Chapter 77
Merian came to an abrupt halt.
Just as the Nordian had said.
She was curious too.
What kind of miracle would Christian pull off this time?
Whoooosh!!
At the moment the fierce darkness, capable of crushing everything it touched, surged toward Christian—
He drew his sword.
A black blade wrapped around the steel.
Though it was a perfect form, a black sword of three-star rank, it was far too weak and fragile to stand against the encroaching darkness.
Then, Christian’s black sword changed.
Its shape remained the same.
But his will was poured into the blade.
A will to cut through the advancing darkness.
Willpower transcends physical limits.
That miraculous power, achievable only through sheer strength of spirit, was now infused into Christian’s black sword.
And then—
BLAZING LIGHT!!!
Christian’s black sword sliced the “Requiem of Destruction” cleanly in two.
The all-consuming, annihilating darkness split into two streams and shattered into fragments.
“!!”
Everyone in the arena gasped in shock and sprang to their feet.
A miracle that should have been impossible had just happened.
“N-no way!”
“The only thing that can block a five-star destructive black magic is the Black Steel Technique! How could a black sword do it?”
Some among them—
Those who had surpassed five-star rank, reaching six stars or beyond.
The so-called “Masters” were the only ones who truly understood what Christian had done.
“To put one’s will into a black sword?”
“…That’s impossible.”
According to the established knowledge of magic theory, it was unthinkable.
He had done something insane that overturned the entire system of mastery.
Under the stunned gazes of all, Christian let out a long sigh.
The amount of magic energy consumed was enormous; it had been exhausting.
“You… you…”
Mysak’s eyes trembled as he stared at him.
Christian smirked.
“You idiot.”
With a final blow—
Thud!
Mysak collapsed, unconscious.
The arena fell into a suffocating silence.
No one dared utter a word.
They were too shocked by what Christian had just shown.
From start to finish, there was nothing about him that wasn’t astonishing.
One word echoed in everyone’s minds as they looked at Christian.
“Genius.”
“No, that’s not even close.”
The mages swallowed hard.
There had been many called geniuses before.
The noble families all boasted exceptional bloodlines, so naturally, many talented individuals existed.
But Christian was on a whole different level. He was incomparable.
No genius in history could even come close to what Christian had just displayed.
He was a devilish prodigy.
From now on, the word “genius” would be reserved solely for Christian.
“The competition ends here.”
Noga-ju rose from his seat.
It was time to deliver the verdict.
Nordian looked toward Yulian and Jupien, who were receiving treatment in the barracks.
“There was nothing to particularly criticize about those two. Continue to improve.”
“Thank you, Lord Noga-ju.”
Yulian bowed respectfully.
Next was Mysak’s turn.
Noga-ju glanced at Fresia, whose face was pale as death.
“Countess, you should pay closer attention to Mysak’s education.”
“!!”
“Our Dark Mage House places no restrictions on the powers used, but at this rate, it might be better for that child’s future to become a Destruction Mage.”
Fresia’s complexion drained completely.
It was the harshest criticism imaginable.
“I-I will keep that in mind going forward.”
Her voice trembled as she bowed, but Noga-ju no longer looked her way.
As if he had no interest in her or Mysak.
Instead, Nordian turned to Christian.
“And… Christian, you.”
The praise was brief.
“Excellent.”
“!!”
“It was worth the effort to come here in person.”
Everyone in the arena widened their eyes in disbelief.
No one—not even the great scholars of the age, nor the elder lords like Marquis Langham—had ever heard such high praise.
Christian smiled broadly and bowed.
“Please continue to look forward to it. I will show you even more to make you proud, Lord Noga-ju.”
Nordian chuckled softly, then turned and disappeared, signaling the end of the grand competition.
And with it—
A powerful aftershock shook the Dark Mage House to its core.
Christian was rising as the new central figure in the succession of the Dark Mage House.
From that day on, many things changed.
First and foremost, perception.
Christian was no longer the ugly duckling, the clumsy third prince.
He had become a legitimate heir.
Those who had dismissed him as a branch family member vanished without a trace.
—A mad talent.
People who witnessed Christian’s abilities began to think he might just pull off a miracle in the succession.
Of course, it was still only a possibility.
Even discounting the disgraceful third prince Mysak, the second prince Eshed and first princess Yulian were formidable opponents.
But even a slim chance was enough.
If the day ever came when Christian became the “Great Prince,” those who had looked down on him would not escape unscathed.
“Especially since Lord Noga-ju clearly favors Christian.”
“I should at least make my intentions clear.”
With that in mind, many mages came to seek Christian out.
“Prince, sorry for the late visit. It’s a small gift to celebrate your appointment.”
“From the Aren Count family, we also brought a gift for you, Prince.”
“From the Raan Baron family as well…”
Christian chuckled inwardly.
To think his treatment would change so drastically overnight.
“People are people, whether mages or nobles.”
He smiled but accepted the gifts without complaint.
It was a symbolic gesture.
An acceptance of their goodwill.
“Thank you for your kindness. I will remember your support.”
“Thank you!!!”
“Thank you!!!”
After the guests left, Mari wagged her tail and approached.
[Oh ho ho… young master… you truly are something… already commanding so many people…]
“Commanding? No way.”
Christian shook his head firmly.
“If I waver, they’ll turn their backs on me in an instant.”
He wouldn’t be mistaken.
Their cautiousness was only because his influence was growing; they were not truly his people.
“Most of them probably treat other princes the same way. It’s time to start building my own faction.”
He needed loyal followers who would swear allegiance only to him.
He had some ideas about who to recruit.
“It’s about time they came.”
Just then, someone knocked on his door.
Creak—the door opened.
The person Christian had been waiting for appeared.
“Long time no see, young master. Or should I say, Prince now.”
Enchanting appearance.
But a sharp, blade-like aura radiated from her entire being.
“As I said before, I have come to pledge my loyalty to you, Prince.”
Melin, the deputy commander of the Black Forest Knights and a four-star upper-rank mage whom Christian had met at the Kazar Count family, knelt before him.
“You will keep your promise to fight alongside me, won’t you?”
She shot him a dangerous look.
Melin had pledged loyalty to Christian!
The Dark Mage House buzzed with renewed excitement.
“Melin? That crazy woman who was sent to the Kazar Count family?”
“That madwoman?”
Melin was a well-known mage.
A four-star upper-rank, soon to reach five stars and become a captain of a combat unit.
But what made Melin famous was her personality.
Among mages, she was especially known for her fighting spirit—a pit bull temperament.
“Wasn’t she sent to Kazar as punishment for seriously injuring a comrade?”
“And now that crazy woman is serving Prince Christian?”
“She used to say she wouldn’t serve any prince. What did Christian do to make her change her mind?”
Before the shock could fade, another stunning development occurred.
Melin wasn’t the only one pledging loyalty to Christian.
One of the three branch families, the Tiramin Count family, declared their support for Christian!
You might think a branch family’s support was insignificant.
But the three branch families were called the trident of the Dark Mage House, firmly supporting it from below.
The Kazar Count family had always been on Christian’s side, and now with the Tiramin Count family joining, two of the three branch families backed him.
This was no small matter.
“That’s why I have come to see you, Prince.”
“…Yes.”
Christian looked up, slightly surprised, at the figure before him.
A bear-like giant stood there.
The eldest son and heir of the Tiramin Count family, Kayson.
“Our Tiramin Count family has decided, as promised, to support you, Prince.”
“…Honestly, I’m surprised. Though we had an agreement, I didn’t expect such a swift decision.”
During the ebony hunt, Christian and the Tiramin Count had made a pact.
If Christian proved himself worthy as a prince, they would stand under his banner.
But it was only a promise without binding force.
“My father, the Tiramin Count, has been closely observing your deeds. He has concluded that you are trustworthy and worth betting on.”
“I see. I understand. I will not let the Tiramin Count family’s decision be regretted. Thank you.”
Christian’s firm reply made Kayson nod in satisfaction.
“However, we have one condition.”
“What is it?”
“Please take responsibility for one person.”
“…Excuse me?”
Kayson called out from outside.
“Hey, you—come on in!”
The door creaked open, and hesitantly, a boy stepped inside.
A familiar face.
“Oh?”
Chris looked surprised.
“Alos’s younger brother?”
From the time of the Ebony Hunt to the Dark Ceremony, their fates had been intertwined in many ways. This was Alos, the youngest son of the Tiramin Count family.
“W-who said I’m his brother?!” Alos snapped, but Kayson immediately smacked him hard on the back of the head.
“How dare you! This is the young master you’ll be serving from now on!”
“B-but…”
Alos’s eyes welled up with tears, as if all his frustrations had been building up.
“So, you’re the one asking for responsibility, huh, Alos?”
“Yes, that’s right. This guy didn’t get a single drop of Dark Essence during the ceremony, so his future looks bleak.”
Back then, everyone who attended the Dark Ceremony with Chris had failed to obtain even a trace of Dark Essence.
“Ah, I’m not blaming the young master or anything. I’d just be grateful if you could take care of him.”
Chris caught on to the Tiramin family’s intention.
‘They want Alos to make a name for himself alongside me.’
A bloodline without Dark Essence from the Dark Mage clan could never rise in status.
So, they were hoping to give him a chance, even if it was like this.
‘The problem is, he’s not exactly someone who’ll be much help.’
Chris glanced sideways at Alos with a hint of skepticism.
‘He’s got some talent, at least.’
Alos had made a name for himself during the Age of Ruin, even growing into a five-star mine, if Chris remembered correctly.
‘If I push him hard enough, maybe I can make him somewhat useful.’
“Alright. But I have one condition. Let Alos take me as his master.”