Chapter 374

‘Of course, that’s not to say I can win against him.’

Still, if they were to fight, he was at a level where he could injure him. Not just a scratch, but he would be able to inflict a serious wound.

‘So, he, too, cannot rashly touch me.’

Chris raised the corner of his mouth.

The time had come to start wrapping things up in the Four Kings' Castle.

“I request of the Lord of the Castle that, as the Vice-Lord, I wish to do one thing.”

[…What is it?]

“I wish to find the whereabouts of the missing Her Highness the Demon King of Silver Snow.”

[!!]

The gaze of the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle hardened.

Chris looked straight into that gaze. As if to provoke him.

“There is a clue that the whereabouts of the missing Her Highness the Demon King is headed for this Four Kings' Castle. I will conduct an investigation with the authority of the Vice-Lord.”

And so.

The final operation in the Four Kings' Castle began.

***

The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle could not refuse Chris’s proposal.

‘In principle, the Four Kings' Castle is supposed to serve the Demon King of Silver Snow. There is no justification to refuse.’

However, there was no possibility that he would just quietly watch Chris.

“…The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle will likely have a plan to lure you to the inner sanctum where Her Highness the Demon King is sealed and kill you.”

“That is likely so.”

Chris nodded his head at Idrinne’s concern.

“It is fine. On the contrary, it is what I want.”

Idrinne wore an expression of incomprehension.

The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle had now become a perfect Demon King.

Moreover, given the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle’s insidious personality, it was clear he would pull some kind of despicable trick, so what was with that composure?

“He is not the only one who can set a trap.”

Chris lowered his voice for a moment and told her his plan, and Idrinne wore a look of astonishment.

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course.”

Chris said with low, sunken eyes.

“The Four Kings' Castle will soon be completely destroyed.”

Afterward, Chris began his search to find the Demon King of Silver Snow.

He already knew where she was sealed, so it was just a groundwork of deception.

‘I have to cause as much of a commotion as possible.’

First, under the pretext of tracking the whereabouts of the Demon King of Silver Snow, he stirred up the few remaining influential figures in the Four Kings' Castle.

“What are you hiding inside the mansion?”

“Th-there is nothing.”

“Suspicious. Investigate the inside!!”

Naturally, no clues related to the Demon King of Silver Snow came out.

Instead, other clues came out.

“You kidnapped young boys and girls and offered them as human sacrifices. This is a grave crime forbidden by His Majesty the Demon Emperor.”

Chris’s gaze grew cold.

It was rare to find a key figure in the Four Kings' Castle who had not committed an inhumane crime.

In the first place, they regarded the people as nothing more than toys, slaves, and livestock.

If the purpose was for human sacrifice to enhance their power, that was on the lighter side. There were many who had committed torture and murder for no reason at all, purely for pleasure.

He became even more determined to get rid of the Four Kings' Castle.

‘To think there are still this many bastards to kill, even after I’ve eliminated so many in advance.’

There were originally so many bastards to kill that it was a stir-up for the sake of a blind, yet it had turned into a huge commotion.

“Imprison all of these bastards in the dungeons! They will be executed later.”

The number of those dragged away exceeded twenty.

“The execution will likely be difficult. The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle will not permit it.”

“I know. It does not matter.”

Even while causing a commotion, he was not crossing the line.

So that the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle would silently watch his rampage.

‘The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle is planning to kill me by digging a trap near the sealing place. He won’t try to strike me unreasonably unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

The reason the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle was not striking Chris right now was due to his cautious personality.

He would be planning to eliminate Chris perfectly without suffering any damage, but he would soon find out.

What kind of misjudgment he was making.

Then, after a few more days had passed?

The number of those dragged away was now close to fifty.

Since the Curse Demonic House was as good as annihilated, most of them were demonic beings of the Necromancy Demonic House.

Although they were not 7-Stars, most of them were high-ranking demonic beings of 5-Star and 6-Star, so it meant that a tremendous force had been locked up in the dungeons.

Of course, the demonic beings of the Necromancy Demonic House just snorted.

“As if you have the power to kill us anyway.”

“The Lord of the Castle will soon take your head.”

“Release us at once. Then the Lord of the Castle might show you a little mercy.”

Everyone believed in the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle and growled without a hint of intimidation.

Chris shrugged his shoulders.

“That would be difficult. Because you all have to be locked up like this for me to be able to save Her Highness the Demon King.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“You still don’t get it? Why I am doing this.”

The reason Chris had caused such a commotion was, as mentioned before, for deception.

However, it was not a deception to divert attention by causing a commotion in the general sense.

“If you are all locked up like this, who will guard the Four Kings' Castle?”

“…What?”

The high-ranking demonic beings who were locked up flinched.

With the Curse Demonic House annihilated, a large gap in power had been created in the Four Kings' Castle.

With them, the middle core of the Necromancy Demonic House, also locked up in the dungeons, the guard was as good as empty.

“You bastard…? What are you plotting?”

“You can’t even get a clue after I’ve told you this much. Well, you’ll die anyway, so I guess it doesn’t matter if you don’t know?”

Chris commanded the demonic beings of the Blood Sword Demonic House who were guarding them.

“As the Vice-Lord, I command you. Kill all of these bastards.”

“!!”

The high-ranking demonic beings of the Necromancy Demonic House’s eyes flew open.

“You bastard?! Are you insane? After doing something like this, the Lord of the Castle will!!”

“I told you it’s not something you should be worried about.”

The demonic beings of the Blood Sword Demonic House swung their swords.

Those who were trapped in the dungeons were wearing restraints that sealed their demonic energy, so they could not even put up a proper resistance and all met their deaths.

“Y-you will regret this… The Lord of the Castle will bring you a miserable death….”

The last remaining demonic being threatened with a trembling voice, but Chris answered calmly.

“I’m sorry, but this is just the beginning.”

“…What?”

It was the moment the last remaining demonic being asked back.

An ear-splitting alarm sound blared out.

[Enemies!!]

[It’s an invasion from the Dark Alliance!!!]

That was right.

This was Chris’s plan.

To inflict devastating damage from the inside, then strike the empty Four Kings' Castle again.

The demonic beings of the Dark Alliance surged into the Four Kings' Castle.

***

Chris whistled.

‘We did sign a peace treaty, but well, these kinds of promises are made to be broken anyway.’

It was the Four Kings' Castle that had been turned into a wreck because of Chris. There was no power left to block the forces of the Dark Alliance.

‘The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle is a problem, though.’

The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle alone might be able to stand against the forces of the Dark Alliance.

Because that was the power of a low 9-Star, a Demon King.

‘It’s fine. He won’t be able to pay any mind to our Dark Alliance anyway.’

Chris headed for the underground labyrinth with Idrinne.

It was the place where the Demon King of Silver Snow was sealed.

Originally, the highest-ranking demonic beings should have been there with a trap set to catch him, but it was quiet due to the invasion of the Dark Alliance.

The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle was also nowhere to be seen.

They arrived at the seal without any interference, and inside a transparent glass tube, a woman of noble beauty had her eyes closed.

‘…The gap between her and her child-form incarnation is so big, I can never get used to it no matter how many times I see it.’

Chris wore a bewildered expression.

Just then, the Demon King of Silver Snow slowly opened her eyes.

Unlike when she was a child, her eyes held a deep and captivating charm that seemed to draw one in.

[You have finally come! You took so long to come, I thought you had abandoned me!]

“……”

[That is not to say I was scared on my own! For I am the great Demon King! It is true!]

…Unlike her outward appearance, her pathetic inner self seemed to be the same.

She was a Demon King whose appearance and personality were truly at opposite extremes.

‘…Even if the seal is released, the Demon King of Silver Snow’s power won’t return for a while, so she’ll be going around in her child-form incarnation, right?’

He briefly thought that if she was going to keep acting so ridiculously, it would be better for her appearance to match, in the form of a child.

[Why do you look at me so? Does your heart flutter at my beautiful and noble appearance?]

“…Absolutely not.”

[…Yes, I know. I was just saying. Strangely, no one ever looks at me that way. That is why I have never been in a relationship. Ah, why does no one like me!]

This Demon King is really loud!

Idrinne next to him seemed to be thinking the same thing as she frowned.

“It would be best to start quickly.”

“…Yes. Your Highness, I will begin the dismantling work, so please keep your mouth shut.”

[Why must I keep my mouth shut and be quiet when you are releasing the seal? Does it not matter?]

“…You are loud, so I cannot concentrate.”

Chris let out a sigh and raised his demonic energy.

The structure of the sealing formation entered his mind in detail.

‘I can dismantle it. I am not the same person I was before.’

The first time he had faced this seal before, he had needed a fortnight.

Now, it was different.

At that time, Chris had been an 8-Star (advancing), but now he had reached the state of a Lesser Demon King.

‘A few hours is enough.’

Paaat!

The dark demonic energy began to interfere with the sealing formation.

Crack. Crack.

It had not been long, but he could feel it cracking.

[Amazing! I can feel the shackles that bind me weakening! I feel like a princess being rescued by a prince!]

“…Your Highness, Christian told you to keep your mouth shut.”

Idrinne rebuked her on behalf of the concentrating Christian.

[…Do you perhaps hate me?]

“…I do not.”

[…You really do not? I will be hurt.]

“I cannot concentrate, so both of you, please be quiet.”

But the good atmosphere did not last long.

An intense presence rushed in.

[…Enough. Stop.]

Thump.

A man with a pale impression revealed himself from across the labyrinth.

It was the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle!

Chris raised the corner of his mouth in a smirk.

“An external enemy has invaded, yet for the Lord of the Castle to appear to see to a personal matter without protecting the castle. You are unqualified.”

[…Shut up.]

The Lord of the Four Kings' Castle growled in anger.

Even if the Four Kings' Castle were to fall today, the release of the Demon King of Silver Snow had to be stopped, no matter what.

Because the Demon King of Silver Snow was a great disaster.

[I will crush you to death in an instant here, and then I will tear the bugs of the Dark Alliance to death.]

“Well now, I don’t think that will be easy?”

[You are mistaken that you are something. A mere fledgling who has just set foot into the 9-Star realm.]

Ssssssk.

A turbid, white energy spread around the Lord of the Four Kings' Castle.

He was about to unfold his Advent of Creation.

[I will kill you in a single blow.]

Paaaaaaaat!

It was the moment the energy of death was about to transform into a single world.

Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred.

Crack!!

The white energy flinched. As if something had forcibly stopped it.

It was not Chris’s energy.

[…This, don’t tell me?]

Chris shrugged his shoulders.

“Didn’t I tell you it wouldn’t be easy?”

Fwoooosh.

A darkness as if it were burning rushed in.

It was a different kind of darkness from Chris’s.

Heavier, and darker.

Beyond the energy of darkness, a familiar face could be seen.

A sullen little boy was frowning.

“Get away from my grandson, you bag of bones.”

Nordian had appeared.