Chapter 274
‘My future will also change greatly depending on what I achieve at the Flame of Ruin.’
This event would determine whether he could even harbor the seed that might allow him to reach the level of the Demon Emperor.
That's how important this undertaking was.
Chris also gave Yulian a mission.
“Sister, you had a point of contact with the Demon King of Azure Flow in the past, didn’t you?”
“…I did. Foolishly.”
Yulian’s face hardened. The Demon King of Azure Flow was the enemy who had destroyed her village back when she was an elf. And yet, the Demon King had hidden that truth completely and used Yulian.
“I will give you a chance to land a blow on the Demon King of Azure Flow. Please follow my instructions carefully.”
Chris explained the plan, and Yulian’s eyes gleamed coldly.
“Now, let’s get going.”
“Yes, Your Grace. I will assist you with my life. If those bastards from the Destruction Demonic House start trouble again without knowing their place, I will be the one to draw blood this time.”
“I’ll do my best, too. Helping with the evacuation will be good for strength training.”
“It is an honor, Brother! I will do my best to be a younger brother who is worthy of my King Emperor Majesty Brother!”
“Uwaaah, I don’t want to go! Why in the world are you taking me?! I’m insignificant, so you don’t need me, right?!”
Merian, Jupien, Teren, and Alros spoke as they usually did. No, Alros was struggling a little more than usual.
“Uwaaah!! You’re not going to make me do something again, are you? We’re just going to help with the evacuation for a bit and then quickly run away, right?”
“No, you have a separate job to do.”
“Wha-what? Don't tell me. Are you going to use me for my artifacts again?”
“Why are you acting so surprised? It’s not dangerous this time. Of course, you might suffer to death… no, you might suffer a little.”
“Uwaaah. You devil!!”
“Shut up, Alros. How dare you speak to the Grand Duke like that.”
“Alros, you’ve seemed to lack grit for a while now. Want to do 1,000 push-ups with me?”
“You should be ashamed of yourself. You should consider it an honor to receive a mission from the King Emperor Majesty Brother.”
Scolded by everyone, Alros whimpered and sulked in a corner.
“Let’s go.”
Fwaaat!
After passing through the gate, a rugged, mountainous region came into view.
It was the territory of the Destruction Demonic House.
But there was a problem.
Black smoke was rising from the main castle of the Destruction Demonic House.
“Your Grace, what is that?”
Merian’s face, along with everyone else’s, hardened.
And at the same time.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!!
A sound as if the heavens and the earth were collapsing echoed out.
“…Don’t tell me this is?”
Chris nodded his head.
The Flame of Ruin had begun its first eruption.
* * *
Rumble-rumble.
“Uwaaaaaaah! I’m going to die!!”
“Will you stop being so dramatic? It’s just a minor tremor.”
Everyone clicked their tongues as Alros theatrically clutched his head.
“The eruption has started, but there doesn’t seem to be much damage.”
“It’s only the first stage.”
The Flame of Ruin was different from other ordinary volcanoes. The reason it was active as a volcano was due to the Primordial Well nestled within its crater. The energy of destruction would explode, causing the volcano to erupt.
‘Therefore, the flames erupt in stages according to the level of the Primordial Well’s activation.’
The Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin activates over a total of three stages. The reason he knew this in detail was because the Flame of Ruin had also erupted in his previous life.
‘That time, it was because of the Blood Drenched Demon King. After losing the war, he made an example of the Destruction Demonic House, who resisted to the very end, by making the Flame of Ruin explode to annihilate them. By the way, why on earth did the Blood Drenched Demon King become such a devil?’
The image of the kind Idrinne he had recently seen at the Blood Sword Demonic House came to mind, and his thoughts grew complicated. Chris shook his head.
“The first eruption isn’t very threatening, so the Destruction Demonic House should have been able to block it without much difficulty. The problem is the second and third eruptions that follow.”
The faces of the others grew serious.
“We should hurry.”
“First, let’s head to the main castle of the Destruction Demonic House.”
As they were making their way, they ran into a welcome face.
It was Kashmir.
“Grand Duke Christian?? Why are you at our house?”
“I heard the news about the Destruction Demonic House and came to offer my help.”
“Ahh!! You came all this way, braving the danger. As expected of you, Grand Duke Christian!”
Kashmir, who was already a Christian-fanatic, looked deeply moved. The people with Kashmir had a similar reaction.
“You came to help in such a dangerous situation? And the Grand Duke himself?”
“I just thought he was an insufferable brat.”
It was certainly a situation that couldn't help but impress them. The two houses were not on good terms, yet he had come to help, risking his own life.
‘Well, it’s true that this disaster happened all because of me. But, ultimately, I will be saving the Destruction Demonic House, so it’s not entirely a lie.’
Even if Chris hadn't made the Flame of Ruin erupt, the Destruction Demonic House would have faced a different disaster because of the Demon King of Azure Flow. In fact, one could say that Chris had made a preemptive strike, preventing the Demon King of Azure Flow from carrying out her own scheme, thus avoiding the worst-case scenario.
‘The Destruction Demonic House would have suffered irreparable damage because of the scheme the Demon King of Azure Flow had set up.’
In any case, from the looks of it, it seemed they hadn't discovered that the Fanatic Order was the culprit. He had instructed them to leave no traces when they carried out the deed, as it would become complicated in many ways if the Fanatic Order's involvement was revealed. It was possible thanks to using the artifacts owned by Ruina.
“The situation is urgent. Could you guide us to the main castle?”
“Yes, of course.”
Just then, a sharp voice was suddenly heard.
“We don't need the likes of your help. Go back.”
“!!”
The man had an arrogant and irritable expression. It was Grand Duke Schwar, who had been soundly defeated by Chris not long ago!
“We have more than enough power within our Destruction Demonic House to calm the Flame of Ruin.”
“For someone who says that, you look rather pale. Are you at your limit already?”
Since his opponent had spoken informally, Chris responded in kind, looking down on him.
“That’s none of your…”
“Look. I’m busy. I don’t have time to bicker with the likes of you.”
“!!”
“And have you already forgotten that your Destruction Demonic House pledged its loyalty to our Dark Demonic House? When a subordinate house runs into trouble, it’s only natural for the superior house to help. How ungrateful of you.”
“You bastard!!”
Schwar’s face flushed red. His fists trembled with rage, but the moment he met Chris’s eyes, he couldn’t say another word. He was overwhelmed, a result of the severe beating he had taken in their previous duel.
“…Try making those same reckless remarks in front of the Lord of the House.”
Chris shrugged his shoulders.
Soon, they arrived at the main castle.
The grand castle of the Destruction Demonic House, standing tall on high ground, was in a state of complete disarray. Thanks to their successful suppression of the first eruption, there appeared to be no physical damage, but it was clear that all the members of the household were gripped by fear and anxiety.
“You’re not evacuating?”
“There’s no need. It will be calm soon.”
“You can’t be serious, can you? If you are, you’re a fool. If you’re lying, you’re an irresponsible bastard.”
Schwar ground his teeth. It seemed he himself knew well that calming the Flame of Ruin was an impossible task. The reason he hadn’t issued an evacuation order despite this was likely due to the characteristic pride of the Destruction Demonic House.
“The Lord of the House is in here. He is not in a good mood, so think carefully before you run your mouth.”
It was a meeting room.
Creeak. As he entered, sharp gazes fell upon him. They were the vassals of the Destruction Demonic House. Likely because of the recent duel, their eyes were filled with hostility.
The most overwhelming presence among them was, without a doubt, the man at the head of the table who had the oppressive air of a giant. Grand Duke Vessian spoke, his gaze feeling as if it could pierce right through him like a spear.
“What business does the Grand Duke of the Dark Demonic House have here?”
“I heard that a disaster has befallen the Destruction Demonic House and came to offer my help. Since we are now like one family.”
One family.
At the reminder that the Destruction Demonic House had knelt to the Dark Demonic House, everyone from the Destruction Demonic House wore angered expressions. As expected, though they had knelt in word, it was clear they hadn't accepted their defeat at all.
‘Well, one step at a time. There’s a proper order to taming a prideful beast.’
Grand Duke Vessian spoke in a growling voice, as if suppressing his rage.
“We do not need the help of the Dark Demonic House.”
“Contrary to your words, you don’t seem to have things under control. Why haven’t you issued an evacuation order?”
Grand Duke Vessian’s eyebrow twitched, and he repeated the exact same words Schwar had said.
“An evacuation is unnecessary. The Flame of Ruin will soon be calm.”
“Are you saying you can control the Flame of Ruin, which has been accumulating power for hundreds of years? You know very well that’s impossible, don’t you?”
At his words that bluntly struck at the heart of the issue, the vassals of the Destruction Demonic House shouted in anger.
“How dare you! Watch your tongue!”
Just then, a voice was heard, calming them down.
“Everyone, wait a moment.”
“Vice-Head of the House.”
It was the woman who had fought Chris during the duel, the Vice-Head, Yesika. Perhaps because she had come to acknowledge Chris after that duel, she looked at him with a somewhat favorable gaze.
“To be truthful, it’s not that we haven’t considered evacuating the household. But it’s too late to try and evacuate now. The second and third eruptions will begin soon. There’s no time.”
“I will help you buy some time.”
“…What did you say?”
“The problem is that the seal binding the ‘Fallen Ruin’ has malfunctioned, correct? I will temporarily mend the sealing formation to delay the eruption of the Flame of Ruin.”
At that declaration, the vassals of the Destruction Demonic House began to murmur.
“What kind of nonsense is that.”
“How could that possibly be?”
If that had been possible in the first place, they would have done it already.
But Chris dismissed their doubts with a single phrase.
“I can do it.”
The hall grew quiet.
If anyone else had said it, they would have been pelted with stones for such an absurd remark. But everyone here had clearly witnessed with their own two eyes just how insane Christian was. So they couldn't carelessly dismiss it as nonsense.
“You really think you can do it?”
“Yes. Sealing formations happen to be another area of my expertise, so temporarily mending one is well within my abilities.”
“Hah.”
Grand Duke Vessian looked utterly displeased.
Just then, Christian looked him straight in the eye and said this.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke, I am saying this out of a desire to help the Destruction Demonic House. As a blood-sworn ally who has become one family.”
“!!”
His voice was filled with sincerity.
Grand Duke Vessian’s eyebrow twitched.
“Fine. However, if you fail, you are to leave the main house at once.”
Chris nodded his head.
“Understood. In return, if I succeed, please issue an evacuation order immediately.”
“Hmph. If you can really pull it off, I will do so. Not that it will be necessary.”
At Grand Duke Vessian’s consent, Chris clenched his fist inwardly.
‘Good.’
To be honest, the evacuation order was unnecessary. That was because Christian would solve everything before any problem with the Flame of Ruin could occur.
And even if he were to fail in controlling the Flame of Ruin—though that wouldn't happen—he had already taken measures to prevent the worst-case scenario.
The reason he proposed this unnecessary evacuation order was because he had an ulterior motive.
And so, Christian’s operation to fleece both the Destruction Demonic House and the Demon King of Azure Flow at the same time officially began.