Chapter: 167
Time continues to speed by.
Before you know it, the midterm exams are just around the corner.
Kraush focused on his training while keeping an occasional ear on Felray’s news.
Felray had taken on the noble brats who were bullying Jenikallen, just as Kraush had asked.
His personality couldn’t stand seeing injustice.
So, it wasn’t surprising that his stand against them didn’t raise any eyebrows.
Thanks to that, Felray got himself into quite a ruckus.
Those noble magicians, annoyed by Felray’s meddling, had a bone to pick with him.
But this was Felray we were talking about.
They were no match for him.
Felray wasn’t just some average Joe in the Sky Generation.
Kraush was satisfied that things had resolved themselves without his interference.
However, Jenikallen still seemed to have that grudge hanging over his head.
“I’ve sown the seeds.”
For addressing that issue, all he needed to do was give Felray a little nudge.
“Hey, this time it’s for sure!”
Meanwhile, Bioren’s research on the barrier was progressing steadily.
Each time she came by, the barrier was noticeably improved.
“Not yet.”
Still, it seemed like it would take a bit more time.
So, he sent her off with a frustrated expression.
At night, the research on the Bloodline Theory picked up the pace again.
Thanks to the curse borrowed from Dorma, Kraush was running several experiments on himself.
With Igrit around, he had no worries about the curse’s effects.
If it got dangerous, he could just burn it off.
On top of that, he also tried out the secondary effects of the Instant Enhancement Potion.
The performance had definitely improved compared to before.
A testament to Darling’s skills.
Day after day, he kept squeezing work into his limited sleeping hours.
“Why does your face look like that?!”
Kraush suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a scolding.
The source of the reprimand was none other than Holy Maiden Astrea.
Running into Astrea, who was carrying an impressive amount of food to the dining hall, she immediately screamed.
The reason behind her outburst was simple.
Kraush’s face was so tired it looked like he was at death’s door.
With all the training and errands he was juggling, he naturally didn’t have time to relax, so it was no shocker he looked like that.
Eventually, Kraush was dragged off to the infirmary by Astrea, who wasn’t taking “I’m fine” for an answer.
“Astrea, I’m really okay.”
“You call this okay? Do you realize what your face looks like? You could drop dead and everyone would understand why!”
Astrea was unusually fired up today.
Was it really that serious?
Kraush sneaked a glance at his face in the mirror.
The dark circles under his eyes had practically set up camp down to his chin.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t slept properly lately.
He had been so engrossed in researching the Bloodline Theory that he had been burning the midnight oil every night.
No, it wasn’t just recently.
He hadn’t had a decent break since he’d been forced to black out from exhaustion.
Lately, he just hadn’t fainted, so he hadn’t rested at all, meaning he continuously pushed his limits.
‘Having to faint just to rest? Talk about a messed-up mindset.’
There was no denying it.
“Eat this, and then close your eyes, pronto!”
At that moment, Astrea appeared with water and supplements.
From below, only half of her face was visible as Kraush sat up.
“Can’t you just use your divine power to heal me?”
“Do you think divine power is some kind of magic wand? It can ease physical fatigue, but mental exhaustion? That’s all on you; sleep is the answer.”
Kraush couldn’t argue with her, so he obediently accepted the supplements and water.
As he swallowed them down, he caught a glimpse of Astrea looking at his face.
Worry was clearly etched in her eyes.
“What’s with that face…”
And then it hit him—this gal had a bit of a soft spot for faces, huh?
Maybe that was why she was so fired up?
“Now that you’re done eating, lie down already.”
Astrea snatched the cup from Kraush and pushed him back down.
Then, as he lay quietly on the bed, she sat beside him, placing the cup down.
“Are you just going to sit there and watch?”
“Well, if I leave, you’ll just hop back up the moment I’m gone, right?”
Sharp as ever.
Unable to deny it, Kraush closed his eyes.
In the now quiet infirmary, he could hear Astrea’s light breathing as silence stretched out.
“…Why are you pushing yourself so hard?”
At that moment, he heard Astrea’s voice.
“Just… growing up.”
“Is that a monologue?”
She was speaking aloud enough for him to hear.
Kraush fell silent for a moment.
As Astrea said, he had indeed been leading an excessively demanding schedule.
No, “demanding” was a sizable understatement; he lived a life that could be defined as just that.
He hardly even understood what it meant to rest.
Kraush couldn’t help but think of Arthur.
Arthur was always living on the edge.
Kraush frequently witnessed how his thoughts would short-circuit under pressure.
Unbeknownst to him, he might also be following in Arthur’s footsteps.
Suddenly, warmth spread across his forehead.
There it was—Astrea’s hand.
“Don’t open your eyes. I’m just giving you a little energy boost.”
Though she knew full well that she could do this without physical touch, Kraush didn’t argue.
Her touch was warm, and it really did make him feel more at ease.
“Couldn’t I be someone you lean on?”
More monologue, huh?
“I’m already leaning plenty.”
“You know I’m not talking about divine power, right?”
Astrea lightly tapped Kraush’s forehead with a pout.
Even her gentle gesture conveyed the affection she held.
“You see, I escaped the Holy Kingdom for the first time and got to laugh and study with kids my age.
It’s been quite the refreshing experience, and I realized how it feels to be a bird freed from its cage.”
Astrea’s warm hand cradled Kraush’s forehead again.
“And that’s all thanks to you. What you told me that day brought me here.”
“I didn’t do anything special. It was all you.”
“Nope.”
Astrea stated with conviction.
“It was your doing. The only reason I came to Rahern Academy was to see you again.”
Kraush sensed that her face must be quite flushed, even with his eyes still closed.
Before his regression, Astrea had feelings for Kraush.
For whatever reason, he had sensed that back then.
And current Astrea was no different.
Her heart had inevitably gravitated towards Kraush once more.
Then again, he felt her sentiments more clearly than anyone else’s.
“…So, I wish you would lean on me a bit more.”
Caught off guard by her honest confession, Kraush fell silent.
“If you don’t want to, then just say so.”
And finally, unable to handle her embarrassment, her disappointed tone felt all too familiar.
“I am leaning on you,” he replied.
Kraush had often observed Astrea laughing and having fun with her peers.
That sight meant a lot to Kraush.
It was something he’d never have witnessed if he hadn’t regressed.
He felt the world shifting in numerous directions based on his efforts.
And he hoped that those directions would lead to favorable outcomes for people like Astrea.
He felt indebted to them.
“You have no idea how much more I lean on you than you think.”
Kraush lifted his hand and covered Astrea’s hand that rested on his forehead.
“So don’t worry. It’s not just you, but thanks to everyone, I can keep going.”
This was Kraush’s first honest sentiment.
His fraying mental state was able to endure solely because he had people like Astrea supporting him.
Because of them, Kraush could keep running. Even if he were to disappear from this world, the world would continue to spin.
“…”
Astrea fell silent.
Seeing him in such a hopelessly honest state today tugged at her heart.
And reflecting on his openness made something stir within her.
He had a way of making her feel this way.
Laughing playfully one moment and then showing such a worn-out, sincere smile the next pulled at her heartstrings.
He always put on a tough front without fail, but today’s weary honesty made her heart race.
‘Why do I like him for this?’
Thank goodness he had his eyes closed.
If their gazes had met, she might have bolted from the room.
Her hand, resting on his forehead, felt overly warm.
She worried that the heat might transgress to him, exposing her embarrassing feelings.
‘Astrea, you fool. It’s just because I like his face. Seeing him all weak and vulnerable is… I don’t know, maybe that just feels nice?’
If only that were the case, it wouldn’t feel so bad.
Unfortunately, there was more to it than that.
At first, it was his face she liked, but that importance had started to fade away.
The truth was that Kraush had settled deep within her heart.
It didn’t matter if it was his looks or anything else; as long as it was Kraush, it was good.
She found herself secretly enjoying even the times he acted all mischievous.
How had this affection grown so profound?
No idea.
Deep down, she felt somewhat miffed.
At times like this, she wished he’d say he was hanging on for her sake.
Yet, he stubbornly included others in his thought process.
‘Others are clearly those fiancées of his!’
That precious fiancée of his he doted on so much.
And a few other potential characters also surfaced in her mind.
As those thoughts crossed her mind, a slight irritation bubbled up.
Why did this guy have to draw so many women to him?
He acted so grumpy and mean most of the time.
But it seemed like every time she looked, there were more and more women flocking to him.
‘Guess who else is guilty of this, huh?’
What a hypocritical thought considering she was in the same boat.
Caught up in her own ridiculous feelings, Astrea turned her gaze to Kraush.
She could hear his rhythmic breathing growing deeper, signaling that he had drifted off to sleep.
At this point, she thought she wouldn’t have been able to sleep, even with him right next to her.
Falling asleep this easily sparked a different sort of anger within her.
But knowing he had faith in her was oddly joyous, infuriating her further.
“…I’m a girl too, you know.”
Astrea mumbled to herself as her gaze landed on Kraush’s lips.
His red lips popped out all the more vividly today.
How far had he gone with that fiancée of his?
What if it hadn’t happened yet?
Having reached that point in thought, Astrea hesitated.
She then raised her other hand and lightly tapped her own lips.
Which was a reminder to get a grip.
“You’re the only one who makes the Holy Maiden feel this way.”
Astrea sighed and patted Kraush’s forehead.
She hoped that this man could one day smile brightly without any burdens.
And with that thought, she began her silent prayer to the heavens.
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