### Chapter: 273
The day after finishing his chat with the Demon Lord.
The attitude of the Demon Lord towards Kraush had completely changed.
Previously, it felt like he was just listening with one ear and letting it slip out the other.
But now, whenever Kraush spoke, he was all ears.
“What kind of trick did you pull?”
Baioren looked at the Demon Lord with an expression that suggested he found it a bit creepy.
“Conversation.”
But that was all Kraush could say.
He had simply lent his voice to Crimson Garden, engaging in a deep discussion about magic with the Demon Lord.
That was all he did.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Yet, for the Demon Lord, who had longed for such a conversation all his life, nothing could be sweeter.
‘I never thought I could pull the Demon Lord into this.’
Did Arthur know?
That he could actually bring the Demon Lord to their side.
‘Was he unaware or just too scared to try?’
Arthur had kept a safe distance from the Demon Lord.
Considering how many unpredictable variables there were, he might have thought that getting too close would backfire.
‘It would have been impossible without Crimson Garden, though.’
Without someone as knowledgeable as Crimson Garden, Arthur would have ended up getting punished by the Demon Lord for acting smart.
There was no way relationships could be built this way otherwise.
“Kraush, look over there.”
Just then, Kraush lifted his head at Bianca’s words, who was trailing beside him.
Following her gaze into the woods, a small village began to come into view.
In the vicinity of the Giant’s Forest, under a tree that was larger than the others, small wooden structures were lined up.
Demoran Village.
The village that Kraush had come to for his duties with the Lion’s Order.
‘Definitely.’
Kraush understood why the elemental spirit Dorothy, Aslan’s lover, had said the world erosion felt different here.
The energy of world erosion was so potent that it made Kraush’s nose wrinkle.
He realized this was the process of the creation of the most terrifying seeds.
‘But for seeds to be forming already in typical world erosion... that seems early.’
The most horrific seeds began from the Kingdom of Jeblam, which had long endured world erosion.
So, discovering that seeds were being formed in an area outside Jeblam puzzled Kraush.
Even if the appearance of seeds in other world erosions had been accelerated since they formed in Jeblam,
generally, the ones that had been neglected for a long time would take priority.
‘Since the Giant’s Forest is near the Kingdom of Jeblam, it must be affected.’
Feeling something fishy, Kraush entered the village.
The village was quieter than he expected.
Given that world erosion had occurred nearby, had everyone temporarily evacuated?
He didn’t even hear the usual children’s laughter that would typically echo in a village.
“Something feels ominous.”
Haring, who had a good instinct, rubbed her goosebump-covered arms.
Just like her, Kraush felt a palpable sense of unease.
[There it is.]
In that moment, a presence, as Crimson Garden had mentioned, was felt.
Rushing to the source, Kraush opened the door without knocking.
He pinched his nose at the stench that wafted from within the house.
Then, based on what he saw inside, he hastily stopped those who followed him.
“Everyone, don’t come inside.”
Everyone looked puzzled, but they halted at Kraush’s words for now.
“Baioren, can you cast a barrier on each of us?”
“It’s not difficult, but what are we blocking?”
“An epidemic.”
At Kraush’s answer, Baioren’s face hardened.
She was well aware of how terrifying an epidemic could be.
With that, Kraush’s gaze drifted somberly towards the room.
He could easily eliminate it with Ignis.
He could also cure the Black Hand issue.
Once he had stolen the disease with the Black Hood, he could burn it away using Ignis.
However, the process would take too long.
The Black Hand had become a problem that could not be resolved without Kraush.
“Haring.”
Thus, Kraush decided to start concocting a medicine.
At the call, Haring looked up in surprise.
“With your knowledge of curses and poisons, you could develop a treatment for this disease.”
Before his regression, a cure for the Black Hand had definitely been developed.
However, the developed medicine had various shortcomings.
It was effective only within a week of the disease’s onset and had several side effects.
The reason was simple.
The Black Hand lay at the intersection of a curse and a disease.
This meant both healers and pharmacologists had to work together, leading to constant clashes between the curse and the medication.
This, in turn, resulted in several side effects.
Of course, there was someone who managed to study both curses and medicines simultaneously in Starlon.
The legendary alchemist, Darling Danphelion.
However, she belonged to Starlon.
Back then, relations between the Empire and Starlon had soured drastically, leading eventually to war.
Starlon would not dispatch a talent like an alchemist to a crumbling Empire.
‘It would take far too long for a special cure for the Black Hand to be developed after that.’
But now there was another individual who had studied curses and medicines together.
That was Haring Lagrain.
Haring hesitantly replied, her eyes wide with panic.
“Kraush, I didn’t do it alone.”
Developing a medicine wasn’t easy.
Hence, she didn’t want to display unwarranted confidence.
“I know. I’ll also ask Darling for help.”
Kraush said, glancing at Aslan.
With his magic, reaching out to Darling would be possible.
Aslan nodded immediately in response to Kraush’s direction.
“But if the medicine is successfully developed, you—Haring—should be the sole developer.”
“Me alone?”
“Darling is from Starlon.”
Thanks to Kraush’s ongoing efforts, the negative impacts between the Empire and Starlon had considerably lessened.
However, the Empire still kept Starlon in check, and Starlon did the same with the Empire.
The region struck by the Black Hand was still very much in the Empire’s territory.
The ones most likely to be affected by the Black Hand would ultimately be the Empire’s citizens.
They would naturally be suspicious if it was said that the medicine had come from Starlon and would hesitate to use it.
Hence, Haring’s name as the manufacturer of the medicine was essential.
Haring opened her lips for a moment and then closed them.
She understood that it would be a disservice to Darling.
Having a clever mind, she grasped the entirety of the situation.
“... Got it. I’ll do my best.”
Haring declared firmly, vowing to use all her knowledge to succeed in crafting the medicine.
She looked reliable.
“I’m counting on you.”
If this task succeeded, the Lagrain family would once again make a name for themselves in the Empire.
With a bit of luck, they could become an important family, taking the lead in treating the rising cases of cursed illnesses.
“What about us?”
With roles assigned, Bianca looked at Kraush, who seemed devoid of one himself.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Kraush eased the storm called Rain Thunder Prime, raising his head.
“We need to close the world erosion.”
That was the task at hand.