Chapter 222
The official reason for inviting Chris, as previously discussed, was an academic exchange aimed at fostering goodwill between the two Demonic Houses.
‘My title is… “temporary exchange disciple,” huh? Well, this sort of thing happens often in the Alliance.’
Among the noble families of the Alliance, it was common practice to send disciples to other Houses to broaden their knowledge and experience.
‘Still, I’m going to suffer like hell in the Venomous Demonic House too, aren’t I…’
Chris let out a quiet sigh.
His dispatch period had been set for two months.
Just imagining the amount of effort it would take to accomplish his goals within that timeframe made him dizzy.
‘Damn it, I have to leave tomorrow already because of the schedule. No rest in between. What kind of life is this?!’
Suddenly, Christian’s expression darkened, prompting confused looks from those around him.
“What’s the matter?”
When Nordian asked, Christian abruptly made an unexpected request.
“I have a favor to ask, my Lord.”
“What is it?”
Everyone tensed at the seriousness in Christian’s voice.
Then....
“Please open the liquor cellar.”
“…What?”
“We haven’t held the victory banquet yet, have we? Everyone’s worked hard, so let’s drink and enjoy ourselves tonight.”
Of course, the victory banquet was just an excuse.
The truth was....he simply wanted to party.
‘Ugh, I don’t care anymore! I’ve suffered so much, I’m going to party like a wild dog tonight!!’
‘Couldn't I drink alcohol? Then what was the point of a banquet?’
He had a method.
‘I’ll just mix small amounts into juice and drink it! Damn it, the Chatterbox of Darkness used to get teased for drinking that way… and now I’ve ended up like this.’
He remembered how the Chatterbox of Darkness, who couldn’t handle alcohol, used to dilute it with juice. And because her name, Lena, happened to resemble the name of a legendary drunkard from the Alliance, they always teased her about it.
‘Whatever! I’m partying tonight no matter what! You’re all dead!’
The unexpected suggestion was met with stunned silence.
But only for a moment.
Cheers erupted immediately after.
“WOOOOO!!!”
“Long live the Grand Duke!!”
“Let’s drink till we drop!!!”
“Grand Duke, brace yourself!! We’re going to drown you in liquor!!”
Even Nordian let out a light chuckle before turning to Count Khazar.
“Count. As your first order as acting House Head....”
“…Please give your command, my Lord.”
Count Khazar, who had found himself acting House Head somewhat abruptly, bowed his head respectfully.
“Open the liquor cellar and hold a banquet in honor of the Grand Duke’s achievements. And I mean this....make it the finest banquet possible.”
There was a reason Nordian emphasized it so firmly.
This banquet held deep significance in many ways.
The banquet held special meaning, not only as a celebration of Christian’s achievements, but also as a proclamation of the newfound authority he now held within the Dark Demonic House.
Count Khazar responded with firm resolve.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll make sure it becomes the finest banquet possible.”
That day, a grand feast was held in the Dark Demonic House.
A banquet where Christian was the undisputed star.
Every single demon of the House raised their voices to cheer his name.
“WAAAAAH!!! Glory to Grand Duke Christian!!”
“Grand Duke, you’re the best!!!”
And notably, none of the cheers felt forced.
You could tell that they were truly in awe of Christian, and many had come to admire him on a personal level.
“Here, take my glass, Grand Duke!!”
“Mine too! You must have mine!”
“Don’t forget me!!”
A horde of demons rushed him, each offering their drink, and Christian’s face turned pale.
They were approaching with entire jugs of alcohol, closing in on him like a pack of wild beasts.
He genuinely feared for his life.
‘I have to dilute it! Little by little!’
“W-Wait! Everyone, calm down. I’m not refusing because I can’t drink, I’m just not feeling well today. And, technically, I’m still underage…”
“Too bad! Here, drink!!”
And so…
Chris was knocked out the moment the banquet began.
“I… I was supposed to party… d-damn this… liq… liquor…”
That was the last garbled will he left behind.
The demons tilted their heads in confusion.
“He’s already passed out? No way.”
“Wait… was it true? Is he really as alcohol-inept as the rumors say?”
“Haah… poor thing. He’s perfect in every other way, but can’t enjoy the joys of drinking? The heavens really are fair after all.”
“What’s he mumbling in his sleep?”
“Sounds like… he still wants to drink?”
Chris, seemingly resentful of the drinks he couldn’t have, was mumbling “liquor… liquor…” even while unconscious.
Moved, the demons began placing their cups beside his head with solemn expressions.
“Drink to your heart’s content in your dreams, Grand Duke!!”
One by one, they stacked their cups by Chris’s side like offerings at an ancestral rite, until a mountain of glasses towered over him.
“To the Grand Duke, enjoying his banquet in dreamland, cheers!!!”
“WAAAAAAAH!!!”
And thus, the night of revelry deepened for everyone, everyone except Chris.
However, at that very moment
Far from the joyous halls of the Dark Demonic House, unsettling words about Christian were being spoken elsewhere.
In the Venomous Demonic House.
And surprisingly, also by the Noble House of Healing, the Four Demon Stars…
And the Demon King of Azure Flow herself.
* * *
Main Estate of the Venomous Demonic House, Verdant Green Castle
In a beautiful garden nestled deep within the inner sanctum of Verdant Green Castle, a man stood alone.
He looked to be in his mid to late twenties.
A man of refined grace.
With gentle eyes, he watched butterflies flutter among the flowers.
Then, someone appeared and knelt before him.
“Grand Duke.”
It was an unexpected title.
Officially, the Grand Duke of the Venomous Demonic House was still that dim-witted Hubert.
So why was this man being called Grand Duke?
There was a reason.
His name was Fernan, son of Marquis Goras.
Unlike Hubert, Fernan had been born with a prodigious talent for poison arts.
He had already reached the level of 5-star Upper Rank, and it was only a matter of time before he broke through to 6-star. He was undeniably the greatest genius of the next generation in the Venomous Demonic House.
Though merely the second son, Fernan had long surpassed the official Grand Duke, Hubert, in both strength and reputation. He was widely recognized as the true heir.
“This title of ‘Grand Duke’ doesn’t suit me. Especially when I’m currently under punishment for my crimes.”
“……”
The attendant cautiously studied Fernan’s mood.
Fernan had been punished because of Christian.
Previously, Christian had manipulated Duke Huam to expose the crimes committed within the Venomous Demonic House to the Demon King of Azure Flow. As a result, several individuals had been punished, including Fernan.
However, Marquis Goras’s faction had moved heaven and earth to shield Fernan from any severe penalty.
Instead, all of Fernan’s official titles were stripped, and he was demoted to the status of an ordinary demon.
He had escaped harsh punishment, but what he received was a deeply humiliating sentence.
“Heh… Christian, was it? Quite the figure. I’d very much like to meet him someday.”
The attendant swallowed hard.
Fernan was smiling.
But his eyes were cold, deathly cold.
The chill radiating from them sent shivers down the spine.
It was a murderous aura, one unmistakably aimed at Christian.
‘As expected of Marquis Goras’s son…’
Fernan’s fearsome nature didn’t lie only in his natural gift for poison arts.
He had inherited his father’s cruel temperament without dilution.
That gentle face, was nothing but a mask.
The reason for his punishment had been a revelation of the monstrous deeds he had committed with that very cruelty.
“…In fact, I came to speak to you about Grand Duke Christian.”
“Oh?”
“It’s been decided. Christian will be dispatched to the main estate.”
A flicker of menace briefly passed over Fernan’s face.
But he quickly returned to his usual, composed expression.
“I see.”
“He claims he’s coming to learn the poison arts of our house… but I don’t buy it. He’s clearly hiding some other motive.”
No one in the Venomous Demonic House truly believed Christian was coming for the sake of learning.
After all, two months was far too short a period to genuinely learn anything meaningful.
“Well, this works out nicely. I’d been wanting to see him with my own eyes anyway.”
Fernan smiled faintly.
“What do you intend to do?”
“Obviously, kill him.”
Fernan replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“And not just kill him, he should die in the most agonizing and miserable way possible.”
A chilling declaration.
Fernan’s poison arts were infamous for inflicting torment. Those who died at his hands didn’t simply perish, they writhed in unspeakable pain until their last breath.
“But wouldn’t it be risky to touch a Grand Duke from another House?”
Poisoning him in secret would be too dangerous.
Given the circumstances, suspicion would immediately fall on Fernan and the faction led by Marquis Goras.
They were already under pressure; making such a reckless move would only corner them further.
“There’s no need to worry about that. I have a way to ensure the Dark Demonic House won’t be able to say a single word in protest.”
“What is it?”
“We’ll exploit his arrogance.”
“!!”
Fernan’s lips curled in a sinister grin.
“I’ve heard the man is incredibly arrogant, always looking down on others. But in the end, he’s just a frog at the bottom of a well.”
Of course, no one in the Venomous Demonic House truly underestimated Christian anymore.
After all, they had already suffered a painful defeat.
Count Cessia’s loss to him had especially sent shockwaves through the House.
But this is the Venomous Demonic House. When it comes to poison, he’s still an amateur here.
“All we have to do is use his arrogance to create an opening.”
Fernan’s grin darkened.
“If everything appears to be a result of his own pride, the Dark Demonic House won’t have any justification to protest.”
And so, deep within the Venomous Demonic House, a deadly scheme targeting Christian began to take shape.
But they were not the only ones plotting.
Unexpectedly, there was another force preparing to move....
The Allied Nations.
Specifically, the powerful military kingdom of Kalbern, one of the strongest nations in the Gold Cross Alliance, which bordered the Venomous Demonic House.
For reference, the borders of the Magus Empire were as follows:
- To the west: the Holy Empire
- To the east: the Karn Empire
- To the south: the Gold Cross Alliance
Of these, the territories directly bordering the Gold Cross were the Dark Demonic House and the Venomous Demonic House.
However, the Dark Demonic House rarely clashed with Gold Cross, as its primary enemy was the Demonic Star Palace.
The Venomous Demonic House, on the other hand, was the opposite, its frequent conflicts were mostly with Gold Cross.
Within the Gold Cross, the most militarized and aggressive nations were all situated along the border near the Venomous Demonic House, leading to frequent clashes.
Among them, the Kalbern Kingdom was the mightiest in terms of military power.
If the Francia Kingdom symbolized the spiritual leadership of the Gold Cross, Kalbern embodied its military might.
The Kalbern Kingdom, backed by overwhelming military power, had effectively sidelined the Holy Kingdom and seized real control over the Gold Cross Alliance.
However, the current atmosphere in Kalbern was anything but favorable.
“You filthy little brat, I’ll tear you apart!!”
Boom!!
A large man with a massive build, completely drunk, slammed his fist onto the table.
It was Maximus, the Lion King, ruler of Kalbern and a 7-star Dominant-Class knight.
His flushed face twisted in rage as he hurled curses, utterly intoxicated.
“Damn that damned Pope girl. How dare she...”
The reason for Maximus’s drunken fury was none other than Olivia, Chris’s younger sister and the current Pope.
Ever since that girl became Pope, everything has gone to hell.
Before leaving the Holy Kingdom, Chris had shared with Olivia a vast amount of sensitive information, weaknesses of military superpowers like Kalbern and others.
Not only that, but he had given her a strategy on how to manipulate those militaristic nations.
“Isolate Kalbern.”
Using both diplomacy and pressure, Olivia wooed the other military nations into the Holy Kingdom’s camp, leaving the most stubborn one, Kalbern, cut off and surrounded.
It was a strategy based on divide and rule.
And Olivia, driven by her belief in supporting Chris, executed the plan flawlessly, plunging Kalbern into serious crisis.
That bitch deserves to die.
Maximus ground his teeth furiously.
But he couldn’t simply draw his sword and charge in blindly.
This wasn’t the Magus Empire, where power and violence reigned, it was the Alliance, where justification was everything.
I need to play this smart.
Maximus’s eyes gleamed coldly.
The simplest solution was war.
If a war broke out with the Magus Empire, the surrounding nations would have no choice but to rally under Kalbern’s leadership, as the strongest military power.
We’ll strike the Venomous Demonic House.
It was an extremely dangerous idea.
The Venomous Demonic House was no pushover that could be taken lightly.
For reference, both the Dark and Venomous Demonic Houses had enough strength that, if they went all out, they could rival the entire Gold Cross Alliance on their own.
The only reason they hadn’t done so was because both Houses were tied down by their enemy, the Demonic Star Palace, and couldn’t concentrate their forces against the Gold Cross.
If the Magus Empire weren’t fragmented by internal strife, the world would’ve long been conquered by now. That was the sheer scale of their power.
In any case, compared to the Dark Demonic House, the Venomous Demonic House faced less pressure from the Demonic Star Palace, and thus could afford to direct more power toward the Gold Cross front.
Their poison arts were especially devastating in large-scale warfare. If open conflict broke out, the human cost would be unimaginable.
But Maximus made a shocking declaration.
“The House of Sacred Medicine has agreed to support us. With them on our side, the Venomous Demonic House is nothing to worry about.”
The House of Medical Saints!
The natural nemesis of the Venomous Demonic House.
But weren’t they supposed to remain neutral in worldly conflicts?
What luck. Who would've thought inner strife would break out within the House of Sacred Medicine.
With their help, Kalbern could neutralize the poisons of the Venomous Demonic House.
And there was one more stroke of luck.
Apparently, that cursed demon Christian, who helped Olivia, is currently staying in the Venomous Demonic House. If things go well, I might get the chance to take him out too.