Episode 340
“I don’t even know how you ended up here. This is becoming quite troublesome.”
The Demon Lord of the Red Sky clicked his tongue as he looked at Christian.
Though it was just a glance, Christian’s face turned pale.
His whole body trembled uncontrollably.
It felt as if an overwhelming pressure was crushing his very soul.
‘I can’t stand against this.’
He didn’t even dare to attempt any trick or maneuver.
A deep, paralyzing fear consumed his mind.
“Get a grip!”
Christian bit his tongue hard.
Even if he were to die here, he refused to go down without a fight.
A blazing aura flared up.
The Demon Lord of the Red Sky’s eyes flickered with interest.
“Impressive. I like that. If you hadn’t trespassed here, we could have had a more pleasant conversation.”
“…Why are you doing this, Your Majesty?”
Perhaps assuming he would be dealt with anyway, the Demon Lord surprisingly answered without resistance.
“For the sake of the world.”
“!!”
Christian couldn’t comprehend it.
‘What kind of nonsense is that?’
Reading his thoughts, the Demon Lord shook his head.
“Of course, I understand you won’t accept it. It’s a horrific act, after all. But even His Majesty the Demon King has no choice.”
“……”
“Well, whatever. You won’t remember any of this anyway.”
The Demon Lord cracked his knuckles.
“You’re part of His Majesty’s grand plan. I can’t kill you, so I’ll just erase your memories.”
A fierce, fiery aura erupted from the Demon Lord, a destructive magic born of blazing flames.
“…I won’t go down without a fight.”
Christian gritted his teeth and summoned his own dark magic to counter.
The Demon Lord’s expression turned amused.
“Good. Come then. Let me see the famed power of the Mage’s Might.”
With a stiffened expression, Christian charged at the Demon Lord.
Dark magic surged forward, clashing against the destructive flames.
“!!”
When he opened his eyes, he found himself under an unfamiliar ceiling.
“Are you alright?”
It was Duke Sant.
Christian spoke hesitantly.
“Ah… yes. But why am I here?”
“Do you have no memory of what happened?”
Christian frowned, trying to recall.
“I think I went to a tavern… but I don’t remember much after that. Was I drunk?”
Duke Sant’s eyes glinted sharply, as if searching Christian’s face. When Christian remained blank, the duke nodded in relief.
“Yes, you were intoxicated after just one drink. It would be best if the Grand Prince refrained from alcohol.”
“…I apologize.”
“Prepare yourself. You must soon meet with the Prime Minister.”
As Duke Sant left, Christian’s gaze hardened.
‘Thank goodness. The deception worked.’
It meant he hadn’t lost his memories.
The fight with the Demon Lord of the Red Sky had been one-sided, naturally.
But surprisingly, Christian had managed to hold his ground somewhat because the Demon Lord had deliberately avoided seriously harming him.
In fact, the Demon Lord treated the fight like a game, almost enjoying himself.
Thanks to that, Christian had bought time to fragment and copy his memories, hiding them in a secluded mental space to preserve them.
‘What on earth is the Demon King thinking?’
Christian clenched his fists.
The horrific scene he had witnessed in the Garden of Flames wouldn’t leave his mind.
And there were more questions.
“You are also an important part of His Majesty the Demon King’s plan.”
The Demon Lord had said that in passing.
And then there was the girl who looked exactly like Mari.
The questions seemed endless.
But he couldn’t dwell on them any longer.
A servant entered and said,
“It’s time for you to enter the palace.”
“!!”
It was time to meet the Prime Minister of Magic.
Christian entered the palace.
The palace was just as unsettling as before.
Unrealistically grand and lavish, yet completely devoid of any sign of life, sending chills down his spine.
He was guided to the audience chamber, where a familiar figure awaited.
It was Drenne, the Death Knight and subordinate of the recently met Spirit Mage.
The official purpose of this meeting was the treaty between the Dark Alliance and the Four Kings’ Castle, so Drenne was here as their representative.
Christian ignored Drenne’s curt nod and waited until a cheerful voice rang out.
“Well, well. Have you been waiting long? It’s good to see you all.”
A well-dressed man in a gentleman’s suit appeared, and Drenne immediately stood and bowed.
“Greetings, Prime Minister of Magic.”
“Ha ha. Yes, Drenne, isn’t it? I believe this is our first meeting.”
The Prime Minister appraised Drenne carefully.
“Your achievements are impressive, as the rumors say. We might finally see a new king born in the Spirit Mage’s domain.”
“It’s an honor.”
Drenne bowed deeply.
“I’m not just flattering you. My judgment is precise. Since you’re here, would you like to receive my instruction?”
Drenne’s eyes widened.
“Are you saying the Prime Minister will personally teach me?”
“If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
“Please, I would be honored.”
Drenne bowed even lower, eager.
She was an absolute power of the eighth rank, rivaling the legendary Nordian of the past. Aside from the Demon Lords, she was one of the strongest in the entire Magic Empire.
Even she was tempted by the Prime Minister’s offer, recognizing it as a rare opportunity.
“Good. After we finish here, we’ll find time.”
This time, the Prime Minister looked at Christian.
“Christian, how about you? If you want, I can teach you as well.”
“!!”
Christian furrowed his brows.
Judging by Drenne’s reaction, this was an incredible chance.
But he shook his head.
“No, thank you. I must decline.”
‘I can’t trust the Prime Minister.’
The horrific scene in the Garden of Flames flashed through his mind.
The Prime Minister was surely involved.
“Very well. Then, enough small talk. Let’s get to work. The Dark Alliance and the Four Kings’ Castle are to sign a treaty.”
The Prime Minister perched on the desk, flipping through the documents submitted by both parties with a casual air.
“So, I just stamp here, right?”
He alternated stamping the seal of the Demon King and his own, then shrugged.
“There. That should do it. The Four Kings’ Castle and the Dark Alliance will establish a non-aggression pact and set up branches in each other’s territories as a symbol of peace.”
A hollow scene.
Drenne bowed.
“Thank you for your mediation, Prime Minister.”
“Yes, rest for now. I’ll call you soon.”
“Thank you.”
After Drenne left, Christian looked at the Prime Minister.
“Is there something you wish to say to me privately?”
“Ah, yes. You really are my descendant. Smart. Have a seat.”
Christian sat at the table, and the Prime Minister snapped his fingers.
“Want something to drink? Ginger ale? Strawberry juice?”
“…If possible, the Flame Dream Liquor, please.”
“Alright. But are you sure you don’t want my instruction?”
“…Why do you ask?”
“If you keep going like this, your vessel will collapse. You might even lose your life.”
“!!”
The Prime Minister sipped the tea he had poured and continued.
“You probably have some idea already. You’re in a very dangerous state.”
A golden liquid was poured into the cup before Christian.
It was the long-awaited Flame Dream Liquor, but this was no time to enjoy it.
“You pushed yourself too hard. You gained the rank of Transcendent without even properly reaching the Absolute State.”
The Prime Minister clicked his tongue.
“The Transcendent rank requires at least the upper ninth rank to handle. At this rate, your vessel won’t be able to bear the weight of your soul and will shatter.”
For reference, Demon Lords typically reach the Half-Demon rank around the middle ninth rank.
Christian, however, was a Transcendent, not even a Half-Demon, and possessed the rank of a noble-class demon. His vessel simply couldn’t handle it.
“Moreover, you made another reckless move. You’re also harboring the power of light. I understand your intention, but having both darkness and light coexist unnaturally means your vessel is already cracked. It will break much more easily.”
The Prime Minister snapped his fingers.
“In as little as a month, or at most two, your vessel will start to fracture. You must take action before then. But even you can’t repair your vessel in just a month.”
The Prime Minister stared intently at Christian.
“I will help you.”
“!!”
“I am the master of dark magic. With my aid, if you strengthen your dark magic, you can delay the collapse of your vessel.”
It was an incredible offer.
But Christian shook his head without hesitation.
“I appreciate your kindness, but I must decline.”
“!!”
The Prime Minister crossed his arms.
“You refuse?”
“Yes. With all due respect, I already know everything you’ve told me.”
That was true.
From the moment he absorbed the Three Primes and gained the Transcendent rank, he had anticipated all this.
“What do you intend to do? You know well that you can’t strengthen your dark magic on your own.”
Here, the Prime Minister’s use of ‘strengthen’ didn’t just mean increasing power.
It meant transforming the very nature of dark magic itself, rebirthing it completely.
Even Nordian, who had reached the ninth rank, had not achieved this.
‘Of course, someday I might reach it on my own.’
The problem was time.
There were less than two months left before the vessel would start to collapse.
But—
“I don’t want to get so caught up in immediate problems that I lose sight of what’s truly important.”
That was right.
In the short term, it would be a huge help.
It could drastically shorten the time needed to reach the ninth rank.
But what Chris wanted was a level beyond even the Archmage. If he relied on artificial aid like that, it was only natural that his growth would be compromised.
“Above all, strengthening the vessel doesn’t have to rely solely on dark magic.”
The Archmage’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“What do you mean?”
“Yes. I plan to harness the power of light.”
“!!”
That was Chris’s plan all along.
‘The idea that the power of light destabilizes the vessel is wrong.’
Of course, that was a valid point for now.
But that was only because the power of light was currently insufficient compared to dark magic.
More precisely, his own power of light was still ‘unfinished.’
By ‘finished,’ he didn’t mean reaching an endpoint, but rather the completion of a solid, unwavering world.
What if Chris could ‘complete’ the power of light through his own unique insight?
And what if dark magic itself could be infused with that very power of light?
‘My vessel would become incomparably stronger than any other ninth rank. It would be able to bear the weight of my soul.’
That was why he was heading to the Kainfer Training Grounds this time.
Because Kainfer was the place where the union’s most vast knowledge and secret techniques were gathered.
It was the perfect place for Chris to cultivate the power of light.
‘And that’s not all. There’s also the Round Table and the Celestial Magic Tower.’
Of course, no matter how much Chris played the hero, the Round Table and the Celestial Magic Tower wouldn’t just hand over their secrets easily.
‘Then I’ll just have to make them have no choice.’
Chris narrowed his eyes.