NOVEL NEXT Chapter 404
### Chapter: 404
How to Solve the Sword Problem?
To solve this little conundrum, Kraush had no choice but to acquire a sword of Thunder Prime level.
—
Thunder Prime Level Sword.
There was only one option.
He had to find one of the Ten Heavenly Swords.
—
“Like one of the Ten Heavenly Swords is going to just fall out of the sky.”
Kraush forced a wry smile.
Besides, it wasn’t even about the Ten Heavenly Swords anymore.
He had already smashed the Holy Sword and the Thunder Prime to bits.
—
Eight Heavenly Swords.
Most of them were either in the hands of renowned champions or secured in troublesome places.
It wasn’t impossible to hunt them down, but getting a hold of one was a whole different ballgame.
Thus, Kraush decided to choose a backup plan.
—
He swung the pitch-black sword he held with gusto.
“Last time I broke you, so don’t let me down this time.”
Kraush nodded at the crow perched on his shoulder.
“Yeah, let’s hope for the best.”
—
The sword he had was none other than a Muk Sword.
After breaking so many swords in the past, it was the one Crimson Garden had given him.
Of course, Kraush had managed to break even that Muk Sword at some point.
But for now, it should do just fine.
—
‘If push comes to shove, I might as well pay the Gold King a visit.’
The Gold King was the one who could provide all the weapons of the Armed Princess.
Surely, there was at least one decent sword in her vault.
—
‘But that can wait.’
Kraush had more urgent matters to tend to.
He was set to head to Poseus with Karandis.
This appointment had already been inked in, so he decided to postpone the heavenly sword quest and tackle this first.
—
When Kraush returned to the Icarus headquarters, which he essentially considered home, everyone straightened up and greeted him with respect.
Those who had marched alongside him towards the Kingdom of Jeblam treated him warmly.
However, newcomers who joined after the Great Exploration Era regarded him with a certain reverence since he was their top commander.
—
This was becoming quite familiar now.
Kraush accepted their greetings casually and moved on.
“Wow, Commander Kraush!”
At that moment, he bumped into a familiar face.
Kraush grinned broadly the moment he saw him.
“Pendal!”
—
Pendal, the hero of the common folk, was a fellow alumnus of Rahern Academy and had quite a history with Kraush.
As a fellow hero leading the charge in the Great Exploration, Kraush raised his hand in acknowledgment.
“It’s been a while since we last met.”
“Yeah, right? I’ve just been sending letters.”
—
As noted earlier, Pendal was indeed a hero spearheading the Great Exploration.
Given the Empire’s efforts to support him, he was diligently working on exploring the wilderness as part of Icarus.
More accurately, he was the one closing off the world erosion in the lands in need of exploration.
But if that counted as exploration, then so be it.
—
“On your way back from a job?”
When Pendal asked, Kraush slowly rubbed his chin.
Then, as if sharing a secret, he gestured for Pendal to come closer.
When the perplexed Pendal approached, Kraush draped his arm over Pendal’s shoulder.
“Don’t tell the others, but I’ve regained some of my strength.”
“What?”
Pendal’s eyes widened in shock.
After all, he was one of the few who knew Kraush had lost his power.
Once the news spread that the Celestial Swordmaster had lost his strength, it was mostly shared with only close acquaintances.
There was no point in spreading such news throughout the Empire.
—
“Really? That’s great!”
Pendal’s face lit up when he heard the news about Kraush.
Being a long-time friend, Pendal welcomed the return of Kraush’s power as if it were his own.
This made spilling the beans worth it.
—
“Let’s spar when I get a chance.”
“Sounds good!”
Pendal beamed, his excitement palpable.
There was something heartwarming about how visibly elated he seemed.
After exchanging pleasantries with Pendal, Kraush made his way back to his office.
He intended to tackle some pending tasks before joining Karandis.
—
Kraush opened the door to his office and immediately his gaze landed on a single figure on the sofa.
There lay a woman with flowing white hair, peacefully asleep.
This was Bianca Hardenhartz.
Kraush’s former fiancée and now his wife.
—
She had apparently just dozed off.
Noticing Bianca had fallen asleep despite his arrival, Kraush quietly approached her.
He sat next to her and gently stroked her hair.
It seemed he had missed her while he was away.
After all, he had spent over a decade with Bianca.
He could gauge her thoughts just by observing her actions.
—
‘Didn’t she say she liked my scent?’
Bianca, who had often told him, “I love your scent, Kraush,” would sometimes snuggle up in his arms.
Now that he thought about it, liking someone’s scent was often said to be a sign of genetic compatibility.
Where he heard that from, he had no idea; just a random tidbit he picked up somewhere.
—
“Hmm.”
While stroking Bianca’s hair, a sound escaped her lips.
Bianca squirmed and then burrowed her face into Kraush’s waist.
“Kraush, I love you,” she murmured, half-dreaming.
Hearing her sleepy confession caused a gentle smile to blossom on Kraush’s lips.
“Me too, I love you.”
—
As he responded, Bianca pulled him in tighter, clearly delighted.
Having someone who always cherished him was comforting and made him feel secure.
This was part of what made Kraush value saving the world.
—
“When did you fall asleep?”
“Just a moment ago.”
She answered without even opening her eyes.
“Do you want to sleep more? Should I take you to the bedroom?”
At that, she shook her head vigorously as if to say ‘no.’
It was a cute sight.
—
“I’ll get up now.”
With that, Bianca turned her head and presented her face to Kraush, eyes still closed.
Realizing what she wanted, Kraush bent down and planted a kiss on her.
—
“Eep.”
Bianca’s lips curved into a smile.
Suddenly, she sat up and pressed her lips against Kraush’s again.
Once more, their warm and soft lips met.
For some reason, Bianca’s lips always tasted sweet.
—
Maybe it was because he hadn’t seen her in a while.
Bianca lingered on the kiss, unwilling to break away.
Instead, she pressed her body closer to his.
The scent of her warmth wafted through the air around them.
Though she was clothed, he could still feel her soft skin.
—
Bianca’s breathing grew a bit heavier.
Before long, their lips parted, allowing their tongues to intertwine.
The soft sound of their mixing saliva echoed softly in the office.
Bianca really loved kissing.
As Kraush wrapped his arms around her waist, she shivered slightly.
It was clear that the kiss had ignited a response in her.
—
“Phew.”
After breaking the kiss, Bianca gazed up at Kraush.
Her blue eyes sparkled as they woke up.
Then, her eyes rolled lazily as she playfully said, “…Should we head to the bedroom?”
If they went in there, it seemed like they wouldn’t come out for the entire day.
—
Kraush, being a man in his mid-twenties, found such reactions from his wife to be quite stirring.
Just as he tightened his embrace around Bianca’s waist…
—
Bang!
“Bianca, Kraush is….”
The door swung open, revealing Haring.
She walked in, immediately sensing the charged atmosphere between Kraush and Bianca, frozen in an embrace.
After locking eyes with both of them, Haring raised an eyebrow slightly.
Without days of hesitation, she sauntered in and tugged on Kraush’s arm.
“Didn’t we agree no fun stuff during the day?”
Kraush had a sheepish look on his face.
Bianca, only half-joking, awkwardly got up and adjusted her clothes.
At that, Haring pouted, still holding Kraush’s hand, and fiddled with it.
When Kraush interlocked his fingers with hers, Haring’s frown melted away.
Then, Bianca grabbed the other hand and did the same.
—
It was troublesome how adorable his wives were.
—
“What happened, Kraush?”
Haring asked, her mood lifted.
Kraush smiled knowingly, understanding what she was asking.
—
“It seems I won’t need to stick around 24/7 anymore.”
Upon hearing Kraush’s words, both Bianca and Haring’s faces lit up.
“Good job.”
“Well done!”
The two women embraced Kraush, rewarding him for the hardships he had faced.
—
“Haring.”
Bianca called out to Haring, who promptly nodded and got up from her seat.
“Just a moment,” she said before stepping out of the office.
Kraush raised an eyebrow in confusion as to what was happening, but moments later, Haring returned, holding a sword.
Kraush’s eyes went wide as he recognized the sword she carried.
It was a starry weapon.
One of the Ten Heavenly Swords.
The Nebula Sword (星雲劍)!
—
This sword was said to be forged from fallen stars, making it the second-best sword available, just behind Thunder Prime, and boasted the highest aura transmission rate among them.
Unlike Thunder Prime’s abilities, it amplified the user’s output instead.
Suffice it to say, Kraush had considered the Nebula Sword as a backup plan if he couldn’t get a hold of Thunder Prime, based on his past output.
—
But naturally, being one of the Ten Heavenly Swords, acquiring it was a daunting feat.
He vaguely guessed it might be lodged away in the ruins of an ancient deity.
But he would have never imagined Haring would just bring it to him like this.
—
“I knew you would regain your strength.”
Kraush’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Haring and Bianca had gone out of their way to retrieve the Nebula Sword for him.
Haring approached and handed the sword over to Kraush.
“Give it a try.”
—
Kraush drew the sword from its sheath as instructed.
The blade resembled the night sky itself.
It was a deeper shade of black than the Muk Sword, almost like ink.
As Kraush infused the blade with his power, stars began to twinkle along its edge, responding to the energy emitted.
—
He could surely feel the strength of the Nebula Sword.
“…Thank you, both of you.”
Just as he was agonizing over how to resolve his sword problem, he never in his wildest dreams expected to receive such a present.
Kraush couldn’t hide his overwhelming gratitude as he looked at them.
The two women responded with shy smiles.
—
“We just wanted to help with what we could.”
“Yeah, since I wasn’t able to assist in reclaiming your strength.”
—
After Kraush lost his power, Haring had been visiting Darling Danphelion, gathering various potions.
Though those potions were helpful in stabilizing his condition, they had no effect on restoring his strength.
Upon hearing this from Haring, Kraush set the Nebula Sword down and opened his arms to embrace both women.
“You’ve been such a tremendous support just by being here.”
Upon hearing Kraush’s heartfelt words, both women beamed with joy.
—
He promised himself.
He would never break the Nebula Sword and would cherish it for a lifetime.
Absolutely.
—
[Well, this is a mess.]
Today too, Kraush ignored Crimson Garden’s words echoing in his mind.