Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Heavenly Emperor Dalpiron Juno
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Four Heavenly Supreme Powers
Heavenly Emperor
Dalpiron Juno
Within the Empire, any discussion about him was met with nonstop praise.
He was the sword that had guarded the imperial family since ancient times, a descendant of the former Celestial Four Kings' Sword Emperor.
Krash had arranged this meeting with him through Fourth Princess Sizly Epania.
Dalpiron was currently allied with the World Erosion group Iksion.
The reason was that he had received the emperor's command to cure the hereditary illness passed down in the imperial family.
The alliance between the imperial family and Iksion had to be severed at all costs.
Which meant he needed to meet Dalpiron as soon as possible.
But the problem was the location.
'The Empire.'
Krash pondered as he thought of the Empire.
Regardless, Krash was currently affiliated with Staron.
On top of that, he was one of Iksion's main targets.
'From the imperial family's perspective, I'm the most suspicious figure around.'
The deal with Dalpiron could very well be a trap.
Dalpiron might hand him over to Iksion in exchange for curing the imperial family's illness, after all.
'But the ones you know are always more trustworthy.'
Above all, Krash knew the secret passed down in the imperial family for generations, so he also understood that they wouldn't outright antagonize Iksion.
'And then there's Abella as a wildcard.'
The person weighing most heavily on Krash's mind was none other than Abella.
By his estimation, Abella had a high chance of being in league with Iksion.
No telling what tricks she might pull from their side.
'She definitely knows about this meeting too.'
So, this was a one-shot opportunity.
He had to convince Dalpiron at the meeting and prove the power of Black Hood.
"Won't your head overheat if you keep thinking that hard?"
At that moment, Krash lifted his head toward the voice.
There stood the girl with sea-blue hair who was traveling with him this time.
Her hair was braided into bun-like shapes, and her round eyes curved into a smile.
Epania Empire's Fourth Princess, Sizly Epania.
She was the one who had arranged this meeting with Dalpiron and informed him of the internal dealings between Iksion and the imperial family.
She might just be the person who loved the Empire the most.
After all, she hoped the Empire would continue marching forward without ever crumbling.
"I can't exactly afford not to think."
"Fair enough, I suppose."
Sizly didn't deny his words, as she understood his situation.
Clatter—
Hearing the rattling of the carriage, Krash quietly watched Sizly.
She was said to possess the world's greatest mind.
Plus, she had already met with Dalpiron beforehand, the key figure in this matter.
"What do you think?"
Her input would be invaluable if he could get it.
Sizly fell silent at Krash's question.
"You know there are a lot of variables in this."
And the words she finally spoke were something Krash agreed with.
"That's why, from my view, there are just too many possible outcomes. Factoring in all the variables, we're looking at at least twenty or more."
He now understood why Sizly hesitated to offer an opinion.
As she said, this matter was riddled with variables.
Especially human emotions, which were the biggest wildcard.
Abella's feelings for Arthur.
The desire to cure the emperor's illness.
Dalpiron's loyalty to the imperial family.
Iksion's ambition to create their god of World Erosion.
All these tangled together, spawning countless variables.
"Still, if I had to pick the most likely outcome..."
Sizly fixed her bright yellow eyes on Krash.
"It'd be you succeeding in the deal with Dalpiron and curing His Majesty's illness."
"You seem to have an overly high opinion of me."
"Don't worry. You've always exceeded even my expectations."
Krash let out a chuckle at her words.
"Yeah, it all comes down to what I do, then."
The world's outcomes were never set in stone.
Creating them was always up to the individual.
For Krash, who was forging a world that no longer existed, that was his greatest strength.
The world had become a maze where not even an inch ahead was visible.
'I'll just carve my way through.'
Krash shifted his gaze out the carriage window.
The Empire's capital, Sirian, and the distant imperial palace surrounded by walls came into view.
It was already December.
A sudden storm might sweep through the Empire shrouded in biting winter cold.
＊ ＊ ＊
How long had it been since they passed the Empire's capital, Sirian?
"We walk from here."
As the carriage stopped at the market entrance, Sizly stepped down and spoke.
She pulled a robe over her head, and her face and body transformed simultaneously.
Her height stayed the same, but her build became plump, her face changed, and her hair turned black.
It was the appearance-altering robe crafted by magical tool maker Rona Imblize.
She had readily agreed when he asked her in advance as a precaution.
Krash followed suit, donning his robe, and his appearance shifted as well.
Sizly then gave him a look like she was seeing something bizarre.
"Hmm, this robe wasn't made by Darling Danphelion, who used to make you potions so often, but by Rona Imblize, right? Why do you look like Krad when you wear it?"
"Beats me."
Krash's current form was that of Krad, the guise he often took with potions.
Half-closed eyes and short black hair.
His height and build had grown into a perfect match for his old Krad appearance.
'Feels like Darling had a hand in this.'
Both Rona and Darling were from the first class and the special studies department.
With Krash as their connection, Darling must have heard about Rona's project and pulled some strings.
It was so very Darling of her.
"Even looking at it again, it's a shady face."
In the meantime, Sizly was scrutinizing Krash from all angles, nodding in approval.
She looked so pleased that when Krash raised a brow, she lifted the corners of her mouth.
"This is the most familiar look to me. The one who shot in like an arrow to save me."
Sizly giggled softly, reminiscing about the past.
Their first meeting had been in his Krad form, after all.
"That's when I knew. Being with you, Krash, would bring all sorts of fun."
"To me, it feels like nothing but headaches."
"Heh, the trickier it is, the more fun it gets. Thanks to you, I've changed a lot too. Back then, I never would've left Raheln Academy, let alone the Empire."
With that, she approached Krash and began straightening his disheveled robe.
A faint citrus scent wafted over as she drew near.
It was Sizly's favorite perfume.
"It's all thanks to you. Being here now, not ignoring the Empire's affairs."
Sizly looked up at Krash with her mischievous pumpkin-colored round eyes and smiled sweetly.
That smile carried a subtle allure at odds with her outward appearance.
"So, you're repaying the debt from when I helped you?"
"Hmm, haven't you paid that debt plenty already? How many times have you helped me?"
He couldn't deny it.
He'd received quite a bit of help from Sizly so far.
"This is just my own will. Something I want to do. Not repaying a debt to anyone. I'm helping purely because I want to."
Poke, poke, poke. Sizly jabbed Krash's chest with her small index finger, as if telling him to catch on.
"You're sharp as a tack everywhere else, but hopeless with this stuff. With all the girls around you throwing themselves at you, no need to read the room, huh?"
"Your playfulness is acting up again."
Krash grabbed her finger, signaling her to cut it out.
Sizly pouted up at him, then wiggled her captured finger playfully.
"No reason to give up my charm points."
"Time to start acting more mature, don't you think?"
"Women keep a girl's heart even after growing up."
Knock, knock.
A knock came from the carriage door.
Sizly withdrew her finger as if she'd had enough fun and opened the door.
There stood a burly man—or so he appeared.
Her true identity was Sizly's bodyguard, the Radiant Sword Sera Betela.
She bowed her head to Krash, then assisted Sizly down comfortably.
Sizly hopped down with her small frame, and Krash followed.
No one paid the pair any mind.
The carriage didn't look particularly luxurious, so they just seemed like young nobles from the provinces out for fun.
It was a natural reaction in the Empire, teeming with people and nobles alike.
"Let's go."
Sizly knew the way.
She leisurely made her way through the market streets.
Not a soul noticed the imperial princess walking among them.
Even with a direct heir of Staron's Valheim family right beside her.
One slip, and it would've caused an uproar.
But no one here could see through their disguises.
"You seem right at home in the market."
"I came out often."
A princess frequently leaving the palace might raise eyebrows.
But Sizly navigated the market paths like the back of her hand.
To this extent, it was as if she'd raced through these streets playing every day, like the kids passing by.
"I went through a lot of trouble for it."
Sera, standing guard beside her, gave a wry smile.
Having protected Sizly since birth, she'd struggled to keep up with her wild, free-spirited nature.
"She's so clever that she'd fool my eyes the moment I looked away. Lucky for me, she's been much more subdued lately."
"Sera, I've always been well-behaved."
Sizly puffed her cheeks in protest, but no one bought it.
No matter how much she'd exaggerated her personality to survive in the palace by acting the tomboy, her true nature hadn't changed.
"Come on, you're both too much."
Sizly made a mock pout and kept walking.
Moments later, a building came into view before the trio.
The structure in the corner of the market street looked abandoned.
With several empty buildings nearby, it wasn't a thriving spot for business.
Sizly unlocked the padlock on the vacant building like she was there to inspect it.
Stepping inside revealed an empty interior.
The place had a light layer of dust, giving the sense it hadn't been used in ages.
"Close the door."
Krash, the last one in, shut the door at Sizly's instruction.
She then pulled out a different key from the ones she'd brought.
Approaching the door they'd just entered, she inserted the new key into the keyhole on the inside.
Click—clack-clack.
The door locked with a click, then unlocked again with a resounding sound.
As Sizly pushed it open, a room came into view.
The space, resembling an office, held furniture like a desk and chairs.
It was neatly arranged.
A presence stirred from within.
A man with long golden hair sat on the sofa, as if awaiting guests.
The moment Krash saw him, a chill rippled from deep within his body.
His instincts were gauging the vast gap between them.
The man's leisurely closed eyes slowly opened.
Dark brown eyes met his, and the man spoke.
"You've arrived."
The man's name was Dalpiron Juno.
Head of the Juno family and the one called Heavenly Emperor.
It hit him anew.
At this level, he didn't even qualify for the Celestial Four Kings.
If what happened here today went against Dalpiron's wishes, he wouldn't leave unscathed.
'Walking into the tiger's den of my own accord.'
But you had to enter the tiger's den to catch one.
The issue was that there might be more than one tiger in the den.
In the end, he'd just have to take them all down.