Chapter 82 : Chapter 82

Chapter 82 - A Grand Opening and a Completion Ceremony

 

Many factions had gathered in front of the Dark Moon Grand Castle.

But for factions of such standing, there were truly few people gathered.

If one were to line them up by rank here and now, the highest would be the direct blood relative, the Fourth Son.

His maternal family, the foremost illusionist family, the Mystics.

Although their wings were clipped with the recent fall of Hojeopgung, it was Hojeopgung that fell, not their reputation as a maternal family.

Even the lowest-ranking name was a celebrity one would have heard of several times if one had a keen ear.

Excluding the Fourth Son, who was a being of a different class to them.

“……”

“……”

They snuck glances at one another.

Then, one of them muttered to himself.

“It’s noon…”

Because it was such a quiet city and a quiet atmosphere, his words spread quickly.

Everyone looked up at the sky.

The black sun of Eclipse, which had been moving slightly.

It slowly centered itself on the bullseye named the sky.

And so, now.

Eclipse welcomed the noon and finished its preparations to greet the guests.

….

“…What is this.”

Drrrrrrrrrrrrumble─

The ground vibrated.

The thread of tension that had been pulled for several seconds stretched to its limit.

Anyone would react that way if the ground they were standing on suddenly shook.

“Wahahahat! Mother! This is fun!”

“Yes. It is fun.”

Everyone, except for the Fourth Son’s group here, was like that.

They were startled, their bodies trembled, and a cold sweat broke out.

It was the same for the powerful vassals of the kingdom.

“Hahaha. It seems the Fifth Son’s welcoming greeting is a bit rough.”

“What welcoming greeting. Isn’t it just for show?”

Albert scoffed and looked down at his feet.

The ground, well-paved with uniform stones to prevent dust from flying.

What looked sturdy at a glance was shaking mercilessly.

However, the buildings on the ground were fine.

That Dark Moon Grand Castle over there, and the empty buildings surrounding it, only swayed slightly and did not budge.

“The Fifth Son. He is young, after all. His way of showing power is clumsy.”

“The power to make the ground vibrate?”

“That’s secondary. The Fifth Son is trying to imprint that even with such power, this place cannot be destroyed.”

“Hmm. One could interpret it that way.”

“…Try to think a little deeper. This place is akin to enemy territory.”

Charles chuckled.

“Then I must enjoy it even more. That way, I’ll be able to figure out what the enemy general wants.”

“……”

Charles stretched his rather poor back and looked around.

It wasn't just him; everyone was doing it.

That gray wall, like the boundary line of Eclipse.

According to popular theory, that wall was made from the bones left after human sacrifices.

But unlike such a chilling history, its current appearance was impeccably clean.

Of course, it hadn't forgotten its original form either.

Booooooom─!

Booom─! Booom─

Celebratory cannons were fired from the wall.

Their force was so powerful it seemed as if all the vibrations until now had been a prelude to these cannons.

“Albert! Look at that!”

“Yes. My eyes aren’t that old yet, so stop shaking me.”

Both Charles and Albert saw it clearly.

The wall that encircled Eclipse.

Dozens of celebratory shots fired in a circle along the wall.

Each one glowed with a purple light, and their size was palpable despite the distance.

They were definitely not fireworks.

“What… on earth is that…”

The eyes of Anthia, from a collateral branch of Millesdusk, narrowed as she tried to follow what was soaring into the sky.

The more she focused.

The more she enhanced her vision, something began to take shape.

“Arms, legs…?”

She muttered what she saw.

The Vice-captain next to her whipped his head around.

“Arms and legs? Did you just say arms and legs?”

Before she could answer, the celebratory shots exploded in the sky.

They scattered the purple light they held across the dark sky.

The purple radiance that bloomed like a flower in full blossom brightened the area beneath the clouds.

But the faces of those watching were not as bright as the light.

Swoooooosh─!

What had served as celebratory shots spread their wings.

Wings connected by a membrane instead of feathers spread to the left and right, revealing the goat horns they had been hiding.

“A-a demon…!”

Someone shouted.

It was just as they said.

The faces of black goats with membranous wings on their backs.

Their sharp armor, which looked as if it were carved from stone, was clearly visible even from the ground here.

Dozens of celebratory shots, dozens of demons, fired into the sky, flew chaotically above their heads.

Like a flock of vultures targeting a corpse.

The occasional glimpses of claws and red eyes sent shivers down their spines.

“Albert. Is this method still clumsy?”

“…Don’t be sarcastic. It’s a trick to puff up his size as much as possible before we meet them all.”

“Seeing that he has demons among the things filling that size, it seems quite substantial.”

“Haa. I should just stop talking.”

Next to him.

There was a boy counting the black goats as if counting sheep before bed.

“50 of them! A total of 50! But those aren’t real demons, but Yin energy transformed into the shape of demons.”

“He must have tamed the real demon that was at this altar. Humans cannot use Yin energy itself as power.”

“Wow! I want to see one up close! I wonder if I can pet it?”

Treating a demon like some kind of pet.

Fourth Son Jamie’s eyes were still shining.

Everything he saw, here and there, was something he had never seen before and was all fascinating.

That wasn't limited to just the Fourth Son.

‘…Fifth Son. Are you also a Millesdusk through and through.’

He who has spent money knows how to spend it well.

But the Fifth Son was definitely not of an age to know that.

The domain plan involved not only investors but even the treasury.

He had gathered an enormous amount of capital, and it all depended on how that money was spent.

‘The pavement on the ground, the finishing on the buildings. And I feel some kind of unknown magic wavelength from that tower and the black castle.’

It was like a person.

Like a person, it had magic circuits spread throughout its body, and magic flowed within those circuits.

Furthermore, the core connected to the circuits was the castle before my eyes.

‘An unfathomable amount of Yin energy… The coldness I felt from the Mind Demon in the Demon Head Palace is here…’

I swallowed a groan.

It was a prime location, no doubt about it.

But Yin energy was originally a consumable fuel.

‘None of the family elders predicted that the conquered Eclipse would hold this much Yin energy.’

That was why it was a double-edged sword.

Difficult and exhausting to take, but too valuable to abandon.

It was certainly that kind of land.

But after passing through the Youngest Son's hands, it had established itself as a prime location that had lost none of its potential.

‘…Should I stay quiet for a bit?’

A few elders came to mind.

Those who had strongly opposed the occupation of Eclipse.

A few elders who had thus found themselves in an awkward position.

‘Perhaps they will step forward on their own─’

“Mother! Mother! Look at that cone-shaped building!”

“…Yes. He’s finally making his appearance.”

The lord of the domain, who announced his opening with demons.

Dante Black Millesdusk revealed himself.

With him, the entrance that had forbidden even a single bug from entering, opened.

The outer wall, which had been sealed without a single gap, split apart.

The Dark Moon Grand Castle created a path for its master to advance.

To his left and right, the soldiers of the domain filled the space.

Booooom─ Booom─
Booooom─ Thud─ Booom─

They descended to the ground, lined up, and knelt on one knee.

One hand was clenched into a fist and placed over their chest.

A human to whom demons displayed loyalty and respect.

The Youngest Son descended among them with his trusted vassals.

The Head Maid and the Butler.

And the Captain of the Royal Guard.

Booooooom─

A demon, or a knight, with a single-edged greatsword on its back, landed before him.

“Kyaa…. Mother. That one looks like it could strip all the bones from the First Son’s Death Knights and still have some left over. Right?”

“…Yes. It looks that way to your mother as well.”

That single figure, who looked much closer to death than several battalions of the Death Knight Order.

The flesh clinging to the sword, the human bones, and the armor were all grotesque.

At the same time, what it exuded was also bizarre.

The fundamental heat combined with the cold nature of the Yin energy made one automatically short of breath.

The eyes within the helmet, carved from a goat's skull, could only see one person.

That one person conversed back with his gaze.

‘Do you like it?’

‘It’s fine, except for the smell.’

‘As if you ever didn’t smell. Now come out. You’re hogging all my atmosphere.’

‘…….’

The Captain of the Royal Guard reluctantly stepped aside and stood behind with the other trusted vassals.

The Youngest Son was thus able to stand before the guests.

“Welcome, everyone.”

As he spoke, he gave a separate glance to the Fourth Son below.

At that light greeting.

The Fourth Son, who had been waving enthusiastically for a while, clapped his hands in joy.

He looked as if he was about to tear up, as if he had come to his well-raised son’s school entrance ceremony.

While Moirena, standing beside him, sighed deeply.

The Youngest Son continued to speak.

“Among the guests here today. There is my family, a distant cousin, as well as investors and neighbors who believed in me and this land and supported us.”

He mentioned their respective positions and made eye contact with each one.

One could learn a surprising amount by looking into their eyes.

The emotions they were feeling now. Or their thoughts.

Their perception of me, and so on.

The judgment I made from that was fear.

Fear of the unknown.

The perceptions they had built up were shattered in an instant, and someone who had been invisible beneath me was now in such a high place.

Whether it was large or small.

A seed of fear was planted in everyone’s heart here.

“The reason I have called you all here today is for the opening ceremony. But there is no banquet prepared, and of course, no orchestra.”

The host of the world's quietest opening ceremony does not make noise.

“The only schedule we have prepared is a tour.”

Ssk─

Among those behind, one wearing a thick robe stepped forward.

The hem dragged so much that the path the robed person had passed was dust-free.

“This is the designer of the domain. She will provide explanations during the tour, and during that time, you may consider her my proxy.”

Meaning, unnecessary rudeness would not be forgiven.

Tak.

A light clap of the hands changed the subject.

“Designer, introduce Eclipse to the guests and investors. Butler, you will accompany them.”

“Okay! Young Master.”

The two, who were of similar height, moved among the guests and gestured.

“Follow me!”

An unscheduled tour followed.

Charles, filled with curiosity and anticipation, even unclenched his clasped hands behind his back.

“Albert. Aren’t you excited? To be able to enter the land of a Millesdusk blood relative and even see his inner workings.”

“I wonder. It doesn’t seem like he has any intention of showing us.”

Thud─

A knight stood before the two powerful vassals.

The knight, the Captain of the Royal Guard, spoke with a chilling voice reminiscent of the infernal boatman, Charon.

“The Fifth Son has invited the two of you separately. Please enter the castle.”

“For what reason?”

“He did not say. He only said to bring you.”

“Albert. Wouldn’t it be wise to go when commanded to be brought?”

“…Tsk. Very well.”

“Wise of you.”

The Captain of the Royal Guard led the two vassals behind him and entered the castle.

The Dark Moon Grand Castle had already completed its transformation.

For depending on the guest, this place could become a grand reception hall, or a grand bedroom.

“You’ve all gone through a lot coming this long way.”

The old vassals forgot to answer and unwittingly looked around.

They had entered not through a door but through an opening in the outer wall.

And upon entering, they came straight into a room without a corridor or a central hall.

As if the reception room was what came after the entrance in the first place.

No, was that even the entrance to begin with?

Various questions sprang up like a fountain.

Even in the midst of that, they could not forget their status and position.

“A pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Charles Hakoel, Administrative Grand Officer of the Julsin Kingdom.”

“I am Albert LeCovier, Military Affairs Grand Officer of the Julsin Kingdom.”

“I already know who you are. So please, have a seat.”

Two chairs had already been prepared in front of them.

The interior was plain.

It wasn’t very spacious, and all that was there were a few tables and chairs that seemed placed out of necessity.

“I’ve prepared some tea, but I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”

“The aroma is excellent.”

Charles literally enjoyed the aroma and savored the tea.

Albert, on the other hand, didn’t even touch it and fired the opening shot.

“We are not interested.”

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