Chapter: 124
Crunch, crunch—
After emerging from the ruins, Kraush and Haring were the first to receive medical treatment.
Others had their fair share of injuries too, but the condition of Kraush and Haring was the most critical.
It goes without saying for Kraush.
As for Haring, being next to Kraush, she had full-body burns and was in a complete wreck after taking a hit from Decarabia while using the Baekcheongdan.
Both of them barely managed to keep their sanity and make it outside the ruins—truly a miracle.
So, students from the Double-Fold magical and theological backgrounds, who were waiting outside, treated the two as a priority.
After a haphazard treatment session,
Kraush safely returned to Debram with everyone.
Upon returning, the Double-Fold welcomed all its members with warm hospitality.
It was their way of showing gratitude for dealing with an incredibly annoying task.
However, Kraush outright refused Debram’s goodwill and decided to head back to the academy.
“Alright, I’ll get ready to leave right away,” Aniks said without a word of protest.
Since Kraush wasn’t an official member of the Double-Fold, and the task was done, there was no need to hold him back.
“Oh, but let me ask one thing before I leave.”
Instead, Kraush requested Aniks to send him a famous dessert from Debram to the address of Green Pine Hall.
When Aniks showed confusion, Elfin chimed in.
“Oh, taking care of your fiancée, huh?”
And soon, Aniks gave a soft smile.
“Well, you did cherish your fiancée back then. I’ll send it over.”
Kraush nodded.
“I’ll go with you.”
And following Kraush, Haring decided to return as well.
After all, she had no reason to stick around the Double-Fold, which was centered around Star Ron.
“Then I’ll head back. Let’s discuss the research later.”
“Sure.”
Kraush sent Haring back, who was adamant about escorting him to his room, then returned to his chamber.
His eyelids felt so heavy he could barely keep them open.
As soon as he lay down on the bed, he knocked out, completely asleep.
He had to recover from the toll of using Melhwacira being taken on his body.
While Kraush was in a deep slumber, a few voices brushed past his ears.
“Ah, you’re back, looking like a mess again. It’s fortunate I came to check your condition. This won’t heal naturally, you know? Why are you just sleeping in your dorm instead of getting treated?”
That was likely Astria’s voice.
Though it was a hazy memory, with how light his body felt afterward, it seemed she had indeed stopped by.
However, the sleep fairy had such a strong grip on him that Kraush could barely manage a mumble before falling asleep again.
Time passed, and before long, three days had gone by.
Kraush finally opened his eyes wide.
“……”
He squinted at the dim light, as if he had slept too long.
This was the dorm room.
Despite being a bit foggy due to the aftereffects of using Melhwacira, the instinct to return home remained sharp.
“—–.”
“—That’s right.”
At that moment, he heard voices coming from outside the room.
Feeling a light throb in his head, Kraush got up.
Moving his body lightly, everything seemed to work just fine.
He recognized Astria’s voice during his haze, which meant she must have treated him.
‘Next time I see her, maybe I should express my gratitude or something.’
When Kraush opened the door, he found two people enjoying tea.
One was his maid, Alicia, with her striking brown hair.
And the other was Lirina, Aslan’s personal maid.
“Oh, you’re awake!”
Lirina, looking back at Kraush with a bright smile, greeted him cheerfully.
After staring blankly at her for a moment, Kraush rubbed his eyes.
She had moved to be Kraush’s personal maid after Aslan passed away.
Seeing her first thing after waking up reminded him of old times.
Suddenly nostalgic, his mood became a bit gloomy.
“Did you sleep well, Kraush-nim?”
Meanwhile, Alicia handed him a damp towel respectfully.
Kraush wiped his face with the towel she offered.
The warm towel did a great job of refreshing him.
“Why is Lirina here?”
“Well, everyone is in the middle of classes. The maids have their break time right now.”
Was that so?
Kraush handed the towel back to Alicia.
Now that he had wiped his face, he realized it was time to wash up.
“So I hear you overworked yourself again. Why does it always seem like you’re collapsing, Kraush-nim?”
“It’s unavoidable.”
It wasn’t that he wanted to faint.
Even so, he thought to himself that at least this time he had come back intact.
“Please consider the people around you a bit. Many care about you, including Aslan-sama and, of course, me.”
Although Lirina wasn’t wrong, Kraush nodded in agreement.
Then Lirina rummaged through her belongings and pulled out a letter.
“And while you were sleeping, a letter arrived for you.”
“A letter?”
“Who could it be from? The recipient is written here.”
Seeing her mischievous smile, Kraush took the letter.
And soon, he realized who it was from.
‘Bianca.’
Kraush opened the letter.
Inside, he was met with a page filled with her handwriting.
It was Bianca’s handwriting.
Bianca had a talent for writing very neatly.
Growing up with books in her hands likely contributed to this.
Kraush slowly read through Bianca’s letter.
—
To Kraush Valheim,
Kraush-nim, I received the fig cookies well. They were very sweet and delicious.
It seems spring is gradually coming to an end.
Though it feels like it will be a while before next spring arrives, I wish it would come sooner.
Lately, I’ve been sleeping in your room occasionally.
It still feels comfortable as if your warmth lingers there.
But I prefer being next to you.
My teacher, Zena, has become a bit stricter.
She says I have considerable talent.
That’s why I’m currently learning to avoid surgery.
They say my small hands don’t suit the sword much.
Unlike your big hands, Kraush-nim.
I want to train hard and soon go to Rahelrn Academy with you.
I’m worried that you might be overworking yourself while I haven’t seen you for a while.
During the day, I’m fine, but at night, I think of you when I sleep.
So, at night, I save one fig cookie to eat slowly.
Whenever I eat it, it reminds me of you, which makes me feel good.
Oh, and I recently heard that the maid assigned to me, Eli, is getting married.
Will I be able to marry you one day like her?
Eli looked so beautiful on her wedding day, but I’ll be much prettier by then!
Do you like beautiful women, Kraush-nim?
I really want to see you soon.
From Bianca Hardenharts
—
After finishing the letter, a smile crept onto Kraush’s face before he even realized it.
He was blissfully unaware that he had unconsciously touched his mouth, only to meet Lirina’s gaze.
“Do you find it that enjoyable?”
“……Well, I can’t read a letter with a gloomy expression, can I?”
“Even so, the affection is practically dripping from your face.”
Kraush cleared his throat lightly.
The letter beautifully conveyed Bianca’s feelings, which made him smile without realizing it.
He carefully folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope.
Since she was saving fig cookies to eat, he thought he should send her more gifts.
“Oh, I was curious about that too.”
“Eavesdropping isn’t very polite, you know?”
“Well, that’s true…”
Lirina huffed slightly, glancing at Kraush with renewed interest.
“Kraush-nim, you’re more of a soft-hearted person than I thought. It hasn’t been long since you came to Rahelrn Academy, yet you look so happy over just one letter.”
“Isn’t that normal?”
“No, it’s not. Bianca must be very lucky. I’m so envious!”
Lirina said, rising from her seat.
“Ah, I wonder if I’ll ever meet a good boyfriend. I feel so lonely being alone.”
Kraush watched Lirina walk out, various thoughts flooding his mind, but he quickly pushed them aside.
After all, this was just a sentiment he had for his first love before his return.
“……I’m sure Lirina will find someone good.”
As Kraush made that remark, Lirina glanced back at him.
“There isn’t really a way to meet someone truly good, you know.”
With her cryptic words, Lirina opened the door and left.
Kraush stared at her departing figure, momentarily stroking his neck.
Did you wake up?
At that moment, the voice of the Crimson Garden echoed in his ears.
Hearing that voice snapped him back to reality.
Waking up and the first thing you do is search for a girl? Tsk, tsk.
“Shouldn’t I be looking for you first?”
Idiot, I’m a girl too.
While that was true, Kraush nonetheless sighed.
“Krim, any movement from the Moon Cat?”
Nothing major. The primary riffraff is probably the seed that Moon Bunny tossed in as a test. They wouldn’t have paid too much attention from the start.
That was quite a relief to hear.
If Moon Cat decided to storm in out of anger for its servant’s death, that would be a headache on its own.
As Kraush tidied Bianca’s letter and walked back inside, he neatly stored it in a drawer.
Then he checked the time.
It was almost time for classes to finish.
“Have all the other groups returned from their missions?”
Some have, while others are still on their way back.
“So that means I’ll have classes starting tomorrow.”
When returning from missions, the duration of recovery periods varies by group—from a week to as long as a month.
Since Kraush was still unaffiliated with any group, he would indeed have classes or training until all the others returned.
Once the other groups were back and missions resumed, he would likely head back outside the academy.
Kraush remembered he had things he needed to take care of before the other groups returned.
I should probably find Haring.
There was the research on poison and curses that he and Haring discussed.
He had all sorts of experiments he wanted to try in that realm.
So Kraush decided to shower and head over just in time for the Mugak class to end.
Maybe it was because it was class time, but the path toward Mugak was quite peaceful.
The path was comfortable to walk along, resembling a park, thanks to the new school facilities.
They probably designed it this way for students who had to fight fiercely every day.
As Kraush gazed upwards at the trees scattering their spring petals, he arrived at Mugak.
From the training hall side, he could hear a commotion growing louder.
It seemed the classes were finishing up.
The Mugak classes combined both first- and second-year students.
So it was no surprise that quite a large number of students were milling about.
‘Perfect timing.’
With a puffed-up sense of satisfaction, Kraush leaned against the entrance wall of the Mugak training hall and waited.
One by one, children began to walk out.
Some of them recognized Kraush.
“Hey, it’s Kraush Valheim! I heard you were bedridden. Are you feeling better?!”
“Who are you waiting for?”
“Did you catch what the Double-Fold folks were saying? They said you kicked a 7-star Erosion Being’s butt in one hit!”
“Looks like you’re just as much of a monster as Charlotte.”
A chorus of whispers came from various corners.
Most of them were first-year students who didn’t seem to mind that Kraush could overhear their chatter.
Confident with their own abilities and status, they didn’t seem deterred by the name Valheim any longer.
Kraush knew these guys would likely become the next generation to lead the Celestial Sky.
And among them were those who didn’t extend any goodwill towards him.
“What’s so great about Valheim? Is it likely there’s another Charlotte around?”
“Haha, you’re just being silly.”
Some students even used the name Valheim as a spark for their ego.
‘At least I can figure out which groups haven’t returned yet.’
Kraush glanced around, gauging their numbers and making educated guesses on which groups were absent.
“See! I told you I’m stronger!”
“Shut it! You only got lucky that one time!”
“Even so, if you keep shouting about it, you’ll end up getting smacked around!”
Just then, Kraush spotted the second-year students included among the elite officers.
On one side hung Balak Hogma, one of Star Ron’s three braves.
On the other side stood Glen Diana, cousin of Mary Diana.
‘If they’re here, then…’
Kraush shifted his gaze toward the back.
At that moment, one more figure stepped outside.
It wasn’t just any figure; it was the fake Arthur.
Different yet subtly irritating with his looks.
As he walked out, he locked eyes with Kraush for a moment.
Kraush didn’t flinch or turn away despite their gazes meeting.
To shy away now would only arouse further suspicion.
‘I need to dig deeply into what lies beneath that façade.’
In fact, he was the only one connected to Arthur without any information.
Thinking back to a strategy he had recently come up with to bait him out…
It did require him to have a confrontation with Charlotte, though.
It looked as though Lion’s Legion hadn’t returned from the mission yet.
While he was lost in thought, the fake Arthur appeared uninterested and turned to leave without another word.
“Ah, Kraush!”
Kraush was just about to look away when Balak joyfully waved at him after noticing.
That boy, still short for his age, bounced around on the spot like a child.
“Stop bouncing around like that!”
Glen scolded him from the side, and it seemed that these guys became pretty friendly after going on a mission together.
Balak’s friendliness must have played a significant role in that.
“I heard from Aniks that you overdid it! Guess you’re alright now!”
“Yeah, but where’s Haring? I don’t see her.”
Noticing Haring hadn’t come out yet, Kraush asked, to which Balak pointed inside.
“She’s probably still training. She does that every day.”
So she still wasn’t out yet.
Guess it was time for him to go in.
“Kraush Valheim.”
At that moment, Glen called out to him.
When Kraush glanced at him, Glen dropped his chin and quietly asked.
“Can I ask you just one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
Once Kraush gave his consent, Glen fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“……What do you think of Mary Diana right now?”
In the past, Glen had idolized Mary like she was a goddess.
But now, it seemed he held such disdain towards her because she had pretty much fallen from grace.
‘No, this doesn’t just feel like hatred.’
Kraush, keenly aware of people’s hidden thoughts, sensed that Glen had feelings that weren’t merely negative but also conflicted.
And this wasn’t something he should meddle in at this moment.
“I don’t know. How would I know if I haven’t fought her?”
But thoughts swirled in his mind.
If anyone could truly take Mary down a notch, it would probably be Glen.
“……Is that so.”
After acknowledging Kraush’s response, Glen thanked him and moved on.
He was such a lukewarm fellow.
Kraush bid farewell to Balak as well before stepping into the training hall.
Inside, he found Haring training against an Erosion Being conjured with magic while wielding a dagger.
The instructor responsible for the training was nowhere to be found.
Given that Kraush knew who handled the Mugak classes, he assumed the instructor had already clocked out early.
“Haring.”
Apologies for interrupting her focus, but if this went on any longer, she might be the one to train all day, so Kraush called out.
Upon finally catching sight of him, Haring’s eyes widened in surprise.
Her hair, a mix of black and purple, seemed to sparkle as it caught the light.
“Kraush!”
Much like a cat welcoming back its long-missed owner, Haring rushed to him, only to halt as she noticed her current disheveled state.
Then she suddenly remembered she had been training and anxiously tugged at her sleeves, fidgeting.
She seemed worried about her smell from sweat.
Kraush, watching her with a gentle smile, asked lightly, “Aren’t you hungry?”
Maybe it was time to eat and converse a little.
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