Chapter 31
There were still a few days left before the Ebony Hunt.
Chris made sure to spend that time well.
In other words… he indulged in reckless pleasure.
“Go!”
“Drop!”
The retainers who had followed Chris to the arcade stared at him in bewilderment as he focused intently on a card game.
“M-Master?”
“Why?”
“Is it really okay for you to be doing this?”
“Why not? We’ve got time to kill anyway. Gotta rest while I can.”
“…This isn’t just resting, is it?”
Card games, and all sorts of other indulgences—Chris’s idea of rest was anything but ordinary.
Except for alcohol.
Because Chris was underage, no one would serve him alcohol. So he ended up holding a ginger ale while playing cards.
‘Damn it, why are these retainers so uptight? I hate ginger!’
At least card games weren’t illegal.
Historically, card games were a pastime enjoyed by all ages and genders.
“Whatever. Besides, I’m a wild kid. If a wild kid wants to act wild, what’s the problem?”
The retainers looked confused.
Just after seeing Chris’s impressive side at the Tiramin estate, he was back to acting like a reckless brat.
They couldn’t make sense of him.
Of course, Chris wasn’t just acting this way to enjoy himself.
‘I need to make them let their guard down around me.’
Chris could feel eyes watching him from all directions.
They were the watchful gazes sent by the Tiramin estate, wary that Chris might pull some trick again.
The final plan to seize the Ebony had to be carried out soon, and those watchful eyes had to be distracted.
‘Might as well have some fun while I’m at it. Hah, it’s been a while since I’ve really let loose like this.’
As he often said, Chris wasn’t a genius who succeeded through sheer effort.
He was naturally lazy and loved to play.
Since the goal was to make the enemy careless, he went all out.
Not acting—genuinely.
In a way that anyone would recognize as pure wildness!
Sure enough, those who had been watching shook their heads.
[Thought he’d changed, but he’s the same as ever.]
[Still a reckless brat.]
[Can you believe Alos got beaten by a punk like that?]
They acknowledged Chris’s skill.
What he showed in the duel was undeniable.
But a wild brat was still a wild brat.
[He’s talented, but in the end, just a reckless kid.]
[Not worth the trouble to watch. Just report back casually.]
The watchful eyes didn’t disappear.
But they loosened.
And the moment Chris sensed that looseness—
He snapped awake.
It was time to move.
His destination was the Forbidden Zone of the Tiramin estate.
The place where the Ebony Hunt ritual would be held.
The Tiramin estate specialized in demon beast manipulation magic.
As such, it was backed by a vast demonic realm.
The Kaiton mountain range, located in the southeast of the estate’s territory, was their main hunting ground.
The Tiramin retainers roamed the Kaiton mountains like their own backyard, hunting and controlling demon beasts.
At the entrance to the Kaiton range lay the ‘Forbidden Zone.’
A place where no one was allowed to set foot.
It only opened during the Ebony Hunt ritual.
‘There are guards.’
Chris observed from a distance.
The Forbidden Zone was a large cave, guarded by retainers.
All of them had mastered magical energy, with the strongest appearing to be a third-rank retainer.
Still too strong for Chris’s current magic to overcome.
‘But if I avoid their gaze, that changes things.’
Chris cast a black magic spell—Veil of Secrecy.
A stealth spell that concealed his presence.
On top of that, he used a few other techniques.
First, he reined in his magical energy.
Just hiding visually wasn’t enough. If his magic leaked out, someone sensitive could detect it.
Containing magic while casting black magic was a skill only mid-level or higher retainers could manage, but for Chris, it was a simple trick.
Then, to be flawless, he masked his presence completely.
Blending with the surroundings so no sound or trace of movement could be detected.
A secret technique from the empire’s top swordsmanship family, stolen from a hero.
Since similar skills existed among retainers, he had no fear of being recognized.
‘Let’s go.’
Surprisingly, the guards at the entrance didn’t notice him at all.
Inside the cave was a hollow chamber.
No one guarded the inner area.
Because of the nature of the Forbidden Zone.
‘There’s an energy inside.’
Chris’s gaze darkened.
A chilling aura emanated from deep within the chamber.
It was similar to magical energy but different.
More sinister, more malevolent.
It seemed to ripple with thick malice.
It had to be.
“The Rift of Gehenna.”
This place was a rift connecting to Gehenna.
The demon world, the shadow dimension.
‘A spot like this in a single estate?’
Chris shook his head in disbelief.
This world was made up of multiple dimensions.
Among them, the one where humans and other races lived was called the Midrealm.
As the name suggests, the Midrealm connected to various other dimensions, the most notable being the Celestial Realm and Gehenna.
The Celestial Realm was the world of constellations and heavenly beings.
Gehenna was the world of demons and fiends.
A ‘spot’ was a rift in the Midrealm connecting to such other dimensions.
Usually, these were managed and guarded by nations.
‘Isn’t this way too poorly managed?’
Chris looked baffled.
Of course, that wasn’t entirely true.
Complex magic circles were inscribed around the rift.
Clearly high-level black magic.
They served as a barrier to prevent evil beings from Gehenna from crossing over.
If anyone tampered with the magic circles, an alarm would immediately alert the Tiramin estate and the dark magic headquarters.
‘Anyway, let’s get this done quickly and get out.’
The aura of Gehenna made Chris uneasy.
He took out a prepared vial and sprinkled its contents around the chamber.
“Pheromone application complete.”
Chris grinned wickedly.
This was his secret weapon to cap off the Ebony Hunt.
Having carefully set his ‘trap,’ Chris cast the Veil of Secrecy again and slipped out of the cave.
Silence returned to the chamber.
But some time after Chris left—
A low voice echoed from deep within.
“Oh? Quite impressive. How intriguing.”
Surprisingly, it was a bat!
The bat chuckled like a person, then transformed into a human form amid a blood-red mist.
Sharp fangs. A crimson sword emblem marked on his temple.
He was a vampire, ordered by Lord Nordian to watch over Chris!
“I never imagined the young master would be this interesting.”
The vampire, Simon, chuckled softly.
“This exceeds my expectations.”
He had guessed Chris wasn’t an ordinary talent.
Merian’s high praise had hinted at that.
But this was on another level.
Simon recalled what Chris had done here.
Provoking the Tiramin estate, crushing Alos.
Not only that, but pretending to be a wild brat to make the watchers careless, then sneaking into the Forbidden Zone to pull off some scheme?
At this point, it was almost like Chris had the Tiramin estate wrapped around his finger.
“The reckless brat is more formidable than I thought. This is troublesome.”
Simon bared his teeth in a smile.
“I want to play an even more ‘serious’ prank.”
Originally, he had planned a light-hearted prank.
To gauge Chris’s abilities.
Though whether Chris would see it as light-hearted was doubtful, he had no intention of crossing the line.
But Chris’s actions had piqued his interest.
“Ah, this is your responsibility, young master.”
Simon hummed a tune as he approached the rift.
The closer he got, the more the evil aura of Gehenna prickled his skin.
Yet, he smiled darkly, as if savoring the malevolence.
Finally.
Simon reached out his hand into the rift.
His fingertip split open, blood dripping out.
Drip. Drip.
As Simon’s blood fell beyond the magic circle into the rift, the crimson sword emblem on his temple glowed deeper red.
And then—
[Wicked one… what is your desire?]
A chilling roar echoed as if from the depths of an abyss.
Simon lifted the corner of his mouth.
The ‘prank’ had begun.
At last, the Ebony Hunt began.
A loud horn echoed through the Tiramin estate.
“Is everyone ready?!”
“Yes, my lord!”
“The beaters will lure Karazov into the Forbidden Zone! Begin!”
“Understood!”
The retainers dispersed in perfect formation.
Now, they would lead Karazov into the Forbidden Zone.
“Let’s head there.”
Chris spoke to Alos.
Alos, the ritual’s centerpiece, and his escort retainers were to wait inside the Forbidden Zone.
Alos clenched his teeth and glared at Chris, then abruptly turned and strode ahead.
The other escort retainers also glared at Chris.
For reference, all the other escorts were young, around Chris’s age.
Since the Ebony Hunt was akin to a coming-of-age ceremony for the Tiramin estate, experienced mid-level retainers did not participate.
All were hot-blooded youths, and none hid their hostility toward Chris.
“Remember this: the Ebony Hunt is our Tiramin estate’s affair.”
“We’ll handle it ourselves, so don’t get any ideas about interfering.”
Chris just shrugged.
When they arrived at Geumji, the retainers of the Tyramin Count’s household openly shunned Chris even more blatantly.
“This is where Sir Christian is to wait.”
“Hmm? Isn’t that too far from the altar where the ritual will be held?”
The bodyguards’ role was to respond to any emergencies during the ceremony.
But Chris’s spot was all the way at the far end of the hall.
Almost on the opposite side of the crevice where the altar stood—hardly a place to react quickly if something went wrong.
It was a deliberate act of exclusion.
“Don’t worry. Sir Christian won’t need to step in.”
“Under no circumstances are you to leave your post before we say so.”
Their words were laced with suspicion and hostility.
It was clear they intended to keep Chris from making any contribution during this Ebony Hunt.
But Chris just shrugged it off casually.
‘They all look like wild beasts, but they’re petty as hell. Whatever, doesn’t bother me.’
Since he was being pushed aside anyway, Chris spread out comfortably on the floor and lay down.
He was so relaxed that he even dozed off briefly, snoring softly.
Tsk, what a reckless brat…
If I get the chance, I’ll show him a lesson.
Comments like that drifted through the air now and then, but Chris ignored them.
After all, the climax was fast approaching.
‘Maybe it’s about time.’
Just as he let out a sleepy yawn, a sharp shout rang out from outside.
“Karazov has been driven back!!”