Book 1 Chapter 1018
1018.
I'm out of breath.
Terrible pain is assailing my entire body.
But for some reason, a bright smile formed on my lips.
Anyone could see I was dying.
Even so, was I happy?
“Hey…!”
No.
This was a duty.
A duty as one who entrusts a burden.
In my blurring vision, I saw the distorted figure of a man.
A face I'd never seen before.
But the person in the dream knew the man.
A friend more beloved and precious than anything in the world.
And a precious person who couldn't be replaced by anything.
“Kyle…”
“Don't.”
“If one of us has to live… you know it's right for you, who bears Arion and Dweno, to remain, don't you?”
“I told you not to! You damn bitch!”
In his excitement, he spat out curses, coughing up blood.
But Luna didn't lose her smile.
A smile wouldn't change anything.
There was no way to feel at ease, and whenever this moment was recalled, she would probably suffer and be tormented.
She wouldn't be free from the pain until she died.
Even so, Luna wanted to smile.
If this was the end.
She wanted to be remembered with a bright smile.
“This is the best. If you were me, you would have done the same.”
“No…! It's not!”
“Sorry for passing it on to you too.”
My eyes closed.
My vision went dark.
Chirp-chirp-
The chirping of winter birds reached my ears.
‘When did I fall asleep?’
It seemed I had dozed off while interpreting the magic circle until dawn.
Of course, Luna couldn't be of much help in interpreting the time magic spell formula.
No matter how much Luna was a rare magic genius, the current Luna hadn't been exposed to magic for very long.
Even though she was young, her magical sense and creativity were astounding, but spell interpretation was an area that required the application of accumulated knowledge.
The time difference between the Age of Gods, when Luna learned magic, and the current Age of Heroes was 5000 years.
Furthermore, the modern magic system was built upon the foundation that her future self had established during the Age of Calamity.
It wasn't even Luna from the time of the Nebula's progenitor, so there was an enormous gap for young Luna to catch up to immediately.
Thus, Luna's primary role as a spirit was to convey her adult self's interpretations, visible only to her, to Leo.
She must have fallen asleep after just lying down on the bed for a moment because she was too tired.
As Luna sat up, a blanket, which she hadn't covered herself with, slipped down.
At that moment, Luna noticed that her eyes were moist.
‘Tears?’
It was a strange feeling.
The dream was clearly a sad dream.
Perhaps it was the end her future self would face.
But to the current Luna, it didn't come as great sorrow.
To be precise, it didn't feel real.
Yet, she had cried in her dream, which was puzzling.
Wiping her tears, Luna glanced at a spot in the room.
Sunlight was seeping in through the curtains drawn across the window.
Countless grimoires were spread out on the floor.
And in a corner of the room, Leo was sitting against the wall, eyes closed.
He seemed to have continued interpreting the spell formula even after Luna fell asleep, breathing steadily as he slept.
Next to such a Leo, adult Luna was sitting.
She reached out and stroked Leo's sleeping cheek.
Of course, she couldn't actually touch him, nor could she convey her warmth.
Nevertheless, adult Luna was smiling.
Her face, illuminated by the sunlight, looked happy yet also sad.
Young Luna got down from the bed.
Leo, awakened by her presence, opened one eye.
“Are you awake?”
[Are you awake?]
Leo's and Luna's voices overlapped.
“Yes.”
Leo, who had gotten up, said.
“I tried to interpret the time magic on my own all night, could you ask your adult self if anything is correct?”
At that question, young Luna looked at herself.
Luna smiled faintly and shrugged her shoulders.
[Nothing was correct.]
“She said nothing was correct.”
“As expected, huh?”
Leo rubbed the back of his neck with a tired face.
Leo possessed monstrous stamina that allowed him to fight for days without rest.
He didn't get tired just from staying up all night.
However, he was feeling extreme fatigue because he hadn't just stayed up until dawn, but had mobilized all his brainpower to interpret the magic spell formula.
Following Leo as he left the room, young Luna wore a puzzled expression.
“Aren't you disappointed or anything? All your efforts went to waste.”
“I don't particularly think it was a waste of effort.”
Leo ruffled young Luna's hair as he stroked it and said.
“Because another you would have seen me going down the wrong path.”
It can reduce Luna's trial and error.
With just that, Leo thought the hardships of the past dawn were worthwhile.
Watching Leo's faint smile, young Luna saw a ‘bond’ between the man in front of her and her adult self.
Young Luna, who had been looking up at Leo, glanced- and turned her head to look at her adult self.
The moment their eyes met, Luna smiled sweetly and gave a thumbs up.
A composed appearance.
But Luna clearly saw the emotion of ‘envy’ that was visible in her adult self's eyes.
“It seems my adult self really likes you.”
“Oh, really?”
“Did Leo like me too?”
“As a friend, I did like you.”
[That idiot was too dumb to notice my feelings.]
“Hmm?”
At that, Luna tilted her head as if something was strange, and Leo sighed deeply.
“Are you cursing at me, calling me an idiot?”
“Yes.”
Young Luna calmly nodded.
Leo clicked his tongue.
Meanwhile, they arrived at Leo's room.
Rena, who had been munching on a sandwich served for breakfast in Leo's room, hastily got up and bowed.
“Did you sleep well, Grandfather?”
“That greeting is unnecessary.”
Leo waved his hand.
And he picked up the coffee on the table.
“Lady Luna. Have you eaten?”
“No. Do you have one for me?”
“Yes.”
Young Luna sat down and ate the sandwich Rena handed her.
Leo, sitting by the window, merely sipped his coffee, looking out at the scenery.
“It seems I hold a tremendous grudge against you.”
Watching herself curse at Leo throughout the meal, Luna said matter-of-factly.
At that, Leo let out a slight laugh.
“If you liked me, you should have shown it yourself.”
[This damn guy is being brazen again!]
At Leo's words, Luna flared up.
Rena, who had been watching Leo and Luna converse using young Luna as a messenger, quietly got up from her seat.
‘They're fighting.’
In times like these, it's best to avoid them.
“I'll go return the dishes.”
She decided to make an excuse and leave, even though they would come to clean up.
Even after Rena left, the conversation between Leo and Luna, with young Luna in between, continued.
[Ah! Seriously! I want to hit him!]
Eventually, Luna raged.
Watching herself, young Luna looked at Leo, who was calmly drinking coffee.
Then she said.
“Leo.”
“Why?”
“Didn't you sleep with me?”
“Pffft! Cough! Cough!”
At the unexpected question, Leo spilled the coffee he was drinking.
[What are you talking about!]
Adult Luna also shouted with a bright red face.
Young Luna sipped the warm milk in her mug and said.
“No. It's just that you kept cursing at that man so much. I thought he was trash who enjoyed himself and then pretended not to know. And he's actually married, isn't he?”
[Lishinas scammed him, they said!]
“Scammed or not. It's true he's taken. Oh. Then with that dragon named Lishinas? How far did you go? Did you sleep together?”
Leo buried his face in his hands.
“No, I didn't.”
“Really? That swindler dragon seems very beautiful too, doesn't she?”
[…She is beautiful, though.]
Luna couldn't bring herself to disparage Lishinas's appearance and grumbled.
Luna, who had been slightly intimidated thinking of Lishinas, soon puffed out her chest and said confidently.
[Still, in this regard, I am superior!]
“Don't say vulgar things.”
[It's less vulgar than you saying 'did you sleep together! or not!']
‘Doesn't that guy feel embarrassed arguing with his younger self?’
Leo thought, looking at the empty space young Luna was staring at.
At that moment, young Luna pointed at Leo with her finger and said.
“Leo. It seems to me that your emotions are worn out.”
“Do I seem that way?”
“Yes. No matter how insensitive you are, if an elf as beautiful as me shows that she likes you, and you don't know, it means there's something wrong. Isn't it that you've used up too many emotions and they've worn out?”
“……”
[……]
At young Luna's words, Leo couldn't say anything.
Luna also knew that fact, so she remained silent.
“Even so, my foolish future self must have gotten emotional, acted proud, and stubbornly refused to confess. It's so obvious, so predictable.”
[What's so obvious about it!]
“An accurate judgment.”
“I'm such a fool too. If you like someone, you should express your feelings clearly.”
[Don't make me laugh! That's your future!]
Luna completely ignored what her future self was saying.
Young Luna, arms crossed, simply closed her eyes and fell into thought.
A moment later.
Young Luna's eyes suddenly opened.
“Alright. I've decided.”
Luna approached Leo.
Seeing Luna's somehow meaningful expression, Leo made a suspicious face.
“What's your scheme?”
“Because looking at my future self, she's really pathetic and frustrating, you see.”
[What did you say?!]
“I don't know how much time I'll be allowed. But during that time.”
Young Luna linked her arm with Leo's.
And smiled brightly.
“I'm going to make you fall for me.”
Adult Luna gaped, looking at her younger self.
Leo burst out laughing as if dumbfounded.
***
Rena, who had escaped from Leo's room, walked down Seyrunn's hallway.
“Whew…”
Rena sighed, recalling Dragon Lord Bellian, who had been caught up in strange delusions.
‘In the end, I haven't done anything.’
She was merely a weak existence who only received help, whether in the future or the past.
Rena, who had been sighing bitterly, stopped walking.
An elf appeared before her eyes.
The elf was looking outside through the window by the hallway.
She soon noticed Rena's gaze and turned her head.
“Ah. Lady Leo's granddaughter. Good morning.”
“Do you have any worries?”
“……”
At Rena's question, Seyrunn gave a bitter smile.
Seyrunn, who had been looking at Rena for a moment, honestly revealed her true feelings.
“I wonder if I'm of any help to Lord Leo and Lady Luna.”
“……?”
“Returning to reality, the title of ‘Creation’ feels heavy.”
Watching Seyrunn, who was troubled by similar concerns as herself, Rena stared blankly, her mouth agape.