Chapter 110 |
After spending a night in the assigned dormitory room,
the next day,
Kraush was checking his attire.
The uniform adorned with blue embroidery symbolized a student of the Martial Arts department at Rahelrn Academy.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Kraush felt no particular emotion.
He had seen this image countless times during his past academy days.
However, unlike before, Kraush tightened a luxurious dark blue tie around his neck.
It was a gift from Lilish to celebrate his entrance.
“Kraush, congratulations on your entrance.”
But Kraush knew well how much she must have pondered over that sentence.
He should cherish it and use it well in the future.
[Are you happy to be an entrant?]
“Does this face look happy to you?”
[Being the subject of attention should be enjoyable.]
The crow of Crimson Garden perched on the window sill let out a chuckling sound.
Seeing that, Kraush showed a slightly displeased expression.
“Didn’t you say there was another one of your kind in the academy?”
[Yes, among the students.]
“Who is it?”
[Heh, I won’t tell you. Find out yourself.]
What a peculiar personality.
[Just don’t let yourself be underestimated at the academy.]
He thought, who would dare underestimate him now.
Crimson Garden flapped its wings and flew away.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Master Kraush, are you ready?”
“Yes.”
When Kraush opened the door, Alicia was standing there.
She was holding the bag Kraush had to carry and Rain Thunder Prime, smiling.
“It suits you very well.”
“Thank you.”
Kraush took the bag and strapped Rain Thunder Prime to his waist.
The Martial Arts department provided a belt to store one’s weapon, which was convenient.
With Alicia’s send-off, Kraush left the dormitory room.
As he walked through the corridor, other students gradually began to come out of their rooms.
Excluding the servants, the third floor of the dormitory, where only male students resided, was used by the newly admitted students.
Thus, many students seemed excited about the entrance ceremony.
The problem was that when Kraush passed by, they froze and quickly stepped aside.
“That’s Kraush Balheim.”
“I heard he’s quite scary. Better not get involved.”
“Didn’t he defeat an associate professor? I heard he provoked her on purpose.”
Thanks to Kraush’s exceptional physical abilities, he could hear the whispering students perfectly.
‘They think I can’t hear them, but I can hear everything, you fools.’
However, most of them weren’t Martial Arts entrants.
The Martial Arts entrants kept their mouths shut whenever they saw Kraush.
Having seen Kraush’s abilities firsthand, they knew that anything they said would be heard by him.
‘Smart kids.’
Most of the Martial Arts students naturally had strong personalities.
If any of them had shown their temper, Kraush was ready to beat them up, but it seemed unnecessary.
The gap in power that Kraush showed during the entrance exam was too vast.
“Hey, popular guy.”
At that moment,
Kraush turned his head to a hand tapping his shoulder.
There stood a familiar face.
Long red hair.
A face that perfectly fit the description of a handsome young man.
A red uniform symbolizing the Magic Studies department.
Aslan Igrit.
The guy obsessed with spirits.
“Long time no see, Kraush.”
“Aslan.”
Seeing Aslan after nearly a year, Kraush couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed he had been eating well, as he no longer looked skinny and had grown into a handsome young man.
“Did you go on a food tour or something?”
“I ate a lot. Dorothy was seeing many things for the first time, so it was fun.”
His eyes were almost dripping honey; it was sickening.
Seeing his friend in love wasn’t the best sight, so Kraush clicked his tongue.
“So, it must be sad to be apart from your girlfriend.”
“Does it look like that?”
Aslan smiled brightly.
He slightly opened his uniform jacket.
Inside, a small doll-like figure was tucked in Aslan’s pocket.
Kraush, recognizing what it was, paused.
“No way.”
“This is Dorothy, Kraush.”
Dorothy waved her tiny hand from Aslan’s chest pocket.
Kraush looked at Aslan with a bewildered expression.
Who in their right mind would bring a spirit, even a replica, to Rahelrn Academy?
“It’s not her main body. It’s like a replica of Dorothy. But we can still communicate.”
“If a professor catches you, it’ll be a nightmare.”
“I won’t get caught, so it’s fine.”
Really?
Since Aslan said it, Kraush decided not to worry.
“Where’s her main body?”
“With my mother.”
However, the following words were quite unexpected.
Had he reconciled with her mother, Agatha?
Judging by Aslan’s smile, a lot must have happened, even if Kraush didn’t know the details.
He would hear about it later if there was a chance.
“By the way, your story has spread even to the Magic Studies department. It was surprising.”
“It’s nothing.”
“For nothing, it sure caused a stir.”
With Aslan’s chuckling, Kraush walked outside with him.
In the meantime, many eyes were on them.
Not only because of Kraush, but Aslan also drew a lot of attention.
After all, he was the son of the Flame King, the master of the Red Magic Tower, and had a striking appearance.
Naturally, he attracted attention.
Many kids were watching Aslan in a daze.
Standing next to him, Kraush felt a bit discriminated against due to looks.
“When you get to the Magic Studies building, you’ll hear a lot of stories.”
“Having a famous friend sure is a big deal.”
Talking like that, they arrived at the Martial Arts auditorium where the entrance ceremony was held.
The Martial Arts and Magic Studies departments had separate seats.
So, after exchanging a brief greeting with Aslan, Kraush walked to a different seat.
The scattered empty seats.
Every kid froze at the sight of Kraush, hoping he wouldn’t sit next to them.
Maybe he had caused too much trouble.
[Just realizing that now?]
Hearing Crimson Garden’s thoughts through the brooch, Kraush smiled wryly.
Even so, he didn’t want to sit next to those who wanted to befriend him for their own benefit.
Their intentions were too obvious.
Just as he thought it would be difficult to choose a seat,
Kraush found one.
And then an evil grin appeared on his face.
“Is this seat taken?”
“Ah, it’s emp…”
As the woman answered, she froze.
Black hair, an unusually voluptuous figure for her age.
Considered quite a beauty by others, but to Kraush, her face was just irritating.
Mary Diana.
Before returning to the past, she was known as the New Spear.
Mary froze in place when Kraush appeared.
Ignoring her, Kraush plopped down on the chair.
“Is there something on my face?”
“N-no, sorry.”
She quickly turned her head, trying to hide her flustered expression.
She was supposed to defeat Kraush at the entrance ceremony.
But she was defeated without even fighting Kraush.
Kraush had defeated the associate professor, Kairan, head-on.
Mary thought Sigrid would scold her, but fortunately, Sigrid let this one slide.
It was an unavoidable force, after all.
Sigrid only added that if she wanted to be her knight again, Mary had to be the top among the second-year Martial Arts students.
Sigrid also advised her to befriend Kraush.
Mary, being second in the Martial Arts entrance exam and quite attractive, could easily make Kraush like her.
Thus, she had come today determined to fulfill Sigrid’s command.
But unexpectedly, Kraush sat next to her.
She wasn’t prepared for this.
Meanwhile, Kraush leaned comfortably against the chair.
‘How to steal Excel.’
Kraush knew not to judge someone solely by his memories from Pendal.
But there were three people in this world whose nature would never change.
Sigrid Ephania.
Abella.
Mary Diana.
These three had returned to the past just like him.
Knowing their true nature, Kraush had no intention of holding back with them.
His hand in his pocket secretly activated Black Hood.
At that moment, a dial appeared on Mary’s body.
As expected from someone who valued her own skills the most, Mary had four dials.
Amusingly, one was already unlocked.
[Break Mary’s ‘Self-Esteem.’]
Her once high self-esteem as the New Spear.
That self-esteem was thoroughly crushed when she was abandoned by her family and imprisoned.
Now, Mary was on the verge of being abandoned by Sigrid as well.
Naturally, her self-esteem had taken a hit.
Kraush focused on the second dial.
[Defeat Mary in ‘Combat.’]
Mary Diana, the genius spearfighter with the Heavenly Martial Body.
The dial required defeating her in combat.
Normally, it would be an impossible task.
At her peak, there were few in the world who could defeat her.
But now, it was different.
After her imprisonment, Mary hadn’t had much training time.
Despite that, she still placed second in the Martial Arts entrance exam.
Considering her original skills, she was severely lacking.
She would try to regain her former strength as much as possible in the academy.
Which meant,
‘Now is the time.’
He needed a moment to defeat Mary in combat.
‘If I had known this, I would have fought her during the entrance exam.’
Kraush clicked his tongue in regret.
He didn’t have time to check with Black Hood then.
Approaching Mary then would have raised suspicion.
But the opportunity would come soon.
Both were in the Martial Arts department, ranked first and second.
Fate would have them clash eventually.
‘Defeat Mary in combat, unlock the other two dials.’
And steal her skill, Excel.
With that conclusion, Kraush inwardly smirked.
Meanwhile, more entrants filled the seats.
The seats around Kraush filled slowly.
Even though he seemed indifferent, no one dared to sit next to him.
“Um, excuse me.”
At that moment, Kraush heard Mary’s voice and glanced at her.
She was holding a chocolate bar.
“Would you like one while we wait for the entrance ceremony?”
She forced a kind smile.
Unlike usual, she was trying hard to befriend her fellow student.
A normal person might have been charmed by her smile.
Kraush barely held back a grimace.
He looked at the chocolate and spoke.
“I hate sweets so much I don’t even touch them.”
In fact, Kraush didn’t like sweets.
[You always accept treats from that girl.]
Crimson Garden reacted incredulously, but he was sincere.
“Oh, r-really?”
Mary looked bewildered and carefully put the chocolate back.
She mumbled, “…It’s dark chocolate,” while fidgeting.
As she shrank back, someone finally sat next to Kraush.
The number of entrants determined the number of chairs.
Someone had to sit next to him.
“Hello?”
The person next to him greeted.
‘Who would dare greet me in this situation?’
Kraush soon realized who it was.
Dark reddish hair and a healthy, alluring complexion.
An arrogant look with black eyes.
The Starlon family was known as the world’s strongest.
Freeman had the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.
Jeblam had the Magic Emperor.
Among the four kingdoms, only one had the golden line that crossed the Great Sea.
Poseus.
Thanks to trade using the golden line, Poseus was as rich as the empire.
The 9th Princess of Poseus.
Karandis Poseus.
“9th Princess of Poseus.”
“Oh my, Kraush Balheim remembers me. What an honor.”
Kraush couldn’t be pleased to see her.
She came to Rahelrn Academy to find a husband.
The king of Poseus was a notorious womanizer.
His concubines were still giving birth even when the kingdom fell.
The king had fifteen children.
As the 9th princess, her chance of royal succession was negligible.
So, she changed her course.
Since she couldn’t spread her wings in Poseus, she decided to marry a high-status man.
She had never been involved with Kraush when he was a halfwit.
But Kraush had made a grand entrance.
Karandis’s eyes were naturally drawn to him.
She scooted her chair closer to Kraush.
She subtly pressed her chest against Kraush.
“Oh, sorry. The seat is so narrow.”
Nonsense.
Who would push a princess of a kingdom just because there wasn’t enough space?
“Oh, by the way, Kraush, your fight with Kairan was impressive. How are all the Balheims so strong, like Charlotte Balheim?”
She kept smiling and pressing her chest against him.
Kraush watched her and then spoke.
“Stop pressing your fat against me. It’s heavy.”
“W-what?”
Karandis didn’t expect Kraush to speak so bluntly and looked dumbfounded.
Mary, next to him, also flinched and pulled her chest back with her arms, afraid of touching Kraush.
End of Chapter
