Chapter 10: A Grandmaster of Carnal Conquest!
As Faust understood it, a pathway was something like a “class” in a game.
By acting in ways that suited the class and putting the pathway’s ideals into practice, one could gain power and strengthen oneself.
To put it even more simply, it meant gaining experience and leveling up.
The pathway Faust inherited from his foster father was 「Sovereign Monarch」. This was a legacy that only the ruler of a realm could establish, and a pathway that only royalty could tread.
To put it bluntly, even among all 「heroic」 pathways, 「Sovereign Monarch」 counted as one of the very best. It ranked second only to paths such as 「Hero」 or 「Savior」. If the monarch of any kingdom had the chance, this was the pathway he would inevitably choose.
Conquest, rule, and vanquishing—these three together encompassed far too broad a domain.
As long as one was still properly doing the work of a ruler, one could advance step by step with steady certainty.
Whether one was a bloodthirsty war-madman galloping across the battlefield, or a gentle and refined wise king of careful mind, either could continue smoothly along the path of 「Sovereign Monarch」 and grow into a figure of immense power.
Let me say something the owners of all those plain, middling pathways would hate to hear: 「Sovereign Monarch」 truly was kingly beyond compare. It leveled quickly, its growth potential was tremendous, and aside from the high barrier to entering it, it had almost no flaws.
【Mm… Sovereign Monarch, is it? It is indeed an excellent pathway, especially for your ambitions…】
Faust heard Mephistopheles whisper beside his ear. The fae spirit’s evaluation of 「Sovereign Monarch」 was equally favorable.
【Most tyrants throughout history were Sovereign Monarchs. This legacy was prepared for tyrants from the very beginning…】
Faust brightened at once. “Because Sovereign Monarch is so powerful?”
【No. Because no matter how mediocre one’s talent may be, with sufficient resources poured into it, a Sovereign Monarch will inevitably become powerful. Thus it is capable of producing qualified villains in batches…】
“I knew it.”
By now, Faust also understood what Mephistopheles had meant earlier when he said that fate favored tyrants.
My deepest respects to all you great 「Heroes」, 「Sages」, and 「Saviors」!
We tyrants really ought not come charging headfirst at the soles of your shoes.
Beneath the domination of fate’s wheel, even among the roles within a story, there existed distinctions of high and low, noble and base.
And “tyrant” was precisely that sort of silver-tier destiny from which one could neither rise nor fall.
It was certainly far better than being an insignificant extra or nameless side character.
But no matter how strong one became, no matter what achievements or victories one attained…in the end, one was still destined to serve as a stepping stone.
According to Mephistopheles, in all of His memories, the same story repeated itself over and over again: the tyrant being overthrown and cast down. All the bloodshed and strife of mortal history was nothing more than the repeated performance of a single script.
It might be a warrior rising against oppression, or a hero returning in triumph from conquest, or perhaps a wise king who saw through every scheme…
But once the tyrant rose at lightning speed, what awaited him was inevitably a fall just as swift at the hands of such protagonists.
【The only exception thus far has been the Empire. The realm that tyrant established endured for several centuries. Yet this does not mean he overcame the tyrant’s destiny. It is only because he was a Dragonslayer…】
【The merit and glory of slaying a dragon are enough to draw fate’s favor down upon him, sheltering his realm and his descendants for centuries upon centuries…】
As Mephistopheles recounted secrets mortals could never hope to know, Faust’s eyes lit up.
“So the stepping-stone nature of the ‘tyrant’ destiny can be overwritten and offset? Not bad.”
It was true that he wanted to become a tyrant, but if he really had to be trampled beneath someone else’s feet as a stepping stone, then he could not possibly endure it. Since there was already a successful example, this no longer counted as anything particularly difficult.
Yet after another look at his own panel, Faust could not help but sigh in regret.
“What a pity. My progress along my pathway is still far too slow.”
Though the 「Sovereign Monarch」 pathway was broad in scope, he was still dissatisfied with his own rate of progress. The reason was that the three branches of the pathway were not all being fully utilized.
As for the 「Path of Vanquishing」, there was hardly any need to speak of it. Within the borders of the Kingdom of Clear Tide, there were no monsters truly worth vanquishing, and as for a mortal enemy… there was none. This prince had always been on good terms with others.
If one absolutely had to name something, then yes, the Kingdom of Clear Tide did have conflicts with the Empire. But to measure himself against the Empire… was he even worthy?
The 「Path of Rule」 was the smoothest branch by far. At every moment, Faust held himself to the standards of an enlightened monarch, and the results had been stable all along—perhaps a little too stable.
【Whether vanquishing or rule, neither compares to conquest. Conquest alone is the shortcut to becoming a hegemon…】
“The Path of Conquest…”
A troubled look appeared on Faust’s face. Because of the Kingdom of Clear Tide’s weak national strength, any possibility of military action abroad was out of the question. And with neighboring states on every side, even the route of pioneering the frontier had been blocked off.
【Why be so troubled? Your attainments upon the Path of Conquest are not bad at all. You have even condensed a trait.】
“Cough, cough!”
Hearing that, Faust hurriedly coughed twice, then knit his brows in displeasure. “You can see it, can you not? Then why ask something you already know?”
Faust truly had made some achievements upon the Path of Conquest, and had even condensed a mystic trait. It was just that, well… that trait was…
【Innate Trait: Lustful Monarch】
【You have proven yourself the most virile of men, every woman’s man. Your very existence makes them enamored of you. You dominate both their hearts and their bodies. Greedy and insatiable, you know no contentment. Such lustful bearing deserves a blessing.】
【Be blessed, then, with inexhaustible vigor, with a fatal charm toward the opposite sex, and with a desire that shall never cease…】
Good heavens, a true grandmaster in the realm of fleshly conquest!
Yes, Faust spent his days in wild revels with the noble ladies of the royal capital, but that was not merely because His Highness happened to enjoy such things. More importantly, he was farming experience for his own 「Path of Conquest」.
To conquer a realm was conquest. To conquer an individual person was also conquest.
Between the two, there was not even any real distinction of rank.
His Highness the prince had not failed to try winning over his subordinates through force of personality, putting on the sort of performance where ruler and minister understood one another to the depths of their hearts—but the results had been meager.
The definition of “conquest” was simply too strict. Mere loyalty was not enough. It had to be wholehearted attachment and submission, becoming the most faithful of followers.
That was not something one could purchase with high office or rich rewards. It required both kindness and severity, along with layers of control. The efficiency was simply far too low.
In the end, Faust had searched through the entirety of the royal library. Only after consulting Usherwood had he finally learned this sort of “heretical strategy” from his royal elder sister.
There was nothing more to say. If it was for the sake of improving his attainments upon the 「Sovereign Monarch」 pathway, then there was nothing he would not do.
All the more so for something like this, which placed no burden whatsoever upon his conscience.
It was simply a little awkward to regard it as an achievement worthy of commendation. If he had earned this trait as a conqueror who seized cities and lands, unlocking such rewards through defeated enemies, then it would at least have counted as a glorious honor.
And as for the innate trait 「Lustful Monarch」, it was very difficult to judge. Though its side effects were outrageous, to be fair, it really ought to count as a top-tier mystic trait.
If nothing else, that nearly inexhaustible stamina did more than merely allow His Highness the prince to sustain an absurd level of indulgence. It also enabled Faust to remain full of vigor while carrying on continuous, high-intensity work.