “living corpse.”

  “You think we aren’t qualified?!”

  “The only ones allowed to open the door are servants, guests, and the strong…”

  “Gotcha… You got a point. We aren’t servants, and we weren’t invited. But we are strong as hell, and we’re here to take down the Blood Queen.”

  Quinton looks up at the white-haired man and grins.

  The man stares back at him with unblinking eyes, then laughs. “Hee, hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee…”

  “Whaddaya think you’re laughin’ at?!”

  “Hee-hee-hee, I think I’m pretty stupid, but…it’s always funny when I find someone even stupider than me…”

  “The hell you say?!”

  “Hee-hee. You really should know your place… Now, it’s too late.”

  The white-haired man sheds a section of his rags, exposing the right side of his body.

  There’s nothing from the shoulder down.

  “This was the result of my stupidity when I tried to challenge the Blood Queen four years ago… Not only did it cost me my arm, but now I’m a lowly Watchdog on a leash…”

  There’s a thick collar with a chain fastened around the man’s neck.

  “Ha. I’m Quinton, a Bushin Festival veteran. And he’s Goldy the Victorious Golden Dragon. We ain’t chumps like you.”

  “Hee-hee. That means nothing to me… I have a policy of not remembering the names of anyone weaker than me…”

  “Huh? And just who the hell are you supposed to be?”

  “Hee-hee, I’m just a Watchdog… But once, long ago…they used to call me the White Demon…”

  “The White Demon? Never hearda you. Goldy, you know this guy?” Quinton turns to his partner.

  Goldy shakes his head. “It does sound familiar, but… Sorry, I can’t pin it down.”

  However, his eyes are fixed cautiously on the Watchdog.

  “And there ya have it, Mr. Nobody,” Quinton snaps.

  “Hee-hee. Fine by me. The names of the stupid are best forgotten anyways…”

  “No hard feelings, but we’re goin’ through that door whether you like it or not.”

  “Ah, but I’m a Watchdog… I can’t just go letting weaklings by me…”

  “…Eh. It’s your funeral.” Quinton glares at the Watchdog and unsheathes his blade.

  The Watchdog reaches down with his left hand and draws his narrow, single-edged sword in kind. It’s a beautiful weapon and longer than he is tall.

  Goldy follows suit and draws his blade. “Quinton…be careful.”

  “Whaddaya mean, be careful?”

  “That man… I just can’t gauge how strong he is.”

  “What? That one-armed pile of skin and bones? You’re full of it!”

  Quinton ignores Goldy’s warning and attacks.

  His greatsword casts a shining trail through the evening sunlight—and a moment later, blood sprays.

  “…Huh?”

  Cleaved neatly in two, pieces of the greatsword clatter on the ground.

  “Q-Quinton!” Goldy shouts, and as he does, Quinton crumples from the gaping wound in his chest.

  “Now, then… Who’s next…?” The Watchdog stands before Goldy, drenched in Quinton’s blood.

  “D-damn you!”

  Goldy hadn’t been able to make out the Watchdog’s slash that downed his friend.

  All he saw was the spray of blood and the greatsword falling.

  It was an incredible display of skill.

  Goldy can tell the Watchdog stands far, far above them—despite being robbed of his dominant arm and being reduced to skin and bones.

  He readies his sword regardless.

  He hasn’t known Quinton for long. However, they were united by the common goal to get back on their feet after the same crushing defeat.

  “Don’t worry… He’s still alive. He’s no good dead, after all…” The Watchdog laughs.

  “How dare you!!”

  Goldy gathers magic in his sword, then unleashes his strongest attack.

  “Demonic Golden Dragon! Fatality Strike!!”

  The moment he releases it, his eyes meet the Watchdog’s.

  The Watchdog’s eyes are black and horribly bloodshot. When Goldy meets this bottomless gaze, he suddenly remembers who the White Demon is.

  “W-wait, you’re…”

  The Watchdog’s lips curl upward.

  If this one-armed skeleton really is the White Demon…

  Understanding the insurmountable difference in their strength, Goldy makes a spur-of-the-moment choice and fires his attack into the ground.

  “Hmm…?”

  A massive cloud of dust billows up.

  Receding footsteps echo out, and a shout reverberates through the air. “Quinton!! I swear—I swear I’ll come back for you!!”

  “Fleeing, huh…? Well, I can’t follow him… I’m a Watchdog, after all…”

  The Watchdog sweeps away the dust with a single swing of his sword, then watches Goldy sprint off.

  “Hee-hee, but… Will he be able to get out unscathed…?”

  As the Watchdog watches, the doors to the houses creak open, and their “residents” swarm Goldy.

  “Hee, hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee…!”

  He looks up at the towering skyscrapers.

  The Lawless City—the world’s dumping grounds, controlled by three rulers in three lofty towers.

  A world operating on survival of the fittest, where evil, wealth, and power from all over the globe congregate.

  A world that no kings, no knights, and no monsters can intervene in.

  Welcome to the Lawless City.

  A world where might makes right.

  Chapter 1

  Lawless City Bandit Hunting!

  It’s fall break.

  Claire and I make our way to the Lawless City.

  “So this is it, huh? It kinda stinks.”

  “Don’t blame me. It is a slum, after all.” She glares menacingly at the houseless people around us as she talks.

  Off in the distance, I can make out three towering spires. It’d be a hoot if someone knocked ’em over like bowling pins.

  “So we just have to head for the tower, right?”

  “You want us to just immediately charge the enemy’s stronghold?” she asked. “Good grief. The Dark Knight Association has a base set up, so we’re going to head there first and get the lay of the land.”

  “Ah.”

  I follow Claire through the slum. After a little while, we arrive in an area lined with street stalls.

  It’s bursting with activity, and the merchants are selling all manners of strange foods, sketchy drugs, stolen goods, and odd pets.

  “Hey there, pretty lady! Come have a gander! I just got some real lively pets in!”

  “Who—me?”

  “But of co
urse! You’re the prettiest young lady to ever walk this planet, ain’tcha?”

  “Heh, someone’s got a good eye. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a little look.”

  “Sis, he’s just trying to butter you up.”

  “Shut up.”

  Claire drags me over to the stall.

  “Now, this little lovely one just came in!” The shopkeeper drags over a young blond man in a collar. “If you need a dark knight slave, young Goldy here’s your man! What do you think? A hottie like him would go great with a beautiful young lady such as yourself!”

  Goldy’s face is covered in lacerations and bruises like he’s been in a bar fight, and he groans, “Mmph, mmph!” as if trying to tell us something.

  “He seems a little worse for the wear,” Claire observes.

  “Huh. I feel like I’ve seen this guy before.”

  “Ha-ha! Maybe he got scuffed up a bit in transport, eh? All right then, how about I drop him from thirty million zeni to twenty-seven million?”

  “That’s pretty expensive.”

  “Oh, no, missy. A dark knight slave of this caliber’d run you double that anywhere else. You won’t get prices like this anywhere but the Lawless City!”

  “Well, I’m not in the market.”

  “Hey, hey, hey, looks like someone knows how to haggle! Well then, just for today, how about I throw in another fine stallion?!”

  “You call them stallions?!”

  “Feast your eyes on this beaut of a dark knight! This here’s Quinton!”

  The man the shopkeeper drags out has the face of a pro wrestler heel and a large gash across his belly. At least it looks like the wound’s been treated.

  Quinton groans, too. “Rngh, rngh!” I wonder what he’s trying to tell us.

  You know, he also looks kinda familiar…

  “Goldy and Quinton, forty mil for the set!! You won’t see deals like this anywhere else!!”

  “What about that cut on his stomach?”

  “Oh no, he got knocked around during transport, too?! Then hey, thirty-seven mil for the set! I can’t go any lower than that!”

  “Like I said, I’m not in the market.”

  “What?! Say it ain’t so, miss!!”

  “I’ve got the only one I need here, after all.” Claire roughly musses up my hair.

  “Ah, so the kid’s your…”

  “Please don’t get the wrong idea,” I beg.