Episode 82
“You filthy bastard who doesn’t even know his place.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“I’ve come because there’s something I need you to do regarding the upcoming Duke’s Summit.”
“…What is it?”
Kashmir looked puzzled.
He was attending reluctantly, with little interest in the matter.
But then—
“I’ll give you the ‘key.’ When the Duke’s Summit begins, activate the ‘Transfer’ at the right moment.”
“!!”
Kashmir’s eyes widened in shock.
The ‘key’ and the ‘Transfer’—these were secrets recently uncovered in the underground garden.
“B-but… if I do that, everyone attending will meet their death.”
The Grand Duke Shuwar frowned.
Smack!
A fist wrapped in magic slammed into Kashmir’s face, blood spurting out.
“Who told you to bark back?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“I’m not just ordering you to do this. If you succeed, I’ll get you the medicine from the Uiseon family of healers to cure your mother.”
“!!”
Kashmir trembled as if struck by lightning.
This was what he had desperately wished for.
“But remember this well. If you fail, I will cut off even the medicine that’s been keeping your mother alive. You must succeed.”
“…Yes, I understand.”
The Grand Duke vanished, leaving Kashmir alone, his gaze heavy and burdened.
And so, the Duke’s Summit began.
The underground garden lay on the outskirts of the Destruction Mage’s territory.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
Chris whistled, admiring the garden’s splendor.
Descending underground through the pavilion at the center marked the true start of the ruins.
“I came here once with the hero’s party. Back then, it was ravaged by war, nothing like this beautiful sight now.”
They had ventured here to obtain an item to confront the Bloodthirsty Demon King.
And they had succeeded.
Each member of the hero’s party had secured top-tier artifacts and relics suited to themselves.
The item Chris sought this time was among them.
Just then, two figures approached from the opposite side.
One was Marisa of the Venom Mage faction.
She sneered upon seeing Chris.
“Long time no see. Not that I’m happy about it.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Chris replied half-heartedly, then turned his attention elsewhere.
For some reason, Marisa’s face flushed red, but Chris paid her no mind.
His focus was elsewhere.
A handsome man with heavy features and striking red hair.
“And who might that be?”
“That is Kashmir van Vessen Lupus of the Destruction Mage faction. He became a duke late and is attending belatedly.”
Kashmir answered politely.
Chris studied Kashmir with a renewed expression.
‘Kashmir the Resister. To meet him like this…’
The relic wasn’t the only thing Chris needed to obtain this time.
He had to win Kashmir over to his side.
‘I knew Kashmir in my past life, too.’
Despite being a demon, Kashmir was more righteous than many in the alliance.
The hero’s party had received his aid several times.
He was talented, and forming a bond with him would be a great asset in the future.
‘With someone like Kashmir, it’s better to win his heart than to make a mere contract based on give and take.’
Fortunately, Chris knew how to appeal to Kashmir’s heart.
‘We even shared a few drinking sessions in the past.’
Kashmir didn’t know it, but Chris knew a lot about him.
How Kashmir was living in the Destruction Mage faction now, the pain he would soon endure.
His personality, his weaknesses—all of it.
With that in mind, Chris spoke respectfully.
“I am Christian van Baron Cazar of the Baron Duke family. It is an honor to meet the renowned Duke Kashmir.”
Kashmir was taken aback.
“To say I’m renowned is undeserved.”
“I’ve heard of your achievements against the Holy Empire’s forces. As a fellow demon, it’s refreshing.”
For context, while the Venom and Dark Mage factions opposed the Gold Cross and the Four Kings, the Destruction Mage faction stood against the Holy Empire.
“T-thank you. I was… just lucky.”
Despite his large frame, Kashmir looked awkward and unsure, and Chris chuckled inwardly.
‘Just like before.’
A timid, loyal dog-like type.
That was Kashmir’s nature.
Lacking confidence and easily intimidated, but opening up sincerely when someone acknowledged him.
Chris pressed further into Kashmir’s weak spot.
“Luck? Defeating the Holy Empire’s fanatics is no small feat. Your humility is excessive.”
Chris continued in a gentle tone.
“Especially since you and I share the same branch lineage, you’ve been a great example to me.”
Kashmir was startled and shook his head.
“To be compared to Duke Christian is unthinkable.”
Kashmir’s surname was ‘van Vessen Lupus.’
The ‘van’ indicated a branch family, and ‘Lupus’ was his mother’s name—of no real value in terms of bloodline.
In contrast, Christian was the eldest son of one of the three pillars of the Dark Mage faction’s main family.
The bloodline comparison was impossible.
“What does bloodline matter? For demons, power and achievements are what count. In that regard, Duke Kashmir, you deserve my respect.”
“……”
Kashmir fell silent.
He had never heard such words before.
All he’d ever been told were:
“You filthy bastard who doesn’t know your place.”
“You’re just a worm squirming. Don’t think becoming a duke means anything. You’re just a tool we’ll use and discard.”
Those words from his family echoed in his mind, swelling his chest with emotion.
“…Thank you for saying that.”
Chris smiled broadly.
He was determined to shake Kashmir’s heart completely.
“Since fate has brought us together, how about we get along like brothers?”
“Brothers? How so?”
“Isn’t the Duke’s Summit meant to foster friendship? We’re from the same generation; getting along like brothers would be good for the Southern Mage Kingdom.”
But Kashmir hesitated, unable to answer easily.
How could I? his expression said.
“Then how about this? A wager. Whoever reaches the seventh floor first wins, and the loser treats the winner as their elder brother.”
“…The loser becomes the elder brother to the winner?”
“Yes. Though you’re a bit older, age doesn’t matter when it comes to brotherhood, right?”
Kashmir was silent for a different reason.
He was in his mid-twenties.
A latecomer duke of humble origin, older than most attendees.
It would be strange for him to treat Chris, who had just turned sixteen, as his elder brother.
Chris smirked.
“Of course, if you’re not confident, you don’t have to do it. I just thought it’d be fun to compete with you. What a shame.”
“…I’ll do it.”
Though timid, Kashmir was still a demon.
His competitive spirit was stirred, and he couldn’t refuse.
“Then let’s start right now. The first to reach the seventh floor wins.”
With that, Christian leapt down immediately.
Kashmir, serious, followed suit.
“……”
“……”
Left behind were two girls—Marisa and Jupien.
They looked at each other awkwardly.
“…Why, are you going to say we should be sisters too?”
Jupien said sullenly.
“…No thanks.”
“Good. I didn’t want that.”
“Me neither. But why do you keep talking down to me? We’re about the same age.”
“Want me to speak politely?”
“No, it’s fine. No need.”
Marisa scoffed and walked away.
Since the Duke’s Summit began—
More precisely, since seeing Christian’s face—
She’d been irritated.
For some strange, inexplicable reason.
As Marisa frowned, Jupien called after her.
“Wait.”
“…What?”
“Now that I think about it, I don’t like you.”
“…What?”
“You’ve been glaring at Christian since we first met.”
“…What?”
“Are you trying to challenge him?”
“……”
Marisa fell silent.
What nonsense was this?
Jupien said with a crooked smile,
“Sorry, but I’m the one who’s going to crush Christian. So if you have any foolish hopes, give them up.”
Marisa, dumbfounded, asked,
“…And if I don’t give up?”
“I’ll make you.”
“…What a joke. I was already annoyed enough.”
The atmosphere between them turned cold.
Fighting during the Duke’s Summit wasn’t forbidden anyway. There was even a scheduled ‘competition’ round.
Snap!
Poison flared, and swordlight flashed.
An unexpected duel broke out.
After many twists and turns, the group finally reached the seventh floor.
‘Why were those two fighting?’
Chris gave Marisa and Jupien a bewildered look.
They looked disheveled, clearly having just fought.
‘Did someone pick a fight? Both have terrible tempers. Well, kids will be kids.’
He shrugged it off.
Right now, his focus was on Kashmir.
“It was a draw, but a good match, Duke Kashmir.”
“…No, thank you for your help, Duke.”
Kashmir looked deeply moved.
There was a reason.
Chris had helped Kashmir out of a deadly trap.
One that could have cost him his life.
‘Even on the lower floors of the underground garden, deadly traps are hidden here and there.’
Of course, it was rare for a high-level demon to fall into such a trap and be in danger.
But Chris had deliberately lured Kashmir into a deadly trap.
Why?
He intended to help and show his gratitude.
Though it was like giving a disease and then offering the cure, the clueless Kashmir didn’t notice at all. He saw Chris as the savior who had saved his life.
“Heh heh. Looks like he’s almost fallen for it.”
Now it was time to drive the final nail in and seal the deal.
“…Since you helped me, I’ll concede this match. So… from now on, please consider Prince Christian as your older brother…”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
“Prince Christian?”
“Do you really think I meant that seriously? It was just a way to get closer to Prince Kashmir.”
Christian said boldly, putting on a confident front.
“So, instead of older brother and younger brother, let’s just be friends.”
“!!”
Kashmir’s eyes trembled.
A friend.
He had never had a single friend in his life. He was someone everyone rejected.
But today, for the first time, he heard those words.
His heart couldn’t help but be shaken.
Yet.
“…I’m sorry. I don’t deserve that.”
Kashmir answered heavily.
‘I have to drive them all to their deaths today.’
The ‘key’ in his grasp weighed heavily on his chest.