Chapter: 165
[ Is he just getting better at conning people? ]
“Chirp, chirp.”
Kraush held his smile as he listened to the noisy chatter of the bystanders.
Bioren was naturally a suspicious person. Trying to be nice only made her retreat even further out of suspicion.
Well, that was expected.
She had lived her life always on guard since half her blood was that of a Devourer of Worlds.
Even though she was the child of a Dark Mage, her mother didn’t actively watch over her.
“Bioren was just a curiosity to her mother.”
What would happen when a Devourer of Worlds and a human had a child?
To satisfy that curiosity, her mother willingly brought in a barrier magician who was a Devourer, only to bear a child.
And that child turned out to be Bioren.
Once Bioren met the criteria of curiosity, she had zero value left to her mother. But that didn’t mean she was neglected out of necessity—she was still kept alive.
So Bioren had to grow up alone.
“Seriously, those magicians.”
They are beings that push their curiosity and research to extremes. They often trample on the dignity of life and cross lines they shouldn’t for the sake of their inquisitiveness.
That’s why if you asked about the craziest bunch in the world, nearly all fingers pointed to magicians.
This is why Kraush held a grudge against the field of magic.
Even the peak of magic, the Dark Mage, was a nutcase. He couldn’t help but wonder how different others could be.
That’s why he was constantly wary of Abella, the red witch who had also regressed alongside him.
For Kraush, she was a ticking time bomb.
Kraush decided to stop that line of thought here. There were far too many things demanding his attention to be lost in thoughts he couldn’t solve right now.
Right now, he had Bioren in front of him.
“It’s simple. You need to create a barrier that other Devourers can’t perceive.”
“…What?”
Bioren wore a dazed expression. Anyone could see she had no idea what he was talking about.
But Kraush continued without caring for her confusion.
“Since I’ve become a target for the Devourers, I need to stop that.”
The Black Witch, who had been watching the situation through the Glimmer, looked closely at Kraush.
She surely wasn’t unaware that he was the youngest son of the Holy Royal Family.
However, there was no way she could approach carelessly.
A series of odd happenings centered around Kraush made her suspicious.
While fighting against the Devourers, Kraush handled the powers of World Erosion freely.
That was not the only oddity she had discovered. The more she investigated, the more suspicious aspects emerged.
‘By now, she should have noticed that Ebelasque and Crimson Garden have been hanging around me too.’
The Black Witch had the grand ambition of creating a God of World Erosion.
If she made a single blunder, everything could go awry.
Naturally, caution was of utmost importance.
‘The circumstances are very different now than when I could kidnap my brother’s son with ease.’
Thus, the Black Witch was likely observing Kraush’s actions so far without getting too close.
‘But it won’t be for long.’
The Black Witch would soon piece things together and make a move.
‘Whether it takes the form of a trade or a kidnapping is up to how Kraush reacts.’
Kraush needed Bioren’s barrier techniques for that.
If he couldn’t observe the people he approached directly for information, they would naturally seem all the more significant.
‘I need to become a variable that the Ixion fellows cannot overlook.’
Kraush gazed at Bioren. Her face was a complicated mess of emotions for many reasons.
I mean, the youngest of the Holy Royal Family just flashed the powers of World Erosion and now claimed he needed to escape the Devourer’s eye. It didn’t make any sense.
“…You’re saying.”
Bioren finally stammered as she fidgeted her lips, “Is your mother a Devourer of Worlds?”
Her eyes seemed to tremble violently.
It was a valid question, given Bioren’s circumstances.
Just like her, Kraush also had the blood of a Devourer running through him.
Wasn’t it possible that was why he was involved with the Devourers?
Maybe that’s why—unknowingly—she hoped she had encountered someone like herself.
It’s like a lonely island in the vast ocean would welcome meeting another island.
Kraush took a moment to contemplate.
He could easily tell a white lie if he wanted.
But he decided against it. He knew the betrayal she’d feel when the truth came out would be far greater.
“No, neither of us has any connection to the Devourers.”
“Oh… really…”
As she heard his words, a fleeting look of disappointment passed over Bioren’s eyes.
She had been clinging to the idea of being related to someone else like her, for she believed there wasn’t a single soul in this world who understood her situation.
Thus, it wasn’t surprising that she struggled to hide her disappointment.
“But…”
Kraush, with black flames flickering in his palm, slowly rolled the fire around.
“I understand what it’s like to be gnawed away by World Erosion.”
Kraush had used his eye puppets and various devices to suppress the madness of World Erosion.
World Erosion was extremely toxic for humans.
He too knew very well how vicious the poison of World Erosion was.
“And I will help you so you won’t have to face World Erosion anymore.”
“…”
Sympathy was something Bioren lacked.
Having lived in isolation like a lonely island, she had been unable to accept any help from anyone.
The notion that someone could help her, that someone else had endured hardships like her—just that alone surprisingly fortified her spirit.
Kraush knew that better than anyone.
That was precisely why he deliberately approached Bioren.
“Both being unrelated to the Devourers and humans, I’ve got nothing to lose. It’s pointless for me.”
Bioren’s gaze fell to the ground as she remained silent, looking at Kraush with conflicted thoughts.
She had met someone who understood her struggle for the first time.
“Are you saying you proposed a deal because you thought I wouldn’t accept help easily because of my rotten personality?”
And her next words, once again, reflected her true self.
“Think whatever you want.”
Bioren clenched her fists tightly.
After several moments of silence, she released the long hair that she had tied up with a feather.
Her silver locks cascaded down as they were set free.
She had tied her hair up on purpose to avoid reminding herself that she was the child of a barrier magician.
But for some reason, she didn’t seem to care any longer.
Lifting her chin with an air of confidence, she huffed out a snort.
Though her expression was intimidating, she looked markedly more at ease.
For her, the thought of no longer being a solitary island in the vast ocean had deeply touched her heart.
“…How am I supposed to create that? I can’t even manage my own World Erosion.”
“Haha.”
Kraush chuckled as he heard her response. When Bioren shot him a glance with narrow eyes, he grinned mischievously.
“Then regrettably, you’ll have to don your shell again next month.”
In other words, he was telling her to figure something out if she wanted to live like a human.
Bioren’s face dawned with disbelief.
Just a moment ago, he claimed he would help her, then utterly shifted his attitude.
It left her completely flabbergasted.
But the rebellious nature of her personality made those words spark her fiery determination.
“Fine! Yeah, I’ll make it! I’ll whip up something that’s worth your time! If I’ve already bitten into a poisoned apple, what’s stopping me from doing anything else?”
With a shout, Bioren spun around and stomped away.
Of course, her short legs made her trip nearly fall at one point, but she pressed on resolutely.
Instead, her face lit up with pure determination.
On what seemed like a never-ending path, a milestone finally appeared before her.
As Kraush watched her retreating figure, he rubbed his face.
He had a meaningful expression on, making it look like he was struggling against gravity.
[ Why act like it’s difficult? You wear that expression all the time. ]
He decided to ignore the matter of Crimson Garden for now.
[ So what exactly did you mix into that reagent? ]
The part where Bioren’s World Erosion was stabilized didn’t sit well even with Crimson Garden.
Kraush’s explanation might sound plausible, but he had only dealt with World Erosion because of his eye puppets and the super poison at play.
There was no way he could inject an eye puppet into Bioren.
Kraush casually explained the solution to Crimson Garden’s question.
After all, it wasn’t anything special.
“Bioren was already nearly at mastery in her barrier techniques from the beginning.”
Bioren had been desperately studying barrier magic to survive.
Her fusion of barrier techniques with magic had brought her closer to completion, as Kraush said.
However, even Bioren had her shortcomings.
Although she had reached new barrier techniques combining magic and barriers, her knowledge about reagents was severely lacking.
“That’s why just changing the ingredients of the reagent could yield completely different results.”
That was why he had asked Darling to make the potion.
By sheer coincidence, Bioren had used the interrogation potion Darling made, mistaking it for a reagent, and this was the outcome.
In short, by conventional standards, Bioren wasn’t a suitable candidate for a trade at all.
What solved this issue was purely thanks to Darling.
[ You really are a natural-born con artist. ]
“I’m just making full use of what’s available to me.”
Well, it’s not a bad deal if it works out for both of them, right?
—
Since engaging in business with Bioren, she started visiting Kraush every day.
“Hey, damn it, I actually succeeded this time!”
As Kraush stepped out after finishing a training session at the Unnamed Academy, he was greeted by Bioren, who held a necklace in her hand.
After Kraush smashed Arthur Gramalte and members of the Empire faction, no one dared to touch him anymore.
Everyone knew that messing with him could only spell disaster.
So when Bioren, who boldly tossed harsh words at him, first appeared, the other students were initially taken aback.
However, since Kraush didn’t mind and treated her familiarly, the other kids gradually became accustomed to Bioren.
Furthermore, the revelation that she was indeed Bioren Sedny did a great deal.
Even though she tried to keep it hidden, her name was called out every time attendance was taken by the professors.
There was no way her identity could remain concealed at the academy.
“They found such a cutesy little one inside that massive Bioren?”
For a while, the kids couldn’t stop talking about her.
But time passed, and things eventually quieted down.
“Aw, cute! Bioren, do you want to eat this?”
“I brought cookies with me!”
Due to her natural appearance, it was inevitable that she garnered the affection of the girls.
Especially among the female students at the Unnamed Academy, who found Bioren particularly adorable compared to many muscular guys.
“Damn, what the hell is going on here!”
Of course, Bioren herself screamed in shock.
Kraush, meanwhile, navigated through the horde of girls for Bioren.
Fortunately, the girls quickly stepped aside upon seeing Kraush approach.
They understood that they had nothing to gain by getting involved with him.
“Hand it over.”
Kraush took the necklace from Bioren.
Then he clasped it around his neck and examined the brooch.
[ I can see it. ]
If he could evade the eyes of the Devourers, he should be able to escape the gaze of Crimson Garden as well.
Yet, the latter proved unsuccessful.
“Not good.”
In simpler terms, it meant it was a failure.
Kraush took the necklace off and handed it back to Bioren.
“Damn,” she muttered through gritted teeth.
She seemed to have an inkling it would turn out like this because she immediately turned around and dashed off.
That’s the competitive nature she had.
Until her item was finished, she would keep bringing such experiments to him.
An admirable attitude.
‘Her expression is getting brighter day by day.’
At first, Bioren seemed incredibly shy about her true form, stumbling through interactions.
It’s no wonder she was worried about revealing that she was Bioren.
But as she became accustomed to her actual appearance and the judgments of others became less daunting, Bioren gradually started adapting to her current life.
And the transformation was remarkable.
For someone who had always lived in a facade, she had no idea how to approach others sincerely.
Especially since World Erosion had been gnawing at her, she had been battling a daily survival fight and focused just on mastering her barrier magic.
Of course, she hadn’t developed any meaningful relationships, nor was there even a moment to build them.
However, with the stabilization of World Erosion and the chances to maintain her true form, everything changed.
First of all, she could finally hear the evaluations from those around her more genuinely.
Having worn a shell, she previously reacted negatively to others’ judgments, but now she was finally able to show honest reactions.
That helped her reclaim all those feelings that had once been shattered deep inside her heart.
Moreover, resolving the issue of being completely consumed by barrier studies allowed her to explore other things.
That made room for a transformer that had brought her changes beyond her imagination.
So much so that while crafting the barrier to avoid the Devourers’ eyes for Kraush, she often found herself with too much spare time.
Only then did she realize one key fact.
The task Kraush asked of her was providing her with something that could fill her void of purpose now that she had lost her goals.
That realization unconsciously helped propel her forward.
“Kraush!”
That’s why this time of day felt pretty fulfilling for her.
“Again.”
Though she did grit her teeth when Kraush called for another one, her anticipation about how it would turn out grew.
And the thought of being able to poke fun at him soon filled her with excitement.
For some reason, the world began to seem much broader to her.
She never imagined she would experience such a substantial life.
“Again.”
Today, as Kraush called for another one, she grabbed back the pendant and spun around, only to come to an abrupt halt.
When she turned her head, she noticed many students had gathered around Kraush.
He had a knack for attracting people.
Though he had his rough edges, everyone around him knew that deep down, he wasn’t like that.
Kraush shared a lot of similarities with her.
Maybe that’s why, in her heart, the thought surfaced.
Perhaps she could live like that too.
“…Haha.”
An uncontrollable laugh slipped out.
It was funny to think for even a moment in such a way.
Yet, it also meant she was beginning to stabilize her own self.
On the other hand, she felt a touch of regret.
Eventually, the day would come when she completed the barrier Kraush had requested.
At that time, perhaps she wouldn’t be able to avoid falling into an insatiable void.
Her only goal in life was to survive.
With her mother having left and being abandoned by her father, what was she supposed to consider a purpose?
“Bioren.”
During one of those days when such thoughts crossed her mind, Kraush called out to Bioren just as she was about to leave.
“If you want to find your mother…”
Bioren’s eyes widened slowly.
“Come look for me again after you finish the barrier. I’ll give you a clue.”
Finding her mother.
That was something she had never thought of until now.
Her lips quivered, as if asking how he knew about that.
But Kraush, without saying anything further, turned around.
Bioren, staring blankly at his retreating figure, clenched the experimental pendant tightly.
“Is he practicing mind reading or what…”
But somehow, she felt as if something was being filled within her.
Whether it was intentional on his part or simply meant to spur her on to finish the barrier, she couldn’t tell.
But at least it was certainly helping to alleviate the emptiness deep inside her heart.
“Damn it.”
With a heavy sigh, Bioren turned and dashed away.
The fading spark in her eyes reignited with determination.
One day, she would find her place in the Sky Generation with barrier techniques way stronger than those of the Devourers.
Bioren Jevlam.
It was a moment when she felt the growth from within her.
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