Episode 365
“Then, I’ll see you at the battle for the subordinate territories.”
As Chris slipped out of the cursed mage’s lair, a voice echoed in his mind.
It was the Demon Lord of Eunsul.
[Are you sure this is alright? You did provoke the Lord of the Four Kings as you said, but at this rate, he’s very likely to awaken as a Demon Lord.]
So the Lord of the Four Kings’ breakthrough was thanks to Eunsul’s Demon Lord! And all according to Chris’s plan.
— It’s fine. Everything is proceeding as intended, so don’t worry.
[Ugh, if only I weren’t in this state, I’d wipe them all out myself. It’s maddening. I’m a master swordsman, after all. But I guess I have no choice but to leave it to you, the hero.]
— ……
[By the way, you’re a hero? How splendid! I’ve always loved romance novels where the hero is the protagonist. Would you let me join your party?]
— …That’s a bit—
[Please! I’ve always dreamed of traveling as part of a hero’s party! Sitting by the campfire, gazing at the night sky, and the bonds that grow between us…]
— Anyway, I have to go now. Take care.
Before the conversation could get any more ridiculous, Chris cut the connection.
‘No time to waste. I have to hurry.’
There was no way he could topple the Cursed Mage with his current strength alone.
There was much to prepare.
When he arrived at the Bloodsword Mage’s domain, he tilted his head in confusion.
Something felt off.
‘Where’s Idrene?’
She should have appeared immediately upon his arrival, fussing as usual, but it was eerily quiet.
Not just that—the entire domain was unusually silent.
“…Are you Christian?”
“!!”
Chris’s expression hardened.
From the shadows untouched by moonlight, a figure emerged.
Pale complexion.
A man, yet unnervingly beautiful.
A low, oppressive aura.
‘Strong.’
His presence surpassed even the Sculptor they had faced recently, who had reached the upper echelons of the 8th rank.
On the man’s forehead was a blood cross identical to the one on Idrene’s.
Chris looked at the mark and spoke slowly.
“The head of the Bloodsword Mage.”
The fallen Vampire Lord revealed himself.
Duke Robinson.
Head of the Bloodsword Mage, but after his betrayal, he had allied with the Cursed Mage.
He certainly wasn’t here with good intentions.
“I won’t waste words. Stop your foolishness and leave the Four Kings’ domain immediately.”
His gaze was icy as he warned.
“If you don’t, not only you but the entire Bloodsword Mage will suffer a terrible fate.”
Chris crossed his arms.
“Did the Wraith order you to say that?”
“!!”
“Aren’t you just a puppet, a slave to the Wraith?”
Robinson’s eyes darkened.
Such words were deeply insulting to the head of a prestigious magical family.
But they were true.
Robinson was nothing more than a slave to the Wraith’s curse.
‘His betrayal of the Bloodsword Mage wasn’t by choice—it was because of the Wraith’s curse.’
Chris stared him down and explained.
“The Wraith threatened to kill the Blood Countess Berling if you disobeyed, didn’t it?”
Berling was the Bloodsword Mage’s subordinate lord.
Also Robinson’s partner.
She was also suffering severely under the Cursed Mage’s curse.
The worst part was that Berling’s curse was linked to Robinson’s.
If Robinson disobeyed the Wraith, Berling would pay the price with her life, forcing him to comply.
‘Vampire purebloods may have weak familial bonds between parents and siblings, but those they choose as partners share a soul-like connection, inseparable.’
That was why the Bloodsword Mage’s followers didn’t show hostility toward the traitorous Robinson.
He wasn’t acting of his own free will.
At that moment, a voice filled with sorrow spoke.
“…Father.”
It was Idrene.
“I cannot obey your orders. Please leave.”
“…Do you not care what will happen to your mother if you don’t?”
“I know. But still, I have no choice. I will protect Duke Christian.”
“!!”
Robinson growled fiercely.
“You value that brat more than your own mother? Could it be… he’s your chosen partner?”
‘What nonsense is this?’
Chris looked bewildered.
Idrene quickly denied it, her face flushed red.
“N-No, that’s not it. Partner? Absolutely not. We’re just… closest friends.”
“…You expect me to believe that?”
Robinson’s expression sharpened as he looked at his daughter’s face, now as red as an apple.
Chris shook his head and interjected.
“We really have no such relationship. You don’t need to doubt that.”
Idrene’s expression stiffened, and she muttered faintly.
“…It’s not that we have no relationship…”
“…Huh? What did you say?”
“No, I said we’re the best of friends!”
Idrene hurriedly composed herself and addressed Robinson.
“It’s not just because I care for Duke Christian. It’s for the sake of our Bloodsword Mage. If we miss this chance, our Bloodsword will fall to the Cursed Mage.”
“……”
“Mother wouldn’t want that either.”
Robinson fell silent.
Idrene was right.
But Robinson couldn’t accept it.
“I have no choice. If that’s your will, I’ll have to eliminate that brat by force.”
A fierce crimson aura flared up.
“Stop! Father, you know better! Mother doesn’t want you to do this!”
“It doesn’t matter. There is only one thing that matters to me.”
Idrene gritted her teeth.
A crimson aura began to radiate from her as well.
Other pureblood vampires stepped forward, drawing their power.
The tension was at its breaking point.
Chris spoke calmly.
“You’re foolish to try to end your own life.”
Idrene’s momentum halted abruptly.
“…What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it strange? Even a Vampire Lord would know it’s impossible to face all of us alone.”
Chris fixed his gaze on Robinson.
“You intend to die to save the Bloodsword Mage and Berling, don’t you?”
“……”
Robinson said nothing.
His sunken eyes confirmed Chris’s suspicion.
‘If Robinson, one half of the curse, dies, Berling will be freed.’
The curse was a binding mark.
It consisted of two parts: the slave and the sacrifice.
Robinson was the slave, Berling the sacrifice.
If Robinson disobeyed, Berling would pay the price.
If Robinson died, Berling would be freed.
And the harm to his own family would end.
“You’re a fool. That’s the best plan you could come up with?”
Robinson scowled.
“Don’t speak recklessly. Do you have a better plan?”
“I do. It’s simple.”
Chris’s voice was light.
“Kill the Wraith.”
“!!”
Robinson looked incredulous.
“Who doesn’t know that? It’s impossible.”
Because of the curse, Robinson couldn’t oppose the Wraith.
“Or are you saying you’ll kill the Wraith alone? That’s absurd.”
“Of course, with my current strength, capturing the Wraith is difficult.”
Chris shook his head calmly.
Yes, ‘now’ it was impossible.
The Wraith was an exceptionally powerful being, even among those who had reached the upper 8th rank.
Even the previous Nordian couldn’t guarantee victory.
Even with Idrene’s help, it would be the same.
“But if you lend a hand, things will be different.”
“What have I been hearing all this time? I can’t oppose the Wraith because of the curse.”
“I will temporarily suppress the Wraith’s curse.”
“…What?”
Robinson’s face hardened.
“Of course, I can’t completely remove it. But I can prevent the curse from acting until we capture the Wraith.”
Robinson looked skeptical.
“There’s no way you can interfere with the Wraith’s curse like that.”
“Have you been living as a slave so long that you’re deaf? Haven’t you heard what I am? With my power, anything is possible—even the Wraith.”
Chris’s confident tone silenced Robinson.
“There is one condition, though.”
“…What is it?”
Chris smiled faintly.
“Give me your soul. That’s the price.”
Robinson initially rejected the idea as madness, but like the others, he soon nodded.
‘If I’m to disrupt the Wraith’s curse, I have no choice.’
Though he spoke confidently, suppressing the Wraith’s curse even briefly was no easy feat.
Especially since the curse on Robinson and Berling was a special ‘Ultimate Curse’ of the 9th rank, cast by the Wraith beyond his own level.
‘Still, if I make him my servant, I can interfere with the curse.’
Afterward, Robinson returned quietly.
He concealed his alliance with Chris and began setting traps within the Cursed Mage’s domain.
‘To annihilate the Cursed Mage’s clan, we have to lure the Wraith into a perfect trap.’
There was much to prepare.
The next step was to heal Berling.
‘Though she’s been ravaged by the curse, with diligent healing through righteous qi cultivation, she should be able to move somewhat.’
Berling was also a strong 8th rank mid-level.
Even if she could only assist with one arm, it would be a huge help.
‘I’ll make them all my pawns!!’
With that in mind, Berling was fervently pouring the righteous energy into the technique, when Idrene, her voice damp with emotion, bowed her head beside him.
“Truly… thank you. To bestow such kindness every time— you are my savior.”
Her face was heavy with feeling.
Not only had he saved her soul, but he was also rescuing her parents from the abyss.
‘…Hmm, she’s just trying to turn me into a pushover.’
To achieve her goal, she needed someone to lean on, and that was all this was.
He subtly tried to make a show of it.
“This isn’t free. You’ll have to pay me back later. With interest.”
“Of course, that’s my intention.”
Idrene’s gaze was piercing, each word spoken with unwavering resolve.
“For my entire life, forever, I will repay this debt by your side.”
“…There’s no need to go that far.”
“No, I absolutely will. No matter what. Even if you hate it.”
“……”
Faced with such a heavy response, Chris wore a reluctant expression.
‘Well, if I’m willingly becoming a permanent pushover, I guess it doesn’t matter.’
He shook his head and stood up.
“Anyway, let’s go. You have your own duties to attend to.”
“What duties?”
“You— become the Demon Lord.”
“……”
Idrene blinked, speechless.
“Did you just say… what?”