Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 239: King of the Dead Subjugation (3)
“Damn knights... how could they let people through in the middle of the night?”
At the gates of Baron Ropenheim’s mansion, two knights stood guard—or were supposed to. The servant was fed up with the men, who usually spent their shifts doing nothing but exchanging crude jokes.
Even if they were lax in their duties, how could they possibly let a mere boy wander into the estate?
Soon, a young woman with light gold hair approached. She took her place beside Isaac, offering a gentle, serene smile.
What is it now?
The servant felt a headache coming on, but a flicker of doubt quickly replaced his annoyance.
Letting these two youngsters in just like that? No matter how negligent the guards are, does this even make sense?
Or…
Did these two somehow knock the knights out?
…No, that’s impossible. How could kids like that pull off such a feat?
The servant shook his head, dismissing the ridiculous thought.
But the servant’s intuition was correct. Isaac had neutralized the guards in an instant. Together with Alice, he had crossed the garden and reached the mansion's front doors before anyone could blink.
“Hey, do you really think it’s appropriate to see the Lord at this hour? If you keep this up, he won’t take it kindly.”
At that moment, a tall man appeared behind the servant.
Hearing a low hum, the servant startled. She quickly scrambled aside and bowed deeply.
The man stepped forward, his figure bathed in the moonlight.
He exuded an air of dignity—a middle-aged man with excellent posture and slicked-back hair. This was Baron Adrian Ropenheim.
“I am so sorry for the disturbance, My Lord! They insisted on seeing you in the middle of the night, so I was trying to chase them away…!”
“It’s alright.”
Adrian made eye contact with Isaac.
“Did you say your name was Isaac?”
Adrian had been eavesdropping on the conversation from the start. He had come out personally because he realized the knights on guard had been taken down without even having a chance to report in.
Isaac offered a kind, polite smile.
“Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Baron Ropenheim.”
“And the lady beside you?”
“This person is my—”
“Wife.”
Alice Carroll, wearing a sweet smile, preemptively wrapped her arms around Isaac’s and hugged it to her chest.
“…”
Not wanting to cause a scene over something so trivial, Isaac merely let out a low sigh. It didn't matter what role Alice chose to play right now.
Adrian, seemingly uninterested in their relationship, asked no further questions and turned around.
“Come in.”
He readily invited them into the mansion.
At this moment, all Adrian cared about was gathering as many sacrifices as possible. And now, Isaac had delivered himself—an orphan who happened to be Eve’s brother.
He had once thought Isaac would make a suitable sacrifice. Luck was on his side; he intended to make full use of the boy. Alice was an unexpected variable, but to Adrian, who had received power from the King of the Dead, she was merely another pleasing offering.
“…”
Isaac had predicted Adrian’s train of thought. He was right on the mark, but he didn't particularly care. If entry had been denied, he had fully intended to force his way in.
Meanwhile, the servant was baffled as to why the Baron was being so hospitable. Normally, he would have had these youngsters seized and thrown in a dungeon for their insolence.
Noticing the servant’s confusion, Adrian offered a brief explanation.
“He is Eve’s brother.”
“Ah.”
The servant understood immediately. The household staff was well aware of Eve’s family history.
An invited guest. That explained why the knights had "let them in" and why the Baron had come out personally. It also made sense that a lowly servant wouldn't be informed of a guest arriving at midnight.
They walked down the dark hallway, guided only by the dim glow of the servant’s portable lamp. As they walked, Alice interlocked her fingers with Isaac’s.
“Be careful in the dark, Darling.”
Unable to complain, Isaac simply muttered a quiet thanks.
They entered the reception room.
“Bring some tea.”
“I’ll bring it right away, My Lord.”
As the servant hurried off, Adrian took a seat on the sofa. Isaac and Alice sat side-by-side across from him.
The lamp on the table cast a faint light, illuminating the room just enough for Adrian to scrutinize Isaac’s face.
“You really do look like her…”
Eve and Isaac had different fathers, yet the resemblance was there. Their mother’s genes were strong. Adrian noted the fact with a cold detachment.
Before long, the servant returned with the tea.
“Thank you.”
“Many thanks.”
Isaac and Alice offered polite greetings. The servant set the cups down and quickly retreated from the room.
Isaac carefully swirled his tea before speaking.
“I apologize for the late hour.”
“There is no need for apologies. I watched you knock out my knights. If you consider me an enemy, an apology is hardly necessary, is it?”
Even though Adrian had watched Isaac take down his men through the window, he hadn't lifted a finger. He understood the situation perfectly.
Adrian had abandoned Eve’s mother and taken Eve away from Isaac. He had always assumed that one day, Isaac would sharpen his blade and come seeking revenge.
“Then this will be quick.”
Isaac glared at Adrian, a thin grin spreading across his face.
“…Where is my sister?”
Isaac had already scanned the mansion with [Clairvoyance] and knew Eve Ropenheim wasn't there. He had a good idea of where she might be, but he asked anyway to gauge the Baron's reaction.
“I’d like to start with a different conversation first.”
Adrian smirked and leaned back against the sofa.
“I firmly believe that this world is filled with worthless, human trash. Especially in backwater rural areas like this.”
Adrian took a slow sip of his tea.
“You, in particular. Your magic was inferior, your birth was lowly, and you were desperately poor.”
“You actually remembered all that.”
“I had to. While investigating Eve’s background, I couldn't help but learn of your existence.”
Adrian’s words were calculated provocations, designed to belittle. He was essentially saying, 'You are the definition of trash,' and 'I only know your name because I had to dig through the dirt.'
“You seem to have honed your combat skills, but a leopard cannot change its spots. Even if you’ve grown stronger over the years, your limit is taking down a few household knights. Your effort is commendable, though. Despite my harsh words, I should thank you—for coming to me of your own accord, and… for both of you remaining pure.”
Isaac and Alice exchanged a brief, sideways glance.
A barrier shimmering with dark mana was subtly beginning to coat the reception room.
“To think a young couple like yourselves hasn't fornicated yet. You’ve done me a massive favor.”
“…”
“I’m in a good mood. Let me reward you with a piece of information.”
Adrian smiled, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather.
“I was the one who killed your father.”
Adrian sipped his tea and set the cup back on the table.
For a split second, Alice winced, her brow furrowing slightly.
“There were two reasons. First, I wanted to break Eve psychologically. In the end, she said those cruel words to you and left, exactly as I instructed. Second, I didn't like the fact that he coveted a possession I had discarded. So, I killed him.”
Isaac’s father had been an ordinary, lower-class man with nothing to his name—a husband who had loved his wife dearly. He was the savior who had taken in Isaac’s mother after she had been abandoned and broken by Baron Adrian Ropenheim.
But he had lost his life while Isaac was still a child. It had been a world-shattering tragedy for the family.
If Isaac’s father had lived, his mother wouldn't have died young from exhaustion and untreated illness. If not for Adrian’s cruel machinations, Isaac would never have felt the devastating sting of being abandoned by his sister.
The original Isaac had been left alone, struggling to survive with no one to turn to, until despair finally drove him to take his own life.
And now, Isaac saw the root of all that misery sitting right in front of him. This man, drunk on power, had systematically trampled and destroyed the life of the original Isaac.
So that’s how it was.
Isaac muttered quietly to himself. Only now did he fully grasp the weight of the history inherited by this body.
“But you can rest easy. Unlike your father, your life will be put to good use. What could be more meaningful than being born as trash and dying as the foundation for my greatness?”
Adrian grinned slyly. Dark mana began to well up in his right eye.
That eye had been useless for years, scarred by severe burns. Now, it was perfectly functional. Calgart the Necromancer had the power to empower decayed flesh, and he had imbued Adrian’s eye with dark mana.
Adrian had told the household he had been healed by a miracle-working cleric; only the few who knew the truth trembled in the shadows.
Several eerie spikes of dark mana erupted behind Adrian with a low rumble. The air in the room grew heavy with his presence.
“…?”
However… Isaac remained perfectly calm. It was as if he felt nothing at all.
Adrian’s brow furrowed. He had expected Isaac to collapse in despair or scream in terror upon hearing the truth. This reaction was disappointing. Was the boy in such shock that he couldn't process reality?
As Adrian doubted, Isaac removed his glasses.
“Baron Ropenheim.”
Isaac had intended to avoid getting tangled in complicated family drama until the Evil God was dealt with.
That was why he felt truly fortunate right now. Because a bastard like this had practically begged for death.
“Is this barrier of yours strong?”
“What?”
A gentle, pale blue chill began to flow from Isaac’s body.
The moment Adrian witnessed the frost that began to freeze everything in the room, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
This wasn't the typical cold of an ice wizard. This was a high-density, absolute zero chill that Adrian had never even imagined.
The aura of the [Ice Sovereign]. Isaac unleashed his dominance, channeling every ounce of his brewing rage.
A massive surge of mana crashed down on Adrian like the weight of a mountain. Instinctive, primal fear gripped the Baron’s heart.
In an instant, a pale blue magic circle expanded behind Isaac, and ice mana condensed before it.
Adrian desperately lashed out with his dark mana spikes.
Kaaaaaah!
A flash of pale blue light was followed by a deafening roar.
The 5-star ice spell: [Frost Explosion]. Isaac’s casting speed had evolved; what used to take seconds now happened in the blink of an eye.
The sudden explosion of cold shattered the dark spikes and demolished the mansion’s outer wall, sending jagged masses of ice flying outward with terrifying force.
It happened in a heartbeat.
A massive pillar of ice tore through Adrian’s body, pinning him to the wreckage of the collapsed wall outside.
“Ugh…!”
Adrian sprayed a fountain of blood from his mouth.
It took several seconds for his shattered mind to clear. When it did, he realized he had been impaled by a jagged shard of ice. There was a gaping hole in his torso.
The extreme cold bit into his very bones. The pain was beyond anything he had ever known. His body, ravaged by the explosion, was a mess of torn flesh and shattered ribs.
The dark mana within him struggled desperately to keep his vital organs functioning. He was being forced to stay alive just to endure the agony.
“How… how is this…?”
The dark power that had made him feel omnipotent had been brushed aside like a cobweb. The gap in strength between Isaac and Adrian wasn't just wide—it was an abyss.
Adrian couldn't wrap his head around it.
Thud.
Isaac stepped onto the jagged ice pillar, walking toward him with heavy, deliberate steps.
Under the cold light of the crescent moon, Isaac approached the man hanging limply from the ice and looked down at him. The night breeze ruffled Isaac’s silver-blue hair.
Adrian stared back, his expression one of pure horror.
“Let me ask you one thing,” Isaac said, his voice devoid of warmth. “Where is Calgart?”
Adrian’s eyes trembled.
The otherworldly blue aura. The staggering mana. The impossible strength. And now, the mention of Calgart. He finally realized who he was looking at.
“Could it be… you are…?”
The title "Ice Sovereign" flashed through Adrian’s mind.
It was impossible to accept, yet the reality was undeniable. In Adrian’s memory, Isaac was a talentless, worthless brat. But looking at it rationally, the truth became clear. Unless he had been an archwizard hiding his power all along, there was no way he could have reached this level in a few years.
Adrian realized then that he could never defeat the Ice Sovereign. The man before him was a walking natural disaster.
He had trampled on the family of a King. He had become the target of an Elemental King’s wrath. That realization began to gnaw at Adrian’s sanity like a starving rat.
He heard the sound of the reception room door being pounded on from the inside, but the dark barrier he had erected himself wouldn't let his guards through.
Isaac crouched down and held his right hand over Adrian’s left arm. A pale blue magic circle manifested.
Terrified, Adrian shrieked, “W-wait! Just a moment—!”
Boom!!
“Arghhh!!!”
A low-output [Frost Explosion] detonated against Adrian’s left arm.
Adrian squeezed his eyes shut, his scream turning into a desperate gasp for air. His arm was twisted into a grotesque shape, but no blood fell; the flesh had been frozen solid instantly, cauterizing the wound with ice.
The dark mana trying to regenerate his body was utterly suppressed by Isaac’s absolute frost.
The noble dignity Adrian once prized was gone, replaced by a face contorted in agony and terror.
“I’ll ask again,” Isaac said, his voice colder than the ice impaling the Baron. “Where is Calgart?”
Isaac carried a heavy burden. The compulsion to defeat the Evil God was a weight he lived with every day. If an enemy stood in his way—especially one who had embraced such malice—Isaac had no reason to hesitate.
The knights in the garden finally rushed forward, horrified by the sight of their Lord impaled on the ice.
“T-that’s…!”
Adrian hesitated to answer. Revealing Calgart’s location would mean the end of everything he had built.
Boom!!
“Aaaargh!!!”
[Frost Explosion] claimed Adrian’s right arm.
“Your answer?”
“Please, stop… please, just stop!”
Boom!!
“Arghhh!!”
Isaac cast it again, mangling Adrian’s right leg.
In the garden, the knights threw their spears and swords at Isaac, but Alice flicked her wrist, intercepting every projectile with telekinesis.
Isaac’s gaze never wavered from Adrian’s face.
“Speak.”
Isaac leaned in close, his voice a firm, mocking whisper. When Adrian, blinded by pain, failed to respond immediately, [Frost Explosion] detonated on his remaining leg.
Boom!!
Isaac reached out and grabbed Adrian’s head as he screamed. With his limbs shattered and useless, the Baron slumped forward.
Finally, weeping and grinding his teeth through the agony, Adrian broke.
“I’m sorry… I’ll tell you… just please stop. Please…”
He confessed everything.