Chapter 298

However, it was a story that was difficult to easily accept.

The reason Chris had been able to defeat the Ghost Sword King was because it had been a duel of pure swordsmanship.

If it had been a fight where they used their full power, he would never have won.

And yet he was going to take down the Beast King and the Duke of Illusion?

Furthermore, to get them, he would have to go directly into the heart of the Tri-Alliance.

‘It's like walking into a tiger’s den to catch a monstrous tiger.’

An impossible story.

But Chris thought with determination.

‘I can do it.’

Meaning he had something else in mind.

But Istanya’s expression was strange.

She was looking at him with an unusual gaze.

“Why? Don't tell me you're sad that I'm leaving? You haven't fallen for me, have you?”

“…Are you insane? A kid who can't even drink is not my type. Though your face is pretty, so I might consider taking you as a pretty toy to play with.”

“…Is that something a Holy Emperor should say?”

Istanya scoffed, then her expression turned serious.

“Actually, there is something I have to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Be careful of the Celestial Realm.”

“!!”

Chris flinched.

It was an unexpected warning.

“The Celestial Realm? Are you talking about the Constellations?”

“Yes.”

Istanya nodded her head heavily.

“Before, before I lost The Mark, I heard a revelation from the Constellations about you.”

“…About me?”

“Yes. It was a revelation that you would become a great darkness and destroy the world.”

Chris had a dumbfounded look on his face.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Yes, I don't think so either. The you that I have seen for myself is arrogant, ill-mannered, detestable, and a punk I want to punch, but you are not a villain who would destroy the world.”

Istanya continued gravely.

“Just because it’s a revelation from the Constellations doesn't mean it's unconditionally true, so I don’t believe it. However, whether it’s true or not doesn't matter. What's important is the fact that the Constellations view you that way.”

It was a statement heavy with meaning.

“You, of all people, should know, right? That the Constellations are not always righteous. That sometimes, for the sake of ‘justice’, they do not hesitate to do terrible things.”

If devils follow evil, then the Constellations follow justice.

However, that justice did not mean unconditional good.

For the sake of the justice of a ‘greater cause’, they sometimes forced great sacrifices or committed terrible deeds.

‘The case of the Demon King of Azure Flow is a prime example. For the sake of the Celestial Realm's justice, they abandoned the World Tree, which ultimately led her, the Fairy Queen, to sell her soul to a devil.’

Chris asked.

“Are you saying the Constellations are going to make a move against me?”

“That's not it. As you know, devils and Constellations cannot interfere with the mortal plane due to the Pact of the Dark Heaven. They won't be able to act directly. However, I'm telling you to be wary.”

The Pact of the Dark Heaven.

Indeed, before the boundary of the Three Realms collapsed, the Constellations and devils could not intervene in the affairs of the mortal plane.

All they could do was give revelations in this manner.

Even that was only possible to a limited extent, under various restrictions.

For example, there were even restrictions on those who received a revelation about Chris spreading it as a rumor to others.

‘So I don't need to worry too much for now.’

Chris frowned.

‘Me, a darkness that will destroy the world? What is the Celestial Realm thinking?’

In any case, it was by no means good news.

“I understand. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Istanya let out a sigh, then had a complicated look in her eyes.

“Do you know why I became an unbeliever? It’s because I could not accept the self-righteous justice of the Constellations.”

“……”

“Above all, I came to know something. That the Celestial Realm is planning something unusual concerning the 'fate' of this world.”

“…What do you mean?”

Istanya shook her head.

“I do not know the exact details either. It is merely that, while receiving a revelation, I vaguely read a fragment of the Constellations' will.”

Istanya continued gravely.

“For the sake of their justice, the Constellations are trying to greatly twist the 'fate' of this world.”

Chris was silent for a moment.

‘…The Celestial Realm is plotting something?’

As far as he knew, the Celestial Realm hadn't done anything particular in his previous life.

In the latter half of the Age of Ruin, after the boundary of the Three Realms collapsed, the Celestials and the Constellations had descended to the mortal plane to fight against the forces of demons that appeared; that was all.

But what if that wasn't the case?

What if there was another hidden story behind the world's destruction that he didn't know about?

‘Just what on earth.’

There were too many questions.

Now, even the fact that the Demon King of Bloodletting had destroyed the world was a question.

‘And the Demon Emperor’s intentions are a complete mystery.’

Chris came to a fresh realization.

The truth that had been revealed on the surface in his previous life was just the tip of the iceberg.

A great secret was surely lurking behind the scenes of the world.

Though there were countless questions, there was one that Chris had to uncover before all others.

“By any chance, do you know anything about the turning back of the timeline?”

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying that the world’s time has returned to the past?”

“Yes.”

Chris nodded his head.

‘First, I have to uncover the secret of my regression.’

The answer to all his questions would be related to the truth of his regression.

Perhaps a clue might even exist in the Holy Empire.

‘First, I have to find out who made me regress.’

There were almost no beings in the world who could cause a great miracle like regression.

It was something that was only possible for a Constellation or a devil, and a being of a great rank at that.

Since the Holy Empire had a mountain of data on devils and Constellations, there might be a clue.

‘…And besides devils and Constellations, there are others who could cause a regression.’

Chris thought gravely.

‘The Demon Emperor and the Magus Chancellor.’

He recalled his meeting with the Magus Chancellor.

The feeling of facing a bottomless abyss.

Since the Magus Chancellor and the Demon Emperor possessed a power no less than that of the great ranks of the Dark Heaven, they should be able to cause a regression.

‘For now, I'll have to dig into this side from within the Magus Empire. If I succeed in becoming the Castle Lord of the Four Kings' Castle as planned, I might be able to obtain a clue.’

Since the Four Kings' Castle was a main player in the world’s destruction in his previous life, there was a high possibility it held a thread of the truth he didn't know.

“The turning back of the timeline, is it? It is the first time I have heard of it. I will try asking the ‘Guardian’. As a Sacred One, he may know something.”

The Guardian of the Holy Prison.

He was one of the Seven Honored Ones, the 9-Star superhumans of the Alliance, and he protected the Holy Emperor's Palace.

For reference, the Seven Honored Ones were also called ‘Sacred Ones’, a title that was the counterpart to the Demon Kings.

The Guardian of the Holy Prison was one of the strongest among the Seven Honored Ones, but he was under a restriction that prevented him from leaving the Holy Emperor's Palace, so he could not act unless the Holy Empire was facing a crisis of destruction.

Afterward, Istanya left, and Chris, feeling a tightness in his chest, chugged his strawberry juice.

‘Damn it.’

When he had first regressed, he had thought it wouldn't be difficult.

Because he had thought all he had to do was stop the Four Kings' Castle and the Demon King of Bloodletting. And the Mystic Demonic House.

But the further he went, the more he realized that wasn't the case.

The enemies that had been revealed were only a part of the truth.

There were great beings behind the scenes, toying with the fate of the world.

For a moment, he felt a sense of hopelessness, but he soon shook his head.

‘Don't be ridiculous. As if I'd let the world be destroyed like this.’

He deliberately thought of the good things in the world.

All sorts of delicious foods and liquors.

He couldn't let it all be destroyed when he hadn't even properly enjoyed them.

‘I don't care if it's the Constellations, the devils, or the Demon Emperor, and I don't care what they’re plotting. I will stop it all.’

There was only one way.

He had to become stronger.

Beyond just becoming a powerful Demon King, to a point where he could make the Constellations, the devils, and the Demon Emperor kneel.

‘To do that, I must successfully conclude my business with the Tri-Alliance this time.’

Chris wasn't simply planning to deal with the Beast King and the Duke of Illusion.

While dealing with them, he planned to make the essences of Ghost Sword, Magical Beast, and Illusion his own.

In order to move ever higher.

Because his goal was to dominate all kinds of darkness and light, to complete a perfect darkness, and to obtain a truly great power.

‘Let’s do this.’

Fwaat!

As he left for the Tri-Alliance, Chris once again made a vow with a determined gaze.

‘For the sake of wealth and glory, I will never lose!’

* * *

Chris did not immediately run to the Tri-Alliance… instead, to save time, he made use of Ruina.

“Aaargh! What am I, a transportation shuttle? This transportation artifact costs a ton of money to use!”

“I was thinking of putting in a good word for you with the emperor after we finish our business in the Karn Empire. Are you going to miss the chance to build a connection with the Emperor of the Karn Empire?”

“Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!!!”

For reference, Chris had made a secret pact of sorts with Asran, the Sword of Light of the Karn Empire.

He would leave for the Karn Empire as soon as his business with the Tri-Alliance was finished.

“L-loyalty is loyalty, but still, please give me the travel fee!! This thing is seriously expensive!”

Evan interjected from the side.

“Sir Ruina, please stop going on about money. It’s getting tiresome.”

“Aaargh! Sir Evan, you really!!! You wretched man!!”

Evan paid her no mind and looked at Chris.

“It is time for us to part again. I’ll see you next time. I will have become stronger by then. In order to be of help to you.”

…He was already getting stronger at the speed of light, and yet he was saying he’d get even stronger.

‘…If you want to be a help to me, the best thing would be to take this Hero title off my hands.’

Vowing that he would one day pass the Hero title onto Evan, Chris opened his mouth.

“Wait, could you stop by the Celestial Magic Tower for me?”

“What for?”

“Deliver this letter to the next Master of the Magic Tower.”

It was Ranya.

Another figure from the Hero’s party, who would become a 9-Star Archmage in the future.

Evan tilted his head.

It wasn't a difficult request, but he had one question.

“Didn’t you pick the wrong envelope?”

“I picked the right one.”

“But… isn't this the kind of envelope one uses to send a duel challenge?”

In the middle of the envelope was a drawing of crossed swords.

It was the traditional format used in the Alliance when challenging someone to a duel.

“It is a challenge to a duel, so it’s right to send a duel challenge.”

“!!”

“Well, it’s not that we’re actually going to fight. It's a battle of discourse between mages.”

Evan, after getting Chris’s consent, opened the envelope and was silent for a moment.

This is what was written.

-As the Hero, I cannot acknowledge someone as lacking in talent as you to be the heir to the Celestial Magic Tower.

-Try to solve the topic I have written below. If you can't even solve something like this, it would be better for your future to quit being a mage.

‘If I want to use Ranya as a sucker too, I have to make her grow quickly. I can't wait until we meet later.’

Chris thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Evan, who had glimpsed Chris’s inner thoughts with his mind's eye,

‘As expected, this is also for the sake of the world. He's playing the villain for Ranya's growth. He's such an easily misunderstood guy. I, at least, will know your true heart.’

Evan nodded his head with a resolute face.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Chris thought for a moment, then spoke.

“By any chance, could you look into whether a new nine-tailed fox has appeared in the Alliance?”