Chapter 410
[…I can’t believe it.]
The Second Realm’s Avatar let out a sound of astonishment.
[All of humanity shared the burden, lessening the price you must pay.]
“!!”
[Of course, you will still have to pay a tremendous price.]
Chris swallowed hard.
[You will pay with your ‘authority.’ You will lose your status as a Great Avatar and return to a mortal’s rank.]
Loss of status!!
It was a heavy price.
For great beings of Gehenna or the Celestial Realm, it was a fate worse than annihilation—an utterly dreadful punishment.
Almost equivalent to sacrificing one’s soul.
‘…Actually, this might be for the best.’
Chris swallowed again.
It meant returning not as a perfect 10-star, but as a high 9-star.
‘I was already wondering how I could return to being human anyway.’
The moment he became a perfect 10-star, he transcended humanity.
Though he wore a human guise, he was no longer truly human.
That was not what he wanted.
He wanted to feel the joys and sorrows of being human, to enjoy wealth and glory as a mortal.
‘Above all, I don’t have the confidence to maintain a proper human spirit while remaining a 10-star.’
For now, it was fine.
But could he remain unchanged after decades or even a century in a state that completely transcended humanity?
Perhaps the reason the Demon Emperor and the Archmage crossed such terrible lines was because they had transcended humanity as 10-stars.
[There is more. The remaining price will be borne by our Second Realm’s Avatar. From now on, you shall restore balance to this broken world as the King of Humans.]
“…Understood.”
Chris wore a reluctant expression.
He had been saddled with an unwanted duty.
But it was a task only he could accomplish.
With that, the Second Realm’s Avatar vanished, and Evan and the others approached Chris.
Chris smiled faintly at them.
“It’s finally over.”
Yes.
Everything had come to an end.
A new era was beginning.
Since that day, many changes swept the world.
Nordian became the new emperor of the Mage Empire.
The Mage Empire itself changed in many ways.
Hostilities toward the Union cooled, and they agreed to coexist peacefully.
The Union did the same.
Whether the Holy Empire, Golden Cross, or Karn Empire, all ceased conflicts with the Mage Empire and looked toward the future.
It was astonishing.
All of this was possible because of one being.
The King of Humans, Christian.
He stood tall above, orchestrating it all.
“It’s all thanks to the Scorned Demon King.”
“If it weren’t for the Scorned Demon King, who knows what would have become of us.”
“Wait, watch your words. Calling him Demon King? He’s our Union’s hero.”
“Hero? He’s the great Demon King of the Mage Empire.”
“Not Demon King—he’s a hero!!”
Though they bickered like this, everyone agreed on one thing:
Christian was the world’s savior.
Meanwhile, after preventing the world’s destruction, how was the great Christian faring…?
‘…Ugh, this is tough. Why can’t I just be happy?’
He was drowning in work.
‘Why is there so much to do?! Damn Demon Emperor, damn Archmage, damn mysterious mages!’
The mess those bastards left behind was enormous.
Politically, he had to resolve the massive damage inflicted on the Union.
Besides that, many conflicts remained between the Mage Empire and the Union, and no one but Chris could mediate.
On top of that, the boundaries between the Three Realms were on the verge of collapse.
It would take decades of nonstop effort to restore them.
‘Aaaah!! I want to play! I want to have fun!! Where did my reckless, luxurious life go?! What good is money if I can’t spend it?!’
Having money was a bit of a mixed blessing.
He was the King of All Humanity.
That meant he didn’t own any specific country.
Everything in this middle realm could be considered his, but strictly speaking, he didn’t truly own anything.
‘Just a fancy excuse for a dog’s life!’
Of course, he didn’t feel lacking.
If he wanted something, it was provided.
‘Still, this isn’t what I wanted!’
He sighed deeply.
‘And I still can’t drink.’
Currently, he was a high 9-star.
Ridiculously, even at that level, his constitution still forbade alcohol.
It was almost like a divine curse.
-…I’ll try to find a way to cure your alcohol intolerance.
Chris frowned, recalling Marisa’s words.
He wondered when—or if—that would ever be possible.
And there was an even bigger problem.
-But if I cure your condition, you have to listen to one thing I ask.
Chris’s face flushed red as he remembered Marisa’s ‘request.’
‘What do I do?’
This was unlike his usual decisive problem-solving demeanor; he felt genuinely troubled.
Yes.
Chris was facing a huge dilemma.
Perhaps even more difficult to resolve than the great beings of the Demon Emperor or Archangel.
Chris’s face burned as he recalled Marisa’s words.
‘No, suddenly saying that—what am I supposed to do?’
And Marisa wasn’t the only one.
It started with the Silver Snow Demon King.
-…You ridiculous Demon King. Don’t say such nonsense to my grandson, and just shut up and come here.
Nordian dragged her away, and the Silver Snow Demon King’s confession was quietly swept under the rug, but it had unexpected ripple effects.
It stirred those who had been quietly hiding their feelings into action.
-If I don’t act, someone else will steal him!
With that fear, one after another began approaching Chris.
“Your Majesty, Lady Mari has arrived.”
“Ugh.”
Chris hiccupped.
For reference, Mari had fully merged with Mafu, shedding her ghostly spirit form and regaining a living body.
It wasn’t just her body that had changed.
“Your Majesty, I’ve missed you.”
“…I-I missed you too.”
“Have you been avoiding me all this time? I was very hurt, young master.”
Mari approached with a pure face, her eyes glistening with tears, and Chris took a step back.
Where before she had been mostly playful, now there was no trace of lightheartedness.
She was sincerely reaching out to him.
And Chris was extremely vulnerable to this kind of approach.
‘I don’t know how to handle this!’
It was an unexpected side of him.
But it made sense.
In both his past and current lives, he had no experience with romantic relationships.
It was uncharted territory.
“Even Your Majesty has things you can’t do.”
Alos, who was working on paperwork nearby, sneered.
By the way, Alos had an unexpected talent for clerical work and was suffering alongside Chris.
He was so sleep-deprived and stressed that he muttered under his breath.
“Some haven’t even held hands, while others are frolicking in flower fields. Damn this world.”
Though his muttering was audible, Chris had no energy to reprimand him.
Then an even more formidable rival appeared.
“Hey, ghost, what do you think you’re doing to my friend Christian? Want to die?”
A cold, chilling voice.
It was Idrene!
But Mari was no pushover.
“Oh ho ho, mere friends, be gone. I was just trying to deepen my connection with His Majesty.”
“…I’m not just a friend. We will become more than friends… a deeper relationship.”
“Ha ha, such big dreams. May you dream forever.”
Idrene’s expression grew even colder.
Chris felt a knot of anxiety.
Idrene might be a fool around Chris, but to others, she was a terrifying presence.
Then things escalated.
-Whish!
The air distorted as a nine-tailed fox appeared via spatial teleportation and jumped onto Chris’s shoulder.
It was Lena, the chatty shadow!
Lena had been healing for a long time after her soul was damaged during the mysterious mage incident.
Her recovery was incomplete, so she often remained in fox form, clinging to Chris like a pet.
‘…But isn’t she fully healed now? Why does she keep staying in fox form?’
Idrene and Mari’s faces darkened.
“Oh ho ho. This lowly creature keeps wagging her tail at my lord.”
“Stay away from Christian at once, wicked fox, if you value your life.”
But Lena ignored them, yawning and even licking Chris’s shoulder.
Though typical pet behavior, neither of them took it lightly.
Sparks flew from their eyes, and a faint smirk flickered across Lena’s lips.
“How dare you!!”
“Get away!!”
Crackling energy surged from Mari and Idrene’s hands.
Both were 9-star Demon Kings.
Chris’s face turned pale, and Alos shook his head beside him.
“If the castle falls again, the budget gets cut, Your Majesty.”
And Chris’s troubles didn’t end there.
“What are you all doing? Get away from my brother at once!”
A sharp voice rivaling the others.
It was Olivia, the Law King of Golden Cross!
After everything was over, she reunited with Chris and learned his true identity.
Since then, she had stayed close as his sister, though perhaps a bit too much.
“My brother will never belong to the likes of you. Now leave.”
Of course, no one was about to back down.
“Oh ho ho, little sister. You don’t know when to step back.”
“I refuse to acknowledge you as Christian’s sister.”
[Meow, Christian belongs to me.]
Olivia frowned, and celestial wings spread behind her.
A tense, hair-trigger moment.
Then, a voice came to Chris’s rescue.
“Everyone, shut up. Christian belongs to no one.”
It was Evan!
Evan had become his knight.
…Of course, now that no one could harm Christian, his main job was to hold these people back.
The problem was, even Evan was outmatched.
They were overwhelming in number.
“…I don’t know. Handle it yourselves, Your Majesty.”
Alos quietly slipped away, and Chris swallowed hard, making a decision.
“…Evan, I’m counting on you.”
…To run.
“Christian!!!”
“No! Grab him!!”
“Stop him!!”
“Help me!!”
Leaving the aftermath to Evan, Christian bolted away in a panic.
“Forget love or anything else—I just want to enjoy wealth and glory first!!”
As if blessing him, warm sunlight poured down.
Peaceful.
A scene from a new era.