Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Nice to Meet You for the First Time
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"Hey, don't you think Aslan will get mad if you keep sneaking snacks like that?"
While Krash was actively working with the Generation of the Sky.
He spotted Lilina, Aslan's maid, furtively pulling bread from the food basket she was supposed to deliver to Aslan, and asked her in disbelief.
Aslan was one of the top powerhouses in the Generation of the Sky.
As the Flame King's only grandson, he might not have been before, but now he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Abella as the strongest flame magic user.
So it was baffling to see his maid Lilina doing something like that with her eyes half-closed all the time.
"He knows, but he never scolds me."
She said that and gulped down the bread.
"Lord Aslan doesn't eat bread. So I'm kindly eating it for him."
For someone who claimed that, she sure devoured the bread eagerly every time.
"You'll get fat doing that."
"What are you talking about? Do you know how hard I work to stay in shape? Want me to show you? I'm really offended now."
"Why the hell does Aslan keep you around as his maid...?"
Krash and Lilina, Aslan's maid, had grown somewhat close.
Aslan was part of the Generation of the Sky too.
He had to head into World Erosions constantly, so he often fell victim to curses, and each time he owed Krash a favor.
That's why he often chatted casually with Lilina, Aslan's maid, and they exchanged light banter.
"Because I'm the only pretty maid who takes good care of Lord Aslan. It's all about looks."
"What does Aslan lack that he picks his maids based on appearance?"
"Hey, I'm popular, you know? Whenever I walk down the street, gentlemen always invite me for tea and try to flirt."
Krash just stared at her silently.
"What? Got a problem?"
"Nope."
Since she said so herself, Krash let it slide.
"You're always so rude to me. Actually, are you interested in me, Lord Krash? That's troubling. I'll have to turn you down. I only have eyes for Lord Aslan."
"Thanks."
Lilina said that and picked up the basket.
"You're hopeless with everything else, but thank you for talking with Lord Aslan sometimes. He seems a bit more at ease when he's chatting with you."
"...It's just that he's only capable of normal conversation with that guy."
Lilina covered her mouth and let out a "Hehe."
"Something like that."
Her eyes weren't smiling, though—who knows what she was up to.
"Still, I believe that someday, just like you steal away his curses, you'll draw out Lord Aslan's true feelings cleanly."
Even called the Flame Lord, Aslan always wore that detached expression toward the world.
Krash, who had seen that face countless times, clicked his tongue.
"...How many days does that guy have left?"
"291 days."
Lilina spat out the number, bowed her head, and left.
Krash mulled over the number 291.
Because that was exactly Aslan's remaining lifespan.
And right now, Krash was watching Lilina stuff the rest of the bread into her mouth.
'...Has she not aged a single day since then?'
Krash had never seen Lilina around this time before.
He only got to know Aslan after joining the Generation of the Sky.
Aslan hadn't even come to Raheln Academy in the first place.
Yet strangely, Lilina looked exactly the same back then as she did now.
At this point, it was downright eerie.
And it stirred up old memories, leaving a strange feeling.
"Soup and bread to start."
Just then, the server brought out the soup and bread.
In the meantime, Lilina had finished off the bread, picked up the basket, and headed outside.
Seeing that, Krash tapped on the window next to the table.
Suddenly, there was a flapping sound outside, followed by something flying off.
'He'll tail her well.'
Krash glanced at the soup and bread.
Perfect timing—he was starting to get hungry.
'Food first.'
After all, Lilina and Aslan weren't going anywhere.
Then, something occurred to Krash, and he turned to Bianca.
"Bianca, shouldn't you tie your hair up?"
Bianca, spoon in hand, glanced at her hair.
Then, with the spoon still in her mouth, she lightly touched the back of her head.
Sure enough, as Krash said, her hair had grown quite long.
Since coming to Green Pine Pavilion, she had trimmed it but never cut the length.
So it was noticeably longer than at first.
At that length, it was perfect for dipping into her mouth.
In fact, Bianca always tied her hair before meals.
Her personal maid Elfin had always done it for her.
But Elfin wasn't here.
"Then tie it for me."
Bianca turned around and handed him a hair tie from her pocket.
Krash's face turned incredulous for a moment.
"The soup's getting cold."
Bianca glanced back slightly and urged him on.
"You can't eat hot stuff anyway."
Saying that, Krash took the hair tie anyway and gathered her hair at the back.
He pulled gently so it wouldn't hurt, then skillfully tied it up.
Confirming it was neatly done, Bianca looked surprised.
"You're good at this."
"Learned it a while back."
And got scolded plenty while doing so.
Krash glanced at his hands after tying it.
Ancient history now.
With thoughts turning to the meal, Krash picked up his spoon instead.
The food was decently satisfying.
The cheap prices and filling portions were the shop's strengths.
Naturally, the place was full of commoners.
Fortunately, Bianca ate without fussing over the plebeian fare.
She had preferences but no real dislikes.
After finishing, Krash stepped outside with Bianca.
The sky was just starting to darken appropriately.
It was dinner time, after all.
Flap!
Then, Krash heard the sound of wings flapping.
He looked up to see a crow descending.
It was none other than Crimson Garden.
"Crim."
Bianca naturally stroked Crimson Garden as it perched on Krash's shoulder.
Seemingly fine with her touch, Crimson Garden let her pet its feathers while looking at Krash.
"Did you tail her?"
In response to Krash's question, Crimson Garden raised its head.
In the direction she indicated stood a mansion beyond the towering magic tower.
Hearing that, Krash reacted with a knowing "As expected."
"And the uproar's about what I think?"
The Flame King's grandson's suicide attempt.
And the protagonist of that attempt was someone Krash knew very well.
Flame Lord Aslan Egrid.
In the magic city of Halgram, which mansion was the most famous?
Everyone would agree on one.
The mansion where the Flame King resided—the Egrid Mansion.
And right now, the Egrid Mansion was in utter chaos.
The reason lay with the Flame King's grandson.
"This time he tried hanging himself."
"Last week it was poison. What on earth is he thinking?"
The cleaning maids gossiped as they worked.
Their topic was none other than Aslan Egrid's suicide attempt.
As the Flame King's only grandson, Aslan was the heir who would one day take over the Egrid family.
However, due to his innate lunar yin constitution, he couldn't learn the flame magic the Egrids had passed down for generations.
But that didn't mean his character was flawed.
Though the lunar yin body made him sleep through most days and active at night.
He was refined and showed genuine enthusiasm for magic.
Even if he couldn't use the Egrid's prized flame magic, he studied diligently.
But one day, he snapped.
Some said it was due to a curse from a World Erosion entity driving him mad.
No one knew the truth.
"If the head maid hears you talking about Lord Aslan behind his back like that, she'll scold you."
Suddenly, the two jumped at the voice from behind.
It belonged to none other than Aslan's personal maid, Lilina.
"L-Lilina."
"We didn't say anything!"
As the two scurried off, Lilina clicked her tongue while holding the basket.
How could family maids have such loose lips?
Lilina shook her head and walked on.
Soon, she arrived at a door.
Just before she opened it, a shout erupted from inside.
"Have you lost your mind?! How did I raise you... to try and kill yourself?! What the hell is—!"
Lilina knew exactly whose voice it was.
Aslan's mother and the family's deputy head, Flame Lord Aegasa Egrid.
The words were muffled through the door, but it was clearly a tirade.
No matter how much she yelled at Aslan, there was no response from him.
Finally, with an irritated huff, she approached the door.
Lilina quickly stepped back, and the door flew open.
A middle-aged woman with flowing red hair stormed out and glanced at Lilina.
"Did you hear?"
The cold fury on her face made even Lilina flinch.
"No, I didn't hear anything."
Even if she had, denying it was wisest.
With Lilina's reply, Aegasa glared once more before turning and leaving.
Lilina hurried into the room once she was gone.
Inside, a bitter medicinal scent hung in the air, curtains drawn tight.
Closing the door, Lilina walked further in with the basket.
Her eyes fell on a man.
Gaunt frame, long red hair hanging limply.
Deep shadows under his eyes.
It was Aslan Egrid.
A red mark encircled his neck, bandages loosened.
From his suicide attempt by hanging.
"...Why not do it when I'm here?"
Lilina muttered to herself, and Aslan's eyelids slowly lifted.
He stared at her blankly, then smiled faintly.
He'd heard every shout from Aegasa earlier, yet he seemed utterly detached.
"Lilina."
"Yes, Lilina, Lord Aslan's personal maid. You must be hungry. I'll prepare your meal."
Ignoring his neck, she set the food on the table.
It was what she'd picked up from the shop earlier.
The insulated magic basket kept it warm.
Aslan rose slowly and approached.
He pulled out a chair, sat, and stared at the food.
Then he picked up the spoon Lilina set and sipped the soup.
"...That shop."
"You're not eating unless it's from there, so Lilina makes the trip every day. Please eat it all today."
"I'll try."
But his spoon lacked the effort his words suggested.
A few minutes later.
Aslan set down the spoon, the food barely touched—maybe a single bite each.
Lilina cleared it away.
Aslan returned to bed and lay down.
"Lord Aslan, lying down right after eating isn't good for you."
"I'm fine. Thanks for worrying. You can go now."
Aslan pulled the covers over himself.
Lilina watched, cleaned the table spotless, and left.
Her half-lidded eyes lingered on the closed door.
Two months ago.
The bright-faced Aslan was gone.
Now, only a man wishing for death each day remained.
Lilina gripped the basket tightly.
How could she bring the young master back?
As his personal maid, she alone knew why Aslan had changed.
'Someone.'
Was there no one to restore him?
Knowing her own power fell short, Lilina let out a long sigh.
Then her eyes caught a crow perched on the windowsill.
For some reason, it stared straight at her.
She tilted her head and approached the window.
Peeking it open, the crow didn't flee but stayed on the sill.
"What a curious one."
Lilina glanced at the basket.
Food that would be thrown out anyway.
She pulled out a piece of meat, and the crow snatched it and flew off.
It had come for food, after all.
"Smart bird."
And so began their strange encounters.
From then on, whenever Lilina cleared Aslan's leftovers, the crow appeared, as if seeing her as its feeder.
It took scraps of meat or food and flew off.
After days of this, it became routine for Lilina.
Today, after tidying Aslan's meal, she spotted the crow on the windowsill.
"Kammy, hi. You're back today too."
She'd named it at some point and smiled faintly as she approached.
Seeing it let her touch it without flying off, Lilina felt a bit healed.
"The one who needs healing isn't me, though."
Maybe showing Kammy to Aslan would cheer him up a little.
That was her thought.
Suddenly, Kammy spread its wings, flew down, and perched below the window.
Puzzled, Lilina stuck her head out.
"Kammy? Not hungry today?"
Kammy glanced at her and waddled off.
It seemed like it wanted her to follow, so Lilina climbed out the window.
Oddly, Kammy didn't fly but led her somewhere.
Soon outside the mansion, they reached a park.
A place Lilina passed often.
After walking a bit, Kammy suddenly flapped and flew up.
As Lilina followed with her eyes, Kammy landed on a boy's shoulder.
Black hair, blue eyes, a youthful face sharpened by keen gaze.
His height suggested mid-teens.
Kammy looked very familiar with him.
"Who might you be?"
The boy looked at her curiously, his face innocently pure.