Chapter 146
Chapter 146
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: Family Matters
-----------------------------------------------------------------
She smiled faintly, lifting only the corner of her mouth as always.
"Feeling scared sleeping alone in a strange place?"
"I've traveled enough that it's not like that."
Charlotte glanced briefly at Haring, who had followed behind Krash.
"If it's a lovers' elopement, big sis can't approve."
That was so like Charlotte, saying whatever she wanted.
"I have some personal business to handle on my own. I plan to take care of it before sunset today."
"You want me to distract the professor, right?"
Charlotte didn't argue, just twisted the corner of her mouth upward.
"But little brother, if you're going to ask your big sis for a secretive favor like that, shouldn't you do something for me too?"
Charlotte was hanging conditions on it.
As Krash leaned in to hear what it was, an absurd answer came back.
"Like a cheek kiss or something."
Krash stared blankly at Charlotte, who tapped her cheek with her index finger.
Then, the ever-impassive Charlotte tapped Krash's cheek with the same finger she'd been using on her own.
"Just kidding."
You couldn't tell when Charlotte was joking.
"There's a meeting between the princess and the prince. The professor won't be able to look away then. Move at that time. I'll allow it."
"Thank you."
Charlotte shut the door right after giving permission.
She'd said all she had to say, so business was done.
"You two have a good sibling relationship."
"Does it look that way?"
To Krash, they seemed anything but close.
Haring apparently thought otherwise.
"Of course. Your sister always grants your requests."
Krash blinked at those words.
Then he turned to look at Charlotte's closed door.
'Certainly.'
Charlotte was selfish and dragged him around everywhere, sure.
But she always prioritized Krash's opinions.
Even back with the Generation of the Sky, Charlotte had once told Krash to leave it.
She'd said she hated seeing him in a place like that.
But when Krash said this was where he belonged,
Charlotte never asked him to leave again.
At the time, he'd thought she was upset that he'd rejected her request.
But looking back piece by piece, she might have actually respected his view.
'Have I ever really looked at Charlotte properly all this time?'
Krash posed the question to himself, then turned away.
It wasn't something that could be resolved overnight, like with Lilish.
But at least after this incident was over, he'd clearly owe her one.
He could repay that debt by ensuring she didn't die at the Sword Sovereign's hands and helping her talents bloom further.
With those thoughts in mind, Krash waited for everyone to gather at the Hardenharts estate.
That would be the moment to move.
'So I have to stop this no matter what.'
It was then, as Krash thought that,
that a commotion started coming from down the hallway.
Krash slowly turned his head toward the noise, and his body instinctively froze.
There, a tall man was walking toward them.
In front of him, Meliochan Hardenharts, the eldest son of the Hardenharts family, was eagerly guiding the way.
His short, dark blue hair swayed gently.
And beneath that swaying hair, his deep blue eyes made his features shine even more.
A face that somehow resembled his own.
The man closest to the Valheim family head position.
One of the Ten Heavenly Powers, known by the moniker Sword King.
Rai Valheim.
He had arrived.
As he walked with Meliochan's guidance, his eyes turned this way.
Judging by the direction, he was probably coming here to see Charlotte.
But before he could meet her, the first Valheim he ran into was none other than the youngest.
"Krash Valheim."
As Rai spoke Krash's full name, Krash straightened his posture.
"It's been a while, brother."
It was hardly "a while" in the usual sense.
Krash could count on one hand the times he'd even met Rai in his life.
He'd crossed paths with his sister Lilish more often than with Rai.
This regression was the first time seeing him.
Perhaps because of that, he stood there a bit tensely, and Rai glanced at Krash's side.
Where Haring was standing.
Haring's fur bristled like a startled cat the moment their eyes met.
Because Rai's gaze pierced right through to a person's core in an instant.
Haring felt it in that one moment.
Strong.
Just meeting his eyes made his breath catch—the aura emanating from Rai was on another level entirely.
At the same time, Krash clearly sensed Rai's strength as well.
'I'm still far from it.'
Krash had faced countless trials and grown endlessly.
Yet the moment he saw Rai, he realized how woefully inadequate he still was.
Even the Ten Heavenly Powers were a distant goal.
"...Keep at it."
Rai stared at Krash silently but said no more.
He wasn't the talkative type, much like Lilish.
Or more precisely, he didn't seem particularly invested in Krash.
He was someone who cared far less about family than even Lilish had in the past.
They merely shared the frame of the Valheim name.
Rai brushed past Krash, showing no intent to continue the conversation.
'He's here for Charlotte probably because she's the student captain of the Lion Corps.'
He'd likely have only a brief talk with her too.
Krash watched Rai's retreating back for a moment, then turned away.
One day, as he grew stronger, he might clash with him somehow.
Rai had only one goal.
To become the head of the Valheim family.
If Krash kept rising, talk of him as family head would inevitably surface somewhere.
Rai wouldn't just sit idly by then.
'I'm a bit curious what that'll be like.'
The day that impassive face showed some emotion.
Krash let out a short chuckle and walked on.
Thinking once again how hard it was to get close to family.
* * *
While the unexpected visitors were crowding the Hardenharts estate,
the estate prepared a party of moderate size.
It was for the search teams to eat, and for those participating in the operation to rest until the strategy was finalized.
Of course, it was a place for regular students and knights to rest.
The student captains and key figures discussing the search were all holed up in meeting rooms.
In front of one such meeting room,
a woman emerged with an uncomfortable expression.
She went to the terrace, put a cigarette in her mouth, and clicked her tongue.
'As expected, this isn't my thing.'
Sena Mayer, academy professor and marquess.
Her head throbbed from the strategy meeting she'd just endured.
A gathering with the empire's infamous brainiac Fourth Princess and Staron's First Prince.
Plus Valheim's deputy head and Charlotte, the genius even among Valheims.
With that lineup, even a single opinion made the atmosphere heavy.
She was just there to oversee as professor.
Handling the mission was the students' job.
So rather than linger in the heavy mood, she'd slipped out quickly.
She was nobility herself, but this kind of thing wasn't her taste.
Especially with Valheim's deputy head Rai making it uncomfortable.
"Guess I'll head to the party."
There was still time before the search teams were finalized.
She figured she'd relax at the party in the meantime.
She entered the party hall.
As she quickly scanned the students to check attendance,
a question arose in her eyes.
The students were all supposed to wait here until the meeting ended and the teams moved out.
So everyone should be present, but headcount was short.
She pushed up her black glasses and counted again.
Still short.
And it was someone who absolutely shouldn't be missing.
"Ha, that cheeky boy."
Sena sighed, craving another cigarette.
Charlotte had talked to her a lot today; clearly, the two had already spoken.
She glanced out the window.
Time to chase the delinquent truant.
＊ ＊ ＊
While Sena slipped out of the meeting room,
the heated strategy session finally wrapped up, followed by a short break.
And in that meeting room, Sisly was lightly swinging her legs back and forth.
Throughout the intense discussion, her composure never wavered—truly befitting the empire's genius.
At that moment, her bodyguard, the Light Sword Sera Betela, approached.
"Lady Sisly, it seems Krash has moved out on his own."
"It's fine. I already knew."
Sisly had noticed Krash's shift in demeanor from the Hardenharts entrance.
So she'd fully expected him to act independently.
'He must have gone to meet the former head of the Night Raven Corps.'
From his reaction, some variable had cropped up.
He'd gone to confirm it, no doubt.
Still, no need to worry.
Professor and marquess Sena Mayer had apparently chased after Krash too.
Krash must have anticipated she'd follow.
He'd probably factored her in as a safety measure.
"Krash has made his move, it seems."
At that moment, a man who had been sipping tea spoke up.
Sisly turned her gaze, and there sat a man with striking violet eyes.
Staron's First Prince, Hilnider Staron.
Though a student, he'd made the trip specifically because the empire's princess was visiting the kingdom, and he'd even joined the search meeting.
He'd participated to observe the people.
He saw this visit to the Hardenharts as an opportunity.
A chance to observe those who would lead the era.
'Quite impressive. Staron will prosper greatly later.'
Sisly inwardly rated him highly too.
So she was curious.
Krash had some connection with the First Prince.
From recent intel, she'd caught wind of some deal between them.
'Roughly, Krash shows power in the academy, and the prince gets help establishing his faction—a partnership.'
The recent rumors dismissing his intel as nonsense?
Likely factions swarming the academy trying to connect late and discredit him.
Sisly pierced it all with just a few lines of info and conversation.
But even she couldn't fully read one person, who always pulled new schemes.
That was Krash.
The same-age boy who endlessly introduced variables, intriguing her.
Every time she saw him, Sisly's lips curved into a mischievous smile unbidden.
Her tomboyish nature kept urging her to poke at him.
Thus, she held immense curiosity about Krash.
"Prince Hilnider, how do you evaluate Krash?"
So she was curious.
Did the First Prince know something she didn't?
"A sword the Valheims hid and raised."
Hilnider answered Sisly frankly.
"That's how I see it."
The reason for his honesty was simple.
He intended to use Sisly's mind to glean firmer intel.
It worked, somewhat.
Sisly blinked, then covered her mouth as she let out a laugh.
"Not wrong."
But not entirely right either.
Hilnider narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
He sensed there was more to Krash.
'Sisly Epania is the empire's pride, a genius. If even she says that, Krash must have even more potential.'
Hilnider's mind, already rating Krash highly, spun quickly.
Sisly glanced his way, then toward the window.
'Looks like he's got some intriguing misunderstanding planted.'
She'd nurtured it further this time.
Grinning, she propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand.
Another solo escapade.
She brimmed with anticipation for what fascinating surprise he'd bring this time.
Meanwhile, the Light Sword Sera, watching the two geniuses from behind, thought brain battles between prodigies were exhausting just to witness.