Chapter 358
William, one of the House Heads of the Round Table and a comrade from his past life, stepped forward and spoke.
“It is not just us. All of the students at the training center are grateful to you. They were all about to rush out in the middle of the night, so we are in the process of stopping them.”
“…It seems you all have too much energy left. I should have worked you all a little more properly.”
Chris clicked his tongue.
‘…Still, it's not bad.’
Chris turned his gaze and looked at everyone.
It wasn't a relationship where one could say they had grown fond of each other.
“I'll see you next time. Until then, don't any of you die. If you die, I'll torment you even as a corpse.”
The next time they met would probably be after the Apocalypse had begun.
He didn't know how many of them would be sacrificed.
Still, he hoped that as many of them as possible would survive.
“Your way of speaking is foul to the very end.”
“Didn't Sir Evan say? He's doing that because he's shy.”
“…I’m not.”
“Seeing him deliberately act so insufferable, that monster Hero has a cute side to him in his own way.”
“…I said, I’m not.”
Chris’s face contorted into a deep frown.
His image was a mess because of that whelp Evan.
For a moment, the House Heads of the Round Table burst into laughter, then set aside their jokes and spoke.
“We were truly grateful. Our Round Table will never forget your grace.”
Chris nodded his head.
And with that, his trip to the Round Table was concluded.
His next target was the Four Kings' Castle.
It was time to bring the Four Kings' Castle to ruin.
* * *
The establishment of a branch family in the Four Kings' Castle!
Whether it was the Dark Alliance’s side or the Four Kings' Castle’s, the reaction was one of incomprehension.
A branch family was just a nice way of putting it; he was a hostage.
“I understand that we have to send a hostage for the peace treaty, but for the Grand Duke to go himself?”
“Absolutely not. We must stop him!”
“How can we trust those bastards from the Four Kings' Castle!!”
The magi on the Dark Alliance’s side naturally reacted as if it were an impossible matter.
Because Christian was now the most important figure in the Dark Alliance.
There were not a few who thought that the de facto leader of the Dark Alliance was not Nordian, but Christian. And in truth, that thought was not entirely wrong.
On the other hand, there were those who thought the opposite.
“I heard that the Grand Duke himself said he would go.”
“Don’t tell me, is he plotting something great again?”
“Probably so. The Grand Duke wouldn't do something like this without a reason.”
“Ha, but isn't it too dangerous? No matter how great the Grand Duke is, to think he would enter the den of death that is the Four Kings' Castle alone.”
No matter how great Chris was, this time, it was too reckless.
The magi of the Dark Alliance sent him gazes filled with great concern.
On the other hand, the Four Kings' Castle’s side had the exact opposite reaction.
“The Demonic Radiance is coming in person?”
“What is he scheming this time?”
Everyone in the Four Kings' Castle guessed that Chris was plotting some other vicious scheme.
They all growled in anger.
“No matter who he is, to think he would dare to set foot in our Four Kings' Castle. How much must he look down on us.”
“It doesn't matter what the whelp is scheming. He will come to regret his arrogance to the bone.”
“If he sets foot in the Four Kings' Castle, I'll make sure he can't even return as a corpse.”
As it was, Christian was the figure the magi of the Four Kings' Castle hated the most.
And yet, he was crawling in on his own two feet.
All the magi of the Four Kings' Castle waited for Christian, harboring a chilling killing intent.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
“Now this is the territory of the Four Kings' Castle in earnest. It’s been a while since I've traveled so leisurely; it feels like I'm on a trip.”
Christian was walking toward the Four Kings' Castle with an idle expression.
Although he was heading for a den of death, only a few companions were with him.
There was no tension in his expression. As if he were really on a trip.
“But why is it always so gloomy here? I’m on an outing for the first time in a while, and it’s killing the mood. In any case, it’s as gloomy as those whelps from the Four Kings' Castle.”
One of his companions, Alros, had a pale face.
“G-Grand Duke, please be careful. The whelps from the Four Kings' Castle will hear you!!”
“So what if they hear? It’s a fact that the whelps of the Four Kings' Castle are gloomy, vile, and dregs that are less than human, isn't it?”
“Aaargh! J-just lower your voice a little…! We'll be in big trouble!”
Alros looked as if he would die of fear.
As it was, chilling gazes had been flying at them the entire time since they had entered the territory of the Four Kings' Castle.
But Christian was committing all sorts of insolent remarks and actions, as if he didn't care about such things at all.
As if he were testing to see just how long the magi of the Four Kings' Castle could hold back.
‘Aaargh! If you want to die, die alone, why did you have to drag me along!!’
Of course, Chris wasn't making these remarks without any thought.
‘They're really holding back well. To think I'm showing such an obvious opening, and yet no one is thinking of messing with me.’
Right now, he was deliberately exposing his movements so that everyone in the Four Kings' Castle would know.
Furthermore, he was continuously spitting out problematic remarks for them to hear, and yet, they did not budge.
‘It must be because they’re afraid of the Magus Chancellor.’
Chris’s journey this time had been approved by the Center.
Therefore, to harm Chris ‘openly’ could be considered as defying the Center.
‘Just as I expected.’
Of course, the Four Kings' Castle would not just leave him alone.
They would watch for an opportunity and make a move ‘secretly’, so as not to leave any trace.
‘But that means they can't strike me openly. In a fight like this, I have a much greater advantage.’
Just then, a figure cautiously lowered their voice and asked.
It was Kashmir, who had accompanied Chris as the representative of the Destruction Demonic House.
“By the way, what kind of plan do you have?”
Marisa, who had come as the representative of the Venomous Demonic House, also cleared her throat.
“R-right. What on earth are you thinking? It’s too dangerous.”
Both Kashmir and Marisa had followed on this procession at Chris’s request.
Although they were accompanying him for his sake, they couldn't help but be worried.
Chris surrounded them with demonic energy to ensure their voices wouldn't leak out, then opened his mouth.
“The plan is to bring the Four Kings' Castle to ruin.”
“!!”
“To be precise, the plan is to eliminate all of the highest-ranking magi of 8-Star and above in the Four Kings' Castle. And all of the core magi of 7-Star and above as well.”
That was right.
This was Chris’s specific objective.
‘If I eliminate the head, making the rest submit will be a piece of cake.’
The complexions of the others who heard him turned white.
Alros, in particular, looked as if he were about to faint.
“A-are you crazy? You’re joking, right? Do you know how many highest-ranking magi there are in the Four Kings' Castle? Haha, our Grand Duke is quite the joker….”
“Right, no matter how crazy you are, to think of such a wild….”
Marisa also stammered.
Even Kashmir, whose faith in Chris was firm, wore a worried expression.
It was a natural reaction.
The number of 8-Star magi in the Four Kings' Castle was a staggering ten.
An enormous number.
On top of that, the Vengeful Spirit, the Head of the Curse Demonic House, and Drenne, the Vice-Head of the Necromancy Demonic House, were super-powerhouses who possessed a power equal to the Nordian of the past.
There was also the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle, a 9-Star (entering) Lesser Demon King.
And yet he would strike them all down alone?
It was a story that was not just reckless, but insane.
Chris spoke nonchalantly.
“It’s plenty possible. Because I’m in an advantageous situation.”
An incomprehensible story.
But it was true.
‘Going into the den of death isn’t necessarily a bad thing.’
As one could see now, the Four Kings' Castle could absolutely not strike him openly.
‘In a head-on fight, of course, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.’
The fight in the Four Kings' Castle would be a battle of intrigue.
And there was no one more skilled in such intrigue than Chris.
Did the Four Kings' Castle even imagine it?
That to have accepted Christian was no different from swallowing a man-eating insect into their own body.
The Four Kings' Castle would be torn to shreds and brought down by the small predator that had entered its own body.
“I should start right now.”
“Y-yes, what?”
“Alros, you know the drill, right?”
“What are you planning to do?!”
Alros, who had been transformed into Chris’s appearance through the Insignia of the Constellation, had a fearful expression.
“A self-welcome ceremony.”
Chris, who had covered his face by putting on the Faceless Mask, gave a grin.
“I have to let the Four Kings' Castle know that I’ve arrived.”
That night.
The magi of the Four Kings' Castle who had been monitoring Christian’s party were annihilated.
The Four Kings' Castle was turned upside down at the news.
But they did not know.
That this was merely the beginning.
A storm was beginning to descend upon the Four Kings' Castle.
* * *
Chris’s crazy antics continued.
He deliberately headed for the main castle of the Four Kings' Castle at a slow speed, and whenever he had a chance, Christian would put on his mask and wipe out the forces of the Four Kings' Castle that were nearby.
“Aaargh. What are you doing? The Four Kings' Castle will not stand by and watch!”
“Stand by and watch what? Do you have proof? You don’t.”
‘Because I haven’t left a single trace that I did it.’
Not only had he covered his face, but when he had struck them, he hadn't used a speck of Dark Demonic Energy.
Instead, he had only used the secret arts of the Curse Demonic House or the Necromancy Demonic House, so there was no proof at all.
‘Of course, they all know it was me. But what can they do if they know?’
Chris gave a grin.
If there were even a speck of proof, they would strike him, but unfortunately, there was only suspicion.
In fact, magi from the Four Kings' Castle had hurriedly come out, but they only growled and could not take any action.
[You whelp. Do you dare to wish for death?]
At the chilling presence emitted by the lich of the Necromancy Demonic House, Chris shrugged his shoulders.
“What are you talking about?”
[Are you playing dumb? It was your doing, was it not?!]
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ah, are you talking about the damage to the magi of the Four Kings' Castle that I saw on my way here? Why are you taking that out on me? I don’t know anything about it.”
Chris, on the contrary, frowned.
“In fact, I think I should be the one receiving an apology from you for this matter.”
[What did you say? An apology?]
“Yes, I am on a long journey to strengthen the friendship between your Four Kings' Castle and the Dark Alliance under the command of His Majesty the Demon Emperor, and am I not being exposed to danger? What will you do if the culprit who struck your Four Kings' Castle attacks me and I am unable to carry out His Majesty the Demon Emperor’s command? Will you take responsibility before His Majesty the Demon Emperor?”
A story of incomparable shamelessness.
But it was a response to which they had nothing to say.
Because there was no proof.
In particular, Chris’s repeated mention of the ‘Demon Emperor’s’ name prevented the magi of the Four Kings' Castle from taking any rash actions.
[…You whelp.]
The lich of the Four Kings' Castle trembled with anger.
[If you're going to act like that, fine. We will do things our way, so be prepared. No matter how great His Majesty the Demon Emperor's authority is, it cannot illuminate every shadow.]
He was saying that they would secretly kill him once he entered the Four Kings' Castle.
It was a threat that could not be easily ignored, but Chris just let out a smirk.
“Wouldn't it be better to worry about your own lives before that?”
[…What?]
“To think you would greet me with just two 7-Star liches. Aren't you looking down on this body a bit too much?”
Snap.
As he snapped his fingers, a transparent wave spread out around them.
It was a black magic that cut off their connection to the outside.
[You whelp, don’t tell me?]
“Yep, that's right. I'm going to kill you, too.”