FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Chapter 20
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"...Thank you, very much..."
The Banshee smiled. Even though she was a ghost, she looked like she was slightly tearing up.
They weren't real tears—just a faint trace, like an afterimage.
[Before I died, and even after I died… this is the first time I've received such a gift.]
It was just a cheap gift given on a whim, but her gratitude felt so sincere that it made Chris feel awkward for no reason.
"By the way, what's your name? You must've had a real name once too."
It felt odd to keep calling her 'Banshee' over and over.
It looked like they'd be spending some time together whether he liked it or not.
[…]
The Banshee stayed silent.
She looked troubled, and Chris suddenly realized.
'She's a ghost, so she probably doesn't want to recall her past.'
A ghost was a soul unable to pass on to the afterlife, held back by lingering regret.
The stronger the regret, the stronger the ghost became.
And the maid Banshee in front of him was a high-ranking spirit. That, in turn, meant she carried a deep and powerful grudge.
[That is….]
"No, it's fine. What does your old name matter anyway?"
Chris quickly covered it up.
"You're under my command now, so I'll give you a new name."
[A name… you say?]
"Yeah. Hmm, how about Mari?"
It was a name with no particular meaning.
He just recalled that in his previous life, most maids he met in various mansions happened to be named Mari.
'You know, like how dogs are always named Happy, butlers are Sebastian, and servants are Hansen—maids are always Mari.'
It was a half-hearted name, but the Banshee looked touched again.
[Mari… Mari… What a lovely name. Thank you, Master.]
Without realizing it, Chris hadn't noticed the change in how she addressed him.
From Young Master to Master (Lord).
It meant she now truly acknowledged him as her master.
[In gratitude… from now on… I'll make even more delicious virgin blood juice for you….]
"…I told you I don't drink virgin blood juice."
[But the strawberry juice you've been drinking up until now… had a topping of virgin's blood in it, you know?]
"…Could you not make such horrifying jokes?"
The Banshee—Mari—giggled brightly.
Chris boarded the carriage with a dissatisfied look.
He had finished his business, and it was time to return to the mansion.
'But… I feel like I forgot something. What was it?'
Chris tilted his head, puzzled.
...
"Brother!!!!!"
'Ah.' Chris realized what he had forgotten.
Therne.
The next day, Therne came storming in, his face bright red, demanding an explanation.
"Why did you leave me behind?!"
From what Chris gathered, Therne had gone through quite an ordeal.
Determined not to bring shame to the family, he hadn't dared reveal his identity. He had no money, and was on the verge of being sold into slavery—until, by sheer luck, someone recognized him and helped him escape.
Feeling a bit guilty, Chris offered a half-hearted apology.
"Sorry. I forgot."
"W-what did you say?"
"But you know, your way of addressing me sounds a bit off. Didn't we make a bet yesterday? From now on, you're supposed to call me 'Respected King Emperor Majesty Brother,' remember?"
"...!"
Chris spoke in the friendly tone of a big brother.
"Now, my dear little brother. Want to try saying it?"
"..."
Therne's tightly clenched fists trembled.
"R-respected Brother."
"Exactly."
"…Respected King Emperor Majesty Brother."
"That's right! Good. You'd better continue to serve your brother with deep respect from now on."
"!!"
Face flushed red, Therne shouted loudly.
"S-someday, I'll make you pay! Just you wait!!"
Then he vanished like he was fleeing the scene, and Chris let out a stifled laugh as he watched him go.
'Why is he so damn cute?'
It was hard to believe that this adorable kid would eventually be the one responsible for his death in the original history.
'Probably because of that bastard Aeshid.'
Chris's eyes cooled.
Aeshid.
The family's legitimate heir. And… the one who stood against him.
In truth, Chris didn't hold any deep-seated grudge toward Aeshid. After all, he wasn't really "Christien."
But still—
'He'll have to be crushed.'
To achieve his goals, Aeshid was someone Chris had to step over.
'And for that… the upcoming duel with Melin is crucial.'
No matter how much of a genius he was, Chris couldn't take control of the Dark Mage Household on his own.
He needed allies—those who would support him.
His plan was to make Melin one of those allies through this duel.
'And to do that, I need to be able to use this Grunade.'
Chris stared at the old, antique-looking Grunade.
'The Holy Sword once used by the Fallen Hero.'
Grunade was a very special holy sword.
Even after its wielder had fallen and sold his soul to a demon, the sword continued to function as a holy sword.
In other words, it had a unique history of being used by a Dark Being.
'That's why so many Dark Beings covet Grunade. A holy sword is normally the natural enemy of any Dark Being.'
So then, who was the natural enemy of the Dark Beings?
Of course, the natural enemy of the Dark Beings was the Dominion of Light—the Holy Crusade Alliance.
However, battles with the Alliance were relatively rare.
The ones Dark Beings fought most often were other Dark Beings.
'They call it the Magic Empire as a single entity, but in reality, it's split into many factions.'
At the very top stood the Demon Emperor, ranked first among the Demon Kings.
His direct domain lay at the very center of the Magic Empire.
And extending outward in all four directions were four Magic Nations—East, West, South, and North.
Each of those Magic Nations was ruled by a different Demon King. The Dark Mage Household to which Chris belonged was part of the Southern Magic Nation.
'If the Demon Emperor is like an emperor, then the Demon Kings beneath him are like the kings of vassal states.'
For reference, the Carnage Demon King, who would one day spark the Great War, was the ruler of the Eastern Magic Nation.
'Not yet, though. Around now, she's probably still the Archduchess of the Bloodsword Household.'
Bloodsword Household—one of the Twelve Great Magic Households under the Eastern Magic Nation.
The Twelve Great Magic Households were spread across the four Magic Nations—East, West, South, and North.
Anyway, as this structure made clear, Dark Beings were constantly fighting among themselves.
That was why Holy Swords were highly coveted even among Dark Beings.
They were the most efficient way to deal a fatal blow to one's enemies.
'And then there's the romantic ideal behind it. The fantasy of subjugating a damn holy sword.'
The holy sword was a symbol of the Hero.
So just imagine the satisfaction of forcing such a sacred weapon into submission.
That's why countless Dark Beings had tried to conquer Grunade.
'But they all failed.'
Because of rejection.
The moment a Dark Being grasped the holy sword, Grunade, sensing the presence of Dark Energy, reacted violently.
The only Dark Being who had ever been able to wield the holy sword Grunade was its original master—the Fallen Hero.
And so, Grunade became a useless burden, shunned by all. It ended up gathering dust as a mere antique, eventually falling into the hands of Merchant Lord Grantel.
"Let's see how I do."
Chris grabbed the holy sword Grunade.
So far, so good.
That was because a powerful restraint was sealing off the sword's divine energy, suppressing its power.
But like this, the holy sword couldn't exhibit any of its abilities.
He released the restraint.
And then—
"!!"
Crackle!
A searing heat erupted, like he had grabbed a blazing hot iron with his bare hand. He quickly let go.
Grunade had rejected Chris's Dark Energy.
Fortunately, he didn't get burned, but had he been even a moment slower, his hand might have melted.
'As expected, it won't work.'
But Chris remained unshaken.
He had anticipated this.
Even so, the reason Chris had brought back the holy sword was because he was confident he could handle it.
"A holy sword is still just a weapon in the end. An artifact inscribed with magic that allows the use of holy power—'Radiant Mana.'"
The meaning behind his words was clear.
If he could analyze the artifact mechanism inscribed in the holy sword—specifically the mechanism that triggered rejection toward Dark Energy—he might be able to uncover a weakness in the sword.
Of course, this was only theoretically possible. No one had ever dared to try it.
There were several reasons for that.
Even if one did find a weakness in the holy sword, it wasn't likely to be an easily exploitable one.
And if it existed, it would probably be no more than a pinpoint-sized crack. A fleeting opening where the slightest misstep meant failure.
Moreover, it was dangerous.
Just one wrong move, and the holy sword would immediately incinerate the wielder's body.
But Chris thought to himself,
'This sword must have a weak point. That's the only reason the Fallen Hero was able to wield it. I have to uncover that flaw.'
And he had a feeling.
'Somehow… I feel like I can do it.'
His instincts were unusually sharp.
Chris reached into the sack he had brought from the estate and pulled something out.
A hammer infused with Dark Energy—an artifact tool.
Lifting the hammer, Chris swung it down toward the holy sword without hesitation.
Clang!
A sharp noise rang out, and the holy sword crackled as radiant energy surged through it.
Chris memorized the pattern of the mana circuit—specifically how the radiant energy reacted to the presence of dark energy. Then, he repeated the process.
Clang! Clang!
The hammer mercilessly pounded the holy sword.
Each time, the holy sword flared with radiant power as if in protest, as if telling him to stop.
'Nope, not stopping.'
Eventually, the hammer couldn't withstand the radiant power and shattered with a crack.
The holy sword sparked with divine energy again, almost like it was showing off.
But Chris just gave a wry smile.
With a flick of his sack, artifact tools tumbled out in a pile.
Saws, knives, chisels, hammers, a forge—countless tools.
All of them imbued with Dark Energy, all brought for the sole purpose of pounding and breaking down the holy sword.
Was it just his imagination?
It felt like the holy sword had gone silent.
"Well then, let's do this properly."
Chris spoke with a mocking tone.
"If you don't like it, then hurry up and submit to me."
* * *
How many days had passed?
Chris had stayed shut in his room all day, relentlessly tormenting the holy sword.
If the sword had a will of its own, it would've been begging for mercy by now, swearing to do whatever he said. Such was the cruel (?) level of abuse it endured.
'Hmm, not easy.'
Chris crossed his arms as he looked down at the countless shattered artifact tools beside the holy sword.
As expected of a holy sword—it was still a holy sword, after all.
Even for Chris, deciphering the artifact pattern within the blade was no easy task.
But—
"Still, I figured it out."
He grinned widely.
He had uncovered the holy sword's weak point?!
It was an astonishing revelation.
'It was possible because the sword was broken. Several security spells were damaged.'
If it hadn't been, not even Chris could have pulled this off in such a short time.
'The real problem is whether I can use that weak point to actually wield the sword.'
Now for the real question:
Did the Dark Beings who had previously tried to conquer Grunade fail because they never discovered this weak point?
That probably wasn't the case.
They likely had found it.
Even so, they still failed to subdue Grunade—because that weak point was effectively unusable.
'There's no way a holy sword crafted by a Constellation would be designed with a trivial flaw.'
Chris had now encountered the same obstacle.
But—
"I feel like I can do it."
An unbelievable claim.
Surely, many immensely powerful Dark Beings had attempted to subdue Grunade.
And yet they all failed?
'Even high-ranking Dark Beings couldn't wield Grunade. But I can.'
To be precise—
Only Chris could.
'This holy sword was made for me.'
The moment he thought that—
The door opened.
"Are you ready?"
A woman stood there, smiling radiantly.
"It's the appointed time, Young Master."
Melin's blue eyes gleamed with anticipation.