Chapter: 160

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.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“...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.

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.