Chapter 127
Clatter, clatter.
The horses galloped.
The knights of the Bursen County surrounded Chris and his group, escorting them toward the Law Kingdom.
The atmosphere was tense and grim, but among everyone present, only Chris wore a calm, almost smug expression.
‘Not bad. To be able to travel under such protection.’
The Law Kingdom was located deep within the heart of Gold Cross, far from the border.
They hadn’t known what dangers might lie ahead, so this was a relief.
‘Though the mood isn’t exactly friendly.’
The knights glared at them like sworn enemies.
Their hostile stares were so sharp and threatening that it felt like trouble could erupt at any moment. Seeing this, Viscount Roy’s face turned pale as he issued a firm command.
“Though they are Ma’in, these are envoys who have come to Gold Cross! Show them respect!”
‘If anything happens, that Christian—damn demon—won’t leave me alone. I have to stop this!’ Viscount Roy knew all too well how formidable and terrifying Christian was.
He was desperate because if a fight broke out, his life would be at risk.
The knights grumbled with displeasure.
“To have to stand still and watch those filthy Ma’in.”
“I’d like to split their heads in two.”
“Should we provoke them into a duel? If we kill them during a duel, it won’t be a problem, right?”
They didn’t even bother to lower their voices, so Chris and his group heard every word.
Chris yawned and dismissed it casually.
‘Just as expected. This is how it’ll be from now on.’
The hatred between the Ma’in and the Alliance ran as deep as the conflict between demons and the Holy Seat.
Thanks to Viscount Roy’s efforts to prevent escalation, no bloodshed had occurred yet, but the knights’ foul mouths only grew worse.
“By the way, those two look no joke. Especially that prince and princess. Do the Dark Ma’ga pick their heirs by looks? Both of them look like they belong in a brothel.”
“They’re both seriously sexy. My type.”
“Which one?”
“Both. Heh heh.”
“Are they, like, an item or something?”
“Could be. Ma’in are filthy creatures; they don’t care who they get involved with—even relatives or siblings.”
The knights laughed openly, their disgusting tongues wagging.
Viscount Roy’s face turned pale at how far they’d crossed the line, and he glanced nervously at Chris.
Chris just smirked.
‘Such cute little pests.’
He’d been through too much to be rattled by such nonsense.
‘Still, I should give them a little warning.’
If he underestimated them, some fool might do something reckless without understanding the situation.
‘They shouldn’t think they can come to the Alliance and walk away unscathed.’
Just as he was about to look for the source of the voices, something unexpected happened.
Thwack!
A loud sound echoed.
The face of the knight who had been shouting the worst insults suddenly snapped to the side.
Someone had thrown a gauntlet.
It was Jupien.
“This is a duel.”
She said it flatly, as usual.
“If you want, you can kill me during the duel. Ma’in aren’t held responsible for what happens in duels.”
“!!”
“But if I win, I’ll cut out your tongue.”
The atmosphere turned icy.
The one slapped was a four-star knight.
A high-ranking officer, one of the best in the order.
But to the knights, Jupien was just a delicate, doll-like girl.
Of course, they all knew she was a princess of the Dark Ma’ga, but her youthful, fragile appearance made them underestimate her.
The struck knight spat out blood-tinged saliva and growled fiercely.
“How dare a filthy Ma’in! I was itching for a fight anyway. I’ll make you beg for your life.”
A blazing red mana blade ignited.
He truly saw Jupien as beneath him—aiming not for her neck or chest, but for her right wrist.
But then—
Flash!
An illusion distorted the knight’s vision.
Jupien’s sword split.
A phantom blade infused with black mana.
And then—
Shing.
“Graaah!!”
Blood sprayed from the knight’s arm holding the sword. His arm was severed in an instant.
Jupien’s blade didn’t stop there.
Crunch.
It plunged into the knight’s agape mouth.
If she moved the blade just a fraction more, as she had declared, his tongue would be cut out.
“Ugh… ugh…”
The knight whimpered, tears streaming down his face in terror.
Jupien watched silently for a moment, then frowned.
“Cutting out tongues is too dirty.”
“!!”
Thud!
The knight was kicked to the ground, rolling over, while Jupien returned to Chris’s side as if nothing had happened.
Silence fell over the crowd.
They were overwhelmed by her presence.
After that, the journey was relatively smooth.
The atmosphere remained tense, but no one dared to speak out recklessly.
‘A brief moment of peace.’
Yeah, this was only the beginning.
The deeper they went into Gold Cross, the more hostile the stares became.
If it weren’t for Viscount Roy, whom Chris had called as a shield, there might have been several incidents.
Finally—
The tension reached a breaking point.
They arrived at their destination: Arjen, the capital of the Law Kingdom.
The Law Kingdom was a small country.
Its territory consisted of the capital city, a few satellite towns, and surrounding lands.
But no one dared to underestimate it.
The royal family of Arjen descended from the bloodline of the Holy Seat.
For centuries, they had been the spiritual pillar for the people of Gold Cross, standing against the Mage Empire.
A small kingdom with the power and influence of a great nation.
With such a proud tradition, the people of the Law Kingdom held themselves in high esteem and harbored a pathological hatred toward the Ma’in.
‘Still, isn’t this a grotesque piece of art?’
As Chris passed through the city gates and entered the square, his eyes caught a massive bronze statue.
It was shaped like a large tree, with countless human heads sculpted in bronze hanging from its branches.
The heads had horns, seemingly depicting the severed heads of Ma’in, all twisted in agony as if tortured to death.
‘What kind of demons from Gehenna would enjoy a statue like this, displayed so openly in the square?’
Chris shook his head.
It was a testament to the depth of the Law Kingdom’s hatred for the Ma’in.
In fact, the moment Chris and his group stepped inside the city walls, they were met with piercing, hostile gazes.
It felt like stones could be thrown at any moment, and Viscount Roy’s face turned pale again as he nervously wiped sweat from his brow.
“T-These are envoys from the Dark Ma’ga, here to solve the plague that has struck Gold Cross! So, they’re good Ma’in!!”
‘Ugh, why do I have to be the one saying this? Send me home, you demon!’
By the way, since they had arrived in the Law Kingdom, the knights who had come with them, including Sir Press, had returned to the border, leaving Viscount Roy alone, swallowing his tears.
At that moment, a cold voice cut through the air.
“Viscount, you tell amusing stories. Good Ma’in, you say? Envoys from the Dark Ma’ga?”
“!!”
A tall, blond man appeared.
He bore the emblem of the Law Kingdom and was flanked by knights.
Chris recognized him immediately.
‘Paladin Miek.’
One of the Law Kingdom’s most renowned paladins.
A five-star elder-class warrior.
‘Famous for his righteous character, too.’
Chris couldn’t help but chuckle quietly as memories surfaced.
‘He was even in charge of my purification ceremony.’
In other words, Miek was one of those who had abused him under the guise of purification when he was a child.
It was clear abuse, judging by Miek’s expression during the ceremony.
Back then, Miek had taken pleasure in tormenting the young Chris.
‘To meet this guy right after arriving in the Law Kingdom.’
Chris nodded without showing any reaction.
“We are envoys from the Dark Ma’ga. You must have heard from the main house.”
“Yes. You’ve come to investigate the true cause of the plague spreading through the Federation.”
“That’s right. The culprit is clearly trying to frame our Dark Ma’ga. We intend to uncover the truth and make them pay.”
Miek nodded.
Then, in a low voice, barely audible to others and directed only at Chris, he said:
“Shut up, you filthy creatures.”
“!!”
“I don’t care what you’re thinking. Just stay quiet and leave. We accepted your visit as diplomatic envoys reluctantly, but the thought of vermin like you setting foot in our sacred Law Kingdom makes my blood boil.”
Chris couldn’t help but smirk.
‘Just as I remember Miek’s personality.’
He thought bitterly.
‘Maybe I should take care of him while I have the chance.’
Not out of personal grudge.
Honestly, it was such an old wound that he’d almost forgotten.
If he held grudges against everyone who tormented him as a child, he’d have to slaughter most of the Law Kingdom’s notable figures.
‘Still, it’s better to kill this guy. For the future.’
If left alive, he’d become a cancer, eating away at the Crusade Alliance from within.
More dangerous than any enemy—a rotten, corrupting presence.
“It’s about time I showed some real strength. Besides, you started this quarrel, so if a fight breaks out, it’s not on me.”
Chris finished his calculations and turned to taunt Miek.
“I couldn’t care less about your loud, meaningless barking. Why don’t you just lead me to your master, the Law King?”
“!!”
“Honestly, I was expecting more, hearing all this talk about the Law Kingdom. But looking at you—just some insignificant nobody yapping like you own the sky—it’s pretty underwhelming.”
Miek’s face flushed with rage.
Just as he was about to grip his sword tightly, he froze.
His eyes met Chris’s.
“…”
Deep. So deep it was like staring into an abyssal sea—those dark red eyes pressed down on Miek with a suffocating weight.
An instinctive sense of danger surged through him.
He knew he couldn’t draw his sword.
‘What nonsense is this? Who does this kid think he is?’
Miek furrowed his brows, unable to comprehend the feeling.
He was an Elder Class.
Granted, still a low 5-star, but unlike Eshed—the half-baked 5-star Chris had defeated recently—Miek was a proper Elder Class.
And yet, he was getting this kind of vibe from someone only 4-star?
“Why? What are you hesitating for? Aren’t you going to draw your sword? If you want to, go ahead. The Mine doesn’t shy away from any challenge.”
Miek ground his teeth in frustration.