Chapter 51
The Red Mage Tower.
It is one of the only three mage towers in the world and the headquarters of the Fearsome Ten, the Flame King.
There is one notable characteristic of this Red Mage Tower.
It embodies an extreme belief in the omnipotence of magic.
They firmly believe that magic can resolve anything.
Thus, they look down on non-mages, especially regarding skills and curses, which they deem the lowest form of power.
They think that human-made magic occupies a higher realm than the blessings and curses of gods.
Ironically, this very belief has placed the Red Mage Tower at the pinnacle, among the towers.
To solve everything through magic, they maintain the most open mindset regarding magic.
Every day, they strive to break new ground in magic, constantly developing and growing, reaching the top tier among the mage towers.
Consequently, every kingdom supports the Red Mage Tower.
Never mind their ideologies; their magical prowess is second to none, making collaboration with them extremely beneficial.
Kraush found himself in the region where this Red Mage Tower stands, in the magical city of Halgrem.
‘Looks the same as ever.’
True to its name as a magical city, Halgrem was overflowing with all sorts of magical items.
Just a quick glance around revealed a man using a magical tool to effortlessly light a cigarette.
Magical tools had become part of daily life here.
For Kraush, however, this place was rather unwelcome.
‘Abella.’
One of Arthur’s three women, the one who used to reside here.
He couldn’t shake off the vivid memory of how he had failed to obtain a magical analgesic here last time.
Abella had made sure that Kraush could never set foot in the Red Mage Tower.
To be precise, she had frightened him away from even stepping into Halgrem.
She always reacted strongly whenever Kraush treated her with common indifference, especially in the Red Mage Tower.
“Tsk.”
It seemed he should find out what that girl was up to these days.
In the study of magic, innate magical power is indeed essential, but ultimately, the most important thing is the knowledge contained within one’s mind.
Kraush considered Abella to be the most dangerous among the three who inherited memories.
Since if she had sufficient magical power, she could swiftly reach the pinnacle of her abilities as the Grand Magician, famously known as the Red Witch.
‘The fact that I’ve returned to the past should never reach her ears, no matter what.’
Kraush was absolutely convinced of that necessity.
‘Well, knowing her…’
He felt she might just ignore it like always, anyway.
“Master Kraush.”
In that moment, Kraush heard Bianca’s voice as she got off the carriage behind him.
She looked around with an expression of wonder.
“Is this Halgrem?”
“Yeah, it’s where the Red Mage Tower is located.”
“Thanks to you, Master Kraush, we’ve been to so many places.”
Halgrem is a free city, quite far from Starlen.
After almost three weeks of travel, Bianca had undoubtedly had quite an adventure in the carriage.
Though she had spent most of it asleep, of course.
“Next time, stay at Green Pine Hall. Don’t bother following me and suffer.”
Kraush needed to focus on getting stronger over the next year.
So, it was likely that there would be plenty of traveling ahead.
After all, this meant there would be many more carriage rides in the future.
On hearing this, Bianca slightly pouted her eyebrows.
“I don’t want to.”
Her expression of emotion had certainly improved a lot.
Just recently, she had been quietly beaming while eating the Imperial Chocolate.
“I like being with you, Master Kraush.”
She said this while swaying her white hair, stepping closer to Kraush.
Seeing this, Kraush scratched the back of his neck and averted his gaze.
“Do as you wish.”
“I will!”
Recently, he felt like Bianca was getting more of a verbal upper hand on him.
Being just 13 years old and getting bested in a verbal duel by a kid was a thought that briefly consumed Kraush’s mind.
“Master Kraush Valheim.”
At that moment, Kraush heard a unison voice and looked up.
There stood a man in a blue uniform.
The man had a matching cap and on his chest was emblazoned the Valheim crest with five swords crossing.
The fifth sword of Valheim.
It was the emblem of the Blue Sea Knight Order.
“Nice to meet you. I am Revliang Fenox, the vice-captain of the Blue Sea Knights.”
Fenox belonged to one of the noble knight families subordinate to Valheim.
He was quite an elite and was ranked fifth within the knight order of the Blue Sea Knights.
‘Looks like he got pushed out in the power struggle.’
Having pieced together his situation, Kraush nodded.
“I suppose you’ve heard from the Captain of the Blue Sea Knights.”
“Yes, I’ve been informed that you wish to join the Blue Sea Knights. I’m here to guide you, but may I ask you a question first?”
He asked very politely.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of starting from scratch in the Blue Sea Knights. I just want to join to make sure the news of the Valheim direct descendant’s presence in the Red Mage Tower doesn’t circulate too openly.”
Kraush sensed what his question was and preemptively informed him.
Kraush’s desire to join the Blue Sea Knights was purely to serve as an alibi for something else.
Upon hearing this, Fenox placed his hand on his chest and lowered his head.
“I see. My apologies. Then I shall assist you until you achieve your goal.”
In Valheim, one could only be labeled the “fifth sword”; outside, the Blue Sea Knights were on par with a noble family’s representative knight order.
What a sight to have the vice-captain of the Blue Sea Knights be this respectful to a mere 14-year-old boy.
Kraush felt once again the weight of strength that the direct descendants of Valheim wielded.
At the same time, he also remembered how pathetic his own influence had been in the past.
‘Seems like the Grand butler praised me quite a bit for passing the test.’
In the past, Kraush would not have even received proper treatment from the eighth sword, let alone the Blue Sea Knights.
But now, it was different.
Valheim no longer viewed Kraush as just some brat.
‘Still, I have a long way to go.’
If it had been Charlotte, the captain of the Blue Sea Knights would have personally come to welcome her.
“You should discuss with my personal butler, Aliod.”
“Yes, understood.”
After giving Kraush a final respectful nod, he turned to speak with Aliod, who was standing behind him.
Seeing this, Kraush felt a pang of hunger.
Being in a carriage for so long, he realized that he had been somewhat deprived of meals.
‘It’s essential to eat well at this time.’
Kraush was now in a growth spurt.
He was in the process of growing every day, so eating was crucial.
“Aliod, how about we grab a bite nearby?”
“Shall I send someone along?”
Aliod, who had been speaking with Revliang, promptly asked.
However, Kraush waved his hand dismissively.
“Forget it. Just handle your stuff. I have a rough idea of where the Blue Sea Knights are. I’ll head there after eating.”
“Understood.”
Though he said this, Kraush was aware that someone would be following him.
Unlike when he had sneaked into the Empire before, this time he openly informed Valheim of his arrival.
Moreover, outside of Starlen, Valheim’s direct descendants would always have shadow knights accustomed to following them until they reached adulthood, in addition to their butlers.
So there was undoubtedly a knight on standby following him, unseen.
Reflecting on this, Kraush could fully appreciate how much Aliod had worked behind the scenes during his last visit to the Empire.
Even though Kraush was seen as a mere brat, he was still a direct descendant.
If something had gone wrong for him in the Empire, Aliod would have immediately lost his butler’s authority and faced execution.
Yet, Aliod was Kraush’s benefactor and master.
Thus, from the moment Kraush had asked him to, he risked his life to ensure Kraush’s safety while meticulously preparing to prevent any harm from coming to him.
In this regard, Kraush once again felt grateful for Aliod’s usefulness.
No matter how elite the butlers were chosen from Valheim, none could do as much as he had.
“Bianca, let’s go eat.”
“Okay.”
As Kraush called out, Bianca followed closely behind him.
She grabbed the hem of Kraush’s garment from behind, gazing in wonder at the sights of Halgrem.
As they stepped out onto the main road, people began to bustle about around them.
“Oh.”
Perhaps it was because of that, Bianca, who was holding onto Kraush’s garment, inadvertently released her grip as she got swept away in the crowd.
She hurriedly raised her arm to grab him again.
But before she could, Kraush’s hand popped out from the throng and grabbed hers.
With a light tug, Bianca was suddenly pulled back beside him.
As she stared at Kraush with wide eyes, he clicked his tongue.
“You get distracted by the sights and end up losing me.”
Kraush had been keeping an eye on Bianca to ensure she kept up with him.
So, discovering she had lost her grip on him prompted him to immediately pull her back.
“I’m sorry.”
“Just remember that. Don’t lose your grip and stay close.”
Kraush said, holding onto Bianca’s hand as they continued to walk.
Bianca quietly gazed at their intertwined hands.
This was often the hand he had held out for her.
Though he could be gruff, he frequently looked out for her in this way.
Thanks to their daily training, his hands were somewhat calloused and larger than hers.
Yet, this time, his hand felt unusually warm compared to usual.
Spring was approaching and it was warm, yet this warmth felt far from ordinary.
The tingling sensation at her fingertips was something Bianca couldn’t quite label.
The gentle spring breeze brushed her cheeks as they walked together.
The cacophony of voices around them echoed in her ears, creating a lively ambience.
The warm sunlight of spring bathed them gently.
Now and then, the fragrant aroma from the blooming flowers along the roadside tickled her nose.
In the warm spring weather of Halgrem, Bianca felt as though she and Kraush were the only ones in the crowded space.
Strangely enough, it was a delightful feeling.
Simply holding hands while walking was enough to create such a pleasant atmosphere.
Bianca stared blankly at the back of Kraush’s head.
While she regretted not being able to see his face, she decided that this was not so bad after all.
“We’re here. Guess it’s true; there always is one at this hour, Bianca… Why are you grinning?”
As Kraush stopped his steps at a stall he had aimed for, he looked at Bianca with a puzzled expression.
Bianca, having been pulled back to reality, finally lifted her head.
A bit sheepishly, she surrounded her own cheeks with her hands and tilted her head.
“Was I grinning?”
“Yeah, your face looks just like it does when you’re eating chocolate or sleeping.”
Bianca blinked in surprise.
Then, ever so subtly, she decided to pout her lips again.
“I’m not grinning!”
“But right now, your face is just…”
“No, I’m not!”
As she firmly insisted, Kraush wore an expression of disbelief.
Just a moment ago, her lips were curled up and her eyes were softened—how did that change?
‘Did she spot something she likes?’
Though unsure, Kraush commented.
“Fine, whatever, we’re eating here.”
Bianca looked up just in time to see a run-down eatery standing before them.
Giving it a once-over, she realized it was quite a distance from the bustling main road of Halgrem.
“It’s old.”
“Just don’t say that too bluntly. Don’t want to get on their bad side.”
You never know what kind of curse can come flying at you, after all.
So, Kraush warned her before stepping inside.
“Oh my, such cute customers!”
At that moment, a server caught sight of Bianca and Kraush and beamed at them.
Two young kids, still looking quite small while holding hands, stepped innocently into the place.
Kraush belatedly realized both he and Bianca were still holding hands.
As he released his grip, Bianca immediately took the opportunity to re-establish it.
Kraush hesitated for a moment, looking back at her.
To his surprise, Bianca was staring blankly at him as if confused about her own actions.
“…Didn’t you just say not to let go?”
Why was he getting annoyed about this?
“It’s fine if we don’t hold hands inside the establishment.”
As Kraush let go once again, Bianca remained still, clutching her own hand.
The server watched this with a pleased expression before guiding them to their seats.
After Kraush took a seat on a wooden chair, Bianca naturally sat next to him, instead of taking the seat across.
Having grown accustomed to such companionship from her, Kraush picked up the menu.
Before long, he called the server over to order Bianca’s desired dish along with his while scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, he realized it was lunchtime and expected some familiar faces to emerge any moment now.
Just then, he caught sight of someone seated in a corner of the restaurant.
As soon as he saw her, Kraush let out a baffled sigh.
‘Found her right away.’
The woman was surreptitiously stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth while she collected the food being handed to her by the server.
With light brown hair and a half-dazed, gentle expression, Kraush knew her all too well.
She would soon be referred to as the Flame Empress.
Aslan Ygritte’s direct attendant.
A key to connecting with that fellow who possessed the Moon-Blade Body.
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