Chapter 271
He lifted the black fedora from his head and began to speak, as if introducing himself.
“This is our first time meeting, isn’t it? I’m called the Magus Chancellor. A pleasure to meet you.”
“!!”
“I used to be called the Demon King of Annihilation. I was quite famous back in the day. I wonder if the kids these days still know of me?”
“!!”
Chris’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
The Demon King of Annihilation, the founder of the Dark Demonic House. The Magus Chancellor, currently the 3rd ranked power in the Magus Empire, had appeared before him!
He was the most powerful figure on the continent, the one who effectively ruled the Magus Empire on behalf of the Demon Emperor.
“I greet Your Excellency, the great Chancellor.”
“Ah, there’s no need to be so formal. I don’t like that sort of thing.”
The Magus Chancellor snapped his fingers.
From the empty darkness, a table, chairs, and a tea set appeared with a flourish. The Magus Chancellor leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture and spoke as if addressing a guest.
“You’ve been so famous lately that I wanted to come see you for myself. Care to take a seat?”
“……”
“What should I serve you? It seems you only ever drink ginger ale. Will that be alright?”
Chris stood frozen, his mouth shut tight.
Despite the Chancellor's casual demeanor, Chris's pounding heart would not calm down.
‘I can't see his limits.’
In his previous life, Chris had met several 9-Star superhumans. He had even seen a number of high 9-Star superhumans. The Demon King of Bloodletting, the head of the Mystic Demonic House whose full power was not known to the public, and even the Hero Evan, who eventually broke through all his barriers at the very end—they had all been high 9-Star superhumans.
Because of that, he had a rough idea of the depth of the realm a high 9-Star superhuman possessed.
‘But he's different from the high 9-Star superhumans I've faced before. He's deeper. So deep that I can't even begin to fathom his limits.’
Just a casual glance from him felt like sinking into a bottomless abyss.
‘It’s as if I’m facing a Great Being.’
A Great Being. It referred to a transcendent existence of the 3rd or 4th Realm.
It was an unbelievable thought.
It is said that upon reaching 9-Star, one gains power comparable to that of a Devil or a Constellation. However, that only referred to the mid-to-low-ranking beings of the 5th or 6th Realm. No matter how strong a 9-Star was, they should be no match for a transcendent being of the 4th Realm or higher.
‘…Don’t tell me, 10-Star?’
Chris sucked in a breath.
‘It’s possible. They say the Magus Chancellor was already a high 9-Star when he left the Dark Demonic House. Hundreds of years have passed since then.’
He couldn’t help but be shocked.
It was known that the Demon Emperor was the only one on the entire continent to have reached 10-Star. And yet, the Magus Chancellor had also reached the realm of 10-Star.
‘…This is not good.’
For a moment, Chris felt his chest tighten.
The Central power was not yet his enemy.
But there was a high probability that he would have to face them.
If the 3rd ranked Magus Chancellor was this powerful, then what about the Demon Empress and the Demon Emperor above him?
“Hmm? What will you drink? If nothing particular strikes your fancy, shall I just give you some ginger ale? Or perhaps, black tea? I actually can’t handle alcohol, so I enjoy tea instead. It’s not bad. How about it?”
…It seemed the Magus Chancellor also couldn't handle alcohol. In other words, Chris’s inability to drink was a trait inherited from his distant founder.
In any case, his voice was leisurely, as if he truly intended to have a tea party.
Every time the Magus Chancellor moved his fingers, various pitchers and bottles filled with drinks would appear and disappear in the empty space.
Chris swallowed a sigh and opened his mouth.
“May I really sit down?”
“Of course.”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Plop. As Chris sat down in front of him, the Magus Chancellor’s eyes briefly glinted with interest.
‘There’s nothing to be gained from being frozen in fear.’
The Magus Chancellor didn’t seem to have any intention of treating him as an enemy right now, either.
‘I have to use this chance to get a glimpse of the Central power’s true intentions.’
He already had many questions. Why was the Central power just standing by and watching the chaos in the Magus Empire? Even in his previous life, the Central power hadn’t interfered at all, right up until the Demon King of Bloodletting destroyed the continent.
What on earth was the Central power—no, the Demon Emperor—thinking?
“Heh heh.”
“What is it?”
“Oh, it’s just been a while since I’ve seen someone look so composed in front of me. Everyone else just freezes up and trembles. Really, it hurts my feelings; I'm a nice guy, you know? As expected of my descendant. I like you.”
Chris scoffed inwardly.
‘Nice guy, my ass.’
A subtle, oppressive pressure was still radiating from the Magus Chancellor.
It was Spiritual Pressure.
‘If my soul hadn’t surpassed the level of a half-demon, it might have already suffered a fatal wound.’
The Magus Chancellor gave an inscrutable smile and asked.
“So, what will you drink? For the record, I recommend the black tea. My tea is so elegant that it even moved the Demonic Dragon King to tears of emotion.”
“No tea for me. It’s not really to my taste.”
“Then how about your beloved ginger ale? Or strawberry juice?”
“…I hate ginger ale.”
“Oh? Then tell me what you want. I'll give you anything.”
“Can you really give me anything?”
“Of course. I may not look it, but I’m the most powerful man on the continent. This is a secret, but I have plenty of treasures that I’ve skimmed from behind His Majesty the Demon Emperor’s back, you know?”
The Magus Chancellor chuckled like a mischievous boy confessing to a prank.
Chris shrugged his shoulders and made an unexpected request.
“Do you have any alcohol that doesn’t get you drunk? And I don’t mean non-alcoholic. I mean something legendary.”
“!!”
The Magus Chancellor looked slightly surprised.
It was a legendary alcohol, said to let one experience the supreme taste and buzz of liquor without actually causing intoxication.
He had said it as a bluff, but the Magus Chancellor gave an unexpected reply.
“Of course, I have some.”
With a casual flick of his finger, a small, finger-sized bottle appeared in the empty space.
“This is something His Majesty the Demon Emperor cherishes. I’m secretly taking it from the Imperial Treasury to commemorate meeting my descendant, so you’d better be grateful to me, okay?”
Drip, drip.
Looking at the cup held out before him, Chris gulped and took a sip.
‘It’s real.’
For the first time since his regression, he felt the buzz he had been craving! A pleasant, warm feeling filled him, yet at the same time, his mind remained perfectly clear. It was a strange sensation.
If the Magus Chancellor hadn’t been right in front of him, he might have danced and wept with emotion at the fantastic taste.
‘...If I reach the pinnacle of the Magus Empire, will I be able to obtain this alcohol?’
In that moment, the spirit that had been crushed by the Magus Chancellor’s immense power vanished without a trace, and a fiery will ignited within him.
So what if he’s 10-Star? Even if the Central power becomes an enemy, what is there to fear?
If the Magus Chancellor could achieve it, so could he.
Of course, for now, it was still a daunting prospect.
“So, do you have any idea why I came to see you?”
“Yes. You’re here to decide whether or not to kill me, aren’t you?”
The smile on the Magus Chancellor’s lips deepened.
“And why do you think that?”
“Because my actions must have displeased the Central power. The Central power likely wished for chaos in the Southern Magus Nation to be brought about by the Demon King of Azure Flow, but since I interfered with all of it, haven’t I become a problem for you?”
It was a bold statement, one that would have made anyone listening gasp.
This was a calculated move. A probe, meant to gauge the intentions of the Magus Chancellor, and more precisely, the Demon Emperor beyond him.
The Magus Chancellor was silent for a moment. He was still smiling, but the atmosphere was different than before.
“You say some interesting things.”
Chris didn’t answer. He simply gave him a look that said, ‘Am I not right?’
In the end, the Magus Chancellor shook his head.
“Alright, it’s true that we at the Central have only been watching what’s happening in the Southern Magus Nation. But that’s just because of certain circumstances; we weren’t particularly hoping for chaos. As you can see, I’m an intellectual who loves peace.”
That was a lie.
The Magus Chancellor said it nonchalantly, but Chris saw through to his true intentions.
“So, if I were to stop the Demon King of Azure Flow, the Central power wouldn’t mind?”
“That’s right. But there’s a condition.”
The Magus Chancellor raised a single finger and said with a grin.
“After you stop the Demon King of Azure Flow, you are to come to the Central.”
“!!”
Chris flinched. It was something he hadn’t expected at all.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s a scouting offer. You should consider it an honor. You will become a Magus of the Central, and you will receive my teachings. This isn’t an offer I make to just anyone, you know?”
It was, in fact, an incredible offer.
To be invited by the Central power was the greatest honor for a Magus. Moreover, teachings from the Demon King of Annihilation himself? Any other Magus would have been moved to their knees.
Of course, Chris was not just any other Magus.
“…Pardon my impudence, but what exactly is the reason the Central power is calling for me?”
“Because of your talent, of course. It’s about time we started thinking about His Majesty the Demon Emperor’s succession. We intend to make you a candidate for the position of Magus Crown Prince.”
“!!”
“You would become the third most supreme being in the Magus Empire, after Their Majesties the Demon Emperor and Demon Empress. Oh my, come to think of it, you’d be a higher rank than me. Should I start trying to get on your good side now?”
The Magus Crown Prince.
It was a shocking story he had never even imagined. But Chris’s heart sank.
‘Is he serious?’
As if sensing his doubt, the Magus Chancellor spoke.
“You’re stunned, aren’t you? I understand. But it’s not a lie. The position of Magus Crown Prince has been vacant for a long time, after all. I’m making this offer because I believe you are the most suitable. Of course, this is just to be a candidate, so it’s not set in stone.”
Chris shook his head at those words.
‘I can’t believe it.’
In the first place, the term ‘candidate’ was itself ambiguous. An offer with no guarantees.
More importantly, why would the Magus Empire even need a Magus Crown Prince? The Demon Emperor was an immortal being.
‘This can’t be an offer for my benefit.’
There was only one reason he could guess.
‘In the end, their goal must be to get rid of me.’
Even if the Demon King of Azure Flow was eliminated, the chaos wouldn’t end. On the contrary, the truly terrifying calamities were only just beginning. The Four Kings’ Castle would soon start a war. They must be trying to remove him in advance, lest he become a variable in the various events yet to come.
“…Can I refuse?”
“Refuse?” The Magus Chancellor tilted his head. “You dare?”
“!!”
Shudder. A horrifying chill ran down his spine. It felt as if Death’s scythe was looming over his soul. If he refused the offer here, he would meet his end.
‘What do I do?’ Chris bit his lip hard.
This was not an opponent he could face with force. But he couldn’t just nod his head, either. If he rashly agreed just to get out of the situation, he could be bound by something like a forced, magical Pact.
“Think it over carefully. It’s not a bad offer. I’m talking about the Magus Crown Prince! The third-highest position in the Magus Empire! You’ll be able to enjoy the greatest wealth and glory, and you’ll even get to drink your fill of that alcohol you just had.”
The Magus Chancellor said coaxingly.
But why was it? Hearing that voice, he felt his mind suddenly clear.
An instinctual gut feeling flashed through him.
It was just an uncertain guess, but Chris decided to take the gamble.
“Even so, I refuse.”
“!!”
The Magus Chancellor’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you serious?”
Chris’s heart pounded. With just a flick of the Magus Chancellor’s finger, he could be scattered into dust and disappear from this place.
But he did not back down.
Instead, he looked straight into the Magus Chancellor's eyes—at the true intentions hidden behind those narrowed, blood-red pupils.
And he opened his mouth.