Chapter 112
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The Forbidden Ground
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“What?”
“What tricks can I pull in a strict Judgment Duel where even the use of magic tools is forbidden? I'd lose my head for cheating if I tried something like that. I have no choice but to fight him fairly with my own skill.”
Merian frowned.
“So what? Are you saying you can beat Eshid with your skills alone?”
“No, that's impossible too. I'm a 4-Star. How can I beat a 5-Star like Eshid?”
Christian calmly shook his head.
Unless I use the power of Starlight.
Even for Chris, it was a certain loss using only the power of a Majin.
The gap between 4-Star and 5-Star was just that wide.
“Then what in the world?!”
“…I’ll go cancel the duel, Sister.”
Just as Merian grew angry and Count Cazar rose from his seat with a grave expression.
“For now.”
“…What?”
“I’m saying it’s impossible to win *right now*.”
A strange statement.
The expressions on their faces changed.
“Are you saying it will be possible in a month?”
“Yes.”
Christian nodded, still sipping his juice.
Count Cazar reacted with disbelief.
“…What kind of nonsense is that? It’s only a month. In such a short time, what….”
“You shouldn’t say ‘only’ a month, but ‘a whole’ month. A month is by no means a short amount of time.”
Christian added.
“For a genius like me.”
“……”
Count Cazar fell silent.
Logically, it was absurd.
But.
*…If it's my son.*
He recalled the insane display Christian had put on at the Riberi estate not long ago, and an unbelievable thought crossed his mind.
If it was Christian.
He might just perform some kind of miracle in a month.
“……”
Everyone was momentarily speechless, looking at Christian, before Merian spoke first.
“In that case, I’ll help you with your training.”
“Aunt?”
“Even for you, there must be a limit to training on your own. I'll lend you a hand.”
An unexpected offer.
Just then, Count Cazar stepped in from the side.
“Sister, that won't be necessary. Christian is my son. I will guide him.”
“Don't you have to return to your county?”
“I can leave it to TERN.”
“TERN? To that little kid? You've gone senile. I know you're eager to guide your son, but still.”
“Aren't you being just as senile, Sister? You should be focusing on your duties as the Knight Commander of the Black Shadow Knights.”
Watching the two bicker unexpectedly, Christian wore a bewildered expression.
*…I don't need either of them.*
As he wondered how to refuse, something unexpected happened.
A knock came from the door of his quarters, and an unforeseen person appeared.
It was Simon, the handsome, pale-faced vampire Head Butler.
“Why is the Head Butler here?”
Merian frowned.
Simon smiled, revealing his fangs.
“I've come because of the Judgment Duel. It seems some instruction will be needed for the next month.”
“!!”
Count Cazar and Merian's faces hardened.
“As his father, I will be the one to teach Christian, Head Butler.”
“No, it's my role as his aunt. Butler, don't get any funny ideas and go on your way. Ridan, you should return to your county as well.”
Both of them clearly coveted the chance to teach Christian.
Simon chuckled.
“It seems there's been a misunderstanding. To be honest, I'm tempted myself, but I'm not the one who will be giving the instruction. There is someone else who will be teaching the Young Lord.”
“Who? Could it be?”
In that moment, everyone's eyes widened.
Simon nodded as if to confirm their thoughts.
“Yes, the Head of the House himself has said he will provide the instruction.”
“!!”
It was something none of them had ever imagined.
Merian and Count Cazar quietly shut their mouths.
With Nordian himself teaching, there was no room for the likes of them to step in.
Above all, it was a tremendous opportunity.
Of course, Nordian's teachings were notoriously harsh. But that didn't apply to Christian.
If his genius and Nordian's instruction were to meet, he could achieve explosive growth in a month.
“Let us go, Young Lord. The Head of the House is waiting for you in the secret training ground.”
He seemed to be referring to the training ground they used when he first learned the Dark Demonic Arts from Nordian.
*I received a great deal of help back then, too.*
Chris recalled the instruction he had received from Nordian at the time.
If it hadn't been for Nordian's excellent (?) teaching, even Chris wouldn't have been able to grasp the Dark Demonic Arts so easily.
*It will surely be a great help this time as well.*
However.
Christian gave an answer no one expected.
“I'm sorry. I must refuse the Head's instruction.”
“!!!”
Everyone's eyes flew open in shock.
Even Simon, who always maintained a poker face, looked surprised.
“Young Lord? This is the instruction of the Head of the House.”
“Yes, I know. But I will refuse.”
“!!!”
His repeated refusal left them even more stunned, but Christian had no intention of changing his mind.
*This next month is very important to me.*
Now, a question.
What must Christian do during this one month?
Reach 5-Star as a Majin?
No.
Even for Christian, reaching 5-Star in a month was impossible.
Of course, if he forced it, he might gain an enlightenment that would put one foot in the 5-Star realm, but there was no meaning in doing so.
Then what should he do?
*I need to lay the 'foundation' to climb higher.*
Right now, Chris is a 4-Star ‘Prime’ Class.
‘Prime’ for having reached the pinnacle of technique.
In other words, up to 4-Star was the realm of skill.
From 5-Star, it was different.
From 5-Star, it was the realm of ‘will.’
The important thing was that, depending on what kind of will one established, abilities could vary drastically even at the same level.
Therefore, for 5-Star, *how* one ascended was far more important than *when*.
The will one established determined not only the difference in power but also the limits of one's future growth.
*I have to build a solid foundation now.*
A very crucial time.
Of course, he didn't intend to just build a foundation.
*I have to amplify my power as much as possible, too.*
There was the duel with Eshid, but there was a more important reason.
It was because of the Gold Cross tragedy, which was just around the corner.
To prevent that terrible tragedy, his current strength was not enough.
He had to become much stronger than he was now.
Nordian's instruction alone would not be enough.
“I'm sorry.”
“This is problematic.”
Simon wore a troubled expression.
He recalled Nordian's look of anticipation (?) as he declared he would teach Christian.
Considering Nordian's usual demeanor, it was hard to imagine, but he had been subtly looking forward to this lesson, pretending otherwise.
Wasn't he already at the training ground, waiting for Christian to arrive?
And now, he'd been spectacularly rejected (?).
*…I wonder how the Head of the House will react.*
Simon cleared his throat.
“Then what kind of training do you have in mind?”
“Combat training. I plan to fight demonic beasts on my own to hone my skills.”
Everyone looked puzzled at his answer.
It would be effective, of course, but it wasn't a training method that suited the current situation.
However.
“As for the training location… I intend to go to the family's forbidden ground.”
“…What?”
“Could you please convey my request to the Head of the House for permission to use the ‘spot’?”
“!!”
Everyone's eyes flew open.
“You… are you insane? Do you want to die?”
Count Cazar spoke for everyone.
It was only natural.
A ‘spot.’
It referred to a passage leading to the realm of Gehenna.
In other words, Christian had declared he would conduct his combat training on the border of Gehenna.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
South of the Dark Magic House.
In Gold Cross.
At its very center, in the royal palace of the Theocracy of Argen.
A young girl wore a blank expression.
She had emerald-green hair and sapphire eyes like jewels.
A girl with the ethereal beauty of a fairy from a storybook, yet her complexion was poor.
She looked gaunt, as if suffering from an illness.
“…Your Highness, have you skipped your meal again?”
A lady-in-waiting said with a look of pity.
The girl glanced at the food before slowly shaking her head.
Her movements were like a doll with its strings cut.
“…I have no appetite.”
“But Your Highness. This is the third meal in a row, is it not?”
“……”
“For you, the Little Law King who will carry the will of the Theocracy, to neglect your health so…”
It was a surprising revelation.
Gold Cross was a confederation of countless small nations.
But it was not without structure.
They revered the Theocracy, which carried the Holy Blood, as their leading nation and looked to it as their spiritual anchor.
The Law King of the Theocracy was respected as an equal to the Emperor of the Empire and played the role of coordinating the countless allied nations.
This meant that this girl was Princess Olivia, the next in line to lead this great Theocracy.
But the girl, Princess Olivia, had eyes that were utterly vacant.
The light of her famed intelligence, which had reached even the Holy Empire, was gone, replaced by a dead voice.
“…It’s fine. I just have no appetite.”
“But, Your Highness.”
“I said I don’t want to eat!”
“!!”
The ladies-in-waiting flinched.
Olivia's harsh cry was completely different from the rumors of her angelic nature.
Olivia had changed from those rumors a long time ago.
To be precise, about a year ago.
It was because of the death of a certain person.
The ‘Cursed Prince.’
The shame of the Theocracy.
A person who should have died and vanished long ago.
After his death, Princess Olivia had changed.
“…When my brother was dying, all alone, I wasn't even by his side. All because I was welcoming some stupid delegation.”
A tear streamed down Olivia’s cheek.
“The Theocracy, my duties as the Law King… What's the point of any of this? It couldn't even prevent the one person I cherished from dying.”
The ladies-in-waiting sighed.
To even speak of the Cursed Prince was taboo in the Theocracy.
He was the devil’s seed, whose existence must never be acknowledged.
Olivia’s lamentations were, strictly speaking, forbidden, but she was in no state to care about such things.
“…Please leave.”
“…As you wish, Your Highness.”
Left alone, Olivia buried her head in her knees.
A sob escaped her lips.
“…Brother.”
* * *
Chris headed toward the city's main street.
*I should make the necessary preparations in advance.*
He was heading to the very border of Gehenna.
A dangerous place where a single mistake could cost him his life.
He needed to prepare thoroughly, so he made his way to the Rudolph Merchant Guild's casino.
“You wish to see the Merchant Lord?”
The branch manager wore a troubled expression.
“The Merchant Lord is not here. She is a very elusive person.”
Chris nodded.
*She's probably in Gold Cross by now.*
Ruina was likely hard at work carrying out the tasks he had assigned her.
*This is a problem. I really need to see Ruina.*
Using the artifact Ruina possessed, she could cross space and come to him instantly, but the problem was there was no way to contact her.
Ruina had not established a direct line of communication with Christian.
Considering their relationship, it was a strange omission.
It was probably intentional.
Ruina regarded Chris as something akin to the plague.
Meeting him would only lead to her being extorted, so this seemed like a ploy to avoid him as much as possible.
*Still, it's not like there's no way.*
