I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills - Chapter 39

[EP.39] The White Ghost’s Past is now Vanished

Note: This chapter is flashback

“If you pour out your emotions that way, perhaps the world wouldn’t look so grey.”

At the betrothal dissolution, brought about by the incident in Hardenhartz, she had looked at him and said so.

Kraush, hearing those words at the time, couldn’t help but feel how absurd they were.

“What the hell are you talking about? Better to be without such emotions. Do you even realize how screwed up that would be if you had them?”

What’s the use of being able to freely express emotions?

Other than cursing this damned world, I see no other use.

“Is that so?”

“Is that so my foot.”

Kraush clicked his tongue.

And he looked at Bianca with a look of displeasure.

“Aren’t you the comfortable one? This betrothal dissolution is so unfair, even from my view. The incident in your family had nothing to do with you. If I were you, I would have died of anger.”

The recent event in Hardenhartz…

It was the incident where Douglakan Hardenhartz, the lord of Hardenhartz, went mad.

Suddenly crazed, he had beaten the household members to death with a club, including his own firstborn and second child, Jenica.

There was only one survivor, Bianca.

She had survived because her sister Jenica had hidden her underground and then drawn his attention away.
T h is was c o p i e d fr om k i ng mtl .o r g

After experiencing such an ordeal, Bianca was then faced with the betrothal dissolution.

For the Balheims, there was no reason to take in Bianca from the now-ruined Hardenhartz.

“Damn noble families. They pretend they have the entire world at their beck and call with engagements and relationships, and when things go south, this is what happens.”

The event annoyed Kraush too.

The fact that Douglakan had gone mad had many dubious aspects to it.

Even knowing this, the Balheims cut off Bianca immediately after Hardenhartz fell apart.

Bianca gently fiddled with a teacup filled with hot tea.

“Drink it if you want to.”

Hearing this, Bianca slowly shook her head.

“I can’t drink anything hot. I have a cat’s tongue, you see.”

Is that so?

Kraush, never really caring much about Bianca to begin with, nodded resignedly.

“…Well, how about this. If I were to regain my emotions, and experience them firsthand, maybe I could figure out which is more painful?”

At that moment, it was Bianca who made the eccentric suggestion.

It was a ridiculous proposal.

“If you regained your emotions, you’d die of sheer anger, biting your tongue.”

With that, Kraush warned her, frowning slightly.

It wasn’t that he had a particular fondness for her, but it was a minimum warning from an ex-fiancé.

But Bianca tilted her head.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r om k i n g m tl . o r g
“Mr. Kraush, you don’t care whether I live or die, do you? We’re now strangers.”

The irritation surged in him instantly, knowing she had deliberately provoked him.

“I am simply curious. Which is more painful.”

Despite her words, Bianca’s face remained expressionless.

“Tsch.”

Hearing this, Kraush raised his hand.

“If you’re so intent on finding out, then feel free. Experience it.”

She was the one who said she wanted to experience it directly, right?

Kraush, with the Black Hood, stole the ‘Snow Doll’ curse from Bianca.

Since she had offered, he could easily steal her curse without any need for a dial.

But in Kraush’s case, the ‘Snow Doll’ curse he received was nullified by his other curses.

A mid-to-lower-tier curse like that was simply devoured by the many highest-tier curses Kraush possessed.
This w a s c o p i e d f rom king m t l . o r g

“How does it feel?”

“…”

Kraush still vividly remembered that day.

And he also recalled that he should have clung to her then.

“The world is a cruel place.”

After all, that day was when she became the White Ghost.
T his w as co pi ed f r o m ki ng m t l .o r g

Three years after becoming the White Ghost, she killed one of the Ten Strongest in the world, the Poison King.

The news spread across the world, and belatedly, the whole story of the Hardenhartz incident came to light.

It was an imperial plan to annihilate Hardenhartz.

“Ha, this foolish girl…”

Upon hearing this news, Kraush covered his face.

The reason was simple.

A piece of information divulged by Prince Siphon Ephania, who had sought asylum in Hardenhartz, was critical enough to shake the foundation of the Empire.

As a result, the Empire quickly dispatched an individual to silence both Hardenhartz and the second prince.

A person who could handle any poison.

One of the Ten Strongest.
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m ki n g m tl . or g

The Poison King.

T h i s w a s c op ie d f r om k i ng m t l .o r g
The poison that the Poison King had developed and administered to Douglakan Hardenhartz made him see his servants and family members as monsters.

Frightened by the monster he saw, Douglakan killed all his family and servants except for Bianca with his own hands.

And when the effect of the poison neatly ended,

he couldn’t endure the crime he had committed and hung himself to death.

That was the tragic full story behind the incident at Hardenhartz.

After the truth came out later, the relationship between the Empire and Starlon reached its worst.

It eventually led to war due to the outrage at the Empire’s tyranny, and in that process, many died.

In such a war…

Naturally, Kraush too was caught up in it.

Because the Sky Generation moved to put an end to the war between the Empire and Starlon.

The Sky Generation wasn’t on the side of the Empire or Starlon.

Thus, in order to suppress the two sides, the Sky Generation started to use force and conflict ensued.

The Sky Generation, who were supposed to be opposing global erosion, were using violence against people.

It was truly an absurd situation.

And, of course, the Sky Generation too could not remain safe in the war.

“Damn fools! At the very least, won’t there be someone to guard the rear supplies!”

Kraush, now in charge of supplies for the Sky Generation, yelled as he raced through the snow-covered forest, passing by the scorched remains of Hardenhartz.

Hardenhartz had been the front line since it was closest to the Empire.

Especially since the Poison King had been killed at the hands of Bianca.

After killing the Poison King, Bianca stayed in the main house of Hardenhartz, the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

Because of that, the Empire was relentless in attacking not only Starlon but the Northern Sea Ice Palace as well.

“Northern Sea Ice Palace…”

In Kraush’s view, the half-collapsed Northern Sea Ice Palace came into sight.

“There he is!”

“That one is also a member of the Sky Generation! Don’t let your guard down, kill him!”

At that moment, the voices of the Empire’s knights pursuing him echoed loudly.

Kraush grit his teeth and dashed toward the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

Reaching the heavily frozen gates of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, he pounded on the door with his raw hands.

“Hey! Bianca! Are you in there?”

No answer came to Kraush’s shouting.

Damn it, what sort of shameless deed is this, showing up now.

Kraush clenched his fist and was about to turn away when the knights caught up quickly.

They had drawn close to Kraush’s back without him noticing.

Their eyes visibly poisoned, they seemed unable to contain their killing intent.

Indistinguishable, who here is human and who is an eroder.

Kraush clicked his tongue and rolled up his sleeves.

There was no choice.

He would have to use a curse to escape this predicament.

He could leave the rest to the saintess somehow.

It was at that moment.

[Crreeeeeeeak!]

As the door to the Northern Sea Ice Palace opened, spikes of ice shot forth from behind Kraush.

[Bbbbbbbrrrkkk!]

“Aaaagh?!”

“Cough, ack!”

The flying spikes pierced their bodies in an instant.

Their aura protection was not enough to stop them.

Staring blankly at the scene, Kraush saw the open door of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

He stepped inside and quickly shut the door behind him.

Then, looking around, he saw the interior of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, everything frozen solid.
T h i s w as c op i ed f r om k i n g m t l .o r g

Kraush felt the chill seeping into his body as he moved forward.

“Bianca.”

He called her name, but no voice replied.

With no other choice, Kraush moved further inside.

After searching around the Northern Sea Ice Palace for a while, he stopped in front of a room.

The door had been broken down.

Inside was a woman with a sword embedded through her heart, her two legs frozen.

Drip.

A single drop of blood slid down the blade.

Witnessing this, Kraush’s eyes slowly widened.
T h is w a s c o pi e d f rom k in g m t l .o r g

“…Bianca.”

It was none other than Bianca.

“…It’s been a while, Mr. Kraush.”

At that moment, Bianca’s weak voice reached his ears.

Hearing the lack of strength in her voice, Kraush realized that she didn’t have much longer.

“Why have you ended up like this after running wild until now?”

The sword stuck in her chest was familiar to Kraush.

The toxin, heavy and potent on the blade.

That was the poison of the Poison Phoenix, the daughter of the Poison King.

To avenge her father, it seemed she had come from the Empire all the way here.

And it was clear the sword had been stuck there for quite some time.

The poison had spread deep throughout her body, to the point where not even a saintess could reverse it now.

“That’s true. Why am I in this state?”

Despite regaining her emotions, her face was exceedingly expressionless.

As if she had forgotten how to make expressions.

Kraush bit his lip as he looked at her.

Kraush learned of Bianca’s circumstances a while after their engagement was annulled.
T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m ki n g m t l. or g

That’s why he felt a sense of frustration and blurted out to her without thinking.

“You should’ve just said so. That it was the Empire and the Poison King’s doing, that your family was innocent.”

Bianca clearly knew that it was the work of the Empire and the Poison King even during their disengagement.

However, she did not convey that truth to Kraush.

“I wonder if anything would’ve changed if I had said anything.”

And at that, Kraush found no words to say.

Speaking out would not have changed anything.

After all, he was nothing more than a leech clinging to the Sky Generation, stealing curses at best.

Kraush lacked any power to change Bianca’s life.

Bianca slowly let out a chuckle.

Then her eyes began to reminisce about the past.

“Now that I think about it, we discussed whether it was more painful to be without emotions or with them.”

Bianca brought up the conversation they had three years ago when they were engaged, even as blood trickled from her mouth.

Kraush could feel her vitality almost completely drained.

“How about it? Would you like to hear my opinion this time?”

This was the end.

This would likely be the last conversation he could have with her.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl .or g
“…Go ahead.”

Bianca had once saved his life.

Listening to her opinion was the least difficult thing he could do.