Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Prophet's Omen
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The number one noble family of the Alliance.
The Meyer family, masters of the sword.
Chris's name had reached them.
Incidentally, this family of sword masters was also the house of Evan, the Hero.
***
The Magitech Empire was situated in the very center of the continent.
More precisely, the north-central region.
To the west of the Magitech Empire lay the ‘Holy Empire.’
To the south was ‘Gold Cross.’
And to the east, the ‘Karn Empire.’
The three great powers of the Alliance formed a geographical encirclement around the Magitech Empire.
Far to the southeast of the Magitech Empire.
Between ‘Gold Cross’ and the ‘Karn Empire’ lay a dense forest.
It was the private forest of the Meyer family, masters of the sword.
Entry to outsiders was strictly forbidden.
A middle-aged man with a weighty presence was walking through it.
He was a transcendent being who had reached the 8-Star realm and the Vice Head of the Meyer family.
Despite being one of the strongest and most noble individuals in the Alliance, the man’s face was rigid.
As if he were on his way to meet someone difficult to face.
It was only natural.
The one he was about to meet was the ‘Prophet.’
One of the great pillars supporting the Alliance against the threat of the Magitech Empire.
Deep within the forest, an astonishing sight appeared.
A lake that shimmered, as transparent as glass, without a hint of blue.
It was the ‘Glass Lake,’ the secret realm of the Meyer family, where the present, future, and past were said to intersect.
The Prophet lived in seclusion here.
[You have come?]
“Yes, I have come at your summons.”
The Vice Head bowed his head respectfully at the voice that came from the air.
The Prophet was nowhere to be seen.
Always observing the future through Clairvoyance, the Prophet rarely appeared before others.
[I have called you because of an ill omen.]
“!!”
An ill omen.
The Vice Head’s expression grew heavy.
[You are aware that a great disaster will soon befall us from the Magitech Empire, are you not?]
“Yes, I am well aware.”
The Prophet had long foretold the coming disaster.
But no one had heeded the prophecy.
The peace had lasted too long.
Everyone had fallen into complacency.
‘The Magitech Empire’s power has long since surpassed that of the Alliance.’
While the Magitech Empire had been endlessly building its strength internally, the Alliance had been declining amidst revelry and extravagance.
It was only because the Magitech Empire was divided and fighting amongst itself; otherwise, the world would have long since fallen into the hands of the Majin.
[I was able to glimpse a more specific future. Who from the Magitech Empire will bring about the world’s ruin. The identity of ‘The Great Darkness.’]
Originally, the Prophet had pointed to the Four Kings Castle.
Saying that the flames of disaster would rise from there.
But a short while ago… less than a year ago, the prophecy had changed.
The disaster would indeed begin at the Four Kings Castle.
But the one who would truly bring about the world’s destruction was someone else.
‘The Great Darkness.’
According to the Prophet’s ‘Clairvoyance,’ this world would one day be destroyed at the hands of ‘The Great Darkness.’
“Where does ‘The Great Darkness’ hail from?”
[The Dark Magic House.]
“!!”
The Vice Head’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was an unexpected answer.
“But the Dark Magic House? Wasn’t it a place we didn’t need to be overly concerned about?”
With the exception of the Old Lord Nordian, there was no one else worth noting.
A family slowly decaying from within. That was the Alliance's assessment of the Dark Magic House.
[It is certain. ‘The Great Darkness’ is a member of the Dark Magic House. In the not-too-distant future, they will become the new Demon King from that house.]
The Vice Head was shocked once more.
“Are you saying a new Demon King will emerge from the Dark Magic House?”
For nearly a century, the Dark Magic House had not produced a new Demon King.
‘Who on earth could it be?’
The Vice Head racked his brain.
The head, Nordian? He was certainly a person of interest.
But his lifespan was nearly at its end.
‘Then could it be the Acting Head, Marquis Langham, or Marquis Schupen, the head of the three collateral branches?’
Excluding the Old Lord, they were the strongest in the Dark Magic House.
But neither of them was of the caliber to become a Demon King.
‘The young lords of the next generation? But aren't they all too young?’
The Prophet had said they would become the Demon King in the ‘not-too-distant’ future.
He couldn't fathom who it could be.
“Were you perhaps unable to glimpse who it is?”
[I could not see any further information. It was as if some great being was interfering with my observation.]
“Interfering.”
The Vice Head’s face grew heavy.
There was only one type of being that could willfully block the sight of Clairvoyance.
A Constellation or a demon.
That meant that the heavens and Gehenna were also paying attention to ‘The Great Darkness’ whom the Prophet had named.
[However, I am not without a clue.]
“What is it?”
[A signal came to the Glass Lake. Information about an individual named Christian van Baron Cazar.]
The Vice Head looked puzzled.
‘Baron’ was the name of the Dark Magic House.
But he didn't recall the name Christian.
‘Ah, wasn't he the boy who recently became a young lord? The one who was a scoundrel but turned over a new leaf.’
The Vice Head vaguely recalled a report he had heard in passing.
‘I remembered it because it was similar to the name of the cursed prince of Gold Cross.’
The cursed prince.
He was of the noblest bloodline.
A seed conceived from the union of the world's most noble lineages.
But he was an unfortunate prince, accused of being the devil's seed even before birth and subjected to all sorts of persecution.
‘In the end, he died not long ago. Come to think of it, it's strange. The timing of Christian van Baron Cazar's change coincides with the cursed prince's sudden death. Well, it's probably just a coincidence.’
In any case, the Vice Head had heard Christian's name because he meticulously gathered all sorts of worldly intelligence, but no one else in the Alliance would know it.
[I hear he achieved a great feat in the Underground Garden, a secret realm in the southern Magitech nation. One impossible for his age and accomplishments.]
“Are you suggesting that he might be ‘The Great Darkness’? But isn't he too young? I heard he's just turned sixteen.”
A minor who hadn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony.
The Prophet replied in an uncertain voice.
[I am not certain. This is merely a guess based on the information sent to the Glass Lake. If he is that young, the possibility is low.]
Only two things were certain about ‘The Great Darkness.’
That they were a member of the Dark Magic House.
And that in the not-too-distant future, meaning in as little as five years or at most ten, they would become the Demon King.
[Still, it would be wise to check on this dark seed named Christian. I have a bad feeling.]
The Vice Head bowed his head.
“I will see to it.”
After his meeting with the Prophet, the Vice Head left the Glass Lake and was lost in thought.
‘This is troublesome. Christian van Baron Cazar.’
Unlike the Prophet's guess, the Vice Head judged that there was no possibility of Christian being the subject of the prophecy.
He was too young.
‘His accomplishment was reaching 3-Star recently. He might be called a genius, but becoming a Demon King is impossible.’
In the distant future.
Perhaps in a few decades, it might be possible.
But in the near future the Prophet spoke of, it was absolutely impossible.
‘But I can't just not investigate.’
Since the Prophet had requested it, he had to confirm.
The problem was that this mission was extremely dangerous.
‘He is a young lord of the Dark Magic House, no less.’
Although they were said to be in decline due to the lack of new superhumans, the power of the Dark Magic House was by no means weak.
The Dark Magic House possessed a formidable force equivalent to several of the Alliance's kingdoms combined.
‘The one who takes on this mission will most likely lose their life.’
He hesitated to waste the family's strength on something with such a low probability.
‘Who should I send? Someone skilled enough to carry out the mission, yet whose death would not be a great loss…’
A suitable candidate immediately came to mind.
Talented, but…
There was one person whose death would be better for the Meyer family.
“Bring that child here.”
The subordinate understood.
Soon, a person appeared.
He was a handsome young man with a sturdy build.
But his eyes, sunken as if dead, were noticeable.
“You summoned me, Uncle.”
“Yes, I have an order for you.”
“Command me as you will. I am but a ‘Shadow’ of the family.”
His voice was tinged with self-mockery.
As he said, the man was a shadow of the Meyer family.
Those who could never step into the light, who handled the family's dirty work.
The man's true lineage was by no means suited for a shadow, but a cruel fate bestowed by the heavens had led the man to tragedy.
“Investigate an individual named Christian van Baron Cazar.”
“Baron… from the Dark Magic House?”
Did he know it was a death sentence?
The man fell silent for a moment.
The Vice Head, feeling a twinge of guilt, added an explanation.
“It is an important mission ordered by the Prophet. A task to prevent the coming destruction of the world.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The Vice Head recounted his conversation with the Prophet in as few words as possible.
That a being called ‘The Great Darkness’ would one day destroy the world. And that the boy named Christian might be this ‘Great Darkness.’
“Therefore, if it is possible, assassinate him.”
“……”
Whatever the reason, being ordered to assassinate a member of the Dark Magic House…
It was the same as being told to go and die, but the man nodded his head in resignation.
“I will follow your command.”
“Good. Depart immediately.”
After parting with the Vice Head, the man looked up at the sky.
The piercingly cold moonlight stung his eyes.
‘So my life ends here. Is it a relief that I can at least sacrifice my life for a meaningful cause for the sake of the world?’
The man thought bitterly.
And so, the man.
The shadow of the Meyer family, ‘Evan de Meyer,’ departed for the Dark Magic House.
He was the man who would one day be called the Hero.
***
Meanwhile, Chris's party, who had participated in the young lords' conference, found themselves in deep trouble.
“Retch!”
“Gag!”
They were all bent over buckets, throwing up.
Jupien, Marisa, and Kashmir, all of them.
They looked as if they'd been struck by some sort of vomit-inducing bacterial toxin.
Only one person was fine: Chris.
‘…That's what you get for guzzling down so much alcohol.’
Chris wore a dumbfounded expression.
The whole story was this.
Originally, Chris had planned to return to the Dark Magic House immediately.
But the others had been hesitant.
—Erm… are we just parting like this? I haven't even had a chance to properly thank Young Lord Christian.
—Hmph, it's not that I'm sad to part with you. I just feel I haven't properly fulfilled my duty at the conference.
—I'm fine with leaving.
In other words, they wanted a second round… an after-party!
‘…This isn't some magical land of hopes and dreams, what's with this after-party nonsense?’
But their point did have some merit.
The young lords' conference was, in principle, a place to build camaraderie. It wasn't unheard of to have an after-party if the attendees hit it off.
“Alright. Let's do it, the after-party.”
And so, Chris had agreed.
In truth, he had an ulterior motive.
‘This is my chance to drink too! Beer, whiskey, wine! You're all dead! I'm going to drink until I'm completely wasted!’
But that was a pipe dream.