TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 139
While Kraush waited for Haring in front of the Women’s Dormitory.
The female students kept glancing at Kraush as they passed by.
Of course, since Kraush was such a topic of interest, it was a natural reaction.
However, no one approached him readily.
Because there weren’t many who could speak to him fearlessly in front of the name Balheim.
“Kraush?”
However, if it’s someone from the same Balheim family, that’s an exception.
Kraush looked up, following the voice that called his name.
“Sister.”
There stood a woman with hair the same color as his.
Sword Star, Charlotte Balheim.
She seemed to have just returned, as her body was slightly damp with sweat.
Perhaps because of that, even though it was spring, a slightly warm aura could be felt.
The Lion Order had returned.
“Mr. Kraush!”
And beside her, for some reason, was Karandis.
The 9th Princess of the Poseus Kingdom.
Karandis Poseus.
Like Charlotte, her clothes were wet with sweat, and due to her healthy-looking skin color, she exuded a certain charm.
Upon seeing Kraush, she waved her hand with a bright smile.
“Why are the two of you together?”
Surprised by the unexpected company, Kraush showed a puzzled look, and Charlotte glanced back.
“She followed us when we returned.”
Kraush roughly guessed the situation.
It was Karandis who wanted to marry him.
She must have been part of the Lion Order, where Charlotte was the commander, on this mission.
Naturally, she would have followed Charlotte around.
Her intention was to win over his family first.
The only unfortunate thing was that the family member was Charlotte.
Charlotte seemed completely uninterested in whether Karandis was by her side or not.
“Hehe, we were mission partners!”
Karandis smiled cheerfully, saying it was fine anytime.
She had a remarkable mental strength.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, as always, looked at Kraush with lifeless eyes.
“So, why are you here, Kraush?”
“I was waiting for someone.”
Charlotte’s gaze turned toward the Women’s Dormitory.
She looked at Kraush with a strange expression before speaking.
“You’ll get tired if you forget you have a fiancé. It’s better to reconcile even if you’re not on good terms with your fiancé.”
“K-Kraush, are you not getting along with your fiancé? Then, there’s a way to get a new fiancé…!”
After hearing the story, Karandis pointed at herself with both index fingers, showing a hopeful look.
And Kraush ignored her.
“It’s a misunderstanding. I’m getting along well with Bianca.”
“If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter.”
Still, it turned out well.
He had planned to meet Charlotte afterward anyway.
“Sister, can we talk about the Student Unit?”
Kraush thought he needed Charlotte’s help to resolve this matter.
To be precise, he needed the help of her and her unit.
“Did you come to see me?”
Charlotte slightly widened her eyes and then gave a faint smile, her trademark.
“Good thinking. As expected of my brother. Wait for me.”
Saying so, Charlotte, seeming to be in a better mood than usual, went into the dormitory.
It seemed she intended to come out after washing up and changing her clothes.
“Is something going on?”
After Charlotte went inside, Karandis didn’t follow but asked Kraush.
Looking at Karandis, Kraush gave a malicious smile.
“There could be a war between the Empire and the Starlon Kingdom due to a dispute. Do you want to get involved?”
“Goodbye! It was so nice to see you today. Let’s meet again!”
Karandis quickly ran away.
No matter how eager she was to get married, getting involved in a situation of this scale would be overwhelming.
Moreover, since Kraush hinted that she shouldn’t get involved, she quickly backed off, sensing the situation.
‘She’s quick-witted.’
Though not as brilliant as Sizelry, Karandis was no ordinary woman.
Indeed, as the 9th Princess of Poseus, surrounded by royalty, she was capable of surviving.
Anyway, things worked out well.
It seemed they could finish their discussion quickly.
Just as Kraush sighed in relief, a person appeared from the Women’s Dormitory with Austria.
A girl with a unique hair color mixed with black and purple.
Haring Lagrain.
“…Kraush.”
Unlike when he last saw her, her face was very dark.
“Are you okay?”
Kraush asked upon seeing Haring.
Her face was a complete mess.
Of course, she must have wanted to return to the Empire immediately after hearing her father was seriously injured.
But she had no luggage in her hands.
With a blank expression, she stood there, not knowing what to do.
Seeing this, Kraush roughly understood the situation.
‘The Ragren Family must have told her to wait and do nothing.’
They probably didn’t tell her the reason.
Because it was a top-secret situation for the Empire.
The Ragren Family must have had to keep quiet as well.
“…Yeah, I’m okay.”
Haring answered with a dazed look.
Her mind was completely gone.
She couldn’t focus on the conversation at all.
Even a cat abandoned on a rainy day wouldn’t look this bad.
Kraush glanced toward Austria.
Austria seemed determined to listen to the conversation as well.
She stood with her arms crossed and her head tilted back.
Well, it didn’t matter if Austria heard.
Kraush decided to speak.
“I came to talk about your father.”
For the first time, Haring’s shoulders twitched.
“I’m planning to go to Hardenhartz to chase the World Erosion Beings that attacked the Poison King.”
Haring, who had been looking down, slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were trembling violently.
She looked as if she was questioning whether she had heard correctly.
“You.”
Austria was looking at Kraush with slightly furrowed brows.
Her expression seemed to ask if that wasn’t too reckless, no matter what.
“…What are you talking about?”
On the other hand, Haring wore an expression that showed she couldn’t understand why Kraush was saying this.
The World Erosion Beings that severely injured the Poison King are currently hiding in Hardenhartz.
Of course, a matter of this scale is something the Empire and Starlon should directly handle, not something for students without any official rank from a family to undertake.
At best, if a junior like Haring went, she would only face oppression, and that would be fortunate.
Moreover, even Haring, whose father was directly involved, was told by her family to do nothing.
And that was the most painful thing for Haring.
Having lost her brother due to World Erosion Beings, she had trained relentlessly her entire life to prevent such a thing from happening again.
Despite such efforts, and even though her family was once again in mortal danger, she could do nothing.
That fact gnawed at Haring’s heart.
She hated and suffered from that sense of helplessness the most.
But now, Kraush was telling her this.
That he would go to Hardenhartz to chase the World Erosion Beings.
As Haring repeated those words to herself, her face slowly began to turn pale.
“Wait, just wait, no. Kraush.”
Haring staggered towards Kraush.
Haring, who absentmindedly grabbed his collar, shook her head like a child.
She seemed very distraught after hearing Kraush’s story.
Haring had tried her best to live up to this day by maintaining her composure and repeating her training.
However, her inner self had long been rotting.
Her brother had died because of her.
That fact had tormented her for life.
Memories of counting numbers alone in the Poison Room remained as scars in her heart, hard to erase.
And today, the news of her father, the Poison King, being severely injured added another cut to those scars.
Pus and blood kept oozing from the festering wound.
Despite her efforts, her family once again ordered her to stay still.
The sense of helplessness began to pull her back to that time again.
At that moment, hearing Kraush’s declaration that he would go to the World Erosion Beings, her heart sank.
After the mission, Haring often saw her brother’s reflection in Kraush.
He was more mature than his peers and often showed Haring the demeanor of an older brother, even unintentionally.
And that image kept reminding Haring more and more of her brother.
She was already confused about her father’s situation.
So much so that her soul was confused enough to mistake Kraush in front of her for her brother.
“…No. I don’t want to lose someone like that again.”
She spoke incoherently, trembling.
Since she couldn’t go herself, Kraush was going instead.
That situation felt too similar to when her brother had left her alone in the Poison Room.
At that moment, she felt something cold touch her hand that was clutching Kraush’s collar.
It was none other than Kraush’s hand.
That hand slowly warmed up and spread warmth.
“Haring.”
Kraush called her name.
Haring slowly raised her head to meet his gaze.
Kraush’s face, with the sun behind him, was slightly shadowed.
“Due to this incident, the relationship between the Empire and Starlon will reach its worst.”
To Haring, whose eyes were trembling, Kraush slowly explained why he had to go.
“I intend to stop it. With World Erosion breaking out everywhere, the two countries fighting each other won’t help at all.”
Kraush’s eyes were more serious than ever.
He truly intended to stop this incident himself.
World Erosion.
For Haring, who had lost her brother to World Erosion, it was the thing she most wanted to stop.
“And to stop it, I need your help.”
Haring’s eyes began to slowly widen.
Rahelrn Academy is ostensibly a place of unity.
It represents the will of the Empire, the four kingdoms, and small groups to fight World Erosion together.
That was the reason Rahelrn Academy was established.
And within Rahelrn Academy, there is a structure called a unit.
While currently used for factional struggles, the original purpose of a unit was for those who believed in the commander to form a unit regardless of their origin.
In other words, the structure of a unit was meant to be the most fitting embodiment of the term “place of unity.”
In such a unit, a direct descendant of Balheim and the daughter of one of the Ten Strongest Under the Heavens, the Poison King, are members.
And for the daughter of the Poison King, they would go together to Hardenhartz to help avenge the Poison King.
As a symbol of unity to show the world, it would be the best.
“This alone can make the Empire hesitate to recklessly enter Hardenhartz.”
The Empire is trying to storm into Hardenhartz under the pretext of avenging the Poison King.
But the one with the strongest claim to that pretext is Haring, the daughter.
Once she moves as the representative of the Empire, the Empire, having lost its pretext, can do little.
Moreover, with Starlon supporting even the direct line of Balheim, it can show its commitment to the Empire’s cause.
“This alone can somehow put out the immediate fire.”
In diplomatic relations, the most important thing is ultimately the pretext.
So, what Kraush needed now was Haring.
She was the symbol of the pretext the Empire held in this incident.
“That is…”
Haring’s eyes began to tremble violently.
Even in her confusion, Haring partially understood Kraush’s story.
She wasn’t stupid.
So, Haring was even more flustered.
She hadn’t expected Kraush to suggest they go together.
Overwhelmed, she opened her mouth.
“…My family told me to do nothing and wait.”
As expected, the answer Kraush anticipated came back.
So, Haring must have been even more anxious.
Being told to stay still by her family must have been maddening.
Kraush’s hand, which was holding Haring’s, tightened a bit more.
Just that made Haring feel as if Kraush’s warmth was being transmitted to her.
“You are a student of Rahelrn Academy before being a member of the Empire.”
Everyone here, away from their families, holds the status of an Academy student.
“Forget about family or anything else; as a student, you just need to act according to your student status. Even if you act recklessly, it can be seen as youthful impetuosity.”
The unit they belong to is going to support Hardenhartz together.
So, though they intended to wait, they had no choice but to go together.
If they said that, the family couldn’t immediately stop them.
“This world is weaker than you think when you push forward recklessly.”
Kraush said so and gave a mocking smile towards the world.
“I hate not being able to do anything.”
And he looked into Haring’s eyes.
Kraush’s eyes, meeting hers, shone brighter than ever.
“I hate the helplessness of not being able to do anything the most.”
Because he had to live like that his whole life.
This world gives the worst results to those who live helplessly.
So Kraush struggled relentlessly until today, and he continued to struggle.
And he intended to struggle this time as well.
He would stop the war that Arthur couldn’t prevent, even if he had to roll on the ground.
“So I’m going to struggle to the death.”
Haring stared blankly at Kraush.
“You should struggle too. No matter what your family says, what the people around you say, or what the world says. Do the best you can.”
And those words were the first time Haring, who had only ever been told to do nothing,
had been told to do something.
Haring’s body began to tremble.
Instead of helplessness, a new emotion began to rise from deep within her heart.
Her face, which had been deathly pale, gradually regained its color.
Strength returned to her body, which had been drained of energy.
“And insist on going to repay the debt from the last mission. The Ragren Family pays back debts twofold, don’t they?”
A boyish, playful smile appeared on Kraush’s lips.
“……”
Haring stared blankly at that smile.
For a long time.
“Ha, huhuhu.”
For some reason, a chuckle escaped her lips.
Her face, which had been tormented until moments ago, couldn’t help but laugh.
Perhaps it was because she, who had been as expressionless as Bianca, was now laughing.
Kraush looked at Haring with a surprised expression.
Well, it wasn’t like her emotions were suppressed because of the Doll’s Eye.
It was only natural that she could laugh.
“……You know, I lost my real brother in a World Erosion caused by a World Erosion Being.”
Kraush fell silent for a moment upon hearing her words.
Kraush didn’t know much about Haring, the Poison Phoenix.
He had only vaguely sensed that she had lost something in the past and carried a trauma because of it.
He couldn’t know the full extent of it.
Thanks to that, Kraush realized why Haring was so obsessed with revenge against the White Ghost.
Why she poured out her hatred even if it meant abandoning her family.
‘Well, she must have been driven mad.’
Bianca could become a White Ghost because she became a servant of a World Erosion Being.
So she lost her family twice because of World Erosion Beings.
“But this time, when I heard that my father was also a victim of a World Erosion Being, I couldn’t bear it. And yet, they told me to just stay still again. I felt so helpless. All my efforts seemed meaningless.”
The words to stay still.
Those words were the most dreadful and helpless to Haring.
In the end, what came back to her for staying still was her brother’s death.
In such a situation, Kraush had spoken.
Telling her not to stay still.
“……So it’s a debt.”
Having barely stopped chuckling, she stepped a few paces away from Kraush.
Instead, a faint smile still lingered on her face.
“This too is a debt, so I’ll pay it back.”
If she felt that way.
“Yeah, do as you please.”
Kraush would only respect her will.
[Why can’t you leave the girls alone?]
And for some reason, he got cursed at again.
Even Austria looked at Kraush with a slightly displeased expression.
It was quite unfair for Kraush.