Genius of the Dark Magus Family Chapter 30

“What is it?”

“If I win the duel, allow me to attend the Karazov hunt not as a mere spectator, but as a Guardian Hunt.”

Count Tiramin frowned. The role of a Guardian Hunt during the final ceremony of the Karazov hunt was significant, almost as important as the protagonist of the hunt itself.

“You know how crucial a Guardian Hunt’s role is, don’t you?”

“I do. My pride wouldn’t allow me to participate merely as a spectator or a normal hunter. After all, as the eldest son of House Kazar, shouldn’t I at least play the second lead?”

“What? Ha! Truly presumptuous.”

Count Tiramin burst into incredulous laughter. But that was short-lived.

He spoke coldly afterward, “If only your power was even half as great as your arrogance.”

Christian shrugged. “You’ll see.”

And so, the second duel began.

* * *

Fittingly for a family that specialized in handling magical demon beasts, a large training ground was available. Upon hearing the news, Tiramin’s servants gathered swiftly.

“A duel between Kazar’s waste and young master Alros? How long do you think the waste will last? One minute? Two?”

“He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t wet himself from the terror of facing the demon beast. If he does, the Kazar lot better clean it up.”

Tiramin’s servants cackled among themselves. No one considered the possibility of Alros losing.

It was expected. After all, the other party was Christian, notorious across the Magic Empire as the ultimate good-for-nothing.

While those close to Christian knew he had changed, others outside his immediate circle still saw him as a pathetic waste. They thought Alros had simply been caught off guard yesterday.

If Alros could use his Maren magic properly, there was no way he could lose. That was the consensus among Tiramin’s house, and they all prepared to watch the duel with smug certainty.

Some even taunted Christian’s accompanying servants.

“Hey, Kazar folks. Shouldn’t you be stopping your young master?”

“Won’t the demon beast spare your precious young master? What if he wets himself?”

But the response from those with Christian was unexpected.

They didn’t get angry. Nor did they agree.

Instead, they retorted.

“You sound like brain-damaged fools.”

“…What?”

“Just keep your eyes wide open and watch.”

“They’re the ones who might end up pissing themselves.”

At that, Tiramin’s servants were dumbfounded.

Then, Christian and Alros entered the arena.

Alros was not alone; he was accompanied by a large demon beast.

“The demon beast I’ll be controlling is called ‘Dark Horse.'”

True to its name, it resembled a horse but was different; it was nearly twice the size of a normal horse and had more of a boar-like bulkiness to it.

Alros leapt up to mount the Dark Horse, prepared to fight from atop the demon beast.

“I’ll say this in advance: due to the nature of Maren magic, I won’t be able to go easy once the duel starts. Kneel and apologize now, and I might forgive you.”

Instead of responding, Christian swung around a staff he had chosen to bring to the duel.

For several reasons, he had decided to use a staff instead of a sword. Primarily, a staff offered a wider range of motion, advantageous against a demon beast.

“May I say something?”

“…What?”

“Don’t whine or cry when you get beaten. I won’t have sympathy.”

“!!”

Alros’s face flushed with anger.

“Insolent fool! You’ll regret this!”

Heeheeha!!

The black demon beast charged. Despite its heavy body, it was fast. Its charge combined speed with mass, a collision powerful enough to crush bones.

Alros sneered viciously, certain of his victory.

‘What?’

Suddenly, Christian vanished from view.

Alros panicked. Christian had been right there, and then he wasn’t.

And then.

Thump!

“Aargh!”

Alros’s head jerked back from the impact, a dizzying pain washing over his face. It seemed like stars were dancing before his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that he had been struck by the staff Christian had swung.

Through his pain-blurred vision, he saw Christian flicking the staff nonchalantly.

“Does it hurt?”

Christian smirked annoyingly.

“But you can’t cry or give up, okay? We’re just getting started.”

Another reason Christian had chosen the staff was for its effectiveness in thrashing someone.

* * *

The training ground fell silent.

Tiramin’s servants stood wide-eyed, unable to utter a word.

It was a shocking, almost unbelievable sight.

Thump!

“You, you…!”

Thump!!

“Argh!”

Alros was relentlessly hit, one strike after another.

It was almost like a mockery.

“Am I seeing things?”

“How can that waste do this?”

It wasn’t that Alros’s Maren magic was lacking. On the contrary, fueled by his grinding teeth, Alros’s magic was in peak condition.

But it was entirely ineffective against Christian.

The Dark Horse charged at Christian with fierce momentum, but Christian evaded or blocked its attacks with disheartening ease, and continued to strike Alros.

This scene repeated endlessly.

“How, how can this be?”

Alros stuttered, unable to comprehend the situation.

It was Christian, after all. The notorious waste of the Karzan House!

“How can that waste…?”

Christian, resting the staff on his shoulder, replied smugly.

“Because I’m a genius.”

“!!”

“Dealing with a fool like you is simple.”

“You bastard!”

Alros pushed the Dark Horse into another furious charge, but the outcome remained unchanged.

Thump!

Stars sparked in Alros’s eyes again, this time without even seeing the blow coming.

A deadly silence fell over the arena.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

Christian chuckled and then threw his staff aside.

Clang!

Everyone stared in bewilderment at his sudden action.

“It seems you’re not up to the challenge. From now on, I’ll take you on barehanded. Oh, and if you even touch my coat, I’ll consider it your victory.”

A taunt so humiliating it was unmatched.

“You, you…!!”

Alros’s face flared up with rage again.

To surrender now would mean he didn’t deserve to be called a servant.

“I’ll kill you!”

Alros’s attacks became even more ferocious. Fueled by his master’s anger, the Dark Horse’s movements grew rougher.

Christian dodged agilely, thinking to himself.

‘Good. Everything is going according to plan.’

He had a purpose for this duel.

Becoming a Guardian Hunt? Demonstrating his power in front of everyone?

Yes, those were objectives, but there was something more crucial.

‘I need to learn Tiramin’s Maren magic.’

His ultimate goal was to acquire the Dark Pill.

To achieve this, he needed to steal and learn the secret techniques of House Tiramin first, which was why he had provoked this duel.

But it was not enough yet.

To thoroughly unravel Alros’s Maren magic, his eyes sunk deeper in concentration, unnoticed by all.

‘The flow of magical energy controlling the demon beast.’

He could see the threads of magic flowing from Alros to the demon beast, a dark art of binding and domination.

Unlike the Crusade Union’ similar ability, ‘Taming,’ which involves interacting with monsters to befriend with them, the Magic Empire’s Maren magic forces and subdue those demon beast.

‘The more advanced the Maren magic, the more efficiently it can control demon beast with less magic.’

The top-tier Maren magic of the Magic Empire belonged to one of the twelve noble houses, the ‘Demon Beast Magus Family.’

Though Count Tiramin’s Maren magic wasn’t quite at the level of the Demon Beast Magus Family, it was still highly advanced.

‘The key to Tiramin’s Maren magic is to reinforce control by integrating spells of Dark Magus. It mixes enchantments that paralyze the demon beast’s mind with confusion, fear, excitement. I’m starting to get the hang of it.’

All this he discerned in just the short duration of the duel.

It was a story that would leave others in shock, if not disbelief.

But it was true.

What Christian had just grasped was the essence of Count Tiramin’s Maren magic.

‘Of course, it’s difficult for me to understand the details, but knowing the core essence is enough for now.’

Christian thought.

‘Now I just need to learn the secrets necessary to steal the Karazov here.’

The Dark Pill comes from the Karazov demon beast. If you simply kill it, you get a regular pill, called a Gray Elixir.

The Gray Pill comes of as a pill at first, very similar to the Dark Pill. However, once it is bitten it will become liquid, thus getting its name Gray Elixir.

And to obtain the Dark Pill, one must kill the Karazov demon beast after performing a special ritual.

To perform this ritual, he needed the secret techniques of Count Tiramin.

‘The Ecstasy of Hell.’

It was a technique that forcibly inflicts “death” on the demon beast.

Christian decided it was time to end this duel.

“I was hoping for more, but you disappoint me. Not even touching my coat? Is that all you’ve got?”

“You… You…”

“I don’t think you can do any better. How about giving up now?”

Christian teased nonchalantly.

“Even now, if you kneel and beg for forgiveness, I might show mercy. Or better yet, I could make you my little brother.”

“You bastard!”

Alros gritted his teeth.

“I’ll… I’ll definitely… kill you!!”

‘Bingo.’

The provocation worked.

Alros pushed the Dark Horse with all his might.

The magical movements controlling the Dark Horse were imprinted into Christian’s brain through his retinas without missing a single detail.

‘Not yet. More.’

Heh heh heh!

The Dark Horse charged at Christian with insane momentum, then reared up.

It was about to strike with its forelegs.

The thorns densely embedded in its hooves gleamed menacingly.

The excitement of battle.

And the Dark Horse’s pupils, swollen with the magical energy controlling its mind, were visible to Christian.

At this moment, Christian sensed that Alros had reached the peak of demon beast control.

‘Now!’

Christian didn’t dodge. Instead, he unleashed Dark Magic.

[Terror of Death]

Like a blade falling on the neck, like a fountain of blood spurting.

The terror of death pierced the Dark Horse’s mind like a dagger.

The Dark Horse’s movements stiffened with fear.

“This… this…?”

“It’s the Terror of Death.”

Christian deliberately revealed the nature of his Dark Magic.

“With your crude magic, overcoming the Terror of Death would be impossible.”

“!!”

“Just give up. Admit your defeat.”

“Shut up!!”

Alros seemed to gather his last ounce of strength.

The powerful magical thread aimed at the Dark Horse.

It was to use the technique of “Terror of Death” on the demon beast.

What Christian wanted.

Christian concentrated, observing the technique.

The principles behind the movements of magical energy.

The patterns formed by these techniques.

The intensity and wavelengths of the magic.

How it controlled the demon beast’s mind.

How each technique affected the demon beast. Thus, how it forced death upon it.

Greater terror.

Followed by ecstasy.

Submission.

Thus, Count Tiramin’s secret technique, “Ecstasy of Hell,” was imprinted in Christian’s mind without missing a single detail.

“It’s over! Prepare yourself!!”

As the Dark Horse finally overcame the Terror of Death, or rather, as death was forcibly imposed upon it.

Thump!

Christian’s fist struck Alros’s face like lightning.

Alros slumped to the ground, unconscious.

“…”

Defeat.

Christian shrugged at the shocked and astonished Tiramin’s entourage.

“Then I’ll see you at the Dark Pill Hunting.”