SOS CH 67: Shadow Queen (Patreon)

A tense atmosphere formed between them as Noah observed Dorothy silently, ready to catch any expression change from her.

In the end, though all he could see was confusion in her eyes as she asked, “From your tone, it seems like the person you are talking about is an enemy?” She shook her head, “Either way, I am in no way or shape related to that person nor do I even know them.”

Noah liked to think that he was a good judge of character and he could see no falsehood from her words. He could be completely wrong and Dorothy could have been the actress in the world.

“I see. Then I apologize for asking such a weird question.”

“I will accept your apologies. Only if you tell me what your relationship is with them. Oz has great resources and I might be able to find them.”

Noah gave a bitter smile, “He is not an enemy. But I do not know if I could call him a friend either.”

The Apollo Noah knew was a true arrogant know-it- all prick and someone he wished to punch more than once when they discussed in the past. The two of them had never been able to see eyes to eyes and they were prone to fighting.

But — That was only in their personal life.

When it came to fighting, Apollo was one of the most reliable companions Noah had and the two of them fought back to back many times in seemingly desperate situations.

He might not like Apollo the most but he would definitely be ready to die for him and he knew that Apollo would do the same. Be it for him or any of the other constellations.

This was the bond that tied them but…

‘All of this was in the past.’

As much as it pained Noah to think about it, the constellations he knew were not the same as the one who grew and developed with the civilization after his disappearance.

People changed. The current Noah was different from the one he once was and it would be foolish to think that his friends did not change.

For all he knew. Even Venus had changed or the Venus he talked to wasn’t the true Venus and just a program that could induce him in error. Even so he decided to believe in them.

Even though it was foolish, even though it was stupid and naive, he wished to believe that his friends were still his friends. Even if they changed, their cores would still be the same.

“It’s hard to explain is all I can say.”

“Things are always hard to put in words.” Dorothy smiled. She was starting to realize something. A wild theory was growing in her mind and if she was right, it would be huge. But for now, she didn’t have to push him.

She could feel that Noah was wary of her and it was understandable to be so.

“Any other questions? I am happy to help.”

Noah nodded, “I do have one other question. I am searching for two things. The first one would be someone who can create a Mecha for me and secondly, I am searching for someone. I do not know her name but that person is called Queen of the Shadow Fortress.”

“Oh my…” Dorothy started coughing once she heard this and it took her some time to gather her bearing.

—Was it a wise decision?

We don’t have much choice.

Noah didn’t particularly trust Dorothy. After all, they had just met. But he knew that whatever information he might search for would be extremely sensitive and difficult to obtain from people with not enough influence.

Information brokers might exist but he was a nobody. Any information Broker he managed to get hold of would most likely sell his information.

In such a case, it was better to take the risk now with someone who at least seemed friendly enough rather than entering a trap.

It was undoubtedly risky but it was a far more calculated and measured risk. Another problem he would face was finding a competent Mecha builder who wouldn’t just steal and release his blueprints in the wild.

‘Should I try selling them to her?’

It was a little too soon for that. Noah judged that any information about the Previous empire would be of a magnitude of order far more important than anything else and Dorothy might go from uneasy benefactors to full-time enemies if her greed became full.

Underestimating greed was the best way to get blindsided and backstabbed in the worst way possible. This was a lesson he had learned the hard way even back when he was on earth.

One thing that he wished to sell her was the mecha he obtained from the pirates. But doing so would reveal his ability to open a breach in space all by himself. This power might be his trump card in the future as it was undoubtedly the best way of escaping he had. There was no way he would reveal it now for some money.

Once Dorothy finally managed to calm down she took a deep breath, “I must say. Your first demand is not anything complicated for me. Oz is not specialized in Mecha development and creation as we focus more on Magic and Standard Mecha that we import. If you want a Standard Knight frame, I believe you can buy one from us at a very good price, and with the bounty of the pirates you will receive money shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

She smiled, “Seeing your expression, I guess a standard Mecha is not to your taste. In this case, I believe that I have a solution that will please you but we can talk about this later during our travels. For your second demand now.”

She cleared her throat, “The Queen of the Shadow Fortress of just the Shadow Queen is…Well, she is a very. Well, a very famous and also very dangerous person. One that is not easy to meet.”

A serious glint appeared in her eyes, “I will be honest, I do not think it’s someone you should even try to meet. At the very least unless you are ready to die for it. Do you still want to meet her despite knowing this?”

“I do.” There was no hesitation in his voice as he answered her. This so-called Queen was supposed to be the key to understanding more about everything that was happening. There was no way he would let this chance go.

“Very well. Once again I will tell you that the route toward the Shadow Fortress is treacherous. Death will be at every corner and for many this road is called the Graveyard of Heroes. Many talented people fought to meet her but to date, only a few were graced with her presence.

“Those who succeeded became renowned warriors. Those who failed were forgotten in the river of time. Elusive, unpredictable, and extremely powerful. She is the Queen of the Shadow Realm, the Immortal Witch, the Slayer of Gods, and the Teacher of Heroes. Her name is — Scáthach Uanaind.”