Chapter 300
The werewolf warriors stopped Christian in his tracks.
Chris stared at the werewolves for a moment.
Chris was currently imitating Navid perfectly.
No, on the contrary, he was exuding an even deeper and more sinister atmosphere.
It was in the moment the werewolves flinched at his gaze, which seemed completely empty.
“I have come from the Four Kings' Castle.”
“!!”
The werewolf warriors began to murmur.
They aimed their weapons at him with hostility.
“What business does a disgusting bastard from the Four Kings' Castle have here?”
For reference, due to its tyrannical actions, the Four Kings' Castle was not viewed favorably anywhere in the Magus Empire.
Even the Ghost Sword King had only joined hands with them privately and in secret; they were not official allies, so the common warriors below knew nothing of it.
“I have come to hold the Beast King accountable for his sins.”
“…What?”
“He dared to break the secret pact he made with our castle and was about to betray us.”
The werewolves had bewildered looks on their faces.
The Beast King was in secret communication with the Four Kings' Castle?
Furthermore, what did he mean, the Beast King had then betrayed the Four Kings' Castle?
A story that was completely incomprehensible.
It was utterly confusing.
“Look.”
Shwaak.
Chris, disguised as Navid, pulled the cloth off the cart he had brought with him.
Then, a surprising sight was revealed.
It was a mobile prison made of iron bars, and inside, an unbelievable person was locked up.
Black hair and crimson eyes.
An appearance with an arrogant impression.
“Th-that person? Could it be?”
“Grand Duke Christian of the Dark Demonic House?!”
Of course, it wasn't the real Chris, but Alros, disguised with the Emblem of the Constellation.
‘You wretched, damn devil!!’
Alros, who had been gagged, sent Chris a resentful glare.
A bewildering situation.
Just what was Chris thinking, pulling off such a bizarre act?
‘To lure the Beast King, of course.’
Chris opened his mouth to the werewolves.
“The Beast King made a secret pact to cooperate with our castle, but behind our backs, he was also in secret communication with the Dark Demonic House. This is an act of making a mockery of our castle. I will hold the Beast King responsible. Bring the Beast King here at once.”
“!!”
The werewolves looked at each other for a moment.
They didn't know what was what, but they were not the kind of werewolves to meekly accept such a story.
“First, I think we'll have to fix that attitude of yours.”
“We’ll let you meet the king as you wish. But only after we break all of your arms and legs.”
As expected of a warlike combat tribe.
They approached Chris, emanating a menacing killing intent.
Chris let out a smirk.
“Is it because you are lowly beasts? It seems you don’t even have the eyes to recognize your opponent.”
“…What did you say?”
“You’re the ones who bared your teeth without knowing your place, so do not blame me.”
Sreureureureuk.
An intense, ash-gray energy extended out.
It was his Dark Demonic Energy, disguised as ash-gray energy through his state of assimilation.
Fwaaaaaaaat!!
The ash-gray energy soared into the sky as if gushing up.
“Wh-what kind of energy is this?”
The werewolves flinched back with pale faces, and.
After that.
“Kuaaaaaaaak!!”
“Uwaaaaaak!!! Stop!! Stop!!”
The werewolves who had been rushing at Chris suddenly rolled on the ground, writhing in pain.
They had been hit by an area-of-effect curse.
‘Rabble like this are simple now.’
The ones who had just rushed at Chris were at the level of common magi.
The strongest was 5-Star?
It wasn't something to think of as 'only' that level.
Because even a 4th or 5th-Star level was a sufficiently powerful force. In particular, from the 5-Star Elder Class onward, one was classified as being at a ‘high-level’ state and was acknowledged in any group.
It was just that Chris now stood in the ranks of a true powerhouse, incomparable to such people.
‘And thanks to learning Myriad Demons' Submission, the power of my dark magic that affects the mind has become much stronger.’
Myriad Demons' Submission was an authority that subdued the mind.
It created a synergy that could manifest such a powerful effect.
‘Of course, releasing my energy into the air like that just now was a bit of a stretch.’
There was a reason he had deliberately shown off his energy as if to display his power.
‘I had to spread the rumor that the Beast King was in secret communication with the Four Kings' Castle.’
He had deliberately scattered his energy so that it could be detected even by the Illusion Demonic House far away.
In other words, it was a stratagem to drive a wedge between the Illusion Demonic House and the Magical Beast Demonic House.
‘This is only the beginning. By the way, I wonder when he’ll come.’
Chris waited for someone with a leisurely expression, and.
“Halt!!”
Kuuung!
A thunderous roar that seemed to make the mountains ring echoed out, and.
A giant something dropped from the empty air and was raising its massive body.
A silver mane that covered its entire body.
A physique that seemed to be twice the size of the other werewolves.
An overwhelming presence that seemed to place everyone around it under its feet.
It was the Beast King.
* * *
The commotion was brought under control with great speed.
The Beast King dragged Chris to a secret location.
“What is the meaning of this? Did I not say that making a secret pact with you was to be kept secret? Do you want to die?”
The Beast King growled roughly.
But Chris, on the contrary, responded coldly.
“Did I not say? It is because you were trying to betray our castle. Did you think you could get away with scorning our castle?”
“No, what I’m asking is what is this bullshit. When did I…!”
“Grand Duke Christian of the Dark Demonic House has already confessed.”
The Beast King’s gaze shot toward Alros, who was disguised as Chris.
“What do you mean by that? When did I ever conspire with your Dark Demonic House? Can you not speak properly before I tear you limb from limb!”
“……”
Alros snapped his mouth shut.
He was so completely terrified by the Beast King’s presence that he didn't dare to even open his mouth.
Just then, Chris interjected.
“Something is strange. Are you really saying that you were not trying to conspire with the Dark Demonic House?”
“Did I not say so?! What do you take me for? I am the Beast King. I do not speak with two tongues.”
The Beast King glared at Alros.
“We’ll find out if we torture this one. What kind of scheme he was plotting to spout such nonsense.”
“I doubt the Grand Duke of the Dark Demonic House would open his mouth to mere torture. Instead, may I try my hand at it?”
Chris beckoned with his finger.
“Making one’s opponent tell the truth is, after all, a specialty of our Curse Demonic House.”
The Beast King thought for a moment, then nodded his head.
It was true that he didn't seem like the type to talk under torture.
His mind would have to be subdued, but unfortunately, the Magical Beast Demonic House, being a house of combat magi, was weak in this area.
“Do it at once.”
“Understood.”
Chris placed his hand on Alros’s head.
Alros sent him a resentful, tearful glare, but Chris pretended not to see it.
‘It’s all an act, so just bear with it for a moment. It won’t hurt.’
Fwaat!
Ash-gray demonic energy seeped into Alros’s head, and Alros’s eyes became empty.
“Speak. Why did you lie, saying that the Beast King was conspiring with your Dark Demonic House?”
“That is….”
Alros gave the pre-arranged answer according to Chris’s ‘instructions’.
“…I was following the Duke of Illusion’s plan.”
“!!”
The Beast King’s face hardened.
The Beast King’s rival and the head of the Illusion Demonic House.
“The Duke of Illusion reached out to our Dark Demonic House to eliminate the Beast King, and we decided to frame him.”
* * *
That was right.
This was Chris’s operation.
To drive a wedge between the two and make them clash.
“The Duke of Illusion did that?”
“It is possible. The Duke of Illusion is cunning, so he is more than capable of plotting such a thing.”
Chris nodded his head.
“In the first place, the reason our Four Kings' Castle chose you, the Beast King, was because we could not trust the Duke of Illusion. He likely planned to drive a wedge between us, then borrow the power of the Dark Demonic House to strike you.”
The Beast King’s face turned red.
“I will never forgive him. To think he would dare to pull such a trick.”
“So what will you do?”
Chris looked at the Beast King intently.
“Will you strike the Duke of Illusion?”
“!!”
The Beast King flinched.
He could not answer easily.
Because it was no ordinary matter.
A war between the houses would break out.
“My, you are weaker than I thought. Your opponent has already drawn his sword, and yet you hesitate.”
“…You bastard.”
“Even if you don't want it, the Duke of Illusion will strike you anyway. On the contrary, if you do not wish for a large-scale war between the houses, it would be better to eliminate the Duke of Illusion quickly.”
The Beast King was silent.
It was certainly too late to back down.
“If you are worried about the war escalating, our Four Kings' Castle will make a move to lure out the Duke of Illusion.”
“!!”
“Instead, you, the Beast King, must also come alone.”
“…Come alone?”
The Beast King frowned.
“Yes. If too many are involved, the cunning Duke of Illusion will notice. Or.”
Chris let out a smirk.
“Are you not confident you can eliminate the Duke of Illusion by yourself?”
“You bastard!! How dare you!!”
The Beast King roared.
“I am the Beast King. I can lightly snap the neck of a mere illusionist punk like that.”
“Then there should be no problem. However, in exchange for helping you, please give us a price.”
“…A price?”
“Luring out the Duke of Illusion is, in many ways, a risky venture for our Four Kings' Castle as well. It would not be right to do it for free.”
“…What is it you want?”
Chris raised the corners of his mouth in a grin and spoke of another objective of his current operation.
“Share the Magical Beast Demonic House's obsolete original text, the Record of Beast Refinement, with our castle.”
“!!”
“In any case, it is merely an original text with no particular use, so it shouldn't matter much, right? I understand that the current Art of Beast Refinement of the Magical Beast Demonic House is not closely related to the Record of Beast Refinement.”
He wasn't wrong.
In the past, it had been a secret art that formed the backbone of the Magical Beast Demonic House, but now, it was not a particularly important original text.
They were simply storing it because it had been an important secret art in the past.
“What do you intend to use the Record of Beast Refinement for?”
“Our castle is making puppets using magical beasts, but we lack an understanding of the Art of Beast Refinement. As a last resort, we intend to reference the previously obsolete original text. In truth, we covet the secret arts currently used by the Magical Beast Demonic House, but you would never permit that.”
“……”
“Ah, instead, we will also show our sincerity in our own way.”
“Sincerity?”
“Please accept this demonic sword.”
It was a demonic sword that had a strange, ink-black color.
It was a demonic sword he had brought with him when he went to the Holy Empire this time.
The Berserker Sword.
At this point in time, no one knew of it, but in his previous life, during the Age of Ruin, it was an extremely famous demonic sword.
“…This is excellent.”
“As expected, I believed that you, the Beast King, would recognize the value of this demonic sword.”
The Beast King stroked the sword with an entranced look on his face.
He checked to see if any tricks had been played on the demonic sword, but he saw nothing of the sort.
“Our Four Kings' Castle would also be pleased if you were to take the Duke of Illusion's head with this sword.”
“…Very well. I will give you the Record of Beast Refinement. However, how can I trust you? What if you betray me?”
A look of sudden suspicion on his face after all the chaotic events that had occurred.
Chris replied as if it were nothing.
“We will leave you a hostage until the Duke of Illusion is dealt with.”
“A hostage?”
“This one here.”
Chris nudged the unconscious Alros.
“We will entrust our castle's most valuable hostage, Grand Duke Christian of the Dark Demonic House, to you, Beast King. With this, I believe you will trust in the sincerity of our Four Kings' Castle.”