TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 51
The Red Magic Tower.
One of only three Magic Towers in the entire world, and home to the Flame King, one of the Ten Strongest Under the Heavens.
The Red Magic Tower has one distinctive characteristic.
It is their extreme belief in the omnipotence of magic.
They believe that magic can solve absolutely everything.
Thus, they disregard non-mages and view skills and curses with particular disdain.
This is because they consider human-created magic to be superior to divine blessings or curses.
Ironically, this very belief is what placed the Red Magic Tower at the pinnacle among Magic Towers.
To solve everything with magic, they possess the most open-minded approach when it comes to magic itself.
This relentless pursuit of new horizons through magic allowed them to ceaselessly develop and grow, making them one of the most outstanding Magic Towers.
Thus, every kingdom supports the Red Magic Tower.
Regardless of their ideology, the sheer power of their magic made cooperation with them extremely beneficial.
Kraush was now in Halgram, the Magic City that housed the Red Magic Tower.
‘As expected.’
A place befitting its title as the Magic City, where all sorts of magical items overflowed—Halgram.
A quick glance around revealed a man lighting a cigarette effortlessly with a magic tool.
Magic tools had become a part of everyday life here.
And for Kraush, this place was far from pleasant.
‘Abella.’
One of Arthur’s three women, she had lived here.
The memory of being unable to acquire magic-crafted painkillers here still lingered vividly in his mind.
Abella had gone to great lengths to ensure Kraush never set foot in the Red Magic Tower.
To be precise, she had done everything to keep him from even entering Halgram.
This was because the one who had always treated her with indifference reacted so intensely when it came to the Red Magic Tower.
“Tsk.”
It seemed prudent to find out what she was up to now.
While innate magical power was important in the field of magic, the most critical factor was the knowledge contained within one’s mind.
Among the three who had inherited memories, Abella was, in Kraush’s view, the most dangerous.
If she had sufficient mana, she would quickly reclaim her status as the great mage once called the Red Witch.
‘The fact that I’ve regressed must never be revealed to her, no matter what.’
Kraush was certain that this required his utmost caution.
‘Although, knowing her…’
For some reason, she might just ignore him again.
“Mr. Kraush.”
At that moment, Kraush heard Bianca’s voice as she stepped down from the carriage after him.
She looked around with an expression of fascination.
“So this is Halgram?”
“Yes, the place where the Red Magic Tower stands.”
“When I’m with you, Mr. Kraush, I get to see so many places.”
Halgram was a free city located quite far from Starlon.
It had taken nearly three weeks just to get here, and Bianca had endured the carriage journey with some difficulty.
Although, she had spent most of the time sleeping.
“Next time, just stay at the Green Pine Mansion. Don’t bother tagging along and tiring yourself out.”
Kraush needed to keep growing stronger over the next year.
That meant he would be traveling frequently, with more carriage rides ahead.
When he warned her, Bianca furrowed her brows slightly.
“No.”
This girl had certainly become more expressive.
The way she had secretly smiled while eating Imperial chocolate a while ago was proof of that.
“I like being by your side, Mr. Kraush.”
With that, she brushed her white hair lightly as she moved closer to Kraush’s side.
Kraush scratched his head and pretended to be uninterested as he saw her actions.
“Do as you wish.”
“I will.”
Lately, was she winning in their verbal exchanges?
The thought of being outmaneuvered by a mere 13-year-old left Kraush momentarily pensive.
“Mr. Kraush Balheim.”
At that moment, Kraush lifted his head at the sound of a voice.
A man clad in a blue uniform stood before him.
The man, who wore a matching uniform cap, bore the emblem of Balheim on his chest, along with five engraved sword hilts.
The Fifth Sword of Balheim.
It was the symbol of the Blue Sea Knight Order.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Reblian Fenox, Vice Commander of the Blue Sea Knight Order.”
Fenox was from one of the knight families affiliated with Balheim.
An elite background, yet he was now part of the Blue Sea Knight Order, the fifth-ranking knight order.
‘He’s been pushed out in the competition for positions.’
Kraush, roughly guessing the man’s circumstances, nodded.
“You must’ve heard from the Knight Commander.”
“Yes, I’ve been informed about your desire to join the Blue Sea Knight Order, Mr. Kraush. I’ve come to serve as your guide, but before that, may I ask you one question?”
With great politeness, he made his inquiry.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of starting as a grunt in the Blue Sea Knight Order. My reason for affiliating with you is simply to avoid openly announcing that a Balheim direct line member has come to the Red Magic Tower.”
Kraush, already understanding the question, preemptively clarified.
His decision to join the Blue Sea Knight Order was merely to create an alibi.
Upon hearing this, Fenox placed his hand over his chest and bowed.
“Understood. My apologies. In that case, I will serve as your assistant until your goal is achieved.”
While considered the Fifth Sword within Balheim, outside of it, the Blue Sea Knight Order was regarded as the equivalent of a family’s representative knight order.
And yet, the Vice Commander of such an order was treating him with such courtesy.
To a boy who was only 14 years old, no less.
Kraush keenly felt the weight of the authority held by Balheim’s direct line.
At the same time, he was reminded of how insignificant his voice had been in the past.
‘The Head Butler must have spoken very highly of my passing the trial.’
In the past, Kraush wouldn’t even have been treated well by the Eighth Sword, let alone the Blue Sea Knight Order.
But things were different now.
Balheim no longer saw Kraush as a half-penny.
‘Still, there’s a long way to go.’
If it were Charlotte, the Knight Commander of the Blue Sea Knight Order would have come running personally.
“Coordinate with Aliod, my personal butler, for any arrangements.”
“Understood.”
After bowing once more to Kraush, Fenox turned to speak with Aliod, who stood behind him.
Watching this, Kraush realized he was feeling hungry.
Spending so much time in the carriage had left his meals lacking, which seemed to have stimulated his appetite.
‘It’s important to eat well at times like this.’
Kraush was in the middle of a growth spurt.
With his height and weight increasing daily, proper nutrition was essential.
“Aliod, let’s grab something to eat nearby.”
“Shall I assign someone to accompany you?”
Aliod, who had been conversing with Reblian, immediately asked.
However, Kraush, who detested such arrangements, waved it off.
“No need. Carry on with your work. I have a general idea of where the Blue Sea Knight Order is. I’ll head there after eating.”
“Understood.”
Although Kraush said this, he was well aware that someone would be following him.
Unlike the time he had secretly traveled to the Empire, this time, his arrival had been officially reported to Balheim.
For anyone in the direct line of Balheim, it was customary for a covert knight skilled in shadow work to accompany them in secret until they reached adulthood, in addition to their butler.
Thus, a guard knight was currently following Kraush, unseen.
Thinking about it now, Kraush realized how much effort Aliod must have put in behind the scenes when he had traveled to the Empire.
Even if Kraush was considered a half-penny, a direct line was still a direct line.
Had something happened to Kraush in the Empire, Aliod would have immediately lost his authority as a butler and would likely have faced execution.
However, Kraush was both Aliod’s benefactor and master.
For that reason, from the moment Kraush had made his request, Aliod had risked his life to send Kraush outside the Empire while meticulously ensuring no harm would come to him.
In this regard, Kraush once again appreciated Aliod’s reliability.
Even among Balheim’s elite butlers, few could accomplish such feats.
“Bianca, let’s go eat.”
“Yes.”
At Kraush’s call, Bianca immediately followed.
She held onto the back of Kraush’s coat as she curiously looked around at Halgram.
As Kraush stepped out into the main street, the area had already begun to fill with a bustling crowd.
“Oh.”
Perhaps because of this, Bianca, who had been holding onto Kraush’s coat, got swept up in the crowd and inadvertently let go of it.
Bianca quickly raised her hand, trying to grab hold of Kraush again.
But before she could, Kraush’s hand suddenly appeared through the crowd and grabbed hers.
As he lightly pulled, Bianca was drawn right back to Kraush’s side.
When she looked up at him with wide eyes, Kraush clicked his tongue.
“You lose your grip because you’re too distracted.”
Kraush had been keeping an eye on Bianca to make sure she was following him properly from behind.
When he realized she had let go, he had immediately grabbed her.
“I’m sorry.”
“As long as you know. Don’t let go and stay close.”
Saying this, Kraush held Bianca’s hand and continued walking.
Bianca quietly stared at Kraush’s hand holding hers.
It was a hand that Kraush had often reached out with to help her.
Though he was brusque, he was always attentive in moments like this.
Perhaps due to the daily training, his hand was rough and larger than hers.
Yet, for some reason, this time, the hand holding hers felt warmer than usual.
Though the spring season was now in full swing and the weather was mild, it was far from hot.
Bianca couldn’t quite describe the tingling sensation at her fingertips.
A gentle spring breeze brushed against her cheeks.
The lively chatter of people on the busy street echoed in her ears.
The warm rays of the spring sun streamed down from the sky.
The fragrance of flowers decorating the roadside faintly tickled her nose.
Amid Halgram’s warm spring atmosphere,
Bianca felt as though, despite the crowd, it was just her and Kraush together.
And strangely enough, it was a rather pleasant feeling.
Even though all they were doing was walking hand in hand.
Bianca blankly stared at Kraush’s back.
Though she regretted not being able to see his face, she thought this wasn’t so bad either.
“We’re here. As expected, this place is still around, Bianca… Why are you grinning like that?”
Having stopped at their destination, Kraush looked at Bianca curiously.
Bianca, startled, lowered her gaze from their hands and belatedly raised her head.
Then, she tilted her head while covering her cheek with her free hand.
“Am I grinning?”
“Yeah, your face looks just like when you’re eating chocolate or dozing off.”
Bianca blinked.
Then, for some reason, she pouted her lips slightly in a sulky manner.
“I’m not grinning.”
“No, your face right now is exactly—”
“I’m not.”
When she firmly denied it, Kraush gave her a baffled look.
Just moments ago, her lips had been curling up, and her eyes had been unfocused—what was she on about now?
‘Did she see something she really liked or what?’
Not entirely sure, Kraush said,
“Well, anyway, we’re eating here.”
Bianca belatedly looked up.
There, she saw an old-looking restaurant.
Looking around, she realized they had wandered quite far from Halgram’s main street.
“It looks old.”
“You shouldn’t say that outright. Don’t mention it when we’re inside.”
They might get side-eyed for it.
So Kraush warned her and stepped inside.
“Oh my, such cute customers.”
At that moment, a staff member saw Bianca and Kraush and smiled warmly.
It was because the two young-looking individuals had entered while still holding hands.
Noticing this, Kraush suddenly realized he was still holding Bianca’s hand.
When he let go, Bianca immediately grabbed his hand again.
Kraush froze and looked back at Bianca.
Bianca, too, blankly stared at Kraush.
It was as if she herself didn’t know why she had grabbed his hand again.
“…You told me not to let go.”
Why was she speaking as if she were the one annoyed?
“You don’t have to hold hands inside the restaurant.”
When Kraush let go again, Bianca quietly clasped her own hands together.
The staff member, who had been watching warmly, guided them to a table.
Though there was a seat across from Kraush, Bianca naturally sat next to him.
Kraush, already accustomed to this, opened the menu.
After calling over the staff to order food Bianca liked, he casually glanced around.
It was lunchtime, so the likelihood of encountering them was high.
Kraush’s eyes landed on someone sitting in a secluded corner.
Upon seeing them, Kraush let out a sigh in disbelief.
‘Found them already.’
A woman with light brown hair, stuffing bread into her mouth while placing food into a basket handed to her by the staff.
Kraush recognized her all too well, with her half-closed, dazed expression.
She would one day be known as the Flame Emperor.
The personal maid of Aslan Igrit.
The key to linking him with the one possessing the Lunar Body.