Episode 39
Was that a satisfactory answer?
Tern lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly shut.
“…And one more thing. Please promise me.”
“Promise what?”
“That you’ll be careful when you return to the main house.”
“Are you worried about me?”
“…I just mean, be careful! If you keep acting all arrogant and cocky like you do now and end up losing your head, Father and Mother will be heartbroken!”
Chris chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry about me.”
He stood up from his seat.
“I’m stronger than you think.”
An achievement earned during his secluded training—ranked as a 2-star Magi.
It was an unbelievable accomplishment, but that wasn’t all.
There was an even more important achievement.
He had reached the level of the Union, the 4-star rank as a Saint Radiance.
Clack, clack.
Inside the moving carriage, Chris closed his eyes gently.
He was on his way to the main house.
‘It would be easier to use the Warp Gate.’
The main house of the Dark Mage and the Kazar Marquisate were connected by a Warp Gate.
But it required approval from the main house to use it—and that approval hadn’t been granted.
They said it was only allowed for essential security reasons.
A typical territorial grudge.
‘Looking down on branch families is common in noble houses.’
Chris took it lightly.
There were several noble houses within the Union.
The pattern was always the same.
All glory and privilege belonged to the main house’s legitimate line.
The branch families were nothing more than servants for the main house.
No, being treated like servants would be generous.
Many treated them like dogs or slaves.
The noble houses themselves operated on a strict sense of privilege based on bloodline, so it was nothing surprising.
[Young Master… stay strong. Look at me… cheer up.]
Did Chris seem down?
Banshee maid Mari fluttered around the carriage, trying to cheer him up with her usual cutesy antics.
Though her “Cheer up~” act was meant to be sweet, a banshee’s charm was more eerie than endearing.
Chris looked at Mari with a brief, melancholy gaze.
‘…Even after leaving the main house, I still have to be with that banshee.’
Because of the bond of master and servant, he couldn’t shake her off.
There was no other attendant.
The main house limited the number of companions to one.
So Chris was stuck riding alone with Mari.
[It seems my comfort has been a great help to you, Young Master. But if you keep looking at me so intensely… my heart… it’s pounding so hard.]
“…It’s not like that. Besides, you don’t even have a heart.”
[But I do have a heart for you, Young Master. Oh ho ho…]
“……”
Ignoring her, Chris stared out the window.
Below the hill, a massive mansion came into view.
A grand estate, fit to rival a royal palace.
The Baron Duke’s family estate.
He had arrived at the main house of the Dark Mage.
“Young Master, please stay safe.”
The coachman who had come with him from the Kazar Marquisate bowed solemnly.
“Please, please. Don’t get hurt. Don’t become crippled. And absolutely don’t die!”
Chris looked at him, bewildered.
There was a reason for the coachman’s earnestness.
The Dark Mage’s Saint Black Rite was notorious for its danger.
Severe injuries were common.
Some even ended up crippled or dead.
“Well, let’s get this over with.”
“Yes, understood. Please stay safe!!”
“…Just go already.”
After the coachman left, Chris crossed his arms.
He could feel eyes watching him from all around.
They weren’t friendly.
But they weren’t openly hostile either.
Hostility is usually reserved for worthy opponents.
These were just looks of contempt, like looking at trash.
[Trash from the Kazar Marquisate, a spoiled brat.]
[I heard he changed?]
[Trash is trash, no matter what. And he’s here to undergo the Saint Black Rite?]
[He’ll just embarrass himself and leave.]
[I hope he gets badly hurt and becomes a cripple. So he can’t tarnish the Baron family’s name anymore.]
Chris shrugged.
He had expected this.
Though he had changed while at the Kazar and Tiramain Marquisates, that was outside the main house.
The main house’s Magi hadn’t seen it firsthand, so their prejudice remained.
No, even if they had seen it, they probably wouldn’t accept Chris easily.
The main house’s people were used to looking down on branch family members at every turn.
Then, suddenly, a voice came from behind.
“I wish to see the Young Master.”
“!!”
Chris frowned.
A pale-faced, sculpted beauty.
It was Simon, the Chief Butler!
‘At least this time I sensed his presence.’
His spiritual senses had sharpened since reaching the 4-star level.
Simon seemed to notice this too, his eyes showing a flicker of surprise.
“You seem changed.”
“A little, yes.”
“Not just a little. Heh heh, it’s unbelievable. It’s only been about two weeks, and you’ve already taken another step forward. Truly impressive.”
Chris just shrugged.
Meanwhile, others around them were shocked to see Simon.
[The Chief Butler coming out of the Lord’s private quarters?]
[Because of that brat?]
[Why would the Chief Butler come for that brat?]
From what they could tell, Simon rarely showed himself, only serving the Lord.
“Are you busy? Why have you come?”
It didn’t seem like he came just to say hello.
Simon then said something unexpected.
“There is someone who wishes to see the Young Master.”
“??”
“The Lord of the House.”
Everyone around widened their eyes.
Simon smiled playfully.
“The Lord wishes to see the Young Master.”
“!!!”
The Lord’s summons!
The place erupted in murmurs.
It was shocking news.
The Lord of the House, Nordian, had completely withdrawn from family affairs and lived in seclusion.
He rarely saw anyone.
For him to want to see that brat was completely unexpected.
‘That’s surprising.’
Chris was a little taken aback.
He hadn’t expected to meet the Lord right after arriving at the main house.
But the surprise ended there.
‘I’ll just meet him.’
Chris composed himself.
He was one of the key figures of the Age of Ruin. Among those he had met then, many were greater than Lord Nordian.
So there was no reason for his heart to race now.
“You’re not surprised?”
“I’m plenty surprised.”
“You don’t seem it.”
“I’m going to see the respected Lord of the House. No need to tremble in fear. I should be glad and honored.”
Simon laughed again.
“As expected of Young Master Christian. Yes, that’s the right attitude. There’s no need to be afraid. Please show the Lord your best self.”
Simon said meaningfully,
“If the Lord’s expected grandson shows a disappointing face, the Lord will be disappointed.”
Following Simon, they passed the large main building and entered a forest.
From the outside, it didn’t look very big, but inside, it seemed endless.
‘A magical formation.’
Chris thought.
If you got lost here, you’d wander forever and die of thirst.
He memorized the shape of the forest—the pattern of the formation—and followed Simon.
After a long walk, a small annex appeared.
This was where Lord Nordian lived.
‘This is my first time meeting Nordian.’
Chris had met many famous people, but never Nordian.
Nordian died before the Age of Ruin fully began.
Not only the Lord of the House, but also the “Blue Stream Demon King” and other top figures of the Southern Mage Kingdom died before the Age of Ruin truly started.
Because of the bloodbath that would come later.
The Southern Mage Kingdom was drenched in a horrific sea of blood even before the Age of Ruin began.
But that was a story for later.
“Please enter.”
Simon opened the door, and Christian stepped inside.
The moment he entered—
“!!”
Chris gasped.
His vision darkened.
It wasn’t a magical effect.
His senses were momentarily paralyzed by an overwhelming presence.
Inside, an old man stood, leaning on a cane.
Nothing else was visible.
To Chris’s fixed gaze, only the old man’s presence was clear.
The Lord of the House.
“It’s been a long time.”
The old man’s voice was gentle, like a grandfather calling his grandson. A smile.
But Chris couldn’t look at him comfortably.
The presence pressed down on his soul, making it hard to breathe.
It felt like sinking into a deep ocean.
He couldn’t move a finger, and his knees felt like they would buckle on their own.
But Chris snapped back to his senses.
‘It’s a test!’
The reason the Lord revealed his presence so fully, knowing Chris might not withstand it, was obvious.
He was testing him.
Specifically, his mental strength.
‘This kind of pressure can be endured with willpower.’
If the Lord had emitted magical energy, no matter how strong the will, it would be impossible to endure.
The magical energy of an 8-star Magi alone was lethally powerful.
But the Lord hadn’t moved a speck of magic.
He had only revealed a portion of his immense presence.
An ordinary person would have collapsed and knelt just from that presence.
But not Chris.
He had experienced the pressure of beings far greater than the Lord.
Compared to those times… this was bearable.
He took several deep breaths, gradually calming his mind.
“I pay my respects to the great lord of the Dark Mage, His Excellency the Baron Duke.”
His calm voice made the Lord widen his eyes slightly.
But only for a moment.
The Lord smiled gently again.
“Ah, it’s good to see you after such a long time. It must be the first time since you were a child—I can’t even remember how many years it’s been.”
“…”
“Did I surprise you by calling you out of the blue like this?”
Chris remained silent for a moment.
“No, not at all. I figured you wanted to see me.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because a new star has appeared in the family.”
“…What?”
Noga-ju blinked in disbelief.
Merian, who had been quietly standing nearby, suddenly narrowed her eyes and shot Chris a sharp glare.
Right now, Christian had just called himself a ‘new star.’
And he had the audacity to say it right in front of Noga-ju!
‘Well, it’s not exactly wrong,’ Noga-ju thought.
The reason Noga-ju had summoned Christian was probably because of what he had accomplished in the Tyramin Count’s household.
He had called him to see if the family’s promising heir lived up to the reputation, so Chris’s words weren’t entirely off the mark.
“Heh. You’ve made this old man smile. A new star, huh? Yes, that’s right. I was curious about what kind of child you really are. Merian and Simon have both praised you so much that I wanted to see if you truly lived up to what I’d heard. This old man has always longed for an exceptional bloodline to emerge.”
Noga-ju spoke gently.
“But…”
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
His warm smile remained unchanged.
Yet, a blade-like tension filled the air.
It was as if even the surrounding air was holding its breath, waiting for Noga-ju’s next words.
“I’m still not quite sure.”
“!!”