Episode 99
“What… what is this?”
“Presia, I won’t even mention the embezzlement and corruption you committed on your own. But using the family’s secret assassin corps, the Dark Ghosts, to side with Maysak—that is an unforgivable overreach.”
“……”
“However, even that mistake was overlooked out of respect for your father, Grand Duke Besen. But I will not tolerate it any longer.”
Merian’s voice was cold and warning.
“It’s natural for heirs to quarrel, even to the point of death. But for a family elder to directly interfere with an heir—that has never been allowed in the history of the Dark Mage Clan. Christian, the moment you lay a finger on that child, your head will roll.”
Presia’s body trembled violently.
Merian sheathed her sword.
“And just so there’s no misunderstanding, this warning comes from the head of the family himself.”
“!!”
Presia’s eyes widened as if they might tear apart.
Her body crumpled.
If that was the will of the family head, there was no chance she could kill Christian.
Relying on others?
Impossible.
Not even the Dark Mage Clan’s own mages would help her.
‘My father won’t help me either.’
Her father, Grand Duke Besen of the Destruction Mage Clan, was a thoroughly calculating man.
With Maysak dead, her chances of gaining power within the Dark Mage Clan had vanished.
Besen wouldn’t even glance her way.
“No! I absolutely cannot let this go!!”
Despair ignited fiercely in Presia’s eyes.
‘If I can’t act directly…’
There was an answer.
One Merian had just told her herself.
“Prepare to head to Liberi.”
“What?”
“Immediately!”
The carriage carrying Presia left the estate, and Maria reported the news to Christian.
[Young master, as you instructed, Marchioness Presia has departed for the Liberi Count’s estate.]
“Thanks,” Christian nodded.
Melin spoke anxiously beside him.
“The Liberi Count’s family is under Prince Eshed’s influence. There’s a high chance they’re plotting something behind the scenes.”
“Probably. I know. It’s fine.”
Melin and Maria exchanged puzzled looks.
But Christian closed his eyes calmly instead of explaining.
‘Now, the real game begins.’
The succession battle for the Grand Duke’s seat.
The continent’s storm, set to erupt starting with the Gold Cross tragedy.
Only now was the curtain truly rising.
‘Eshed’s early return is unexpected, though.’
Eshed was nothing like Maysak.
His power and influence were incomparable.
He would be a formidable opponent, no doubt.
‘That’s fine. Actually, it’s better this way.’
Christian thought.
‘The more he tries to interfere, the more satisfying it will be to crush him.’
The stronger Eshed was,
the bigger the obstacle he posed,
the more brilliantly Christian would shine when he defeated him.
No one would be able to deny Christian as the rightful heir of the Dark Mage Clan.
The Liberi family was the most loyal vassal house of the Dark Mage Clan.
Their territory bordered the Gold Cross region.
Upon arriving at the Liberi estate, Presia entered immediately.
“Welcome, Mother. I’ve heard the news about Maysak.”
A strikingly handsome young man greeted her—Eshed.
Though his expression was sorrowful, Presia knew better.
Eshed was not sad at all.
He was, in fact, gleeful in a mocking way.
Eshed was a madman in a different sense from the first prince, Sherard.
If Sherard delighted in slaughter, Eshed took pleasure in inflicting pain.
Relentlessly. Like a game, he tormented his opponents and enjoyed watching them crumble in despair—a true sociopath.
But that didn’t matter.
That was exactly why she had come.
“I have a proposition for you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Revenge against Christian.”
Eshed’s lips curled into a smile.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Drop the act. I know you’re targeting Christian. You’ve already made moves with the Kazar family, haven’t you?”
Eshed’s smile deepened.
Indeed, he hadn’t been idle during his convalescence.
Using the Liberi family’s power, he had been secretly scheming.
His goal: the annihilation of Christian’s family, the Kazar Counts.
‘This is just the beginning.’
Eshed pictured Christian utterly broken, drowning in despair, and his face lit up with pleasure.
“So, what can you do for me, Mother? Don’t tell me you think you’re some great power.”
Presia’s eyebrows twitched.
Anger surged, but she barely held it back.
“I will fill what you lack. You command the strongest forces among the heirs, but you have a fatal flaw.”
“Hmm?”
“A lack of talent.”
“!!”
Eshed’s face hardened.
Presia sneered.
“You’re praised as a genius in the Dark Mage Clan with your four-star rank, but you know as well as I do how inferior you are compared to the true prodigies of the noble houses.”
“……”
Christian’s name struck a nerve.
Eshed ground his teeth.
Wasn’t that why he had tried to sabotage Christian in their youth? Because he envied his talent?
“You even resorted to human sacrifices to compensate for your lack of talent, but it seems to have little effect. Despite such horrific methods, you still can’t break through the five-star barrier. Pathetic.”
“…So what are you suggesting? That you’ll make me a deal with a demon?”
The only way to quickly and reliably increase power was a pact with a demon.
Sacrifice your soul, gain immense power.
But such power had limits, and above all, the Dark Mage Clan forbade demon contracts.
“Something similar.”
“!!”
“I will sacrifice my own magic to maximize the efficiency of your human sacrifices.”
Eshed looked slightly surprised.
“Hmm, Mother? If you do that—”
“I will lose my power permanently. I know. I don’t care.”
“…What do you want in return?”
Presia’s eyes blazed fiercely.
“Christian’s suffering. His death.”
A dark smile spread across Eshed’s face.
“That’s an easy request. I accept your offer.”
And so, some time later,
an astonishing rumor spread through the Dark Mage Clan.
Eshed had reached the five-star rank.
He was the first heir to achieve the ‘Elder Dark’ class.
He was already the leading candidate for the next Grand Duke, and this news only cemented that.
But the shocking news didn’t end there.
A grim report came from the Kazar family.
A large-scale conflict had erupted with the Bursen County near the Gold Cross region.
The blame lay with the Kazar family.
And it was no ordinary grave offense.
The Kazar family’s mages had kidnapped citizens of Bursen County and used them for human sacrifices.
Human sacrifice!
The Dark Mage Clan was thrown into chaos.
“This is impossible!”
“Lord Kazar would never do such a thing!”
As mentioned before, human sacrifice was strictly forbidden even in the Mage Empire.
Though it sometimes happened in secret, even Eshed had performed it, but always kept it hidden.
If exposed, one would be cast out by both the Alliance and the Mage Empire as a public enemy.
“Bursen County has sent an official letter. They have evidence that Kazar family mages kidnapped their people for human sacrifice.”
“Wha—! How can we believe that?!”
“It’s a vile trick by the Alliance scum!”
Everyone was outraged, but public opinion began to shift.
Even within the Dark Mage Clan, witnesses came forward.
“…Unfortunately, it’s true. I personally confirmed the evidence.”
It was Baidum, the newly appointed deputy commander of the Black Marsh Knights from the Kazar family.
For reference, the Black Marsh Knights were led by a deputy commander dispatched from the main family to keep the branch houses in check.
Since Melin, the original deputy commander, had recently returned, Baidum was the newly assigned deputy.
“Outside the Kazar estate, we found over a hundred corpses used for human sacrifice. Also, in the castle’s secret chambers, we discovered magical artifacts used in the rituals.”
“Such….”
The Dark Mage Clan’s mages were stunned into silence.
But some saw through the truth.
‘Lord Kazar would never commit human sacrifice. This is clearly a conspiracy.’
‘The mastermind is probably Prince Eshed.’
In other words,
Eshed was targeting Christian by attacking the Kazar family.
But no one dared speak up.
Eshed’s influence was on a different level from the other princes.
Most vassals, including the Liberi family, supported Eshed.
And now that he had reached five-star rank, everyone assumed it was only a matter of time before he became Grand Duke.
‘Prince Eshed never lets those who oppose him live.’
‘If anyone speaks out here, they will surely be punished.’
Everyone held their breath, and Marquis Langham addressed the vassals.
“Bursen County has officially declared war on the Kazar family. Bursen is a force the Kazar family cannot handle alone. We must send reinforcements. What are your opinions?”
The Liberi Count answered on behalf of the vassals.
“It’s problematic. If we assist the Kazaar family and it later turns out they truly engaged in human sacrifice, the fallout will reach us as well. The Demon King will not tolerate that.”
The Demon King of Cheongryu.
Ranked seventh in the Magic Empire’s hierarchy, he governs the southern magic states as the Demon Emperor’s proxy.
Like the Demon Emperor, he generally takes a hands-off approach, but he wouldn’t simply ignore an incident like this.
At that moment, a sharp voice cut through the meeting hall.
“But hasn’t it been definitively proven yet?”
It was Jupien, the Second Princess!
Some of her retainers gasped quietly.
They worried for her, but she stood firm, expressing her dissent in a strong tone.
“This is still just circumstantial. Yet you’re acting as if the guilt is already confirmed…”
“My dear sister.”
Eshid, standing beside Marquis Langham, smiled faintly.
“It’s only at this stage because nothing’s been confirmed.”
“!!”
“If it were certain, the Black Lion Knights of the main house would have already been dispatched to punish the Kazaar family directly.”
Jupien bit her lip tightly.
“And even if it’s just circumstantial, isn’t there undeniable, suspicious evidence against the Kazaar family?”
Eshid’s voice turned cold.
“Christian.”
“!!”
“None of his achievements can be explained without a pact with demons or human sacrifice.”