The Hero Becomes the Duke’s Eldest Son

Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 57

– “Wraith…?”

Mephisto was astonished upon seeing this.

It wasn’t merely because Aden had summoned a wraith.

Among high-level warlocks, there were occasionally those who could summon not only undead but also wraiths or banshees.

What astonished him was something else entirely.

– “A human summoning a wraith without the help of dark magic? That’s impossible!”

Controlling spirits or vengeful souls was an act against the will of the gods of this world.

Thus, to summon the dead, one had to use dark magic, which went against the world’s natural laws.

However, no matter how Mephisto looked at it, Aden showed no signs of having learned black magic.

This was due to the unique properties of the Banshee’s relic.

A banshee was originally a pure spirit that belonged to this world’s flow but had fallen into corruption.

Thus, it possessed a dual nature, being part of the world’s laws yet transcending them.

Coupled with the curse of the Demon Lord, Aden had grown with these unique characteristics.

Wraith subjugation was an ability born from such a coincidence of coincidences.

– “Arararara, laral.”

The shaman wraith began to sing a gloomy song.

At that moment, a fireball materialized in the air and rushed towards him.

Mephisto unfolded his membranous wings to dodge the fireball, soaring into the sky.

However, being in the air made him an easier target, so returning to the ground was his best option.

But even on the ground, he faced problems.

Ssss!

Aden swung Baalzebul, inflicting a wound on Mephisto’s body.

– “You filthy human!”

Mephisto, enraged, swung his claws imbued with dark magic.

– “Activate the Ring of Swiftness.”

At critical moments, Aden used the Ring of Swiftness and the Low Stealth technique to escape.

When Mephisto ascended to the sky, Aden used fire spells, and when he approached, Aden delivered quick strikes with his sword.

Although the damage wasn’t significant due to Mephisto’s regeneration, he was still being hit.

– “You fool! Don’t you realize those pathetic little attacks are useless? Human!”

Even if they didn’t cause much damage, being repeatedly struck would frustrate any intelligent being.

Moreover, being evaded by a slippery opponent only increased Mephisto’s fury.

‘There’s nothing more aggravating than the hit-and-run tactics of a one-armed swift fighter.’

The strategy of dodging in a way that seemed just within reach infuriated the opponent.

That was the essence of the Low Stealth technique.

Thanks to this, Aden could keep Mephisto constantly agitated, making him attack recklessly.

A significant part of this tactic’s success was due to the wraith moving perfectly in sync with Aden’s will.

‘I can feel the wraith moving according to my will.’

Aden felt a faint connection between himself and the wraith, not a physical thread but a mental link.

That thread symbolized their master-servant relationship, demonstrating Aden’s control.

– “Kraaagh!”

Aden’s sword severed one of Mephisto’s wings.

Now, he couldn’t launch attacks from the sky.

The wraith of the High Troll Shaman moved precisely as Aden intended.

Their coordination was impeccable.

But it didn’t last long.

– “The ‘Berserk’ duration has ended.”
– “Mana levels are decreasing.”
– “Wraith subjugation has reached its limit. The wraith is being unsummoned.”

The shaman wraith became blurry and vanished.

Aden’s entire body felt drained, and he became heavy.

It was the penalty for using Berserk.

“Huff, huff.”

Aden panted, exhausted.

Blood flowed from wounds on his shoulders, legs, cheeks, and sides.

By now, his body was covered in cuts inflicted by Mephisto’s sharp attacks.

Although the power of the Life Vessel was still active, it was only a matter of time.

Mephisto also realized Aden was exhausted.

– “You’re weakening. I commend you for holding out this long, wretched human.”

Although Mephisto’s voice was still filled with anger, it had become calmer.

Realizing he was guaranteed victory, Mephisto understood that Aden had deliberately tried to disrupt his composure.

Mephisto extended his remaining membranous wing and raised his hands to the sky.

– “But you are still just an inferior human.”

Rumble.

The dark magic in Mephisto’s possession began to condense above his head, forming a sphere.

Gathering and gathering, the overwhelming energy continued to compress and grow larger.

The malevolent dark magic emitted a purple hue.

It was like a condensed dragon’s breath.

– “Now die.”

Aden knew that if that dark magic sphere were unleashed, not only he but everyone around would be caught in it and die.

Aden gritted his teeth.

‘Is it not ready yet? I needed to stall for more time.’

But there was no way to stop Mephisto from dropping that dark magic sphere.

Even escaping alone was impossible.

His body felt unbearably heavy.

At that moment, Aden felt a strange sensation.

All the surrounding sounds became distant, leaving only one sound.

Thump.

As exhausted as he was, his senses were heightened like those of a sharp, alert animal.

Thanks to that, he could hear a faint sound.

A heartbeat?

No.

It was the deeper pulse of mana, coming from the Demon Stone within Aden’s body.

Thump.

And he also felt the same pulse within Mephisto’s body.

‘What is this?’

Two beating sounds.

They resonated with each other, creating a faint connection.

It was like the connection he felt when summoning a wraith.

Aden didn’t understand what it was.

He only instinctively tried to pull that connection as he did when summoning a wraith.

Thump!

The two heartbeats began to resonate intensely with each other.

A strange sensation swept over Aden’s body.

Curse’s voice was heard.

– “Incredible. I knew you had a talent for black magic, but to think…”

The voice seemed very astonished.

– “To think you could use my powers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a system message appeared.

< “Unleashing Authority.” >
< “Authority, ‘Command of the Lord,’ has manifested.” >

The Command of the Lord.

It was the Demon Lord’s power, the one who had led millions of Talos troops during the Great War.

—

Authority.

It was slightly different from ability.

An ability was literally the ‘capacity to perform an act.’

Casting magic, creating sword energy through mana techniques, all were possible because the body and mind could endure them.

However, authority was a ‘natural’ power.

Like a fish swimming in water, like wild animals breathing, like seeds sprouting, blooming, wilting, and scattering again, it was a natural power of the laws.

Authority was the power held by one who naturally deserved it.

One of the reasons the Demon Lord was the most powerful Talos and the unrivaled ruler of the Under was due to his absolute authority over all Talos.

「[Command of the Lord]

The Lord is the leader and ruler of the army. The Lord should naturally command all those under his feet. All lesser beings feel fear in your presence.

You can inflict the status effects ‘Fear’ or ‘Reverence’ on specific targets or an unspecified number of beings significantly lower in rank than the user.

Limited to ‘Talos’ only. 」

A subtle yet immense presence spread from Aden.

He instinctively knew what to do.

His mouth moved.

Words imbued with mana flowed out.

“Submit. Kneel.”

Mephisto, the Talos of deception and falsehood.

His enslaved soul felt as if it were in Aden’s grasp.

“Bow before your lord. My soldier, my servant.”

Mephisto sensed Aden’s presence and was horrified.

The dark magic sphere in his hand dissipated helplessly.

– “A, Aaaah…!”

A fear that penetrated deep into the soul, and reverence.

An overwhelming presence that could not be defied.

The terrifying presence of the being that held his soul in its grasp.

– “O, my Lord of the Under!”

Mephisto landed and involuntarily knelt.

His servile appearance was like that of a slave before his master.

Aden looked at him with a blank expression.

He had merely followed his instincts, speaking of submission and reverence.

As he regained his senses, this was the result.

“What just happened, Curse?”

– “Hmm, it seems to be due to my influence.”

Curse’s voice had calmed down, erasing its earlier agitation.

Curse was the curse created by the Demon Lord, squeezing out his last strength and making a fragment of his soul.

– “In other words, you bear the soul of the Demon Lord. That’s why the enslaving power within Mephisto’s soul reacted to my presence.”

This caused the Demon Lord’s authority to manifest.

– “L, Lord…”

Mephisto trembled, unable to raise his head due to fear.

If he used his brain, he would realize there was no way the Demon Lord could be here.

Unless the Hell Gate, Tartarus, was opened, there was no way the Demon Lord could break the laws and step into the earthly realm.

But faced with the overwhelming presence and the enslaving power, such rationality was utterly crushed.

“So, he’s mistaken me for you?”

– “That appears to be the case.”

Even as Aden conversed with Curse, Mephisto continued to babble incoherently, begging for forgiveness.

“Is that so?”

– “Dragon Slayer, your smile is twisted.”

Aden ignored Curse’s remark.

Recalling the Demon Lord’s mannerisms, he lowered his voice and spoke to Mephisto.

“Mephisto.”

– “Yes, yes! My Lord!”

“You were quite vocal earlier. Something about my soul being a delicacy, a treat? Well, you weren’t wrong, considering it’s the soul of the Demon Lord.”

– “Eek! I have committed a grave sin! I deserve to die…!”

Mephisto’s terrified confession filled the air.

– “Dragon Slayer, when did I ever speak in such an unpleasant voice?”

Aden thoroughly ignored Curse’s complaint. After all, it’s common for one to be unaware of their own mannerisms.

– “I, a lowly servant, failed to recognize my noble master, the Demon Lord! I thought you were human! I deserve to die a hundred, a thousand times, but please spare me! Or grant me mercy with a swift death! Even if I am obliterated, please do not send me back to the legion commanders…!”

Mephisto’s appearance was that of a Talos ready to faint from fear.

It was a rare sight to see a Talos, a being that always indulged in sin, display such terror.

“Dispel the fog of illusions first. It’s an eyesore.”

– “Y-yes, I will!”

As soon as Aden finished speaking, the purple mist lingering around them dissipated.

Though people were still asleep from the curse’s effects, they would wake up within an hour or two.

Seeing Mephisto’s submissive attitude, Aden’s smile grew wider.

He commanded Mephisto.

“Bow your head to the ground.”