Chapter 304
He had assisted the Duke of Illusion’s Domain of Dominion earlier and had grasped all of its weaknesses.
Of course, the Duke of Illusion had exposed his Domain’s weaknesses with the intention of eliminating Chris, but it was a thought that had excessively underestimated Chris.
‘And since he’s exhausted his power fighting the Beast King, it's simple.’
The Duke of Illusion stumbled back with a pale complexion.
But Chris showed an unexpected action.
“Lady Yulian.”
“Sorry, I'm late.”
Sreureuk.
Yulian, who had disappeared after receiving a certain order from Chris, appeared.
In her hand, she held a single sword.
“That sword is?”
“Yes, you recognize it. It is the Ghost Soul Sword, the family heirloom of the Ghost Sword Demonic House.”
He had made Yulian steal the family heirloom of the Ghost Sword Demonic House!
“Why the sword of the Ghost Sword Demonic House? Don't tell me?”
“Bingo.”
Chris nodded his head.
“What do you think will happen to the Tri-Alliance if you are killed by the Ghost Soul Sword?”
“!!”
The Beast King was killed by the Duke of Illusion.
And the Duke of Illusion, who killed the Beast King, is in turn killed by the Ghost Soul Sword.
What would happen?
‘It's the beginning of a complete mess.’
The three houses of the Tri-Alliance would become enemies.
The Duke of Illusion’s face turned pale.
“You bastard, don't tell me you planned this from the start?”
Chris let out a smirk and nodded his head.
“Yes. The Ghost Sword King, the Beast King, and you, Duke of Illusion—you were all played by me.”
“!!”
Chris aimed his sword.
“Let’s end this now.”
The Duke of Illusion, as if in a last-ditch effort, once again unleashed his illusion arts, but it was useless.
Chris took a ready stance.
It was the Mount Tai Sword, the ultimate technique of the Ghost Sword King.
Since it was an ultimate technique used not only by the Ghost Sword King but by the direct lineage of the Ghost Sword Demonic House, it was perfect for a frame-up.
‘I’ve seen it several times, so imitating it is simple.’
Fwaat!
A great light flashed, and the Duke of Illusion froze in his tracks.
A thin line was drawn on the Duke of Illusion’s body, and then, fwaaat, a fountain of blood erupted, and he collapsed, losing his strength.
It was a victory.
It was the moment the Tri-Alliance was shattered.
* * *
The next day.
The bodies of the Duke of Illusion and the Beast King were discovered, and the Tri-Alliance was thrown into chaos.
As the Beast King had been killed by the hand of the Duke of Illusion, and the Duke of Illusion had been killed by an unidentified figure from the Ghost Sword Demonic House.
“Such a terrible thing!!”
“Isn't this all a conspiracy by the Illusion Demonic House?!”
“Shut up! Looking at the traces of the fight, it is clear that the Ghost Sword Demonic House struck our exhausted Head of the house from behind!”
What was even worse was that both the Duke of Illusion and the Beast King, intending to deal with their opponents in secret, had kept this fight a secret.
Therefore, each house blamed the others for this incident.
In an instant, a civil war broke out.
The Ghost Sword, Illusion, and Magical Beast houses all drew their swords against each other, and the Tri-Alliance was plunged into a terrible chaos.
“…Everything has gone according to the Grand Duke’s plan.”
Alros looked at Chris with a fed-up expression.
For reference, Merian, who had received Chris’s orders in advance, had rescued Alros.
‘This guy is a real devil. Aaargh. Why did I have to get on his bad side.’
Just then, Chris shook his head.
“It's not over yet.”
“What? What other demonic acts are you planning to do now? Aak!”
“How dare you speak to the Grand Duke like that?”
Merian, who had slapped Alros on the back of the head, bowed her head.
“The people you spoke of have arrived.”
Chris rose from his seat.
Now, it was time to truly subjugate the Tri-Alliance.
“Welcome. It is an honor to meet the Three Younger Brothers of the Tri-Alliance.”
The ones who appeared were mature magi from the Ghost Sword, Magical Beast, and Illusion Demonic Houses, respectively.
Each and every one of them was a top-level 7-Star magus, and they were key figures in their respective houses.
‘They are famous for a friendship that transcends their houses.’
That's not all.
In his previous life, during the Age of Ruin, they were also righteous men who had opposed the Tri-Alliance’s move to follow the Blood-Drenched Demon King.
Naturally, they were concerned about the current state of the Tri-Alliance.
“…Why did the Grand Duke of the Dark Demonic House wish to see us?”
“It is to inform you of the mastermind behind this recent incident.”
The eyes of the three men changed.
“Who is it?”
“It is the Four Kings' Castle.”
“!!”
It was a bare-faced lie.
But Chris presented the evidence without batting an eye.
“Look here.”
It was a corpse.
That of Navid, the Executor from the Four Kings' Castle whom Chris had defeated.
“We have secured evidence of a figure from the Four Kings' Castle approaching His Highness the Beast King. Not only that, but there is also evidence of them meddling with His Highness the Duke of Illusion and the Ghost Sword Demonic House.”
Other than the attempt to approach the Beast King, all of it was fabricated evidence.
But as always, Chris’s skill in fabricating evidence had reached the level of art, and there was no way for them to see through it with their insight.
“This can’t be.”
“Those sons of bitches from the Four Kings' Castle, to our Tri-Alliance.”
The three men ground their teeth in anger.
“The Four Kings' Castle is the enemy of our Dark Alliance. I would like for the three of you to form an alliance with our Dark Alliance, join our strength, and stand against the Four Kings' Castle.”
“…But we are not the heirs to our houses.”
Although nothing was officially decided yet, it was highly likely that the vice-heads of the three houses would become the next heads.
All of them were Low 8-Star absolute magi.
On the other hand, these three were now High 7-Star magi; though they were key members of their houses, their chances of becoming the heirs were slim.
“I will help you all reach the state of 8-Star.”
“!!”
“You must have heard what kind of miracles I have performed at the Dark Demonic House. With my abilities, it is more than possible.”
The eyes of the three men widened.
It was a dumbfounding story, but they could not dismiss it as nonsense.
Because it was known that Nordian reaching 9-Star and the Dark Demonic House’s recent exponential growth were all Chris’s doing.
Still, as they could not easily accept it, Chris drove the nail in the coffin.
“Are you just going to stand by and watch the Tri-Alliance collapse like this?”
“!!”
“You must know. That the vice-heads of your respective houses are not great enough men to lead the Tri-Alliance. If the vice-heads were to lead the Tri-Alliance now, they might even sell it out to the Four Kings' Castle.”
The three men swallowed a groan.
What Chris said was right.
“We will do as the Grand Duke says. But will you really give us such help?”
“Yes, as it is also for the sake of our Dark Alliance. However, there is a condition.”
“What is it?”
“During the war with the Four Kings' Castle, you must follow the words of our Dark Demonic House.”
“!!”
The three men shut their mouths.
“It is for the sake of victory. To stand against the Four Kings' Castle, it is impossible unless we cooperate perfectly with each other. I promise that it will not be to the detriment of the Tri-Alliance.”
The three men looked at each other for a moment, then nodded their heads.
“Understood.”
And so, Chris decided to quickly raise the levels of the three men.
‘I already know these three well, anyway.’
These Three Younger Brothers were magi who had stood on the side of the Alliance and fought against the Blood-Drenched Demon King.
Therefore, Chris had also met them on several occasions.
‘And this is also a gain for me.’
These were some of the most skilled magi of the Ghost Sword, Magical Beast, and Illusion Demonic Houses.
To observe their achievements under the pretext of guiding them was an experience that would be a great asset to Chris as well.
‘It’s a chance to steal and learn the core secret arts of Ghost Sword, Magical Beast, and Illusion for free.’
And so, he gave them his crash course, and fortunately, all three were able to gain new achievements.
“This can’t be!! To think the rumors were really true.”
“The Grand Duke is our savior!”
“No, he is the savior of our Tri-Alliance!”
The three men were moved and bowed their heads.
In truth, Chris was the very culprit who had brought the Tri-Alliance to ruin, but he shamelessly nodded his head and accepted their thanks.
“If you are grateful to me, you must be sure to set the Tri-Alliance straight on the right path.”
“Ah! To think you would care so much for the Tri-Alliance. Who could have called such a great person a dog!”
“……”
“The Grand Duke is truly a magus among magi!”
The three men, who already had a hot-blooded idiot side to them, instantly became Chris’s fools and returned to their respective houses.
Now, with them at the center, the Tri-Alliance would be reborn anew.
‘It will take some time for them to take control of the Tri-Alliance. In the meantime, I'll go and visit the Karn Empire.’
Joining forces with the Tri-Alliance was not enough to stand against the Four Kings' Castle.
‘I have to get the Karn Empire completely in my hands.’
In his hands?
It was an expression that was ominous beyond compare.
‘The Karn Empire is the backbone of the Alliance. Simply asking for their cooperation is not enough. I must place it completely under my feet. It's more than possible.’
Just then, Merian and the others approached.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke, we will return to the front line.”
“Alright.”
Chris nodded his head and briefly turned his gaze to the northeast.
It was the direction where the Dark Alliance and the Four Kings' Castle would be in the middle of a battle.
‘It seems they're holding up well for now.’
It was thanks to having the Corridor of Death in their hands.
Because it was a natural fortress blessed by heaven, where they could display the strength of a hundred men for every one, even with their inferior forces.
‘But it's dangerous. If they are pushed back from the Corridor of Death, they will be pushed back uncontrollably.’
After some thought, Chris spoke to Merian.
“Relay what I told you to my father and the Head of the house.”
He had come up with a plan.
After hearing the story, Merian’s eyes widened.
“Kukuk, as expected of you, Your Grace the Grand Duke. Understood. The thought of seeing the blood of the bastards from the Four Kings' Castle is already making me excited.”
“I want to go and fight soon, too.”
“Aaargh! But I don’t want to go!”
Merian disappeared along with Jupien and Alros, and only Yulian remained.
“I don't want to go.”
Yulian smiled sweetly.
“To be honest, I’m not interested in the fight with the Four Kings' Castle or anything else. I’m not a magus of the Dark Demonic House in the first place.”
Having achieved her revenge, Yulian felt liberated.
However, her face was not one of emptiness.
“Because I've found a new purpose in life.”
“??”
“Helping you.”
It was an unexpected story.
“You're not actually fighting for the sake of the Dark Demonic House, are you?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m an elf. I have the special ability of emotion empathy, so I can vaguely read the inner thoughts of others. Besides, you're my ‘master’, aren't you?”
Chris frowned.
Come to think of it, Yulian was his vassal.
So it was more than possible that she could indirectly glimpse his feelings.
‘Did she find out that I'm a snob who only wants wealth and glory? Well, it’s true, so it doesn't matter, but.’
But Yulian said this with a serious face.
“You're struggling alone with a heart that is for the sake of the world, aren't you?”
“……”
“I know everything. That you are struggling so hard with a heart that is for the sake of others.”
…She was completely off the mark.
It seemed Yulian’s emotion empathy ability also had a flaw. Just like Evan’s unskilled mind's eye.
“…No, that’s not it.”
“I know it all. That you are deliberately playing the villain. You're so cute, anyway.”
“……”
Yulian let out a chuckle.
“I want to be your strength, too. I may not look it, but I am your vassal and your older sister.”
He was about to say he didn't need her with a reluctant face, but he shook his head.
‘No, she might be of help.’
Yulian’s level was 6-Star, so at present, her achievements were not very powerful.
However, using her spirits, she was capable of various special tasks.
‘She might be of help in the Karn Empire this time.’
Having finished his thoughts, Chris instructed Yulian on a few matters.
“What? You're going to do that? You really are completely insane, aren't you?”
“……”
“Huhu, I'm serious. Anyway, the imperial capital of the Karn Empire, it's been a while. I used to go there often when I was an elf. There are a lot of good pubs there. I'd like to have a cool glass of beer.”
Yulian let out a laugh.
“Since you can’t drink, your big sister will take you to lots of delicious cake shops instead. To a place that serves fresh milk. Well then, see you later.”
She's definitely making fun of me!
Before he could say anything, Yulian disappeared with a flick.
“Honestly.”
It was as Chris was shaking his head.
Suddenly, a chilling energy descended upon the surroundings.
‘…This is?’
A feeling as if a fierce hostility was binding his soul.
It felt as if terrible screams were swirling throughout the world.
An overwhelming pressure that surpassed the Ghost Sword King he had recently faced, and even Nordian, who had become a Lesser Demon King.
Chris realized the identity of the energy, swallowed hard, and opened his mouth.
“…Greetings to Your Great Majesty, the Demon King.”
A surprising story.
The 8th-ranked Demon King of Lament.
The true ruler of the Western Magus Nation had revealed himself.