Chapter 138 : Chapter 138

Chapter 138

The reception room of the Eurasia main castle.

Rumble.

The vibration created by the collision of mana echoed throughout the room.

Visually, the space was bisected by grey mana and pure white mana, which did not mix.

“You’ve truly stabilized the 8-star.”

Rastian Arken, Master of the White Magic Tower, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the great arch mages of history.

He was born twenty years before Simon Eurasia and had also reached the 8-star level a decade earlier.

If synchronized with the White Magic Tower, he was a being who could even aspire to the realm of an 8-star master.

Such a man was now immersed in a strange feeling as he looked at the man before him.

‘Simon Eurasia, you’ve become even more of a monster since I last saw you.’

The man he had considered to be far behind had, at some point, risen to a level equal to his own.

Not only that, but he was showing signs of stabilizing the 8-star less than two years after reaching it.

‘Unlike the Cornelias, the Eurasias shouldn't have any proper succession records left.’

The realm he had achieved was purely the result of a single individual walking a path of supremacy alone.

That was how the Eurasia Family became a Kingdom.

‘At this rate, this man will master the 8-star soon enough.’

He might even be the first to step into the 9-star realm, before the Black Duke and himself.

Just then, Simon responded to the White Duke’s reaction.

“To sit across from you, I figured I should at least have the proper standing.”

To be so composed in front of an 8-star mage from a rival nation meant he was confident he could face him alone.

The White Duke spoke calmly.

“I always thought you would reach the 8-star someday. But honestly.”

He paused for a moment and met Simon’s eyes.

“I didn’t expect you to catch up this quickly.”

The first time he became aware of Simon Eurasia’s existence was through a rumor that a superhuman had begun to subjugate the eastern frontier.

At the time, Simon’s level was 7-star.

The White Duke, under the Emperor’s orders, met with him to recruit him as a subordinate, but was flatly refused.

“I should have killed you back then.”

If not for the peerless knight named Escardo Schtenberg by his side, that certainly would have been the outcome.

Now, after several decades had passed.

Simon Eurasia had transformed from the head of a frontier family into the king of a nation, and had become an 8-star knight, a rank held by less than ten people on the continent.

“When I heard the news that you single-handedly dealt with the Imperial Knight and Magic Orders, I felt caught off guard.”

A reckless plan, and the audacity to execute such a plan.

“If His Highness the Prince had told me of his plan beforehand, I would have warned him about a variable like you.”

The White Duke, with a firm gaze, scanned the room that was once the reception hall of the Brussels King.

If Prince Crusty hadn't recklessly tried to obtain the piece of Grotesquery in the Brussels Kingdom's underground, if he had consulted with him first.

“The war between Eurasia and Brussels would not have ended so easily.”

“You’re still the same, regretting things only after they’ve passed. To be honest, I was a little disappointed.”

“……”

“I had expected that the man you chose to serve might have prepared some other trick, that he might have hidden at least one variable I hadn't thought of.”

Clink.

Simon, who had been drinking tea alone, set down his cup.

“I wondered where you’d been looking, and it turns out you were pouring your efforts into the Holy Nation. And you failed at that, too.”

“……”

He had been briefed on the events in the Holy Nation through the Annihilation Squad.

How amusing it was to learn that the First Prince was behind it, and that the White Duke was involved.

“Didn’t you look down on the Pope too much?”

Claudio de Cronis.

Simon uttered the name of the man who held a grudge against him.

“Is the research on combining Divine Power and mana going well? Seeing as you’ve joined hands with the Cardinals, it seems there must be considerable progress.”

“……”

The White Duke remained silent at the probing question.

To Simon, it was a reaction akin to an affirmation.

“They say a mage’s growth stops the moment their passion for research cools. In that sense, it’s a relief that you still have some embers left.”

“That’s enough provocation. I am well aware that the path I have chosen is not wrong.”

Ssshhh.

The pure white mana slowly began to subside.

“I believe we’ve exchanged enough greetings, so I’ll state my purpose for coming here.”

Having completely retracted his mana, he took out a letter from his clothes.

“It contains a proposal from His Highness, Prince Crusty.”

“In the past, the Emperor, and now the Prince’s messenger, is it? Let’s hear it.”

The White Duke placed the letter on the table and conveyed its contents.

“Pledge your allegiance to His Highness, Prince Crusty. If you do so, not only will Eurasia be recognized as a powerful feudal state, but he said he would also consider a marital alliance.”

A feudal state with a marital tie to the Imperial family.

It was a position coveted by many nations on the continent.

Depending on who the marriage was with, an emperor could potentially be born from one's own bloodline in the future.

“I have no daughters.”

“One of your current children could have a daughter.”

“Your jest is excessive.”

It hadn't progressed at all from the past proposal.

“It’s a choice that even the current Cornelia didn’t make. You couldn’t have thought I would accept.”

Simon drew the line.

“Any further conversation would be a waste of time.”

“Not a surprising answer… but you still refuse to offer me tea.”

“Had the prince come himself, I might have offered a cup.”

“Simon Eurasia. Don’t make a foolish choice. No matter what you do, the Empire will not fall.”

The master of the White Magic Tower warned.

“Rastian Arken.”

A low call.

That alone caused the temperature in the vicinity to drop coldly.

“Do not test my generosity. You must know that with the current Escardo, I cannot guarantee that precious life of yours.”

If there were no more gifts prepared, he would have to give up an arm.

Simon conveyed his intention to collect the price for the past sin he had not been able to.

“You are just as excessive with your jests. I did not come alone this time either.”

Bronz Heinrich.

The Fifth Prince, who had lost the war for the throne and submitted to the First Prince.

“The real gift is with him. He will deliver it to one of the like-minded princes.”

At the White Duke’s calm words, Simon burst into laughter.

It was the first genuine emotion he had shown since facing him.

“The Fifth Prince, you say. A bloodline of considerable value as a spark for war.”

“Still as arrogant as ever. Not everyone is as confident as you are. Are you trusting the bloodlines present at the banquet?”

Demian, Paian, Julian, Killian.

The princes of Eurasia, whose fame was now beginning to reach his ears.

“Among them, two princes are said to stand out.”

“Two of them, I see.”

He didn't need to ask who he was talking about, but only one name came to mind right now.

“Simon, this child will be blessed by the Gods.”

“……”

Words spoken long ago by the woman who had captured his heart.

‘There’s nothing to worry about.’

That child in the banquet hall was a sword he had prepared for contingencies.

A sharp sword capable of cutting down whatever preparations they had made.

“You should pray to the Gods that the First Prince’s gift does not turn out to be undeserved.”

“I am an atheist, but I will accept the prince’s gift graciously.”

Trickle.

A teapot, levitated by Simon's mana, filled a teacup.

Swoosh.

The filled teacup was passed to the White Duke without a single tremor.

“Drink. You should quench your thirst before we have a bout.”

“……”

The past and present overlapped.

Simon Eurasia was a man who had overcome fate countless times to reach his current position. It was only natural that he demanded hardship from his knights and his children as well.

However.

“Today, that confidence will cause you to lose a child. For that child, it will become an undeniable fate.”

“Fate, you say.”

Thump.

Tetillon, which had been hanging on the wall, floated up on its own and came to rest before Simon.

“If one cannot overcome one’s own fate, then that too must be accepted.”

It was spoken with his usual composure.

***

The sudden intrusion of the Imperial delegation turned the atmosphere of the banquet hall frigid.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the Fifth Prince, Bronz Heinrich.

Sensing an unusual flicker of mana from him, Killian spoke.

“Yusram Hibupope. That man is an Arch Mage. And also…”

“The one next to him is a superhuman as well.”

Demian said, one step ahead.

“Your senses have improved a lot.”

“Even when superhumans hide their energy, they have a unique sense of pressure.”

A gap that felt impossible to overcome, no matter what he did.

Demian stated his pure impression.

“Damn it, at this point, I’m starting to suspect His Majesty is being complacent about safety.”

Paian grumbled, clenching and unclenching his prosthetic hand.

Although twenty of Eurasia’s elite Red Knights were stationed in the banquet hall, he couldn’t feel at ease.

While they might not be carrying swords, the opponents were an Imperial delegation. Considering their relationship with Eurasia, there was no telling what sudden move they might make.

Paian’s gaze turned to Killian.

“You’re the only one here who can handle those two.”

“I think I finally understand His Majesty’s thinking.”

“What’s there to worry about with Killian here? We need to move so those guys don’t ruin the banquet.”

Julian said, watching the Fifth Prince who was already stirring up the banquet hall.

He was being rude to the nobles with whom Julian had formed friendships.

If they stood by and watched, Eurasia’s prestige would plummet.

“Killian, I’ll find out what those guys are plotting.”

“You, brother?”

Killian asked with a look of surprise.

“I understand your concern for me, but shouldn’t one of us knock that arrogant nose down a peg?”

“I’m asking why you are the one doing it.”

Paian retorted with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“Are you afraid of the superhumans? If so, brother, then just stay put.”

“What? Ha… this guy…”

Before Paian could respond, Julian headed towards the Fifth Prince.

“Blinded by the war for the throne… I thought he’d grown a little, but it seems that foolish personality hasn’t changed.”

“Since Julian took the initiative, we can just watch his back. Right?”

Demian asked, reacting as if an interesting spectacle had just begun.

“You’re not wrong. Let’s see what brother Julian is capable of.”

The Fifth Prince was a man who commanded five knight orders and three magic orders.

‘Depending on what Julian shows here, he could firmly establish his presence.’

It was a fun spectacle to watch, just when things were getting boring.

And just as expected.

Julian and the Fifth Prince, after exchanging a few words, began to raise their voices.

“My Blue Knight Order would be difficult to handle even with all of your knight orders combined.”

“You’ve truly lost your mind. A mere prince from a weak nation dares to insult my knight orders?”

Bronz Heinrich, his face contorted, growled.

‘Why of all people did this bastard have to latch onto me.’

The third prince of Eurasia.

The Blue Knight Order he commanded was, by anyone’s standards, no match for his own knight orders.

Yet, he knew that the reason he was clinging to him like this was to diminish his prestige as a prince.

Glance.

He checked on the other princes watching him from a distance.

‘My target is Killian Eurasia. At the very least, I must approach Demian Eurasia.’

He instinctively fiddled with the ring on his index finger.

“Killian Eurasia and Demian Eurasia. You must activate it in front of one of those two.”

It was an order from the man who had subjugated him in the war for the throne, the man closest to being the next emperor.

‘By now, the White Duke should be holding Simon Eurasia back.’

There wasn’t much time. He had to approach the two princes as quickly as possible and complete his mission.

He couldn't be held back by someone like Julian Eurasia.

“Dealing with the likes of you is a waste of time! Are there no proper princes in Eurasia?!!”

He shouted and was about to walk towards where Demian was.

“You cur!”

Grab.

Julian, grabbing Bronz Heinrich’s shoulder, shouted with a mana-infused voice.

“How dare you turn your back in my presence!!”