Chapter 97
News spread across the world that the Jukcheon Order of Valheim had defeated the 8th-tier Erosion species, Agares.
Since it was an event that took place in the spirit realm, it was only natural that the situation was closely monitored from various corners of the world.
At the same time, people couldn’t help but praise Valheim.
Particularly, Lilish Valheim, the direct descendant of Valheim, saw her reputation rise even more.
To capture an 8th-tier Erosion without a single member of the Order dying—
this incident was undoubtedly a testament to her abilities.
It got to the point where people even speculated she would be one of the next top contenders in the world.
However, what lay behind all this was a factor that no one was aware of.
There had been one person who had desperately faced Agares, and she had chosen to keep quiet until Kraush opened his eyes.
Thanks to this, the Holy Kingdom was thrown into an uproar.
Just as the commotion in the world was settling down, Kraush opened his eyes in the treatment room of the Holy Kingdom.
“You’re someone I can’t leave alone. Don’t just sulk every day; come out a bit. There’s a festival right in front of us. Let’s go watch it together, hm hm?”
Kraush briefly gazed at the ceiling of the treatment room.
Memories from a dream brushed against his mind, lingering for a moment even after waking.
A woman with hair shining brightly in the sunlight, hiding her embarrassment while pretending not to be shy.
“I know. You came here after being cursed again. Just by looking at you, I can tell. You know, you could prioritize your own life for just one day, couldn’t you?”
He also recalled the look of disappointment on her face when she couldn’t go out that day.
After that, their conversations decreased significantly.
Kraush shook his head to rid himself of the resurfacing memories.
When he slowly raised his body, all the pain he had felt had vanished as if washed away.
This feeling—surely, it was because that person had healed him.
[ You’ve really got a new lease on life. ]
Kraush turned his head toward the voice he heard.
There sat a crow at the sunlit window.
It was Crimson Garden.
“You have no idea. I thought I was going to kick the bucket.”
[ Knowing that, did you still push yourself that hard? ]
“I did catch Agares, didn’t I?”
Kraush scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Killing a being that was one of the precursors to destruction was quite the relief.
[ Just one question. ]
Just then, Crimson Garden approached Kraush.
[ Why are you so desperate? ]
Crimson Garden knew for a fact that Kraush was a time traveler.
Yet, even in her eyes, his obsession seemed abnormal.
Kraush was desperately devoted to everything, almost crazily so, not sparing even his own body.
Crimson Garden didn’t know the process that led Kraush to become a time traveler.
That’s why she had asked him.
“What’s the reason for going this far?”
Kraush recalled Arthur in response to that question.
Someone had asked Arthur a similar question before.
Of course, the reason for that inquiry was that Arthur was too cold, unlike Kraush.
Nonetheless, they had both received the same question.
Arthur had answered like this:
[ Do you think you could understand it even if I told you? ]
No one can perfectly grasp something they haven’t personally experienced.
That’s why Arthur had said what he did.
When destruction loomed, what could someone who hadn’t experienced time travel understand?
Thus, Arthur saw those around him as expendable.
He coldly used people with his words, ensuring that only those who would never betray him remained at his side.
Kraush was no different.
He merely used people like pieces on a chessboard, albeit slightly less than Arthur.
However, the difference was that Kraush included himself as one of those pieces.
In the life he had lived, he had never prioritized himself.
He had been aware of being a disposable pawn who stole curses.
So even in his current life as a time traveler, he hadn’t changed.
The thought of considering himself as a chess piece had taken root deeply within him.
“You could at least prioritize your own life for a day, you know?”
The words from his dream resurfaced once more.
Kraush looked at Crimson Garden.
What would happen if he informed her about the impending destruction?
Would she turn desperate like him?
Or would she accept it nonchalantly?
He didn’t know.
All Kraush did was open his mouth.
“It’s necessary for me to live as myself.”
For Kraush, the only time he could live for himself was when he was striving to prevent destruction.
[ ……. ]
Crimson Garden observed Kraush in silence without saying a word.
After a moment, she let out a quiet sigh and stretched her wings to fly out the window.
[ There’s less than half a year left until the Academy starts. ]
Crimson Garden’s words continued in the silence.
[ Until then, I’ll make sure to train you hard, so remember that. ]
With that, she disappeared outside the window.
Watching her, Kraush couldn’t help but chuckle for a moment.
Such a typical thing for Crimson Garden to say.
Clang-
At that moment, the door to the treatment room opened.
There stood Bianca, carrying a wet towel and a basin.
Seemingly unaware that Kraush had woken up, she quietly closed the door.
However, when she raised her head and met Kraush’s eyes—
Clang!
The basin or water fell to the floor.
Seeing it, Kraush froze.
He had assured Bianca that he would return safely, yet he was in perhaps the most gruesome condition to date.
He had nothing to say.
Meanwhile, Bianca approached slowly.
Rather emotionless as usual, she reached out her arms toward Kraush.
Understanding what that meant, Kraush half-smiled and spread his arms under Bianca’s, pulling her into an embrace.
Bianca trembled quietly in Kraush’s embrace.
“I’m sorry.”
As Kraush apologized, Bianca only burrowed deeper into his arms in silence.
As he stroked her head, Bianca spoke up.
“Please introduce me to the teacher you mentioned, Kraush.”
So it has come to this, huh?
“Sure.”
Training together until they go to the Academy wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Creak-
Just then, the door opened once more.
There stood a woman with peach-colored hair draped in a veil and Blavi from the Heavenly Guardian Order.
“I really just wanted to see you wake up and then head back. The girl is partly responsible for all this, you know. Oh, you’re awake!”
Having been contacted by the Sephira, Seirang noticed their direction while speaking through a magic device in her hand.
After putting the device away, she spotted Bianca nestled in Kraush’s arms and smiled sweetly.
“That person was really worried and cried a lot. You’ll need to coax her quite a bit.”
“Guess who just interrupted the comforting?”
“I can’t even see what’s happening in here with astrology.”
It was sincere, but Kraush dismissed it as a joke.
“Isn’t it a bit too much to hide the fact that you’re a direct descendant of Valheim?”
“You didn’t ask, did you?”
“Well, that’s…”
Seirang closed her mouth.
Indeed, she hadn’t asked.
“More importantly, thanks for sending protection.”
Blavi had reached Agares even before the Heavenly Guardian Order exited the spirit realm.
That alone indicated how faithfully he had executed Seirang’s orders.
‘If only I had waited for Blavi, it might have been easier.’
But that was merely hindsight.
With no idea when Blavi would arrive, they couldn’t afford to expend any more energy.
“Not a problem. That was the deal. But even if it wasn’t, I would have sent help once I heard the news.”
She seemed to recall something that Mirvis had said, and her body trembled slightly.
Kraush didn’t feel any sympathy as he knew exactly what that was about.
That was because that person was precisely the author of the sensual novels that Ebelask often read.
What was hidden away in her third drawer was the sensual novel she had penned.
A princess of the Sephira yet a writer of sensual novels in secret—it was utterly laughable when he first found out as he rummaged through her room.
‘Never thought I’d end up using that like this.’
Anyway, Kraush decided to get to the crux of the matter.
“So, what about the other deal?”
As he patted Bianca’s head, he asked, and Seirang fell silent.
Kraush was suspiciously well-informed.
Thus, Seirang knew her forecast of death wasn’t entirely a lie.
After much contemplation, she finally let out a sigh.
“Fine. From the beginning, we had nothing to lose in this deal.”
Kraush wanted Heavenly Death.
Even if one Heavenly Death gone wouldn’t cause Blavi to leave Seirang’s side, their bond was significant enough.
So she could readily concede it.
“What’s more, are you alright with revealing so much to the girl?”
Seirang knew that Kraush possessed three skills.
Moreover, one of those skills was the ability to steal other skills.
But Kraush wasn’t particularly worried about that.
After all, as time progressed, many things would eventually come to light.
“You wouldn’t want your secret to be discovered, would you?”
Seirang froze for a moment and stiffened.
By sending Blavi away, she had effectively acknowledged that it was her personal secret.
There was no way she would casually leak Kraush’s secret anywhere.
“We’re practically a secret society then.”
Seirang forced a smile.
For some reason, Bianca clung to him tighter at the mention of the word society, but Kraush let it be.
“Blavi.”
At Seirang’s call, Blavi stepped forward.
“What can I do?”
“Just permit him to give you Heavenly Death in your heart.”
Blavi faithfully followed Kraush’s words.
To him, Kraush raised his hand.
The target was Blavi, and the item to steal was Heavenly Death.
Kraush’s hand unleashed the Black Hood without any dial.
In that moment, Kraush stiffened and became rigid.
An outrageous killing intent surged forth from the depths of his being.
‘So this is how it feels.’
The curse of the Butcher had given off a similar vibe.
At the same time, the effects of his Eye Doll also strengthened along with Heavenly Death.
That’s because Heavenly Death amplified the power of the curses.
In an instant, the surging homicide was suppressed and extinguished by the Eye Doll.
Simultaneously, the madness that had once threatened to spill over was quelled.
This time, due to having absorbed much from World Erosion, controlling the madness had been close,
but thanks to the Eye Doll being strengthened by Heavenly Death, all problems were resolved.
That’s not all.
‘With Heavenly Death raising my physical abilities due to feeling a killing intent towards others…’
He had an itch to use his body immediately.
“No. You need to rest.”
But Bianca, picking up on Kraush’s thoughts, spoke up with her brows knitted.
Kraush knew well that it would surely be a complete recovery,
but since he owed Bianca, he decided to hold back a bit.
“How about you, Blavi?”
In the meantime, Seirang turned to Blavi.
Blavi opened and closed his fists, looking at Kraush with a peculiar gaze.
“I feel as if the shackles binding me have disappeared.”
“So it feels good? That’s great.”
Seirang smiled with contentment and turned her body.
“Then I’ll take my leave now. I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”
“Sure, I’ll come to protect your life next time.”
“Anyone can save their life but so can I.”
With a scoff, she turned to leave.
As she grasped the doorknob, Seirang looked back.
“Just one question. Where will you be next year?”
She could most likely figure it out with her esteemed astrology skills.
So why was she asking?
Kraush had a question in his mind, but since he had received Heavenly Death, he decided to answer.
“Rahelrn Academy.”
“Hmm.”
With a smile on her face, Seirang subtly raised the corners of her mouth under the veil.
“I see. Enjoy your time at the Academy. Oh, by the way, I should let you know something.”
She continued with a serviceable tone.
“There’s a recent fake saintess appeared in the Holy Kingdom—however, she might not actually be a fake.”
Hearing those words, Kraush sighed.
“Are you testing if I’m a prophet or not?”
“Well, that’s a mystery, isn’t it?”
Why did all astrologers like to act so cryptically?
Kraush thought he would never understand them, and said,
“That person isn’t a fake.”
It wasn’t even that they were real.
Just one certain fact emerged:
The fake saintess would be a force that could shake the foundation of the Holy Kingdom.
“That answer is sufficient.”
Only then did Seirang turn the doorknob and open it.
“Please take care of my friend, Astria.”
“What did you see through astrology?”
“Nothing at all.”
Kraush couldn’t help but not believe her as she left, her peach-colored hair trailing behind.
One thing was certain:
That under normal circumstances, she should have been able to see Astria, but she pretended to see nothing at all.
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