Chapter 319
Within the Union, there was a region known as the Gray Zone.
It lay between the Golden Cross and the Karn Empire.
Nowadays, it was a lawless no-man’s land, claimed by neither side. But in the past, a magnificent kingdom had stood there.
The lost kingdom—the Opalma Kingdom.
‘So that’s why Ruina has been desperately gathering funds,’ Chris thought. ‘It’s all to rebuild the Opalma Kingdom.’
That was the truth behind Ruina’s actions.
Of course, it was nearly impossible.
It wasn’t just about amassing money.
To restore the Opalma Kingdom, they needed recognition from the neighboring great powers.
‘Especially the Karn Empire’s approval is crucial.’
Under normal circumstances, the Karn Empire would never acknowledge the restoration of Opalma.
That was why—
“Th-thank you! sniff sob It’s all thanks to Your Highness, the Grand Duke!”
Ruina’s unusually emotional reaction caught Chris off guard.
“From now on, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
“Yes, since I’ve granted your wish, how about giving me half of your entire fortune?”
“That’s out of the question! That’s crossing the line!”
Ruina suddenly straightened up, her expression serious.
Chris chuckled softly.
“You’re going to have a tough time ahead. The Gray Zone isn’t a place to take lightly. But I’ll be rooting for you—hang in there.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my best! Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!!”
Ruina shouted enthusiastically.
But Chris’s reaction was strange.
Secretly, he was looking at Ruina with a selfish gleam in his eyes.
‘Let her struggle and toil while pioneering the Gray Zone. I needed a foothold there anyway.’
That was it.
Chris had his own agenda.
To prevent the boundaries between the Three Realms from fully opening in the future, he needed to control the Gray Zone.
The problem was that the Gray Zone was vast and complicated, so he needed a foothold. If Ruina established a base there, he planned to exploit it completely.
Sure, Ruina would suffer tremendously in the process, but since it was the kind of hardship she wanted, it didn’t matter much.
‘A win-win situation.’
Afterwards, left alone, Chris let out a low sigh.
‘By the way, what happened to the Dark Gossip?’
He recalled the events.
There were too many questions.
First and foremost: whose subordinate had she become?
‘I have a hunch.’
Aside from Chris himself, there was only one person in the world who possessed such pure dark magic energy.
The Magic Chancellor.
‘…The real question is why Lena became the Magic Chancellor’s subordinate.’
The Magic Chancellor was the de facto ruler of the Magic Empire.
With a mere flick of his finger, countless magic beasts would pledge their lives in loyalty. There was no need to make Lena his subordinate.
‘And Lena herself wouldn’t have any reason to become his subordinate either.’
Neither the Chancellor’s intentions nor Lena’s motives were clear.
And the biggest mystery was this:
‘Why did Lena react that way when she saw me?’
She seemed to recognize him somehow.
Even though in this life, they were strangers.
‘…Could it be?’
Chris held his breath at a sudden thought.
‘No, that’s impossible.’
But no other explanation fit.
‘I have to find out. We’ll definitely meet again.’
At least, it was a relief that Lena hadn’t fallen into the hands of the Mysterious Mage like before.
The worst-case scenario had been avoided, so there was still hope.
There was one more thing weighing on his mind.
‘They say I’m going to destroy the world? What nonsense is the Celestial Realm spouting?’
He frowned deeply.
But he couldn’t just ignore it.
It was the second time he’d heard such a thing.
What troubled him most was that the constellations wouldn’t make such claims without some basis.
‘I wouldn’t do that. I haven’t even properly enjoyed wealth and glory, so why would I destroy the world?’
At that moment, Evan approached.
“Something troubling you?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“Don’t be like that. Tell me. I’m your comrade.”
Chris hesitated, then spoke.
Evan’s expression shifted subtly after hearing the story.
“Actually, I’ve heard similar things from the constellations before. I thought it was nonsense and ignored it.”
“…Really?”
“What’s there to worry about? You wouldn’t do such a thing, right? The constellations must have been mistaken.”
His answer was simple, without a trace of doubt.
Chris felt deflated.
“Besides, the constellations probably didn’t reveal that prophecy with good intentions. There’s bound to be some sinister motive behind it.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because it’s slander against you. Of course, the constellations are in the wrong.”
“……”
His words were filled with unwavering trust.
“Don’t you trust me too much? I’m not the good guy you think I am. I’m just a greedy fool who only cares about wealth and glory.”
“Chuckles”
Evan laughed as if he’d heard a funny joke.
“Even without using your clairvoyance, I can tell you’re lying. Honestly, you should be ashamed.”
“…No, use your clairvoyance right now. Open your eyes wide and see. The greed that fills my heart.”
“Alright, if that’s what you want, I’ll accept it. You’re the most noble greedy fool in the world.”
He showed no sign of coming down from his infatuation!
“Anyway, don’t worry about it. Just ignore the constellations’ prophecies.”
Chris nodded.
It was a simple but correct answer.
Not all prophecies come true.
‘Besides, as Evan said, the constellations are just as scheming as anyone else.’
There was only one way.
‘I have to get stronger. Strong enough not to be swayed by the constellations’ tricks.’
Having made up his mind, Chris said to Evan:
“Evan, bring Lanya here. It’s time for special training.”
Before returning to the Magic Empire,
he had to make the territory completely his own.
After a brief special training, Chris headed toward the Magic Empire.
He planned to meet Evan and Lanya again soon.
“I’m not going to see you! You’re such a pain! Goodbye forever!”
“Oh, Lanya. That’s not what Christian meant…”
“Evan, please shut up and don’t speak in front of me!”
Lanya looked even more irritated by Evan’s nonsense beside her.
Chris chuckled and said,
“Well, it’s your turn to go to the Kainfer Training Institute, right? See you there.”
“Why would you come to Kainfer Training Institute?”
“I’m going as a temporary instructor.”
“……”
“Didn’t you know? I’m a hero now. I was recently invited. Though it’s just a short-term special lecture.”
It was unexpected news.
The Kainfer Training Institute was a place where the continent’s top talents gathered for intensive training.
Unlike the Academy, it was a place where already proven experts honed their skills.
In other words, it was a place where core professors, so to speak, received training.
Most of the continent’s mid-level elites had passed through there at least once.
‘The training environment is so good that many experience a leap in skill.’
So much so that the Kainfer Training Institute was nicknamed the “Cradle of Fortunes.” Attending was said to be like encountering a stroke of luck that boosted one’s abilities.
Of course, for Lanya and Evan, it was unlikely they’d gain much from Kainfer since they had already reached the 7-star rank.
‘But that depends on how hard they work. Since I’m joining as an instructor, I’ll push them to their limits.’
If Lanya heard that, she’d probably freak out.
‘Though that’s not really my main goal.’
Chris’s gaze darkened.
The Kainfer Training Institute was located within the Union’s prestigious “Round Table” family.
And above the Round Table’s territory stood another powerful Union faction—the “Sky Magic Tower.”
‘I have to go to Kainfer and overturn both the Round Table and the Sky Magic Tower.’
But that was a matter for later.
Chris looked ahead.
A dark land of death stretched out before him.
The Eastern Magic Kingdom.
The domain of the Four Kings Castle.
Chris headed toward the Bask Fortress, where the Dark Alliance’s forces were stationed.
He deliberately suppressed his presence so that none of the magic beasts noticed his return.
“Father.”
“You—you!!”
The Count of Kazar suddenly raised a finger at his son.
“What on earth have you done?!”
“I became a hero and subjugated the Triangular Union and the Karn Empire.”
Chris said calmly, and the Count’s lips parted in surprise.
“Where is Lord Nordian?”
“He’s recovering from injuries.”
Chris looked surprised.
“He was hurt?”
“…Yes. He was injured while confronting the Four Kings Castle Lord.”
It was unexpected.
‘I thought they would be evenly matched.’
Nordian and Pliton, the Four Kings Castle Lord, were both at the 9-star Advanced rank.
“The Four Kings Castle Lord’s power far exceeded expectations. Lord Nordian had to join forces with other family heads just to barely hold his ground.”
“That’s strange.”
“Indeed. The Lord said he suspects the Four Kings Castle Lord is using some forbidden secret technique to amplify her power.”
Chris fell into thought at those words.
‘There’s definitely a hidden secret with Pliton, the Four Kings Castle Lord.’
In his previous life, Pliton had long oppressed the Bloodthirsty Demon King during their struggle for control over the Four Kings Castle.
At that time, the Bloodthirsty Demon King was at 9-star rank, yet only after some time, when she reached the 9-star Advanced rank, was she able to overpower the Four Kings Castle Lord.
If Pliton were merely a 9-star Advanced, that would have been impossible.
‘I have to uncover what that secret is.’
There was one more thing he needed to know.
“How are the movements of the Bloodthirsty Demon King’s magic beasts?”
‘I need to know about Idrinne’s actions as well.’
According to his previous life’s knowledge, it wasn’t Pliton who would start the war, but Idrinne.
But the Count of Kazar had surprising news.
“A faction of the Bloodsword Maga has decided to side with our Dark League.”
“…Which part of the Bloodsword Maga?”
“It’s the group led by Grand Duchess Idrynne.”
“!!”
Chris let out a low whistle.
“She’s completely changed.”
He recalled what members of the Bloodsword Maga had said about Idrynne the last time he visited.
Grand Duchess Idrynne is a benefactor to all of us.
There’s no one in the world as kind as Grand Duchess Idrynne.
They weren’t lying.
In fact, Idrynne had even withstood Chris’s poison, which was meant to destroy evil.
“And now she’s even helping our Dark League?”
Chris had to admit it again.
The Idrynne from his past life and the Idrynne before him now were two entirely different people.
The question was: why?
“Why did the Idrynne from my past life become such a demon? What happened?”
He had to find out the reason.
“This will be a crucial turning point.”
Just then, Count Kazar spoke up.
“By the way, Grand Duchess Idrynne said she’s eager to meet you in person.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. She asked me to be sure to pass on the message once you returned. Tell me, have you and Grand Duchess Idrynne… become close?”
“…Father, I was about to question your sanity.”