Episode 36
The Blood-Drenched Demon Lord Who Ushered in the Age of Ruin!
Now, the Grand Princess of the Blood Sword Maga.
Simon was a direct blood relative of that overwhelming being.
More precisely, her older brother.
The cold, beautiful face of the Blood-Drenched Demon Lord, who once spilled blood without mercy, overlapped with Simon’s face in Christian’s mind. They looked exactly alike.
“Hmm? Why are you staring like that? Am I too handsome?”
“…I think I’m better looking.”
Chris replied, changing his expression.
That was as far as his embarrassment went.
Come to think of it, maybe this was an opportunity.
Simon was connected to many major figures from the Age of Ruin. If Chris could use Simon well, he might be able to turn the tide in his favor.
‘The problem is, he’s not someone to be taken lightly.’
Not at all.
Simon smiled quietly, but there was a dark, ominous aura radiating from that smile.
He was definitely a dangerous breed—one who carried blood wherever he went.
Normally, you’d never want to get close to someone like that.
“Heh heh, that’s right. The young master is truly handsome. I never imagined the young master of the Kazaar Count family would be such a fine gentleman. And not only that…”
Simon’s smooth words continued.
“You’re also someone capable of ‘annihilating’ demons.”
“!!”
Chris’s face stiffened.
His heart pounded—not with fear, but with tension.
‘How did he know?’
As Count Tiramyn had said earlier, everyone believed Chris had just held out until the demons were recalled.
But Simon knew the truth.
This was a problem.
If it got out that Chris had used the Holy Sword—or more precisely, the Radiant Mana—it would be disastrous.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t?”
Simon looked at Chris with eyes that smiled but were sharp as blades.
He knew everything for certain.
Denial was useless.
“Honestly, I can hardly believe it myself. No matter how talented the young master is, he’s only a second-rank. To annihilate demons? A miracle!”
“……”
“What kind of miracle did you perform?”
Simon asked, his face full of curiosity.
In truth, he was wildly interested in Chris.
‘Annihilate demons?’
By the time Simon’s gaze reached him, everything had already happened.
He only knew that the demon he had contracted with had vanished.
Impossible. How? How was it even possible?
One thing was clear: this reckless young master was someone who exceeded all expectations.
Still, admiration aside, Simon had a duty to uncover the truth.
“Now, please explain. What extraordinary method did you use, young master?”
Chris kept his mouth shut.
He couldn’t tell the truth.
And he couldn’t lie.
No lie could explain how a second-rank could annihilate demons.
“By the way, what you say now will be reported to Lord Nogazoo. You can think of it as an evaluation.”
Pressure.
In the end, Chris made a decision.
He couldn’t tell the truth, and he couldn’t lie.
There was only one answer.
“I don’t want to say.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I don’t see why I should reveal my trump card.”
Simon looked taken aback.
“But young master, my question is the same as Lord Nogazoo’s.”
“Just because Lord Nogazoo asked doesn’t mean I have to answer.”
“!!”
“No matter who Lord Nogazoo is, he can’t force a demon to reveal their secret trump card.”
Chris lifted the corner of his mouth.
He made himself look as arrogant and insolent as possible.
“You said it was an evaluation, right? If I were Lord Nogazoo, I’d respect someone who keeps their claws hidden rather than a fool who reveals their trump card just because someone asks.”
Simon let out a breathy laugh.
But he had no comeback.
If Chris didn’t want to reveal it, what could he say?
He wasn’t wrong. No demon ever revealed their trump card to others.
In fact, demanding such a thing was a huge insult.
“…I understand, young master. I won’t ask further.”
“Is that all?”
“Pardon?”
“I think there’s something you still need to say.”
Chris raised his chin.
“Won’t you apologize to me for this?”
“!!”
Simon’s face stiffened.
But then he smiled gently again.
“Please forgive my rudeness in forcing you to reveal your secret technique.”
“No, not that.”
Chris’s tone grew sharp.
“I’m talking about summoning demons.”
“!!”
“That was your doing, wasn’t it?”
Simon inhaled sharply.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“You don’t know?”
Chris stared directly into Simon’s eyes.
His gaze shone coldly with determination.
“I’ll ask again. You really don’t know what I’m talking about?”
His voice was full of certainty.
At first, Chris hadn’t known either.
But after realizing the bat hiding in the cave was Simon, all the pieces fell into place.
Despite no problems with the sealing magic circle, demons had appeared.
Simon had summoned them using bloodline magic.
“……”
Simon bit his lip.
‘Impressive.’
He admired how Christian had figured it all out from just a few clues. The more he saw, the more impressive the young master became.
Still, this was a sticky situation.
Just as Simon was about to admit his fault, Chris said something unexpected.
“Forget it.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’m letting it slide.”
Simon looked puzzled.
“But remember this: you owe me one.”
“…A deal?”
“You can think of it that way.”
If Chris made this public, Simon would be in trouble.
The Dark Maga strictly forbade anything related to demons.
Since Simon had summoned demons, even with Lord Nogazoo’s protection, he couldn’t escape punishment.
He might have faced a severe penalty.
‘This is better.’
Chris thought to himself.
Simon was close to the biggest players of the Age of Ruin.
He had to create a connection.
That way, he could potentially manipulate the future to his advantage.
The problem was, Simon wasn’t someone who could be easily won over.
Winning his heart was nearly impossible.
He was a snake that bit the neck of those close to him.
Only someone like Lord Nogazoo could control him with overwhelming power.
Maintaining distance and making a transactional relationship was the best way to get him to move according to Chris’s will.
“Heh heh, understood. I won’t forget the mercy you’ve shown me, young master.”
Simon bowed exaggeratedly.
“It was a pleasure meeting you today. I look forward to seeing you again soon. When you visit the main house, I’ll make sure you’re treated well as the chief steward.”
With a swish, Simon’s body dissolved into a blood-red mist and vanished.
Chris frowned.
After gathering himself, Chris decided to return to the Kazaar Count family.
On the day of his departure, an unexpected visitor arrived.
Alos.
“……??”
Chris gave a puzzled look, and Alos approached hesitantly, his face bright red.
“…Christian.”
“Address me properly.”
“…What?”
“You should call me ‘hyung’—big brother.”
“You… crazy! I’m two years older than you!”
Alos snapped angrily, and Chris chuckled.
“Alright, so what’s up?”
“Hmph.”
Alos turned his head, speaking softly, almost like a sparrow creeping along.
“Thanks.”
“……”
Chris stared at Alos quietly, then said teasingly,
“Your voice is too quiet. Did an ant just walk by? Say it louder.”
“Ah, damn it! Thanks, you bastard!!”
Alos’s face flushed even deeper, like a beetroot.
He huffed for a while before speaking again.
“…Be careful.”
“Hm?”
“You probably guessed, but my opposition to your attending the Dark Marking Ceremony wasn’t just my own will. It was on the orders of the young master of the main house.”
The young master.
A familiar name.
He was to be the sixth prince of the Dark Maga and the main figure of this Dark Marking Ceremony.
“He’s different from me. Even if we’re both second-rank, you know they’re not the same, right? Especially those from the main house.”
Everyone attending the Dark Marking Ceremony was a young demon of the Dark Maga’s second rank.
But the difference between the main house and branch families was huge.
Because of the support they’d received since childhood.
The best elixirs.
Bone-strengthening treatments reserved only for direct descendants.
Blessings of dark magic.
Superior visions from the main house.
All these factors created an insurmountable gap.
“The young master of the main house hates you. You’ll be humiliated at the ceremony.”
Humiliation.
A mild way to put it.
The Dark Marking Ceremony was a ruthless competition.
The young master intended to deliver the greatest insult to Chris.
“When you go to the main house, try not to offend the young master too much…”
“Little brother.”
Chris smiled slyly.
“Thanks for the concern, but can I give you some advice?”
“…What?”
“How about not attending the ceremony?”
“!!”
Chris twisted the corner of his mouth.
“I won’t show mercy that day. No matter who the opponent is. Everyone attending the ceremony will regret meeting me.”
“!!”
He meant it.
The Dark Marking Ceremony was the ritual to obtain the ‘Dark Mana.’
It was essential to mastering the Dark Maga’s vision.
The problem was, the Dark Mana was given strictly by survival of the fittest.
The more you outperformed your rivals, the more Dark Mana you received.
And Chris had no intention of giving up even a speck of it.
The competitors attending with him would have a nightmare.
“…Crazy.”
Though he cursed, Alos shivered.
For a moment, he wondered if he should postpone attending the ceremony.
“Think it through carefully. Don’t come to regret it later.”
Chris patted Alos on the shoulder before mounting his horse.
Before attending the Holy Black Ceremony, it was time to grow even stronger.
There was less than a month left until the ceremony, but that was more than enough.
Back at the Kazar noble estate, Chris requested to train in seclusion.
“You want to train alone?” the Kazar Count asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t it be better to continue receiving my guidance?”
Chris hadn’t yet learned everything the Count had to teach.
But he shook his head.
“I think it’s better if I train alone for now.”
The Count nodded thoughtfully.
“If that’s what you want, so be it. But—”
His eyes gleamed sharply.
“Do you have the confidence to show the main family what you’re made of?”
The Count was furious when he heard that the elders opposed Chris’s participation in the Holy Black Ceremony.
Not just Eshed, but even the elders had been scheming against him with underhanded tricks.
“A single blow? What are you talking about?” Chris shrugged.
“My goal is to bring the Dark Mage to his knees.”
The Count snapped his mouth shut, and Chris let out a quiet chuckle.
“Then I’ll be off.”