Chapter 202
‘It’s about time to win over the hearts of the retainers. I can’t keep putting this off.’
As mentioned before, the method was clear.
He had to prove to everyone—
That he was just as capable as Marquis Langham.
‘I have a plan.’
Just then, a figure approached him.
It was Nordian.
“Have you come?”
“…Grandfather.”
Christian fell silent for a moment.
Nordian had appeared in his original body, holding a cane in one hand, while the other was supported by Merian.
Compared to the last time Christian saw him, he looked noticeably frail.
It was a stark reminder that Nordian’s time was running out.
“Why have you come out?”
“Why? Heh heh.”
Nordian raised his hand and grasped Christian’s.
“You’ve done well. I’m proud of you. You are my pride and the most precious treasure of our family.”
Christian kept quiet.
Seeing Nordian so gaunt stirred something in his chest.
After all they’d been through, Christian had come to feel a certain affection for Nordian.
‘Looks like I’m going to live a long life—never thought I’d feel this way about the head of the Nordian family.’
Though he called him grandfather, Nordian was not his blood relative.
More than that, Nordian was hardly someone to feel familial affection for.
He cared only for the family’s interests and treated even blood relatives as tools.
Nordian had taken an interest in Christian only because he was useful to the family.
But Christian had noticed something.
Through all their experiences, Nordian had come to feel a kind of blood bond toward him.
And Christian, unused to such warmth, was vulnerable to it.
‘As his grandson, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a little gift.’
With that thought, he spoke.
“My lord, I have a request.”
“What is it? Speak freely.”
“Please issue a summons.”
“!!”
Nordian flinched.
It was an order to gather all the key retainers at the main estate.
Such a summons was only issued for extremely serious incidents or declarations.
“Why?”
“I have an important announcement to make. I believe you will be pleased.”
Christian smiled faintly.
The best gift to make Nordian happy was obvious.
The glory of the Dark Maga.
“I will announce the revival of the Dark Ritual.”
Nordian’s eyes widened as if they might tear.
Merian and Simon, standing nearby, shared the same shock.
It was that astonishing.
“Christian, do you not know what the Dark Ritual is?”
Merian’s voice was filled with surprise.
“Of course I do.”
“And yet you say you will revive it?”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“Of course there is…!!”
Their reaction was one of dismay.
The Dark Ritual—also called the Dark Contest—was a bloody ceremony where the three great noble families of the Southern Mage Kingdom gathered to test their strength.
It had long since vanished into history.
Christian’s lips curled upward.
“Through the Dark Ritual, we will subdue the other two families and show that our Dark Maga stands above all.”
With that shocking declaration,
the entire Dark Maga was thrown into turmoil.
The Dark Ritual.
As the name suggests, it was a ceremonial event honoring the ‘Dark Alliance,’ a powerful force that once ruled the Southern Mage Kingdom.
But why did the ritual suddenly involve a duel between the three families?
‘Because it was originally a ceremony to select the head family of the Dark Alliance.’
After the disappearance of the Dark Lord of Annihilation, the Dark Alliance didn’t collapse immediately.
It lingered for quite some time.
However, the leadership of the alliance changed hands repeatedly.
The strongest family was naturally the one to dominate the others.
But since constant warfare was impractical, they devised this event.
Every ten years, the families would compete in duels, and the winner would become the head of the alliance.
Over time, as the Dark Alliance faded away, so did the Dark Ritual.
But now Christian proposed to revive it.
Naturally, everyone in the Dark Maga opposed it.
“Absolutely not!!”
“The Dark Ritual? That’s impossible!”
The many retainers gathered at the main estate in response to the summons voiced their unanimous opposition.
It didn’t matter whether they usually supported Christian or not.
Even his father, Count Kazar, was against it.
“Your Highness, I suggest you reconsider.”
Count Kazar spoke on behalf of the retainers.
Out of respect, he used a formal title.
“The Dark Ritual must never be revived.”
“Why not? The other families won’t oppose it.”
If the Dark Ritual were held, the Destruction Maga would surely be delighted and support it.
They had always wanted to become the rulers of the Southern Mage Kingdom and wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.
‘The Extreme Poison Maga is uncertain, but that doesn’t matter. Soon enough, they’ll be too preoccupied with the upcoming Jade Green Rebellion to care about the Dark Ritual.’
On the other hand, the Dark Maga retainers fiercely opposed it for a simple reason.
If the three families fought, the Dark Maga would inevitably be the bottom loser.
And not just a simple loss.
A humiliating defeat was all but guaranteed.
‘The rules of the Dark Ritual require duels between the highest-ranking mages.’
Whether five or ten, each family selects their champion mage to fight.
The Dark Maga, lacking enough top-tier mages, was at a severe disadvantage.
They would only suffer disgrace, so everyone opposed it.
Some who usually looked down on Christian openly sneered.
“Your Highness seems out of touch with reality.”
“Indeed, that’s probably why you made such an absurd claim about rebuilding the Dark Alliance at the investiture ceremony.”
They were the Langham faction.
All six-star Master-class mages.
They were the core power of the Dark Maga and had no qualms about disparaging the prince.
In fact, they raised their voices as if to make sure Christian heard them.
“Your Highness is impressive in many ways, but I hope you gain some sense of reality—for the sake of the family’s future.”
“To issue a summons just to make such a ridiculous claim… At the investiture, too, it seemed you treat the family’s affairs like child’s play.”
Their rude provocation silenced the others.
For the record, Nordian was not present at this meeting.
Christian had entrusted everything to him.
Christian recalled the conversation he had with Nordian.
—Why do you want to revive the Dark Ritual? Are you hoping to win the contest and claim the headship of the Dark Alliance? That won’t be easy.
Nordian had opposed the idea at first.
Christian shook his head in response.
—No. Winning the contest alone won’t make the other families submit.
Back when the Dark Ritual held real authority, maybe.
But now, no one would accept defeat so easily.
—Then why bother? And you know as well as I do, the Dark Maga has no chance of winning. We’re weak.
Nordian’s bitter words were met with an unexpected reply.
—Because we are weak, that’s why I want to revive the ritual.
—…What do you mean?
—If we don’t do something like this, the Dark Maga will never move forward.
—!!
Christian’s eyes blazed.
—Through this ritual, I will make the entire Dark Maga reborn.
Yes, winning or losing wasn’t the point.
What mattered was transforming the Dark Maga.
Christian intended the Dark Ritual to be a catalyst for the family’s renewal.
Why Nordian accepted Christian’s plan?
‘Of course, we have to win. It’s possible.’
Christian took his first step.
He looked directly at the retainers who had mocked him.
“I know the chances of our Dark Maga winning are slim.”
“But…!”
“As long as there are miserable dogs like you, drowning in defeatism, victory will never come.”
Their faces hardened.
“What did you say?”
“I called you miserable dogs.”
“No matter your rank, you can’t say that—!”
“Why? Am I wrong? You’re already thinking about losing before even fighting.”
Christian twisted his lips.
“Even nameless, insignificant mages on the street don’t think about losing before the fight. So what are you doing now?”
“…….”
“In a real war, caution is natural. But this is just a contest. And yet you’re so scared of losing you can’t even bring yourself to fight? Can you really call yourselves the leaders of the Great Dark Maga?”
Those who had sneered at Christian fell silent.
In fact, everyone in the hall was quiet.
They felt ashamed at his words.
Then, from the head seat, the Langham Marquis spoke quietly.
“That’s just wishful thinking.”
“!!”
“If we actually enter the contest, the Dark Maga will suffer great disgrace. The family’s prestige will be ruined. There’s no benefit at all.”
Several retainers nodded in agreement.
But Christian replied with a sharp tone.
“Marquis, I think you misunderstand. I never said we would lose.”
“…What?”
“If we’re going to fight, of course we must win.”
“That’s nonsense.”
The Langham Marquis shook his head.
“Do you really think our current strength can win the contest?”
“It will be difficult. For now.”
“Then what nonsense are you spouting…?”
“Didn’t I say ‘for now’?”
“!!”
“It’s not like we’re holding the Dark Ritual immediately, is it? Traditionally, the Dark Ritual takes place when the Black Moon rises, which is about half a year from now. Until then, the outcome can change drastically depending on what you all do.”
Marquis Langham looked utterly incredulous.
“You expect to accomplish something in just half a year? Do you really think achieving mastery is that easy?”
“Of course it’s difficult. Even Your Grace has been stuck at this level for over ten years. Seeing you struggle makes it clear just how hard it is to break through.”
Langham’s face stiffened.
Chris was openly mocking him.
“You…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m actually a genius, so I don’t really understand those kinds of struggles. I guess I wasn’t very considerate.”
“!!”
Langham’s eyes darkened with fury.
Considering how he usually kept his emotions in check, this was a rare display of intense anger.
But Chris didn’t care and continued.
“However, there is a way to raise your mastery quickly and easily. Someone guiding you from the side—helping you leap over the wall.”
Everyone, including Marquis Langham, looked utterly baffled.
“Guiding mastery from the side? That’s nonsense.”
‘The hero party had the same reaction at first. Until they actually tried following my advice.’
Chris even remembered how the hero party later kept pestering him for advice to the point it became annoying.
Chris crossed his arms and said, “Remember the promise we made recently? If I solve the issue with the Venomous Maga, I would gain the authority of the Grandmaster.”
“You don’t mean…”
Langham’s eyes widened.
Others who sensed what Chris was planning shared the same stunned expression.
“As Grandmaster, I will personally teach and guide everyone in the family.”
“!!”