novelraw Chapter 155 : Chapter 155
Chapter 155 : Chapter 155
Chapter 155: Honey Badger (1)
Crimson Flames are not just ordinary fire.
It is 4th Rank Magic.
Although I consciously avoided direct contact, the key was very close to the Crimson Flames.
A distance of a finger and a wrist.
Yet, the key was intact.
Far from melting, it wasn't even scorched.
It was clearly an extraordinary Magical Item at first glance, but I couldn't feel anything particular from it.
Outwardly, it was just a heavy gray key.
‘Well hidden. Not just anyone would have it.’
It must be a type that only manifests Magical Energy when used.
It is not a common Magical Item.
Neither Ios of the Ivory Tower nor Pedro, whom I met in Ekampote, had one.
It seemed to be given starting from at least the 4th Rank.
If it's good news, it's good news.
This key was a means of escape.
A means certain enough to allow bold use of Magic in the capital.
The fact that such means are rare is indeed something to welcome.
‘An escape route.’
Loisia inserted this key into empty air and turned it.
It must mean the empty air acts as a door.
“You’re an idiot if you use that now.”
Bahav warned as Harad’s hand holding the key rose into the air.
If I turned the key, the empty air would open like a door, leading somewhere.
Beyond that would be a secret place prepared by the Otherworld on the continent.
Opening it without any preparation was suicidal.
“Wipe the blood first. Or, are you an idiot?”
Bahav pointed at Harad’s eyes.
Blood was trickling down like tears. It was because I hadn't fully recovered earlier. The situation had been too urgent to leisurely recover with the Moon Orb.
Healing the aftereffects just a little was the best I could do.
Who implements the projection first—a battle of the 4th Rank is usually a battle of time.
“I won’t use it. I’m not a Northerner.”
“Even though you are Serzila?”
“Just because the affiliation is the same doesn't mean the blood is.”
“Right. Loyalty and origin are unrelated!”
Bahav laughed heartily.
His gaze felt sticky.
“I covet you.”
“Coincidentally, I was thinking something similar.”
Originally, I thought of him as just a seed thrown roughly on the way.
Not anymore.
Bahav Enverque was a man far more valuable than I had thought.
“Honestly, I’m impressed. Though being a bit weak is a flaw.”
The lack of martial power didn't resonate.
Bahav Enverque’s capability was overflowing.
“Weak? Me?”
It was a compliment, but Bahav had a fit.
Harad roughly sat down in Bahav’s home and watched.
It was under the underpass, but not a speck of trace from the fight could be seen. The restoration was already complete.
If that's Bahav’s capability, it is capability.
“I am strong!”
“Didn't you receive help?”
“It was to be more certain. I was enough by myself.”
If he had done that, things would have gotten bigger.
The fact that Bahav was less mad might have leaked out below the north of the capital.
Like Harad, Bahav was also in a position where he had to be cautious.
“If not for this situation, I am the Crown Prince who would have become a Sword Master by now. The next Tyrant you serve wouldn't have been a match!”
“That is not true.”
Harad shook his head firmly.
“No. Brains Harad, you only know the North. You don't know about me!”
“That is enough.”
Bahav was older, but that was a separate issue.
Harad was certain that at any time, there was no moment when Bahav was stronger than Elaine.
“That person is at that level?”
“More than that.”
“……”
Bahav bit his lip.
He looked hurt in his pride.
“How much is it?”
“Now is the lowest point.”
“Most are like that.”
“In a few years, there will be no one on the continent who can catch up.”
“……”
To anyone listening, it was an absurd statement.
“As expected of Serzila.”
But Bahav didn't deny it.
Because the speaker was Harad.
“I will believe your words.”
Bahav was a human who only believed what he experienced.
The Harad he experienced was trustworthy.
“What great faith. It seems you have served the next Tyrant for a long time.”
“About 15 years.”
“How old are you?”
“I will be 21 soon.”
“So you served since you were 6.”
“Since last year.”
“Are you crazy too?”
Bahav giggled.
Just how crazy was he.
Harad became curious about Bahav’s mental state anew.
‘There seems to be a switch.’
Usually, he was crazy, but when the switch was pressed, he seemed to return to being the Crown Prince.
Or maybe the opposite.
“How did you take it? I mean the north of the capital.”
Seizing a region and winning people's hearts is not an easy task.
They wouldn't follow simply out of loyalty either.
Bahav was a dethroned Enverque.
What benefit would there be in following him?
Yet Bahav captivated the north of the capital.
And he did so while pretending to be crazy, secretly deceiving the Empire's eyes.
“I am the Crown Prince.”
Bahav replaced that difficult process with his introduction.
“It would have been difficult alone.”
“A foolish question. If there was someone’s assistance, wouldn't that also be my capability.”
Bahav grinned.
What resonated was not madness, but the dignity unique to a ruler.
He was one born as a ruler by nature.
“Serzila has indomitable knights. That is Serzila’s possession and capability. It is the same.”
Like a former Crown Prince, Bahav seemed well-versed in monarchical studies.
“I heard Enverque’s monarchical studies don't include character education. Is that true?”
“Isn't that why they are sons of bitches?”
Bahav rampaged like a madman again.
“It was interesting.”
Bahav, who had been having a fit for a while, changed the subject.
He didn't seem inclined to explain further.
“You looked familiar with the Otherworld.”
“I am Serzila. It's natural.”
“What is the King of Fire?”
“It’s a Serzila secret.”
Naturally, Harad was the same.
We weren't in a relationship where we shared everything.
“Is the Origin of Magic Wildfire?”
“That is a lie.”
“That bitch seemed sincere when she spoke of her Origin?”
“Because it’s the Otherworld. In that neighborhood, Origin and Rank are sources of pride.”
Origin is talent.
Rank is self-esteem and pride.
“Like a knight’s honor?”
“Exactly.”
“Just flashy idiots.”
Bahav sneered.
Harad laughed along. Surprisingly, he got along well with Bahav.
“Red Tower is fire, Tower of Earthquakes is earth or wood, I assume. Then there must be other Towers. That neighborhood must be big.”
“Correct.”
Despite being a former Crown Prince, Bahav seemed ignorant about Magic Towers.
It was proof that the Enverque was indifferent to the Otherworld.
“Are you also looking for the guy called King of Fire? Just in case you ask, I don't know.”
“I know. And I'm not looking.”
What I needed to find was the Star, not the King.
Harad didn't bother to say it.
Bahav’s eyes narrowed.
“Tricky.”
“We are in that kind of relationship.”
“So it’s an important issue for you. I will understand. Is there anything you can tell me?”
“Your heart has become important.”
Harad pointed at Bahav’s heart.
“You are conscious of the head that cast the curse.”
“Correct. That bitch is probably planning an escape. The curses scattered everywhere must be the keys.”
Harad was in a position where he had to keep Bahav alive.
“You must keep me alive.”
“If I had my way, I'd want to take you as a hostage to the North.”
“I heard the North ignores background and only considers ability.”
“Correct. Lately, they even employ Mages like me. Interested?”
Bahav looked slightly tempted.
Then he punched his own cheek.
“Serzila is certainly a sweet option. But that would be Serzila’s capability, not mine.”
Bahav wanted to take revenge with his own hands.
“Prophecy search. The word search bothers me. Only the Tower of Earthquakes must have been monitoring me.”
Bahav, with his switch flipped on or off, was sharp.
“Those Otherworld things that should be in the polar regions are loitering in the Imperial Capital. There must be more elsewhere. Why?”
“Before buying land, one usually goes to see the land. It’s the Otherworld’s long-cherished desire.”
“Invasion! War!”
Bahav licked his lips.
“If you're thinking of using it, stop. It's a clearly wrong answer.”
I declined such variables.
“Indeed. The Tower of Earthquakes, which agreed to the war, targeted me. Those who agree together would welcome the combat power of a Mage of Curse.”
Bahav accepted immediately.
Harad felt lighthearted for the first time in a while.
Unlike the knights of the North, Bahav understood immediately even with rough explanations.
“Why does the Red Tower oppose?”
“Because they want the protagonist of the continent conquest to be their King.”
“They are crazier than me.”
Bahav shuddered.
“Fine. I will cooperate.”
“How?”
“I will survive, until I kill all those sons of bitches.”
It meant he would do as he had been doing.
“Is it insufficient?”
“No way.”
It was what Harad wished for.
“I tend to wish for your success.”
“Meaning it doesn't matter even if it's not me.”
“I tend to dislike gambling.”
Although I said that, my expectations were surprisingly high.
It was natural for a regressor.
Because I had to make it different from the past life.
I had to create as many variables as possible and keep those variables within sight.
For Harad, Bahav was the best option.
“Haha! You treat me like a discard card.”
Bahav’s eyes glistened with madness.
“Just wait and see. I will win beautifully.”
* * *
Although the northern district of the capital is abandoned land, it is still the capital.
In fact, Bahav couldn't even fight properly with Loisia because he was being cautious.
‘Fortunate it was 4th Rank.’
If I were to give my thoughts on the past events, it would be so.
If it had been 5th Rank, or if the Origin had been properly projected, the capital side might have noticed.
“Move your location, or secretly keep outstanding guards.”
Tower of Earthquakes, 4th Rank Loisia is not the end but the beginning.
The past life was the proof.
The Mage of Curse came down from the Otherworld and stood on the battlefield.
If things continue like this, it means Bahav will eventually die before long.
“I will take care of it.”
“I’m saying this because it seems you won't be able to.”
“……”
Bahav contorted his face.
He looked extremely hurt in his pride.
“……I will keep guards.”
But Bahav didn't have a fit.
Even if he couldn't fully trust Harad, he trusted Harad's judgment itself.
“Let’s go fill our stomachs. Not that place where you shit, but somewhere decent.”
“That place is the most delicious, though.”
“……”
It seemed Bahav’s tongue was thoroughly mad.
Harad stood up for now.
I wasn't that dizzy.
‘Good condition.’
Although I implemented a simple projection while suffering from aftereffects, the aftereffects only worsened slightly.
It was because the Moon Orb functioned momentarily.
For the regressed Harad, it was a treasure as valuable as the Stone of Regression.
Thinking that, my heart suddenly tightened.
‘Are you crazy? Ah. Cancel.’
Then the heart beat healthily.
Harad couldn't even laugh because it was so absurd.
It's not like it's jealous.
‘Mere tool…… Just kidding. No, cancel.’
It didn't release at 'just kidding', but released at 'cancel'.
As expected. This strange Magical Item understands words.
It was a phenomenon Harad couldn't understand.
There were many faces I saw earlier on the street.
They were the ones who dug and poured dirt under the underpass to erase traces of battle, but no one pretended to know Bahav.
Rather, they avoided the place or hushed, calling him a madman.
‘Thorough.’
Thus, Bahav was a meticulous human.
He would soon keep guards.
I don't know to what extent, but they would be outstanding as advised.
Seeing him giggling while drooling before I knew it, he seemed to have that much leeway.
It was an act that couldn't come out if he felt hopeless.
How long did we walk? Suddenly someone hooked an arm around my neck from behind. It was like wrapping around the shoulder and hugging.
“Where are you going?”
It was Elaine, and her face was quite close.
Harad pushed Elaine’s chest and moved away.
Elaine’s face turned slightly red.
“Back already?”
The sun was still high in the sky.
“Because it was boring. They said they were preparing a meal, so I came out.”
She ran away.
Harad found that unexpected.
What was in front of me wasn't Ellen, but Elaine.
Elaine, who acts as the more perfect Grand Heir to the Empire.
“It didn't seem worth seeing anymore.”
Such Elaine had a face full of annoyance.
It meant the meeting with the Imperial Family was quite unpleasant.
“How was it?”
“That madman seemed the best.”
Elaine said, pointing at Bahav.
‘Even in the past life, she met Bahav before the Imperial Family.’
Elaine of the past life had stayed in the Imperial Palace for a few days.
But the Elaine before my eyes fled early.
It was proof that cracks were forming in the mask of the Grand Heir.
It was the worth of regression.
“Did you want me to stay longer?”
Elaine asked cautiously.
“That is up to the Grand Heir.”
“What about your heart?”
“Let’s go eat together.”
Harad smiled brightly.
There was no reason to refuse. He wanted Elaine and Ellen to become one.
Presumably, that was Elaine's biggest regret.
‘She shouldn't become perfect.’
Elaine in this life shouldn't become the Iron-Blooded Grand Duke.
Harad would make it so.
Under the sky without the Otherworld, she would live as she fucking pleased…….
“Wait.”
At that moment, Elaine grabbed Harad’s shoulder as he turned.
She pulled him with Innate Strength and held Harad’s cheeks with her other hand to fix him in place.
“……?”
Harad frowned.
The face was too close.
“You’re hurt.”
“Pardon?”
“Your complexion has worsened.”
A little. It worsened just a little.
Elaine recognized that minute difference at once.
“You used Magic. You bled too.”
The fingers holding the cheek rubbed the area around the eye.
It seemed traces of blood remained.
“I told you never to shed it.”
“Something came up.”
“……”
“I will tell you while eating.”
“Orb. Take it out.”
I couldn't take it out.
Elaine's hand was already rummaging through Harad's trouser pocket.
Soon, Elaine, who had her eyes fixed on the Moon Orb gauging it, became serious.
“It decreased.”
“I used a little. Just a tiny bit.”
“It decreased.”
It wasn't even noticeable.
But Elaine distinguished it. Her gaze returned to Bahav.
“Madman, what did you do?”
“I was seared by that guy’s fire.”
Bahav pulled his scorched and curled hair.
His hands were also a mess with scars. Traces of holding the spear of fire.
“I asked what you did.”
It didn't seem visible to Elaine's eyes.
“We fought together, fucker.”
“Together? Can't even protect one person?”
“Fuck?”
“Weak. Both mind and power.”
“You ignorant bastard only strong in strength!”
Bahav had a fit in the middle of the street.
“Why protect a man! Why should a man be protected! Huh?”
Bahav, who was scratching his head like crazy, raised his head.
He sneered looking at Elaine who was still holding Harad's cheek.
“Now I know. You ignorant Tyrant. You, you, are a sodomite.”
“What?”
“Now that I see, he’s not a Brains but a lover.”
“……”
“Did you like Harad that much!”
Elaine gaped as if speechless.
Her hand lost strength. Harad pulled his face out.
“Sodomite! Heretic! Vulgar bastard!”
Bahav pointed at Elaine and giggled.
“Don’t worry! I will understand! Because I am the Crown Prince!”
“What fucking nonsense.”
Harad kicked Bahav.
Bahav tumbled backward.
“Am I wrong?”
Bahav asked while lying down.
“No, you madman.”
Harad said, pressing down on his solar plexus.
Bahav groaned.
Behind was quiet.
“Fucking……”
Elaine had a hurt face.
“Was it unrequited love?”
Bahav sneered from below.
‘……Driving me crazy.’
Harad wanted to set fire.
Just, to everything.