Episode 96
Presia didn’t refuse.
Evan gave Mysaak a few sharp blows.
So, naturally, Evan was part of the plan to be dealt with as well.
“Well then, that’s that.”
As Chris stepped outside, Mysaak glared at him with a menacing look.
Chris smirked.
“Where else would you be but around your mother?”
“…”
Mysaak didn’t respond. Instead, he ground his teeth and shot Chris a murderous glare.
The deadly intent radiated chillingly.
Chris shrugged, feeling the raw threat to his life without any filter.
‘This brat’s spoiled tantrums end here.’
With this plan, Chris intended to kill Mysaak.
But suddenly, on a whim, he spoke up.
“Hey, Mysaak. I’ve got something to say.”
“…What is it?”
“Don’t you think it’s time to apologize for all the wrongs you’ve done to me?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“Just giving you a chance.”
“Shut your nonsense. You should be the one looking forward to what’s coming.”
Mysaak growled fiercely.
“I’ll make your life so miserable you’ll regret being born.”
His eyes gleamed with cruel pride.
Of course—he had the Dark Ghost Blade.
Mysaak smiled wickedly, as if savoring the pain he planned to inflict on Chris.
“Well, if that’s how it is.”
Chris stepped out of the mansion.
Evan was kneeling, waiting for him.
Chris chuckled and teased.
“You’re starting to look like a proper slave now.”
“…Shut up.”
“Oh? Such bad manners to your master. Should I teach you a lesson?”
Evan’s eyes turned cold.
Chris chuckled again and patted Evan’s shoulder.
“Get up. Let’s go.”
It was time to get Evan out.
Gold Cross lay on the southern border of the Dark Maga territory.
Chris rode his horse, scanning the path ahead.
‘I’ll have to come back here soon.’
A catastrophe was about to unfold in Gold Cross.
It would inevitably lead to turmoil in the Demon King’s Castle, so it had to be stopped.
‘Is this the Brexis River? Following it leads to the capital of the Law Kingdom? It’s been a while since I saw this emerald-green water.’
Chris’s eyes softened momentarily as he gazed at the shimmering river.
The beautiful hue of the Brexis River had been the only comfort in his previous life, his childhood.
‘Oh, and there’s one more thing.’
His younger sister.
The kind girl who called him brother and cared for him, even when everyone else labeled him a devil’s spawn.
‘She went through a lot because of me. Now that “I” am gone, maybe she’s finally at peace.’
When he returned in a different body, the original Chris had died.
‘She was a good kid, so maybe she was a little sad. I miss her.’
He would meet his sister when he stopped the impending disaster in Gold Cross.
Though, it didn’t really matter anymore.
Chris and his sister no longer had any connection.
Even if they met, revealing his true identity was impossible.
‘Maybe because of causality, I can’t reveal who I was before.’
But that wasn’t important.
‘The best thing I can do for her is to prevent the catastrophe in Gold Cross. After all, she’ll be the one who suffers the most.’
As he thought this, Evan riding beside him looked at Chris quietly.
“…You.”
“??”
“…Never mind.”
Chris frowned.
‘Why does he keep acting like that?’
This wasn’t the first time Evan had behaved this way.
In fact, it happened quite often.
He would look at Chris with eyes so complex it was as if he could read his mind.
‘…He doesn’t have clairvoyance or anything, so that can’t be it.’
Chris knew Evan would only awaken such powers after being recognized as a hero and contracting with the Celestial Order.
That was still far off.
‘Well, it’s nothing important.’
Chris changed the subject.
“So, why are you here in the Dark Maga territory?”
“…”
“Even if you were deliberately abandoned to die, you must have been given some kind of mission, right?”
He had asked before but never got an answer.
This time, Evan was silent for a moment before giving an unexpected reply.
“None of your business. It was a ridiculous, pointless mission anyway.”
Chris tilted his head.
Then, in the distance, he spotted their ally waiting.
Ruina.
“Prince Christian, it’s an honor to see you.”
“How have you been? Good to see you.”
“…Yes.”
Ruina answered with an ambiguous tone.
Her expression was neither welcoming nor hostile but a complicated mix of both.
More precisely, both feelings were tangled together.
The welcoming part came from,
‘We made a huge profit last time.’
The gems Chris brought from the underground garden had sold for far more than expected to a high noble of the Holy Empire.
Not only that, but as Chris had hinted, suspicious events were unfolding in Gold Cross.
There was a strong scent of money to be made if she played her cards right.
Despite the great fortune Chris had brought her, Ruina’s face still showed reluctance.
The reason was simple.
‘No matter what, trying to fleece me again? Am I your cash cow?!’
Ruina clenched her teeth inwardly.
Chris had asked her to bring a “thing” today.
As always, it was an incredibly expensive item.
“You brought the item I asked for, right?”
“Oh hoho, of course. But… may I ask what you intend to do with such a costly thing?”
“Why? Worried about wasting money?”
Chris teased, and Ruina shook her head sharply.
“Not at all!”
‘Yeah, you’re worried about money, you jerk! This thing costs a fortune!’ But she kept that to herself and spoke cautiously.
“It’s just that this is usually used to cover up crimes… so I was curious what you needed it for…”
“To cover up a crime.”
“…Excuse me?”
“You said it yourself. It’s for covering up crimes. I told you to get it for that purpose.”
Ruina snapped her mouth shut.
“Oh hoho… I see. As expected of the great and magnificent prince.”
“And also.”
Chris handed Ruina a letter.
“This contains information about what’s going to happen in Gold Cross.”
“!!”
“It explains how to act, so use it as a reference.”
Ruina took the letter as if it were a sacred relic and bowed deeply, about 150 degrees, in gratitude.
“Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty! I will trust only His Majesty Prince Christian from now on!”
‘Hmm, she’s a bit too enthusiastic about this.’ Chris scratched his head inwardly.
Following the letter’s instructions would make a lot of money, but it would also trap Ruina perfectly in Chris’s plan.
In other words, she’d be working herself to the bone.
‘Well, money is the most important thing to Ruina. As long as she makes money, it’s fine.’
“And there’s one more gift.”
“What is it? If it’s from you, I’ll gladly accept even poison!”
“Not poison. It’s a lottery ticket. If it hits, it’s a jackpot.”
“Really?”
“Here, this guy.”
Chris pointed to Evan.
Ruina looked puzzled for a moment, then her eyes widened.
She recognized Evan’s identity.
“Could it be… this person? From the famous swordsmanship family?”
“That’s right.”
Chris said magnanimously.
“I’m giving you a chance to do him a favor.”
Of course, sneaking across the border between the Magic Empire and Gold Cross wasn’t easy.
Both sides kept a sharp watch.
But there was one person who could cross the border as if it were her own home.
Ruina, the owner of the Rudolph-Deer Trading Company.
She traded between the Union and the Magic Empire through secret, mysterious routes unknown to others.
‘Using artifacts. Legendary ones, at that.’
She used a legendary-grade artifact far surpassing the Vampire Ring Chris had obtained in the underground garden.
‘With that artifact, it’s possible to smuggle Evan out without leaving a trace.’
But Ruina’s reaction was far from positive.
She quickly pulled Chris aside and snapped.
“Evan isn’t a lottery ticket, he’s a bomb!”
“You said you’d gladly accept poison earlier.”
“That was just flattery! What am I supposed to do if I help Evan and end up earning the wrath of the swordsmanship family?!”
The swordsmanship family’s influence in the Union was no joke.
Almost on par with the royal family.
No, the royal family’s power was limited to their own country, but the swordsmanship family’s influence spread across the entire continent, making them even more powerful.
‘They’re called one of the four great bloodlines of the Union.’
The four most noble bloodlines in the Union were:
The royal family of the Karn Empire.
The royal family of the Holy Empire.
The Star Clan of the Law Kingdom, the spiritual center of Gold Cross.
And the swordsmanship family, the Meyers.
“I can’t do it! Absolutely not! Do you want to ruin my business?!”
“On the other hand, this could be a chance for the trading company to grow exponentially.”
“…”
“If Evan becomes the head of the swordsmanship family.”
Ruina snapped her mouth shut.
“As you know, Evan is still the heir.”
“But… only in name. Honestly, the chances of Evan becoming the head are slim.”
“Well, I don’t think so. But yes, it’s risky. If you only care about money, this might not be a profitable venture.”
Chris nodded.
“If your goal is just to hoard money like a miser, you don’t have to get involved. But is that really the case?”
Chris looked Ruina straight in the eyes.
“I have a feeling you have another purpose.”
“!!”
Ruina’s eyes trembled.
Indeed.
Ruina’s greed, her obsession with money as if it were more precious than life itself, wasn’t simply due to avarice.
She needed that money to achieve a certain goal.
That’s why she valued and hoarded it above all else in the world.
“…What do you know about me?”
“I don’t know much. Just a guess. Someone as remarkable a merchant as you probably has a specific purpose. Anyway, make your choice.”
Chris said.
“Whether or not to scratch the lottery ticket.”
Ruina bit her lip tightly.
It was a difficult decision.
The odds were as slim as a lottery win.
And if she lost, the risk of a huge loss loomed.
But—
“…I’ll do it.”
If she won the lottery—
If Evan succeeded in becoming the head of the renowned swordsmanship family—
She would be one step closer to her true goal.
So she couldn’t say no.
Above all—
‘…That bastard wouldn’t push me into something hopeless.’
Strangely enough,
Ruina trusted Chris.
Because of the unbelievable miracles he had pulled off so far.