The Rise Of A Shadowsmith

Chapter 230: Automated Defence (1)

Shinon barely slipped through the side doors of the factory when fatigue hit him. Physically, he was at his best, but emotionally and mentally, he was a mess.

In fact, his body felt charged; his stats had surged after the events in the courtyard of the admin building, but the revelation about his father had made it so he couldn’t care less about anything else.

He silently made his way to his room and sank onto his cot, his mind swirling with thoughts. For so long, he had believed his father to be lost, possibly dead.

Now, he discovered that Caleb was not only alive but held a position of power as the mayor of Haven’s Refuge. But even though he only saw his father briefly, Shinon knew he wasn’t the same man he was before.

Shinon had always respected his father. He recalled a man who had been a bit stern at times but had a kind heart. There was no way someone like him would decide to kill a kid, no matter the reason.

Caleb had taught him many things, including everything he knew about blacksmithing and fighting. But the man he had witnessed in the courtyard was far from the fatherly figure of his memories.

As he pondered these perplexing thoughts, Shinon was unaware of the presence lurking in the shadows of his room. Only when he turned to close the door did he find himself face-to-face with Miro, standing there with a calm expression.

Startled, Shinon jumped back, his hand instinctively reaching for the Blade of chaos inside his inventory. But he calmed down when Miro raised his hands, stating he was there to check on him.

"Right, sorry for the reaction," Shinon mumbled before inviting him in.

Miro had a disconcerting knack for appearing out of nowhere, and this encounter was no different. But Shinon couldn’t help but think that Miro was spying on him.

Whatever the reason, Shinon thought that Miro could be a liability to him, and it would be best to end him before he caused any trouble for him.

But a reasonable part of his mind calmed the raging chaos. He had killed enough people for the day. Killing anymore will only take a toll on his mind.

"So what are you doing here?" Shinon calmly asked Miro, but the latter had a question of his own.

"Where have you been, Shinon?" His tone was measured, holding a hint of concern as he cut straight to the point.

Shinon blinked, acting confused, "Me? Nowhere, just talking a walk as I couldn’t sleep."

"You know," Miro said, completely ignoring Shinon’s remarks. "Charging into the mayor’s house was a reckless move, even if he is your father."

The mention of his father sent a fresh wave of unease through Shinon. He hadn’t yet come to terms with the fact that the mayor was Caleb. Moreover, he had told no one about his relationship in Haven’s Refuge and yet Miro knew about it?

It was at that moment any hesitation Shinon had about killing someone evaporated. He retrieved the Blade from his inventory and pinned Miro to the wall as the sword hovered inches from his neck.

"Who the fuck are you?" Shinon questioned Miro, who smiled. "How the fuck do you know about me and my father!?"

Miro, perceptive as always, seemed to sense Shinon’s inner turmoil. Either that or he knew Shinon would kill him if he didn’t reveal the truth, so that was exactly what he did.

"I knew Caleb quite well before. We worked together in this factory for years, long before he became the mayor," Miro replied softly. "He spoke about his son, about you, and how this world wasn’t the same as yours."

He continued, "Back then, your father only wanted to find a way back to his world. Hell, he even managed to find something that would be helpful. At least, that’s what he told me."

Shinon’s eyes widened, realisation dawning upon him. "You... knew about me?"

"Yes, Shinon," Miro nodded slowly. "I recognised you as soon as I saw you."

"But if he found a way to return, why didn’t he?" Shinon asked, finally calmed enough to drop his sword down and let Miro breathe.

"Because of Jessica, his wife, I’m sure you saw her there?" freewēbnoveℓ.com

Shinon nodded, and Miro continued. "I still remember that day, four years ago, Caleb was so excited to leave our world behind, but before he could, he was invited for a feast by Jessica’s father, who was the mayor back then."

"He was the only one invited there, so nobody knows what happened, but when Caleb returned, he was nothing like himself. It was like someone else was living inside his body."

The tension hung heavy in the room. Shinon felt a strange mixture of relief and anxiety as he learned more about his father. But what he heard next shocked him.

"The next day, Jessica’s father died, and much to everyone’s surprise, Caleb became the Mayor and married Jessica, whom he had a son with," Miro concluded. "From that day onwards, the kind and compassionate Caleb died, and the tyrannical bastard emerged."

"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" Shinon asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Earlier? I didn’t even know who you were 24 hours ago," Miro rolled his eyes. "Besides, why do you think I gave you a tour of the city? I wanted you to figure it out on your own. But I didn’t think you’d be this reckless, unlike your father."

Although Shinon heard Miro’s explanation, it didn’t make sense how he knew Shinon was in the admin building. Since Shinon had always been inside his shadow where no one could have seen him, Miro shouldn’t have noticed he was there.

Moreover, from how Miro recounted the tale, it felt like he was there and had seen things unfold from his eyes. Or at least from someone who had seen Shinon inside.

"That girl, she works for you?" Shinon mumbled as he remembered that the girl he saved was the only one who had seen his face, and Miro’s smile told him that he was correct.

But before they could continue their conversation, a loud siren blared, different from earlier.

"Another horde?" Miro sighed. "I swear these rotting shits are getting out of hand now. Let’s get going, or else everyone will be suspicious."