Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 277
Chapter Title: You Should've Written the Clauses in the Contract Properly
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Demoran Village, where the plague had spread.
Those who had been waiting for Krash in the village lifted their heads at the sound of footsteps.
There, a boy with dark blue hair was walking toward them.
"Took you long enough, dragging your feet like that."
Bioren clicked her tongue but let out a visible sigh of relief.
She had known he was safe the moment Bianca returned alone.
But seeing it with her own eyes was a different matter entirely.
Krash's and Bianca's eyes met briefly.
Krash nodded as if to say everything had been handled, then scanned his surroundings.
"Where's Haring?"
"She's brewing the medicine. From what she said, it shouldn't take much longer."
It seemed studying curses together had paid off big time.
With Haring and Darling around, the World Erosion plague wouldn't be much of a worry going forward.
'This could serve as valuable experience for them too.'
Krash nodded in understanding and turned his head elsewhere.
There stood the villagers of Demoran, their faces filled with unease.
They were the people the Demon Emperor had brought at Krash's request.
They had barely escaped the plague-ridden village to seek help from the Empire, only to wake up dragged here instead. No wonder they were panicked.
Krash approached them.
"H-Hey, let us go! This place is infested with plague!"
"What the hell is this? We'll die if we stay here!"
"Please, just let us live. We haven't done anything wrong."
One of them shouted fiercely at Krash.
From what he gathered, a few had tried to flee or protest midway.
But the Demon Emperor had been ruthless.
He dragged back every escapee and erected unbreakable barriers around anyone who resisted, leaving them trapped all day.
In the end, the villagers gave up fleeing and fell into full-blown panic.
'Normally, I'd explain the situation and sort things out.'
But the Demon Emperor had severed his own emotions and such.
So he only did exactly what Krash had asked.
And ironically, it was the most effective way to keep them contained.
The fear he instilled—without so much as a change in expression while subduing them—prevented rash moves even in a plague zone.
It minimized the risk of them bolting.
That was why Bioren and the others hadn't tried calming them rashly either.
Raheln Academy students were World Erosion experts, not plague specialists.
Even if they had a solution, without showing it firsthand, the villagers would suspect but not blindly trust them.
'Too bad. If I'd brought Astría, they'd have bought it instantly.'
Former saintess or not, a saintess's image was overwhelming in times like these.
To the sick or injured, she was like a god.
But Astría wasn't here now.
This mission was solely for World Erosion removal, so the plague hadn't been factored in.
That left Krash to fill the role.
"The same disease is latent in all of you right now. If you head to the Empire like this, you'll just spread it further."
He started with the reason they were held.
The villagers began murmuring the moment they heard him.
Some awkwardly rolled up their sleeves in hesitant poses.
A few had started showing symptoms en route to the Empire.
Krash spotted them with his sharp eyes and approached.
"Eek, n-not me!"
The man shook his head and backed away from Krash.
Generations of tradition had seen plague victims exiled or even burned.
He clearly feared the same fate.
But Krash ignored it, gripped his shoulder, and took his hand.
Sure enough, the exposed skin was turning pitch black.
Given time, the rot would spread everywhere, consuming his body.
So Krash activated Black Hood right away.
As it was a disease, Black Hood stole the black hand without conditions.
Soon, the man's terrified, trembling face began to relax.
He watched the color return to his hand.
The villagers' reactions shifted as they witnessed it.
Seeing it resolved right before their eyes made their own widen in shock.
"My power can't fully restore your body."
As Krash said, the flesh carved away by the black hand would need long-term recovery.
"But I can definitely erase the disease eating away at you all."
Their murmurs stopped at his confident words.
They realized the Raheln Academy students here were genuine about saving them.
"Line up in front of me one by one. I'll remove it from each of you. Bioren, barriers for those I've cleared."
Bioren stared at Krash for a moment before stepping up beside him.
"Got it."
Even as she did, she glanced at him with eyes full of subtle concern.
She didn't know exactly what his ability was.
She was just worried if purging the plague like that was okay for his body.
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
"What? I didn't say anything."
She seemed surprisingly soft deep down.
Bioren gruffly began erecting barriers as requested.
The villagers' faces brightened instantly.
They'd thought death by plague was inevitable, but now it was solved.
Of course they'd be thrilled.
"Temarin, you brought all the villagers, right?"
"Yeah."
Krash confirmed with the Demon Emperor while treating them, just in case.
But plagues were more stubborn than expected.
Especially the black hand, which spread so fast.
They needed medicine prepared as a precaution.
'What I'm doing is just a stopgap.'
Krash couldn't always rush to every outbreak.
Leave the medicine to Haring and Darling, and a solution would come soon.
"Krash!"
Right on cue, Haring burst out of the house she was using as a temporary lab.
Spotting him, she flashed a bright smile and ran over.
"It's a provisional formula. Still experimental, but this should prevent black hand outbreaks."
Sure enough, Haring had the formula ready.
Not perfected, but to get this far in such short time showed her effort.
Krash praised her with a warm smile.
"Good work. Keep at it until it's complete."
Haring beamed at his words and replied with a loud "Yeah!"
Just being helpful to him made her that happy.
Krash could've sworn he saw a tail wagging furiously behind her.
Lately, she seemed more puppy than kitten.
Leaving the joyful Haring, Krash glanced at Bioren casting barriers.
Seeing her reminded him of his deal with the Barrier Master.
"What I'm offering in this deal is protecting my daughter from Ixion."
Krash had realized then that she was sincere.
She didn't truly hate Bioren or anything.
He didn't know what had happened between her and the Demon Emperor for Bioren to be born and abandoned.
But the Barrier Master wanted to protect her regardless.
"In exchange, I'll infiltrate Ixion and relay their information."
Ixion had approached her first for cooperation.
They'd welcome her with open arms if she joined them.
It meant another intel source, separate from the already-suspect High Priest of Light.
For Krash, it was pure gain, no loss.
He'd protect Bioren anyway.
Her risking it for intel was just icing.
'Of course, she could be lying and colluding with Ixion.'
Krash didn't rule it out entirely.
Before regression, he'd seen countless people discard their humanity for goals.
The Barrier Master wasn't immune.
'Her whole story could be a bold-faced lie.'
He'd keep that possibility buried deep in mind.
"What're you staring at?"
Bioren caught his gaze, furrowing her brows in challenge.
Maybe he should fix that prickly attitude of hers.
[She's just like you.]
"Who're you saying looks like who?"
Krash reacted with disbelief.
Sorry, but he was pretty gentlemanly.
He didn't snap at just anyone like Bioren.
Only those who deserved it.
"Bioren, once you're done, let's talk."
"You aren't planning something weird, are you?"
"What would I gain from messing with you?"
Bioren huffed at his retort.
"I've heard the rumors about you. Girls whining that ending up as one of your targets means you're hooked."
Krash raised his hand.
Then grabbed a strand of hair sticking up on her head.
"Kyaaack!"
"Got a white hair. Better pluck it."
"Let go! My hair's silver, so it looks white!"
Krash shook her head by the hair, clicking his tongue inwardly.
He really needed to hunt down whoever started those rumors and smash them.
The nonsense kept tailing him endlessly.
'...Tch, can't even blame rumors anymore.'
With his track record, he had no ground to argue.
He wasn't blind to the affection from the women around him.
Even with engagements and virtual marriages.
They showed no signs of backing off.
He kept pondering solutions.
But no solid answer yet—that was reality.
[You reap what you sow. Oh wait, you haven't sown yet.]
Krash ignored Crimson Garden's voice.
"Anyway, let's talk. About your family."
Bioren froze at his next words.
She glanced at the Demon Emperor basking in the sun, then nodded.
Once she finished barriers on the villagers,
Krash faced her behind a shadowed building.
"So, what do you wanna talk about?"
Bioren kicked an innocent rock as she asked.
"Your mother, the Barrier Master. She came to me."
Krash cut straight to it.
Bioren, caught off guard, turned to him in shock.
"What?"
"Exactly what I said. She showed up, proposed a deal. Said she'd get intel from Ixion if I protect you—their target."
Bioren's eyes trembled fiercely.
Krash hadn't been told not to mention it to her.
So he spilled everything.
If she wanted it secret, she should've put it in the contract clauses properly.
Better for her to know anyway—easier to protect her.
[You're insane. It's an unwritten rule not to say stuff like this.]
Yeah, he didn't know.
Why hide it when it's her business?
"Wha— no, ha."
Bioren stammered, words failing her.
Her mother popping up out of nowhere, and her being Ixion's target? She couldn't process it.
"I accepted. No downside for me."
He'd protect her regardless.
Extra intel on top? No reason to refuse.
"......"
Bioren fell silent.
Emotions flickered through her eyes.
"...You tell that bastard?"
Only one "that human" for her—the Demon Emperor.
"Not yet."
"Then... nah. He'd ignore it anyway."
She looked conflicted, then turned to Krash.
"You told me 'cause you want something, right?"
"Yeah."
Bioren clicked her tongue and planted hands on hips.
"Ask away. What is it?"
Her face already showed she knew.
Before regression, Krash and Bioren hadn't been close.
She had a foul mouth and prickly personality.
So did he.
Mutual dislike.
Perfectly fitting.
They'd had zero interest in each other.
All Krash remembered: child of Barrier Master and Demon Emperor, abandoned; used barriers to protect Generation of the Sky till the end.
That was it.
But now was different.
They'd grown close enough for jokes.
Full-fledged friends now.
To Bioren, Krash was bigger than she'd imagined.
After surviving World Erosion devouring her,
she'd lost her purpose—survival—and felt empty.
"Bioren, if you want to find your mother, complete your barriers and come see me again. I'll give you a lead."
But Krash noticed and gave her new purpose.
Meeting the mother who abandoned her.
She endured, setting that distant goal.
Just something to cling to, knowing she'd break without it.
Yet today, it nearly crashed into reality.
Krash knew this.
But letting her live for one vague goal wasn't right anymore.
So he asked.
"How've you been living until now?"
What kind of life have you lived?
No longer mere acquaintances.
As true friends advancing together, to resolve her painful past.
Krash chose to face the Bioren he didn't know.