Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: A Vengeful Pact
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“W-What?”
“Fresia, I won't even mention the embezzlement and corruption you've committed for your own gain. But to privately mobilize the Dark Demon Squad, a core asset of the family, and assign them to Maisac is an unforgivable abuse of authority.”
“...”
“Even that transgression, I let slide out of respect for your father, Duke Vessain. But I will tolerate no more.”
Merian warned her coldly.
“It's one thing for successors to fight amongst themselves, even to the death—that can happen. But for an elder of the family to lay a hand on a successor is something that has never once been permitted in the history of the Dark Magic House. The moment you try to touch a single hair on that boy, Christian, you will lose your head.”
Fresia's body trembled.
Merian sheathed her sword.
“And just so you know, this warning also comes from the Old Lord himself.”
“!!”
Fresia's eyes widened as if they would tear.
Her body crumpled.
If that was the Old Lord's will, there was no way she could kill Christian.
Getting someone else to do it?
Impossible.
The Majin of the Dark Magic House were out of the question.
‘Even Father won't help me.’
Her father, Duke Vessain, the head of the Destruction House, was a thoroughly calculating man.
With Maisac dead, her chances of seizing power in the Dark Magic House were gone.
Duke Vessain wouldn't give her a second glance.
‘No! I can't let this go!!’
In the midst of her despair, Fresia's eyes blazed.
‘If I can't do it myself...’
There was an answer.
One that Merian herself had just mentioned.
“Prepare to head for the Riberi family's domain.”
“What?”
“Now!”
The carriage carrying Fresia left the family estate, and Mari reported this fact to Chris.
[Young Master, just as you said, Marchioness Fresia has headed for the County of Riberi.]
“Yes, thank you.”
Chris nodded.
Melin, standing beside him, spoke with concern.
“The County of Riberi is part of Young Lord Eshid's faction. It's highly likely she's planning some scheme behind the scenes.”
“Probably. I know. It's fine.”
Melin and Mari looked puzzled.
But instead of explaining, Chris gently closed his eyes.
‘So, it's finally starting.’
The succession contest for the Grand Prince's seat.
The continental storm that would begin with the Gold Cross tragedy.
It could be said that all of it was only now truly beginning.
‘Although Eshid returning this soon is unexpected.’
Eshid was different from the likes of Maisac.
His power and influence were incomparable.
He would undoubtedly be a formidable adversary.
‘It's fine. No, it's actually better this way.’
Chris thought.
‘It'll be more rewarding to crush him.’
The stronger Eshid was.
The more he interfered.
The more brilliantly Chris would shine when he crushed Eshid.
No one would be able to deny Chris's right to succeed the Dark Magic House.
* * *
The Riberi family was the most loyal vassal family of the Dark Magic House.
Their domain was on the border near Gold Cross.
Upon arriving at the Riberi estate, Fresia went inside immediately.
“Welcome, Mother. I've heard the news about Maisac.”
A handsome young man with a tall, striking figure who naturally drew people's favor, Eshid, greeted her.
Eshid wore a regretful expression, but Fresia knew.
She knew that Eshid wasn't sad at all.
In fact, he was pleased, as if mocking her.
Eshid was a madman, but in a different sense from the First Prince, Sherard.
While Sherard reveled in slaughter, Eshid's madness took a different direction.
Eshid enjoyed inflicting pain on others.
He was a sociopath who relished tormenting his opponents relentlessly, as if it were a game, watching them crumble in despair.
But it didn't matter.
She had come precisely because of that side of him.
“I have a deal to make with you.”
“And what might that be?”
“Revenge against Christian.”
Eshid's lips curled into a smirk.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Drop the act. I know you're targeting Christian. Haven't you already made a move on the Cazar County?”
Eshid's smile deepened.
That was right.
He hadn't just been idly recuperating.
He had been secretly scheming, borrowing the power of the Riberi County.
His goal was the annihilation of Christian's family, the County of Cazar.
‘This is just the beginning.’
Eshid imagined Christian completely broken, tormented and mired in despair, and a pleasant expression crossed his face.
“So, what can you do for me, Mother? Surely, you're not under the delusion that you're someone important, are you?”
Fresia's eyebrow twitched.
Rage surged within her, but she barely suppressed it.
“I will provide what you lack. You may command the most powerful faction among the successors, but you have a fatal flaw.”
“Hmm?”
“Your lack of talent.”
“!!”
Eshid's face hardened.
Fresia sneered.
“Upper 4-Star at your age. In the Dark Magic House, they praise you as a genius, but you know the truth, don't you? How lacking you are compared to the true geniuses of the other noble houses?”
“...”
“On the other hand, that boy, Christian, is a true genius. Unlike your pathetic excuse for talent.”
His sore spot having been poked, Eshid ground his teeth.
He knew it well.
Wasn't it out of jealousy for Christian's talent that Eshid had schemed to break him in his childhood?
“You even resorted to human sacrifices to make up for your lack of talent, but it doesn't seem to have had much effect. To think you still haven't broken the 5-Star barrier despite using such horrific methods. It's pathetic.”
“...So what is it you want to say? Are you offering to help me make a contract with a demon?”
Making a contract with a demon was a surefire way to gain power in a short time.
One would receive immense power in exchange for their soul.
But power gained that way had clear limits, and more importantly, the Dark Magic House forbade contracts with demons.
“Something similar.”
“!!”
“I will sacrifice my magi to maximize the efficiency of your human sacrifices.”
Eshid looked slightly surprised.
“Hmm, Mother? If you do that...”
“I will lose my power permanently. I know. I don't care.”
“...What do you want in return?”
Fresia said, her eyes blazing fiercely.
“Christian's suffering. His death.”
A dark smile spread across Eshid's face.
“That's hardly a difficult request. I accept the deal.”
And so.
Some time passed.
Astonishing news spread throughout the Dark Magic House.
Eshid had reached the realm of 5-Star.
He was the first among the successors to reach the 'Elder Dark' class.
Eshid was already the most likely candidate to become the next Grand Prince, and this news was like driving the final nail in the coffin.
The surprising news didn't end there.
Tragic news came from the County of Cazar.
It was news of a large-scale conflict breaking out with the Bursen County near Gold Cross.
And it was the Cazar County's fault.
The problem was that it wasn't just any terrible misdeed.
The County of Cazar was said to have kidnapped the people of Bursen County and performed human sacrifices.
* * *
Human sacrifice!
The Dark Magic House was in an uproar.
“That's absurd!”
“There's no way Lord Count Cazar would do such a thing!”
As mentioned before, human sacrifice is strictly forbidden even in the Magitech Empire.
Of course, it happened from time to time in secret, and even Eshid had performed them, but the secret was always kept.
The moment it was revealed, one would become a public enemy, cast out by both the Alliance and the Magitech Empire.
“Bursen County has sent an official letter. They claim to have secured evidence that the Majin of Cazar County kidnapped their people for human sacrifices.”
“What...! How can we believe that?!”
“It must be a scheme by those detestable Alliance bastards!”
Everyone was furious, but then something happened that turned public opinion.
A witness appeared from within the Dark Magic House.
“...Unfortunately, it is true. I have confirmed the evidence myself.”
It was Beidum, the newly appointed Vice-Commander of the Cazar County's Black Swamp Knights.
For reference, the position of Vice-Commander of the Black Swamp Knights is held by a Majin dispatched from the main house as a means of controlling the branch family.
Since the original Vice-Commander, Melin, had recently returned, Beidum was the newly dispatched one.
“A large number of corpses used in human sacrifices were confirmed on the outskirts of the Cazar domain. I saw over 100 with my own eyes. Not only that, but I also confirmed the magic tools used for the sacrifices in a hidden location within the castle.”
“No...”
The Majin of the Dark Magic House fell silent in shock.
But some of them.
Knew the truth.
‘There's no way Count Cazar would perform human sacrifices. This is clearly a conspiracy.’
‘The one behind it... is probably Young Lord Eshid.’
In other words.
He had struck at the County of Cazar to target Christian.
But no one dared to speak up.
Eshid's power was on a different level from the other princes.
The vast majority of vassals, including the Riberi County, supported Eshid.
On top of that, he had recently reached the 5-Star realm, so everyone thought it was only a matter of time before Eshid became the Grand Prince.
‘Young Lord Eshid never lets anyone who opposes him go.’
‘If I say a word here, I'll definitely face retaliation.’
Everyone held their breath, and Marquis Langham asked the vassals.
“Bursen County has officially declared war on the County of Cazar. Bursen is an opponent Cazar cannot handle alone. We should send reinforcements, but what are your opinions?”
The Count of Riberi answered on behalf of the others.
“That would be difficult. If we help Cazar and it is later proven that they truly performed human sacrifices, the fallout will hit us as well. The Demon King will not tolerate it.”
The Demon King of the Clear Stream.
The 7th-ranked figure in the Magitech Empire, who rules the southern Magitech nations on behalf of the Demon Emperor.
Like the Demon Emperor, she generally takes a hands-off approach to everything, but she wouldn't turn a blind eye to an incident like this.
Just then, a sharp voice cut through the meeting hall.
“But nothing has been proven for certain yet, has it?”
It was the Second Princess, Jupien!
Some of the vassals who followed Jupien gasped.
They were worried for Jupien, but she didn't back down, expressing her dissent in a strong tone.
“It's still just circumstantial. To act as if their guilt is already confirmed is...”
“Little sister.”
Eshid, standing beside Marquis Langham, smiled faintly.
“It is precisely because it's not yet confirmed that things are only at this stage.”
“!!”
“If it were certain, the main house's Black Lion Knights would have already been dispatched to subjugate the County of Cazar.”
Jupien bit her lip tightly.
“And while it may only be circumstantial, isn't there a living piece of evidence in the Cazar family that is more suspicious than anything else?”
Eshid said coldly.
“Christian.”
“!!”
“The achievements that bastard has made so far are inexplicable without a demon contract or human sacrifices.”