Shadow Slave

Caster brought him water, strips of cloth, and a crude tunic.

While Sunny was washing the blood off his body, the proud Legacy carefully moved Harper's corpse into a corner, buried it under the pile of seaweed thatch, and wiped the blood off the floor as much as he could.

This way, an accidental glance inside the hut would not reveal too much. Of course, even a little bit of scrutiny, and the signs of what had happened here would become apparent.

While doing all this, Caster was speaking:

"The easiest way to get rid of a corpse is to simply toss it off the platform. With luck, it won't land on the road. But even if it does, no one would pay it a lot of attention. People die all the time out here in the Dark City, especially those living in the outer settlement."

He paused, then continued:

"However, we can't do that — because Harper isn't just a random slum rat, but someone who was working for the Bright Lord. The Guards will become interested in his sudden death, and they'll use it to create trouble for you and Lady Nephis. So we need to make him disappear completely. That won't be easy."

Sunny glanced at him and frowned.

"What's the big deal? I can just carry him down the hill and dump the body somewhere in the ruins. It's night outside. No one will see anything."

Caster shook his head.

"Castle Guard has various types of observers watching the road day and night. You will be noticed. Unless someone persuades them to look the other way, of course."

He sighed.

"It won't be cheap, but I can make it happen. Tomorrow after sunset, you will have about an hour to carry the body to the ruins and return. Sorry, but I can't buy you more time… this will wipe what little shards I have left already."

His voice sounded as though the handsome young man was genuinely concerned for his comrade, but in reality, he was just reiterating how much Sunny owed him now.

And if that message was not enough, he could always threaten to reveal the secret of how Harper died in the future.

Caster had him in the palm of his hand.

Sunny smiled darkly.

"And what do I do until then?"

The Legacy shrugged:

"Just act natural and try not to speak to anyone. You're kind of a loner as it is. No one will suspect anything."

After that, he thought for a few moments and added:

"Oh. This... no one should enter this hut for a long while. Harper lived in the castle for these past few months, so people in the slum won't notice his absence yet. Neither will Guards, since he made a report recently. We should be fine."

Sunny stared at him with a strange expression. Do you want to read more chapters?

"What?"

He shook his head.

nothing. I'm just wondering how many bodies did you make disappear

Caster frowned.

is my first, actually. In the Dark City, it is usually

someone if not to make others think

a real amateur when it came to

the pitiful hut behind and returned to the lodge. With no one paying him any attention, Sunny returned to

be able to sleep this night, tormented by both the knowledge

slipped into oblivion as soon as his head

***

woke up with a start, expecting a crowd of

really do? If push came to shove, very few of them could actually

one was

act as he would on any other day. Leaving his room, Sunny

or ignored him, just

one looked at him

Sunny escaped the lodge and looked up

it had been yesterday, and

how

without Harper, indifferent to the pain and horror that were now frozen forever in the dead eyes of the timid,

Guards did not seem to notice the

a pained grimace. His head hurt with a terrible

why should I?

was the only one who would. Maybe because this situation was eerily identical to how he had always imagined his own death to happen,

and forgotten, with not a single soul to care that he had ever

'Pathetic.'

sat on the cot, staring at the

to pretend to train with the Midnight Shard. While he was repeating the katas, he thought that he caught sight of Nephis observing the movements of his sword with a frown on

riddance! Go chat with Caster, see if I

sudden anger

better than the grim apathy that reigned over him

with my mind lately? It's like

Midnight Shard and returned to

for him there.

wooden staff

heart skipped

she… did

out a fake grin, he made his voice

Do you

to him and, after a moment of hesitation, smiled.

almost as though it was as

girl

"No, nothing in particular."

a couple of

with her