Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Red Snow Flower
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Chris turned his gaze, his eyes widening in surprise.
The other Majin around him had the same reaction.
Like a gentle breeze.
She was a woman with a clear and refined impression.
Despite having the deep black hair and blood-red eyes characteristic of the Dark Magic House, her image was more refreshing than dark.
It was the First Princess, Yurian.
‘She has an elven air about her.’
Chris thought to himself, slightly surprised.
He'd thought it fleetingly when he saw her from a distance before, but her aura was truly unique.
Similar to the elves, the forest-dwelling race.
"Greetings, First Princess."
"Yes, it's a pleasure. I'm sorry for only greeting you now, my new younger brother. Ah, should I not be speaking so informally with you either?"
Yurian asked, her eyes wide.
Chris shook his head.
"Not at all. Prince Maisac was hostile to me from the start, so that was different. You, First Princess, are not the same. If you truly consider me a younger brother, please feel free to speak comfortably."
If you don't consider me a brother, then keep your distance.
First Princess Yurian surely understood the hidden barb in his words, yet she simply gave a soft smile.
"Then I'll speak comfortably. I'm happy to have a new little brother. You can speak comfortably with me from now on, too. Let's have tea sometime. I'll prepare a sweet cake that a child would like."
A child.
It wasn't a provocation.
The gentle curve of Yurian's eyes held a gaze as if she were truly looking at a younger brother.
"I'm not a child, though."
"If you're a minor, you're a child. Or should I prepare some ginger ale?"
"...I don't like ginger ale."
They shared a moment of light conversation, and Yurian laughed brightly.
"Well then, I'm sure we'll see each other often. I look forward to it."
And with that, Yurian was gone.
Chris folded his arms for a moment, watching her retreating back.
‘Hmm.’
Among the princes and princesses, First Princess Yurian had the best reputation.
Not only was she beautiful and highly skilled, but her character was gentle and full of consideration.
The princess beloved by everyone in the Dark Magic House.
The encounter lived up to the rumors, but Christian quietly furrowed his brow.
- Be wary of First Princess Yurian.
The warning his aunt Merian had given him.
And Chris understood why Merian had given him such a caution.
A faint feeling that emanated from Yurian.
If Chris hadn't lived through the Age of Ruin.
And if he hadn't been part of the Hero's party, it was a feeling he never would have noticed.
The lingering scent of a demon.
In other words, First Princess Yurian was a 'demon contractor'.
* * *
Demon contractor.
It refers to a pact-maker who has offered their soul to a demon.
‘To think that First Princess Yurian was someone who had contracted with a demon.’
After the banquet ended, Chris was lost in thought.
‘I never expected this.’
In truth, demon contractors were not unfamiliar to Chris.
The Demon King of Bloodletting herself had been a demon contractor.
During the Age of Ruin, all sorts of people contracted with demons and ran rampant across the world.
But that wasn't the case now.
Unless there were truly special circumstances, those who contracted with demons were rare.
‘The others don't know, do they?’
Probably.
The Dark Magic House was a family that forbade dealings with demons.
If her contract were revealed, she would have been excommunicated from the Dark Magic House long ago.
‘It seems Aunt Merian only noticed that something was suspicious. Still, what should I do?’
It was a brief meeting, but he could tell at a glance.
His strongest competitor for the position of the next head was not the Second Prince Eshid, but the First Princess Yurian.
Yurian was a monster hiding her claws.
‘Her level seems to be mid-4-Star, but she must be hiding her true abilities.’
The problem was that he couldn't gauge the extent of the abilities she was hiding.
That was the frightening thing about demon contractors.
In exchange for their souls and an eternity of horrific suffering, they gain powerful abilities that defy common sense.
‘Of course, the power gained this way usually has clear limits. But at my current level, she's a burden.’
The simplest method would be to reveal that Yurian is a demon contractor.
If he did, Yurian's core would be sealed, and she would be cast out of the family.
‘But that's the worst option.’
First, it would be difficult to prove that Yurian was a demon contractor.
Demon contractors conceal themselves thoroughly. It's a concealment granted by demonic authority, so no matter how high one's level, it's impossible to detect.
Even Chris wouldn't have noticed if not for the experience he gained during the Age of Ruin.
‘First, I need to find out why the First Princess contracted with a demon.’
The most important thing when assessing a demon contractor is 'why' they made the contract.
If she contracted with a demon out of simple greed, there wasn't much to worry about.
She would receive a certain amount of power, and that would be the end of it. In such cases, the limits were clear.
But if there was a special reason.
To be precise, if the contractor had a 'story' that would entice a demon.
There were cases where they received a special 'blessing' from the demon.
Contractors who received such a blessing often gained unimaginable power.
The most prominent example was the Demon King of Bloodletting.
She, who had been merely the Grand Princess of the Blood Sword House, became a Demon King with devastating power thanks to a special blessing from her contract with a demon.
‘The blessing the leader of the Blood Shadow Demon Troupe received from a demon, 'Soul Eater,' was just as terrifying.’
Therefore, he had to find out what kind of contract Yurian had made with the demon.
"Mari?"
[Ohoho... Shall I bring you some virgin's blood juice?]
"...No, that's not it. I have a favor to ask."
Mari looked puzzled.
"Do you have any ghost friends you're close with in the main house?"
Ghosts often inhabit the mansions of historic families in the Magitech Empire.
[Rather than being close... there are a few who have knelt before me.]
"...Kneelt?"
[They were chattering this and that about you, Young Master... so I gave them a little 'affection,' and they offered to serve me as their master on their own.]
Chris fell silent for a moment.
‘…Does that mean she's become a Banshee Queen?’
A monster that subjugates other monsters in its vicinity and forms its own faction is called a 'Lord'.
In the case of a banshee, a Banshee Queen.
It meant Mari had conquered all the ghost species in the vicinity of the mansion.
‘Just how powerful is Mari?’
He couldn't fathom it at all.
A sudden question came to mind.
‘What kind of story does Mari have?’
As ghosts with deeper grudges possess greater power.
Mari must have a story so terrible it was beyond imagination.
"Anyway, investigate First Princess Yurian for me. Find out about her past."
[Ohoho... Very well. I shall obey your command, my lord.]
He would have to decide on a course of action after the investigation into the First Princess was complete.
Once Mari disappeared, Chris closed his eyes for a moment.
‘There's something more urgent. Now that I'm a prince, I need to start establishing my position in earnest.’
It wouldn't be easy.
He might have improved his image somewhat at the banquet earlier, but it was far from enough.
He had to build a 'faction' powerful enough to overwhelm the other princes.
An almost impossible task for someone from a branch family.
‘Petty tricks won't work.’
Trying to gather power bit by bit would never allow him to catch up to the direct line.
Instead, Chris thought of another way.
‘I just need to show them an overwhelming display.’
One that is beyond compare.
To show an excellence that cannot be compared to the other princes.
He had to instill in people the conviction that Chris would become the next family head.
Then, people would begin to flock to him.
It was a simple, yet profound method that pierced to the core of the matter.
‘I need a grand stage to capture everyone's attention at once.’
He had to deliver a massive shock to everyone.
‘Fortunately, I have someone who can help me.’
Just as he was thinking that.
A call came from outside.
"Prince Christian, Marchioness Fresia is asking for you."
Chris raised the corner of his mouth.
There is only one marchioness in the Dark Magic House.
Fresia, the Red Snow Flower.
The mother of Maisac, who was insulted by Chris at the banquet, and the mistress in charge of the Dark Magic House's internal affairs.
And,
the person who would be of great help in building his reputation from now on.
* * *
"Greetings, Marchioness."
"Yes, it has been a while. Is your father, Count Cazar, well?"
"Yes, he is doing well."
"It's late, but congratulations on becoming a prince. I was worried you were straying in your youth, but you've grown up splendidly."
As befitting her moniker, 'Red Snow Flower,' Fresia was a woman of stunning beauty. A brilliant flower that hadn't lost its luster despite her middle age.
But she was not just a bright flower.
The 'Red' in Red Snow Flower symbolized blood and destruction.
‘Her level is a staggering 5-Star.’
Contrary to her gentle greeting, a subtle pressure was emanating from her, pressing down on Chris.
His skin tingled and stung, but he didn't let it show.
"You're too kind. Thank you for seeing me in a favorable light."
"It's no overstatement. I heard what happened at the banquet. Impressive. If only my Maisac had grown up like you, I would have no regrets."
Chris scoffed.
It was an unexpected compliment, but it was by no means meant as one.
"However, it's difficult to speak well of you fighting each other. Though you are cousins, you are brothers who share the same blood. I hope that you, as the younger brother, will get along well with Maisac."
Chris almost burst out laughing.
As the 'younger brother,' she had said.
Fresia was trying to persuade Chris to stand beneath Maisac and serve him.
No, it wasn't persuasion.
It was a threat.
Fresia's eyes, looking at Chris, were shimmering darkly.
Not the blood-red eyes of the Dark Magic House, but the destructive crimson eyes.
The symbol of the Destruction House, which sought to tear down and annihilate all living things, was glaring at him sharply.
It was a sign that if he didn't comply, he would face unbearable retribution.
But.
Chris raised the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, I will follow your words. I will get along with Prince Maisac like a brother."
"Really?"
"Only if that bastard Maisac becomes *my* younger brother."
"...What?"
"Isn't it only natural that the more foolish one becomes the younger brother? Don't you think I'm far better suited for the role of the older brother than some idiot who runs crying to his mommy after a little fight?"
"!!"
Fresia's face turned fierce.
A ferocious energy boiled up.
The surrounding furniture trembled from the aura Fresia emitted.
The ultimate aura of destruction.
If Fresia so much as lifted a finger, Chris would be annihilated without being able to resist. He would surely not even leave a proper corpse behind.
And yet.
‘I'm not afraid.’
Chris looked straight back at Fresia.
I can see it.
What shimmers in those red eyes is not the will of destruction that seeks to annihilate everything.
It was merely greed.