Episode 66
Duke Huam’s cultivation level was at the lower end of the 8th star.
In contrast, Nordian had reached the upper limit of the 8th star.
It would take three Dukes like Huam to stand a chance against Nordian.
Though Duke Huam was somewhat weak for the head of a prestigious magical family, his name became known throughout the world.
This was because of what Duke Huam would come to do in the future.
“Are you Christian?”
“I pay my respects, Your Grace.”
“Indeed, you look as impressive as the rumors say. Honestly, I’m quite amazed. You’re remarkable now, but I expect even greater things from you.”
Duke Huam seemed to size Chris up with a single glance.
“Of course, considering the wrong you did to our princess before, I’d like to tear you limb from limb.”
“……”
What on earth had the previous ‘Christian’ done to Marisa?
Fortunately, Duke Huam didn’t seem to harbor any particular hostility toward Chris.
He smiled faintly.
“I’ll let bygones be bygones regarding what you did to Marisa. Thank you. If it weren’t for you, the youngest child would have suffered greatly. In the worst case, I might have had to do something terrible to that lovely girl with my own hands.”
Chris understood.
Marisa was the daughter of the family head.
But in her previous life, she had been punished by having both hands cut off, her eyes gouged out, and her tongue removed.
She had committed a grave offense, but the punishment was excessively cruel for the daughter of a family head.
This was because Duke Huam’s power was weak.
“Duke Huam is the family head, but not the strongest of the Geukdok family.”
The true strongest of the Geukdok family was someone else—Duke Huam’s own brother.
They shared power as the real forces within the Geukdok family.
This was the seed of the tragedy that would later befall the Geukdok family—the ‘Jinnok Rebellion.’
“…That’s something to think about later.”
Chris shook his head.
For now, dealing with Duke Huam was the priority.
“Why did you summon me?”
“To see the face of my son-in-law?”
“…We’re already broken off.”
Duke Huam gave a smile that was impossible to read.
“Actually, I called you because I have a question.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“What is your relationship with the Uiseon family?”
“!!”
“You said you got the medicine at an auction, but that’s not true. Our Geukdok family always keeps an eye on the black market auctions. We need to confirm when important medicinal ingredients appear. But recently, no medicine from the Uiseon family has been up for sale. How did you come to know their secret techniques?”
“……”
“Explain yourself.”
A dangerous question.
But Chris was prepared.
“I have no connection to the Uiseon family. I’ve never met them.”
“No? Yet you made medicine containing their secret methods?”
“That’s just because I’m a genius.”
“…What?”
“I had a few chances to see the Uiseon family’s medicine before. So I just imitated and recreated it. It wasn’t that difficult.”
Duke Huam was speechless.
“You say that’s possible?”
“It is. I even roughly figured out the formula for Marisa’s poison, the Blue Flower. Shall I tell you? Mix the Kanacia flower with the essence of the Hallu spider, then add some powder from the Papin magic stone…”
“…Enough.”
Duke Huam shook his head.
“I can’t believe it.”
“Yes, I think I’m a genius beyond imagination.”
“……”
Chris said confidently,
“Is that all you wanted to ask?”
To summon me just to ask that? Chris looked puzzled.
“No, let me get to the point.”
Duke Huam looked Chris straight in the eyes.
“How would you like to join the Geukdok family?”
“!!”
“With your talent, you could master the family’s poison techniques quickly. If you come to the Geukdok family, I will personally pass down the family’s true secrets.”
Chris looked slightly surprised.
The family’s true secrets were only passed down to direct heirs.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean to make you my son-in-law. Weren’t you and Marisa originally engaged?”
Duke Huam didn’t seem to be speaking lightly.
“…May I ask why you’re making this offer?”
“Because of your talent.”
“……”
“After hearing about you from Marisa, I thought: if you really made the Uiseon family’s secret medicine, I must have you. Medicine and poison are closely related arts. Your talent will shine brilliantly in the Geukdok family.”
“I’m a bloodline of the Amheuk family.”
“But a persecuted bloodline.”
“……”
“And now that you’re a duke, your situation will only get worse. Everyone in the Amheuk family will become your enemy. So I think my offer isn’t bad for you either.”
Chris was silent.
It was an unexpected proposal.
But it wasn’t unusual for a scion of a magical family to switch allegiances.
Even Simon, the vampire butler, was the highest pureblood of the Bloodsword family, and he came from the same ship as the Blood King of the Bloodshed family.
Still.
Chris chuckled softly.
“You’re joking too much.”
“……”
“You know I won’t follow you anyway.”
Talent in medicine and poison?
He excelled at everything, not just poison.
And the family’s persecution?
“They’ll all kneel before me eventually.”
Duke Huam was silent.
Chris looked him straight in the eye and said,
“Please tell me what you really want from me.”
Duke Huam let out a low chuckle.
His expression was still gentle, but now it carried a heavy weight.
“Yes, I knew you wouldn’t accept my offer. But it wasn’t just a casual proposal. I truly desire you.”
“……”
“Now, the real matter.”
Duke Huam sighed deeply, then said something unexpected.
“May I ask a favor?”
“A favor?”
The great Duke Huam, asking a favor?
“If something happens to the main family, can you protect my daughter Marisa’s safety?”
“!!”
“I’m not asking you to marry her. Just to make sure she survives.”
Chris’s face hardened.
“That’s a sudden request.”
Duke Huam spoke bitterly.
“I understand your surprise. Outsiders may not know, but the main family’s situation is dire. It’s just a precaution, in case something happens.”
Chris knew.
What was happening in the Geukdok family now.
And what was about to happen.
“This is troublesome.”
Chris furrowed his brows.
When he didn’t answer, Duke Huam said,
“Of course, I won’t ask you to do this empty-handed. I’ll give you compensation.”
It was a crystal orb.
Chris looked surprised as he took it.
“What is this?”
“It contains a manuscript of the Uiseon family’s secret poison medicine techniques. The first and middle parts.”
“!!”
The Uiseon family’s secret knowledge was divided into three parts: the first 15 volumes, the middle 15, and the last 15.
Chris had mastered the first 15 volumes.
Now, he was being given the middle 15 volumes as well.
“How did you get this?”
“The Geukdok and Uiseon families have been long-time rivals. I bribed someone inside to smuggle out the manuscripts. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the last part. That’s only taught to the Uiseon family’s direct heirs.”
Still, it was a treasure of immense value.
Especially for Chris.
The middle 15 volumes contained the Uiseon family’s unique healing technique, ‘Uiseon Qigong.’
The power that made the Uiseon family’s members like saints born with holy energy.
‘Especially if I use this with the relic I just obtained—the Emblem of the Constellation—it will create an incredible synergy.’
It would surely become a powerful asset for his future plans.
But.
“I’m sorry. I cannot accept.”
“!!”
“The reward is insufficient for the difficulty of your request.”
He was sincere.
Chris thought to himself.
Duke Huam probably didn’t realize how difficult the favor he asked was.
To save Marisa, Chris would have to prevent the ‘disaster’ about to strike the Geukdok family.
“But it’s impossible for me to stop what’s going to happen in the Geukdok family.”
He was a genius, but not omnipotent.
The events about to unfold were beyond his control.
So Chris had already given up on preventing the disaster entirely and planned to focus on minimizing the damage.
“…I see.”
Duke Huam muttered bitterly.
“I’m sorry for bringing this up. Please forget what I just said.”
Though he was a giant who had reached the 8th star, somehow his shoulders looked small.
Chris could feel the sincerity behind his concern for Marisa.
Compared to himself, a mere insignificant nobody, Duke Huam’s desperate plea was heartfelt.
Was it because of that genuine fatherly love?
For a moment, the voice of his father from his past life flashed through his mind.
Chris twitched his eyebrows.
Father was his Achilles’ heel.
He answered impulsively.
“On one condition, I’ll try.”
“You?”
“I can’t promise. But I’ll try. If it looks impossible, I’ll give up.”
Duke Huam nodded repeatedly.
“Good. That’s enough. What conditions do you want?”
“I have three conditions.”
“Name them.”
“First, you must pass on the true secrets of the Geukdok family to me.”
“!!”
Duke Huam’s eyes widened.
“You mean the true secrets passed down only to direct heirs?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Chris nodded.
‘If I want to get stronger, I need to master other elemental powers at a high level.’
Because of the nature of dark magic.
The Dark Mage commands all forms of darkness.
The more diverse elemental powers one masters, the stronger the synergy becomes, unleashing even greater strength.
Above all, mastering the highest level of poison magic is the only faint hope of preventing what’s about to unfold within the Extreme Poison Mage faction.
“…I see. But officially, that’s nearly impossible. Unless you marry Marisa.”
“An unofficial route will suffice.”
At Duke Huam’s subtle remark, Chris responded firmly.
“Then what are the other conditions?”
“Second, please keep today’s conversation with me a secret from Marisa.”
“…Very well. But why the secrecy?”
Chris nodded.
There was a reason.
A reason that made it absolutely necessary.
“And the third condition?”
“First, promise me you will agree to it.”
“Alright, I promise. You’re being serious—now I’m curious.”
Chris looked Duke Huam squarely in the eyes.
“Do not blame me if I end up killing members of the Extreme Poison Mage faction.”
“…What?”
“Even if some of them are people dear to Your Highness.”
The duke’s expression stiffened.
But Chris did not back down.
The future approaching the Extreme Poison Mage faction could not be stopped without shedding a great deal of blood.