The Warlock of East(Part 2)

A few days had passed since Shadow bought the Dart Rope, and every morning Shadow would immediately practice with the weapon. Shadow was still curious about what was lacking in the weapon. Mistral could see Shadow's body was injured by the rope from the Dart Rope, but seeing Shadow practice so diligently made Mistral just smile.

Shadow himself received news that King Ivan's forces were easily defeated because, in addition to their relatively small numbers, Shadow Master Vergil quickly assassinated the enemy's officers or war generals, leaving King Ivan himself confused about what to do.

The next day, news arrived that King Ivan had launched a counterattack and started to balance the assaults of the Lunavara troops. Shadow, sitting on a small throne beside Xen's main throne, could only sigh.

Not long after, Shadow began walking around the palace again. Shadow passed by a door leading to a tower that Xen had forbidden entry to. Shadow wondered why no one was allowed to enter that room, but he didn't care much about it and continued wandering around the palace and the city as usual.

The next day, Shadow started exploring the countryside near the Capital City and began wandering around as usual. As usual, Shadow also rode White Fangs and went about doing tasks at the Adventure Guild. Adventurers who recognized Shadow even invited him to join them on tasks and discussed what was happening.

"So, it really is you, the fiancé of Queen Xesinus?" asked an adventurer, his eyes narrowing as if searching for the truth in Shadow.

"That's right... there was an agreement made when I was still a child," replied Shadow, his voice calm but with a hint of bitterness.

"Wow, lucky you... now you're a prince," exclaimed a female mage with a teasing tone.

"Even so... I still miss Azeroth..." said Shadow, his gaze distant.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, the kingdom of Azeroth lost to Bellarus..." interjected an elf ranger, bowing his head.

"Oh, have you heard the news?" asked the female mage again, her voice turning serious.

"What rumor?" Shadow turned, intrigued.

"You're a wanted man in Bellarus, it seems you've angered King Bellarus," said the ranger, his eyes glinting with meaning.

"Not angered, more like family business from the Heart family..." replied Shadow with a flat tone, seemingly unaffected.

"Family business? What do you mean?" asked the adventurer sitting to Shadow's left, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you remember the name of the missing prince of Azeroth? And I've never told you my full name," said Shadow, testing their memory.

"That's right, three years after the war, Prince Blackheart was never found. The theory is he committed suicide," said the ranger, his tone speculative.

"Oh... is there another theory?" asked Shadow, curious.

"Also, they say he's still alive. The Dark Elf Rangers who used to be the royal guard say he visited the Heart family tomb," said the elf ranger, his eyes filled with conviction.

"I did go there..." said Shadow casually.

"Really? What is the Heart family tomb like?" asked the female mage.

"You don't understand what he means," said the scout sitting across from Shadow.

"It's like coming home..." said Shadow with a relaxed tone.

"So, Prince Blackheart... when are you planning to overthrow your uncle?" asked the mage.

"As soon as possible. Once everything is ready, I'll try to persuade Xen to help," replied Shadow.

"Heh... so the new member of the Adventure Guild is Queen Xesinus?" asked one of the adventurers.

"That's right... but I'm starting to miss adventuring," said Shadow.

"Luckily, our last quest is completed... so, shall we head to the next town?" suggested the ranger.

Shadow nodded and made his way back to the palace

****

"Where have you been?" asked Marrie, seeing Shadow just dismount from White Fangs.

"Just a bit of adventuring and meeting old friends," replied Shadow.

"Who?" asked Mistral.

"Marrie, do you remember the party that fought alongside me against the Stone Golem in Maria Town? Yeah, it was them," said Shadow.

"Oh, it's them... Well then, get some rest," said Marrie.

Shadow nodded and headed into the palace.

That night, Shadow couldn't sleep. He wandered through the palace, seeking a change of scenery. As he roamed the halls, he accidentally passed by a door that led to a forbidden tower, one that Xesinus had explicitly prohibited entry to. Intrigued, Shadow slipped through the door, finding a staircase that led directly to the tower and a mysterious room.

Driven by curiosity, Shadow climbed the stairs and entered the room. Inside, he found an old man, weak and chained.

"Who’s there?" the old man asked.

"It’s nothing, just a servant," replied Shadow.

"It’s been so long since I’ve seen anyone…" the old man murmured.

"What is your name, sir?" asked Shadow.

"My name is Koschei. I don’t know how long I’ve been imprisoned here," said the old man.

"Why are you imprisoned here, Mister Koschie?" Shadow inquired.

"I don’t know..." Koschei responded.

"Wait here for a moment, I’ll get something for you," said Shadow. He quickly descended the tower to fetch his water bottle

Shadow hurried back up to the tower, carrying his water bottle. He handed it to Koschei, who gratefully drank from it.

"Thank you, sir..." said Koschei.

"Shadow... my name is Shadow Blackheart," replied Shadow.

"Thank you, Master Shadow Blackheart," said Koschei.

"I'll come back tomorrow with some food," Shadow promised, leaving Koschei behind.

Shadow quickly made his way back to his quarters and finally got some rest.

The next morning, Shadow trained with his favorite scythe. After his usual training session, he went to the bathhouse to clean himself up. Once refreshed, Shadow headed to Capital City and took on a job from the Adventure Guild.

Upon returning, he enjoyed dinner as usual and then promptly went to rest.

That same night, Shadow snuck back into the forbidden tower, bringing bread and water for the old man. Slowly, Koschei began to regain his strength. After providing Koschei with food and drink, Shadow returned to his quarters to rest.

Shadow continued to sneak into the tower and feed Koschei for seven consecutive days. On the seventh day, Koschei, now significantly stronger, easily shattered the chains that bound him.

"It's been so long since I was free, but my strength has fully returned," said Koschei.

"Shadow Master Vergil and the ancestors of Xesinus imprisoned me here because I nearly conquered all of Lunavara," Koschei continued. "This time, I will take my revenge on Queen Xesinus and all the members of the Lunavara royal family."

"So, you tricked me?!" Shadow exclaimed angrily.

"Actually, I didn't expect a member of the Heart family from Azeroth to be here," Koschei replied. "It seems your ancestors never told you about an immortal warlock in the east who almost brought chaos."

"So now your next target is Queen Xesinus," Shadow said, his voice filled with fury. "If you try to stop me, I will only spare you once," Koschei warned before flying away from the tower, leaving Shadow behind.

Shadow quickly descended from the tower and tried to chase after Koschei, but the warlock flew too fast. All Shadow could do was watch with a face filled with restrained anger.

The next day, an assassin returned to the palace with news that Queen Xesinus had been kidnapped by an evil sorcerer. Shadow immediately asked where the sorcerer's hideout was and set off toward the forest where the malevolent Koschei was hiding.