Episode 150
Crackle.
The cigarette that Marquis Schupen had been holding between his lips suddenly ignited.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Christian had subtly sparked it for him.
“Y-Your Grace!” the adjutant exclaimed in surprise.
“Remain still. It’s nothing,” Schupen replied calmly, though he struggled to mask his shock.
In that instant, Christian had cast an illusion to cleverly confuse my perception, while simultaneously manipulating the nature of dark mana’s dominion to exert physical force and ignite the cigarette’s surface.
Of course, Schupen had allowed a certain degree of mischief—he hadn’t reacted when he first sensed something off, judging Christian posed no threat.
Still, it was unbelievable.
Even if only for a fleeting moment, Christian had succeeded in partially disrupting the senses of a seven-star superior mana user like himself.
This meant Christian’s skill with illusions far surpassed anything Schupen had ever seen.
And the ignition itself was no dark magic.
Had it been, Schupen would have immediately blocked it.
Astonishingly, it was pure spontaneous combustion caused by physical force.
More precisely, Christian had used the dominion of dark mana to interfere with physical forces and trigger combustion.
Schupen couldn’t even fathom how one could manipulate physical forces in a space beyond reach to cause ignition.
“As you can see, I’m not your average mana user,” Christian said matter-of-factly.
“…”
He continued without hesitation.
“More importantly, wouldn’t I be more useful to the Dark Maga than Marquis Langham?”
“!!”
“You must have some idea of the dark intentions Langham harbors.”
Schupen’s expression hardened.
“That’s none of my concern. Whatever Langham hides beneath the surface.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Our House Schupen is nothing more than the watchdog that obeys the head of the family, guarding the clan from external threats. We are strictly forbidden from meddling in the internal affairs of the main house.”
The Schupen family had stood firm alongside the history of the Dark Maga.
While countless branch families rose and fell, Schupen remained unshaken as the foremost among them.
Their secret was simple.
They fulfilled their duty without ever interfering in the main house’s politics.
No matter how dirty or horrific the chaos within the main house, they never looked away from their sole responsibility: protecting the Dark Maga from outside enemies.
A stance both righteous and deserving of respect.
“But is turning a blind eye to obvious wrongs truly what’s best for the Dark Maga?”
“!!”
Schupen’s face stiffened.
“Of course, I understand. Everyone has their duties. Yours is to protect the Dark Maga from external threats. The main house’s faults must be corrected by those within.”
“…”
Christian met Schupen’s gaze steadily.
“Instead, watch me closely. I will not only become the heir apparent but will set the Dark Maga on the right path. No, beyond that—I will ensure the Dark Maga stands tall against the calamities to come.”
“Do you truly believe you can do that on your own?”
Christian grinned.
“You’ll see.”
“!!”
“I will prove that I am worthy to be the master of the Dark Maga. More than that, I will prove I am the one to renew it. Under my hand, the Dark Maga will be reborn.”
Schupen frowned.
Absurd. Ridiculous.
Yet, why did those words not sound like empty boasts?
Yes.
It was as if he were seeing a glimpse of the family head Nordian in his prime—the same fiery ambition and confidence for the Dark Maga.
“You sure talk a big game. You’re not even qualified to be deputy commander yet.”
Schupen sneered.
“By the rules of the Dark Maga army, to become deputy commander, you must be able to overpower at least one of the five generals by force.”
He meant the five commanders leading the Dark Maga army.
All of them were at the six-star level.
With Christian’s current rank, he was nowhere near a match.
“Then prove it.”
“…What?”
“Give me two months. Within that time, I’ll defeat one of the five generals.”
Schupen’s face twisted in disbelief.
“You’re only a four-star superior now, aren’t you? And you say you’ll beat a general in two months? That’s nonsense.”
A natural reaction.
But beyond that, Schupen felt a chill in his chest.
Christian’s bold claim had seemed like nothing more than the ramblings of a braggart.
Yet—
“It’s no nonsense.”
“!!”
“If I fail to defeat one of the five generals within two months, you may cast me out.”
Christian’s eyes were calm, devoid of any desperation or resolve.
As if it were a matter of course.
“What on earth are you thinking?”
“Nothing special.”
Christian answered nonchalantly.
“Two months is a very long time. Especially for a genius like me.”
“!!”
“As I said, watch closely. See what I become in two months.”
Schupen frowned again.
That strange feeling returned.
Absurd words, yet they didn’t sound like empty boasts.
In the end, Schupen scoffed and ended the conversation.
“Fine. I’ll watch. I hope your results are at least half as good as you claim.”
With that, silence fell.
Before going to bed, Christian thought to himself:
Marquis Schupen is not someone to be underestimated.
Though they bickered, he was a man worthy of respect.
There was only one question lingering.
Who will kill Marquis Schupen?
Schupen was destined to die soon.
If memory serves, it will be before the year ends. Not immediately, but not far off—probably about three months left. The problem is, I don’t know who will be the one to kill him.
Christian recalled what the Dark Gossip had said.
—The death of Marquis Schupen was shrouded in mystery. He was sent on a solo mission and was assassinated. For someone of his caliber to be killed without anyone noticing? Everyone suspected the Four Kings, but no trace of them was found on the body.
It remained an unsolved case with the culprit unknown.
Whatever happens, I have to stop it.
Christian closed his eyes, determined.
He didn’t know exactly what would unfold, but to prevent it, he had to become deputy commander.
Two months remained.
It was time to grow stronger.
Meanwhile, in the main house’s mansion, someone was watching the northern direction where Christian and Marquis Schupen had departed.
It was Marquis Langham.
In the dimly lit room, his cold, steady gaze flickered.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows and spoke to him.
[Everything is proceeding according to your plan, Your Grace.]
A mechanical, monotone voice.
The figure wore a one-eyed mask that completely concealed their face.
Surprisingly, it was identical to the “Execution Doll” Christian had encountered in the Gold Cross.
Langham glanced sideways.
“They’ve arrived?”
[Yes. I am the ninth doll of Lady Märchen, serving as her ‘Messenger’.]
An astonishing revelation.
Langham was indeed in league with the Four Kings.
“This isn’t the first time. No need to act like a clown every time.”
[Heh heh. Indeed. It would be troublesome if I stayed too long, so I’ll get straight to the point.]
The lower part of the doll’s mask split open, revealing a sinister grin.
[Preparations are well underway. Marquis Schupen will meet his death as planned. Just as you wished.]
A horrifying confession.
Langham had commissioned the Four Kings to assassinate Schupen.
The reason was simple.
He would become an obstacle to my plans.
Langham’s eyes grew colder.
In truth, Schupen was no enemy. He could even be called a friend.
But Schupen’s loyalty was solely to the family head.
He was a barrier to Langham’s “plans,” so he intended to remove him in advance.
“Make sure the preparations are thorough. There must be no trace of your Four Kings left behind.”
[Heh heh, don’t worry. We have no intention of provoking a war with the Southern Mage Kingdom while the Blood Sword Maga remains unconquered. The tool ‘they’ provided will handle Schupen’s elimination.]
‘They.’
The mysterious group the Grand Princess of the Blood Sword Maga, Idrinne, had mentioned before was now referenced by the doll.
[They are jokers—no, forces akin to natural disasters. Schupen will not escape death.]
If ‘they’ were involved, there was nothing to fear.
But Langham added a chilling request.
“When you eliminate Schupen, can you take care of one more?”
[Hmm?]
“Christian as well.”
The doll’s mouth stretched into a wide, eerie smile.
A spine-tingling laugh escaped.
[Heh heh, that’s an interesting proposal. We are quite intrigued by Christian Gongja as well.]
“…”
[Apologies, but that request cannot be granted.]
Langham frowned.
“Why not? It shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Of course, it’s a simple matter. But this time, it’s not us taking action—it’s entirely up to ‘them.’ And if you want to request additional targets, you’ll have to offer more tribute.”
The Marquis of Langham understood what the doll meant.
“So, we have to pay extra for the additional request as well?”
“Heh heh, as expected of a wise man. You catch on quickly. That’s right. Requesting extra favors from ‘them’ is a heavy burden for us too, so ordinary compensation won’t suffice.”
The doll smiled faintly, as if amused.
“Offer your son, Eshid, to my master, Lord Märchen.”
“!!”
The Marquis’s eyes hardened.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, no ill intent. Lord Märchen’s beloved third doll was destroyed because of Prince Christian, so a new one must be made.”
“…”
“Since Prince Eshid, once a promising heir of the Dark Maga, is now a complete wreck, his body seems suitable to be turned into a doll.”
A horrifying proposition.
No matter how cold-hearted the Marquis of Langham was, he was still a father—and yet, to suggest turning his own son into a doll…
“Anyway, Eshid is now a total invalid, beyond recovery. I thought this might not be such a bad offer…”
“Fine. Do it.”
The Marquis answered curtly.
“But make sure that bastard Christian is dealt with properly.”
The doll blinked one eye in surprise at the decisive response.
“Heh heh, no matter how I look at it, you’re not just a Dark Maga—you’re exactly the kind of person who belongs in our Demon King’s castle.”