Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: To the Holy Kingdom
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September.
The time when the second-year students, who enrolled in March, pass their final evaluations and join student squads.
Students at Raheln Academy are incredibly busy around this time.
The second-years have to run around scouting squads to join,
and the first-years have to scramble to snag even one more valuable squad member.
Student squads are formed purely based on achievements.
Squads that fail to produce results receive disbandment warnings, so securing talent is essential for them.
So right now...
"Second-years, how about the Virgin Squad? Won't you embrace the path of divinity?"
"Gehai Squad, commoners! Join Gehai Squad, where your status doesn't matter!"
"Aspiring magic scholars, it's Inma Squad. Only those aiming to become true mages, come forth."
Each squad was out there with their slogans, parading around for recruitment.
Thanks to that, students heading from the dorms to class had to endure a daily barrage of promotions.
"Youth, huh."
"You saying that makes you sound old."
Krash turned at the snide remark from beside him.
There stood a girl with hair the color of sunlight.
Her body, mismatched for her age due to her holy power, stared at Krash with a sullen expression.
Saintess Astraia Stigma Freeman.
After finishing things with Beltua, Krash had collapsed not long after.
Even though he'd suppressed the aura and World Erosion's power, his body hadn't recovered.
In the end, Krash was transported to Raheln Academy and had to endure Astraia's piercing glare while receiving treatment.
"I kept my promise, though?"
"That's..."
"If you're hurt, come to me first."
When Krash pointed out that he'd kept that, she let out a deep sigh and pulled up a chair to sit.
"That's separate. Of course I'd worry if you show up injured."
"Sorry about that."
"Why do you keep coming back in worse shape every time? At your level, you shouldn't get hit once and can take down most foes, right?"
Lately, it seemed like he was injuring himself more from overexertion than from actually getting beaten.
Astraia, unaware of where Krash had been, eyed him suspiciously.
If he told her he'd gone to the Forbidden Zone and tangled with a 9-star Erosion Beast, she'd probably scream.
"Guess I'm still weaker than I thought."
This was sincere, in Krash's own way.
Ixion was on the move right now.
They were spreading World Erosion here and there, gathering strength whether noticed or not.
'And eventually, they'll touch the Forbidden Zone too.'
When that happened, it'd be all-out war with Ixion.
Krash felt he was still lacking to face them.
'I've gained the Four Seasons, so my vessel is much larger than before.'
Still, the nagging feeling of inadequacy persisted.
Crimson Garden, sensing Krash's state, scolded him.
As she said, this might be a form of obsession.
He believed he couldn't prevent the world's end without getting stronger like this.
'After all, even the Heavenly Demon couldn't protect the world in the end.'
From Krash's perspective, craving strength was inevitable.
'Plus, there's the imperial palace issue.'
The matter with the Fourth Imperial Princess Sizzly Epania fervently arranging a meeting with Emperor Dalpiron Junon.
To resolve that, he needed power too.
'Abella's definitely tied to the imperial palace and Ixion.'
He'd likely face her again with high probability.
Her brain was melted over Arthur, but regardless, her magic prowess was arguably the world's best.
'Abella won't let it slide easily.'
So Krash needed training to prepare for that alone.
"You, again, zoning out."
Astraia poked Krash's shoulder.
She looked annoyed that he was thinking elsewhere while with her.
Come to think of it, there was this matter too.
Krash checked the timing briefly.
"Astraia, the Festival of the Gods is coming up soon, right?"
"Huh? Yeah. I went back to Freeman recently for festival rehearsal prep."
When summer ends and autumn begins.
The Festival of the Gods, offering thanks to the deities for this year's harvest.
This annual event was set to be held in Freeman again this year.
"I never imagined something like that would happen to Cardinal Mirey Beakis while I was away so briefly."
The incident where magic tool maker Rona Imblize and Cardinal Mirey Beakis were turned into puppets by a World Erosion entity, the Black Witch.
The investigation revealed that the Black Witch exploited gaps in people's hearts to create puppets.
Thanks to that, the world launched a massive hunt for Black Witches.
Brainwashing was that dangerous a power.
It made it hard for the Black Witch side to move aggressively too.
No matter how bold she was, she couldn't act recklessly with the whole world combing everywhere.
For the time being, other World Erosion entities would move instead.
"And the moment I get back, you dump work on me."
"Can't argue with that. But you were the only one I could think of who could handle it."
"W-Well, hmph, if that's the case."
Astraia seemed pleased again for some reason.
'This girl's emotions swing more and more wildly.'
As he wondered if it was okay for a saintess, Astraia cleared her throat.
"So, there's something I want to ask you about that."
"What?"
"You know how they're hailing you as a hero in Freeman?"
Of course he knew.
They were hyping him up deliberately to cover up the Mirey incident.
Krash hadn't stopped it either.
The higher his reputation, the more hesitant Ixion would be to touch him.
Above all, a bigger name made it easier to stand at the center of the Generation of the Sky.
"So, there's talk of inviting you to this festival. As Freeman's new hero. They mentioned contacting the Valheim family too."
No matter how much they exalted Krash as a hero,
Freeman was cautious not to offend Valheim and sought their approval first.
Valheim would likely give the okay without issue.
Valheim was all about merit above all.
Internally, there were constant mind games over the family head position among retainers, but skill was everything.
No reason to refuse a chance to boost a direct descendant's prowess and record.
"So, what do you think?"
Astraia glanced at Krash, probing.
Her eyes held a faint hope that he'd come to the festival with her.
He was the newly hailed hero, after all.
Krash had long been marked as a promising leader for the next generation.
Freeman would want to leverage him actively.
Thus, they'd pair him with Astraia, Freeman's signature figure.
To showcase the bond between saintess and hero.
Astraia knew this and was subtly inviting him.
"Festival of the Gods, huh..."
Krash slowly tapped his crossed arms with his index finger.
He glanced at Astraia.
There was a specific reason he'd brought up the Festival of the Gods.
He knew what problem would arise there.
'After the Festival of the Gods, Holy Knight Diona Stella and the opposition faction start a revolution.'
Originally, it was when Holy Knight Diona would shatter the chains of Astraia's birdcage by sparking a revolution.
But the world had changed now.
Astraia had partially escaped her birdcage,
and confronted the Freeman Holy Royal Family directly about the Holy Grail.
In other words, no reason for Diona to join the opposition.
'But the opposition still exists.'
They disliked the very concept of a saintess.
The saintess was an artificial construct created publicly by the Holy Royal Family to symbolize Freeman.
Thus, they claimed she committed blasphemy against the divine.
They argued for erasing saintesses and establishing true doctrines following God's will.
'God's will, my ass.'
It was laughable to worship beings who did nothing even as the world ended.
Krash held no fondness for gods or the Holy Kingdom, but Astraia was different.
In his previous regression, he'd owed her his life big time.
He still vividly remembered her pouring all her holy power into him before fading away.
'Even without Diona, the opposition will move.'
And this time, they lacked Diona as a restraint.
No Diona meant Astraia could become a target too.
Something Krash absolutely couldn't tolerate.
"I'll go with you."
"Really?"
Color bloomed on Astraia's face instantly.
She was purely delighted that Krash would accompany her.
"Yeah. I promised to protect you back then. I'll make sure you enjoy the festival carefree."
"You've caught wind of the opposition news, huh."
So Astraia knew about it too.
"Diona tipped me off. She got an offer from the opposition."
"What'd Diona say?"
"She refused, of course. Doing that would've put me in a tough spot."
"But without Diona, they haven't backed down. Their goal is to overhaul the Holy Royal Family entirely."
Astraia sighed, rubbing her temple slightly as if her head ached.
"And Cardinal Mirey Beakis is tied to it too."
"Mirey Beakis?"
"Diona's investigation shows Tersada Beakis is one of the opposition's core figures."
Tersada Beakis.
Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom and a top candidate for the next Pope.
One of the Ten Heavenly Strong, bearing the moniker Holy King.
He was Cardinal Mirey Beakis's father and a pillar of the Holy Kingdom.
But there was a problem here.
'Originally, Tersada Beakis wasn't part of the opposition.'
He hadn't been aligned with them.
His involvement now meant...
'It's changed.'
Perhaps the recent Black Witch puppet incident influenced it.
Maybe resentment toward the Holy Royal Family for trying to execute even a cardinal like Mirey Beakis.
The Holy Royal Family and Church were separate.
This could be a chance to split them entirely.
The situation was more complicated than expected.
"Thanks for telling me."
He wouldn't have known without Astraia.
As he thanked her, she waved it off and pulled her chair closer.
"So you'll properly bodyguard me, right?"
"Don't worry. No one will touch you."
He was strong enough now to protect her, at least.
When he reassured her, she glanced around before pulling her chair even closer.
"...So, you'll come alone?"
"Yeah, probably. Everyone's busy this season."
Everyone was ramping up training.
Krash juggled work and training, but others didn't.
Moreover, going to the Holy Kingdom.
For non-Holy Kingdom affiliates, it was awkward.
So he planned to go solo this time.
"Good. That's settled."
Astraia stood, looking especially pleased today.
'Tersada Beakis with the opposition.'
A fierce storm was brewing in Freeman.