Chapter 248
It was a feeling he had never once felt in his previous life.
‘Come to think of it, this really is home.’
The Dark Demonic House was now his home. Where his family was.
“The Patriarch was unable to come out as his health has not been good recently.”
“Is he in bad condition?”
Count Khazar nodded grimly.
“His condition suddenly worsened, so aside from using his avatar, his real body can barely move.”
At those words, Chris was lost in thought for a moment.
‘Can I really perform a miracle for my grandfather?’
He had obtained the Elixir, but he still couldn’t guarantee the probability of success.
‘It’s not the time to attempt it yet. He’ll have to hold on for just a little longer.’
Just then, a boy standing beside him stepped forward.
“Brother.”
It was Teren.
For reference, Teren had also aged a few years and had grown quite tall.
‘It’s already been well over two years since I first met Teren. But when did this kid get so big? He’s taller than me now, isn’t he?’
This was also influenced by the fact that Chris’s height was relatively short, in the low 170cm range.
Seeing the gaze of Teren, whom he had always thought of as a little kid, now above his own, a peeved Chris spoke in a sarcastic tone.
“Isn’t that form of address a bit impudent?”
“!!”
Teren hurriedly changed his words.
“King Emperor Majesty Brother.”
“Good, have you been training hard? Let’s have a sparring match in a bit.”
“Ah, no, why all of a sudden?”
Teren, who had only stepped forward to express his happiness and respect for his brother, gaped, having suddenly found himself in an awkward situation.
Besides him, there was also Jupien and others.
“Fight me too.”
“…Sparring with you is a hassle.”
“Let’s have a match with this aunt of yours, too.”
“…Aunt?”
“This is Berkel. I also request a lesson from you, Your Grace!”
“The same goes for me, Your Grace!!”
All sorts of high-ranking members of the house were begging Christian for a match.
There was a reason.
‘They’ve all made great achievements.’
Before leaving for the Venomous Demonic House, Chris had taught all the high-ranking members of the Dark Demonic House a direction for their training.
Two months had passed, and it seemed they had all achieved great things.
In other words, these requests for a duel were similar to the actions of a student seeking to have their achievements acknowledged by their teacher.
‘…But are they planning to kill me? Why is everyone’s aura so menacing?’
Christian had an awkward look on his face.
As expected of magi, while requesting a practice match, every single one of them was emitting a murderous aura.
‘Well, I do need to improve their skills further.’
Chris asked Count Khazar.
“What was the Destruction Demonic House’s response regarding the Dark Rite?”
“They accepted immediately.”
“Was there any other message?”
“……”
“Somehow, I feel like the Destruction Demonic House must have said something else. Please tell me.”
Count Khazar was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“They said they would teach our Dark Demonic House its place. That they would crush us thoroughly.”
“!!”
The complexions of those nearby hardened when they heard this.
“Did the Destruction Demonic House really say that, my Lord Count?”
“Even for the Destruction Demonic House, to say such a thing?”
Everyone flushed red with indignation, but Chris, without any particular agitation, thought to himself.
‘Well, it’s a natural reaction, really. The Destruction Demonic House doesn’t consider our Dark Demonic House their equal.’
It was a well-known fact that the Destruction Demonic House looked down on the Dark Demonic House.
“Pay it no mind.”
“But Your Grace!”
“Because we’ll just crush them instead.”
“!!”
The magi of the Dark Demonic House flinched.
“What is the exact date set for the Dark Rite?”
“…Three months from now.”
“That’s so long it makes me want to yawn. It’s more than enough time.”
Chris raised the corners of his mouth and declared to everyone.
“Those bastards from the Destruction Demonic House will taste a terrible humiliation that day. At the hands of our Dark Demonic House.”
* * *
Afterward, Chris spent his time at the Dark Demonic House.
‘Three months. Precious time.’
How he spent these three months would greatly change what happened in the future.
‘First, the important thing is to strengthen the power of the Dark Demonic House as much as possible.’
Although they had grown explosively recently, it still wasn’t enough.
Especially to face the Destruction Demonic House.
‘It’s fine. Three months is a long time.’
Three months is long. A statement that would make others look dumbfounded if they heard it.
But he was serious.
‘If I personally stick to them and teach them, three months is enough for everyone to create a miracle.’
Besides that, he also focused on cultivating his own power.
‘Strengthening myself is also essential. At the minimum, I need to get stronger and reach 7-Star with my Holy Radiance before the Dark Rite.’
He had reached 6-Star not even a few months ago, and now he was aiming for 7-Star?
It was an absurd notion, but he was serious.
‘Raising the level of my dark magic isn’t easy since it’s an ability that encompasses all the powers of darkness, but it’s more than possible to quickly raise just the level of my Holy Radiance.’
The fact that he had recently strengthened his body and soul with the Venom Source also had an effect.
His mental power, body, core, and demonic energy—everything had been tempered, sufficiently preparing the vessel to ascend to 7-Star.
‘I can definitely reach 7-Star with my Holy Radiance within three months. Let’s begin.’
Chris drew his sword. Fwoosh! An Aura Blade flared to life in the empty, secret chamber.
And so, Chris spent his busy days simultaneously fostering the strength of the Dark Demonic House’s magi and focusing on his own training.
Everything was going smoothly, but there was one thing that bothered him.
It was Nordian.
‘His condition is getting worse and worse.’
Chris thought grimly.
‘The probability of a miracle would be higher if I attempted it after my mastery of the Blooming Realm has matured a bit more.’
But it was questionable whether Nordian could hold on until then.
‘I need to buy more time.’
But there was no way.
‘Giving him the Elixir now is not an option.’
In that moment, an item that could help came to Chris’s mind.
‘If I had the True Blood Serum, it might help.’
But he quickly shook his head.
It was an impossible thought.
‘The True Blood Serum is the greatest treasure of the Blood Sword Demonic House. There’s no way I can obtain it.’
In the end, he had to make a choice. The probability of success would be lower, but should he attempt the miracle now?
‘If I delay any longer, I might not even get the chance to try.’
It was the moment he was hardening his resolve. An unexpected person came to see Christian.
“May I have a word with you, Your Grace?”
“Head Butler?”
It was the Head Butler, Simon.
“What is it?”
“I have something urgent to discuss. Could you please follow me?”
Simon, on personal business?
Christian tilted his head and followed behind him.
Simon left the main family’s mansion, then led Chris outside of Barren Castle.
“Where are we going?”
There was a strange atmosphere. Simon’s expression was also different from usual.
The leisurely composure he usually showed was gone, replaced by a stiffly hardened face.
‘What is this?’
He had his doubts, but he didn’t feel any particularly hostile energy, so he followed along meekly.
Finally, they arrived at a secluded forest.
“Head Butler, who is this?”
Chris had a slightly surprised look on his face.
An unfamiliar person was standing there.
‘A True Blood from the Blood Sword Demonic House?’
A Blood Cross emblem was engraved on his temple, indicating he was a high-ranking member of the True Blood Tribe.
“What is the meaning of this, Head Butler?”
“I hope you will please listen to what this man has to say, Your Grace.”
Chris looked at the True Blood vampire from the Blood Sword Demonic House, still with a puzzled expression.
But the vampire’s reaction was strange.
An expression filled with an anxiety unbecoming of the noble True Blood Tribe.
He bit his pale lip hard, then suddenly bowed deeply to Chris.
“My name is Baltrak of the Blood Sword Demonic House. I have come to see you because I have a request, Your Grace!”
“…What are you talking about? A request for me, from the Blood Sword Demonic House?”
Chris felt a sense of bewilderment.
He had no acquaintance whatsoever with the Blood Sword Demonic House.
‘No, is it not entirely without connection? I did receive help from a girl named Lia.’
Chris recalled the bold image of ‘Lia’.
-I will definitely become your friend!
‘She was a kid who seemed pure, unlike someone from the Four Kings’ Castle. It was fun to tease her, I guess?’
In any case, aside from that, he had no particular ties to the Blood Sword Demonic House.
No, strictly speaking, the Blood Sword Demonic House was his enemy.
“Please explain exactly what is going on.”
Chris said coldly to Simon.
“Surely you’re not trying to pull some kind of trick?”
But Simon’s reaction was strange.
His usual sharp demeanor was gone, and he simply bowed his head low.
“Absolutely not, Your Grace. I arranged this meeting because there is a matter that absolutely requires your help.”
“What on earth is it that you would go this far?”
Head Butler Simon gave a look to Baltrak, the True Blood from the Blood Sword Demonic House.
Baltrak gritted his teeth, then spoke in a desperate tone.
“Please save the Grand Duchess of our Blood Sword Demonic House, Countess Idrinne.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Chris’s body went rigid.
…What did he just say?
He hadn’t misheard.
Baltrak knelt before Christian and cried out as if wailing.
“Our house’s Grand Duchess, Countess Idrinne, is dying after being hit by the Grand Art of the Curse Demonic House. I heard that you performed a great miracle at the Venomous Demonic House, Your Grace. Please, with your power, save our Grand Duchess!”
* * *
For a moment, silence fell.
Chris was frozen, unable to properly process the situation.
‘The Blood Drenched Demon King? Why? It can’t be.’
But it didn’t seem like a lie.
‘Why so suddenly?’
His bewilderment was brief, soon replaced by a cold sneer.
‘…In any case, this isn’t a bad thing for me. Whether the Blood Drenched Demon King dies from this Grand Art or not.’
It was a sorry thought for Head Butler Simon, who was worried about his younger sister, but the Blood Drenched Demon King was an existence that absolutely had to die and disappear.
‘If she dies because of this, it would be a welcome event.’
But he quickly shook his head.
‘There’s no way she’ll die.’
Idrinne probably went through the same thing in her previous life.
But she survived just fine and destroyed the world.
‘By the way, she was hit by the Grand Art of the Curse Demonic House? Does this mean Idrinne hasn’t joined hands with the Curse and Necromancy factions yet? It’s about time for her to betray the Blood Sword Demonic House and side with them. The internal affairs of the Four Kings’ Castle are frustrating since I don’t know them well.’
In his previous life, Idrinne betrays the Blood Sword Demonic House and joins hands with the Curse and Necromancy factions.
“What Grand Art of the Curse Demonic House was Grand Duchess Idrinne hit with?”
“It is the ‘Rending of Delusion’.”
Chris flinched.
‘She was hit by the Rending of Delusion, and she survived?’
It was the ultimate Grand Art of the Curse Demonic House.
The activation conditions were difficult, but once it took hold, death was unavoidable.
‘Well, she is the Blood Drenched Demon King, so she must have had some trick up her sleeve.’
Chris shook his head with a smirk.
The Blood Drenched Demon King would survive just fine on her own, no need for the Head Butler to worry.
But in that moment, a thought occurred to Chris, and he froze.
‘No, wait a minute. Come to think of it, isn’t this an opportunity to assassinate the Blood Drenched Demon King?’
Chris swallowed hard.
‘I can approach her under the pretext of healing her, and then kill her.’