Chapter 206
The demonic beasts were swarming in.

Right now, he stood at the border of Gehenna, the forbidden zone of the Dark Mage’s domain.

Chris had pushed him here under the pretense of training!

And he’d even set conditions.

He was to survive against the invading Gehenna beasts using only basic destructive black magic.

“Insane.”

Of course, Berkel had a good idea why Christian had assigned such a task.

There was only one way to counter the Gehenna beasts with basic destructive black magic.

He had to completely dominate destruction itself, bending it to his will, unleashing power beyond the fundamentals.

It was exactly the kind of challenge that would help Count Berkel—but it still made him want to curse.

“Damn that Grand Duke.”

Feeling his control over destruction grow stronger with each brush with death, Berkel thought:

Christian was an unfathomable monster.

And at the same time, a damn madman.

*    *    *

Christian gave similar lessons to the other retainers.

Their reactions were all the same.

They admired Christian.

And cursed him.

Because his teachings were brilliant—and yet utterly brutal.

Christian treated the six-star high mages like raw recruits just enlisted in an army, with no mercy or pity.

“Damn it.”

“Hell, at my age, I have to go through this kind of training?”

“Could it be he tried to kill me when I resisted at first?”

But there was no choice but to follow.

Because as they cursed and complied, they found themselves unknowingly climbing over walls that had blocked them before.

That was how exquisite Christian’s teaching was.

Meanwhile, those in the Dark Mage’s domain who didn’t know the truth were puzzled.

Those receiving Christian’s lessons were all top-tier leaders of the Dark Mage’s hierarchy.

Yet they were suffering terribly because of the training, and no one could understand why.

“Why on earth are they undergoing such strange training?”

“Did you see Count Berkel come out of the forbidden zone half-dead?”

“Not just him. What about Viscount Hanegal? He collapsed from exhaustion after running drills for three days straight.”

“Wait, isn’t Viscount Hanegal a black magic specialist? Why would Grand Duke Christian make black mages run drills to death?”

It looked like Chris was just forcing pointless, futile labor under the guise of teaching.

“There’s no way such weird training could be effective.”

“This isn’t like Grand Duke Christian. I think he’s made a mistake this time.”

Even those who usually supported Christian thought he was wrong this time—though they only whispered it quietly among themselves.

Except for one group who openly criticized Christian in loud voices.

The faction of Marquis Langham.

“As expected, just as I thought. What kind of teaching is that from such an arrogant brat?”

“Hey, brat? He is still a Grand Duke. Watch your words. Though I do question his qualifications.”

“From the start, it was a mistake to make such an ignorant brat a Grand Duke.”

“Exactly. He’s been causing nothing but trouble, thinking he’s someone special just because he’s done a little.”

“Anyway, only those who took his lessons ended up suffering.”

“They’re not even worth pitying. They’re fools who can’t even recognize who’s fit to lead the Dark Mage’s domain next.”

For a long time, Langham’s faction gleefully denounced Christian and those under his tutelage.

Then one retainer made an unexpected suggestion.

“How about we use this opportunity to teach those who don’t follow the Marquis a harsh lesson?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hold a ranking battle.”

“!!”

It was a famous event.

Not just in the Dark Mage’s domain, but throughout the Mage Empire.

A duel between mages to determine rank—a tradition that honored the strong.

It had been a long time since the last ranking battle in the Dark Mage’s domain, so it was about time to hold one.

“Looking at those who’ve been taught, it seems they haven’t just suffered—they’ve gained ‘Shinma.’”

“Shinma?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Whether it’s Count Berkel or Viscount Hanegal, their once-solid foundations are shaking.”

“Ha, incredible. What kind of disaster has Grand Duke Christian wrought?”

“Probably the usual—acting like a genius and forcing everyone down the wrong path, spouting nonsense about enlightenment.”

“It was bound to happen once he arrogantly claimed he’d help them break through their limits.”

“The students are fools too. If the teaching is strange, they should ignore it. What did they expect from a thunderstruck, clueless Grand Duke? Tch.”

It was no wonder that those who had reached a certain level avoided giving advice lightly.

If you weren’t able to fully understand someone’s situation and guide them clearly, you risked pushing them into Shinma.

Even if the problem was the same, the solution varied for each individual. What was right for one could be wrong for another.

Without a perfect grasp and precise guidance, it was better to keep silent.

“All the neutral faction have fallen into Shinma, so their strength must have dropped significantly.”

“Yes, it’s the perfect chance to make those stubborn fools kneel before Marquis Langham.”

“And to widely expose Grand Duke Christian’s blunder.”

The neutral faction had long been a thorn in Langham’s side.

And Christian, by forcing his reckless teachings, had inflicted Shinma on the clan’s senior members—committing a grave offense.

They might even hold him accountable.

“What do you say, Your Grace?”

All eyes turned to Langham.

“Not a bad idea. It’s about time for a ranking battle anyway.”

“Announce the ranking battle to the entire clan.”

*    *    *

News of the ranking battle stirred the Dark Mage’s domain.

Since preparation was needed, the event was set for about twenty days later.

“How long has it been?”

“Three years, right?”

“Who among the five six-star upper-rankers will take the final victory this time?”

The strongest in the Dark Mage’s domain was undoubtedly Nordian.

Next were Marquis Langham and Marquis Schupen.

But they weren’t participants in the ranking battle.

The highlight was the duel between six-star mages.

Everyone was curious who among the five six-star upper-rankers would emerge victorious.

“Surely Count Kazar or Count Berkel? Count Hyunkel won’t leave his barrier.”

Hyunkel.

The leader of the Five Generals and a six-star upper-ranker.

He was considered the third strongest after Kazar and Berkel.

“What about the other two?”

The remaining two were from Langham’s faction.

Viscount Macfield, Langham’s top subordinate.

And Marquis Marek, leader of the Black Wolf Knights—another elite order alongside the Black Lion Knights.

But the mages shook their heads.

“Even though they’re six-star upper-rankers, compared to the first three, the other two fall short.”

“Right. There’s a skill gap.”

Then someone voiced a dissenting opinion.

“No, this time it might be different.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard both Count Kazar and Count Berkel aren’t in good shape. Rumor has it they’ve fallen into Shinma.”

“Shinma?”

Everyone looked shocked.

Why would two of the strongest suddenly fall into Shinma?

“It’s because of Grand Duke Christian’s teachings. They pushed themselves too hard and fell into Shinma.”

“Impossible.”

“Not just them. Everyone who took Christian’s lessons has fallen into Shinma to some degree.”

“Ha, unbelievable. What kind of teaching was it?”

No one could understand.

“Then this ranking battle won’t be easy.”

“Yeah, no one can perform at their best when trapped in Shinma.”

“I heard Marquis Langham called for the ranking battle precisely because of this.”

“Everyone’s in for a tough time.”

Such rumors spread throughout the Dark Mage’s domain.

But those who were the subject of the rumors—the retainers under Christian’s tutelage—showed no reaction.

Or rather, they had no time to care.

Enduring Christian’s relentless pressure day after day left no room for gossip.

“Damn that Grand Duke.”

“That guy’s a demon, a demon.”

“Ugh. To be treated like this by someone half my age.”

Christian’s treatment grew harsher by the day.

They couldn’t help but curse him under their breath.

Yet not a single one stopped taking his lessons.

If anything, they pushed all their work onto subordinates and focused entirely on Christian’s training.

Because they all felt themselves changing.

“The Grand Duke really is a madman.”

Recalling the lessons they’d received, the retainers let out bitter laughs.

The rumors about their Shinma were not false.

The shock had shaken the foundations they’d built, and all had fallen into Shinma to varying degrees.

But that was part of Christian’s plan.

He skillfully guided them through the trembling Shinma.

“How?”

It was unbelievable.

Without realizing it, they were climbing walls they never could have scaled before.

They sensed it instinctively.

The day was drawing near when they would finally overcome the countless walls that had frustrated them until now.

“That man is truly a mad monster.”

“With him by our side, we can do it.”

Before long, the retainers’ hearts swelled with unwavering trust in Christian.

Meanwhile, Christian was frantically busy with other matters as well.

“It’s not enough to just strengthen the high-ranking retainers.”

He let out a low sigh.

“The lower-ranked minions’ power needs to be boosted too.”

The common minions were also a crucial pillar of the Dark Magic faction.

But it was impossible for Christian to personally teach every single one of them.

Instead, he came up with another plan.

“I’ll create a new manual for the common minions.”

He overhauled the magic techniques and dark spells that the lower-ranked minions learned.

“This is way too crude.”

The magic and dark spells taught to the lower minions were, naturally, of the lowest grade.

“Needlessly difficult to learn, and the power is weak.”

Christian completely rebuilt them from the ground up.

He made them much simpler and easier to grasp, but far more powerful.

“There’s no point in making the lower minions learn complicated magic that just backfires.”

Of course, that didn’t mean the techniques lacked depth.

They started out easy, but the deeper you mastered them, the more profound they became. When fully developed, they would rival the higher-grade magic techniques.

“I have to strengthen the 4-star and 5-star minions too.”

For the 4- and 5-star minions, he mass-produced training magic stones.

However, unlike the personalized stones given to people like Jupien or Count Kazar, these weren’t tailored to individuals.

They were simply stones that allowed indirect experience of the core insights of dark magic.

“Even just catching a glimpse of the right path helps a lot in achieving mastery.”

Later, when he had more time, he planned to personally teach those who showed promise.

“This isn’t the end.”

Christian’s job wasn’t just to strengthen the minions.

“I have to get stronger too.”

The most important task.

After finishing all his duties, Christian set aside time for training.

“I have to reach perfect 6-star level within a month, at the level of a Saint’s Radiance.”

He drew his holy sword.

Whoosh!

Christian’s will—the sword that destroys evil—cut through the air as time slipped by relentlessly.

The ranking battle was fast approaching.