### Chapter 352
Elasia Eryuette’s Unsolicited Remarks.
After hearing her words, Orimos felt like he was about to spew blood and shouted.
“El, Elasia, my lady, this person is—”
Kraush raised a hand to stop him.
“Enough with the drama. Let’s just go inside. Why are you making a scene?”
Understanding Kraush’s icy glare, Orimos eventually bowed his head and ushered both of them inside.
The workshop, renowned as the best in the kingdom, was filled with countless alchemical tools.
Seeing this, Elasia gasped in awe.
“So this is the kingdom’s top workshop!”
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity; everything in there was fascinating to her.
Meanwhile, Kraush looked bored.
Well, he would, considering he used to come here every day during his cursed days.
“Where’s Darling?”
Kraush asked Orimos.
“She is waiting inside. Shall we go in?”
“Darling? I really get to meet her in person?”
Elasia reacted eagerly.
Kraush raised an eyebrow, looking at her.
“What’s the big deal about Darling that you’re so thrilled?”
“Are you kidding?! Darling is the one supporting the legendary hero, Kraush! Plus, her potions are revolutionary in a brand-new field!”
Elasia gushed about Darling.
“Ever since the theory merging curses and potions was announced, the alchemy world has been turned upside down. Darling is truly a once-in-a-lifetime genius!”
Kraush realized she was talking about the curse potions they had worked on together. Had she presented their findings while he was away?
Well, the potions must have stabilized enough by now for some to be on the market.
‘They say knowledge only finds its worth when announced,’ he recalled, something Darling often muttered.
“Is that so?”
Kraush responded with indifference.
Seeing his lackluster reaction, Elasia looked a bit sympathetic.
“From your reaction, it seems you haven’t studied much about this. Thanks to her, curses are now getting a whole new value!”
“Apart from that, I probably know curses better than you do.”
At this, Elasia raised her nose defiantly.
“Oh please, I was the first to study curses at the Royal Academy!”
If someone like her was studying it, curses must really be getting a makeover.
But did she realize that her actions were akin to showing off in front of a snail?
“We’re here.”
Orimos, unable to contain his concern for Elasia’s future any longer, stopped in front of the door and spoke.
Looking at Elasia with a hint of pity, he knocked.
“Darling, we have a guest.”
“Yeah, let them in.”
Darling’s voice replied from inside.
Elasia’s face lit up instantly, filled with excitement at the thought of meeting Darling.
Upon hearing the response, Orimos opened the door.
Elasia stepped in first, with Kraush following behind.
As they entered, the smell of various medicines hit Kraush’s nose.
He waved his hand in front of his face, still not used to the scent.
Raising his head, he saw a woman combining some medication.
Golden hair and purple eyes.
It was Darling Danphelion.
As she added the final drop, the potion turned a pink hue, exuding a somehow sweet lipstick-like fragrance.
Kraush chose to leave the details of that potion unasked.
“Darling.”
As Kraush called her name, she turned her head after removing her goggles.
“Hey, my boyfriend.”
Still using that title, huh?
“I’m your ‘boyfriend’?!”
In that moment, it was Elasia who reacted to Darling’s title instead of Kraush.
She looked at him in shock.
“Wait, how did you get in here? You’re Darling’s boyfriend?!”
The misunderstanding dawned on her.
As Kraush stared at Elasia, perplexed, Darling chuckled playfully.
“So who’s this? A new girlfriend?”
“N-No, she’s not my girlfriend!”
Elasia’s face went pale as she shook her head vigorously.
Naturally, this reaction was expected, considering she almost got into a love triangle with Darling.
Kraush sighed in exasperation.
“Cut it out. This chaos is because of the title you keep using.”
“Ugh, it’s just that I’ve gotten so used to it! If you tell me to call you something else, it’ll feel weird!”
Darling said with a wink.
“Should I call you the Dragon King instead?”
“Now, that’d make me angry.”
Kraush furrowed his brows and took off his robe.
His deep blue hair flowed slowly around him.
“Uh, huh?”
As Elasia, who had initially worried about a romantic rivalry, turned to look at Kraush.
“Dragon King?!”
Seeing the color of his hair matched his title, she froze.
She stood there like a statue, unable to process everything that ran through her mind.
“Um, why’s she acting like that?”
Darling asked, and Kraush glanced at Elasia and replied.
“It’d be best to not throw around assumptions about others’ social status and names.”
“Y-Yes, of course!”
Elasia squeaked, startled as she stammered her apology.
“I should go now. I won’t cause any trouble for the Eryuette family.”
“Sorry about that.”
Elasia bowed repeatedly and stepped back out of the workshop.
Having scared her properly, she’d likely be a courteous lady in the future.
[What a nasty fellow.]
She should’ve just learned a lesson from that!
“So, what brings the heartbreaker here?”
Darling greeted Kraush as casually as ever, a nice familiarity between them.
It was likely this very aspect that made things work well between them, despite their tumultuous past.
“I need the appearance-altering potion you made before. I have to transform into a specific person.”
“That’s quite the tricky request.”
But not impossible.
That’s Darling for you.
“What’s the catch?”
Kraush was already anticipating there’d be more conditions on her end.
“It must be undetectable by magic. It has to be top-notch, like you’ve actually become that person!”
“Now that’s a real condition.”
“I can handle the aura part. What I need is the appearance.”
Darling crossed her arms and stroked her chin, deep in thought.
Then she nodded decisively.
“Alright. But, I’ll need at least a week to study the person you want to impersonate. That’s the minimum before I can even start.”
A positive response.
Just as expected, it was Darling.
“To meet him, I’ll need to go to Jeblam. Are you free for that?”
“No issues. The potions I’ve been supplying are already pre-made.”
That’s why the limited editions had been restricted!
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Kraush stood up, and Darling followed suit, showing she was ready to leave.
She quickly grabbed a bag and stuck close to Kraush.
“I’m excited to work with my boyfriend again!”
“That’s just a tachycardia. Go see a doctor.”
“My job is making the medicines they prescribe!”
Kraush chuckled softly.
“Then make a potion to fix this world while you’re at it.”
In response to Kraush’s jest, Darling playfully tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, about that…”
Kraush blinked.
Then he turned to Darling and felt her sincerity.
“How much have I poured into making potions so far?”
This girl…
“Yeah, you might have a point.”
You have to pay for the cost of ingredients!
“Let’s go, to Jeblam.”
To put an end to his dealings with Ixion, Kraush was set to complete his final piece.
*
The city of Cloria was considerably desolate compared to other cities.
There were no lush plants sprouting, and the ground was cracked.
Especially, the sky was perpetually gray, leading the citizens of Cloria to have high depression rates.
Why was a city built in such a bleak place?
The answer was simple.
Cloria was home to a mountain range that provided precious resources along with hot springs.
Thus, Cloria had many miners and inns for hot springs.
The Cloria family was established to protect these workers.
A boy was walking through this dreary Cloria.
Eighteen years old.
He was the direct descendant of the Cloria family and a graduate of Rahern Academy, Zodiac Cloria.
“Zodiac, here’s the new batch of rotten eggs! Have one!”
“Come on, who’d eat those spoiled eggs! Zodiac, wait! How about quality tea leaves instead? You’ve got to try those!”
Zodiac was extremely popular among the city’s residents.
Founded from the Cloria Vigilante Group, the Cloria family had roots among the common people, who adored them.
Especially, Zodiac was highly regarded for his skills and charming looks.
“Sorry, my brother’s calling. Next time!”
Zodiac cheerfully waved and ran off.
Seeing his departing figure, the citizens exchanged glances and then began to huddle together.
“Oh poor Zodiac, why does he have such a wild brother?”
“Tsk tsk, all he does is take up space just for being the firstborn, leaving the talented second son to go ignored.”
“Cloria’s future looks dim.”
As they whispered their pity for Zodiac, they couldn’t help but cluck their tongues.
Indeed, the reputation of the Cloria family’s firstborn, Jorval Cloria, was dreadful.
From beating maids and servants to wrecking shops, his misdeeds were numerous.
Most of these events stemmed from people daring to disregard the firstborn of Cloria.
If it weren’t for the knights around him keeping the raging firstborn in check, there might have been citizens who faced dire consequences from his hands.
“What kind of tyrant is he, being the head of Cloria?”
“They must’ve gone mad. I’d leave Cloria when the current head passes on.”
Just when the citizens were expressing their disgruntlement, Zodiac stepped into the family’s garden.
“Zodiac.”
As he walked, moments later, he heard someone calling his name.
Turning his head, he found a man who resembled him standing there.
The man had black hair, a plainer face, and was quite tall.
The man slowly walked over to Zodiac.
Slap!
He abruptly slapped Zodiac across the face.
“Does the words of the head candidate amuse you? Why did you come so sluggishly?!”
Zodiac remained silent, his head downcast.
The man looked down at him and scoffed before turning away.
It was none other than Jorval Cloria, the firstborn of the Cloria family.
“Being a lowly outsider, you probably have no sense of time. Follow me. Father is calling.”
Zodiac, having been slapped, slowly turned his head.
Yet for some reason, he smiled eerily as if all was perfect.
‘Deceiving even family. Perfect.’
Of course, it was natural.
Zodiac wasn’t Zodiac at all.
He was Kraush Balheim, disguising himself as Zodiac.
Jorval had no clue whom he had just slapped.
Nor did he foresee the misfortune that awaited him.
In that moment, a dark shadow loomed over the Cloria family.
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