Debuff Master - Chapter 1174

Chapter 1174

‘Should I just kill him?’

For a split second, Siegfried nearly drew his +16 Vanquisher’s Grasp to decapitate Duke Neighdelberg right then and there.

That was how much the duke—no, the Marchioni Empire had infuriated him. Verdandi was the apple of Siegfried’s eye, and he would never trade her for anything, even for the world.

Of course, Siegfried never really considered himself to be a good father, as he was rarely home and hadn’t been spending much time with her. He simply did not have the luxury to do that, as life never allowed him to be a good father to her.

Even so, he loved Verdandi with all his heart and would give his life for her.

Yet the Marchioni Empire was trying to take his precious daughter away from him, no, they were not merely trying to take her away. They wanted to marry her off to Emperor Stuttgart, who was more than forty years older than her.

‘You sons of whoring bitches. This is a goddamn crime, you fucking lunatics,’ Siegfried seethed with anger and rage clouded his eyes.

The NPCs of this world had a medieval mindset where royal and noble bloodlines were used for political marriages, regardless of the age gap. Even outside the royal line, it was normal for nobles to be betrothed to an adult as soon as they were born.

However, Siegfried was not going to accept that garbage of a tradition. He refused to accept that filthy tradition.

Verdandi was barely two years old. Yes, she appeared to be six or seven thanks to her lineage as a High Elf, which was one of the most perfect and intelligent races, but no matter how one looked at it, she was still just a child.

Despite that, they wanted her to become Emperor Stuttgart’s wife? To bear his heirs someday?

‘Fucking bullshit. They came up with fucking offer that’s impossible to refuse. If I refuse it, they will twist it into an insult and pressure me for it. I used Brunhilde as an excuse to get out of getting linked with Irene, but this is different… this is a union between imperial households.

‘I have no excuse to turn it down without insulting Emperor Stuttgart or the Marchioni Empire. It’s the perfect move, as they will weaponize my refusal if I do refuse this union.’

Siegfried immediately realized what the Marchioni Empire was trying to do, and it was something worse than what he initially thought.

‘Damn it… If I agree to it now, then they will demand that she be sent to the Marchioni Empire to study, which means that they will hold her hostage. The moment I step out of line, they will threaten her life. As simple as that.’

He had never experienced this kind of blackmail before, but it was too obvious.

‘And if Verdandi marries Emperor Stuttgart. Then he will have the perfect claim to my throne through her. As her husband, he can claim the Proatine Empire by right of family. And if an heir is born, then that kid will be an even more legitimate heir to the throne. Damn it… They really have every angle covered…’

Siegfried’s stomach churned at the trap prepared by the Marchioni Empire.

“I have heard that Your Imperial Majesty’s daughter, Her Highness, Princess Verdandi, is a High Elf and a genius in every field,” Duke Neighdelberg said.

The duke’s voice snapped Siegfried out of his thoughts.

“W-Well, yes, that is true.”

“If our esteemed Emperor and Princess Verdandi were to marry and produce an heir, then that child would be the most perfect successor imaginable, one who will be destined to inherit the Grand Empire of Marchioni.”

Siegfried had to exert superhuman self-control to stop himself from ripping that smug look off the duke’s face.

‘Inherit the Marchioni Empire? Like hell Stuttgart would pass the throne to someone else—even his own kid. He would kill his child first if the child showed promise. He’s the kind of bastard who will cling to power till his last dying breath, never letting go of it even for a second. That’s who Stuttgart really is, and I’ll bet my ass that’s how it will go.’

By now, Siegfried was far too aware of just how poisonous and addictive power could be to human beings. Even the sanest of people would lose their humanity after drinking from its cup.

“Your Imperial Majesty’s daughter, Her Highness, Princess Verdandi, could never find a more suitable match than His Imperial Majesty, the Ruler of the Marchioni Empire.”

“O-Of course, but…” Siegfried stammered, forcing himself to look fidgety and flustered as he swallowed the rage rising from deep within him. Then, he put on an awkward smile and said, “I-I have not really thought about marrying her off so… Haha…”

“Hoho! You need not worry. This is not a matter that must be decided this instant.”

“R-Really?”

“Consider this as an unofficial suggestion for now. Once Your Imperial Majesty returns to the Proatine Empire, please discuss the matter with the empress first.”

“A-Ah! Of course! Haha! Hahaha…!”

“Hoho! This is a wonderful thing! A union between our two empires will surely be the final step to unifying the continent and bringing true world peace. Would you not agree, Your Imperial Majesty?” Duke Neighdelberg exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

In Siegfried’s ears, the laughter didn’t sound human at all. It was the cackling of a devil disguised in human skin.

‘This damn snake. I swear that when the time comes… I’m going to kill you first,’ Siegfried thought.

Duke Neighdelberg was the type to betray anyone when it suited him, so Siegfried was ready to deal with him.

‘Ugh… This damn filthy bastard…’

Perhaps it was because he had just been forced to listen to this pile of horseshit, but he felt like running straight to a stream and scrubbing his ears clean.

***

Daisy…

That was the name of the girl kneeling before Siegfried’s statue and praying to it. She knew full well that the evil men would storm up the hill any moment now, but she did not stop praying.

‘Emperor Siegfried will come. He will appear and save us. He has to come and save us!’

Her faith burned like an inextinguishable flame in her heart.

Daisy’s devotion to the Church of Heroes had been absolute since she was young, and her faith remained unshaken by any trial or despair. No massacre, no cruelty, no hopelessness, nor this hell unfolding right before her eyes could break her faith in Siegfried von Proa.

‘Please help us. Please hear my prayer. Please, please save the people of my village…’

Flash!

A sudden burst of light illuminated, and someone appeared right before her eyes.

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty…?”

Daisy’s eyes widened when her desperate prayer was finally answered.

The Holy Hero Emperor had answered her call and descended before her.

Badump! Badump! Badump!

Her heart pounded as hope filled her.

“Y-You are…!”

Unfortunately, her hope was shattered in less than a second.

The man before her looked like Siegfried von Proa, but the way he grinned at her made the hair on her skin stand.

“Hey there, little missy.”

It was the grin of a demon that just crawled out from the depths of hell.

His skin was smeared with bits of flesh and blood, making him look like something straight out of a nightmare.

“Did you call me here with that prayer?” Lee Geon asked her, grinning like a demon.

“W-What…?”

“You prayed for me, didn’t you? Siegfried von Proa! Please save us! Please protect our village! That’s what you begged for, no?”

“I… I…” Daisy stammered, unable to find her words. The Siegfried von Proa she cherished was nothing like this demon. He was a proud, fearless, and honorable hero who would descend to help those in need, not this grinning monster with deranged madness in his eyes.

Even Daisy, who had grown up in a small village and knew nothing of the world, could tell that there was something very wrong with the man in front of her.

“I am Siegfried von Proa. Keke!” Lee Geon said with a laugh.

“N-No, you’re not! You’re a devil! A wicked devil! You’re not His Imperial Majesty, Siegfried von Proa!” Daisy retorted.

Lee Geon tilted his head and said mockingly, “But you’re the one who called me out here with that prayer, you know?”

“N-No! Stop lying! That’s not true!”

“Oh, but it is. I am Siegfried von Proa.”

“You’re not him! Nooo!”

“I am the hero you prayed to so desperately.”

“S-Stop! It’s not true! Please, stop lying!”

Daisy’s voice cracked as her whole world crumbled.

The hero she admired for so long, the hero she prayed to—

Everything was being trampled by this demon wearing Siegfried’s face.

The monster standing before her now was the same murderer who had brutally massacred the people in her village.

“That… That can’t be true! It can’t be true! Emperor Siegfried would never—”

“But this is the real me,” Lee Geon said with his arms spread wide, as if baring himself for her to see. Then, he added, “I am a demon crazed for blood. I hold it back most days, but every so often… I have to let it out, or I can’t control myself.”

“N-No… sniff… sniff…!”

“So, what do you think of me now, little missy?”

“Stop…”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but this is who I really am.”

“No… you’re not…!”

“How does it feel? Knowing that your precious hero you worshiped is just another monster, just like everyone else?” Lee Geon asked, stepping even closer to the little girl.

He couldn’t help but shiver in pleasure as he savored every tear she cried.

‘Oh fuck. This is too fun. This is what I call gaming! Kekeke!’ Lee Geon cackled inwardly in delight.

He couldn’t care whether it was an NPC or not. The pure bliss from destroying someone and watching them break down in front of him sent chills throughout his body. For him, this was what paradise tasted like. Nothing else came close to the ecstasy of ruining another person.

***

After leaving the Marchioni Empire behind, Siegfried returned straight to the Proatine Empire and summoned his top officials for an emergency council.

Among those present was his empress, Brunhilde. It was only right for her to be there, as the main agenda of this emergency council was the future of their precious daughter, Verdandi.

“…And that’s what happened.”

Siegfried finished recounting everything that happened.

How the Marchioni Empire offered a union between the two empires through Emperor Stuttgart and Verdandi, what they truly wanted, and what he read between the lines.

“You saw right through them, sire. Truly brilliant. The Marchioni Empire is not the type to offer something like this out of goodwill alone,” Michele said, praising Siegfried’s insight without reservation.

“Yeah, they’re not that type,” Siegfried replied with a nod. Then, he added, “And them offering me that shitty deal as if it was a reward means that they don’t even want to give me a single damn coin anymore, doesn’t it?”

He was the hero who had led the Coral Planet expedition to victory, but all they had for him was as a reward was to threaten him to hand over his own daughter to the Marchioni Empire.

There was nothing wrong with suggesting a political union in an alliance, but calling it a reward was basically no different from a scornful insult.

“From now on, expecting anything from the Marchioni Empire is wishful thinking, sire,” Michele said.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” Siegfried grumbled in agreement.

“What do we do then? We can’t let them take Verdandi away from us,” Brunhilde chimed in, her face darkened with worry.

“We won’t let them. That will never happen,” Siegfried said in a low yet firm voice. He meant what he said. The groundwork for the day he would inevitably clash with the Marchioni Empire had already begun.

When that day finally arrived, Siegfried would not let Verdandi become a hostage that they could use to negotiate with him.

“I believe that you should accept the proposal for now, sire,” Michele said.

“And what after that? They will demand that we send Verdandi over if I accept. They will say they want her to get the best education or whatever damn excuse they can think of,” Siegfried retorted.

“Then we use her age as an excuse. We will say that she is too young to buy time.”

“How long can we stall?”

“The longer the better. But the Marchioni Empire will without a doubt push back. They will argue that Her Highness is intelligent enough to study abroad at her age.”

“So we have two years at best, maybe one, at worst.”

“Why do you think so, sire?”

“Because they will be pushing hard. They will squeeze us and look for an excuse to start a war if they don’t get what they want,” Siegfried grimaced and replied. Then, he added, “My gut says that they will do it within two years, tops.”

“I agree,” Michele replied with a hint of awe at how quickly Siegfried grasped the situation. Then, he continued, “In any case, even a brief delay will be invaluable. If we flat-out refuse now, then the Marchioni Empire will spin the narrative against us.”

“Spin it how?”

“They will tell their people that the Proatine Empire insulted Emperor Stuttgart by rejecting the marriage proposal.”

“And the people of the Marchioni Empire will go batshit crazy…”

“Precisely, sire.”

The Marchioni Empire’s citizens were fiercely loyal to the point that they were like zealots, and any news that their empire or emperor had been insulted would cause them to rally like a swarm of angry hornets.

In fact, the men would line up by the thousands to volunteer for war without a hint of hesitation.

“That’s no good. A flat-out refusal will not help us at all,” Siegfried said, shaking his head. Then, he decided, “Fine. We will pretend to accept the marriage proposal and just drag it out for as long as we can.”

“A wise decision, sire.”

“And with that time we managed to buy, we will—”

Ding!

A notification alert echoed in his mind, and a notification popped up in front of his eyes.

[Alert: You have received a prayer!]

[Alert: Would you like to read the contents of the prayer?]