FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Episode 31
—————————
There were a few days left until the Black Pill Hunt.
Chris made full use of that time.
By that, I mean… he indulged in reckless debauchery.
"Go!"
"Drop!"
The mages accompanying Chris watched him engrossed in a card game at the gaming hall, their faces bewildered.
"Young master?"
"What?"
"Uh… is this really okay?"
"What's the big deal? We've got time to kill. Gotta rest when you can."
"…This isn't exactly resting, is it?"
Card games, all sorts of revelry—Chris's "rest" was anything but restrained.
Except for alcohol.
Being underage, no one would serve him. So, he ended up playing cards with a ginger ale in hand.
'Damn it, why are these mages so uptight? I hate ginger!'
At least card games weren't illegal—historically, they were fun for all ages.
"Whatever. I'm a disgrace, right? What's wrong with a disgrace acting like one?"
The mages looked confused.
He'd just shown such brilliance at the Tyramine estate, yet now he was back to playing the fool.
They couldn't figure him out.
Of course, Chris wasn't acting this way just to revel.
'I need to lower their guard.'
He sensed eyes on him.
The Tyramine family's watchful gazes, wary of what tricks he might pull.
With the final step of his Black Pill heist approaching, he needed to lull those eyes into complacency.
'Might as well have fun while I'm at it. Man, it's been ages since I cut loose like this.'
As mentioned before, Chris wasn't some effort-driven genius.
By nature, he was lazy and loved to play.
Since he was already inducing their carelessness, he went all in.
Not acting—genuinely.
Looking every bit the disgrace!
Sure enough, the watchers shook their heads.
[Thought he'd changed, but he's the same.]
[Still a disgrace.]
[To think Young Master Alos lost to that guy.]
They acknowledged his skill.
The display in the duel was undeniable.
But a disgrace was still a disgrace.
[He's got talent, but he's just a failure.]
[Not worth watching. Let's report the bare minimum.]
The surveillance didn't stop.
But it slackened.
The moment Chris felt that looseness, his eyes snapped open.
Time to move.
His destination: the Tyramine family's Forbidden Zone.
The site of the Black Pill Hunt's ritual.
---
The Tyramine family's specialty was Demon Training, taming beasts.
As such, they operated near a vast magical wilderness.
The Kaiton Mountains, southeast of the Dark Mana Clan's territory, were their main playground.
Their mages roamed the mountains like their own backyard, hunting and dominating beasts.
At the entrance to those mountains lay the Forbidden Zone.
A place off-limits to all.
Opened only for the Black Pill Hunt's ritual.
'Guards are posted.'
Chris scouted from a distance.
The Forbidden Zone was a large cave, watched by sentries.
All were mages trained in mana, the strongest seemingly a 3-star.
Too tough for Chris's current mana to handle head-on.
'But sneaking past is another story.'
He cast dark magic with his mana.
Veil of Secrets.
A concealment spell to hide his form.
He added a few more tricks.
First, he suppressed his mana.
Hiding his appearance wasn't enough—leaking mana could alert sharp senses.
Suppressing mana while casting dark magic was a mid-tier mage skill, but for Chris?
A simple parlor trick.
For good measure, he erased his presence.
Blending with his surroundings, he moved without sound or trace.
A secret technique from the Swordsmanship Clan, a top house outside the Magic Empire, stolen from the Hero.
Since mages had similar skills, he didn't worry about being recognized.
'Let's go.'
Astonishingly, the guards at the entrance didn't notice him at all.
Inside the cave, an empty chamber appeared.
No guards deeper in.
Due to the Forbidden Zone's nature.
'Energy inside.'
Chris's eyes darkened.
A chilling aura emanated from the chamber's depths.
Similar to mana, yet different.
Darker, more sinister.
As if brimming with thick malice.
No surprise there.
"Gehenna's Rift."
This was a rift to Gehenna.
The underworld of demons.
'A rift in a mere estate?'
Chris shook his head.
This world comprised multiple dimensions.
The Middle Realm, home to humans and other races, was aptly named—a nexus of dimensions.
The most prominent were the Celestial Realm and Gehenna.
The Celestial Realm, home of constellations and angels.
Gehenna, domain of demons and fiends.
A rift was a crack in the Middle Realm linking to such dimensions.
Usually managed and guarded at a national level.
'Isn't this security way too lax?'
Chris looked baffled.
But that wasn't true.
Complex magical arrays encircled the rift.
At a glance, they were etched with top-tier dark magic.
They barred Gehenna's malevolent beings from crossing while alerting the Tyramine family and the Dark Mana Clan's main house if tampered with.
'Anyway, let's do this and get out.'
Gehenna's aura soured his mood.
Chris pulled out a prepared vial and sprinkled it around the chamber.
"Aphrodisiac applied."
He flashed a wicked grin.
His trump card for the hunt's climax.
After carefully setting his "trap," Chris recast Veil of Secrets and slipped out.
The cave fell silent again.
But some time after he left, a low voice echoed from the depths.
"Ho, impressive. Intriguing."
Shockingly, it was a bat!
The bat cackled human-like, then morphed into a person amid crimson mist.
Sharp fangs. A blood-red sword tattoo on its temple.
The vampire ordered by Patriarch Nordian to watch Chris!
"Didn't imagine the young pup would be this entertaining."
The vampire, Simon, chuckled.
"Beyond expectations."
He'd expected more than mediocrity.
Marian's high praise guaranteed that.
But this was another level.
Simon recalled Chris's actions here.
Provoking the Tyramine family, crushing Alos.
Not just that—playing the fool to lower the watchers' guard, then sneaking into the Forbidden Zone to tamper with it?
He was practically toying with the Tyramine family in the palm of his hand.
"Didn't know the disgrace pup was *this* good. Trouble."
Simon grinned, baring his fangs.
"Makes me want to play a *bigger* prank."
Originally, he'd planned a light jest.
To test Chris's mettle.
Whether it'd feel light to Chris was questionable, but he hadn't intended to cross lines.
But Chris's antics had stoked his interest.
"Oh, trouble. This is your fault, pup."
Humming, Simon strolled toward the rift with light steps.
As he neared, Gehenna's vile malice prickled his skin, but he savored it, smirking.
Then.
Simon extended his hand into the rift, and *crack*—his fingertip split, blood dripping.
Drip. Drip.
His blood fell beyond the array into the rift. With each drop, the blood-sword tattoo glowed redder.
And then.
[Trai…tor… what do you desire?]
A ghastly wail, as if rising from an abyss, made Simon's lips curl.
The "prank" had begun.
---
The Black Pill Hunt finally started.
A high trumpet blared across the Tyramine estate.
"Everyone ready?!"
"Yes, my lord!!"
"Drivers, lure the Karazov to the Forbidden Zone! Begin!!"
"Understood!"
The mages scattered with precision.
They'd guide the Karazov to the zone.
"Let's head to the Forbidden Zone."
Chris spoke to Alos.
As the ritual's lead, Alos, and the guardian mages were to wait there.
Alos didn't reply, glaring and grinding his teeth before turning sharply to walk ahead.
The other guardian mages shot Chris hostile looks.
Notably, they were all young, like him.
The hunt was a coming-of-age rite for the Tyramine family, so seasoned mages didn't join.
Being hot-blooded youths, they didn't hide their animosity.
"Understand this: the Black Pill Hunt is our family's affair."
"We'll handle it, so don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
Chris just shrugged.
At the Forbidden Zone, the Tyramine mages ostracized him even more blatantly.
"This is where Christian will wait."
"Hm? Isn't it too far from the altar where the ritual happens?"
A guardian mage's role was to handle unexpected disruptions during the ritual.
Chris's spot was at the chamber's far end.
Practically opposite the rift's altar—useless for responding to trouble.
A clear snub.
"Don't worry. There won't be any need for you to step in."
"Stay put unless we say otherwise."
Their words dripped with suspicion and hostility.
It was obvious they wanted Chris to gain no credit during the hunt.
But he nodded casually.
'They look like beasts but act so petty. Whatever, suits me.'
Since they'd sidelined him, Chris sprawled on the ground comfortably.
He was so relaxed, he even dozed off briefly, snoring.
"Tch, what a disgrace…"
"If I get the chance, I'll teach him a lesson."
He ignored the occasional mutters.
The climax was nearing anyway.
'Almost time.'
Yawning groggily, he heard a sharp cry from outside.
"We've driven the Karazov in!!"