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Chapter 149
Chapter 149
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 149
"The atmosphere feels ominous, doesn’t it, Young Master Kane?" Charlotte expressed her unease.
She was visibly restless.
In her Moon Eyes, she saw the aura of death.
It was natural for her to feel anxious.
"The sky is shrouded in deception."
"It’s very foreboding. All I see through my Moon Eye is a world drenched in blood."
As expected of Charlotte, also known as the "Princess of the Moon Eye," she accurately sensed the impending tragedy.
A blood-soaked continent awaited.
Screams would echo unceasingly, and the people of the continent would live in torment.
Only by preventing the Meyer Family's demise ritual could the dreadful scene vanish from Charlotte’s Moon Eye.
"Rehinar should be safe."
"The capital will be alright, won’t it?"
"With Crown Prince Isaac there, that area should be secure, but I’m unsure about the rest of Fresia Empire."
The whole continent was set to be afflicted by the ritual.
Fresia was no exception.
In certain regions, crazed fanatics and mutated monsters would emerge and wreak havoc.
It had to be contained quickly.
The terrifying thing about the ritual was its extreme infectiousness.
If one madman infected others, they’d all be affected at once.
Its contagion was relentless.
If it wasn’t suppressed in time, the situation would spiral out of control.
"Only Rehinar, the capital, and Philaec, are guaranteed to be safe."
"We must inform my brother, the Crown Prince, right away."
"He’s already aware."
"I want to contribute, even if it’s in a small way."
Unlike other princesses, Charlotte had no desire for power.
One surprising trait about her was her deep care for the Fresia Empire.
Because of this, Crown Prince Isaac trusted her alone.
Unlike his other siblings, she wasn’t antagonistic and even showed concern for him.
With the looming threat to the Fresia Empire, her unexpected nature shone through.
‘She’s still far from fully awakening her saintly powers.’
She was currently at the 4th class.
To fully awaken as a saint, she needed to advance her skills by at least one level.
For now, her Moon Eyes could sense the aura of death, but that was all.
‘The only way to help her grow quickly would be to feed her character fragments, but since Charlotte isn’t one of the characters I selected, that sort of growth isn’t possible.’
It wasn’t feasible to develop every character.
Only characters drawn directly from the store, those closely related to Kane Rehinar, and those able to join the partner list were eligible.
Otherwise, growth through methods like equipping awakened weapons was an option.
The only thing possible was to grow her by feeding her character fragments.
‘If her favorability were high enough… huh?’
He opened Charlotte’s brief status screen, noticing an unexpected number.
[Favorability: 87 (Reverence)]
It wasn’t mere interest or like—it was reverence.
"When did her Favorability get this high?"
Kane hadn’t even gone to the Rehinar Military Academy to avoid running into Charlotte.
They’d barely seen each other a handful of times.
So how had her Favorability reached 87?
He wondered what could have caused her Favorability to rise.
"Looks like I might be able to give her character fragments."
He added Charlotte to his partner list.
[Charlotte von Fresia has been added to the partner list.]
Just like that, she became an ally.
"Please wait here for a moment. I need some time to think."
"With my Moon Eye, I can purify the corrupted energy in the skies."
He opened the shop and started the fragment draw.
Charlotte was a natural five-star character.
No matter how many three- or four-star fragments he gave her, it wouldn’t increase her level.
He needed to draw only five-star fragments for her.
- Awakening Conditions for Charlotte von Fresia -
Charlotte von Fresia’s 5-Star Fragments +10 pieces
OR
Absorption of the Moon Star.
There were two paths, but both ultimately led to a single awakened form.
Unlike Camilla, there was no need to choose between awakening conditions.
Obtaining the Moon Star was unrealistic for now.
Collecting Charlotte von Fresia’s 5-star fragments was the easiest route.
With plenty of money from his jewel brand KaraShi, he could spend freely.
So he made some purchases without hesitation.
[Purchased 12 character fragment draws.]
[Purchased 12 character fragment draws.]
[Purchased 12 character fragment draws.]
...
He attempted a staggering 1,000 draws.
Back when he was Ray, he used to get so excited doing 1,000 draws… But now, it felt different. There was no thrill.
After all, he would need to keep drawing continuously.
How many characters were there, anyway?
To collect 10 five-star fragments, he’d have to do at least 10,000 draws.
As expected.
1,000 draws weren’t nearly enough.
So he kept spending as long as he had money.
With the character fragment screen open, he kept drawing.
Finally, after 11,000 draws, he had gathered all of Charlotte’s fragments.
He immediately fed Charlotte all the five-star fragments.
"Huh?"
"Stay calm."
Charlotte’s Moon Eye glowed, illuminating the world around them.
A golden light enveloped her.
The light faded, revealing Charlotte’s transformed figure.
[Charlotte von Fresia has awakened as the Saintess of the Moon Eye.]
She had always worn her hair neatly braided, but now her long hair flowed freely.
"…What just happened?"
Charlotte looked at Kane in disbelief.
Before, she could only feel the mana of the Moon Echo, but now, she sensed a new power: divine energy.
And the strength of that power? It was at least double, if not more, resting within her heart.
The abruptness of it all left her bewildered.
"Your progress with the Moon Eye was slowing because you relied on its power too much, so I forced it to advance."
"So, you… elevated my power?"
"Yes."
"But what about this divine energy? Where did that come from?"
"That power was hidden within you. When I drew out your strength, the divine energy revealed itself."
"Sir Kane, you possess an incredible power. I think I finally understand why my brother is so interested in you."
She had come to realize Kane’s strength during her time in Rehinar. His martial abilities surpassed imagination. He also had a surprising level of political and administrative skill.
But that was it.
She hadn’t yet found the “something special” her brother, the Crown Prince, had seen in him.
The opportunities to interact with him had been scarce.
She’d only thought of him as a remarkable person.
But now, she felt it firsthand—just how extraordinary he was.
"I’d appreciate it if you’d help by purifying that deceptive energy hanging over the skies of Rehinar."
"Leave it to me."
Charlotte responded with a determined expression.
With her newfound awakening, she could now purify the aura of death that filled the sky.
* * *
The next day.
Thanks to Charlotte, the deadly aura lingering over Rehinar’s skies had started to thin.
However, traces of it still remained. Even though she had awakened as the Saintess, her strength wasn’t yet enough to completely purify it.
"With dark magic running rampant across the land, it’s no wonder the sky is filled with death." Mikhail said frowning.
"It’s very ominous."
"Let’s head toward the area with the highest concentration of that aura."
The two of them boarded a high-speed ship.
It was Kane Rehinar’s personal vessel.
At Kane’s signal, the ship sped through the water at incredible speed.
"Aren’t we heading toward the Capital City?"
"We’re going further south."
They had already passed the Capital City some time ago.
Powered by a magic core, the ship continued without rest.
It was fully stocked with mana stones for energy.
After two weeks, they finally arrived at the southern edge of the continent.
"I never imagined there would be such a vast desert on this continent…."
Mikhail was genuinely surprised.
Nothing but sand stretched before them.
There wasn’t a hint of green grass or prairie.
Just withered trees and walls and buildings made of sand.
"Is this the village of the Golden Dragon?"
"No, this is the Golden Dunes."
Everything amazed Mikhail.
It was as though they’d stepped into an entirely different continent.
"Hold back your curiosity. They’re hostile to outsiders."
"Why is that?"
"Because this is where the Golden Dragon’s village is marked."
"Ah, so that’s why they’re hostile toward outsiders."
Everyone on the continent had once swarmed the Golden Dunes, seeking treasure.
The worst of them hadn’t hesitated to commit murder.
The reason was simple.
Rumor had it that a great fortune was hidden in the Golden Dragon’s village—a sum enough to buy half the continent. Everyone’s eyes glowed with greed as they searched for it.
The Golden Dunes suffered the most from this.
The bodies of villagers killed by outsiders had piled up by the cartload.
Though forgotten by the rest of the continent now, there was a time when bloodshed was constant.
"Is that why this place seems so desolate?"
"Something like that."
Around the same time, the Meyer Family discovered the Village of the Golden Dragon.
Since they produced the Elixer of Oblivion here, it was natural for the Golden Dunes to be affected.
"They look like people without souls."
"This too is the result of the Aura’s influence. A lifetime of exposure to the Oblivion Energy changes people like that."
[TL/N: Oblivion energy and the Aura of death are most probably the same thing. But the author uses both in this chapter.]
The eyes of the Golden Dunes’ residents were dull and lifeless.
No one had clear, lively eyes.
They all moved mechanically, as if devoid of individual will.
Kane and Mikhail crossed through the Golden Dunes.
Beyond the city.
They saw only endless, sand-covered plains.
The two of them walked this path until they reached a point where the Golden Dunes were just a dot in the distance.
Kane drew his sword and thrust it into the sand, feeling something solid beneath.
Four stones were buried in the sand below.
He had Mikhail retrieve the stones hidden in the sand.
"Now, all we have to do is infuse them with mana."
"I’ll handle it."
"Your mana is incompatible, so it won’t work."
This Golden Dragon Village was a place Kane had visited before, back when he was Ray.
It had been quite a challenge then.
His mana held the Fire Rune.
He tried infusing mana into the stone, but there was no reaction.
Only when he poured water on it did the stone finally respond.
He had later learned that the stone only reacted to water, leading him to search for someone with a water rune.
"This stone only reacts to water."
As Kane infused the stone with his mana, a violet liquid surged from his hands.
The liquid activated the surrounding stones, forming a square pattern.
At that moment—
The two of them vanished in a burst of light.
It all happened in an instant.
The stone, which had briefly emerged from the sand, quietly sank back below, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, Kane and Mikhail found themselves gazing upon the Village of the Golden Dragon.
"My god..."
Mikhail’s mouth fell open as he took in the view, unable to close it.
The scene before them was astonishing.
A dragon sat atop the golden rooftops of the city, shackled from head to tail.
And it wasn’t just one—there were several.
"That dragon… do you know what it is?"
This dragon was larger and more imposing than any other, exuding an aura of sheer intimidation.
Yet even this mighty dragon was bound with magical shackles.
"The Golden Dragon Chrysalis."
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]