### Chapter: 246
Teleported to the Kingdom of Jeblam’s Forest of Giants
Kraush found himself caught in a downpour, hiding between enormous undergrowth in the vast Forest of Giants.
With a huff, he sighed at the situation.
He quickly realized that the teleportation was a trap set by Ixion.
But a new question arose: why had he ended up in the Forest of Giants?
[ I intervened midway. ]
Crimson Garden chimed in, explaining.
It was solely due to Crimson Garden’s intervention that Kraush landed safely in the Forest of Giants.
[ If I hadn’t modified the teleportation route, you would have landed right in Ixion’s base. ]
“Wow, thanks for the save. I mean, if that went wrong, wouldn’t my body have been scattered all over?”
[ Being dragged away by Ixion and not returning alive sounds like a worse fate. ]
It was true. If Kraush had been captured, it would have led to disastrous consequences.
[ You know, if you just went solo instead of rescuing the princess, you could have made a clean getaway. ]
If Kraush had activated Excel and dashed out alone, he could have made his escape.
But he had wasted too much time dealing with Sigrid.
“If Sigrid got dragged away, it would have been curtains for me too.”
But Kraush wasn’t reckless either. If Sigrid had been kidnapped, the entire Empire would have been thrown into disarray.
Moreover, Ixion would surely leverage Sigrid to strike a deal somehow.
“And at least I had a chance of getting out.”
Kraush had a major weakness for the World Erosion — Aura.
And aside from the Hell Fairy, he knew how to handle the World Erosion lurking in Ixion’s crew.
So it was definitely better than having Sigrid kidnapped.
[ Tsk, if you could only say that out loud. ]
“Anyway, thanks for adjusting the route,” Kraush replied.
[ They probably figured out I intervened. By now, Ixion is likely setting up coordinates to find this place. ]
“No time to rest then.”
Kraush decided he had soaked enough. He needed to escape the Forest of Giants before Ixion showed up.
And he quickly started running through the forest.
The dense underbrush and rain-soaked foliage reflected the nickname “Forest of Giants,” as everything here was monstrous.
“How exactly are you keeping tabs on me?”
Kraush had worn Bioren’s necklace to prevent Ixion from tracking him.
Given that a powerful mage like Biord crafted it, it should have made him invisible.
Yet, Crimson Garden still seemed aware of Kraush’s situation, even without the crow nearby.
[ You’ve got that dead rat from Ebelasque in your pocket, don’t you? ]
Just then, Kraush felt the corpse rat in his pocket squirm.
“Eek!”
It was letting him know it was there.
Had they been sharing sights too?
Ebelasque must have been monitoring the situation alongside Crimson Garden.
[ I managed to stop it just in time from rushing after you. ]
Kraush thought, “Well, that sounds just like Ebelasque’s personality.”
“Whatever, it’s not like I need it right now.”
As he spoke, Kraush began to hear something in the distance.
He quickly figured out what it was.
‘Water sounds.’
It was the unmistakable sound of flowing water, but it was so loud that it nearly forced him to cover his ears.
As soon as he heard the noise, anxiety crept in, and he began to run faster.
The Empire’s most powerful mage was personally sent out to search for Kraush.
It was a fortunate break for Kraush.
The problem was that the Demon Lord couldn’t immediately pinpoint Kraush’s location. He would need some time to track him down.
[ I intended to discreetly share your location, but getting close to the Demon Lord is a bit tricky. Especially here in the Kingdom of Jeblam, where it’s hard to set spatial coordinates. ]
“Yeah, that makes sense. The Demon Lord is known for his extreme aversion to World Erosion.”
The Demon Lord had longstanding notoriety for hating World Erosion.
While Kraush didn’t know his complete past, he had heard bits and pieces about how major issues in his life were tied to World Erosion.
‘He’s unaware that he belongs to a family descended from World Erosion.’
The fact that the Ephania family were descendants of the White Dragon King was one of the reasons it had to be kept a secret.
The consequence was that Crimson Garden also found it difficult to relay information.
“Couldn’t we get a message through the Emperor?”
[ Regarding the Ariod family and the Junon family’s not-so-great relationship, you already know, I presume. ]
“Tsk.”
The Junon family, the Empire’s best sword family, and the Ariod family, the Empire’s foremost magic family.
Given that both of them held top positions in the same nation, it was no wonder they couldn’t get along.
[ There’s no way to communicate with the Emperor either. ]
Sirius, the Emperor, was still in recovery mode.
He wouldn’t be able to make many appearances to avoid jeopardizing his health.
‘Unlike the Emperor, the Demon Lord hasn’t developed a close relationship with the Royal Family.’
When the Demon Lord rose to prominence, it was during a time when the Emperor was heavily ill.
Being one of the youngest among the Ten Great Lords, his loyalty to the Royal Family was also comparatively low.
In fact, the Demon Lord prioritized the First Prince over the Emperor.
Thus, even if Lakradiyon and the Imperial Forces formed an alliance with Sigrid, it wouldn’t change the fact that he wouldn’t bow down to her.
So Sirius was hesitant to showcase an unstable state to the Demon Lord for the sake of Imperial prestige.
“Damn this Empire.”
In any case, it was a frustrating empire where families kept colliding for their own gains and prestige.
[ Don’t worry too much. The Fourth Princess has moved. ]
“Sigrid?”
[ Yes, she’s the one who prompted the Demon Lord into action. The reason you’re temporarily stuck in the Empire was something she orchestrated right away. She’s one sharp cookie. ]
No wonder she was considered the brains of the Empire.
Her situational assessments were impeccable.
[ I also plan to contact the Fourth Princess, so keep that in mind. Your location will be sent to her. ]
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Kraush finished his request and stood atop a tree.
He gazed into the distance at the expansive forest that stretched to the horizon, accompanied by the swelling river below.
Until the flood ended or a powerful mage capable of teleporting arrived, he had no way to escape.
‘I can only do this.’
Kraush felt the presence of the White Dragon King’s egg, which lay dormant within him.
Even now, it still radiated the power of the White Dragon, trying to make Kraush its host, yet with the help of Ignis, it was thwarted.
If the Demon Lord took too long to arrive, Kraush would have to face Ixion directly.
With that in mind, Kraush had no intention of sitting idly by.
‘A week.’
In that time, he needed to crack open the White Dragon King’s egg to harness its power.
As the rain fell in the Forest of Giants, Kraush’s blue eyes shone brightly.
A complete time attack battle.
Let’s see who can be the fastest of them all!