Chapter 54
Dorothy, a first-year student at the historic Mage Academy of Halgrem, had gone missing, and Aslan completely fell apart.
Lirina had a vague inkling that something must have occurred between Aslan and Dorothy, but since she wasn’t directly involved, she couldn’t fathom the reasons behind her disappearance.
But what about Kraush?
‘I know everything.’
On his way back to the lodging of the Cheongha Knights after hearing Lirina’s request, Kraush found himself mulling over a story he had heard from Aslan long ago.
[Is it really necessary to go through all this trouble to hear something we already know? I mean, looking at that guy, if he were to lose the Shadow Corp, he’d probably just let it happen without a fight.]
“No, he won’t lose it.”
Kraush lightly shook his head.
Having spent time with Aslan, Kraush became acquainted with one of his remarkable personality traits.
He was incredibly stubborn.
Even if it meant heading in a direction that was not beneficial to him, his obstinacy would never waver.
So, Kraush could be certain of one thing.
The guy would still use the Shadow Corp right until the moment of his demise.
After all, the Shadow Corp was one of the root causes behind Aslan’s obstinacy.
“And besides, while the Igrit family may not be as formidable as Valheim, they are still a renowned family of the esteemed Demon King.”
Naturally, their defenses were tight, with more than a few magical security measures in place.
Thus, barging in would likely result in trouble nine times out of ten.
“For you, being a crow, it doesn’t matter, but humans are a different story.”
This meant he needed to arrange an official visit to sneak in without being noticed.
This was precisely why he planned to use Lirina, hoping to infiltrate the mansion as one of her acquaintances.
The Igrit family estate was massive, so it was common for maids and workers to invite acquaintances over without raising suspicions.
“And personally, I have no intention of cutting ties with that guy.”
Aslan Igrit, known as the Flame Emperor despite possessing the Shadow Corp.
He earned that title thanks to the immense sacrifices he made to forcibly eliminate the Shadow Corp from his body.
Thus, the Aslan Kraush had met was covered in burn scars.
The piercing gaze he’d given Kraush, wrapped in bandages on their first encounter, still vividly lingered in his mind.
‘Well, eventually, those eyes did become more pleasant.’
Regardless, Aslan had burned away far too much in that process.
In sacrificing his life force, his lifespan was shortened, leading him to an untimely end at merely twenty-four years of age.
In a way, he might be the only one among the Celestial Generation to have died of natural causes.
‘The Flame Emperor must be preserved.’
Despite his venomous demeanor, he was one of the few who could actually communicate with Kraush.
Such a person shouldn’t be allowed to perish.
‘The ultimate erosion of the world doesn’t happen one at a time.’
Kraush had witnessed the destruction of the world with his own eyes.
He also saw how helplessly the Celestial Generation was swayed before the ultimate beings.
He would stop the destruction of the world.
If that was his goal, he needed allies to at least hold the fort and fend off other ultimate beings while he dealt with the primary threat.
Arthur would undoubtedly have chosen three women for that role.
But they were surely individuals of immense capability.
In fact, no one had bought Arthur as much time as those three did before he arrived.
Kraush had to acknowledge that.
‘But this time, it’s different.’
Kraush had no intention of leaving those three be.
Their screw-ups were too numerous to count.
He’d rather hold a different hand.
And one of those hands was the Flame Emperor Aslan Igrit.
If he had been alive at the time of the ultimate awakening, he would have surely stood against at least one of them directly.
‘So this time, I won’t let it happen.’
Would he just watch him burn?
‘As much as I struggle, you’ll have to struggle too, Aslan.’
With a thought that kept wavering between saving him and saving himself, Kraush continued on his way.
[So how are we planning to find this Dorothy girl, huh?]
At that moment, Crimson Garden’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Upon hearing the question, Kraush shrugged.
“Find her? What’s there to find?”
[Didn’t you just say we’re looking for her?]
“I can’t find her. To be precise, Dorothy is no longer in this world.”
And then the bombshell was dropped.
[What? Then what do you intend to do? Are you planning to call Ebelask and resurrect her?]
“That’s not possible either. There probably isn’t even a corpse left behind. She was burned to death by the Demon Sovereign.”
Crimson Garden looked astonished by the consecutive bombshells.
[So what on earth are you planning?]
Kraush cracked his neck lightly.
“I’m going to resurrect Dorothy.”
[Am I the only one not understanding what you’re saying right now?]
“You’ll get it right away.”
Kraush raised his chin.
“The Dragon King’s egg.”
[……Oh no.]
Crimson Garden clicked her tongue at the mention of a name that shouldn’t have come up.
“I’ll steal the egg and resurrect Dorothy. After all, she’s a spirit.”
*
Spirits.
What are they, exactly?
To put it simply, spirits are beings of erosion.
They seep from one of the sanctuaries that exist in the world.
That sanctuary is none other than the Spirit King’s Forest.
In that forest, spirits are born, grow, and eventually come out into the world.
Dorothy was one of those spirits.
This Spirit King’s Forest was, in fact, not far from Halgrem.
The reason was simple.
The Red Magic Tower and Ignis were the ones managing that Spirit King’s Forest.
The Flame King’s fire magic was perfect for reducing the size of the Spirit King’s Forest.
So they maintained it daily to prevent the forest from expanding.
Kraush stood in front of the walls surrounding that Spirit King’s Forest.
“There probably aren’t many idiots like you who are suffering on purpose.”
Hearing a voice, Kraush turned his head toward the wall.
There stood a woman he had seen before.
With a swollen bosom accentuating her uniform jacket and fiery red hair adorned with a dark star mark.
She was one of the members of Sephira who had recently come to investigate the world’s erosion.
“Why did you bring this kid all the way here?”
Crimson Garden clicked her tongue and looked displeased at Kraush.
“Are you treating your master too harshly?”
“I was told to use you when I could. Right now, you’re my only card.”
The Spirit King’s Forest, being a sanctuary, was under strict surveillance.
If anything were to happen there, immediate action would be necessary, so it made sense.
For that very reason, not just anyone could enter, and only those with proper permission from the higher-ups could gain access.
Who could obtain such permission?
None other than the member of Sephira, Crimson Garden’s servant.
On her chest was a badge that had risen in rank from the 4th grade to the 3rd grade.
In that time, she had been promoted by one rank.
With that level, she could freely enter and exit the sanctuaries for investigative purposes.
Crimson Garden sure seemed to be taking special care of her servant.
“Are you aiming for a position as the head of Sephira?”
“Hmph, I wouldn’t take such a position even if offered. My servant is just too talented.”
Saying that, she stripped away the color from her hair.
Then, from her pocket, she tossed Kraush a badge.
When Kraush caught it, he saw that it bore a 4th-grade insignia of Sephira.
She had brought it to help him gain entry into the Spirit King’s Forest.
“If you want to resolve your issues, I’ll let you in, but are you really determined to go inside? Frankly, I’m against it.”
Crimson Garden scowled, as if the aura emanating from the Spirit King’s Forest was displeasing her.
Had something happened in the Spirit King’s Forest?
Kraush, still a bit perplexed, responded.
“Yeah, I need the egg to solve my problems. And the Spirit King’s Forest is relatively safe among the sanctuaries.”
He had already experienced the Spirit King’s Forest firsthand.
From Kraush’s perspective, it wasn’t that difficult to navigate.
“Ugh, in that case, I don’t want to go. You just go.”
“Why are you suddenly being all dramatic? I can’t get in without you.”
Under Kraush’s urging, she eventually clicked her tongue.
Then she began to stride forward.
“Don’t regret it.”
In the meantime, her hair had somehow turned back to its original black color.
Kraush, also wearing the badge and pulling his robe over his head, followed her, and soon they came across soldiers at the entrance.
Upon recognizing Crimson Garden’s uniform and badge, they quickly straightened up.
A 3rd-grade Sephira member was an absurdly high position for mere soldiers.
“I’m the 3rd-grade member of Sephira, Meersis, who contacted you in advance. Next to me is 4th-grade member Krad.”
“Yes, we received your message. We’ll open the gate right away, so please wait a moment.”
The soldiers started moving promptly.
Sephira regularly inspected the sanctuaries.
Thus, the soldiers were swift in their responses.
Soon, the wall’s door creaked open.
With that, golden light particles peculiar to spirits began to flow out.
While it could cause skin diseases upon contact with humans, visually, it was breathtaking.
“Is your escort okay?”
“Yes, the 4th-grade member is in charge of combat.”
Kraush lightly nodded.
The soldiers didn’t raise any doubts despite Kraush’s young appearance.
Sephira specialized in the world’s erosion, after all.
“Here, this is a magic respiratory device that helps with the light particles. Please check the remaining capacity and time, and remember to recharge your aura.”
Kraush and Crimson Garden expertly affixed the respiratory devices handed over by the soldiers.
After exchanging polite gestures with the soldiers, they stepped inside the wall.
Just as Kraush slowly opened his eyes after momentarily squinting at the light that flooded in, he found golden particles fluttering around him like flower petals.
Moreover, enormous trees began to come into view.
This was the sanctuary— the Spirit King’s Forest.
A place that could be deemed a paradise for the erosion beings known as spirits.
Was it perhaps because this was his first time entering a sanctuary in this life? The emotions were profoundly etched in his mind.
At the same time, he could feel the erosion of the world from all around.
‘With this level of intensity, just breathing will increase the world’s erosion.’
So indeed, the sanctuary was quite something.
Coming in while possessing extreme blood toxicity, Kraush was reawakening just how perilous this place truly was.
Creek, bang!
Just then, the sound of the wall shutting behind him echoed.
Clad in heavy armor, Kraush was already enveloped in a faint aura as he stood beside Crimson Garden.
“Let’s go. I know where the egg is located.”
“Kraush.”
Just as Kraush was about to step forward, Crimson Garden called out suddenly.
She was gazing up at the sky with a distant expression.
“I had hoped we wouldn’t end up in a situation where I had to warn you, but it seems that’s exactly what’s happening.”
Kraush blinked.
“What are you talking about?”
At that moment, a low humming sound began to resonate from above.
As Kraush finally looked up, he saw the horizon affected by the erosion, now glowing in golden hue.
Something black was swooping down towards them from above with great speed.
“Let’s get out first, and then we’ll talk.”
In that instant, Crimson Garden clapped her hands together.
And with that, numerous layers of red magic circles appeared beneath her feet, and in an instant, the two of them were transported through space.
As the scenery changed in the blink of an eye, Kraush found himself tumbling somewhere in the Spirit King’s Forest.
It was the manifestation of Crimson Garden’s space-transformation magic.
Meanwhile, Crimson Garden seemed dizzy, holding her head with her hands.
Her servant, Meersis, had cultivated literature, not the school for the uneducated.
As a result, using up mana with such minimal aura had caused her dizziness.
“Ugh, damn it! So what is going on?”
Kraush, feeling slightly dizzy, adjusted his respiratory device and asked.
Leaping into space travel was quite out of the ordinary for Crimson Garden.
Crimson Garden, still gazing at the golden-hued sky through the trees, replied.
“……I once had a servant who needed something from the Spirit King’s Forest and brought a spirit out without returning it.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Kraush looked at her with disbelief, but she merely wore a troubled expression.
“And that servant traveled quite the distance around the world with the spirit without returning it after their task was completed.”
“Wait a minute, Crimson….”
But as soon as he understood what she was implying, Kraush’s expression began to change.
“Wasn’t that the original Spirit King that existed a long time ago?”
“…….”
Crimson Garden fell silent.
The original Spirit King.
The only recorded spirit sage in this world.
That was indeed the servant of Crimson Garden.
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