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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 66
Duke Huam’s level is Lower 8-star.
On the other hand, Nordion has reached the peak of Upper 8-star.
It would take at least three Dukes like Huam to match Nordion.
Though weak for a head of a prestigious magic family, Duke Huam’s name would still become known across the world.
It was because of what he would do later.
“Are you Christian?”
“I greet Your Grace.”
“Yes, you seem decent enough, just as the rumors said. No, to be honest, you’re impressive. You’re already remarkable now, but I look forward to your future even more.”
Duke Huam seemed to have assessed Chris in a single glance.
“Of course, when I think about what you did to our princess before, it makes me want to tear you limb from limb.”
“……”
Just what kind of wrong had the previous ‘Christian’ committed against Marisa?
The fortunate thing was that Duke Huam didn’t seem particularly hostile.
Duke Huam gave a faint smile.
“Let’s say what you did to Marisa never happened thanks to this incident. Thank you. If not for you, my youngest would have suffered greatly. In the worst case, I might have had to do something horrific to that beloved child myself.”
Chris understood what he meant.
Marisa is the daughter of the head of the family.
But in her past life, she had both hands severed, her eyes and tongue torn out.
She had been framed for a grave sin, but even for a head’s daughter, the punishment had been excessively cruel.
It was because Duke Huam’s power was weak.
‘Duke Huam may be the head, but he’s not the strongest in the Venomous Demonic House.’
The true strongest of the Venomous Demonic House was someone else.
Duke Huam’s sibling.
Another power who split the Venomous Demonic House’s authority.
It was the seed of the tragedy that would later occur in the Venomous Demonic House—the Jinnok Revolt.
‘…That’s something to think about later.’
Chris shook his head.
For now, he had to deal with Duke Huam in front of him.
“Why did you call for me?”
“I was curious about my son-in-law’s face?”
“…We’re already broken off.”
Duke Huam only gave a smile that revealed nothing.
“Actually, I called you to ask one thing.”
“Please ask.”
“What’s your relationship with the Medical Saint House?”
“!!”
“You claimed you got the medicines at the auction house, but that’s not true. Our Venomous Demonic House always keeps an eye on the black market auctions. We have to keep track of any important medicinal ingredients. But recently, no medicines from the Medical Saint House have shown up for sale. How did you come to know their secret techniques?”
“……”
“Explain it to me.”
A dangerous question.
But he had already prepared for all of this.
“I have no connection whatsoever with the Medical Saint House. I’ve never even met them.”
“No connection? Even though you made a medicine containing their secret techniques?”
“That’s just because I’m a genius.”
“…What?”
“I had a few chances to see the Medical Saint House’s medicines before. So I just tried mimicking them. It wasn’t all that difficult, really.”
Duke Huam looked at him, speechless.
“That’s even possible?”
“It worked for me. I could even roughly figure out the ratio of the ingredients in Marisa’s secret poison, Blue Flower. Want me to tell you? You take the Kanacia flower, mix in the extract of a Hallu Spider, and then add a portion of powdered Papin Magic Stone…”
“…Enough. That’s quite alright.”
Duke Huam shook his head firmly.
“I can’t believe this.”
“Yes, I also think I’m a genius beyond comprehension.”
“……”
Chris spoke with complete confidence.
“Then, is your business with me finished?”
To think he’d summoned him just to ask that? Chris looked puzzled.
“No, now let’s get to the real point.”
Duke Huam looked Chris straight in the eyes.
“How about coming to the Venomous Demonic House?”
“!!”
“With your talent, you could master the Venomous Demonic House’s poison arts to perfection. If you come to our house, I’ll pass on the clan’s true secrets to you.”
Chris looked slightly surprised.
The clan’s true secrets.
They’re only passed on to direct descendants.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean become our son-in-law. Weren’t you and Marisa engaged anyway?”
It didn’t sound like Duke Huam was speaking lightly.
“…May I ask why you’re making such an offer to me?”
Duke Huam replied as if it were the most natural thing.
“Because of your talent.”
“……”
“After hearing the story from Marisa, I thought to myself. If it’s true that you reproduced the Medical Saint House’s elixir, then you must be recruited at all costs. Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin—your talent will truly blossom in the Venomous Demonic House.”
“I carry the blood of the Dark Demonic House.”
“But it’s a bloodline under persecution.”
“……”
“And now that you’ve become a ‘noble son,’ you’ll find yourself in even more trouble. Everyone in the Dark Demonic House will become your enemy. That’s why I believe my offer isn’t such a bad one for you.”
Chris stayed silent.
It was an unexpected proposal.
But it wasn’t unusual for one born of a prestigious magic family to switch allegiances to another house.
Even the current head steward, Simon the Vampire, was the top pureblood of the Blood Sword Demonic House, wasn’t he? And he had once sailed on the same ship as the Blood-Drench Demon King.
However.
Chris let out a small laugh.
"Your joke goes a bit too far."
"……."
"You already know I wouldn’t agree anyway, don’t you?"
Talent in medicine or poison?
He excelled at everything. Not just limited to poison.
Above all, persecution from his clan?
"They’ll all kneel before me in the end anyway."
Duke Huam remained silent.
Chris looked straight at him and spoke.
"Tell me what His Highness truly wants from me."
Duke Huam let out a low chuckle.
Still a gentle impression.
But unlike earlier, there was a heavy weight to it now.
"You're right. I knew you wouldn’t accept my offer. But it wasn’t made lightly. I truly desire your talent."
"……."
"Let’s get to the real reason I’m here."
Duke Huam let out a deep sigh and said something unexpected.
"May I ask you for a favor?"
"A favor?"
A favor from the Duke?
"If something happens to the main family, could you take responsibility for my daughter Marisa’s safety?"
"!!"
"I’m not asking you to marry her. I just want you to make sure she survives. That alone is enough."
Chris’s face hardened.
"That’s a sudden request."
Duke Huam spoke bitterly.
"I understand your surprise. Outsiders may not know, but things aren’t going well in the main house. It’s unlikely, but I want to be prepared just in case."
He knew.
What was currently happening within the Venomous Demonic House.
And what would happen soon.
‘This is troublesome.’
Chris quietly furrowed his brow.
When he didn’t respond, Duke Huam continued.
"Of course, I’m not asking you to do it for nothing. I’ll compensate you. Here, take this."
It was a crystal orb.
Chris took it and showed a slightly surprised expression.
"This is?"
"It contains a copied manuscript of the Medical Saint House’s secret poisonous medical arts. It covers the first and middle sections."
"!!"
The Medical Saint House’s secret manuals were divided into three parts.
15 volumes in the first part. 15 in the middle. 15 in the final.
Among them, what Chris had mastered were the 15 volumes of the first part.
But now, the contents of the middle 15 volumes were being added.
"How did you come to possess something like this?"
"Aren’t the Venomous Demonic House and the Medical Saint House long-time enemies? I bribed someone on the inside and smuggled out the manuscript. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the final part. That one is only taught to the direct main line of the Medical Saint House."
Even so, it was an incredibly valuable treasure.
Especially to Chris.
The middle 15 volumes contained the 'Medical Energy Art,' the unique healing technique of the Medical Saint House.
The power that made the members of the Medical Saint House no different from Saints, born with holy power.
'Especially if I use it together with the artifact I recently acquired, the Crest of the Constellation, it will produce an incredible synergy effect.'
It was certain to become a weapon that would greatly aid his future plans.
However.
"I'm sorry. I cannot accept it."
"!!"
"The reward is insufficient for the difficulty of what you're asking."
He meant it sincerely.
Chris thought to himself.
Duke Huam probably had no idea.
Just how difficult the favor he’d just asked truly was.
To save Marisa, he would have to stop the ‘catastrophe’ that would occur in the Venomous Demonic House.
'But with my abilities, it’s impossible to prevent what’s going to happen in that house.'
He was a genius, but not omnipotent.
The things that were going to happen in the Venomous Demonic House were irresistible events.
That’s why Chris had originally planned to give up on preventing the catastrophe altogether and focus only on minimizing the damage.
"…I see."
Duke Huam muttered bitterly.
"I’m sorry for bringing it up unnecessarily. Please forget what I just said."
Though he was a giant who had reached the 8-star level, why was it?
His shoulders looked small.
His sincere feelings for Marisa could be felt.
He must have been desperate enough to make such a difficult request to someone as insignificant as Chris, who was like a speck of dust by comparison.
Was it because of that heartfelt paternal affection?
For a moment, his father’s voice from his past life flashed through his mind.
– Why are you still alive? You’re annoyingly persistent.
Chris’s brow twitched.
Fatherly love was his reverse scale.
He gave a decidedly impulsive answer.
"However, if you agree to my conditions, I’ll give it a try."
"You will?"
"I can’t make any promises. But I’ll try. If it looks impossible, though, I will give up."
Duke Huam nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, that alone is enough. What are the conditions you want?"
"I have three conditions."
“Say whatever it is.”
“First, in the future, please pass down to me the secret true techniques of the Venomous Demonic House.”
“!!”
Duke Huam's eyes widened in surprise.
“Are you referring to the true techniques passed down only through the direct bloodline?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Chris nodded.
‘In any case, if I want to grow stronger, I’ll need to master other elemental powers at a high level too.’
Because of the nature of Dark Demonic Energy.
Dark Demonic Energy governs the darkness of all elements.
So, the more types of elemental powers he mastered, the more synergy they would create, producing even greater strength.
Above all, he had to master the highest level of poison arts for there to be even a slim chance of stopping what would occur within the Venomous Demonic House.
“…Alright, I understand. However, it will be difficult to do so through official channels. Unless you were to marry Marisa, that is.”
“An unofficial route is enough.”
To Duke Huam’s subtle suggestion, Chris responded flatly.
“Then what are the other conditions?”
“Second, please keep today’s conversation between us a secret from Marisa.”
“…I will. But is there a reason?”
Chris nodded.
There was.
A reason why it had to be kept that way.
“What’s the third condition?”
“First, I want you to promise that you will agree to it, no matter what.”
“Very well, I promise. Now you’ve built it up, I’m curious what it is.”
Chris looked Duke Huam straight in the eye.
“Even if I kill people from the Venomous Demonic House, do not blame me.”
“…What?”
“Even if they include people dear to you.”
Duke Huam’s expression hardened.
But Chris did not take back his words.
The future awaiting the Venomous Demonic House could not be stopped without a great deal of bloodshed.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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