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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 81
“Yes, there will be a disturbance. In fact, it might even become an opportunity for your merchant guild.”
Ruina’s eyes widened.
Just now, Chris had leaked confidential information to her—information he had acquired through the inner government of the Dark Demonic House!
‘Though, in truth, it’s something I learned before my regression.’
Soon, a major catastrophe would erupt within the Gold Cross.
A disaster that would shake the entire continent.
Chris was planning to involve himself in that catastrophe.
‘To do that, I need someone inside the Gold Cross who can support me. It’d be best if Ruina prepares in advance.’
“If things go well, your guild might profit greatly from it.”
Ruina looked deeply moved.
“Ohoho. As expected, I believed in you, Young Master. I, Ruina, truly think that becoming your loyal servant was the best decision of this lifetime!”
“Weren’t you just demanding compensation a moment ago?”
“Oh my? Who would dare say such nonsense to the great Young Master? I must have been out of my mind. I’ll have to punish this wicked mouth. Eii, eii.”
Slap, slap.
Watching Ruina act so ridiculously again, Chris stifled a chuckle.
‘When things actually go down and she’s caught in the mess, I bet she won’t be saying things like that.’
Ruina would end up going through tremendous hardship.
Not just hardship—absolute hell.
But since she would gain great benefits in the end, Chris pretended not to know.
“I’ll contact you later about what you need to do in the Gold Cross. For now, I’ll be going.”
“Ohoho, please take care! Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
And so, when he returned to the mansion—
An unexpected figure was waiting for him.
“Are you ready to depart?”
Pale.
Beautiful, but with a chilling presence—an unnervingly handsome man.
Chief butler Simon greeted him with a soft smile and a bow.
“I’ve been assigned to escort you to the underground garden, Young Master.”
* * *
To avoid any show of force between factions, it was customary for the Young Masters’ conference to be held with a minimum number of attendants.
After entrusting Alros’ training to Melin, Chris departed quietly.
Clatter, the carriage rolled on.
The underground garden was a fair distance away, so it would be a moderately time-consuming journey.
‘The Destruction Demonic House is located in the western region of the Southern Magic Nation.’
If one looked at a map of the Southern Magic Nation, it was laid out like this:
The Dark Demonic House to the east.
The Venomous Demonic House in the center.
The Destruction Demonic House to the west.
Arranged like a tricolor flag, but if one examined more closely, a massive mountain range stretched across the right side of the Destruction Demonic House.
In other words, the Destruction Demonic House had established an independent territory on the west side of the mountains, while the Venomous and Dark Demonic Houses fought over territory in the center and east respectively.
‘First, I need to use the gate leading to the Destruction Demonic House’s domain. I wonder how long it’ll take.’
They had to travel by carriage to reach the gate.
‘Still, this is uncomfortable.’
Inside the carriage were only Simon and Chris.
Though Princess Jupien was part of the group, she had refused to ride in the carriage.
– Why aren’t you riding?
– I need to train my stamina.
– …Alright.
Jupien was keeping pace with the carriage using lightfoot techniques.
For hours, without rest.
Just like she had shown during their last sparring match, Jupien turned out to be surprisingly hardworking.
Thanks to that, Chris was left alone with Simon.
‘He hasn’t done anything bad to me since our first meeting, but still, it’s uncomfortable. Sitting face-to-face with someone who looks so much like the Blood-Drenched Demon King.’
However, Simon seemed to think the opposite. He kept smiling faintly and striking up conversation with Chris.
“I’ve wanted to attend to you for some time, so I’m glad this opportunity came about.”
“Why did you want to attend to me?”
“Well, because you’re interesting, Young Master.”
Chris looked puzzled.
It likely wasn’t a compliment.
He was staying quiet for now, but Simon was someone who had a notorious past.
‘How many relatives did he kill when he left the Blood Sword Demonic House?’
The vampire clans were a race that craved blood by nature, inherently cruel in temperament.
And Simon was one of the more dangerous among them.
‘Still, he’s not someone I should avoid entirely.’
For whatever reason, Simon showed him goodwill.
If he could use this chance to gather information on the Blood-Drenched Demon King, it would be worthwhile.
‘The question is, how should I go about asking?’
As Chris was thinking, Simon said something unexpected.
“You seem like you want to ask me something. Go ahead. As long as it’s not confidential to the Baron family, I’ll tell you anything.”
An unexpected offer.
Chris didn’t decline it.
“Would it be possible for you to tell me about Countess Idrinne, the eldest daughter of the Blood Sword Demonic House?”
That was the current title of the Blood-Drenched Demon King.
Thump.
Chris’s heart beat hard.
‘I actually don’t know much about the Blood-Drenched Demon King’s background.’
He might be able to uncover a clue that could help him when they eventually clash.
Simon seemed a bit surprised by the question.
“Hm? So you’re interested in our Idrinne?”
“…She’s one of the Five Rising Stars of the Twelve Great Magus Houses, after all.”
Among all the young masters and mistresses of the Twelve Great Demonic Houses, the five most outstanding were referred to separately as the Five Rising Stars.
They were not just promising rookies, but people who had transcended age and stepped into the ranks of true powerhouses.
“My goal is to defeat her someday—that’s why I’m asking.”
He meant it.
His journey would not end until he killed the Blood-Drenched Demon King.
“Well, that makes sense. Our Idrinne is quite famous. What exactly are you curious about?”
“Everything. Anything you can tell me.”
“Hmm.”
Simon made a thoughtful expression, as if searching through his memories.
For a moment, a complicated emotion passed across his face.
“She’s a cute and pretty girl.”
“…What?”
Chris let out a blank sound.
What did he just say?
“She’s also kind, unlike me. A lovely little sister—you’d never imagine we share the same blood, considering what kind of scum I am.”
“……”
Chris made an uncomfortable face.
That was easily the most absurd nonsense he’d ever heard in his life.
“Please don’t joke around.”
“Hmm? I’m being serious. She has a bad reputation as the ‘Blood Princess,’ but that nickname came from the cutthroat atmosphere of the Demon Royal Palace. In truth, she’s nothing like that. Even now, she occasionally contacts me to ask if I’m doing well.”
“…She contacts you occasionally?”
“Yes, she sent a letter not long ago.”
The more he heard, the more absurd it sounded.
Simon grinned slyly.
“Come to think of it, you and she might suit each other. Different races and a bit of an age gap, sure—but technically, you're close in age. If you're interested, should I set up a match between you two?”
“Cough!”
Chris choked and let out a coughing fit.
‘Insane.’
Marrying the Blood-Drenched Demon King? Just imagining it gave him chills.
“Don’t say pointless things.”
“Hm, but I’m being sincere.”
“Do. Not. Say. That.”
Chris spoke firmly, and Simon clicked his tongue in disappointment before falling silent.
‘Still, that was unexpected.’
The idea that the Blood-Drenched Demon King was kind.
It all sounded too absurd to believe, but it wasn’t something he could simply dismiss.
‘It must be one of two things. Either her personality changed after forming a devil contract, or she’s a hypocrite who hides her horrifying nature completely.’
Either way, both were possible.
After all, many devil contractors who caused bloodshed were once souls full of light.
‘Not that that makes them any more deserving of sympathy.’
No matter their backstory, the monstrous crimes of devil contractors could never be justified.
Still, Chris felt he needed to investigate the Blood-Drenched Demon King’s background.
It could turn out to be an unexpected weakness that might shake her.
Second point—an important piece of information.
Simon and the Blood-Drenched Demon King… no, Idrinne, Grand Duchess of the Blood Sword Demonic House, were not on bad terms at this point in time.
‘That’s strange. If they weren’t on bad terms, then why did Chief Butler Simon meet such a death?’
Chris already knew how Simon would die.
‘Chief Butler Simon is killed by the Blood-Drenched Demon King.’
And it wasn’t a simple death.
The Blood-Drenched Demon King personally tore off Simon’s limbs one by one, inflicting unspeakable agony as he died.
It was such a brutal execution that the story became widely known even among the allied forces.
‘There must be something more I don’t know.’
Chris furrowed his brows deeply.
* * *
At that moment, the westernmost edge of the Southern Magic Nation.
A massive fortress sat atop a sheer cliff.
It was the estate of the Grand Duke of the Destruction Demonic House—House Bethen.
Beneath the shadow of the towering castle, which rose like the body of a giant into the sky, stood several buildings below the cliff.
These were the dwellings of low-ranking demons who were not permitted to reside within the main castle.
Among them, one building looked especially shabby.
A worn-down, weather-beaten structure that looked like it could collapse with a strong gust of wind—there, a man with a strikingly strong and handsome face approached.
“Mother.”
“…Kashmir.”
The handsome man was Kashmir, a prince of the Destruction Demonic House.
But why was his mother living in such a rundown place, despite him being a prince?
There was a reason.
He was a bastard son.
Born of a lowly bloodline.
His father, a direct descendant of the Destruction Demonic House, had spent one night with his mother, a mere servant, and then immediately cast her out.
Afterward, Kashmir entered the Destruction Demonic House as a common demon, and through his dazzling talent, succeeded in earning the title of prince.
But that was the limit.
A prince in name only, with no future, constantly suppressed by the main bloodline.
He couldn’t even obtain the medicine needed to treat his ailing mother.
‘If only I could get medicine from the House of Medical Saint, I could cure her.’
Kashmir’s face twisted with anguish.
With the power of the Destruction Demonic House, obtaining such medicine from the House of Medical Saint would be easy—but that didn’t apply to him.
And yet, he couldn’t just abandon everything and flee to the alliance.
There was no guarantee he’d even find the House of Medical Saint, which had remained hidden for hundreds of years.
And the moment he left the Destruction Demonic House, assassins from the main bloodline would kill his mother.
“I brought some medicine.”
It was merely something to relieve her symptoms.
“It’s alright. Don’t worry about me… *cough* cough.”
At the blood mixed with her coughing, Kashmir’s expression grew heavier.
‘At this rate, Mother won’t last long. I have to get the House of Medical Saint’s medicine somehow.’
Just then, a sharp presence seeped in from outside.
Kashmir’s face hardened.
When he stepped outside, an arrogant-looking man was waiting for him.
It was Schuar, Grand Prince of the Destruction Demonic House.
“Brother.”
“Brother? Who said you’re my brother?”
Smack!
Schuar slapped Kashmir across the face.
And not just once.
Smack! Smack!
Kashmir’s lips split open.
He didn’t even try to dodge or defend himself.
Because that was his place.
A prince in name only, who had to silently endure being beaten and trampled.
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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