Chapter 9 Anicks’s Provocation

Chapter 9 Anicks’s Provocation

Such a taste, you say.

In the meantime, murmuring filled the air.

The crowd had started to gather, curious about the situation after witnessing Kraushs kick.

The boy had a flustered look on his face.

Though he had acted impulsively, strong in his reaction.

He knew that what he had done was not right.

I, I was just acting upon Princess Cladias orders!

Feeling the pressure of the situation due to his youth, the boy blurted out the name of the one who had sent him.

The murmurs stopped at once.

The young nobles began to disperse as if shushing each other.

Kraush mulled over the name and then remembered someone.

Cladia Starlon.

It was the name of the second princess of the Starlon kingdom.

Why would the princess summon Bianca?

Princess Cladia asked me to invite Miss Bianca to join her, and I was attempting to comply, as Miss Bianca kept refusing. I had no choice but to take her! Its royal command, after all!

Royal command my foot.

A mere princess didnt wield the power of a kings edict.

However, nobles could ill afford to spurn a princess request, especially women nobles. It was all the worse among them.

But why demand Bianca?

Even so, Bianca was the youngest daughter of the Hardenhartz family, rulers of the north.

However, due to the curse, she was deemed lower in stature among the nobles.

In reality, many looked down on her.

And she was summoned by the princess? Hardly made sense to anyone who sought the favor of loyal nobility.

As Kraush pondered this, a memory flashed through his mind.

Anicks.

The eldest son of the Graizar family, known as the Wood Archer.

The very moment that Anicks crossed Kraushs mind, his brow furrowed.

Thats because Anicks was the object of Cladias affections.

Indeed, as time passed, thanks to Cladias fervent courtship, they were to be married.

But there was a problem with Anicks.

I remember now. That bastard was obsessively attached to my sister.

At the Sanctuary of Stars, Anicks had faced Charlotte and was soundly defeated.

The Graizar familys proclaimed prodigy crumbled before Charlotte, his pride shattered.

The problem was that his sense of shame turned awry.

Anicks despised and hated Charlotte.

It was only natural since she had shattered his genius.

Yet, he also admired Charlottes strength.

As a fellow genius, he longed to be like her.

Eventually, these sentiments morphed into a complex passion over time.

And it seemed that somehow, an offshoot of this fixation had now landed on himself and Bianca.

Thinking that summoning Bianca would make it possible to bring me along too?

Charlotte was untouchable, so hed reach out to his sister, Kraush, in the meantime.

Hah.

Exasperated, Kraush pushed back his front hair a sign he was angry.

To dare touch Bianca?

As blatant anger emerged from Kraushs eyes, the young noble flinched.

Then, consciously stung by his own fear of Kraushs glare, he scowled deeply.

No matter what, Kraush was Balheims direct line, even younger than him.

Above all, Kraush was called the half-penny of Balheim.

The rumors that Balheim had cast him out were now common knowledge.

Balheim had been considered when deciding not to meddle, but as for Kraush himself, he was thought to be powerless.

You, you!

What?

No, nothing.

The boy was about to shout but recoiled when Kraush sharply cut him off.

Kraushs fierce look intimidated the boy into a subdued silence.

Get lost.

At that moment, upon Kraushs command to leave, the boy lifted his head.

If he were to fail to accomplish the command of the princess, he would certainly be dismissed from the position of the princess loyal servant.

Thus, when the boy looked relieved at the chance to leave, Kraushs next words were quite unexpected.

But instead of going back to Princess Cladia, youll head to Anicks.

Wh-why to Anicks?

Kraush looked at the self-proclaimed loyal servant and clicked his tongue.

Dont the servants who follow the princess know why the princess issued such a command? My, you lack discernment.

Well, lacking discernment is why people got charmed by someone like Anicks.

Realizing that Kraush had just belittled him, the boys face reddened just as Kraush took Biancas hand.

Then he began to walk away with her.

Leaving the boy to his own devices would only attract more pests to bother him, Kraush thought, as he acted without thinking.

Suddenly, Kraush remembered something.

Whoosh!

And no sooner had Kraush accepted than he shot his fist out towards Balak, who was thanking him.

His fist, laden with aura, almost reached Balaks nose when, with astonishing reflexes, Balak threw his head back dramatically.

The flexibility with which Balak bent his spine, almost touching his head to the ground, was admirable.

But before Balak could bounce back, Kraush kicked his legs.

Thwack!

Balak was lightly lifted into the air as he took the hit to his legs.

Kraushs elbow then followed up, smashing into Balaks abdomen.

Bang!

Having taken the blow from Kraush, Balak sprawled onto the floor.

While Kraush silently looked down on him, Balak rolled back to his feet with a backflip in the next moment.

All the while defending his abdomen with his arms, Balak began to sparkle in his eyes anew.

Going all out, huh?

Youre the one who wanted to fight.

Kraush rolled his neck to either side with a crack.

Kraush was indeed half-penny.

He was insignificant compared to the Skyborne Generation, having been merely a curse shuttle amongst them.

But still, he had survived until the very end.

One of the reasons Kraush lasted until the last was not so much because he didnt stand at the front lines but because of his desperate struggle to survive, he wielded a faint might of his own.

At the very least, he wouldnt be beaten by some kids.

Of course, by the time he became an adult, it was expected that hed be outclassed by their talents.

But that meant, for now, he wouldnt lose.

Great! Awesome! Lets keep going! I want to grab my weapon!

Really? Dont think we need to continue, though.

Right as an excited Balak shouted, Kraush coldly responded.

Before understanding Kraushs words, blood suddenly gushed from Balaks nose.

Huh?

At Balaks moment of confusion, his eyes rolled back, and he just collapsed onto the ground.

Watching this, Kraush dusted off his hands, and Bianca tilted her head.

How did you do that?

Its a martial art.

The name of the martial art was:

Inchforce.

The technique devised by the former half-penny of Balheim, endowed with the strongest destructive force at the shortest range.

It was also the martial art Kraush had learned from the only book he managed to obtain from the burnt archives of Green Pine Hall.

Thanks to this art, Kraush had crossed countless life-and-death thresholds.

Therefore, it was the martial art he was most skilled in.

But its a martial art that comes with a fair number of conditions.

If those conditions are met, the technique could penetrate armor and deliver an internal strike.

When Kraushs elbow collided with Balak, he had already used Inchforce.

Despite blocking with his arm, the impact was fully transmitted to the inside, shaking up Balak internally.

Ugh, urgh.

Suffering from Inchforce, Balak trembled a few times but ultimately couldnt get up.

It was a natural outcome since he had taken the bare impact of Inchforce without using aura for internal defense.

Leaving such a Balak behind, Kraush grabbed and opened the door to the terrace.

There stood a man and a tall woman by the railing of the terrace.

The man was Anicks Graizar, the Wood Archer.

And the woman was his subordinate, just like Balak, Elfin Emilia.

Elfin glanced at Kraush, then moved past him, seemingly heading towards Balak.

When Kraush stepped aside to let her by, Anicks showed a slight smile along with his droopy eyes.

To defeat Balak like that. Im impressed.

This guy, too, must have known Balak would challenge him to a fight, yet he had him wait at the entrance anyway.

Casting a dark glare at Anicks, Kraush thought of him as a shadowy character.

I figured you were scheming to call me through Princess Cladia and Bianca, so I came directly.

You realized that much?

Anicks genuinely seemed surprised by the response.

Rubbing his chin reflectively, he wore a look of curiosity.

Its different from what Ive heard. How peculiar. Is the rumor wrong, then?

If you mean the rumor that Im a half-penny, then yes, thats true.

Kraush had no intention of denying the rumors of his past.

He had no interest in such rumors anyway.

The ruin of a world which not even the Skyborne Generation could prevent was fast approaching.

Instead of fretting over rumors, he needed to become a little stronger.

Only, if you get beaten by me today, that rumor might change a bit.

Kraush was more aware than anyone that as he became stronger, naturally, the rumor would change.

And Anicks was the very person who could help alter that rumor.

Because I plan to steal that guys skill.

A member of the Skyborne Generation.

He was one of Kraushs targets.