Chapter 125: Light and Dark (22)
Duke Lex was sixty-seven this year.
Born in the charming Chrisrodney City in the Northern Region of Ethanbel, his father was a humble carpenter, and his mother, the daughter of a nearby farmer. The two met by chance, fell in love, and with some savings left by his grandfather, bought a quaint two-story house on the outskirts. They eked out a boring yet warm life on his father’s meager income.
Chrisrodney City had fertile soil with mountains and rivers—Duke Lex still remembered that place vividly. He recalled the leaky roof during every rainy season, the crooked old tree in the little courtyard, and the babbling creek flowing in front of their door. Every mountain, every stone, every blade of grass from those days was etched in his memory.
He once had an ordinary yet fulfilling family. Once.
Fifty years ago, a terrifying plague swept through the Northern Region, and Duke Lex lost everything in one night, plunging into a life of wandering. In the following years, he dabbled in banditry, engaged in the most despicable deeds, even competing with wild dogs for food.
It was definitely a part of his life he would rather forget.
Even now, as he stood proudly, having achieved what he never dared to dream of in his youth, those aristocrats with their heads full of pig fat still whispered behind his back, snickering at his humble origins and mocking his occasional slips back into lowly manners.
This made Duke Lex very nauseous.
Yet, he understood: without those years of hardship, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had today or become the tea talk of those century-old families, nor would he have the chance to take down those who dared to mock him, regardless of their status.
That tumultuous period had transformed the still childlike and naive Duke Lex. It seemed he finally grasped that this was a world of the survival of the fittest. If he wanted to be among the high-and-mighty and enjoy their status, he had to grow stronger—strong enough to overpower them, take their wealth, their women—all for himself.
That was his motto for life.
He never believed in deities or the Church’s preachings, thinking they were all mere illusions meant to deceive the ignorant and foolish.
If there really were gods, that carpenter couple in Chrisrodney City wouldn’t have died.
His current success was not due to divine blessings. Looking back, he gained nothing but bl**d-soaked corpses beneath his feet, and at night, those corpses would often haunt his dreams, vividly clear.
But he didn’t mind.
They were merely losers who lost to him.
Today, Duke Lex had become a name that sent shivers down spines. Otherwise, those nobles wouldn’t dare gossip only behind his back.
But, that wasn’t nearly enough for him.
There were still unscaled heights above, where people whose heads were packed with pig fat stood. Those were the types who could juggle their women while exploiting the wealth he earned with his life, barking orders at him as they pursued their foolish pleasures.
They didn’t deserve it.
Only he should command.
So, Duke Lex toiled day and night, plotting how to elegantly eliminate that group of royal piggies. For this, he put in great effort and carefully prepared for years, until he finally awaited an opportunity.
At a social gala one day, Duke Lex encountered that lofty queen.
It was a delightful evening.
That night, he completely won over the haughty woman and saw the hatred lurking deep in her eyes.
From then on, Duke Lex became the secret lover of the Queen of Ethanbel.
A man of the world, he was well-versed in the ugliest sides of humanity and was very adept at exploiting that side to achieve his goals.
He pulled every trick in the book to make that moody, melancholy woman feel that only he truly understood her heart. After several subtle nudges and whispers in bedtime conversations, he often casually mentioned matters she held dear yet dared not voice, allowing her resentment to slowly take root and grow.
Then, he made sure she “accidentally” found the poison she had secretly acquired from the Eastern Continent.
Not long after, the woman poisoned her frigid husband—the King of Ethanbel.
Everything fell into place.
Once the King was gone, the ensuing events became much simpler.
Duke Lex secretly stirred the pot, allying with multiple supporters to manipulate things behind the scenes, swiftly controlling the Council, pushing that foolish woman into the role of Regent Empress, persuading her to dissolve the German Knight Order, and using the guise of rice field development to open the coffers wide. He then elevated his nephew to the position of Finance Minister, only to gather the disgraced knights under the pretext of recruiting guards for Fulresk Castle, making them serve him for handsome salaries. With the wealth he reaped, he bulk-ordered superior weapons and armor from the central workshop…
In just two years, Duke Lex amassed power enough to rival the state, and his surname was no longer to be scoffed at.
And that foolish woman still believed that this power belonged to the two of them.
In reality, she had long lost her usefulness to Duke Lex.
He quite liked wolves.
These creatures are savage, ruthless, greedy, and brutal, with sharp senses and an indomitable spirit of aggression.
These were all exquisite skills for surviving in the world.
Most importantly, wolves show their fangs at the perfect moment.
On that year’s Day of the Divine Birth, Duke Lex, through threats and temptations, caused the royal dimwits, resentful yet powerless over the throne, to poison the little prince, eliminating the future heir.
This act shattered his relationship with that woman completely.
She became hysterical, heartbroken, screaming crazily in front of him, and after that, she started to fear him… But what of it?
Her fear only made her more obedient.
From then on, things progressed even more smoothly.
Duke Lex quietly controlled the Council, further dismantling the royal power. Those softies had no strength to fight back, groveling like dogs after losing power, fearing that he would k*ll them—all their worries were unfounded.
Once everything settled, Duke Lex had no intention of leaving anyone in the royal family except for the young woman.
Victory was in sight.
All he needed to do was deal with the last one—the little girl named Elizabeth.
But this time, Duke Lex hit a brick wall.
The little brat was tougher than he imagined, easily seeing through his schemes, always staying a step ahead, making what should have been simple become complicated—apparently not everyone in the royal family was foolish.
And the most troublesome part? This girl was not only smart and ruthless but also possessed unrivaled strength—she was the Pope Knight, certified by the Holy Church.
d*mn clerics, adding so much trouble…
Duke Lex found himself momentarily stumped, needing to be more cautious, choosing to retreat and bide his time rather than boldly charge ahead like before. He opted for patience, no longer hastily entering the royal city, quietly waiting for a chance.
Opportunities came much faster than anticipated.
It was one summer night.
Duke Lex’s son introduced him to some… well, it was hard to describe them. They always wrapped their faces in black robes—a bunch of oddball characters.
They looked like they were planning something.
But that didn’t matter.
He didn’t care about their identities. As long as they could solve his current issues, he’d make use of anyone. If real problems arose, he could always eliminate them later.
With a mindset of giving it a try, Duke Lex began arranging for those people to work under him.
Initially, he didn’t put much thought into it. But a series of subsequent events made his scalp tingle and his heart race, causing him to put aside his underestimation.
The eerie bl**d rituals, the terrifying powers that burned everything…
These black-robed individuals acted strangely, resorting to any means to achieve their goals and were unexpectedly cohesive, possessing firm faith while acting unrestrained. They seemed to embody many opposing contradictions yet managed to operate in a remarkably orderly fashion.
These people were like him.
They were all wicked wolves.
No…
Perhaps they were demons after all.
