Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: The Princess Escapes the Demon King's Castle to Rescue the Hero (1)
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Speech patterns and voice.
And just calling himself "Owl-kun" was enough to tell her exactly who it was.
Irritation surged up, but Yuri didn't act rashly.
If she pretended to know him just because he'd acted like he knew her, that would make her no better than an amateur.
Yuri, who had been lying down facing the wall, shifted slightly to press herself even closer to it.
It was an incredibly natural act, like someone tossing and turning in a deep sleep.
An ordinary person might have thought, "Oh, she's in a deep sleep," and let it go.
But her opponent wasn't ordinary in the slightest.
"Haha, to run into Owl-kun in a place like this—no more boredom for a while!"
"......"
"Who'd you come here as the acquaintance of, Owl-kun? I'm here as my dear Therese's, of course!"
"......"
"Hmm... Owl-kun must be Miss Theresia's acquaintance, right? You two seemed pretty close last time I saw you."
Goetz Loetern plopped down behind Yuri and chattered away, whether she was asleep or not.
As his babbling grew louder, the vein in Yuri's temple bulged prominently.
Even so, he held back once more.
Maybe if she ignored him, he'd get tired and leave.
But...
"Hey, Owl-kun, I'm bored. Wanna play with me a bit? It's been a while—let's catch up face-to-face."
"......"
"Owl-kun? I know you're not sleeping."
"......"
"Get up, Owl-kun!"
Unable to endure the constant whining, Yuri finally muttered softly.
"...You've got the wrong person."
"Haha, why the act? I can tell it's you just from the back of your head, my Owl-kun!"
...How often has he seen me to call me "ours," you bastard?
She wanted to jump up and smack his face right then, but Yuri held back one last time.
"I don't know anyone like that. Go away."
"Hmm......"
At Yuri's firm denial, Goetz wore a sly smile.
He inched closer to her while still squatting.
Once right up against Yuri's back, Goetz clasped his hands together politely and whispered.
"Really not getting up? Then I'll lie down next to you. Yuri Holland-kun? Hehe."
"Eek!"
The warm breath against her ear made Yuri flail like she was having a fit as she bolted upright.
"Kyaa!"
She bared her teeth and swung a sword—who knew when she'd drawn it.
The blade's tip naturally aimed at Goetz.
A torrent of foul curses came with it.
"Die, you pervert bastard!"
Whoosh-!
"Haha, it is Owl-kun after all!"
"Shut up and die—how dare you breathe your filthy air on my sacred eardrums!"
Whoosh-!
"Hahahahaha!"
Even as deadly strikes flew at him, Goetz just grinned innocently and dodged nimbly this way and that.
"Die!"
"Hehehe!"
Thanks to their scuffle, people within several meters cleared out like the tide receding.
The two tussled for quite a while like that.
Yuri was the first to call it quits.
She realized no matter how much she fought, it'd just please the pervert, so she sheathed her sword with an annoyed look.
"Ugh, seriously, use some common sense? Can't you tell I don't want to talk just by looking?"
"I noticed, of course?"
"......?"
"I woke you up because I was bored."
"...Are you insane?"
Ah, he really is insane.
And she'd been insane too for trying to have a normal conversation with him.
'Last time we did business, he seemed somewhat normal.'
But today, why does he look so off?
Yuri let out a big sigh and headed back to her corner.
Goetz gave her a disappointed look.
"Not playing anymore?"
"No. Moving makes me hungry."
"Tch."
"I'm sleeping. Don't talk to me."
Yuri spoke curtly and tried to lie down again.
Every passing minute felt precious.
She needed to enjoy the remaining few hours.
But Yuri couldn't fall asleep.
This time, the arena door opened, and a new arrival interrupted her nap.
Creak—thud—.
A man stepped through the wide-open door.
Towering at least 190 cm, with bulging muscles.
Red hair, red eyes, and a stoic yet fierce impression.
Just his appearance exuded overwhelming intimidation, drawing the eyes of the princesses scattered around.
They all thought the same thing.
'Demon King.'
'That's the Demon King.'
'That Black Sword Soldier is the Demon King.'
As he entered the arena, he radiated an aura perfectly fitting the title.
The crowd fell silent, watching his every move.
Step step—.
In the suffocating silence.
The Demon King strode confidently across the arena, and Yuri eyed him closely too.
A greatsword in one hand.
In the other, a lamp emitting a faint red glow—as he crossed the red line into the Demon King's territory.
He claimed the skull-adorned throne.
The greatsword leaned against one armrest.
The lamp hung on the other as he rested his chin, striking a pose truly befitting a Demon King.
'The real Black Sword Soldiers... They nail the quest setup perfectly.'
Yuri clicked her tongue, her gaze landing on the red-glowing lamp.
Only then did she realize what she'd thought was an oil lamp didn't contain oil.
Instead, occupying the lamp was a faintly glowing red gem.
It looked like a ruby, but a unique mineral that emitted its own light.
Yuri tilted her head at the unfamiliar object.
'What is that?'
Then, an intrigued voice came from beside her.
"Hoo, that's the biggest Power Crystal I've ever seen."
Yuri turned to look.
"That's a Power Crystal?"
"Yeah? Owl-kun, you've never seen one before?"
"Nope. But is that big?"
"All the ones I've seen were thumbnail-sized. That one's at least three times bigger."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"But what's a Power Crystal?"
"......"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...You don't even know what a Power Crystal is?"
"Nope."
"But you just talked like you knew."
"Can't I? So what is it? Expensive?"
The Black Sword Soldiers had said capturing the Demon King would yield his treasure, the Power Crystal.
Everyone was surprised, so Yuri figured it must be something good and moved on.
It wasn't her quest anyway, so she stopped caring.
But the gem's soft glow reignited her curiosity.
Along with greed.
Oblivious, Goetz shared what he knew.
"Expensive? Of course. Especially one that size—even the rich have trouble getting them."
"Oho? Really? What do you use it for?"
"You eat it."
"...That?"
Yuri's eyes went deadpan at the idea of eating a glowing rock.
Like she suspected he was messing with her.
Seeing her hand creep back to her sword hilt, Goetz shrugged.
"Why would I mess with you? You definitely eat Power Crystals."
Her skepticism easing at his earnest tone, Yuri let go of the sword.
"You really eat that? Won't your teeth shatter chewing it?"
"No need to worry. It melts in your mouth the moment you put it in. Like candy."
"You talk like you've tried it."
"I went to great lengths for one—much smaller than that—and the effect was incredible."
Goetz smacked his lips recalling it, fueling Yuri's curiosity.
"So what's it really?"
"Hmm, how to explain... Maybe 'nature's special elixir' fits."
"Elixir?"
Her eyes sparkled excessively at "elixir."
"Yeah. Know what amber is?"
"Tree sap hardened into a gem, right?"
"Similar. A mana-infused tree leaks sap, which purifies and hardens over time into that crystal. There are types, but red ones like that are called Power Crystals."
Goetz explained in detail, but Yuri had one question.
"How good's the boost? How much mana does it add?"
Just how strong was the elixir effect?
Goetz smiled and shook his head.
"Nah, it doesn't increase mana."
Disappointment flashed across Yuri's face.
But his next words erased it entirely.
"Instead, Power Crystals boost your innate physical stats."
"......?"
"Like... Say someone trains their whole life but maxes at 100kg lift. Eat a Power Crystal, and they hit 110kg, 120kg."
"......?!"
"Plus, it amps your current stats too—one crystal equals years of training. And it's permanent growth."
Not just granting training effects, but raising physical limits too—an elixir like that.
Her eyes widened at the absurd efficacy.
"Stuff like that... exists?"
"Of course, effects vary by person and stat—strength for some, stamina or even virility for others! Everyone gets a different boost, but the benefits are proven. No side effects."
"My god."
Yuri was stunned.
By his explanation, it was a treasure of treasures.
"...The world had things like this?"
"So rare that big clans snap them up instantly—before rumors even spread. Commoners rarely even hear of them."
"...Bastards."
Keeping the good stuff to themselves and hoarding it?
And probably not just these—powerful folks monopolizing all sorts of secrets.
Ordinary people oblivious to special items.
They'd hogged them for ages.
'No wonder street rats can't compete with famous houses... They share the good stuff among themselves.'
The have-nots get weeded out.
The haves get stronger.
What an unfair world.
...That was Yuri from months ago—she'd have complained and cursed.
But things had changed.
'I'm in the Cradle now.'
Where inequality reigns supreme.
Unfairness is the norm.
A pervert's paradise for the strong.
So no complaining.
Now it was her turn to reap those unfair privileges.
Yuri's lips twitched into a smirk.
Goetz, catching the smile by chance, flinched.
Twitch—.
"H-Hey, Owl-kun?"
"What."
"...What's with your eyes?"
"What's wrong with my eyes?"
"They're not normal."
"What're you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."
"...Doesn't look like it?"
His mouth grinned nonstop, but Yuri's eyes weren't smiling.
Her gaze stayed locked on the distant Power Crystal, unblinking.
That gleaming look—anyone could see it wasn't normal.
Even pervert Goetz edged away from her.
* * *
For the first time since entering the Cradle, the 49th Cohort united.
Their first task: find their path forward.
As always, the Black Sword Soldiers withheld core quest info.
They said rescue the princess from the Demon King's Castle but didn't say where it was.
Yulia Sing, the cohort's brain, solved it.
[Simple. Just take the acquaintance entry path up from the fork?]
The princesses—their acquaintances—had entered that way and been kidnapped.
So the end of that path would lead to the kidnapping site or the castle.
Following Yulia's answer, the 49th Cohort backtracked their entry, then took the acquaintance path.
Step step—.
The cohort marched swiftly through the forest trail in a tight group.
Theresia, in the lead pack, wore an awkward expression.
'Starting a quest without fighting... feels this strange.'
Quests always kicked off with immediate attacks.
Moving together peacefully like this felt utterly off.
Not just her.
The whole 49th Cohort found the vibe awkward.
'No wonder everyone's so quiet......'
As Theresia started to smile faintly at the silence.
Her face hardened instantly.
Instinct blared the alarm.
And with it.
Rustle rustle—.
Black shadows poured down from all sides.