Chapter: 145

Chapter: 145

On the snowy mountain.

Kraush stared down at the paper, frowning to himself.

Ebelasque Benafotch.

The only necromancer and former leader of the Night Ravens.

His mind was a jumble after reading the letter she sent him.

The mouse that had come to him was frozen in place.

She truly meant for him not to look for her.

Why did she communicate such a message to him?

‘Something must have changed in Ebelasque’s heart.’

What could possibly cause such a sudden shift in her?

“I used to have comrades I traveled with. They’re all gone now, but I wish I could at least laugh with them one more time.”

Kraush remembered the drunken Ebelasque, ranting and raving. Used as a tool by Aria in the Age of the Sky, she always longed for her old friends.

‘Ebelasque’s dream was to bring her old comrades back to life.’

That’s why she turned to necromancy, obsessively researching numerous tomes.

Until she realized it was entirely impossible with just her own strength.

“Damn it! I’m not your dog! I was a person, and I had loved ones too! I’d rather be dead than live in a world without them!”

Kraush vividly recalled her desperate curses.

At that moment, a figure flashed through his mind.

“Crap...”

There was only one person Kraush knew who could make her dream come true.

Crinkling the paper in his hand, he realized.

The reason Ebelasque had cursed so fiercely was that Arthur had killed that person.

A reaper who possessed the power to resurrect the dead.

And one of the starting points of doom that he had to kill—a lunatic.

‘The Black Witch.’

Kraush covered his twisted expression with his hands.

He was certain that she had approached Ebelasque.

‘Well, during my previous life, she did approach Ebelasque once.’

The Black Witch’s motive for getting close to Ebelasque was clear.

The Collective of World Erosion.

‘Ixion’

It was about drawing her in.

*

Ixion.

Their one goal was singular.

To create a god who would recreate the world.

What did they intend to use for this goal?

None other than the power of world erosion.

‘Those lunatics trying to create a god using the powers of world erosion.’

That’s how Kraush saw Ixion.

‘Now it all makes sense.’

Just as that thought hit him, Kraush caught a whiff of something.

‘The one who gravely injured the Poison King is among the people of Ixion.’

The Poison King must have been chasing after Ebelasque upon the Empire’s command.

But he must have encountered someone from Ixion before meeting Ebelasque.

‘Ixion wouldn’t want the Poison King chasing Ebelasque.’

As a result, a clash occurred between the Poison King and one of the Ixion members, and he retreated seriously injured.

‘The Empire must have covered that up.’

The Poison King was a member of the Ten Great Lords in the Empire.

If word got out that he was beaten by a sudden appearance of the world erosion, the Empire would lose face.

Meanwhile, Ebelasque was the notorious leader of the Night Ravens, who even tried to kill a royal princess in the past.

She had enough of a reputation to justify taking independent action and ending up grievously injured.

‘The Empire likely has some awareness of Ixion’s movements.’

After investigating the Ixion matter.

They probably thought they could gather world figures after the fact and wipe them out.

Sigrid was right.

The Empire never aims for just one rabbit; they always go for two.

‘Ebelasque has practically halted her activities. I thought Ixion wouldn’t approach her right now.’

That was a gravely mistaken judgment.

Ixion was the catalyst for the worst to come.

If their numbers grew, it would be catastrophic.

Kraush’s eyes glinted with cold light.

‘Maybe this is my chance.’

To think that after all that, he’d now ask for an Obelisk seemed absurd.

For a moment, it felt like the crazy idea of making an elixir and then using an Obelisk wasn’t too crazy after all.

“Where do you think you’re going alone?”

Haring caught Kraush’s collar as he noticed his movement.

“I have something that just clicked; I need to check on it. The Obelisk is just a precaution.”

You needed to be prepared for anything.

Haring stared at Kraush thoughtfully.

She understood that he wasn’t the type to shy away from danger.

So she hesitated about giving him the Obelisk.

He’d likely use it regardless of how dangerous the situation might be.

“...Kraush, this mission has something else, doesn’t it?”

At the same time, Haring felt doubt from Kraush’s actions.

Initially, she thought he was acting to prevent a dispute between the Empire and Starlon.

But often seeing him talking with the fourth princess, Sigrid, confirmed something else was cooking.

“Is this related to the World Erosion that injured your father?”

And Haring asked with a tremor in her voice.

Her father, the Poison King, had been gravely injured by the World Erosion.

And her brother had been killed by the World Erosion’s attack.

Haring unconsciously saw Kraush’s reflection in her brother.

That’s probably why, as he approached matters related to the World Erosion, her sense of caution kicked in.

“...”

Kraush fell silent for a moment.

He hesitated about how much he should reveal to Haring.

So, feeling uncertain, he opened and shut his lips repeatedly, only to make eye contact with her.

Haring had been pulled into this situation by him while trying to lie low in her family.

If he didn’t communicate what was happening to her...

He’d be no different than the Lagrain family.

It was maddening, and the image of Arthur popped into his mind.

The guy who never told anyone anything and always tried to solve problems by himself.

Because of his actions, Arthur, despite being at the forefront, never built deep trust with anyone else.

Kraush also didn’t have deep trust in Arthur, suggesting the cycle continued.

Kraush didn’t want to walk the same path as Arthur.

He wanted the Age of the Sky to soar as it ought to.

He was determined to drag everyone along.

So trust meant everything to Kraush.

Haring was one of the best fits among the members of that Age of the Sky.

To earn her trust, he needed to show his own.

“Yeah, but it’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it when I return.”

The situation was too urgent to lay everything out right then.

He needed to act fast if he wanted to get even a hint of Ebelasque’s information.

So when Kraush said that, Haring, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

“Then I have a condition. Take me along when you go to investigate.”

“That’s...”

“If you’re heading to a dangerous place, I’ll be more useful than an Obelisk.”

Kraush recalled Haring’s skills.

Haring’s skill Invisible.

It hid both her presence and appearance.

He knew just how effective that skill was after using it against Decarabia.

‘For sure.’

When it comes to moving stealthily, Haring’s skill was invaluable.

More than anything, it was perfect for making a quiet getaway.

“Alright, let’s talk on the way.”

Kraush decided to take Haring along.

This girl would certainly want to know the truth behind the incident.

More than anything, she was someone he’d already synced with once before.

Whatever happened, she’d manage just fine.

Kraush led Haring down the corridor.

They stopped in front of a particular room.

As they approached the door, nervousness crept in.

Kraush couldn’t help but feel intimidated in front of her.

He raised his hand and knocked.

Then, a soft sound came from within, and the door swung open.

“Hello, my little brother.”

Wait a sec, looks like she was just waking up.

Kraush saw Charlotte, her dark blue hair falling apart, her fingers tangled in it.