Chapter 338
“……”
“I have a feeling something big is about to happen soon. But if we just sit around like this, we’ll be powerless.”
That’s right.
The coming catastrophe won’t wait for her.
The apocalypse is now right at the doorstep.
Once the mysterious mages reveal their true nature—
The boundaries between the three realms will collapse, and when the Celestials and Demons roam freely on the surface, even a five-star achievement won’t be enough to stop them.
“I’m also a descendant of the Dark Mage. I don’t like you acting all high and mighty alone. I want to get stronger and kick your ass, so help me out.”
Melin’s eyes flashed with determination as she stepped forward.
“I ask for your help as well. I want to grow stronger and cut down as many enemies as possible.”
Alos shouted resolutely from the side.
“I-I want to help too! I want to get stronger!”
“…Alos, you too? Why?”
Alos’s face flushed with emotion.
‘Why? Because I don’t think I can survive in this world without getting stronger—thanks to you!’
Chris was increasingly using Alos as a tool, and the risk was rising.
Not long ago, he had thrown Alos into the Beast King’s cage as a prisoner.
That near-death experience had made Alos vow to become stronger to survive.
“Hmm.”
Chris crossed his arms.
“You’re asking the impossible. Even I don’t have a way to make you stronger in a short time.”
That was only natural.
Chris had only been able to boost others’ achievements quickly because they were already fully prepared to break through their limits once given the right trigger.
But now—
“That’s a lie. You can do it.”
“!!”
Jupien said bluntly.
“Or did you make me your subordinate for nothing if you can’t even do this?”
Chris snapped his mouth shut at the provocation.
‘Seriously.’
He shook his head.
In truth, there was one method.
One he had deliberately kept quiet about.
“You just need to accept my blessing as my subordinate. But there’s a catch.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a risk of possession by the demon’s influence. In the worst case, you could become a wreck or even a complete fool.”
“!!”
That was why Chris hadn’t mentioned it before.
The blessing he could bestow on his subordinates was the ‘awakening of talent.’
More precisely, forcibly activating dormant potential.
‘Humans naturally only use a tiny fraction of their innate potential.’
The problem was that artificially activating that potential came with severe backlash.
“You’d have to endure terrible side effects the entire time. Even if you can withstand it, there’s no guarantee you’ll gain the achievement you want.”
“……”
“On the contrary, forcing your potential to awaken could disrupt the foundation you’ve built so far, causing your achievements to regress. In the worst case, you could fall into possession or become a wreck.”
Yes.
The chance of failure was much higher.
It was a gamble that required miracles upon miracles to succeed.
But—
“That’s nothing. I’ll do it.”
“…You?”
“You said it’s all about willpower. That’s my strongest suit.”
Chris sealed his lips.
Come to think of it, that was true.
Jupien was a relentless training maniac.
He had achieved this level of accomplishment without even an outstanding five-star rating.
As far as Chris knew, no one in the Mage Empire or the Alliance had a stronger will than Jupien.
“Make me your subordinate and bless me too. I won’t lose to the princess.”
Melin, who hadn’t yet become a subordinate, bowed her head.
“Uh… I’ll think about it a bit more. Honestly, I’m weak-willed, so I’m not sure…”
Cowardly Alos took a pale step back, but Chris grabbed him.
“No, you have to do it.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Considering what you’ll have to face, if you don’t get stronger, you might actually die.”
“…What do you mean by what I have to do?”
“You know. I’m counting on you from now on, Alos.”
Chris smiled slyly, implying he’d keep pushing him hard, and Alos tore at his hair.
“Ugh! You evil demon bastard!!”
But these three weren’t the only ones who had come.
“I want to be worthy of the title King Emperor Majesty, Grand Duke.”
“How dare you be so arrogant? That title is mine alone, isn’t it? The one who stands beside my brother is me.”
Kashmir and Tern barged in at the same time, growling at each other.
Marisa of the Venomous Mage arrived and issued an ambiguous declaration of war.
“Prepare yourself. I won’t fall behind you. I won’t just watch your back like before.”
“That’s fine by me.”
“Shut up! I’ll develop a poison that’ll flatten your nose for sure!”
Chris nodded, bewildered.
“Uh… okay. But what about that potion to get stronger at drinking? That’s the most important.”
“That failed. Give up. Being unable to drink is a curse from the heavens. It’s incurable.”
“……”
Yulian also came.
She spoke differently from the others.
“You’re leaving the Dark Mage?”
“Yeah, just for a while. I’m thinking of visiting my hometown.”
She meant her home from her elf days.
It wasn’t just nostalgia.
“Could it be?”
“Yeah. I want to challenge the Spirit Realm.”
A spot connected to the spirit world.
A place where spirit mages challenge themselves to contract with stronger spirits.
But it’s a life-risking trial.
“It’s dangerous.”
“Heh, worried about me? My little sister is so warm-hearted. She acts cold on the outside, but inside she’s warm. What do they call that personality? I think I read about it in a novel.”
“……”
Yulian smiled faintly.
“It’s okay. Struggling with your life on the line is the same for everyone. You’re no different. I’m your older sister, but I can’t just leave everything to you.”
Yes.
Everyone stepping up like this was for Christian.
To share even a little of his burden.
“I’ll be back. If there’s any non-alcoholic drink in the Spirit Realm, I’ll try to bring some for you.”
“…Don’t tease me.”
Yulian chuckled and disappeared, and finally, the day to depart for the Central Realm arrived.
As they headed toward the gate connected to the Central Realm, an unexpected figure came to see them off.
It was Marisa.
[Wow. You look magnificent and radiant today as well. Seeing you, young master, makes my heart race with excitement.]
“…Marisa?”
Chris frowned.
Her usual words and mannerisms were the same, but somehow the feeling was different.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was an inexplicable emptiness.
“Is something wrong?”
[Oh ho ho. Nothing. I just couldn’t resist coming to see your sexy self off.]
Chris narrowed his eyes, but Marisa just smiled her usual silly smile.
“…I’m off. I’ll bring you a gift, so wait for me.”
[The best gift is you, young master. Ah, how lovely it would be if you came back wearing a ribbon on your body. Just imagining it makes my face flush.]
“…Shut up. I’ll just bring back some cheap talisman or something.”
Their usual banter.
But it was different.
A brief silence fell at the last moment.
Marisa smiled.
Again, it was different from usual.
[Then, please go safely.]
Whoosh!
Passing through the gate, a vast panorama unfolded before their eyes.
‘This is the Central Realm?’
Wide plains. A clear flowing river. Rolling hills dotted with reindeer like a painting.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Christian, who had traveled across the continent, had never seen a place this stunning.
‘It’s like paradise.’
Not just a metaphor.
Riding in the carriage sent from the Central Realm toward the capital, he saw smiles on the faces of people along the way.
There was no trace of worry or anxiety anywhere.
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
The Duke of Sant, who had come to greet Chris, spoke.
The Duke of Sant was a high-ranking mage of the Central Realm, an eight-star supreme mage who had once attended Christian’s inauguration as Grand Duke as the Dark Mage’s representative.
“This Central Direct Territory is nothing less than paradise. All thanks to the grace of His Majesty the Dark Mage. The citizens here are the most blessed in the entire continent.”
Chris nodded.
It didn’t seem untrue.
Nowhere else on the continent did he see people so free of worry.
But—
‘Why does it feel so artificial?’
Chris’s gaze darkened.
It wasn’t that their smiles were fake.
But why?
It felt like looking at a well-crafted sculpture.
That feeling only deepened as the carriage traveled deeper into the Central Direct Territory.
The closer they got to the capital, the more beautiful the scenery and the happier the people appeared—but the sense of unease grew stronger.
Almost chilling.
A sixth sense of the soul.
‘Why?’
He couldn’t figure out the reason.
“Is there something you’re curious about?”
Chris cast a wary glance at the Duke of Sant.
Though friendly and polite, the Duke was a watcher.
Everything Chris did was reported to the Dark Mage’s ears, so he had to be careful.
He chose his words carefully.
“I don’t see any magical soldiers.”
That was strange too.
Despite the long journey, he hadn’t seen a single mage soldier, nor any gates or fortresses.
“There are no standing troops in the Central Realm.”
“…What do you mean?”
“All the citizens you’ve seen on the way are the Central Army’s mages. In peacetime, they live ordinary lives, but in emergencies, they take up their swords.”
“!!”
Chris scrutinized the citizens.
Sure enough, upon closer inspection, he could sense magic energy.
Each individual wasn’t particularly exceptional, but there was an incredibly subtle and gentle aura about them.
Considering the number of citizens gathered in the center, their combined strength was terrifying.
‘But how is it possible for every single citizen to master magic energy?’
Chris wore a puzzled expression.
Simply learning to harness magic energy didn’t require extraordinary talent.
Still, it wasn’t something just anyone could do.
That was why even reaching the first rank earned respect.
“…It’s truly impressive that all the citizens have mastered magic energy.”
Tentatively probing, the Duke of Saint nodded willingly.
“That’s right. The citizens in the center are all ‘chosen ones.’”
“…Chosen ones?”
“Yes. Not just anyone can live in this earthly paradise. Only those who are chosen.”
Chris fell silent.
There was something significant in those words.
He instinctively sensed that the duke’s remark was the key to the unease he’d been feeling.
At that moment, the carriage came to a halt.
Majestic.
Before them stood a grand fortress surrounded by pristine white walls.
The heart of the Mage Empire—the imperial capital.
* * *
Inside the capital, the scene was much like what Chris had seen from the carriage.
It felt otherworldly.
The streets were unrealistically clean and orderly.
There were no visible guards maintaining order, yet not a single disturbance occurred.
It seemed even petty thieves didn’t exist, and the faces of the people radiated ease and happiness.
Yet the sense of unease swelling inside Chris threatened to burst.