Chapter: 145
On the snowy mountain.
Kraush stared down at the paper, frowning to himself.
Ebelasque Benafotch.
The only necromancer and former leader of the Night Ravens.
His mind was a jumble after reading the letter she sent him.
The mouse that had come to him was frozen in place.
She truly meant for him not to look for her.
Why did she communicate such a message to him?
‘Something must have changed in Ebelasque’s heart.’
What could possibly cause such a sudden shift in her?
“I used to have comrades I traveled with. They’re all gone now, but I wish I could at least laugh with them one more time.”
Kraush remembered the drunken Ebelasque, ranting and raving. Used as a tool by Aria in the Age of the Sky, she always longed for her old friends.
‘Ebelasque’s dream was to bring her old comrades back to life.’
That’s why she turned to necromancy, obsessively researching numerous tomes.
Until she realized it was entirely impossible with just her own strength.
“Damn it! I’m not your dog! I was a person, and I had loved ones too! I’d rather be dead than live in a world without them!”
Kraush vividly recalled her desperate curses.
At that moment, a figure flashed through his mind.
“Crap…”
There was only one person Kraush knew who could make her dream come true.
Crinkling the paper in his hand, he realized.
The reason Ebelasque had cursed so fiercely was that Arthur had killed that person.
A reaper who possessed the power to resurrect the dead.
And one of the starting points of doom that he had to kill—a lunatic.
‘The Black Witch.’
Kraush covered his twisted expression with his hands.
He was certain that she had approached Ebelasque.
‘Well, during my previous life, she did approach Ebelasque once.’
The Black Witch’s motive for getting close to Ebelasque was clear.
The Collective of World Erosion.
‘Ixion’
It was about drawing her in.
*
Ixion.
Their one goal was singular.
To create a god who would recreate the world.
What did they intend to use for this goal?
None other than the power of world erosion.
‘Those lunatics trying to create a god using the powers of world erosion.’
That’s how Kraush saw Ixion.
‘Now it all makes sense.’
Just as that thought hit him, Kraush caught a whiff of something.
‘The one who gravely injured the Poison King is among the people of Ixion.’
The Poison King must have been chasing after Ebelasque upon the Empire’s command.
But he must have encountered someone from Ixion before meeting Ebelasque.
‘Ixion wouldn’t want the Poison King chasing Ebelasque.’
As a result, a clash occurred between the Poison King and one of the Ixion members, and he retreated seriously injured.
‘The Empire must have covered that up.’
The Poison King was a member of the Ten Great Lords in the Empire.
If word got out that he was beaten by a sudden appearance of the world erosion, the Empire would lose face.
Meanwhile, Ebelasque was the notorious leader of the Night Ravens, who even tried to kill a royal princess in the past.
She had enough of a reputation to justify taking independent action and ending up grievously injured.
‘The Empire likely has some awareness of Ixion’s movements.’
After investigating the Ixion matter.
They probably thought they could gather world figures after the fact and wipe them out.
Sigrid was right.
The Empire never aims for just one rabbit; they always go for two.
‘Ebelasque has practically halted her activities. I thought Ixion wouldn’t approach her right now.’
That was a gravely mistaken judgment.
Ixion was the catalyst for the worst to come.
If their numbers grew, it would be catastrophic.
Kraush’s eyes glinted with cold light.
‘Maybe this is my chance.’
He still couldn’t do anything about the Erosion.
But there was his brother, the Sword King, in Hardenhartz.
If all went well, they could corner one of Ixion’s members.
‘If I’m going to use this, I might as well use everything.’
To prevent the destruction of his family, Kraush’s eyes sparkled with determination.
‘If I manage to capture one Ixion member, it will shake their organization.’
Ixion’s existence would be revealed to the world, and the strongest figures would gather to hunt them down.
That alone would inevitably diminish Ixion’s power.
‘If I can’t handle it myself, I can always play another card.’
Even if he couldn’t wipe them out completely, just reducing their numbers would be a tremendous achievement.
Having arrived at that conclusion, Kraush gazed out the window.
The snowy mountains sparkled in the distance.
“Crimson Garden.”
And he knew the closest person who used to belong to Ixion.
Having accepted the deal for her immortality.
The one who rampaged with the power of world erosion.
Crimson Garden August.
She was the very one who used to be part of Ixion.
“It seems Ixion has interfered with Ebelasque.”
[Tsk, that’s exactly what I was thinking.]
It appeared Crimson Garden was on the same page.
Her reaction was less than pleased.
Which made sense.
Once she struck a deal with Kraush, she had no reason to team up with Ixion.
So, she promptly cut ties with them.
That’s why Crimson Garden probably didn’t know about Ixion’s latest activities.
If they tried to spy on them, a war among the World Erosions would already have broken out.
“I need to find Ebelasque immediately.”
Kraush quietly burned the paper he held using Ignis.
It looked like he needed to act on his own.
[Wait. The Ixion guys are dangerous. I did team up with them once, but those are some of the most dangerous individuals among the World Erosions. And they’ll definitely covet you as well.]
He could sense the concern in Crimson Garden’s voice.
After all, Ixion consisted of some seriously dangerous individuals.
“Don’t worry; that’s not a bad direction.”
Upon hearing his response, the brooch shone brightly.
[Just to be sure, you’re not planning to pull another crazy stunt, are you?]
“When have I ever done something like that?”
Cracking a joke, Kraush saw the brooch light up.
[You need to clarify whether Ixion is a stumbling block for you or not.]
Looks like he had spent too much time with this thing.
Kraush rubbed the back of his neck under Crimson Garden’s penetrating gaze.
“Definitely a stumbling block I want to kick all the way to the skies.”
And as he answered, a deep sigh echoed from Crimson Garden.
[If you want to die, just say so. I’ll send you on your way with a single punch.]
“Unfortunately, I don’t plan on dying until I get your immortality.”
[You jerk, not even the courtesy of being quiet?]
She was getting harsher with each passing day.
[…I’ll find out what’s going on on my end. I don’t know what you’re planning, but do keep it under control. You know those Ixion guys are lunatics.]
“Don’t worry. I just want to take a look at Ebelasque’s lair first.”
Before the search operation began, he wanted to grab any clues he could find.
Once the search started, he’d lose the chance to move freely.
‘I must find out who in Ixion is on the move.’
Being too late could mean a disaster.
At that moment, the light from the brooch faded.
She was starting to make her moves as well.
Kraush opened the door and stepped out.
There was someone he absolutely had to see to act independently.
So Kraush made his way down the corridor.
Just then, a figure appeared in front of him.
“Kraush.”
It was none other than Haring.
Perfect timing.
He wanted to get something from Haring.
“Haring, can you lend me an Obelisk?”
Haring’s expression turned shockingly perplexed.
To think that after all that, he’d now ask for an Obelisk seemed absurd.
For a moment, it felt like the crazy idea of making an elixir and then using an Obelisk wasn’t too crazy after all.
“Where do you think you’re going alone?”
Haring caught Kraush’s collar as he noticed his movement.
“I have something that just clicked; I need to check on it. The Obelisk is just a precaution.”
You needed to be prepared for anything.
Haring stared at Kraush thoughtfully.
She understood that he wasn’t the type to shy away from danger.
So she hesitated about giving him the Obelisk.
He’d likely use it regardless of how dangerous the situation might be.
“…Kraush, this mission has something else, doesn’t it?”
At the same time, Haring felt doubt from Kraush’s actions.
Initially, she thought he was acting to prevent a dispute between the Empire and Starlon.
But often seeing him talking with the fourth princess, Sigrid, confirmed something else was cooking.
“Is this related to the World Erosion that injured your father?”
And Haring asked with a tremor in her voice.
Her father, the Poison King, had been gravely injured by the World Erosion.
And her brother had been killed by the World Erosion’s attack.
Haring unconsciously saw Kraush’s reflection in her brother.
That’s probably why, as he approached matters related to the World Erosion, her sense of caution kicked in.
“…”
Kraush fell silent for a moment.
He hesitated about how much he should reveal to Haring.
So, feeling uncertain, he opened and shut his lips repeatedly, only to make eye contact with her.
Haring had been pulled into this situation by him while trying to lie low in her family.
If he didn’t communicate what was happening to her…
He’d be no different than the Lagrain family.
It was maddening, and the image of Arthur popped into his mind.
The guy who never told anyone anything and always tried to solve problems by himself.
Because of his actions, Arthur, despite being at the forefront, never built deep trust with anyone else.
Kraush also didn’t have deep trust in Arthur, suggesting the cycle continued.
Kraush didn’t want to walk the same path as Arthur.
He wanted the Age of the Sky to soar as it ought to.
He was determined to drag everyone along.
So trust meant everything to Kraush.
Haring was one of the best fits among the members of that Age of the Sky.
To earn her trust, he needed to show his own.
“Yeah, but it’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I return.”
The situation was too urgent to lay everything out right then.
He needed to act fast if he wanted to get even a hint of Ebelasque’s information.
So when Kraush said that, Haring, who had been silent, finally spoke up.
“Then I have a condition. Take me along when you go to investigate.”
“That’s…”
“If you’re heading to a dangerous place, I’ll be more useful than an Obelisk.”
Kraush recalled Haring’s skills.
Haring’s skill Invisible.
It hid both her presence and appearance.
He knew just how effective that skill was after using it against Decarabia.
‘For sure.’
When it comes to moving stealthily, Haring’s skill was invaluable.
More than anything, it was perfect for making a quiet getaway.
“Alright, let’s talk on the way.”
Kraush decided to take Haring along.
This girl would certainly want to know the truth behind the incident.
More than anything, she was someone he’d already synced with once before.
Whatever happened, she’d manage just fine.
Kraush led Haring down the corridor.
They stopped in front of a particular room.
As they approached the door, nervousness crept in.
Kraush couldn’t help but feel intimidated in front of her.
He raised his hand and knocked.
Then, a soft sound came from within, and the door swung open.
“Hello, my little brother.”
Wait a sec, looks like she was just waking up.
Kraush saw Charlotte, her dark blue hair falling apart, her fingers tangled in it.
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