Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Cracks in the Alliance
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‘Abyss judged that he couldn’t keep the Third Prince and the Daimon organization in check without the temple’s help.’
That was why he had asked Enoch if he could receive aid from the temple.
“It’s a matter related to the Demon King summoning. If the temple doesn’t act now, then when will it?”
Enoch gave an immediate reply. It was a clear indication that he could secure the temple’s assistance at any time.
“But to those who don’t know, it’ll look like the temple is meddling in the battle for the throne. A pretext is important.”
“If we reveal the fact that a Black Sorcerer is involved…”
“That’d be difficult. They won’t show their tails easily. Miss, how many regressions have you gone through so far?”
Abyss asked Rachel for the exact number of regressions. She had only told Enoch about the events before her regressions—she hadn’t shared how many times she had looped.
“19 times.”
Enoch let out a groan. Abyss nodded with his arms crossed, as if he had expected as much.
“You died that many times even when it was just the baron targeting you?”
In the early stages, she had died without even realizing the baron was after her, but it had still been because of him.
When Rachel confirmed it, Abyss shrugged and glanced at Enoch.
“Our enemies aren’t pushovers. If we hadn’t come together like this, we might never have uncovered their true nature.”
Abyss knew that Paris Emporus had close ties to the Daimon organization, but he was unaware that Paris was a Pseudo-Contractor.
Rachel, meanwhile, had no idea that the Black Sorcerers were preparing to summon the Demon King.
“But their interests don’t seem to align, do they?”
The baron planned to offer Rachel as a sacrifice to make himself king. The Third Prince aimed to shove aside the Second Prince and claim the throne for himself.
Yet the Black Sorcerer who had wiped out Abyss’s hometown sought to summon the Demon King.
If the Demon King appeared in this land, monsters would overrun everything, making it impossible for humans to survive. They’d be too busy worrying about basic survival.
In a world like that, could anyone safely play at being king?
The Black Sorcerers had surely deceived the Third Prince and the others to gain their support.
Abyss muttered to himself while stroking his chin.
“If we play this right, there might be an opening.”
Abyss looked up and met Rachel’s eyes.
“For now, let’s tackle them one at a time. Based on the documents you showed, the Third Prince’s faction and Daimon’s funding both trace back to the baron. So taking him out comes first.”
“Ugh.”
Rachel let out a pained groan.
She had thought that dealing with Paris Emporus and bringing down the family would solve everything. But that wasn’t the case.
‘Now I even have to track down some unknown Black Sorcerers threatening the world and stop them!’
“Don’t hate it so much. It’s something we have to do anyway, right?”
Abyss patted Rachel’s back as he spoke. He was right. This was something she had to do, whether she liked it or not.
Abyss folded up the map that had been spread out on the pavilion floor and tucked it into his bosom.
“Then let’s draw up a plan to eliminate the baron. But first, it’d help if you told me everything you’ve been through, Miss.”
At his words, Rachel nodded.
“As much as you need.”
***
The pen nib scraped against the paper with a steady scratching sound. Just as the letter, written in elegant script, neared completion, a knock came at the door.
Paris Emporus sealed the letter and gave permission to enter.
“Come in.”
With his approval, the ornate door swung open, and the butler stepped inside. He greeted his master with a polite bow before stating his business.
“Master, people have arrived from Emfol Mansion.”
Emfol Mansion was the residence the Emporus family had acquired upon receiving their title. It was where Paris Emporus had lived until moving to Harpa Castle.
It was also the mansion he had handed over to his youngest brother, Henri, after the castle begun by their grandfather was finally completed.
“What is it?”
“The little miss has headed to the capital.”
His lips curved into a smile at the butler’s report. He had long since bought off the servants at Emfol Mansion, and now they had come to him with news of a change.
Paris Emporus had been eyeing Rachel ever since her birth. Yet opportunities had been scarce.
It was all because of Evelyn. The daughter of a once-prestigious but gradually declining viscount family was no ordinary woman. She had connections to high-ranking priests and possessed considerable martial prowess.
The demon contracted to his family had granted him power over wealth. However, unlike other Black Sorcerers, it hadn’t given him the ability to curse or kill others.
The most Black Magic-like thing he had ever witnessed was when his father had offered up his half-sister—no, a girl who was his sister in name only—as a sacrifice.
His family had maintained their contract with the demon in secrecy for generations, without mingling with other Black Sorcerers.
That was how they had stayed safe even when other Black Sorcerers were exposed and persecuted.
But the mercenaries he hired with money couldn’t kill Evelyn. Neither could assassins.
He had even tried poison, but Evelyn survived it unscathed—weakened, but still stronger than most grown men, making it impossible to finish her off.
In the end, Paris Emporus concluded that only a curse could take her down.
He sought out other Black Sorcerers to place the curse. Publicly, he claimed to be hunting them down, but in reality, he supported the ones he captured.
That was how he learned of the Black Sorcerer organization Daimon, and he began trading with them.
He provided locations and funds, while they handled the cursing.
As the exchanges continued, Daimon informed him of their connection to the Third Prince and introduced him.
The king’s third son, Demian—born to the Second Queen—lacked support and had a brutal temperament that put him far from the line of succession.
Most central bureaucrats judged he could never become king.
Separate from that, the First Prince, Herion’s ascension seemed far too assured.
Yet Demian couldn’t suppress his desire for the throne and ultimately joined hands with the Black Sorcerers.
Paris Emporus judged he could use the prince. No matter the demon’s aid, it was hard for a mere baron to become king.
But what if the kingdom fell into chaos? If the wise prince died and a foolish, war-mongering prince took the throne and rampaged?
He could manipulate the idiot king from the shadows, secure a high title, and then, when the time was ripe, execute the brutal king who was ruining the country—earning both pretext and honor.
And so Paris Emporus gathered fellow nouveau riche merchants-turned-nobles like himself to support Demian.
After he joined, Daimon grew stronger. The Black Sorcerers, who had been scrambling just to survive while hunted by the temple forces, could now more easily procure sacrifices in safe locations.
They cursed to death merchants who weren’t on their side. Thanks to that, Paris Emporus and the Daimon-aligned merchants monopolized the trade routes.
Yet Paris Emporus never forgot his original goal.
To kill Evelyn and capture Rachel, he repeatedly hid cursed objects around Emfol Mansion. Sometimes he even gifted them directly to Rachel.
He filled Emfol Mansion with curse mediums aimed at Evelyn, eagerly awaiting the moment the curses activated and she perished.
It was in that situation that Rachel had left Emfol Mansion for the capital.
“And her?”
He didn’t need to specify “wife” or anything—the butler knew exactly who his master meant.
“A guest arrived, so she stayed behind at the mansion.”
“Rachel heading to the capital might be because of that guest. Let’s hear his story first. Bring him to the reception room.”
Paris Emporus picked up the freshly sealed letter.
“And have this delivered to him.”
“Understood.”
The butler took the letter. He soon departed the study to carry out his master’s orders.
Paris Emporus also rose to meet the guest.
“Things are going smoothly.”
He straightened his sleeve as he left the study. With a sense that everything would work out well, he walked down the corridor—only to see a servant other than the butler rushing toward him in a panic.
Spotting his master approaching from the opposite direction, the servant hurriedly straightened his posture.
“What is it?”
The servant was so out of breath from running that he couldn’t reply right away. But deeming it urgent, he panted out his words.
“A priest—from the temple—has come!”
***
Priests in white robes and holy knights stormed into Harpa Castle.
And standing boldly among the holy knights was Evelyn.
Having heard the servant’s report, he descended to the first floor and came face-to-face with the temple knight order forcing their way through the castle gates.
He immediately spotted Evelyn standing there with sword in hand.
“What is the meaning of this insolence!”
“Oh my, have you been well, Baron? I’m sorry we have to meet like this.”
Evelyn greeted the baron in a tone as casual as if she were out for a stroll.
Without the group of imposing figures in white standing aggressively behind her, she would have looked like she was just dropping by for a casual visit.
“I demand an explanation. Madam.”
“One of our household servants, suspected of colluding with Black Sorcerers, fled to this castle.”
When the baron calmly requested an explanation, Evelyn replied in an even tone.
Then the holy knight standing before her spoke up.
“We received a report that a Black Sorcerer is hiding in this castle.”
Veins bulged on the back of Paris Emporus’s hand.
“In accordance with Black Magic Edict Article 45, Section 7—stating that divine power users shall control the area and respond swiftly upon a report of a Black Sorcerer—priests and knights will search the castle for the time being. It’s dangerous, so we request that the baron and your family remain under our protection.”
He bit his lip. If the priests combed through the castle, the secret passages and the Daimon Black Sorcerers aiding him could be discovered.
If their numbers were small, the vast castle might allow them to slip by unnoticed. But they appeared thoroughly prepared this time, and Paris Emporus grew uneasy.
However, he did not show it.
“A Black Sorcerer hiding in my castle! Please, capture him by all means!”
He didn’t yet know who had made the report, but uncovering that could wait until the priests left.
For now, he welcomed the priests and pretended to cooperate fully. Internally, he planned to pin everything on Crow.
The priests hadn’t come for him anyway—they were acting on a vague report and the servant from Emfol Mansion.
He hadn’t formed a formal contract yet, so mere contact with priests wouldn’t expose his identity.
If worst came to worst, he’d frame it all on his second brother, Sari, and erase every trace.
That was why he’d dumped all the dirty work on his brother in the first place.
‘Anything that can’t be exposed is locked in the secret vault, and the documents are kept in double books. There’s nothing for them to catch me on.’
That was what he thought. There would be no problems at all.