Chapter 7
_Sanctuary of Stars._
Kraush couldn’t help but let out a hollow chuckle at the grand name once more.
It felt like it had the high pride characteristic of noble offspring.
Well, they thought of themselves as the future leaders of the Starlon Kingdom.
Of course, that was only natural.
‘Reality, however, is destruction.’
Did these kids even realize the responsibilities that came with being nobles?
The reason nobles were respected in this world was that they stood against the erosion of the world on behalf of others.
Some must feel that duty and train daily.
While others, apparently, just enjoyed parties.
Kraush pondered how many truly competent individuals would be present at the gathering called the Sanctuary of Stars.
Inside a rattling carriage, he headed toward the Sanctuary located a bit far from Balheim with Bianca.
Thanks to this, Kraush was living the carriage life for about a day.
During this time, he glanced over at Bianca, who was bobbing her head drowsily in front of him.
Bianca loved reading, but maybe it was tough to concentrate on a book while riding in a carriage.
She had been staring blankly for so long that sleep finally began to creep in.
_‘It was quiet the whole time, and now look at her.’_
Kraush’s plan was to train his Aura during the carriage ride.
But with nothing to occupy her, it was no surprise Bianca felt drowsy.
The problem was the nature of the carriage.
_Clang!_
It could rattle at any moment due to the uneven road.
At that moment, Bianca, who had been bowing her head, leaned forward with the lurching carriage.
Being young and small, her weight was light.
Thus, she floated with the jolt of the carriage.
Kraush quickly extended his hand to catch her, letting out a sigh of relief.
He then looked down to see Bianca staring at him with round eyes.
“Kraush-nim?”
Kraush stable her and then stood up.
He plopped down next to her, wrapping her head in his lap.
“Sleep.”
Finding herself suddenly using his lap as a pillow, Bianca glanced up at Kraush.
He was gruff but had a sense of tenderness.
Bianca soon closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
While Bianca quickly fell back asleep, using her soft snores as background music,
Kraush gazed out the carriage window at the scenery.
Perhaps it was the first time seeing the outside at this point.
The street scenery felt unfamiliar and not so well remembered.
As he thought about how there were places like this, it happened that the carriage journey was almost over.
Kraush arrived at a luxurious building on an island in a lake.
The building was accessible via a bridge and was originally the most famous tourist spot in the area, the Arayong Inn.
However, today, that inn had been entirely rented out for the gathering of young nobles from Starlon, the Sanctuary of Stars.
They were particularly extravagant, rotating locations for the Sanctuary meetings.
Kraush disembarked from the carriage and stared at the Arayong Inn.
“Such a waste of money. What a waste of money.”
Ever since he was sent off to Lahern Academy, feeling as though he was thrown out from Balheim,
Kraush had received very little support beyond basic necessities.
Consequently, with his sense of financial responsibility, this extravagance didn’t sit well with him.
“Kraush-nim.”
In the meantime, Bianca had opened the carriage door and stepped out.
She rubbed her eyes, still half-asleep, searching for Kraush.
Recently, whenever she woke up, she always looked for Kraush first.
“Did you wake up? You were snoring like a bear.”
“I didn’t snore!”
She replied earnestly, glaring back.
“No, you definitely did.”
“Did not!”
Seeing her stubbornness in such trivial matters, Kraush shrugged and turned to Aliod.
Aliod then brought a cloak he had prepared and draped it over Bianca’s shoulders.
“Dress warmly. It’s chilly.”
After hearing Kraush’s words, Bianca tightened her cloak around her.
“Oh, I guess coming from the North, this weather isn’t too bad.”
Kraush wondered if he was meddling too much, but Bianca shook her head.
“It’s warm.”
The soft warmth of the clothing quickly helped her forget the winter’s chill.
“Let’s go inside.”
“Yes.”
“Both of you, please be careful.”
As Kraush began to walk, Bianca followed him like a chick again.
Inside the Arayong Inn, the opulent lobby looked just as extravagant as the outside.
“Welcome! This is Arayong Inn.”
A servant approached, greeting Kraush and Bianca.
Kraush pulled out a letter from his pocket.
“Confirmed. The party is on the 8th floor; I will guide you there.”
The 8th floor was the highest and the most expensive floor in the Arayong Inn.
Upon hearing that the party was being held up there, Kraush clicked his tongue and followed the servant.
Soon after, they rode up to the 8th floor with a magic lift.
There, the attendants dressed in exquisite attire lined up, and as Kraush and Bianca passed, they greeted them in unison.
“Entering, Kraush Balheim-nim, Bianca Hadenhartz-nim!”
As one servant called out loudly, the door to the party opened.
With that, the gazes of those inside immediately turned toward them.
“Balheim?”
“Is that the youngest one?”
“The fool from Balheim.”
As soon as Kraush entered, a murmur broke out among the crowd.
Kraush was already used to this level of chatter.
After all, he had endured even worse at Lahern Academy.
However, among these whispers, some were particularly noteworthy.
“Balheim? An interesting friend has arrived!”
“Valak, behave!”
Kraush spotted a distant group.
One of them had stripes on his arms resembling a tiger, while another, now around 14, was tall and oddly reminiscent of a magpie.
And among them was the most bothersome figure, a man seated in the center.
He had brown hair and slightly droopy eyes, boasting a quite handsome face.
He was also one of the Generations of the Sky, known as the Wood Archer — Aniks Gliza.
They were indeed the true strong fighters at this party.
These were individuals who had already awakened their talents unlike anyone else.
Later on, they would be known as the three heroes representing Starlon.
All of them were casting interesting glances toward Kraush.
Their interest was far from friendly.
‘Most certainly.’
It was likely due to an incident that had occurred at the Sanctuary of Stars.
Because of that event, they felt an overwhelming gap between Balheim and the ordinary non-nobles.
‘Charlotte smashed down twenty nobles from the Sanctuary of Stars all by herself.’,
She did so without even a hint of injury.
Since that incident, Charlotte had not shown her face at the Sanctuary of Stars.
Kraush was reminded of that event when Aliod had mentioned the Sanctuary.
And the route by which he learned of that incident was quite strange as well.
Because Charlotte had personally come to tell Kraush about it.
‘She wore a dress that clung to her body and accentuated her chest to deliberately get my attention.’
The image of her laughing in front of him in that revealing outfit was nothing short of terrifying.
Charlotte was, after all, the most malicious person Kraush knew.
‘Not the best memory to bring up.’
As he was reflecting on the uncomfortable feeling, he sensed eyes shifting toward Bianca.
“Hadenhartz, the northern conqueror?”
“Oh, that’s Bianca, the girl they called the Ice Maiden. There were rumors about her engagement with Balheim.”
“One’s a cursed child, and the other’s a fool. Quite the pair, really.”
“Don’t look at them. You might catch the curse.”
Since she was walking alongside him, Bianca received significant disapproving looks as well.
While Kraush wasn’t too bothered by their ridicule, he felt a rise in his temper when they dragged Bianca into it.
Glancing at those mulling over the insults, Kraush shot them a fierce glare.
His fierce expression made those who had previously feared the name Balheim instinctively avert their gazes.
After all, those who lived on power found even greater power intimidating.
“Kraush-nim.”
At that moment, Bianca called out to him.
Worried that she might be uncomfortable, he turned around, only to find her gently grasping his sleeve.
“Don’t mind what others say.”
Kraush looked at her for a moment, dumbfounded.
Did she not hear them slandering him?
Glancing back at Bianca, he couldn’t help but let out a snort.
“Not a damn bit.”
He certainly didn’t care about people like them, especially after having faced far worse at Balheim.
“What’s a ‘damn’?”
At that moment, Bianca questioned him, making Kraush clasp his mouth shut and turn away.
He decided it was best to refrain from using foul language in front of Bianca.
＊ ＊ ＊
Even after the two arrived, more people kept coming in, and the party continued.
As a result, the nobles had lost track of Kraush and Bianca in their discussions.
‘Is he not coming?’
It was the Sanctuary of Stars where the young nobles of Starlon gathered, and he had expected that guy wouldn’t miss it.
Kraush felt a sense of dread.
Just then,
“Lady Danfelyon is entering!”
With the servant’s loud announcement, someone walked in.
First, her dark golden hair, tied up in braids, caught attention.
A charming nose and a radiant smile that filled her face like the sun.
She had a moderate height and a slender build, and unlike other women in dresses, she wore a combination of a skirt and pants.
On top of that, her attire was unique, with simple yet frilled designs that instantly captivated the crowd.
“You always show up at such a late hour. You must love stealing the limelight.”
“Cough, you weirdo.”
“Oh, darling, you look fabulous today as well.”
Remarkably, her reviews were widely varied.
And to Kraush, she was indeed a true oddball.
And she was precisely the reason Kraush had come to the Sanctuary of Stars.
‘There’s no way that attention-seeking girl wouldn’t show up where her peers gather.’
His prediction was spot on.
“Hello, everyone, hello!”
As soon as she arrived, she enthusiastically greeted everyone with excitement, making Kraush immediately stride forward.
“Bianca, wait here.”
“Um, okay.”
While Bianca chewed on a piece of meat that Kraush had given her, she nodded with her mouth covered.
She was already good at waiting by herself.
With that in mind, Kraush boldly made his way toward Darling, who was now surrounded by people.
As soon as they noticed Kraush, those gathered around Darling began to subtly back off.
They didn’t want to get caught up with him and face the consequences.
Thanks to that, Kraush could easily position himself right in front of Darling.
Seeing this, Darling tilted her head in curiosity.
“Hmm? I don’t recognize this kid.”
Darling was three years older than him.
So, being treated like a kid by her was amusing.
She gazed at Kraush, keenly observing his face amid the reactions of those around her.
“Hmm, that face… Where have I seen it before?”
“Kraush Balheim.”
As soon as he introduced himself, Darling’s eyes sparkled momentarily.
Simultaneously, her gaze filled with intrigue.
And why wouldn’t it?
After all, she was a fervent admirer of Charlotte.
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