The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: So This Is What They’ve Been Doing

I let out a small sigh.

"I haven’t explained everything to you yet, but yes. This is the organization I told you about."

Draven stared at the people surrounding us.

"I see..."

He paused.

"That explains the strange feeling I’ve had since we entered this place."

I glanced at him.

"What feeling?"

"Their power."

Draven’s eyes moved across the room.

"It’s faint in some of them, overwhelming in others, but the source feels strangely familiar. They all carry the same presence."

"As expected of you."

Before I could say anything else, Aurora stepped forward.

"Master, please."

She gestured toward the throne.

"You should take your seat."

I looked at the throne.

Then at Aurora.

Then at the hundreds of people waiting silently around us.

"This is getting a little excessive."

Herrera smiled.

"Perhaps, but after everything we have built, allowing you to stand before us like an ordinary guest would feel rather inappropriate."

Draven moved toward the side of the throne, clearly deciding that this was something he would rather observe than interrupt.

The four Black Roses then stepped forward together.

They reached the front of the platform.

And knelt.

The sound of their knees touching the floor was followed by hundreds of others doing the same.

The entire chamber lowered itself before me.

For a brief moment, the sight was almost surreal.

I had created the Eclipse because I wanted to become a power in the shadows.

Somehow, they had taken that ridiculous idea far more seriously than I ever expected.

I stepped toward the throne.

Then I sat down.

The moment I did, Aurora slowly raised her head.

"Welcome once again, Great Eclipse."

The others repeated her words.

"Welcome, Great Eclipse."

Draven stared at the scene from beside the throne.

"...So this is what you meant when you said you had an organization."

"Yeah."

I couldn’t help smiling slightly.

"Something like that."

Then I lifted one hand.

My ordinary clothing immediately began to change.

The atmosphere inside the chamber changed with it.

Eclipse power began flowing from me.

A wave of dark energy expanded across the enormous chamber, passing through every person standing before me.

The reaction was immediate.

Hundreds of eyes widened.

Some members lowered their heads further, their bodies trembling slightly beneath the pressure.

Others stared at me with expressions of barely restrained excitement.

The four Black Roses looked completely captivated.

Herrera’s eyes shone.

"Master..."

Aurora placed one hand against her chest.

"The Eclipse..."

Even Octavia, who usually maintained her composure, couldn’t completely hide the smile forming on her lips.

Leonora simply stared at me, her expression filled with unmistakable admiration.

This wasn’t merely their master changing clothes.

To them, it was the manifestation of the power they had devoted their lives to.

I looked around the chamber.

Aurora eventually turned toward the gathered members.

"You may leave."

Her voice was calm, but it carried effortlessly throughout the room.

The members immediately rose.

One by one, then in groups, they began leaving the chamber in complete silence.

The enormous room slowly emptied.

The sound of hundreds of footsteps gradually faded until only a handful of people remained.

Aurora.

Herrera.

Octavia.

Leonora.

Samantha.

And Bianca.

Draven remained beside the throne, watching everything with an expression that suggested he was still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

Aurora turned toward me.

"It has been a long time, Master."

"Yeah."

I looked around the chamber.

"I was beginning to wonder what you girls had been doing all this time."

Aurora smiled.

"We have been rather busy."

My eyes moved toward the enormous chamber surrounding us.

Then I looked back at her.

"To think Starlight was created by you."

Aurora nodded.

"Yes. We established it as a means of generating resources for the Order, expanding our influence throughout the kingdom, and creating a legitimate organization through which we could operate openly."

She paused.

"But more importantly, we established it for you."

I stared at her.

"For me?"

Aurora’s expression became completely serious.

"Of course. Everything we build ultimately serves the Eclipse. Starlight provides resources, information, facilities, and influence, while allowing our members to operate within the kingdom without exposing the existence of the Order."

I looked around again.

"...You really went this far."

Aurora smiled softly.

"We only wanted to become useful to you, Master. If you wished to remain in the shadows, then we would build the world around you without forcing you to step into the light."

I couldn’t help sweating slightly.

I had expected them to create a small business.

Maybe a restaurant.

Maybe a few shops.

Not an organization this enormous.

"You girls really are frightening when you get motivated."

Herrera’s smile widened.

"We’ll consider that an acknowledgment of our efforts."

I stared at her.

"That wasn’t quite what I meant."

She smiled innocently.

"Still, I’ll gladly accept it."

I sighed.

There was no point arguing.

Then I turned toward Draven.

"By the way, if I may ask..."

Aurora followed my gaze.

"Who is this young gentleman who accompanied you, Master?"

"Ah, right."

I had almost forgotten about him.

"This is Draven."

I gestured toward him.

"He may not look like it, but he’s an ancient dragon."

The room froze.

Aurora stared at Draven.

Herrera stared.

Octavia’s eyes widened slightly.

Leonora looked genuinely stunned.

Samantha and Bianca exchanged a glance before looking back at him.

Draven shifted uncomfortably beneath their collective gaze.

"...Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

Herrera was the first to recover.

"An ancient dragon?"

"Yes."

"You really mean an ancient dragon?"

I nodded.

"If I said it, then it’s true."

The shock in the room immediately turned into something else.

Herrera’s eyes lit up.

"Master actually brought an ancient dragon with him."

Leonora studied Draven with open curiosity.

"To think that a dragon would willingly accompany our Master..."

Octavia adjusted her glasses while examining him.

"That explains the powerful magical presence we detected earlier."

Samantha smiled.

"An ancient dragon serving beneath the Great Eclipse. That is certainly not something we encounter every day."

Bianca tilted her head slightly.

"He looks surprisingly young."

Draven sighed.

Then he stepped forward and bowed politely.

"My name is Draven. It is a pleasure to meet all of you."

His voice remained calm and dignified despite the strange situation.

Aurora returned his greeting with equal courtesy.

"The pleasure is ours. Any companion trusted by Master is someone we will welcome."

Herrera smiled.

"Welcome to the Eclipse, Draven. I imagine you have already realized that things around here are rarely as simple as they appear."

Draven glanced toward the enormous chamber.

"I noticed."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"I certainly wasn’t expecting to walk into a hidden organization after sharing a meal with Master."

Leonora smiled.

"Then you’ve already experienced the most important part."

Draven raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?"

"Never assume you know what Master is planning."

Draven looked toward me.

"...That explains quite a lot, he really os strange sometimes."

I ignored them.

I looked around the enormous chamber again.

I had originally created the Eclipse because I wanted to live out my ridiculous dream of becoming a power in the shadows.

Somehow, that ridiculous dream had become real.

And apparently, while I was busy wandering around the capital and attending the academy, the people beneath me had decided to build an entire world of their own.

I couldn’t help sighing.

"Well..."

I looked toward Aurora and the others.

"You’ve all done well."

The effect was immediate.

The room became completely silent.

Their expressions changed almost at once.

Aurora lowered her head, and for the first time that evening, her usual composure seemed to soften.

"Thank you, Master. Hearing those words from you makes everything we have built feel worthwhile."

Herrera’s smile became gentler.

"We have spent a great deal of time building Starlight and strengthening the Order, but knowing that you are satisfied with what we have accomplished is more valuable than any amount of praise from the outside world."

Leonora nodded.

"We still have much to improve, but we will continue until we can offer you something worthy of the vision you gave us."

Octavia closed her eyes briefly.

"Your trust is something we will never take lightly."

Samantha and Bianca lowered their heads as well.

"We will continue doing everything we can to serve the Eclipse, Master."

I looked at all of them.

There was something almost absurd about how seriously they took my words.

But seeing the determination in their eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to make fun of them.

"Yeah, yeah."

I waved one hand casually.

"Just don’t go overboard."

For some reason, everyone laughed.

And for the first time since entering the room, the overwhelming atmosphere finally relaxed.

The throne, the hundreds of members, the hidden headquarters, the enormous organization they had built in my absence...

All of it suddenly felt a little less intimidating.

Perhaps this was what the Eclipse had become.

Not simply an organization hidden in the darkness.

But a world that had grown around the ridiculous dream I once had as a child.

I leaned back against the throne.

"All right."

I looked toward Aurora.

"Now tell me everything."

Aurora’s expression immediately became serious again.

"Of course, Master."

She stepped forward.

"There is quite a lot to report."

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