Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Equal Friends
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"Again."
"Ssssuuurrrggghhh!"
Vioren exploded with irritation just like always and turned on her heel, striding away briskly.
Krash watched her retreating back in silence, lost in thought.
'She's finally getting a grip on things.'
Krash had keener instincts than most.
That was why, from the moment the goal of creating a barrier started drawing tantalizingly close,
he had noticed Vioren sinking into emptiness.
Vioren was someone who would become a key force in the Generation of the Sky moving forward.
Krash had racked his brains over how to let her seize her own goals and charge ahead on her own.
And the conclusion he'd reached was a clue about her mother, the barrier master.
Krash knew Vioren secretly yearned to meet her own mother.
'For a girl like her, this should let her push forward on her own.'
Was it because Krash had given her the next goal?
The emptiness that had clouded her face had faded far more than before.
Thanks to that, work on perfecting the barrier was picking up real momentum.
With a clear next target in sight, she no longer shrank from fear and could hammer out results without holding back.
Krash lightly rolled his neck to loosen it.
If things kept going like this, he wouldn't need to worry so much about Vioren anymore.
Right then, Crimson Garden decided to butt in for some reason.
"What is it?"
Crimson Garden clicked her tongue, as if telling him to get a clue about the situation.
She sounded like she could see the future.
Krash mulled over her words for a moment before tilting his head.
"Eh, I'll just help her out then."
That was pretty harsh.
And for some reason, the corpse rat in Krash's pocket nodded along vigorously.
"Krash! Great work on today's training!"
Just then, Krash came face-to-face with someone who poked her head out from the side.
Dark red hair and healthy, tanned skin.
The ninth princess of the Poseus Kingdom.
Karandis Poseus.
As she leaped toward him like she was about to cling on, Krash swiftly stepped back to dodge.
She swung her hand through empty air and shot him a wistful look.
"I was just trying to wipe your sweat! Why'd you dodge?"
Sure enough, she held a towel in her hand.
But Krash regarded her with a cynical smirk.
"I can handle my own sweat."
"You're so shy."
She was brazen in every way.
Meanwhile, Krash glanced elsewhere.
There stood Haring, who had just happened to step outside.
The moment her eyes met his, she flinched and quickly looked away.
Then she bolted from the training grounds like she was fleeing.
Ever since the incident with the Poison King, Haring had been acting like this nonstop.
Because of that, Krash hadn't exchanged a single word with her since.
With her constantly avoiding him, there was nothing he could do.
"Krash, what happened between you and Lady Haring?"
Karandis slipped in the question slyly.
She was the type to chat him up at every opportunity whenever he appeared.
Naturally, she had a rough idea of what went on around him.
"Nothing worth mentioning."
Krash absently rubbed the back of his neck.
The Poison King had tried to force an engagement and shove the responsibility onto Krash.
Haring, who hated being a burden to others more than anything, must still be hung up on it.
'Guess I need to talk to her.'
"Hmm, is that so? Oh, more importantly, I applied to join the Lion Squad, but for some reason, they haven't processed it. Could you put in a word with Charlotte for me, Krash?"
"Pass."
Krash gave a half-hearted response.
Undeterred, Karandis's unyielding passion burned on.
"Anyway, the midterm exams are coming up soon. You confident about taking first place again, Krash?"
Midterm exams.
Hearing that, Krash thought of Mary.
'She hasn't been showing her face lately.'
Krash's eyes narrowed slightly.
Mary was sure to go all-in during these midterms.
She was backed into a corner right now.
This was her last shot.
'And the fake Arthur too.'
Krash had been steadily monitoring the fake Arthur's movements.
But the fake's actions were utterly lukewarm.
Nothing more than a mere observer.
'What the hell is he thinking?'
Still, Krash had his own ideas.
Once these midterms wrapped up, he planned to actively draw out the current Arthur.
Which meant there was something he needed to handle first.
'It's almost time.'
One incident set to unfold during these midterms.
An unavoidable event, inevitable as fate.
'Sigrin will definitely get involved in that one.'
A massive incident during the first-years' midterm evaluation.
The horrific case where an academy assistant professor from the commoner ranks, long scorned by noble students, went on a serial killing spree against them.
Raheln Academy was rocked to its core by this, ultimately becoming a plaything in the political arena.
Arthur was the one who caught the serial killer back then.
But only after four victims had already fallen.
That was when it started.
The moment Arthur became an object of admiration among his peers.
And Sigrin would surely seize that incident too.
It was a golden chance to plant her flag even more firmly at the heart of the Generation of the Sky.
'Sorry, but...'
Krash quietly cracked his neck.
'I'm not letting that happen.'
And Krash knew full well he wasn't the one to step up here.
A noble like him trying to stop a commoner assistant professor would be pointless.
It would only inflame tensions between commoners and nobles.
So instead...
"Pelei."
Krash called out to the most fitting person.
The guy just happening to pass by in the hallway at that moment.
"Krad! Oh, Lord Krash."
Pelei lit up with a bright smile the instant he spotted Krash, eyes going wide.
Krash left Karandis behind and playfully thumped his chest, feeling like he'd spotted a big, goofy dog.
"Heard you got banged up pretty bad back then. You holding up okay?"
"Thanks to you, yeah."
Pelei had been an absolute wreck back in Hardenharts.
He'd spent quite a while bedridden because of it.
In truth, Krash's recovery speed was unnaturally fast.
For most people, that kind of rest was par for the course.
Which was why this was the first time Krash had seen Pelei since Hardenharts.
"Lord Krash, is this lady...?"
Karandis, pretending it was her first time despite knowing full well, asked anyway.
Her sparkling eyes suggested she grasped Pelei's value too.
This world was ultimately full of more commoners than nobles.
Pelei, hailed as the hero of the commoners, stood at their center.
In other words, having him by your side meant reaping the support of all those masses.
The dimwits who didn't get it dismissed Pelei.
But the smart ones had long recognized his worth.
Proof? Sigrin keeping him close.
"You're Princess Karandis Poseus, right? Name's Pelei."
Pelei immediately offered a formal greeting.
The simple country boy had apparently ingrained manners after a year at Raheln Academy.
He must've taken quite the beating there.
"Oh my, you know me? I'm thrilled. The hero of the commoners, they say? I heard you shone in that mission with Krash and his retainers too."
"Nah, that's not true. Way too flattering a title."
Karandis beamed and hyped him up.
Pelei shot Krash a sheepish glance at "hero of the commoners" and grinned awkwardly.
Krash turned to Karandis.
Meeting his gaze, she coughed twice with quick wits and stepped back.
"Well then, I'll leave you two to chat."
Krash watched her scamper off, then turned back to Pelei.
Pelei seemed to read his intent, waiting expectantly for what he'd say.
"You look like you've got a ton of questions burning inside."
Pelei flinched as Krash broke the ice first.
Well, yeah. The Nightcrow squad member from the Empire's tournament turned out to be a direct Valheim.
He must've had more questions than he could count.
But Pelei shook his head.
"You already answered whether we'd meet at the academy. That's enough for me."
Krash eyed Pelei steadily.
Yeah, now that he thought about it, the guy had always been like this.
A fitting chuckle escaped Krash.
"Drop the formal talk."
"Ah, but..."
"You gonna feel comfy only if I show up as Krad?"
Krash stretched his eyes wide with his fingers, and Pelei, who'd been staring blankly, slowly broke into a smile.
"Yeah, I'll do that."
"Good. Hey, Pelei. Now that we're dropping titles and friends, got one favor to ask."
"Uh, what?"
Pelei hadn't expected a request right off the bat and looked a bit thrown.
But maybe he figured Krash wouldn't ask something frivolous.
Pelei straightened up, composing himself.
"What kind of favor?"
Smart kid.
"There's an assistant professor in the magic department named Jenicalen."
Pelei tilted his head, as if the name rang no bells. Probably wasn't too familiar with the magic side.
"Some academy students have been relentlessly extorting, verbally abusing, and beating him up just because he's a commoner."
His next words hardened Pelei's expression.
"I'd like you to step in and stop those bastards for him."
"...Krash. You're not doing it yourself because of status, right?"
Krash met Pelei's gaze steadily after hearing him out.
"Pelei, that 'hero of the commoners' moniker weighing you down?"
Pelei had always struggled with that title.
Yet he always gave his all to live up to the expectations placed on him.
That was why his endgame had been chasing hope to give hope to everyone—only to crumble.
Krash knew that all too well.
"Yeah, makes sense. Everyone around you keeps piling on expectations, all the commoners pinning their hopes on you alone. Must drive you nuts."
Pelei pursed his lips slightly and looked away.
It was a heavy load for a boy just a year past turning seventeen.
So he'd hesitated on this request too.
His pure heart wanted to help the professor.
But clashing with noble kids might bring harm to other commoners.
"If it's that tough, stop trying to meet their expectations."
Pelei looked up at those words, face saying, "What?"
"Just do what you can."
"What I can do?"
"You're great at sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. Back in the Nightcrows, you even tried dragging me out."
"Th-that was..."
Pelei clamped his hands over his flushed face.
It had been a blunder made without knowing Krash's true identity.
"You were that kind of guy back then. And to me, you haven't changed a bit."
Representing the commoners. Mindful of others' gazes.
Pelei didn't need to do any of that ill-fitting nonsense.
"Just be yourself."
Pelei shone brightest when he acted true to himself.
Those words from Krash clenched Pelei's fists.
He'd always shrunk back because of the "representative" pressure.
That was why Krash's advice pierced straight to his heart.
"That's what looks best on you."
Krash thumped Pelei's shoulder.
"Do your best at what you can do. I'll do my best at what I can."
Everyone giving their all in their own lanes.
"What I can't handle, you can. What you can't, I can. Right?"
And that phrasing treated Pelei as an equal.
Nothing like Sigrin's habit of seeing him as a subordinate.
"I saved your life once, so humor me on this one favor."
The casual, joking request was proof enough.
A soft chuckle slipped from Pelei's lips.
For some reason, the tightness in his chest eased.
"Got it. I'll do me."
The perfect response.
Krash gave a light wave as he brushed past him.
The hero of the commoners, Pelei.
With expectations that the title would shine on him like never before.