Chapter: 160
World Erosion emerged from Hardenhartz.
As Kraush faced this, he had very little to do.
“Stop fidgeting and sit tight,” a corpse rat perched on Kraush’s shoulder warned.
Taking that advice, Kraush remained still.
After all, the White Skeleton Legion of Ebelasque was busy smashing the Erosion creatures to bits all over the Hardenhartz Mountains.
Ebelasque clearly showcased the true power of a necromancer.
The White Skeleton Legion was an eternal army that wouldn’t die until Ebelasque ran out of steam.
So, no matter how tough, the Erosion beings were no match for the Legion.
And that wasn’t all.
Every now and then, moving corpses under Ebelasque’s command were showing off another skill.
Each had different traits and formed their own teams to thoroughly hunt the Erosion creatures.
Watching this spectacle from a distance, Kraush came to realize why the Empire was so relentless in pursuing Ebelasque.
They definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on this.
“Arthur also handled Ebelasque quite effectively.”
From Sigrid’s point of view, she must be frustrated that Ebelasque was lost.
Amidst this, No. 8 appeared over the mountain, greeting Kraush briefly before vanishing back into the woods.
She had become the wall that Ebelasque could lean on as she requested.
What a strong-willed corpse.
“Kraush, sir.”
At that moment, Felray turned his head at a voice from behind him.
There stood Felray, his expression oscillating between wanting to ask something and hesitating.
Then, he clenched his fists and opened his mouth.
“…Do you know that the Night Ravens participated in the last Empire Martial Arts Tournament?”
Felray wore a determined look.
Kraush tossed a casual remark over his shoulder.
“Not winning the Martial Arts Tournament wasn’t because you were weak, but because your opponent was strong.”
Felray’s eyes widened as he grasped the meaning behind those words.
A slow smile crept across his face.
“…Well, you’re right.”
With that, Kraush raised his head.
The sky was painted in hues of yellow as dusk approached.
The sounds of Erosion creatures cracking could be heard here and there.
At the same time, the rising sun tinged the sky with dawn’s light.
“Kraush.”
Haring, who had approached without notice, called out to Kraush.
Her clothes were splattered with the blood of Erosion creatures, a testament to her struggles.
“Yeah.”
Haring clenched her fist, gripping a dagger.
The sky seemed to shine brightly, as if lifting her long-standing trauma.
“The World Erosion is closed.”
This was the moment when the light of the Luminary truly met its demise.
＊ ＊ ＊
In conclusion, the streets of Hardenhartz had essentially turned into a wreck.
The World Erosion rating was an astounding level 8, just as Kraush had anticipated.
If Rai’s battle had dragged on longer, it could have easily risen to level 9.
Because of that, the One Sword had poured their all into confronting the 8-star World Erosion ruler.
No matter how proud they were of their prowess, it was impossible to battle the ruler without collateral damage to the populace.
That’s why they forcibly drew the ruler away from the civilian areas, engaging him in battle on the mountain.
Thanks to that, casualties for an 8-star World Erosion were relatively low.
For instance, the North Sea Ice Palace seemed almost intact.
With the Fourth Princess and a Prince present, they had prioritized their protection.
‘There’s always a hierarchy when it comes to saving lives, it seems.’
Kraush observed those weeping over the corpses before him.
Most of them were commoners.
“Wahh! Dad, dad!”
“You promised we’d go play in the mountains tomorrow! How can you leave like this?”
“Mom, please! Our mom is okay, right? She’s okay, right?!”
In fact, quite a few knights from the minor noble families had also perished.
The Hardenhartz Knights had spilled blood fighting against World Erosion as well.
Yet still, the reality was that the number of commoners was considerably higher.
Felray’s face stiffened as he led general citizens out from a cave for emergency evacuation.
His expression seemed overwhelmed with complex emotions, including a profound sense of guilt for failing to protect them.
But Kraush’s expression remained relatively unchanged.
He had seen this kind of situation too many times before.
Grim and nauseating, such scenarios would continue to repeat endlessly.
Thus, it was only natural that he’d become desensitized to it.
Pushed to the harshness of reality, someone was always forced into sacrifice.
There was no grand dream of protecting everyone in this world.
If they had released the Luminary, perhaps the casualties would have been fewer.
Releasing him would have meant that the difficulty level of the World Erosion wouldn’t have spiked as much.
Yet, if they released him, something like this would happen again, leading to even more casualties.
“Disgusting.”
For some reason, Kraush swallowed a dry chuckle.
In the end, he reminded himself that he, too, was in a position to force sacrifices upon others.
[ Do you have any guilt, at least? ]
“Unfortunately.”
Rather, he was indulging in mild self-hatred without feeling any true regret.
He wasn’t there to mourn.
His role was that of a noble, focused on preventing such a situation from recurring and directing efforts to solve the current crisis.
That was the role of a noble in this world.
To lay the groundwork for those mourning to rise again.
“Kraush.”
As he was lost in thought, Kraush looked up at the call.
And there stood a woman.
Her long, dark blue hair flowed as she approached, her clothes all askew.
Yet nothing could diminish her imposing presence.
The Sword King, Charlotte Balheim.
She was Kraush’s sister.
She glanced at Kraush’s return.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Everywhere, I’m being poked.”
When she inquired, Kraush raised his arm to show.
Though he didn’t show any signs, he was in a rather precarious state.
He desperately needed rest.
So when Kraush answered, Charlotte stared silently for a while before turning away.
“That’s good enough.”
Watching her walk confidently away, the door to the North Sea Ice Palace swung open.
In came Sigrid, her hair glistening like the sea, tied in buns.
She glanced at Charlotte as she passed and then rushed over to Kraush.
“Your Highness!”
As her flustered guard followed, Sigrid stood before Kraush.
She moved surprisingly quickly on her short legs.
“…You saved us.”
Facing Kraush, Sigrid let out a long sigh of relief.
Having seen him, she realized he had saved Ebelasque.
She hadn’t thought things would escalate this far.
“Phew, now I don’t need to use what I was planning.”
“…What were you planning to use?”
“Nothing good for you.”
Sigrid shook her head.
Then she looked in the direction Charlotte went.
“By the way, you have quite the monstrous sister. I had a rough idea, but I never thought she’d be at that level.”
Kraush followed Sigrid’s gaze.
“What’s your sister done?”
“She was the first to spot the 8-star ruler trying to attack civilians, and she held her ground all alone. Then she apparently joined the One Sword and took it down.”
The faces of Haring and Felray stiffened at those words.
They had struggled against the Erosion creatures, so hearing that Charlotte handled a vastly superior Erosion creature by herself was shocking.
Seeing Charlotte pass by earlier, she looked battered but not in dire straits.
Rather, she was exuding an air as sharp as a finely honed blade.
[ Well, I am me. There’s no comparison between my dying little brother who barely managed to bring down an 8-star and her. ]
Kraush let out a dry laugh.
Kraush had indeed become significantly stronger compared to during his encounter with Agares.
Even so, if it were to be said that he could take down an 8-star creature in perfect condition, he would shake his head.
Of course, the circumstances had been tougher for Kraush, but he had prior knowledge, which was a massive advantage.
‘A mere 16-year-old girl—not even a regressor—faced an 8-star Erosion creature.’
It was easy to imagine how monumental that impact could be.
Charlotte’s name would undoubtedly soar higher following this ordeal.
Consequently, Sigrid, who deemed Charlotte a regressor, would face an even bigger crisis.
“Your expression seems dark.”
“Not dark… just a little moody.”
Kraush started to respond to Sigrid’s comment when he felt his vision blur.
Great. The same old pattern again.
“Kraush!”
With Haring’s shocked voice ringing from behind him, Kraush’s body began to sway.
＊ ＊ ＊
An all-too-familiar ceiling loomed overhead.
Of course, it was normal.
Kraush had seen that ceiling once before.
“….”
But unlike last time, his body felt empty.
The white hair that should have been there was nowhere to be found.
Feeling oddly disappointed, Kraush absentmindedly rubbed his neck.
“You’re awake.”
Just then, a corpse rat hopped onto Kraush’s head.
It let out a squeak, conveying Ebelasque’s voice.
“I thought you’d sleep forever.”
“Well, I’m the type to bounce back quickly.”
At that moment, the voice of Crimson Garden chimed in.
It was a raven that flew in through the window.
It had been a while since he’d seen that raven.
Had it followed him as a raven originally?
A rat and a raven.
That’s quite the ominous pairing.
“Ebelasque, Crimson Garden—what’s going on outside?”
“Things are getting sorted out. They’re spreading the word that the Luminary was the one who wounded the Poison King. The presence of that girl you brought, Haring, was pivotal.”
The Luminary was behind the incident with Lagrain.
With the direct descendant of House Lagrain, Haring’s involvement turned Ebelasque’s prominence into a passing thought.
“Looks like Starlon set the fire even more on purpose.”
After all, it didn’t want any Empire folks wandering onto Starlon’s land while Ebelasque was still at large.
From Starlon’s perspective, this was a benefit—forcing the Empire to reassess its judgments.
Consequently, the Empire sought to quietly avoid the issue.
“That’s probably due to the Luminary.”
Kraush began piecing together the reasons.
Professor Sera mentioned some form of transaction between the Imperial Palace and the Luminary.
Kraush surmised that the transaction target was likely not the Luminary itself but the Erosion group Ixion.
“Speaking of which, Ebelasque, have you recovered Luminary’s corpse?”
“Oh, yes, it’s with me.”
The rat perked its ears up animatedly.
“Can we revive that guy?”
“It’ll take some time, though?”
“That’s fine. Just do me the favor.”
“Hmph, if you’re asking, I’ll do it quickly.”
The rat puffed out its tiny chest and pretended to show off.
Imagining how Ebelasque might react behind the rat’s back was mildly irritating.
“Are you planning to dig for information?”
“Yeah, besides that, there’s a way to check Ixion’s activities.”
At those words, the raven’s eyes slightly widened.
“Are you serious about using the corpse to attend Ixion’s meetings?”
As expected of Crimson Garden, it was sharp.
“What? What are these meetings about?”
Ebelasque, clueless, displayed a bewildered reaction.
“There’s a regular meeting among the Erosion beings. It takes place in the independent space constructed by the Black Witch, and no one can enter unless invited. So you and I would be banned from their meetings.”
Ebelasque finally caught on.
“Are you seriously thinking of sending the Luminary as a corpse to that meeting?”
“Exactly. Even among Erosion beings, they don’t know about each other’s powers entirely. It wouldn’t be surprising for the Luminary to have some hidden resurrection technique.”
“But I’m known to be present, right? They’d know I can revive him…”
Kraush pointed to Crimson Garden.
“Isn’t that bird here?”
Crimson Garden clicked its tongue.
It could bestow its immortality.
More precisely, it could restore the body to its living state at the cost of lifespan.
“You bring the soul back, and Crimson Garden revives him, then Ebelasque can just pull his heart out and it’s done.”
Upon hearing Kraush’s plan, Ebelasque trembled in disbelief.
“…You’re planning to drain him dry.”
“There’s no risk. The only loss would be if discovered.”
If kept secret, this could become the best route possible.
“Your brain’s working quite impressively.”
Crimson Garden let out a short exclamation of admiration.
Bang!
Suddenly, the door swung open.
With a flapping sound, Crimson Garden flew off, and Ebelasque’s corpse rat scurried away under a blanket.
As Kraush turned his head, a familiar white-haired figure came into view.
However, it was not a recognized face.
Disappointment was plainly written on Kraush’s face.
“…You’re awake. But honestly, feeling that level of disappointment over seeing a human face is not good.”
The one standing there was none other than Jenica Hardenhartz, Bianca’s sister.
Yet Kraush’s expression remained unchanged.
“What brings you here?”
“Perfect timing.”
As Kraush asked, she glanced outside before eagerly shutting the door.
Then, she strode boldly towards him.
Her white hair flowed elegantly as she placed her hands on her hips, wearing a rather sinister expression.
“I just wanted to ask one thing.”
Kraush looked at her, bewildered, unsure of what she meant.
“…You do realize you’re Bianca’s fiancé, right?”
Kraush displayed a confused look at her strange remark.
“Things went haywire the moment you collapsed.”
She recalled the chaos that erupted at the entrance.
Haring Lagrain, the direct descendant of House Lagrain, had been left in disarray, weeping uncontrollably, while the rat squeaked incessantly, nearly driving her mad.
Even the Fourth Princess, Sigrid Ephania, had shouted for the medical tent with a serious expression on her face.
“…No matter how you look at it, that’s not an ordinary reaction.”
Indeed, those intense reactions indicated there was something more than the average feelings involved.
Yet Kraush remained unfazed.
“That was probably just them being surprised I collapsed.”
In the moment, Jenica felt a spike of frustration.
She wanted to scream that it was definitely more than that, but she realized Kraush didn’t know how others reacted when he fell.
That momentary panic after his collapse.
“And yes, I’m well aware that I’m Bianca’s fiancé. You don’t need to worry. I have no plans to stray. I’m thinking of marriage when she’s 15.”
“R-Really?”
When Kraush answered with sincerity, Jenica replied with a reluctant expression.
After all, Kraush seemed serious about the matter.
But Jenica was fidgeting with her lips.
Despite Kraush’s confidence, it felt like something was twisting around him.
Her instincts told her it was a complete mess.
‘…Does that girl even know what’s happening right now?’
Jenica recalled Bianca’s letter, feeling her hair at the side.
She worried about whether Bianca was aware her fiancé was amidst the chaos.
For some reason, Jenica felt a spike of indignation and almost wanted to throw more words at Kraush but stopped.
She felt she had nothing more to say.
Now, she doubted whether she even had the qualification to step up for Bianca.
“….”
“More to say?”
As Jenica remained silent, Kraush inquired.
She hesitated a moment before turning away.
“Ah, no. That’s enough.”
Jenica left the room, seemingly speechless.
As she did, she thought quietly to herself.
‘I don’t know. Still, this needs to be conveyed.’
At the very least, Bianca needed to be aware of Kraush’s current situation.
‘Better close the door on my way out.’
As Kraush watched Jenica exit through the open door, someone peeked in.
“Looks like you’re doing fine now.”
It was none other than the Fourth Princess, Sigrid Ephania.
She looked at Kraush for a moment before shaking her head.
“Seriously, don’t overexert yourself in front of people and just faint away. You’re causing unnecessary worries.”
“It wasn’t like I wanted that to happen.”
“Alright then. Either way, I suspect the Empire will stir up quite a fuss over this event.”
She crossed her arms and fell into deep thought for a while.
Sigrid, with her sharp mind, seemed to have come up with a conclusion and turned back to Kraush.
“I’m going back to the Empire for a bit.”
Kraush’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What for?”
“While you were out, I got the lowdown from Professor Sera Meyer. I sensed some strange movements happening in the Empire, and it feels like it’s starting to eat itself alive.”
Kraush knew Sigrid cared for the Empire.
That could be why she finally couldn’t take it anymore and was drawing her sword.
“Be careful when you dig too deep.”
Kraush didn’t know everything about the Empire.
But from what he had gathered, its internal affairs were more tangled than one would expect.
So, as he warned her, Sigrid shrugged her shoulders.
“Even if I look this young, I’m still a precious little princess. I’m probably safer than most.”
She flashed a charming grin.
“And more than anything, if I run into danger, I have someone who’ll come to my rescue.”
Kraush raised an eyebrow.
“Who are you talking about?”
“None other than the knight who appeared last time.”
Kraush had a bewildered expression.
“If you bring good news, I’ll be waiting for you.”
Sigrid waved her hand gracefully, saying her farewells, and then left.
Following her, her guard briefly saluted Kraush and departed as well.
She was a storm in many respects.
Just as Sigrid left, another presence lingered by the door.
“Kraush.”
It was Haring.
With Jenica and Sigrid gone, it looked like Haring had come.
After yesterday’s events, her eyes were red from crying.
“…Are you okay?”
But upon seeing Kraush, a glow of relief returned to her face.
While not in perfect shape, Haring had certainly exhausted herself.
She too collapsed from crying when Kraush went down.
After rising from that, she’d heard some news before searching for him.
Therefore, her expression was clouded with deep concern.
“What happened?”
“It’s… um…”
Haring hesitated, then stepped out a bit awkwardly.
With a slightly flustered expression, she continued.
“Father wants to meet you, Kraush…”
So unexpectedly, she’s sending him to meet the Poison King.
