Chapter 190
Next up was the Lordrock territory.
This one was easier.
Thanks to the trick Chris had pulled through the communication tunnel, the defenses here were still completely unprepared.
‘The poison defenses here are pathetic, too.’
Only the border territory of Balmont had exceptional poison defenses; not all territories under the Venomous Maga had strong poison traps.
“Here’s a fork in the road. Which way shall we go?”
Leon, the third commander, asked.
“The remaining territories are Sesia and Kalia,” Chris replied, pausing to think.
‘Both are important.’
The Sesia region was the source and storage site of the core poisonous herbs used by the Venomous Maga.
Kalia, on the other hand, was home to the dam on the Stran River, which ran through the Venomous Maga’s lands.
‘If we take these two regions, it’s like holding a knife to the Venomous Maga’s throat.’
Burning the poisonous herb fields and storage in Sesia, or destroying the dam in Kalia, would deal a devastating blow.
If we control both, the Venomous Maga would be hostage to us, unable to act rashly—and this conflict would end in our victory.
‘The problem is, both regions are tough nuts to crack.’
Despite being rear territories, both had powerful demon lords—Master Class demons rated six stars—ruling them.
‘We have to take both to break the Venomous Maga’s will to fight.’
But time was tight.
‘The Venomous Maga must have caught on by now. Trying to attack both at once might be too ambitious.’
Chris made his decision.
“Leon, take half the Black Flag Army and head to Kalia.”
“And you, Deputy Commander?”
“I’ll lead the rest with Baron Senin to Sesia.”
A two-pronged attack.
‘Kalia’s lord is a lower six-star. Leon, as a mid-six-star, should handle that fine.’
But Sesia’s lord was a strong mid-six-star.
Leon looked concerned.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I went to Sesia? It might be tough for you and Senin to handle.”
The gap between lower and mid-six-star demons was significant.
Especially since Chris himself was only a five-star.
Objectively, it was a losing battle.
“It’s fine. I can win.”
“But, Deputy Commander?”
Leon still couldn’t shake his worry.
“The Count of Sesia is notorious for his vicious poison techniques, even among the Dark Maga.”
“Still, he can’t be worse than a demon.”
“!!”
Chris grinned.
“Have you already forgotten who I am?”
He was referring to the time he repelled the monster Patera of the Mystic Maga.
If not for Chris, Duke Shupen and the other commanders would have paid a heavy price.
“But still…”
Leon’s worry lingered.
A mid-six-star demon lord was a formidable foe.
‘Honestly, with my current strength, facing a mid-six-star is tough.’
But Chris was confident.
He had a plan.
“Senin, how do you feel? Afraid?”
Senin twitched his eyebrows.
He’d shaken off his inferiority complex but hadn’t lost his competitive spirit toward Chris.
“With the Grand Duke by my side, we’ll manage. Though, I’ll be the one to earn the greater glory.”
“Merlin, what about you?”
“Heh, do you really need to ask? I’m just the Grand Duke’s sword, cutting down our enemies.”
Everyone responded like that, and even Leon shook his head.
“Understood. You must win, Deputy Commander.”
Just as the decision was made, Marisa, who had been silently listening behind them, suddenly shouted.
“Wait! Are you crazy? You’re really going through with this?”
“Is there a problem?”
“You’ll die! Do you know how terrible the Count of Sesia is?”
“There’s a way.”
“Fighting a six-star Master Class demon? What way could possibly help?”
Her concerns were valid.
Even the best tactics only work when the power gap isn’t so huge.
With such a difference in strength, no brilliant plan would matter.
But Chris gave a ridiculous answer.
“I’m strong enough.”
“…What?”
“I’m as strong as the Count of Sesia. So there’s no need to worry.”
A five-star claiming to match a mid-six-star?
Marisa was speechless, and Chris chuckled.
“By the way, why do you keep following me around and nagging? People might think we’re still engaged.”
Marisa’s face flushed bright red.
“Who cares about an engagement that’s already over? I don’t care at all!”
“Yeah, I know. Me neither.”
“…”
“So don’t waste your breath. Just go back to the Venomous Maga’s main territory.”
Marisa clenched her fists.
‘That jerk. Why does he always have to be so rude? Why did I ever like him? Well, that’s in the past. I definitely, absolutely don’t like him now.’
She shook her head firmly.
“Fine. I’m coming with you.”
“Hm?”
“We’re friends! If you’re going to do something reckless and get into trouble, I have to help!”
“…I’m not sure you’ll be much help.”
“Shut up!”
Of course, she knew she couldn’t do much with her own strength.
‘But in the worst case, I can use my status to negotiate for Chris’s life.’
Chris shrugged and shouted to the Black Flag Army.
“Move out!”
“We’re moving out too!”
Leon headed to Kalia, while Chris and Senin went to Sesia.
But right after arriving in Sesia, Chris’s face hardened.
An unexpected situation had unfolded.
“Those rats crawled all the way here. So the rumors about Balmont and Lordrock falling were true.”
“Well, what does it matter? We just have to kill them now.”
Two Master Class poison demons stood atop the castle walls, radiating intense power.
One was the Count of Sesia, lord of this territory—a strong mid-six-star.
The other was the Count of Kalia, the lord Leon was supposed to face.
Two six-star Master Class poison demons together in one place.
‘Why is the Count of Kalia here in Sesia?’
Chris bit his lip.
Simple.
‘They decided to join forces so they wouldn’t be picked off one by one.’
This battle was a race against time.
Chris had to capture the territories before reinforcements arrived, while the enemy only had to hold out.
‘They abandoned the less important Kalia Castle to defend Sesia together.’
The worst-case scenario.
With Chris’s current forces, even one mid-six-star Count of Sesia was overwhelming.
Now, with the Count of Kalia added, it was dire.
“Grand Duke, we should retreat for now. We have no chance with our current strength.”
Senin said firmly, but the two on the wall sneered.
“Are you scared?”
“Don’t tell me you’re dreaming of escaping alive.”
With a flash, the Counts of Sesia and Kalia leapt down from the walls.
A sinister poison aura spread around them.
“None of you will leave this place alive. You will all die in excruciating pain.”
“Especially you, Grand Duke Christian. I’ll melt your limbs with poison and keep your torso alive as a hostage.”
The two Master Class poison demons glared down at Chris and his group with cold, low eyes.
“W-wait! Stop!”
Marisa stepped forward urgently.
“Hm, Lady Marisa? So you’re here too.”
She gritted her teeth.
“I’ll take the blame for this incident. Please spare Christian.”
“Hm?”
Marisa’s expression was resolute.
“Worsening relations with the Dark Maga won’t help my uncle, Duke Goras. So please accept my life instead.”
Anyway.
If this operation failed, Marisa wouldn’t clear her name.
The evidence Ruina had fabricated was fake; the real proof was to be obtained after capturing the castle.
So if things went on like this, Marisa would die—but at least she wanted to save Christian.
‘We’re friends. If I’m going to die anyway, it’s only right to sacrifice myself for a friend.’
With that resolve, Marisa shouted.
“What are you waiting for? I’ll hold them off! Christian, run! Why aren’t you running with your foolish noble family?”
Senin and Merlin nodded firmly at Marisa’s call.
“Grand Duke, please retreat. I, Merlin, will risk my life to hold them back. I regret not having fought you more passionately before.”
“…I’ll stay and fight too. I hate to admit it, but you’re more important to the Dark Maga than I am. Since it’s come to this, you’re really unlucky.”
It wasn’t just Merlin and Senin.
The Black Flag soldiers radiated solemn determination.
They were all resolved to save Chris at any cost.
Amid this resolute scene, Chris himself said,
“…What nonsense are you all spouting? Why would I run?”
His expression was one of disbelief.
Everyone raised their voices at his inappropriate attitude in such a dire moment.
“Stop bluffing and run!”
“That’s right, Your Highness! No matter who you are, this is just impossible.”
“Don’t keep showing that annoying attitude until the very end. Just get lost already.”
“…”
Chris let out a bitter laugh at their reactions.
“Why do you automatically assume I’m going to lose?”
“Well, obviously…”
“No, let me rephrase that. Do you really think a genius like me didn’t foresee even the slightest chance of this kind of worst-case scenario?”
Yeah.
When I planned the diversion tactic, I wasn’t completely blind to the possibility that things could go this badly.
But even so, I went ahead with it.
Why?
Simple. Because even if it came to this, I was confident I could win.
“Didn’t I say it? I’m strong. Strong enough to beat that Cesia or whatever her name is.”
“!!”
Everyone’s eyes went wide.
Even for Christian, this sounded unbelievable.
Meanwhile, the two from the Extreme Poison Mage faction burst out laughing at Chris’s words.
“Haha! So this is the new Grand Duke of the Dark Mages, huh? I’ve heard he’s impressive, and I have to admit, when it comes to boasting, he’s definitely the best in our Mage Empire.”