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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 28
Teren stomped off in a huff, and the mages assigned to escort Chris to the Tyramin County approached him.
“We should depart.”
“Right.”
Chris mounted his horse.
A few days later—
They arrived at the Tyramin County.
* * *
“Quite noisy, isn’t it.”
Chris remarked as he looked upon the county's castle.
It was even larger in scale than the one in the Khazar territory.
‘In terms of prestige among branch families, Tyramin is admittedly a step above.’
The three branch families.
Among them, the Khazar family was the youngest.
It had only gained independence in this generation.
In contrast, the other two had long established their autonomy, with history and tradition backing them.
“So… do we just wait here?”
“Well… someone from House Tyramin was supposed to come out and receive you.”
The mages accompanying him looked flustered.
Normally, when a noble announced a visit, it was standard courtesy for someone to come out and greet them.
Yet, no one had come. They were left standing awkwardly at the castle gates.
Time passed.
Still, no one appeared.
The mages’ expressions gradually darkened.
This was clearly an intentional slight aimed at Chris.
“Such insolence…”
“They’re probably looking down on me because of my reputation as a scoundrel. Relax.”
Chris yawned, unfazed.
‘So predictable. But this works out.’
He thought to himself, meaningfully.
‘This behavior from House Tyramin plays right into my plan.’
The plan.
He hadn’t come just to show off his skills.
He had to prove he was qualified to participate in the Black Pill Ceremony—and steal away the black pills.
‘It won’t be easy.’
He had prepared for it.
And for that plan, the more hostile House Tyramin was toward him, the better it worked in his favor.
After a long wait, someone finally appeared to receive them.
Sniff sniff. “Would you happen to be Young Master Christian of House Khazar?”
A pitiful-looking dwarf with a grotesquely bent nose.
A hobgoblin!
“And you are?”
Sniff sniff.
“I am a servant of House Tyramin. Sniff sniff. I’ve come to receive you, Young Master.”
The mages who had come with Chris all scowled deeply.
The Magus Empire does not discriminate against non-human races. Even monsters are trained and used as laborers.
However, even within such a Magus Empire, hobgoblins are considered the absolute lowest class.
To send a hobgoblin, of all things—
It was an outrageous insult.
“Th-this is…”
“…Unforgivable.”
The mages who had followed Chris flushed with anger.
By now, Chris had already won over the hearts of the Khazar family’s mages.
That’s why they were furious, feeling the insult as if it had been directed at themselves.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the disrespect from House Tyramin didn’t end there.
“Lead us to the manor.”
Sniff sniff. “There’s no need to come to the manor.”
“What?”
“You can find your own lodging within the castle grounds. I just came to inform you, since it seemed you were waiting pointlessly.”
“!!”
The mages’ faces burned red, about to burst.
They were guests—yet told to find their own place to stay outside?
There was no harsher way to be treated.
“How dare they!!”
“This kind of insult—!!”
Chris raised his hand.
“Calm down.”
“But, Young Master! We can’t let this go!”
“We’ll deal with that goblin bastard first!!”
As the attendants failed to calm their rage, Chris spoke in a low voice.
“Did I not tell you to calm down?”
“!!”
They fell silent.
His tone was flat, without a hint of intensity—but why?
The attendants froze, unable to utter a word.
They had unconsciously felt pressure emanating from Chris.
The mages looked at Chris with wide eyes.
‘How does the Young Master have such presence…?’
‘No, it’s not just presence. This is… oppressive force?’
Powerful mages can release their presence upon others—an externalization of magical energy. It’s a feat only possible for those of at least 4-star rank.
But what they felt from Chris was something else entirely. It wasn’t magical energy being released.
It was a pressure that radiated from his very existence.
“…….”
Silence fell over the scene, and Chris turned his indifferent gaze toward the hobgoblin.
The hobgoblin froze stiff.
At that crushing gaze, the hobgoblin’s face turned pale—
And then Chris smirked.
As if it had all been an illusion, the pressure that had been weighing down the hobgoblin vanished.
“So you’re saying I should arrange my own lodging?”
“Y-yes? Yes? Yes!! That’s correct!!!”
The oppressive pressure Chris had exuded still lingered like a shiver down the spine, and the hobgoblin answered in a flustered panic.
“Is this Count Tyramin’s opinion?”
“N-no, it’s not! Count Tyramin is currently away. The third young master gave the order.”
Chris nodded.
The third son of House Tyramin.
He was the one set to take the lead in this Black Pill Hunt, and also the one who had opposed Chris’s participation in the Grey Pill Ceremony.
And now, just like before, he had resorted to petty tricks.
‘Just as expected. How adorable. This works out well.’
It really did.
Chris smiled subtly to himself.
The hobgoblin spoke cautiously.
“I-if… it would be too inconvenient, I can escort you to the manor.”
“No need. I wouldn’t impose like that. Instead, House Tyramin is covering the lodging cost, right?”
“Y-yes!! Of course. You may bill House Tyramin directly!!!”
Chris shrugged.
“Understood. That’ll be all.”
As Chris turned and left without protest, the hobgoblin let out a deep sigh of relief.
He stared at Chris’s back with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
‘I thought he’d throw a tantrum like a proper troublemaker, but… he’s nothing like the rumors?’
No, it was far beyond just being different from the rumors.
The hobgoblin thought back.
‘That oppressive force from earlier…’
The memory of it still lingered like a chill, making him shiver again.
In truth, he wasn’t an ordinary hobgoblin.
He was a Hobgoblin Lord.
A high-ranking goblin race with exceptional intelligence and great strength.
Even within Count Tyramin’s Monster Beast Unit, his rank was not low.
Yet he had been overwhelmed by the gaze of a mere boy—who looked no older than fifteen.
‘Has he changed?’
The hobgoblin tilted his head.
He began to wonder if Christian might show a side completely different from his infamous reputation.
However—
That very evening—
Chris caused an incident right away.
House Tyramin was thrown into chaos.
The ‘lodging fee’ billed by Chris had arrived.
100,000 Rupees.
…For reference, 100,000 rupees was enough to purchase a small hotel in the countryside.
The reason for such an absurd amount being charged as lodging was simple.
Chris had purchased an entire luxury estate within the castle as his temporary lodging—
and then billed the entire cost to House Tyramin.
It was all part of Chris’s prepared plan.
It was the beginning of the “Wretched Brat” plan.
* * *
Chris was leisurely resting in the newly purchased luxury estate.
The mages who had followed him looked flustered and stammered as they spoke.
“Y-young Master…”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Is… is this really okay?”
“What’s wrong with it? They told me to take care of my own lodging, didn’t they?”
Chris gave a wide grin.
“As the eldest son of House Decazhar, how could someone like me stay in some random hotel? At the very least, it has to be a luxury estate like this for me to stretch out properly.”
“……”
“Don’t just stand there looking stiff—relax. Actually, I’m thirsty. Go out to town and bring back some liquor.”
“L-liquor, sir? But you’re still underage…”
“This isn’t home, is it? So what’s the problem? Just keep your mouths shut. And make sure you get the finest stuff. Preferably Belrut Mountain Whiskey. You know to charge it to House Tyramin, right?”
Belrut Mountain Whiskey.
An absurdly expensive whiskey that cost at least 1,000 Rupees per bottle.
“Get some for yourselves too. They said House Tyramin’s covering the bill anyway, so might as well go all out while we can.”
Chris’s voice was full of excitement.
And in truth, he was excited.
‘It’s not every day you get a chance to blow someone else’s money like this, is it? Might as well enjoy it to the fullest.’
Besides, the Tyramin County was already known for its indulgence and luxury.
It was at that moment—when Chris resolved to squeeze every coin out of House Tyramin—
Bang!!!
The front door of the estate was flung open violently.
“Who goes there?!”
The mages immediately went on alert.
“Hah. Who goes there, you say?”
The one who entered was a young boy.
He looked about the same age as Chris.
Blonde hair, red eyes, and a sharp, irritable expression stood out.
“I am Alros von Baron Tyramin, the third son of House Tyramin.”
Alros.
The lead figure of this Black Pill Hunt—
and the one who had worked behind the scenes to undermine Chris—had arrived.
“Where is that bastard Christian, that damn wretch?”
“Mind your words.”
“Mind my words?”
Alros snarled viciously.
“He spends 100,000 Rupees for lodging, and I’m the one being too harsh?!”
For reference, the estate Chris had bought?
The bill had been sent straight to Alros.
Now suddenly saddled with a 100,000 Rupees invoice, Alros’s voice boiled with rage.
“Christian, that rotten bastard—bring him out this instant—”
“I’m right here.”
Christian spoke as he came down the stairs to the upper floor, where the bedroom was located.
“You… bastard…”
Chris’s gaze briefly scanned Alros.
‘He definitely hates me with a passion.’
The way Alros glared at Chris was fierce.
It wasn’t just dislike; it was hatred, contempt.
‘Good. I can step on him without hesitation now.’
For the moment, Chris decided to greet him.
“Been a few years, huh? It’s nice to see you after so long.”
House Khazar.
House Tyramin.
Both were branch families of the Dark Demonic House, meaning they shared the same bloodline.
Naturally, Chris had expected they’d already know each other, so he intentionally spoke in a friendly tone.
“Nice to see me? Is that really what you’re saying?!”
“Hm, even though we’re family, you don’t seem very happy to see me. I’m actually glad to see you. Did you get upset over just some money?”
“What? What?”
“I never imagined the honorable House Tyramin would get so petty over a few coins. Especially over a family member who was kicked out and never even offered a place to stay.”
Alros was momentarily at a loss for words.
Chris was a guest of House Tyramin and, just like him, was family. The fact that they had refused to let him into the estate and had driven him away was clearly a breach of etiquette on House Tyramin’s part. No matter how infamous Chris was, that didn’t justify it.
Having made the first mistake, Alros found himself in an awkward position.
“You don’t even know how to treat your guests. It seems House Tyramin’s upbringing is lacking.”
“You… you…”
“Am I wrong? Even if I hated someone, I would never do something so unrefined. What kind of education did you receive?”
Alros gritted his teeth.
His pale skin was visibly flushed with anger.
“…Shut your mouth before you regret it.”
The atmosphere became charged with tension.
It felt like things could escalate into something dangerous at any moment.
But Chris didn’t stop.
Instead, he smirked, crossed his arms, and spoke with a mocking tone.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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