### Chapter: 281
When Kraush opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a familiar ceiling.
Why? Because this was the infirmary of Rahern Academy.
‘If I remember correctly, that Demon Mage opened the way for me last.’
Fortunately, it seemed he had been transferred here immediately after the spatial shift.
Kraush rubbed his throbbing forehead and slowly got up.
The surroundings were quiet. It must have been early dawn.
‘When I see Aria, I’m definitely gonna hear about this.’
[ Who taught you to rush through such a transformation process like that? ]
Instead, Crimson Garden‘s reprimand came first.
What Kraush did was clearly an act of self-destruction.
If he wasn’t careful, he could have ended up not just transforming but being completely immobilized instead.
Yet, Kraush paid no mind and went head-to-head with Terasius.
“I just felt a need to show him what I’m capable of.”
Clearly, Terasius would now help him with any request.
But whether he would genuinely help was a different story altogether.
Terasius still hadn’t given up on creating a magical race.
For him, it had become a lifelong ambition.
Even if Kraush, who could now discuss magic, was present,
it was still harder to suddenly abandon a life’s purpose.
For Terasius, witnessing Kraush awaken as a Dragon King would have been an invaluable data point for his research.
So it was obvious that Terasius would invest even more in Kraush’s transformation.
That was a clear advantage on Kraush’s part.
“And also, I just really didn’t like him.”
Sometimes, emotions trump reason.
Kraush simply disliked Terasius‘s actions.
And since he wanted to dish out a punch, he did it.
[ You simple-minded fool. ]
Kraush gave a short laugh and unsteadily rose from his bed.
Despite having received treatment from Aria, his body still wasn’t in full working order.
Kraush, in his still-dazed state, walked over and opened the infirmary door.
At that moment, someone standing outside jumped and got up.
With drool on the side of her mouth, she hurriedly looked in his direction.
Bioloren Jeblam.
She was the daughter born between a Demon Mage and a Kekkeshis.
“What’s up? You woke up?”
She looked up at Kraush, feigning innocence as if she hadn’t been dozing off.
“What are you doing outside?”
“...I heard the holy maiden with the big chest needs to rest for at least a night. Are you already okay to move?”
“I’m getting used to it.”
Kraush pretended to be fine while stretching his arms lightly.
But the creaking sound from his arms made Bioloren shoot him a skeptical look.
“Stop screwing around and get back inside to rest. Who in their right mind would pick a fight with that guy? Why do something worse than world erosion?”
“I can’t deny that.”
Kraush leaned against the open door.
“But it felt a bit refreshing, didn’t it?”
“...”
At the next words, Bioloren fell silent.
Then her tiny hand grabbed Kraush‘s collar tightly.
Kraush looked down at her, grinning widely.
In response, Bioloren quickly averted her eyes and parted her lips.
“...Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
As Kraush teased her, Bioloren seemed to grow a little mischievous and kicked his leg.
“Ow!”
Thanks to that, Kraush barely managed to maintain his balance, almost toppling over.
Surprised, Bioloren rushed to steady him as he teetered.
“Geez, was that really that painful?”
“Yeah, I just got off the bed!”
“Ugh! Anyway, who told you to make that kind of face?”
Then it meant there must have been some sort of trade-off with her.
Kraush was puzzled about that specific point.
What deal did Kekkeshis strike with the Demon Mage that led to Bioloren’s birth?
But if she had been part of Ixion from the get-go, it would all make sense.
Her purpose for striking a deal with the Demon Mage?
It would be to achieve their mutual goals of creation.
‘But the Demon Mage treated Bioloren as a failed experiment for creating a magical race.’
But then, why would Ixion be targeting her now?
The moment Kraush thought this, he lifted his gaze to look at Bioloren.
“...Bioloren, didn’t your mother, Kekkeshis, say she left when you were a child?”
“Yeah, she did.”
Bioloren responded with puzzlement, as if questioning what he was driving at.
“Did she do anything before leaving?”
Bioloren blinked in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Did she tell you any vital secrets before leaving?”
Bioloren tilted her head while searching her memories.
“There’s no way she would have...”
“Think really hard. Is there really nothing? I’ve got doubts about why Ixion is targeting you now.”
“Hmm.”
Bioloren seemed to be trying to squeeze her memory as hard as she could.
But her expression remained unchanged.
[ Didn’t she leave you with a barrier? ]
At that moment, Crimson Garden‘s voice unexpectedly chimed in.
“A barrier, you say?”
Kraush shot a question to Bioloren.
At that, a crow flapped into view by the window.
[ In terms of memories, if Kekkeshis did something and didn’t want it revealed, she could’ve tampered with your memories. ]
Kraush’s eyes widened.
It was a story with ample possibility.
Kraush quickly turned to Bioloren.
“Bioloren, can you check if there’s a barrier inside your body?”
“A barrier?”
“Your mother might have placed a barrier on your memories.”
Bioloren blinked again.
Slowly, she began to recall the possibility that such a thing could exist and widened her eyes.
“Wait a moment.”
Bioloren, on hearing that, hurriedly sat next to Kraush’s bed.
Then, she closed her eyes quietly, taking a deep breath.
She started to search her insides quietly, looking for a barrier.
Before long, Bioloren opened her eyes, her expression one of astonishment.
“...It’s really there.”
She had thought about placing a barrier outside her body.
But had never considered putting one inside herself.
Now that she found it, she locked eyes with Kraush.
“Remove it.”
She spoke as if made a resolution.
Bioloren took a deep breath, and began slowly unraveling the barriers filled in her mind.
Kraush, knowing she needed his full focus, stayed silent and just watched her.
After a while, beams of light began to pour from around Bioloren, and she gasped sharply.
Her face turned pale, and cold sweat dripped down.
Despite Bioloren’s powerful barrier skill, the one she was unraveling was intricately complex.
It was clear that Kekkeshis had deemed it a memory that should never be reclaimed.
Or perhaps she had also kept others from accessing Bioloren’s memories.
“It’s not working. What did she do?”
“Bioloren.”
Kraush placed a hand on Bioloren’s shoulder.
“I’ll help you.”
Now was the time for the Black Hood to shine.