Chapter 199
The 4th Princess of the Empire, Sizelry Ephania.
Somehow, Kraush found himself alone with her in the room of the men's dormitory, sipping the tea Alicia had brewed.
"How did you even get into the men's dormitory?"
"Maidservants come and go all the time. Is there a problem?"
Generally, the servants were predominantly women.
So, as Sizelry said, maidservants did frequently come and go.
However, he wondered about female students who were still enrolled at the academy.
"I even saw some students whispering sweet nothings to maids on the way here. What does it matter?"
She tapped under her eyes with her index finger, claiming she had seen it with her own eyes.
While such relationships were rare, it wasn't unheard of for love to blossom between maids and students.
After all, they were at an age where such things were natural.
"Besides, the dormitory head is from the Empire. This is what power is for, isn't it?"
She waved her thin arms energetically.
Due to her naturally weak body, her arms, which had barely any muscle, looked as though they might break with a single touch.
"Moreover, I hear there's a maid who frequently visits your room as well. You're quite the playboy, aren't you?"
Was she talking about Lirina?
Seeing Sizelry giggle while covering her mouth, Kraush let out a sigh.
"Enough with the trivial talk."
Kraush decided to end this line of conversation.
"Let's get to the main point."
Kraush had contacted Sizelry through Mary.
It was to ask her to find the traitor within the Royal Family connected to the Hell Fairy and Ixion.
Sizelry, too, had recently been suspicious of the Royal Family's strange movements and had moved to confirm it with her own eyes.
So, as soon as she heard the information Kraush had gathered, she began her investigation.
Sizelry's intellect was said to be the best in the Empire, perhaps even in the world.
Kraush, who knew her mental prowess well, was curious about her opinion.
Sizelry remained silent for a moment before taking a sip from her teacup.
Just from that action, he could tell this wasn't a topic she could easily bring up.
As Kraush waited silently, Sizelry slowly tapped her arm with her index finger.
Then, she glanced sideways at Kraush.
"First of all, as you and I suspected, there is indeed a traitor."
Sizelry, who had confirmed the existence of the traitor, seemed hesitant to say more.
"And to be honest, I'm not sure if it's okay to tell you this, Kraush."
"Because I am a Balheim."
Sizelry and Kraush were quite close.
To be precise, they got along rather well.
Sizelry, who had matured early due to her natural intellect.
Kraush, whose mental age had already diverged far from his peers due to experiencing regression.
While Sizelry often played pranks, their conversations generally flowed well.
However, that didn't mean they could ignore their respective positions.
Sizelry was a princess of the Ephania Empire.
Kraush was a direct line of Balheim in the Starlon Kingdom.
The Ephania Empire and the Starlon Kingdom weren't exactly enemies, but they did keep each other in check.
Kraush was the sword of the Starlon Kingdom.
Naturally, Sizelry and Kraush couldn't completely escape this dynamic.
So, Sizelry hesitated to bring up this topic lightly.
"If things go wrong, you'll become a target of the Empire."
And there was another reason Sizelry couldn't bring herself to speak.
It wasn't because she was worried Kraush would use the information to harm the Empire.
It was purely because the Empire's blade might be pointed at Kraush.
The Empire was strong.
Starting from its sheer population, it also had the highest number of the Ten Strongest Under the Heavens, as well as the knight orders that guarded the Empire.
In terms of the quality of its knight orders, Balheim had the upper hand.
But the difference in numbers was overwhelming.
If it came to war, no matter how strong Balheim was, the Starlon Kingdom would be at a disadvantage in terms of national power.
In such a situation, if Kraush, a direct line of Balheim, learned the Empire's secrets?
The Empire would undoubtedly act immediately.
"For now, I've taken precautions. The Royal Family doesn't yet know I've been gathering information."
But even Sizelry wasn't omnipotent.
To be precise, the people around Sizelry weren't omnipotent.
If she set her mind to it, she could handle things without a single mistake.
But she couldn't control the mistakes of the people around her.
This world doesn't run on the efforts of one person alone.
"Once you hear this, you'll inevitably be entangled."
Sizelry was genuinely worried about Kraush.
She owed him her life once.
Even though she had made preparations, if Kraush hadn't been there, Sizelry would have suffered significant harm.
Given her naturally weak body, the consequences might have been irreversible.
So, Sizelry wished for Kraush's safety.
His personality was one to jump headfirst into danger.
If he learned this information, he'd surely dive into the flames like a moth to a fire.
"Sizelry, let me ask you one thing."
At that moment, Kraush spoke.
"Can you handle this matter on your own?"
Upon hearing his question, Sizelry bit her lip slightly.
Sizelry was a princess of the Empire.
She was undoubtedly one of the highest-ranking individuals in the Empire and wasn't powerless.
But her position was ambiguous at best.
She couldn't directly influence the Empire.
She had deliberately distanced herself from the Empire.
It was to prevent those who valued her intellect from gathering around her and causing chaos in the Empire.
The Empire was currently in a turbulent era.
The Emperor of the Empire had recently shown signs of poor health and was confined to his sickbed.
Those vying to succeed the Empire were subtly pointing their blades at one another.
Sizelry couldn't get involved in that.
No matter how brilliant her mind was, her position as the 4th Princess and her naturally weak body were obstacles.
"I can't."
So Sizelry spoke honestly.
She couldn't do anything about the Empire on her own.
If she tried, it wouldn't be impossible, but it would take an enormous amount of time.
And in the process, irreversible consequences could arise first.
"Ixion is truly a group of lunatics with dangerous ideologies."
Sizelry also knew about Ixion's information.
She had heard it from Kraush, and recently, other nations, as well as the Empire, had started noticing their presence.
The incident at Hardenhartz had been so significant.
Other nations were actively gathering information because of it.
"They must be suppressed before they spread their wings and run rampant."
To do that, it was essential to identify the traitor within the Royal Family.
When Kraush asked, Sizelry remained silent for a long time.
Perhaps feeling parched, she tilted her teacup once more before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Kraush, then may I ask you just one question?"
"Sure."
"What form does the Empire take on the path you are heading?"
Sizelry Ephania, who hid the White Dragon Jade Seal from this world to protect the Empire until the end, and took her own life.
She always wished for the Empire to move in a beneficial direction.
Kraush, who was looking at her, slowly parted his lips.
"I don't think any nation can move forward in a single established form."
Every nation has its time of destruction.
And that direction is always different.
"The Empire is the Empire."
Therefore, Kraush did not define the form of the Empire.
"Whether it's Starlon or the other 4 Kingdoms. They're all the same."
Sizelry, hearing those words, slowly let out a soft laugh.
"That's just like you."
Then, with a slightly more relaxed expression, she leaned back against the chair.
"The Empire's traitor is the Emperor's Sword, Celestial Emperor Dalphiron Junon."
And then, the real bombshell was dropped.
* * *
Celestial Four Strongest.
Celestial Emperor.
Dalphiron Junon.
The Junon Family, which has supported the Royal Family since the Empire was first established.
Although they are now at eternal rest, they once produced the Sword Emperor, a former member of the Celestial Four Strongest, known as the world's greatest swordsman.
Even now, they still have a member of the Celestial Four Strongest, known as the Celestial Emperor.
Perhaps because of this, many often say.
If Balheim exists in Starlon, then Junon exists in the Empire.
The problem is that the current Patriarch of the Junon Family is colluding with Ixion.
"......."
Kraush's expression became deeply furrowed.
Well, it was a natural reaction.
No matter how strong Kraush is now, there's nothing he can do about Dalphiron.
He is one of the Celestial Four Strongest, standing shoulder to shoulder with Balrok Balheim.
Yet, because of this, a question arose.
Kraush had met Dalphiron before.
'He is someone who is fiercely loyal only to the master of the Royal Family.'
He follows only the commands of the one who becomes the master of the Royal Family.
In fact, it's said that to ascend to the throne in this generation, one must earn his trust.
That such a person is colluding with Ixion?
It was an inconceivable situation from the start.
'No matter how much regression acted as a variable, Dalphiron wouldn't have made such a decision alone.'
That means there's someone who moved him.
And there's only one person in this world who could move him.
Kraush's eyes landed on Sizelry.
Sizelry, in turn, gave a complicated smile.
That smile carried many meanings.
'Synox Ephania.'
The current Emperor of the Empire and a person whose illness has recently worsened.
That was all.
Kraush opened and closed his lips repeatedly.
He realized why Sizelry had declared that she couldn't resolve this matter.
Starting with the Celestial Emperor, Dalphiron Junon, who was untouchable.
Let alone the Emperor.
No matter how one looked at it, it was an incident that the 4th Princess couldn't possibly handle.
At the same time, Kraush began to furrow his brows gradually.
Because Kraush had realized one truth the Empire was desperately hiding.
Moreover, he had figured out why the Emperor had joined hands with Ixion.
'The roots have rotted away. So, they're trying to replace the roots. Is that it?'
Kraush knew why the Emperor had fallen ill.
From the beginning, it was a disease that had been passed down through the Imperial Family for generations.
On average, it begins to manifest after the age of 50 and eventually consumes one's life.
This disease was etched into the bloodline and couldn't be cured, even by the Saintess.
The Emperor must have joined hands with Ixion to resolve this disease.
'He intends to erase the disease passed down in the Royal Family, including himself.'
Kraush understood why Dalphiron had helped the Emperor collaborate with Ixion.
Even though Dalphiron is loyal to the Royal Family, he advises when the Emperor makes a wrong decision.
However, this time, he agreed because the intent was to make the Royal Family even stronger.
Kraush tapped his folded arms.
'Poison Blood Tome.'
The Poison Blood Tome came to Kraush's mind.
'Indeed, even before the regression, the Poison Blood Tome was stolen.'
That means the Hell Fairy and the Emperor had already joined hands.
'The Poison Blood Tome was needed to erase the disease etched into the Royal Family's bloodline.'
At that time, Ragren had chosen to remain neutral between the Royal Family and the local nobles.
Ragren was a significant power even among the local noble factions.
Although the power of the local noble factions has considerably diminished now.
Back then, the local noble factions were quite influential.
'Even if they demanded the Poison Blood Tome, Ragren wouldn't have handed it over easily.'
Instead, they used Ixion to push Ragren into a crisis.
Then, they extended their hand to bring the neutral Ragren over to the Royal Family.
In the process, they could also obtain the Poison Blood Tome, killing two birds with one stone.
Kraush finally realized why the Royal Family and Ixion had stolen the Poison Blood Tome from the Ragren Family.
'But.'
Before the regression, that incident had been completely erased from this world.
Kraush focused on why that had happened.
'Something occurred between the Hell Fairy and the Royal Family.'
And because of that event, the Royal Family let go of Ixion's hand.
The fact that the Emperor eventually died of the disease was proof of that.
Moreover, since the Royal Family couldn't leave evidence of their collaboration with Ixion, Dalphiron must have acted personally.
'Dalphiron's skill.'
With that, it was certainly possible to erase the Hell Fairy's existence from this world.
That skill is also why Dalphiron is called the Emperor's Sword.
'But this time, the Hell Fairy hasn't been erased yet.'
Kraush already knew who had intervened.
The Red Witch Abella.
She had inserted herself between the Royal Family and Ixion.
Using the World Erosion Being known as the Hell Fairy.
At that moment, Kraush felt a faint headache.
The situation was turning out to be more troublesome than expected.
Moreover, the matter of the Royal Family's disease was something Kraush had only properly learned about just before the regression.
"What should we do now?"
As Kraush was racking his brains, Sizelry asked.
She looked at Kraush with eyes full of genuine concern.
Meeting her gaze, Kraush slowly raised his head.
And soon, a long sigh escaped from Kraush's lips.
The World Erosion Beings Group, Ixion.
The world's most powerful nation, the Ephania Empire.
This was an absurdly large-scale matter with both involved at the same time.
If one were to get caught in the fight between whales, they might easily be crushed to death in a single blow.
However, Kraush's eyes were shining brightly.
"If it's me, I can solve it."
Kraush held the key to resolving this matter.
And the method Kraush thought of was simple.
The disease passed down through the Royal Family.
He just needed to take it upon himself.
After all, he had the Black Hood.
Kraush could steal the curse, which was akin to a disease.
And Kraush had already done this once before.
'Sigrid Ephania.'
It was Kraush who had stolen the disease that had even afflicted that wretched woman.
To do so, Kraush had to meet him.
"Sizelry, can you arrange a meeting with Dalphiron Junon?"
The Celestial Emperor, Dalphiron Junon.
The Emperor's Sword of the Royal Family, that is.