Chapter 98
Astria Stigma Freeman.
Recently, she found herself in quite an intriguing situation.
Why, you ask? Because the direct descendant of Valheim was staying right in the temple.
‘Who would have thought that guy was a direct descendant of Valheim?’
What is Valheim, you may wonder.
A family known as the strongest heroes in the world.
Their reputation is so vast that when anyone mentions Valheim, people bow their heads in respect.
And now, a member of that esteemed family was receiving treatment in the temple.
For Astria, who had been lamenting her birdcage-like existence, this was an absolutely fascinating matter.
‘But I have to hold back.’
The first person the patient should see upon waking should be family.
According to Seirang, the pretty girl with white hair was said to be his fiancée.
Anyone could tell they shared a deep connection, given how much she had cried.
‘An engagement, huh.’
Astria quietly gazed out the window.
Outside the temple, lovers strolled hand in hand.
It was something she might never experience in her lifetime.
Should a saint become involved with someone romantically, she might face divine retribution, or worse, be cruelly punished.
‘What a childish thought I’ve had.’
At just 14 years old, she was still a young girl.
Yet, as a saint, she needed to be more mature and holy than anyone else.
That was Astria’s reality.
“Saintess.”
In that moment, her knight Diona, who was in charge of her protection, called out to her.
“Kraush Valheim has awakened.”
Currently, the presence of Valheim in the Holy Kingdom was strictly confidential.
The reason being that the Valheim family had requested silence on the matter.
The Holy Kingdom gladly complied.
There was no reason to distance themselves from Valheim.
“How is his condition?”
“He seems fine.”
“Of course! Who do you think healed him?”
With a confidence unsuitable for her age, she wore a bright smile.
“I won’t be scolded for going to take a look, right?”
As Astria showed a hint of curiosity, Diona reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“Yes, since you’re merely checking on the patient’s recovery.”
Who would question the saintess’s healing abilities, but deep down, Diona hoped that she could live a more free life.
“I really like Diona for this reason.”
Upon hearing that, Astria quickly stood up and pulled Diona into a brief hug.
Diona smiled proudly as she watched Astria, who had no parents, grow up alongside her.
For her, Diona was like the most parental figure she ever had.
And it was the same for Diona.
“Is it rude if I ask a few questions? I’m excited.”
Having learned that he was a direct descendant of Valheim, Astria was curious about his heroic life.
Having lived her entire life locked away in the Holy Kingdom, she had little knowledge of the world outside.
Thus, filled with anticipation, she made her way to Kraush’s room.
“Kraush is out training.”
The moment she arrived at the room, she blinked in surprise upon hearing the heavy-mouthed page mention it.
She had been wondering why he was cleaning alone when, lo and behold, he had gone off to train.
“He trains right after waking up?”
Of course, given that she had fully healed him, he had every right to train.
But even if his body was restored, the mental fatigue didn’t magically vanish.
‘He must still carry the memories of the pain he endured.’
Even after recovery, many people complained of lingering mental anguish.
That was why Astria often bestowed blessings capable of easing harsh mental struggles onto those in severe situations.
Though it wasn’t a powerful blessing, it was enough for people to recover quickly.
And Kraush was among those who had suffered immense pain more than any she had encountered.
How could it be any wonder that even Astria, who usually maintained her composure in front of patients, furrowed her brows?
‘And yet, he’s training.’
Could he truly be from Valheim?
“Where is he training?”
“He’s using a private training room that the knights often frequent.”
He had wanted to hide his identity but seemed to be rather carefree about it.
“Thanks. Ella, good job today too.”
Feeling pleased that she called her name, the attendant made a sign of the cross.
While she was preoccupied like that, Astria quickly made her way forward.
What kind of person would train right after waking up?
‘I heard he’s around the same age as me.’
At just 14 years old, taking on an 8th-tier Erosion species.
What kind of place was Valheim to birth someone like that?
And so, she arrived at the knight training area, before the door to the private room.
There was one training room that was uniquely open.
The private room in the knight training area was a place where knights trained their inner selves.
Completely enclosed by walls, it was a place that allowed for maximum concentration.
Wondering why the door was open, she soon figured it out.
The intense heat radiating from within was enough to warm her pristine white skin.
If the door had been kept shut, the heat would have melted the walls.
‘This is…’
Black flames that burned darkly.
There was no doubt that it was a fire created by a curse.
And from Astria’s perspective, it was a power she found unnervingly unsettling.
Yet, as she dared to peek through the black flames, she saw a boy.
He was a boy who sprinkled black flames over a golden blade while sweat dripped down his forehead.
His hair, a dark mix of blue, flowed in the heat.
Simultaneously, his sharp features made an impression on her.
Lost in thought while staring at the beads of sweat trailing down his face, she quickly snapped back to reality.
‘He’s still handsome upon another look.’
Even in her sleep, she had thought so.
Now, with such a serious look amid the black flames, she found herself unable to turn away.
Was her preference for sharp features?
She had seen various knights whom her attendants often noted were handsome.
But those were merely superficial impressions in her mind.
After all, when someone’s skin is ripped apart or burned, handsomeness becomes irrelevant.
Having lived as a saint, witnessing countless injuries, she believed she was above judging appearances.
‘But that was a misconception.’
She clearly noticed appearances too.
Just like any other girl her age.
Even now, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Kraush.
The black flames soon began to die down.
It turned out Kraush had finished training.
Wiping perspiration from his brow, he turned to face her and their eyes met.
For some reason, Astria quickly looked away.
It was too embarrassing to face a boy who looked good all sweaty.
“Astria?”
Was his voice also a part of her preference?
Snapping back to reality, Astria cleared her throat once.
She was a saint after all.
Having personal feelings for a patient like him? That was preposterous!
She regained her composure as a saintess.
“I didn’t expect you to come to the training grounds right after waking up. How’s your condition?”
With a benevolent smile gracing her features, she asked.
Yet somehow, Kraush’s brow slightly furrowed.
It was as if he encountered something unpleasant, and Astria flinched.
Despite her efforts to maintain her saintly demeanor, such a look from a boy she liked stung a bit.
‘Does my appearance disturb him?’
While she was preoccupied with this thought, Kraush finally spoke.
“Yes, thanks to you, I’m fully healed.”
Given he was training, it was the perfect description for how he was feeling.
However, upon seeing Kraush, Astria couldn’t help but feel there was something nagging at her.
“May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why does the curse that lingers in your body feel even stronger than when I treated you?”
This question had been bothering her since.
Why did he carry such a strong curse within him?
From what she observed earlier in his training, he seemed to handle curses.
In response to her inquiry, Kraush merely smiled gently.
When Astria tilted her head at his reaction, she caught on.
“…What’s your answer?”
Kraush’s smile carried an air of mischief as he replied.
“I said I’d listen to you, but I never confirmed I would answer.”
Astria realized one important thing from that.
His face was definitely her type.
‘How rude of him.’
But his personality was definitely not her type.
Feeling somewhat annoyed, she forced a smile.
“I see. There are plenty of things that are difficult to answer for anyone.”
“Then, can I ask one question in return?”
Astria pouted slightly.
“I might not answer either.”
“That’s fine.”
Grinning with a suspicious smile, he continued.
“How about we go on a date?”
The sudden suggestion that came out of nowhere left Astria stunned.
It was an utterly unexpected proposition.
‘A date?’
She stared blankly, her lips moving slightly.
Kraush, undeterred, took his time to fix his attire.
“Oh, of course, you should clean up first.”
He was rude and clearly doing whatever he pleased.
Moreover, he even had a fiancée.
How could a guy like him toss around the term ‘date’ with another girl?
And not just any girl, but a saint!
There wasn’t a wilder scoundrel than this.
Had it been a normal day, her quick-thinking brain would have processed this appropriately, but her confusion got the best of her.
“I—I’m a saint, you know?”
Going on a date with her, could that possibly happen?
Diona, who had followed after her, wore a similarly stunned expression as she watched Kraush.
But Kraush merely shrugged as if saying it was no big deal.
“Is there really a problem? It would be nice to catch up on the world’s happenings, right?”
He seemed indifferent to the fact that she was a saint.
Astria’s eyes darted around in disbelief.
Then, when she met Kraush’s gaze again, she quickly turned away.
“Kraush Valheim…”
Just as Diona was about to speak up, scolding him for crossing the line,
“Yeah, I want to hear about the world too.”
Astria unexpectedly gave her approval.
Seeing Diona’s surprised expression, Astria hastily hid her flushed ears behind her hair.
“You wouldn’t mind if someone of Valheim’s stature caused any inconveniences, right?”
“I’ll put my name on the line for Valheim.”
Before Diona could discourage her, the date was officially agreed upon.
Diona looked at Astria with a perplexed expression, but Astria spun around.
“I’ll be in my room, so come when you’re ready.”
Maintaining as calm a façade as possible, she left.
Having watched her go, Diona briefly glanced at Kraush and then let out a deep sigh before following Astria.
She pondered what kind of whim the mercurial saintess had just encountered.
*
After Astria left,
Kraush let out a short breath of relief.
Luckily, Astria had caught on and accepted the offer to talk just the two of them.
To think that a direct descendant of Valheim would boldly toss around the idea of a date!
Naturally, she likely sensed something was off in their earlier conversation.
‘She’s always had a knack for picking up on things.’
Kraush realized his behavior had been clearly odd, and Astria had probably sensed that something was up.
So, the suggestion of a date was likely her way of signaling there was something they needed to talk about privately.
During the time of the Skyclad Generation, they had always been in the back.
When it came to Astria, Kraush could confidently say he knew her well.
‘She often used that as a way to bring up serious topics.’
“Let’s go on a date.”
Words a saint would never utter.
Those words meant she had something to discuss.
In the past, when he accompanied her outside, she would frequently share important matters related to the Skyclad Generation.
She would ask his opinions, of course.
But then again, the fact that she had genuinely asked him out on a date would stick out like a sore thumb.
At least, this wasn’t about her developing negative feelings from the incidents in the Skyclad Generation happening now.
‘She didn’t show much interest in me back then either.’
River of memories flowed in his mind.
Initially, Astria would get quite irked every time Kraush looked her way.
So much so that she’d avoid making eye contact and awkwardly turn away.
And clearly, this time wasn’t much different.
Just before leaving the training area, Astria had also turned her head in a hurry.
‘What did she say? How much she loathed my face?’
Kraush recalled the moment when he’d harshly confronted her about dodging eye contact, and she had replied with a deep cut.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Kraush shrugged it off in acceptance.
Although he didn’t particularly care for the idea, having someone not so fond of him nearby was not ideal.
Surely time spent together amongst comrades would stir feelings of affection eventually.
Especially when they share in facing duties and dangers together.
So it wasn’t a far stretch for Astria, the saintess, to develop some kind of fondness for him.
Both of them had always been at the back of the line, meaning that he had shared the most time with her.
And that meant, maybe, Astria didn’t harbor such ill feelings toward him anymore; after all, she’d certainly seen him drenched in sweat.
Desperate for a wash yet choosing to bring up a date simply to keep their bond alive.
He was just about to wash up and change when—
Suddenly from the corner of the training ground entrance, he saw a flash of white hair.
It was the hair of a girl staring intently at him.
Upon seeing her, Kraush froze inadvertently.
“Kraush, have you trained?”
Yet, hearing those words soothed him momentarily.
After exhausting herself from crying, it was Bianca who had shown up to check on him while he conducted his stealth training.
Those were things that might annoy Bianca but not nearly as much as speaking with Astria would.
While that was indeed a misunderstanding, Kraush took solace in it.
However, unlike Kraush’s brief relief, Bianca’s eyes immediately turned frigid upon hearing something else.
“And you’re dating the saintess?”
Ah, so she heard everything.
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