Chapter 162
Christian gave a sly smile.
“You were quite lacking today.”
“…”
“I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
Their sparring sessions weren’t meant to end after just one round.
They had agreed to repeat them every day.
Today was only the beginning.
‘Surely I won’t get knocked out in one hit, right?’
The Marquis of Schuppen frowned as he looked at his faintly tingling fingers.
Even though he had raised his magical barrier, the shock had still passed through.
‘No way…’
He shook his head.
But with each passing day, Christian kept revealing new facets of himself.
The gap between them hadn’t narrowed.
It wasn’t something a few sparring matches could fix.
Yet every time, the Marquis was struck by fresh surprises.
Though clearly outmatched, though the gap was insurmountable, Christian managed to land dizzying attacks in fleeting moments.
Sometimes, even the Marquis felt threatened.
‘A monster is a monster, after all.’
Given the difference between them, it was absurd.
No matter how hard a rabbit tries, it can’t threaten an elephant.
The only reason this was possible—though it pains me to say it—was Christian’s insane genius.
He tried to read every move the Marquis made, probing the weaknesses in his magic patterns, even uncovering flaws the Marquis himself wasn’t aware of.
Or rather, could you even call them flaws?
They were barely open spaces left faintly ajar because the opponent was impossible to exploit.
Yet Christian never missed them.
What was chilling was that his growth was visible with every sparring session.
Yesterday and today.
Even within today, his skill at the start and end of the match were clearly different.
‘Tomorrow, he’ll be different again.’
The Marquis clicked his tongue.
A fleeting thought crossed his mind: maybe he really would get hit hard.
“You truly have remarkable talent. Even Lord Noga would pale in comparison.”
It was high praise.
In fact, the Marquis found himself growing fond of Christian with each match.
Christian was undoubtedly the one who would make the future of the Dark Maga shine brilliantly.
But Christian’s unexpected reply caught him off guard.
“It’s not because of talent.”
“What?”
“No matter how much of a genius I am, do you really think I could show this much against someone of your caliber?”
The Marquis was momentarily speechless.
“There’s only one reason I can perform like this.”
“…What is it?”
“It’s because I’m determined to land a hit on you.”
“Hah.”
The bluntness of that statement made the Marquis chuckle.
“You still don’t grasp the real issue.”
“No, I do. With my current strength, it’s nearly impossible to even touch your sleeve.”
“Then why attempt such a reckless challenge?”
“As the future head of the Dark Maga, I want to land a blow on you, who’s neglecting your duty.”
“…What?”
The Marquis’ face went blank for a moment.
He doubted if he’d heard correctly.
But he hadn’t.
“Are you mad?”
“I’m not. Since we’re on the topic, may I say one more thing?”
What followed was even more absurd, insane.
“As the future head of the Dark Maga, do you truly believe you’re offering flawless loyalty to it?”
“…What nonsense.”
The Marquis was about to snap, but then he clamped his mouth shut.
It was Christian’s gaze.
Not just arrogant, but deeply sinking.
A look of authority, as if a supreme being was scolding a subordinate.
Just like Nordian used to show.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I’ve devoted my life to protecting the Dark Maga.”
“Then why do you turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings happening at the main house?”
“!!”
Christian was referring to the Marquis of Langham’s misdeeds.
His eyes blazing, Christian continued.
“Langham not only colluded with the Five Kings but committed all sorts of atrocities behind the scenes to forcefully surpass his limits. You know all of this, don’t you?”
Though not publicly known, Langham had committed unspeakable acts, forsaking humanity to break through his boundaries.
Compared to that, the human sacrifices Eshed performed seemed like child’s play.
“…”
The Marquis was at a loss for words.
He knew all too well.
No matter that Langham had been cast out from the headship, his crimes were unforgivable.
“…I am, and the Schuppen family is, merely the shield protecting the main house.”
“Ha! Is that what you call an excuse?”
Christian’s gaze sharpened, scolding.
“Do you really think it’s proper loyalty to ignore the decay of the Dark Maga and just focus on your own affairs?”
“…”
The Marquis had no answer.
Lord Noga couldn’t intervene in family matters due to ‘restrictions.’
So even knowing about Langham’s atrocities, he couldn’t punish him.
Currently, only the Marquis of Schuppen had the authority to discipline Langham.
Yet he did nothing.
Because it wasn’t his place as a collateral branch.
“May I say one more thing?”
“…What is it?”
“Honestly, don’t you want to step in?”
“!!”
The Marquis’ eyes flickered.
Christian’s voice dropped low.
Not quite a rebuke.
More like a temptation.
“You want to overturn everything right now, but you’re holding back, drawing lines and suppressing yourself, aren’t you?”
The Marquis gritted his teeth.
Christian was right.
He was more of a demon than anyone.
He was furious about Langham’s deeds behind the scenes.
But he had forced himself to suppress it.
Because he had no choice.
As a collateral branch, intervening in the main house’s affairs would be wrong.
The moment he acted, his identity as the loyal shield of the main house would be shaken to its core.
He would no longer be the faithful watchdog.
‘This is why the Marquis of Schuppen hasn’t reached the eighth rank.’
Christian thought to himself.
In truth, the Marquis was ready to ascend to the eighth rank.
But the eighth rank was the realm of the ‘absolute.’
Beyond mocking the laws of the world, it was the stage of mastering one’s microcosm.
No contradictions could remain in the heart.
“…Are you saying I should intervene in the main house’s affairs?”
“Well, I’m not forcing you.”
Christian shrugged and said with a cocky tone,
“Even if you don’t, I’ll be the one to punish Langham.”
“!!”
“But I’m giving you the choice.”
Christian smirked mockingly.
“Whether you want to live with your shame, or stand proud before yourself. Forget your petty excuses about being a collateral branch.”
“!!”
The Marquis’ eyes trembled.
Christian spat on the ground.
He was bleeding from the rough sparring.
Though his body was battered, he stood up and raised his sword again.
“But remember this: if you want to protect something, sometimes you have to boldly cross the line and move forward.”
“!!”
“If you cling only to protection, the day will come when you can’t protect what truly matters.”
Swish!
The sword sliced through the air.
Though it had only been a few days, his movements were clearly different from when they first started sparring.
Though only a fifth-rank, he was standing toe-to-toe with the Marquis of Schuppen, who was at the peak of the seventh rank.
Of course, if the Marquis unleashed his full power, the match would end instantly.
But for Christian to hold his own with technique alone was incredible.
‘It’s not just talent.’
The Marquis admitted.
This wasn’t something talent alone could achieve.
Willpower.
Christian hadn’t set limits on himself, just as he said.
Even if facing the Marquis was like an egg striking a rock, he didn’t hesitate.
He challenged again and again, as if determined to shatter the rock with an egg.
Even now.
‘That sword…’
From below, the blade rose.
Normally, this attack shouldn’t be attempted.
It could exploit an opening, but the risk was high.
Yet Christian had tried this countless times before, each time catching the Marquis off guard.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through the Marquis’ mind.
‘Could it be… he’s trying to show me something?’
All the moments Christian had shown so far came flooding back.
The Marquis was a martial duelist.
He had mastered martial combat more than dark magic.
So he could understand the meaning behind Christian’s actions.
Throughout the sparring, Christian hadn’t defined his limits.
As if to show off.
As if to protest to the Marquis.
‘…Beautiful.’
The Marquis thought without realizing it.
Christian’s reckless acrobatics.
In the end, those wingbeats that transcended limits stirred the heart of the martial duelist Marquis of Schuppen.
‘I was like that once.’
When he was young, he was different.
He risked everything to grow stronger, causing all sorts of trouble.
He had even nearly died invading the Sword Demon Maga to duel.
But at some point, he changed.
He grew older, and the burdens on his shoulders grew heavier.
‘I was bound.’
At that moment, Christian’s attack came flying in diagonally.
As expected, a sharp and threatening strike caught me off guard.
I couldn’t help but admire it again, but I had no intention of just taking it.
Narrowing my eyes, I reached out my hand.
Then something unexpected happened.
The dark magic swirling around my hand began to writhe violently.
‘Are you trying to interfere with my magic by exploiting the controlling nature of dark magic? How dare you?’
The purity of the dark magic wielded by Marquis Shupen was about 70%.
So, when it came to sheer dominance over dark magic, Christian’s 100% purity gave him the upper hand, allowing him to attempt such an attack.
Of course, the difference in mastery was so vast that it was ultimately a futile effort.
In fact, during our previous sparring sessions, Christian had tried similar tactics several times, but they all ended in failure.
‘Pathetic.’
I shook my hand, trying to dispel his control, but Marquis Shupen’s eyes widened.
Unlike before, his control didn’t falter.
In that instant, Shupen’s hand was bound.
“I told you, I don’t believe in limits.”
A black steel blade shot straight at his throat.
‘Damn.’
Marquis Shupen immediately resorted to another method.
Using his seven-star power, he manipulated the ‘laws’ of reality.
The sword, which had been flying straight, twisted diagonally.
‘To think I’d have to manipulate the laws just to defend myself.’
But the surprise didn’t end there.
Despite the laws being altered, the sword’s trajectory remained unwavering, striking directly at Marquis Shupen!
‘How is this possible?’
Marquis Shupen quickly realized the reason.