Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: So What Can You Do About It?
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Magic Emperor Terrasius Jeblam.
After receiving the news from Crimson Garden, Krash finally managed to slip out of the Lion Squad classroom.
The women's piercing stares had made the back of his head prickle, though.
For Krash, it was enough to draw a sigh.
'Even turning them down doesn't work.'
He'd have to make some kind of decision soon, one way or another.
Krash swallowed a long sigh.
"More importantly, Crimson Garden, tell me the details."
Krash quickened his pace down the hallway as he asked her for the story.
[It's exactly as I said. The Magic Emperor has appeared at Raheln Academy.]
"Under what circumstances?"
Krash had been about to head straight to Jeblam to meet the Magic Emperor.
Now that he had shown up here instead, Krash couldn't tell if it was good news or bad.
'Especially with that madman—who knows what he'll do at Raheln Academy.'
There had to be something intriguing that drew him here.
"From the sound of it, he didn't come as a guest. He snuck in, didn't he?"
[Yeah. Typical of him, really.]
As if she had some prior acquaintance with the Magic Emperor.
Crimson Garden clicked her tongue and explained how he had infiltrated.
[He's posing as the current top freshman enrollee.]
"The Magic Emperor's son?"
Krash's eyes widened in disbelief at her words.
And for good reason—the Magic Emperor had no son.
He had only one child.
Bio Ren Jeblam.
She was the sole offspring born between the Barrier Master and the Magic Emperor.
'And even her, he barely acknowledged as his child.'
Too focused on the Martial Department, Krash hadn't paid much attention to the Magic Department.
He had asked Aslan to let him know if anyone resembling Abella showed up, though.
But he never imagined the Magic Emperor himself would appear disguised as his son.
[I thought he might be up to some nonsense again.]
Crimson Garden hadn't regressed alongside Krash.
Naturally, she couldn't be certain he had no son, which was why the information had come late.
"No way, Crimson Garden."
Krash pieced together what she'd just told him and reached a conclusion, his face paling in shock.
"That 'son' of the Magic Emperor is..."
[The Magic Emperor himself. No doubt about it. He's disguised with magic.]
Krash stared in utter astonishment.
Terrasius Jeblam, the emperor of magic known as the world's greatest mage.
For him to disguise himself with magic?
Naturally, only a handful in the world could see through it.
One of them was Combat Emperor Durandal at Raheln Academy.
But even he was well past his prime.
Unless he focused intently on unraveling it, even Durandal couldn't pierce the magic of someone who had reached its pinnacle.
Yet someone who could see through the Magic Emperor's magic stood right beside Krash.
Another who had attained the pinnacle of magic.
Crimson Garden August—she was with him.
'If I were alone...'
He might have questioned the "son," but never suspected the Magic Emperor himself.
"This is a headache."
Krash raked a hand through his bangs, his expression troubled.
He'd planned to seek out the Magic Emperor directly, and now the man had shown up disguised.
What kind of ridiculous twist was this?
The problem was, he had no idea what the man's purpose was in pulling this stunt.
'With someone this unpredictable, it's all the more unnerving.'
Krash clicked his tongue, deep in thought.
One option: confront the Magic Emperor right away and talk.
It wasn't out of the question.
But if he exposed the disguise and approached, the man would almost certainly demand to know how he'd seen through it.
To prove it, Krash would have to reveal his trump card: Crimson Garden.
'No need to carelessly reveal my connection to Crimson Garden in front of the Heavenly Star Warriors.'
World Eroders were enemies of the world, no matter what.
And with the world on edge from the ongoing World Erosion crisis...
The Empire might overlook ties to Crimson Garden or Evel Ask because of shared secrets.
Lactea had worked out due to their mutual utility.
'But the Magic Emperor—that lunatic...'
Impossible to predict where he'd go with it.
'Approaching rashly right now is too risky.'
The best course would be to lure the Magic Emperor into revealing himself.
'But without knowing that madman's goal...'
That wasn't easy either.
[What's your plan?]
As Crimson Garden asked, Krash let out another long sigh, rubbing his temples.
"If I can just make contact, I have one bargaining chip."
Krash held a tradeable card related to the Magic Emperor's lifelong obsession.
Using it would surely secure his cooperation.
The issue, as before, was making natural contact.
[Doesn't the current situation fit perfectly?]
Krash blinked at Crimson Garden's words.
[He's the top of the third-year Magic Department, right? That means he's in the Special Class.]
Her follow-up made Krash's body react instinctively.
Just as she said, the Magic Emperor was posing as his son, securing the top spot among third-year Magic Department students.
Just like Krash had once done.
As a Special Class member, he'd have to join one of the student squads and participate in activities.
No matter his goal, he'd follow the academy's rules.
"You're right."
Did Charlotte have precognition or something?
How else had she granted him recruitment authority at just the right moment?
A faint smile tugged at Krash's lips as he picked up his pace.
Time to reel in this big fish called the Magic Emperor.
* * *
In the auditorium where Krash arrived,
numerous members had gathered.
Each bore a different brooch on their chest,
because they belonged to various student squads.
'All famous faces.'
Just as Charlotte had granted Krash authority,
the other squads had done the same for their second-year members.
Thus, all the representatives gathered here were second-years.
Krash recognized most of them.
Not as well as his own fame, but they were all standout second-years in their own right.
"Lord Krash!"
Then, a booming voice called out to him.
Turning, Krash saw a man from the Gehai Squad, whose captain was Pelai.
Unlike his burly build, his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he bowed deeply to Krash.
"I'm Dolphron, representing the Gehai Squad this time! Pleased to meet you!"
"Uh, likewise."
Krash gave a casual response to the overly enthusiastic greeting. Dolphron lifted only his head from his bowed position,
eyes gleaming as he spoke.
"I've heard all about your exploits from the Gehai Squad seniors—enough to make my ears hurt.
During the Hardenharts incident, you stepped up to fight a World Eroders beast to save our squad!
The entire Gehai Squad is deeply grateful!"
No wonder the Gehai Squad guys always acted so warmly toward him.
They saw it that way, huh.
Krash scratched the back of his head, a bit embarrassed.
"Just doing what needed to be done."
"What needed to be done! Exactly! That's right! I'll make sure to do the same—whatever it takes, just like you, Lord Krash!"
He was enthusiastic in every way.
These types were exhausting to deal with.
Krash subtly shifted his gaze elsewhere.
The representatives from the other squads were watching him just then.
Dolphron's voice had carried, sure,
but all eyes had been on Krash since he entered.
The most renowned figure in Raheln Academy—natural reaction.
"Mind if we talk for a sec?"
Krash calmed Dolphron and addressed the kids watching him.
As everyone waited to hear what he'd say, Krash raised a hand and spoke.
"The top third-year Magic Department student, Temarin Jeblam—for the student squad preliminary trials, I'd like the Lion Squad to take him first. That okay?"
The representatives exchanged glances at Krash's request.
But there was no real surprise on their faces.
Instead, sighs, disappointment, and a strange hostility flickered across them.
"Sounds like the Lion Squad's taking both the top Martial Department and top Magic Department spots again, like last year?"
One of them stepped forward, his hostility plainest.
He was the White Poplar Squad's representative,
and the current second-year Magic Department runner-up: Bell Vandeskman.
True to the White Poplar Squad, he was Empire faction, and his gaze toward Krash held no goodwill.
Rumors of Krash's engagement to the Empire had spread, sure.
But setting that aside, as a Valheim—the biggest obstacle to the Empire—he couldn't be friendly.
Besides, Krash's statement was something no other squad could just let slide.
Hand over the top Magic Department talent.
For squads always competing for recruits, was there a bolder demand?
Of course, they'd been drilled by their seniors to snag as many talents as possible.
Even if the top Martial Department was Krash's fiancée and a lock for Lion Squad,
claiming the top Magic spot too was infuriating.
Krash pondered Bell's words.
He had a point, fair enough.
To anyone, it looked like Lion Squad overreach.
The other squads had every reason to complain.
Krash acknowledged that.
But Bell was wrong on two facts.
"So?"
"What?"
Bell faltered at Krash's retort.
He hadn't expected him to fire back.
"Yeah, it's overreach. So what can you do about it?"
Boom!
In that instant, the killing intent pouring from Krash engulfed the surroundings.
The auditorium's atmosphere shifted in a heartbeat, and the representatives unwittingly swallowed hard.
They felt throats tightening, cold sweat beading down their backs.
Bell, taking the full brunt head-on, went pale as a ghost.
As mentioned before,
Bell was wrong on two facts.
That Krash, unlike his reputation, was brazen and reckless.
And...
"You think you can stop me from taking him?"
That he was far stronger than Bell could imagine.