Chapter 273
Chris looked bewildered.
Though the headpats were far from warm, the absurdity of it all seemed to lift his spirits a little.
Was it because he felt more at ease?
Chris suddenly voiced a question.
“Mari, why did you become a ghost?”
[!!]
Oops.
That was a mistake.
‘Asking a ghost for the reason they became one is a taboo.’
He quickly tried to take back his words, but Mari unexpectedly opened her mouth.
[I don’t remember well.]
“…You don’t remember?”
It didn’t seem like a simple evasion.
Mari tilted her innocent-looking face.
[It’s not that the memories are completely gone, but my past is hazy, as if it were a dream.]
“……”
[Just the fact that I suffered countless pains for a very, very long time faintly comes to me, like the edge of a dream. I don’t clearly remember exactly what kind of pain it was. Ohoho, isn’t that strange?]
Mari laughed like she usually did, but Chris couldn’t laugh along with her.
A very, very long time; countless.
Those words bothered him.
Mari cutely placed a finger on her tilted cheek and spoke as if trying to recall a memory.
[Ah, there is one thing I remember. Back then, while suffering immeasurable pain in a time that never seemed to end, I think I had this thought: that I would definitely become happy. Maybe that’s why I became a ghost? To find happiness, even in death.]
Chris’s heart sank.
He couldn’t begin to imagine what she had gone through, but one thing was certain. The pain Mari had suffered was no less than any pain suffered by anyone else in this world.
“…You will be happy.”
[Hohoho, really?]
“Yes. As your master, I promise you. You will definitely be happy.”
Mari smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around Chris’s neck, making him feel an unsettlingly realistic, spooky sensation through the poltergeist phenomenon.
[Actually, I’m already halfway there.]
“Huh?”
[The wish I dreamed of was to meet a good person, hold his hand, kiss him, make love with him, and marry him. They say the beginning is half the journey, and since I’ve already met my fated partner, the Young Master, now all that’s left is for us to be all lovey-dovey.]
Chris looked bewildered.
“Wait, that’s…”
[You just promised, didn’t you? That you would make me happy?]
“…I meant that I’d help you meet a nice bachelor ghost.”
[But becoming one with you is my happiness. Ohoho, since we’re on the subject, shall we start now? With a kiss?]
“Forget it!”
Mari let out a high-pitched laugh.
[But, please do one thing for me.]
“…What is it?”
[I don’t know what happened, but cheer up.]
“……”
Mari floated in the air, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
[Young Master, your usual insufferable look is much sexier, you know. Of course, your melancholic expression has its own charm that makes me want to pounce on you… but if you keep looking so down, I really will pounce, you know?]
Whoosh. Mari disappeared through the wall.
Chris stared blankly for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head.
‘Honestly. I made her worry.’
He got up from the bed.
“Right, I can’t just stay here feeling helpless.”
So what if it’s the Central power?
Whether it’s the Demon Emperor, the Demon Empress, or the Magus Chancellor, what does it matter?
‘10-Star? If they could do it, then so can I.’
Chris made a firm resolution.
Right. It seemed daunting, but in the end, it was possible. They must have become 10-Star because it was possible. Chris didn’t think that the Demon Emperor or the Demon King of Annihilation were any more talented than he was.
‘After I defeat even the Demon Emperor, I will definitely enjoy the greatest wealth and glory.’
Furthermore, he now had another reason to try harder.
‘I’m going to get my hands on tons of Bulmongju and drink it all!’
He had finally found a hope that could grant his wish. If he couldn't overcome his body's constitution, he would just have to find and drink Bulmongju.
‘I’ll drink straight from the bottle every single night!’
As he was steeling his resolve, the door suddenly burst open.
It was Merian, who hadn't appeared in a long time.
“Your Grace!! Urgent news!”
Her expression was stiff, indicating that something unusual had happened.
Chris had a gut feeling that the news he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
And indeed.
“A disaster has occurred at the Destruction Demonic House! They say the Flame of Ruin is about to erupt!”
The volcano of death, situated beneath the Destruction Demonic House. The Flame of Ruin had begun to run rampant.
Everything was going according to Chris’s plan.
* * *
The eruption of the Flame of Ruin!
The news was enough to turn the Magus Empire upside down. It was a supervolcano, and if it erupted, the entire Southern Magus Nation would be in its blast radius.
‘The Destruction Demonic House, in particular, will suffer irreparable damage.’
As this was no ordinary incident, an emergency meeting was immediately convened.
“Why the Flame of Ruin?”
“Is there a problem with the ‘Fallen Ruin’ that was sealed within the Flame of Ruin?”
The vassals who had been urgently gathered chattered in panic.
“Brother, what is the ‘Fallen Ruin’?”
Before the meeting began, Teren asked from his side.
For reference, Teren was attending as the representative of Count Khazar’s house. With Chris becoming the Grand Duke and his father, Count Khazar, becoming the Acting Head of the House, Teren was now in the position of leading the Count’s branch family at a young age.
He was said to be performing his duties surprisingly well.
“It’s a Constellation.”
“Pardon?”
“To be precise, a Fallen Star that was corrupted by evil. When the Flame of Ruin kept causing problems, the ‘Demon King of Red Heaven’, who was from the Destruction Demonic House, captured the Fallen Star and offered it as a sacrifice to calm the rampaging volcano. The Fallen Star is still sealed in the deepest part of the Flame of Ruin, serving to prevent it from erupting.”
“Then why is the Flame of Ruin suddenly erupting? Is there really a problem with the seal? But why?”
“Who knows.”
Chris thought to himself.
‘Why, you ask? Because I made it that way.’
Chris had instructed the priests of the Fanatic Order to dismantle the seal on the Fallen Ruin.
‘Of course, it wasn't an easy task, even for the madmen of the Fanatic Order.’
No, it should have been impossible. The Flame of Ruin was the most sacred site of the Destruction Demonic House, guarded with their full strength. No matter what trickery Chris employed, he shouldn't have been able to breach their defenses.
‘It was only possible because I reverse-engineered the scheme that the Demon King of Azure Flow had already set in place.’
Chris thought to himself with determination.
‘I will use this incident to bring about the complete downfall of the Demon King of Azure Flow.’
While the vassals were chattering in a panic, Count Khazar and Nordian appeared. Everyone had an awkward expression at Nordian’s cute appearance, so different from his old form, but the moment he opened his mouth, a heavy pressure descended.
“Let’s begin the meeting. The Flame of Ruin has begun to erupt?”
Count Khazar replied.
“Yes, that is correct, Lord of the House. According to our intelligence, there seems to be a problem with the seal on the Fallen Ruin.”
“Does it seem like the Destruction Demonic House can contain it?”
“…Grand Duke Vessian is confident, but other reports suggest the situation is not good. In the worst-case scenario, we may have to consider the complete incineration of the Destruction Demonic House.”
This meant the annihilation of their house.
The hall began to murmur.
“Surely the Destruction Demonic House won’t end up like that?”
“No, it’s possible. They’ve been suppressing the Flame of Ruin’s explosion for hundreds of years. If that power erupts all at once, the entire surrounding area will become a living hell.”
If the Destruction Demonic House were to evacuate their family members now, they might be able to avoid the worst-case scenario, but there was no way the prideful house would do so.
‘They’ll lose their chance to escape while trying to resolve the situation on their own.’
The vassals raised their voices.
“How did a situation like this even happen?”
“What on earth was the Destruction Demonic House doing, not even managing the seal properly?”
From the Destruction Demonic House’s perspective, it was an unfair accusation. After all, the culprit behind this incident was Christian.
“We don’t know how far the fallout will reach. It seems our Dark Demonic House must also prepare in advance. First, I will issue an evacuation order for the people in our territories adjacent to the Destruction Demonic House.”
Nordian nodded. That seemed to be the best course of action.
But then, Christian said something unexpected.
“Shouldn’t we also dispatch personnel to help the Destruction Demonic House?”
“!!”
“The Destruction Demonic House is now under our Dark Demonic House, after all. Since they are facing a calamity, we, as their seniors, should lend them a hand.”
Everyone had a bewildered look on their face.
“That may be so, but I doubt the Destruction Demonic House would want our help?”
In the first place, the fact that the Destruction Demonic House had submitted was a situation that still hadn’t fully sunk in. The Destruction Demonic House themselves were surely not thinking that they had submitted to the Dark Demonic House at all.
“If I go in person, they won’t dare to refuse the help.”
“You will go yourself, Your Grace? It’s dangerous!”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m only planning to help with evacuating the people.”
The vassals looked at him with suspicion.
Nordian also narrowed his eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes. I, too, know the value of my own life.”
“You really do?”
“…Of course.”
Nordian’s eyes grew sharper, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down Christian’s back.
“All of you, leave us. I have something to discuss with the Grand Duke separately.”
Once the two of them were alone, Nordian frowned.
“What kind of ridiculous idea are you cooking up now?”
“It’s nothing much. I really am just trying to help the Destruction Demonic House.”
“How, exactly?”
Chris shut his mouth. Even he thought it was too absurd a plan, so he couldn’t bring himself to explain the details to Nordian.
‘What should I say?’
As he was contemplating, Nordian shook his head.
“Alright. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve done something crazy.”
“……”
“You’re going to go anyway, even if I try to stop you, aren’t you?”
“…That’s true.”
Nordian sighed.
“But, just remember one thing. You are my hope. You must return safely. Do you understand?”
For a moment, Chris’s heart felt full.
“Of course. Please don’t worry.”
He lifted the corners of his mouth into his typical insufferable smirk, as if to reassure him.
“I will be sure to teach those bastards from the Destruction Demonic House about the greatness of our Dark Demonic House. This time, for sure, they will properly kneel before us.”
* * *
Time was short, so he set off in a hurry.
His traveling companions, however, were unexpected.
Leaving behind the renowned powerhouses of the house, he was accompanied by Jupien, Alos, Merian, and Teren.
‘Well, I’m not going there to fight, so there’s no need to go with the strongest members.’
On the contrary, the senior members of the house had a separate task to perform.
‘Because taming the Flame of Ruin isn’t the end.’
From now on, a chaotic political situation would unfold.
Chris had given Count Khazar a heads-up in advance.
“While I am at the Destruction Demonic House, please prepare to raise our army.”
“…An army? What are you talking about? Why all of a sudden?”
Chris said with a hardened gaze.
“It’s because of the Demon King of Azure Flow.”
“!!”
Yes.
The time had come to settle things with the Demon King of Azure Flow. Starting with the incident at the Destruction Demonic House, Chris planned to strike at her.
‘Of course, the possibility of defeating the Demon King of Azure Flow will only arise if I achieve my objective at the Flame of Ruin.’
No matter that Nordian had reached the level of entering 9-Star, he was no match for the Demon King of Azure Flow.
Chris’s role was crucial. Only if he obtained the power he sought from the Flame of Ruin could he bring her down.