Chapter 315
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: The Mage and the Princess
The Last Ark.
The environment there, encompassing the entirety of the world that had persisted until now, was extraordinarily unique.
From extinct creatures to those whose evolution had stalled.
At least one specimen of each was alive and thriving in the Last Ark.
Krash stood before the walls encircling that Last Ark.
Even from afar, one could feel the power emanating from the Last Ark, managed by the Lagren family.
The Last Ark itself wasn't dangerous.
However, the immense power of World Erosion it harbored to sustain all life forms within was beyond imagination.
"I'll keep an eye on the spy. Go ahead."
Krash mulled over Sizly's words as he stood before the entrance to the Last Ark.
She'd handle that side of things just fine on her own.
As he did, Krash glanced sideways.
Standing beside him was Haring, checking her bag.
This trip to the Last Ark was with Haring.
While not quite on the Poison King's level, she was an expert in materials.
Even for Krash, spotting unfamiliar ingredients took time.
Which made Haring the perfect guide.
He had already contacted Dorma about the Soul Devouring Curse.
With time to kill until she lifted it and sent it over, Haring had gladly accompanied him.
"Haring, you okay going in without any special gear?"
Having transformed into a Dragon King's body and acquired Ignis, Krash was immune to World Erosion damage.
But Haring wasn't, so he asked. She flashed a confident expression.
"Yeah, I've entered Master level now. From Master onward, it's fine even inside the Last Ark."
As Haring said, she now wielded Master-level power completely at will.
She had always possessed exceptional talent befitting a member of the Generation of the Sky.
After meeting Krash, devoting herself solely to training had led to explosive growth.
These days, she ranked among the top at Raheln Academy.
"You've worked hard."
Feeling her effort anew, Krash smiled. Haring bashfully lowered her head.
"I... I wanted to stay by your side, Krash."
Her voice trailed off slightly as she replied, turning Krash's smile bittersweet.
He was well aware of Haring's feelings.
And he knew she had deliberately kept her distance because of them.
With Krash now married, she worried her emotions might burden him.
'If only she'd been more forward like the others, I could've brushed it off.'
Haring's efforts to suppress her heart kept nagging at him.
'Does she remind me of my old self?'
Krash had never confessed his feelings to his first love, Lilina.
Her status was that of his direct maid.
He was the cursed reject of his family.
Becoming lovers might bring her unknown harm.
At the very least, her life ahead wouldn't be smooth—he was certain of that.
So Krash had buried his feelings.
All the way until the day she died.
Knowing that past self all too well...
He couldn't treat Haring the same as others.
Krash scratched the back of his head for a moment.
Seeing echoes of his former self in a girl who liked him.
He felt pathetic.
"Haring."
Krash called out. She lifted her head, having averted her eyes.
He met her gaze and spoke.
"I've told you before. I trust you."
Krash smiled at her as he said it.
"That means thank you for always standing by my side."
So don't feel guilty just for wanting to stand beside him.
That's what he conveyed.
Understanding his intent, a soft smile bloomed on Haring's lips.
She rarely smiled like that for others, but with Krash, any word from him brought it out.
That fact only softened his resolve further.
"Yeah. I'll work even harder."
No need to refuse her enthusiasm.
"Good."
Krash replied, turning to the Lagren gatekeeper.
The man bowed and promptly opened the Last Ark's gate.
Krash passed through amid the light streaming from within.
Standing at the entrance, a ordinary plain soon came into view.
A plain one could find anywhere in the original world.
One that inspired no sense of danger.
Tzzzt—
Yet Krash keenly sensed the thick World Erosion aura tickling his nose.
No matter how ordinary it looked, this was one of the forbidden zones: World Erosion.
'The World Erosion feels stronger than usual.'
Krash knew what this meant.
The Last Ark had begun harboring Seeds of Catastrophe.
'Around the time the Giant's Forest did, so the other forbidden zones shouldn't differ.'
What effects did the Seeds of Catastrophe have when they formed in the Last Ark?
By the intermission, the world was such a mess that Krash had to rack his brain for details.
In the meantime, Haring crossed the threshold too.
Thud!
The gate closed behind them.
"First up is the Nine Herbs Meadow. I'll lead the way."
True to her word of working hard, Haring took the lead with purposeful strides.
Krash chuckled at her cat-like determination and followed.
'I'll recall the Seeds of Catastrophe details gradually.'
Material gathering came first now.
A week into the Last Ark.
Krash and Haring steadily gathered materials as planned.
And in just that short time, they collected nearly everything.
Haring securely tied her bag, stuffed full.
They'd gathered extras just in case.
No shortages expected.
"What's left?"
"Rotten Brew Mushrooms. They're nearby, so we can grab them quick."
Finding materials so easily lit up Haring's face.
She was thrilled to help Krash so effectively.
"Thanks, Haring. This is all because of you."
Krash openly expressed his gratitude.
"Yeah... hehe."
A bit embarrassed, Haring quickened her pace.
She misstepped jumping over a thick tree root.
"Haring!"
As Krash reached to catch her, Haring spun midair and landed gracefully.
Cat-like landing.
Haring looked up after her flawless landing.
Seeing Krash freeze mid-grab, she let out an "Ah."
She'd denied him the chance to catch her by handling it herself.
Even trying not to be greedy, she couldn't hide it here. Haring looked a tad downcast.
Krash chuckled wryly and reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Glad you're not hurt."
Someone of Haring's caliber tripping and injuring herself would be ridiculous anyway.
Haring smiled softly, pleased by the head pat.
Crimson Garden's voice rang out at that moment.
Typical of her snarky tone.
Krash looked puzzled.
She'd been quiet for so long, yet suddenly spoke up.
"Haring, hold up a sec."
"Okay."
Leaving Haring to wait, Krash stepped aside.
He pulled the corpse rat from his pocket.
"Crimson Garden, what've you been up to? Staying quiet all this time?"
Both Evelask and Crimson Garden had been silent lately.
So when Krash asked, Crimson Garden responded.
"Chit-chit."
Krash understood upon hearing that.
Evelask's reaction confirmed they were working together.
He also grasped why they hadn't reported sooner.
No major changes until infiltration succeeded, so they'd update then.
"You telling me this means..."
They were watching out for Abella there.
Crimson Garden's choices were trustworthy.
Her judgment excelled in these matters.
Krash's face hardened.
Sigrin had joined hands with Abella.
"Then this spy business..."
"......Thought she'd lost it and tossed everything away. Guess she reached out there too."
Krash realized Sigrin had truly plummeted to rock bottom.
'If she'd just maintained the status quo, it might've been fine.'
The cursed one, possibly regressed like him, ruined all her plans and rose dominant.
Sigrin couldn't endure and crumbled.
Of course, Krash's steady prodding played a role.
She'd never been mentally stable to begin with.
Raised in the imperial palace, crushed by the pressure that failing to become emperor meant the end.
Cracks had long formed deep in her heart.
'Arthur said Sigrin destroyed the Empire, then kept calling herself emperor while plundering.'
Krash knew her obsession with the Empire.
And her vicious tendency: if she couldn't have it, no one could.
'The emperor was subtly pushing to make a child between Sizly and me the next ruler.'
Sigrin must have learned of it.
'This spy she planted.'
This might not be to seize the Empire, but to destroy it.
Krash ground his teeth.
"Crimson Garden, what's the situation outside now?"
Krash scowled fiercely.
"No way."
The identified spy was fleeing to the Last Ark.
Hearing that, a flash of insight struck Krash.
"......Crimson Garden, check the directions all Empire spies are heading right now. Relay it to Sizly too. She'll have ways to contact the imperial family."
Crimson Garden caught his meaning.
The Empire managed numerous forbidden zones.
And World Erosionists had ways to trigger World Erosion rampages.
Abella had personally researched Crimson Garden's rampage techniques.
"Damn these lunatics."
Krash spun around, cursing.
"Haring! Situation's gone critical. We grab the last materials and head straight to the entrance!"
"Huh? O-Okay!"
As Haring moved to hurry, Krash dashed in front of her.
"Hop on."
Haring blinked her large eyes.
Her expression said she couldn't believe what she'd heard.
"I'll run, so hop on! It's faster this way."
Haring was no slouch at running, but Krash had Axel.
Obviously much faster.
Realizing that, the hesitant Haring squeezed her eyes shut and climbed onto his back.
Her position was a bit awkward, though.
"Hold tight."
At his warning, Haring took a deep breath, wrapped her arms around his neck, and settled properly.
Violet flower scent tickled Krash's nose.
Haring's fragrance.
Krash cleared his stray thoughts and kicked off, sprinting.
Forbidden zone rampage.
Ixion had begun their push toward the Empire's downfall.