Book 1 Chapter 1018

1018.

Breathless.

Terrible pain was engulfing her entire body.

Yet, for some unknown reason, a bright smile bloomed on her lips.

Anyone looking would see she was dying.

Still, was she happy?

"Hey…!"

No.

This was duty.

The duty of one entrusting a burden.

Through her fading vision, she saw a man's contorted face.

A face she had never seen before.

Yet, in her dream, she knew the man.

A dear and precious friend, more than anything in the world.

And a treasured person, irreplaceable by anything.

"Kyle…"

"Don't."

"If one of us has to live… you know it's right for you, who bears Arion and Dewno, to remain, don't you?"

"Don't say that! You damned woman!"

In her excitement, he spat blood and swore.

But Luna didn't lose her smile.

Smiling wouldn't change anything.

There was no way to be reassured, and when she remembered this moment, she would likely be miserable and in pain.

She would not be free from pain until death.

Even so, Luna wanted to smile.

If it was her last moment.

She wanted to be remembered with a bright smile.

"This is for the best. You would have done the same if you were me."

"No…! It's not!"

"I'm sorry for burdening you too."

Her eyes closed.

Her vision went black.

Chirp-chirp-

The chirping of a winter bird reached her ears.

'When did I fall asleep?'

She must have dozed off after deciphering the magic circle until dawn.

Of course, Luna hadn't been of much help in deciphering the time magic incantations.

Even if Luna was a rare magic prodigy, she hadn't been exposed to magic for very long at this point.

Though young, her magical senses and imagination were astonishing, but deciphering incantations required the application of accumulated knowledge.

The time gap between the Age of Gods, when Luna learned magic, and the current Age of Heroes was 5000 years.

Furthermore, the modern magical system was built upon the foundation she, in her future, had laid during the Age of Calamity.

There was an immense gap for young Luna to catch up, let alone Luna from the Age of Nebulae.

Thus, Luna's role as a heroic spirit was primarily to relay her adult self's interpretations, visible only to her, to Leo.

Then, becoming so tired, she lay down on the bed for a moment and ended up falling asleep.

As Luna sat up, the blanket that had never been on her slipped away.

At that moment, Luna realized her eyes were moist.

'Tears?'

She felt puzzled.

The dream was certainly sad.

Perhaps it was her future self's final moments.

But to the current Luna, it didn't feel like great sadness.

More precisely, it didn't feel real.

Yet, she was puzzled that she had cried in her dream.

Wiping her tears, Luna glanced at a corner of the room.

Sunlight filtered through the drawn curtains on the window.

Countless magic books were spread across the floor.

And in one corner of the room, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, sat Leo.

He seemed to have continued deciphering incantations even after Luna fell asleep, breathing evenly as he slept.

Beside Leo sat the adult Luna.

She reached out and gently touched Leo's sleeping cheek.

Of course, she couldn't actually touch him, nor could she convey her own warmth.

Despite that, the adult Luna was smiling.

Her face, illuminated by the sunlight, looked both happy and sad.

Young Luna got out of bed.

Sensing her movement, Leo, who had woken up, opened one eye.

"You're awake?"

[You're awake?]

Leo's and Luna's voices overlapped.

"Yeah."

Leo, getting up, spoke.

"I tried to decipher time magic all night, but can you ask adult you if any of it is correct?"

At his question, young Luna looked at herself.

In response, Luna smiled brightly and shrugged her shoulders.

[None of it was correct.]

"None of it was correct."

"As expected?"

Leo rubbed the back of his neck with a tired expression.

Leo possessed monstrous stamina, capable of fighting for days without rest.

He wouldn't get tired simply from staying up all night.

However, this was not just staying up until dawn; he had mobilized his entire brain to decipher magic incantations, so he felt extreme fatigue.

As she followed Leo, who was leaving the room, young Luna wore a puzzled expression.

"Aren't you disappointed? All your efforts were in vain."

"I don't really think it was in vain."

Leo said, stroking young Luna's head as if to mess it up.

"Another you would have seen me going down the wrong path."

He could reduce Luna's trial and error.

For that alone, Leo felt the effort of the previous dawn was worthwhile.

Watching Leo's faint smile, young Luna saw the 'bond' between the man before her and her adult self.

Looking up at Leo, young Luna turned her head and glanced at her adult self.

The moment their eyes met, Luna smiled faintly and gave a thumbs-up.

A composed demeanor.

But Luna clearly saw the emotion of 'envy' in her adult self's eyes.

"Adult me seems to really like you."

"Does she?"

"Did you like me too, Leo?"

"As a friend, I did."

[That guy was an idiot and didn't realize my feelings.]

"Hmm?"

At those words, Luna tilted her head as if something was strange, and Leo sighed deeply.

"Are you calling me an idiot?"

"Yes."

Young Luna calmly nodded.

Leo clicked his tongue.

In the meantime, they arrived at Leo's room.

Rena, who had been munching on the sandwich served for breakfast in Leo's room, hastily stood up and bowed.

"Good morning, Grandfather."

"That kind of greeting is unnecessary."

Leo waved his hand.

Then he picked up the coffee on the table.

"Luna-nim, have you eaten?"

"No. Is there any for me?"

"Yes."

Young Luna sat down and ate the sandwich Rena handed her.

Leo, sitting by the window, merely sipped his coffee while gazing at the outside scenery.

"I seem to have immense resentment towards you."

Luna said calmly, seeing herself cursing Leo throughout the meal.

At that, Leo chuckled.

"If you liked me, you should have shown it."

[This damned bastard is brazen again!]

Luna bristled at Leo's words.

Rena, watching Leo converse with young Luna as a messenger, slowly stood up.

'They're fighting.'

It was best to avoid such situations.

"I'll go return the dishes."

She made an excuse to leave, though she would have to clean them up later.

Even after Rena left, the conversation between Leo and Luna, with young Luna in between, continued.

[Ah! Really! I want to hit him!]

Finally, Luna raged.

Looking at Leo calmly drinking coffee, young Luna watched her.

Then she said,

"Leo."

"Why?"

"Didn't you sleep with me?"

"Pfft! Cough! Cough!"

At the unexpected question, Leo choked on his coffee.

[What are you talking about!]

Adult Luna also shouted, her face bright red.

Young Luna said, sipping the warm milk in her mug,

"No. You were spewing so much vitriol towards that human. I thought he was trash who enjoyed pretending not to know. He's actually married, right?"

[That's because Lissinaes tricked you!]

"Whether she tricked you or not. He's already taken, isn't he? Ah. Then, that dragon Lissinaes? How far did you go? Did you sleep together?"

Leo covered his face.

"I didn't."

"Really? That con artist dragon must be very beautiful too?"

[…She is beautiful.]

Luna couldn't bring herself to disparage Lissinaes's appearance and grumbled.

Recalling Lissinaes, Luna, momentarily deflated, then puffed out her chest and said confidently,

[Still, I'm superior!]

"Don't say vulgar things."

[You say whether we slept together or not, you're less vulgar than that!]

'Doesn't he feel ashamed 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, from what I see, your emotions seem to be worn out."

"Do they?"

"Yes. No matter how dense you are, for an elf of my beauty to like you and not show it, something must be wrong. Aren't your emotions worn out from excessive consumption?"

"……"

[……]

Leo couldn't say anything in response to young Luna's words.

Luna also remained silent, knowing that fact.

"Even so, my foolish future self probably just got angry and prideful, then refused to confess out of stubbornness. It's obvious, so obvious."

[What's so obvious!]

"An accurate judgment."

"I am indeed foolish. If I like someone, I should express my feelings clearly."

[Don't be ridiculous! That's your future self!]

Luna completely ignored the words of her future self.

Young Luna, with her arms crossed, simply closed her eyes and fell into thought.

After a moment.

Young Luna's eyes snapped open.

"Okay. I've decided."

Luna approached Leo.

Seeing Luna with a somewhat meaningful expression, Leo looked suspicious.

"What are you plotting?"

"Seeing my future self, you are so pathetic and frustrating."

[What did you say?!]

"I don't know how much time I have, but during that time."

Young Luna linked arms with Leo.

Then she smiled brightly.

"I'm going to make you fall in love with me."

Adult Luna's mouth moved silently, watching her younger self.

Leo burst out laughing, looking dumbfounded.

***

Rena, who had fled Leo's room, walked down the corridor of Seirun.

"Hoo…"

Rena sighed, thinking of Dragon Lord Velian, who had been captured by strange delusions.

'In the end, I did nothing.'

Whether in the future or the past, I am merely a weak being who only receives help.

Sighing a bitter sigh, Rena stopped walking.

An elf appeared before her.

An elf looking out the window in the corridor.

She soon noticed Rena's gaze and turned her head.

"Ah. Leo-nim's granddaughter. Good morning."

"Do you have any worries?"

"……"

At Rena's question, Seirun smiled wryly.

After looking at Rena for a moment, Seirun honestly confessed her inner thoughts.

"I wonder if I am helpful to Leo-nim and Luna-nim."

"……?"

"When I returned to reality, the title 'Gaebyeok' feels heavy."

Seeing Seirun with worries similar to her own, Rena gaped blankly.