TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 7
The Holy Land of Stars.
Kraush let out a dry laugh as he listened to the overly grandiose name once again.
It was a name that exuded an immense sense of pride, fitting for the offspring of nobles.
Well, these were the ones who believed they were the future leaders of Starlon.
It was only natural, after all.
‘Though the reality is destruction.’
Do these kids even understand the duties of a noble?
Nobles are respected in this world because they stand against the World Erosion on behalf of others.
Some feel that duty and train diligently every day.
Others fail to feel that duty and simply indulge in parties—that’s the reality.
Kraush wondered how many proper individuals would actually be present in the Holy Land of Stars gathering.
Inside the rattling carriage.
The Holy Land of Stars, where he was headed with Bianca, was located a bit far from Balheim.
As a result, Kraush had to spend about a day in the carriage.
Kraush looked at Bianca, who was nodding off in front of him.
Bianca, who loved reading, seemed unable to focus on books in the carriage.
She had been staring blankly for a while, and before he knew it, sleep had overtaken her.
‘I was wondering why it was so quiet.’
For Kraush, he could use the carriage time to train his aura.
But for Bianca, who didn’t have such things, it was only natural for her to feel sleepy.
The problem with carriages is—
Rattle!
They could shake unexpectedly due to the road conditions.
At that moment, Bianca, who had her head lowered, was thrown forward along with the shaking carriage.
Being young and small in stature, she was light.
So, even the carriage’s shaking caused her to lift off the seat.
Kraush quickly reached out to catch her, letting out a sigh of relief.
When he looked down, Bianca was staring at him with wide, round eyes.
“Mr. Kraush?”
Kraush set her upright and stood up from his seat.
Then, sitting down next to her, he gently laid her head on his lap.
“Sleep.”
Bianca, now using his lap as a pillow, glanced up at Kraush.
Though he was blunt, his kindness was evident.
Bianca soon closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Using the soft sounds of Bianca’s breathing as background noise,
Kraush gazed out at the scenery beyond the carriage window.
Perhaps because it was his first time coming out at this point,
the streets looked unfamiliar, unlike before.
Thinking, ‘So there are places like this,’ the day of the carriage journey passed.
The place Kraush arrived at was a luxurious building situated on an island in the middle of a lake.
The building, accessible via a bridge in the center, was originally the most famous tourist spot in the area, the Arayon Pavilion.
But today, the entire pavilion had been rented out for the Holy Land of Stars gathering of Starlon’s noble offspring.
The location of the Holy Land of Stars gathering was decided in rotation,
and this time, they had indulged in extravagant luxury.
Kraush stepped out of the carriage first and looked at the Arayon Pavilion.
“What a waste of money. Such a waste.”
Ever since he was sent to Rahelrn Academy as if being chased out of Balheim,
Kraush had received almost nothing beyond basic support.
As a result, someone like him, who had developed a proper sense of money, couldn’t view such extravagance favorably.
“Mr. Kraush.”
In the meantime, Bianca opened the carriage door and stepped out.
Rubbing her eyes, she looked for Kraush with her still half-asleep gaze.
Lately, Bianca had been looking for Kraush first as soon as she woke up.
“You’re awake. You were snoring a lot.”
“I don’t snore.”
She answered firmly, her expression serious.
“But you were.”
“I don’t.”
Seeing her stubbornness in such a trivial matter, Kraush shrugged his shoulders and turned to Aliod.
Aliod brought over a prepared coat and draped it over Bianca’s shoulders.
“It’s cold, so wear it properly.”
Listening to Kraush’s words, Bianca pulled the coat tighter around herself.
“Ah, since you’re from the North, maybe this level of cold is fine for you.”
Thinking he might have been meddling, Kraush said that, but Bianca shook her head.
“It’s warm.”
The coat’s warm fabric quickly made her forget the winter chill.
“Let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
“Both of you, please take care.”
As Kraush began to walk, Bianca once again followed behind him like a chick.
The interior of the Arayon Pavilion was as luxurious as its exterior, with an opulent lobby catching the eye.
“Welcome to the Arayon Pavilion.”
A servant approached and greeted Kraush and Bianca.
Kraush took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over.
“Confirmed. The party hall is on the 8th floor. I’ll guide you there.”
The 8th floor, the highest floor of the Arayon Pavilion, and the most expensive one to rent.
Hearing that it was chosen as the party hall, Kraush clicked his tongue and followed the servant.
Shortly after, Kraush ascended to the 8th floor via a magic elevator.
There, servants dressed in expensive clothing stood in rows, bowing simultaneously as Kraush and Bianca passed by.
“Mr. Kraush Balheim and Miss Bianca Hardenhartz are entering!”
With the loud announcement from one servant, the doors to the party hall opened.
Instantly, the gazes of those inside turned toward them.
“Balheim?”
“That must be the youngest, Kraush, right?”
“The half-penny of Balheim.”
As soon as Kraush entered, murmurs erupted everywhere.
For Kraush, this level of gossip was nothing new.
At Rahelrn Academy, he endured far worse than this.
But among the murmurs, there were those who truly stood out.
“Balheim? An interesting guest has arrived!”
“Balak, behave yourself.”
Kraush spotted a group in the distance.
One was a man with feline features, his arm adorned with tiger-like patterns.
Another was a tall woman, likely only 14 years old, who strangely reminded him of a magpie.
But the most striking of them all was the man seated at the center.
With chestnut-colored hair, slightly drooping eyes, and a handsome face,
he was Aniks Graiza, one of the Skyborne Generation and known as the Wooden Bow.
They were the true powerhouses of this party.
Unlike the others, they had already awakened to their talents.
The term “Three Prodigies representing Starlon” referred to them.
They all shared an intriguing gaze directed at Kraush.
However, their interest in Kraush was not necessarily a good sign.
‘Certainly.’
It must have been due to an incident that occurred in the Holy Land of Stars.
Through that incident, they experienced the overwhelming gap between Balheim and ordinary martial families.
‘Charlotte single-handedly took down twenty martial noblemen from the Holy Land of Stars.’
And she did so overwhelmingly, without sustaining a single scratch herself.
After that incident, Charlotte never showed herself in the Holy Land of Stars again.
Kraush only recalled that incident when Aliod introduced him to the Holy Land of Stars.
And the way Ruth learned about that incident was peculiar as well.
Because Charlotte herself had come and told Kraush about it.
‘She said she deliberately wore a clinging dress that revealed her chest to throw flirtatious glances.’
The sight of her giggling in that dress in front of him was nothing short of terrifying for Kraush.
This was because Charlotte was the closest thing to a malicious human being Kraush had ever known.
‘Bad memories are resurfacing.’
While Kraush was feeling rather unpleasant, he noticed the gazes shifting toward Bianca.
“Hardenhartz? The Conqueror of the North?”
“Bianca? That girl who was called the Snow Woman, right? I heard there’s news of her engagement to Balheim.”
“One’s a cursed child, and the other’s a half-penny. They’re young, but what a waste of looks.”
“Don’t stare. You might catch the curse.”
Perhaps because she came with him, Bianca also received her fair share of hostile stares.
Kraush didn’t care much about the criticisms directed at him, but lumping Bianca into it irritated him, so he shot a sharp glare at the noisy ones.
His already fierce eyes twisted menacingly, and those who feared the name Balheim naturally averted their gaze.
Those who lived by power feared greater power above them.
“Mr. Kraush.”
At that moment, Bianca, who had been following him, called out to him.
Thinking she might be uncomfortable, Kraush turned his head, and Bianca gently tugged at his collar.
“Don’t mind what others say.”
Kraush looked at Bianca for a moment, his expression one of disbelief.
Did this girl not even hear the insults directed at her?
Kraush stared at Bianca and then let out a scoff.
“I don’t give a damn.”
If anything, Balheim was scarier. Why would he care about something like that?
“What does ‘damn’ mean?”
At that moment, Bianca’s question made Kraush close his mouth and turn away to walk.
He resolved to be more cautious about swearing in front of Bianca.
* * *
Even after the two of them arrived, people continued to enter, and the party carried on.
Thanks to that, the stars were busy chatting among themselves, and Bianca and Kraush were soon forgotten.
‘He didn’t come, did he?’
Since this was the Holy Land of Stars, where the heirs of Starlon’s ten noble families gathered, Kraush had expected him to come and had come here for that reason.
Kraush felt like he had miscalculated.
And then it happened.
“Darling Danphelion is entering!”
With the servant’s loud announcement, a person walked in.
The first thing that caught the eye was her thick blonde hair, braided and tied up.
Her sharp nose and a radiant smile that lit up her entire face.
With a slender, moderately tall figure, she wore both a skirt and pants, unlike the other women in dresses.
Moreover, her top, adorned with frills yet simple, was an unusual outfit that momentarily drew everyone’s attention.
“She always arrives at such a late hour; she must love drawing attention.”
“Ugh, what a weirdo.”
“Ah, Darling, you look stunning as always.”
Strangely, opinions about her were incredibly diverse.
And to Kraush, she was the oddest of the odd.
She was also the reason Kraush had come to the Holy Land of Stars this time.
‘There’s no way that attention-seeking woman wouldn’t show up at a gathering full of her peers.’
His prediction was spot on.
“Hello, everyone, hello!”
Watching her enthusiastically greet everyone as soon as she arrived, Kraush immediately started walking.
“Bianca, wait here.”
“Mm, okay.”
Bianca, who had been nibbling on the meat Kraush had brought her, answered with her mouth covered.
Since she was already good at waiting alone, there shouldn’t be any problem.
With that, Kraush strode toward Darling, who was surrounded by people.
Seeing Kraush approach, those gathered around Darling began to step aside.
They didn’t want to get involved with Kraush and end up suffering for it.
Thanks to that, Kraush was able to stand in front of Darling quite comfortably.
Seeing Kraush, Darling tilted her head.
“Huh? A kid I haven’t seen before.”
Darling was three years older than him.
So, seeing her treat him like a child, Darling tilted her head again as she observed the reactions of those around her and Kraush’s face.
“Hmm, that face… I’ve definitely seen it somewhere…”
“Kraush Balheim.”
As soon as he introduced himself, Darling’s pupils sparkled for a moment.
At the same time, her eyes filled with interest.
It was only natural.
Because she was a woman utterly obsessed with Charlotte.
Not as a mere fan, but genuinely and wholeheartedly.