### Chapter: 399
Between the rays of sunlight filtering through the window,
Tap, tap—
The sound of a pen tapping against a table echoed.
With his uniquely dark blue hair and pure white eyes,
He was none other than Kraush Balheim,
a young man nearing his mid-twenties at the ripe age of twenty-five.
He was known to the world as the hero who saved it,
one of the world’s four strongest beings,
the Celestial Knight and Dragon King,
all that jazz.
The world was now in the Age of Great Exploration,
and Kraush, serving as themander of Icarus that led this era,
was currently deep in thought.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Just then, Kraush lifted his head at the voice that called to him.
What he saw was a head of ocean-blue hair.
Her hair was braided on both sides,
and even though she was the same age as Kraush, she had a youthful appearance and build,
not to mention an adorably smug smile.
Once someone who was hard to read,
now he knew all too well what went on inside her head.
It was none other than the Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.
“…So, are you secretly practicing how to hide your presence or something?”
As Kraush posed this question upon noticing Sigrid had entered his office,
she smiled warmly.
“Well, I’ve been practicing to sneak into my lord’s chambertely.
If the other wives find out, it’ll cause quite the stir.”
Sigrid straightened her back, puffing up a bit as she said this, prompting Kraush to give her a lingering look.
Since ending the kingdom of Jem and winning the fierce battle against Abe,
Kraush had led a life even more chaotic than before.
And the central figure of that overwhelming life was none other than Sigrid.
Kraush had confessed to her beforehand that he would lose all his powers afterpletely awakening the Holy Sword.
Indeed, Kraush had lost everything:
the powers of world erosion and aura vanished, leaving him feeling entirely empty.
The only thing remaining as a vessel was thanks to the immortality granted by the Crimson Garden.
Had it not been for that, he would have surely faced death.
However, Sigrid didn’t leave Kraush alone just because he lost his powers.
Instead, she pulled his reputation and aplishments to elevate him as themander of Icarus,
cing him on the throne of the Celestial Knights.
Honestly, from Kraush’s perspective, having lost all his powers,
he felt like throwing the title of Celestial Knight into the nearest bonfire.
Yet politically entwined, he couldn’t just throw it all away.
In a way, the main reason he was suffering the most at present boiled down to her presence right before him.
“Why do you look at me like that? Is it because your wife is so beautiful?”
Sigrid shed her signature gleeful smile, and Kraush chuckled softly.
“Considering the one who cried inconsbly not long ago is now unting herself in my chamber… it’s a bit absurd.”
At that very moment, for the first time, Sigrid’s body jolted at his words.
She rolled her eyes dramatically before puffing her cheeks out.
“…What should I do about that? My body may be small, but my endurance is short, you know—too deep and it gets a bit much.”
As those words left her lips, she gently pressed her hand against her stomach.
Indeed, on the night they had their first time,
Sigrid had been so bold with her provocations that she led the way,
but after starting, she had ended up sobbing in Kraush’s arms for a while.
This was quite the awkward situation for Kraush,
who had tofort her with gentle pats, hugs, and kisses.
Of course, they eventually adapted, staying up all night, but
Sigrid had quite the struggle back then.
Seeing her now only reminded Kraush of that day, and he cleared his throat.
As he did, Sigrid chuckled softly and approached him.
Then she perched her cute butt on hisp,
resting the back of her head against his chest.
“If you want, I could head to your chamber right now.”
“…No way. It’s not your turn today.”
Kraush said that, but he wrapped his arms around Sigrid’s waist.
It was a remarkably natural move, quite different from their earlier days.
Kiss—
At that moment, Kraush’s attention was drawn to the soft sensation on his cheek.
“How can you talk about other women when I’m right here?”
There was Sigrid, a blend of yful teasing and subtle jealousy in her voice.
“If I go to such lengths,”
Kiss—
“to gain my lord’s affection,”
Kiss—
“then you ought to shower me with affection too.”
Every peck from Sigrid wouldn’t stop.
Eventually, Kraush, overwhelmed by her relentless charm offensive, raised his hands in surrender and pulled her in for a hug.
“I think you’re beautiful.”
“Then, who’s the prettiest in the world?”
“The Third Princess, Sigrid Ephania.”
“Ah.”
Sigrid smiled with satisfaction.
Though she was hailed as the brightest mind in the world, moments like these revealed her surprisingly simple nature.
“So, what exactly were you so deep in thought about?”
Finally, they returned to the main topic of discussion.
As she pointed out, Kraush was indeed lost in thought until Sigrid arrived.
He decided to share his concerns with her.
“It’s about something regarding the Divine Realm.”
Lately, Kraush had been researching the Divine Realm alongside the Demon King and the Crimson Garden.
And this matter had been quite the headache for him as ofte.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Those four warriors emerging when the ultimate evil blooms.
Kraush had been continually pondering why they appeared when the ultimate evil manifested.
He first encountered their existence in the previous cycle.
They shattered the world and led it to copse in utter ruin.
At first, Kraush thought the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were merely created by the world erosion to take control.
However, on the day he met the deity after the fierce battle with Abe,
he sensed the existence of those Horsemen beyond the Divine Realm.
Why were they there?
This question lingered heavily in Kraush’s mind.
It likely hinted at the next threat that could soon fall upon the world.
So, to prepare for that, Kraush had been diligently researching the Divine Realm.
“I heard that the Demon King and the Crimson Garden made progress studying the Sacred Magic Abe used.
They’re likely to have contact with the Divine Realm soon.”
“Hmmm, they’ve really pulled off a feat, huh?”
Though she was known for her remarkable intellect,
Sigrid wasn’t particrly adept in magic.
So, her surprise reaction to their achievement was palpable.
“Which is why I’ve been trying to gather as much information as I can about the Divine Realm before that happens.”
“Sounds like you picked some candidates.”
Though Kraush was gathering intel on the Divine Realm,
he had been quite busytely, hardly taking the time to delve seriously into it.
However, after a few years, the Demon King and the Crimson Garden finally managed to open a connection to the Divine Realm,
so it was no longer a matter he could keep postponing.
“Yeah, so for the time being, I n to meet with two people.”
The candidates he had in mind were none other than the Sea King, Dino Bardon,
and Princess Sera Sephyra of the Sephira.
Dino was the only one capable of directlymunicating with the deity he made a contract with.
Considering that deities typically grant powers post-mortem, then leave,
Dino was quite the extraordinary case.
Thus, if he could converse with the Water God through him, it would yield meaningful results.
Sera, on the other hand, was an astrologist.
They discovered the Divine Realm’s connection through Abe’s Sacred Magic.
By merging her astrology and Sacred Magic, they possibly could uncover more insights into the Divine Realm.
Additionally, there was also the matter of timing with Sera.
“It should have been this year, originally.”
This referred to the promise Kraush made to prevent Sera’s death.
With Kraush having dealt with Ixion, it was safe to say her life was no longer in jeopardy,
but still, a promise is a promise.
During this time, Kraush nned to be at Sera’s side.
Though he had virtually no power left,
he wondered if he could even be of help.
“Looks like I’ll be busy again.”
“Were you not busier than me?”
Even though Kraush held the position of Icarusmander,
it was actually Sigrid who secretly steered the world’s current state.
In just five years, Sigrid had managed to extend her influence far and wide.
Thus, she, just like Kraush, had be incredibly busy.
With her immense intellect came tasks only she could manage.
“I’m just doing my best so we can all thrive together. Rather thanin about the busyness, I feel a sense of pride in it.”
“If only I could just give up the positions of Icarusmander and Dragon King.”
“Nope. If that happens, you’ll just be partying with other women every day.
I don’t want to see you end up ruining your life.”
What a bizarre deration that was.
In the end, it sounded like she was justifying making Kraush work longer to avoid him spending more time with the other wives.
Kraush sighed and rested his chin on Sigrid’s shoulder.
“I may not be the best at expressing affection, but I don’t think I’ve ever given you less than what you deserve.”
Initially, Kraush had even found it absurd that Sigrid liked him,
but now, he had certainly grown to care for her deeply.
No, urately speaking, it felt more like she had stolen his heart.
She genuinely worked hard for his sake,
and Kraush clearly recognized that her efforts had brought him this far.
Plus, her uniquely charming approach made it hard for even Kraush to remain untouched.
After restoring the world and entering the Age of Great Exploration,
on the day he became themander of Icarus,
Sigrid boldly appeared before him.
“I didn’t tell you, did I? Anyone who dares ignore you, regardless of their stature in this world, won’t be allowed to keep sitting pretty.”
Sigrid straightened up and shed him a bright smile.
Under the moonlight, her grin shone even brighter than the moon itself, fitting for a princess.
So beautiful,
Kraush thought.
“There’s no one in this world who can dismiss the one I love. If they dare, I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. Just so you know.”
How bold her derations were,
Kraush couldn’t help but smile at her.
“However, I’m not particrly fond of doing all this for free. How about a kiss, at least?”
As the leader of the world alliance, all she asked for was a kiss.
It felt like a pretty bad deal, but
given her conviction,
Kraush wrapped his arms around Sigrid’s waist.
He then lifted her chin and kissed her.
Sigrid’s eyes widened in surprise,
having never expected Kraush to take such initiative.
There was something uniquely delightful in knowing this was a moment only for them.
Though he would probably catch some ck from the other wivester,
the charm of this princess truly ensnared even Kraush.
As he pulled away from the kiss, Sigrid’s face rxed, and she blinked dreamily.
This was the first time Kraush had kissed her.
Thus, Sigrid’s pupils trembled as if caught in a gentle thrall.
“How many points did I get for that?”
Sigrid, curious about the points she often joked about, asked Kraush, who grinned.
“Full marks.”
Sounds like the easiest full marks one could ever earn.
And so, Kraush epted his bond with Sigrid.
When this news reached the Emperor,
he weed it with open arms, raising both hands.
Kraush’s father-inw was indeed a consistent man.
Yet for some reason, Sigrid had been unusually jealoustely.
“I bet it’s because we had our wager.”
At that moment, Sigrid lifted her gaze to cradle Kraush’s face with her hands.
She then whispered in a tone as if sharing a secret,
“The one who has a child first will be the next first wife. Isn’t it only natural for a princess to aim for first?”
This was a conversation Kraush had overheard through Lirina not long ago.
What were they discussing behind his back?
Kraush couldn’t shake the feeling of worry.