Chapter 86 Ah, the Heavenly ughter Star!
“I better not make eye contact.”
Kraush quickly averted his gaze from vi, who seemed to have felt his stare.
“It’s not yet time.”
However, vi, having nced at Kraush, turned away. This was because Kraush, disguised as Krad, had an appearance that made it impossible to see where his eyes were directed. The drug from Darling wasn’t something that could pierce through nature or magic to reveal the truth.
“…What was that child trying to achieve by creating such a drug?”
Only Crimson Garden, having noticed this obsession, showed a baffled reaction.
“What are you talking about?”
Of course, Kraush,cking in alchemical knowledge, had no idea.
“Pleased to meet you, Serang Sephira.”“I’m also pleased to meet you! You’re Lilish Balheim, right?”
Meanwhile, Serang and Lilish were exchanging brief greetings, each ying their role as leaders of their respective groups. During this time, Kraush observed Serang. The rampage of vi was triggered by her death, as her astrological solution passed down through the first-ss officers was the key to controlling vi’s Heavenly ughter Star. His uncontroble fury due to her demise had driven the world eroders to decide on war.
“Wait, could it be…”
For a moment, a gleam crossed Kraush’s eyes hidden beneath his eyelids. The issue with vi was something he had intended to postpone as much as possible, difficult as it was to approach him and equally challenging was dealing with Serang, the cause. Moreover, vi wasn’t someone Kraush knew well.
“He’s just a loyal dog of Sephira.”
He was a character entirely unrted to the Skyborne Generation.
“Arthur used vi’s rampage to take control of Sephira.”
It was due to vi’s rampage that Sephira had transformed into Arthur’s pawn. Arthur had saved vi, who had almost been destroyed in his madness, by demanding a price.
“I thought it wasn’t an immediate issue to solve.”
Upon deeper thought, Kraush came up with a strategy.
“I have the ck Hood.”
To steal the Heavenly ughter Star.
That was the idea. At that time, he hadn’t anticipated vi’s rampage, nor had he dared to steal the Heavenly ughter Star. The curses Kraush carried would have gone berserk with joy.
“The Heavenly ughter Star amplifies the effects of the curses it carries.”
The thought of the synergy between his curses and the Heavenly ughter Star was headache-inducing. Hence, Kraush hadn’t entertained the thought of acquiring it, nning on continuing to leverage the power of curses. However, setting aside the dangerous aspects, the Heavenly ughter Star was appealing. It empowered its owner as much as it intensified murderous intent towards others and the world. But Kraush already possessed an ingenious solution for this murderous intent.
“The Snow Doll can suppress the murderous intent of the Heavenly ughter Star.”
Not only that. The amplification of curses carried by the Heavenly ughter Star would surely affect the Snow Doll.
“If the Snow Doll is amplified, it can suppress even stronger mania from world erosion.”
Kraush’s eyes sparkled. Although this was apletely different direction from his original n, ns are meant to be adapted based on the situation.
“Let’s take this as an opportunity.”
He couldn’t tantly use the ck Hood on vi. If he became the target of a skill, it would be unpredictable what vi might do.
“So, the target must be…”
Serang Sephira. He needed to convince the princess holding his leash. Regret filled him; had hee in his true form, he might have attempted an approach.
“Should I change now?”
For now, he decided against making a hasty decision.
At that moment, Kraush felt a tug on his coat. Looking down, he saw Bianca staring up at him with a perplexed expression.
“Is something wrong?”
When Kraush asked, Bianca seemed confused.
“It feels bad. Don’t stare too long.”
Kraush tilted his head at her mention of staring too long at Serang. Although he couldn’t recognize her face under the veil, he decided to drop it seeing Bianca’s expression.
“Second Sword, Fourth Sword, Fifth Sword, all of you wait here. Captains, follow me. We’ll have a meeting with Sephira.”
In the meantime, Lilish led the captains towards Sephira. The vice-captains told everyone to take a short break, granting them a brief respite before the mission.
“Wow, Krad, that was impressive earlier.”
Naturally, the topic of Krad knocking out a member of the Green Wave Knight Order became the focus of conversation.
“Were you trying to look cool in front of your younger sister?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t stay put if my family was messed with.”
Some praised Kraush, admiring his courage as he was rtively younger.
“Still worried though. The Green Wave Knight Order guys must be grinding their teeth.”
“Having been hit by a member of the Blue Sea Knight Order. They must be fuming.”
Others expressed concern and apprehension. Being members of the same Balheim Knight Order and given the tension between the Second and Fifth Swords, shes were inevitable. Kraush, meanwhile, was preupied with his thoughts, confident the Green Wave Knight Order wouldn’t dare touch him after the captains’ reactions. At the moment, his focus was on how to steal the Heavenly ughter Star. The Green Wave Knight Order was thest thing on his mind.
“Brother Krad.”
Just then, Bianca tugged at his coat again. As Kraush was about to deflect, he paused because Serang Sephira was directly approaching him.
“Screech!”
At that moment, Crimson Garden took to the sky, quickly escaping as vi followed behind.
“Uh, there.”
“Miss Serang Sephira?”
The Blue Sea Knight Order members also reactedte, bewildered. From their perspective, it was a shock to have the daughter of Sephira’s leader suddenly appear before them.
‘I thought she followed Lilish. Why is she here?’
A question shed through Kraush’s mind. While he had nced at her, everyone had been looking at Serang, which didn’t justify her approaching him directly.
‘Is something the matter?’
Kraush had rtively less information on Serang. Since she was presumed dead during the time Arthur yed the role of Sephira’s dog, it’s possible she used astrological skills to notice something about him. As Kraush pondered, Serang approached him without hesitation.
“Hello?”
An unexpected greeting followed, with vi’s eyes opening drowsily behind her.
“…A curse?”
vi’s reaction indicated he felt the power of world erosion residing in Kraush. Kraush swallowed hard. This was why he had postponed dealing with vi and Serang. She was the most unpredictable factor due to theck of information about her. Meanwhile, Serang lowered her stance before Kraush.
“Why do you possess three skills?”
Her whisper followed, causing Kraush’s expression to harden. Beneath the veil, the same peach-tinted eyshes that covered Kraush’s disguise were revealed. This woman was perceiving the world in a way that was not ordinary. Something akin to Kraush’s sixth sense but different. The astrological skills traditionally passed down in Sephira were beyond the understanding of ordinary humans. Through it, Serang saw right through Kraush, noticing he possessed three skills. The moment she discovered this fact, Kraush’s frozen expression changed. Serang also noticed the shift in his demeanor, seeing not confusion but the look of an opportunist on his face.
“Serang Sephira.”
Kraush decided to make his move.
“Let’s have a talk.”
He was the type to face challenges head-on.
“A conversation?”
Serang seemed to contemte for a moment before her lips curved into a smile.
“Sounds fun. Let’s do it!”
And so, an unexpected conversation was set up.
＊ ＊ ＊
Receiving the gazes of not only the Blue Sea Knight Order members but also others, Kraush followed the two out. Bianca was left in the care of Crimson Garden. She had wanted to follow, but it wasn’t her ce to intrude.
Kraush and Serang moved to a tent Sephira had set up in front of the Demonic Bastion.
“This will be morefortable for our discussion, right?”
“Yes.”
He had no intention of having a conversation for everyone to hear.
Kraush nced at vi. Fortunately, after his initial reaction to the curse, vi hadn’t taken any action against Kraush. His sole purpose was to follow and protect Serang’smands.
“Please, make yourselffortable.”
Watching her move freely inside the tent, Kraush chose a seat. Serang brought over a tin of cookies and ced it in front of Kraush.
“Do you like sweets?”
“Not particrly.”
“Ah, that’s a shame. The girl likes them, though.”
She took a bite of a cookie and smiled.
“Sweets have a way of making you feel good. So, you wanted to talk with the girl?”
Her conversation took its own course, whether it was whimsical or calcted.
Kraush didn’t quite know.
Instead, he simply raised his hand.
In an instant, the cookie in Serang’s hand disappeared, only to reappear in Kraush’s hand.
The half-eaten cookie was unmistakably the one Serang had been eating.
At that moment, vi’s sword, transformed from an earring, was pointed at Kraush’s neck.
As soon as Kraush used his skill, vi had moved. If he had intended to cut, Kraush would have dodged using Annihtion Erosion.
Kraush knew the sword was merely a threat.
“vi, put it away.”
At hermand, vi withdrew his sword immediately.
“Such an irritable old man.”
Kraush muttered under his breath, while Serang licked the cookie crumbs off her fingers and smiled at Kraush.
“Interesting skill. Got any others to show?”
“I only wanted to show you this one. Instead, I have a proposal that could benefit you, Serang.”
Interest flickered in her eyes as she stroked her chin.
“Let’s hear it.”
“vi, the Heavenly Dog Star.”
As his name came up, vi’s eyebrows twitched. He was supposed to have retired and died long ago. His rejuvenation and return to Sephira were secrets, yet Kraush had just revealed them.
Serang, surprisingly, just smiled and didn’t react much.
“I’d like to take his Heavenly ughter Star.”
Kraush had just demonstrated his skill, implying he could steal the Heavenly ughter Star if he wished.
“The Heavenly ughter Star.”
Hearing this, Serang fell into thought before smiling again.
“It would be quite a boon for vi.”
The good start.
“For Sephira, perhaps not so much.”
The inevitable downside.
“vi is a great guardian for Sephira. The Heavenly ughter Star is a curse to him, but it also binds him to Sephira.”
Removing it would mean vi no longer had a reason to stay loyal to Sephira. Serang was pointing out this issue.
“So, even as a loyal dog, you can’t trust him without a leash?”
Having lived his life for Sephira, was Kraush questioning her trust in him? She shrugged lightly.
“Trust isn’t the issue for us to decide. What I’m saying is that your offercks value.”
In other words, whether Kraush took the Heavenly ughter Star or not didn’t matter much to her.
Kraush, realizing Serang was not an easy opponent, smiled slowly. Unfortunately, he wasn’t an easy type either.
“In two years, at the Olphid Lake in Sephira’s garden.”
He specified an exact date.
“I’ll save you from death.”
An unexpected deration followed, but Kraush’s eyes shone through.
“That’s my offer.”
“Are you grasping at straws?”
“Except you know nothing about my skills.”
Kraush had first used the ck Hood, garnering interest from Serang. She knew the number of skills he possessed but not their nature. Moreover, Kraush had just revealed the secret identity of vi, as if he had a way of knowing.
This fact,bined with his death prediction, prompted a simple question in Serang’s mind. Kraush might possess a skill rted to prophecy.
Serang chose silence. A genius sees ten things when given one.
To Kraush, Serang was akin to the first prince, Hilnider.
Thus, he didn’t hesitate to make his move.
“You know vi’s skill best.”
Serang’s smile stiffened.
vi’s skill, Veritas, allowed him to discern truths and intentions.
The reason Kraush found it difficult to deal with vi was precisely this. The moment he approached with deceit, vi would draw his sword. But in this conversation, Kraush had spoken only truth.
Serang and vi exchanged nces, and vi nodded ufortably, confirming Kraush’s words as truth.
“Your loyal dog speaks the truth. Your life is a sufficient trade.”
Kraush made his move. What remained was her response.
Throughout, Serang maintained herposure, but at that moment, she fell silent.
Kraush’s skills totaled three. Perhaps one could counteract vi’s skill. But to dispel thatst doubt, Kraush ignited a small ck me in his hand, clearly a skill manifestation.
“This should clear any doubts.”
“Ah, haha.”
Kraush deliberately showed a second skill. He possessed information that couldn’t be known without a prophecy-rted skill. At this point, with all three skills essentially revealed, it meant he didn’t have a skill that could negate vi’s.
Checkmate was dered on the board.
“Could you give me some time to think?”
“Of course.”
Kraush stood up from his chair, having made her think, which alone gave this conversation worth. As he turned to leave, he nced at vi but moved past him. With nomand from his master, vi had no reason to fear.
A few minutes after Kraush left,
“Pfft.”
Serang, who had been maintaining her posture, suddenly copsed onto the desk. Theposure and vigor she had shown in front of Kraush were gone, and she now resembled a girl of her age, hesitating and fretting.
“vi, did I do something wrong asking how he came to possess three skills? It wasn’t like a saint or ordinary knight could have them.”
Driven by curiosity, she had approached Kraush, only to end up discussing such matters.
With each word Kraush uttered, she struggled to keep herposure, leading to her fretting after recounting their conversation.
“What should I do, vi?”
“It’s up to you, mydy.”
Though she managed to turn the situation into a negotiation, the unexpected discussion had left her bewildered.
“I shouldn’t have poked around. His face looked so suspicious, kind of scary. Like some underworld viin from a fairytale.”
Recalling Kraush’s imposing aura with his eyes closed throughout, she shuddered, unaware her own face wasn’t much different.
As shemented her situation,
“Sniff.”
Unaware of anything about Serang and having gambled with his move, Kraush sniffled.
‘Maybe I should talk to Crimson Garden about what to prepare next if she takes her time. Theck of information sometimes leads to overestimating the opponent.’
For a moment, Kraush had forgotten the fact that she was Sephira’s princess.