Book 1 Chapter 1021

1021.

Stomp- stomp-

Leo walked through the Seirun campus.

Luna had forcibly sent him out to give him a break, as Leo had been engrossed in deciphering magic formations with barely any sleep the previous day.

"From now on, Seirun and I will handle things, so go clear your head."

Leo chuckled, recalling Luna, who had pushed him away in his childhood.

Seeing Luna in the form of a girl felt incredibly unfamiliar and novel.

"It's still Luna, though."

Leo knew that too.

Luna, like him, hadn't had a smooth childhood.

Therefore, even as a young girl, she wasn't entirely free from impurities.

"No, none of us had a smooth childhood to begin with."

Arion, born in the age of calamity, who couldn't properly enjoy anything.

Himself, born an orphan, raised in harsh, frozen lands, and started as a mercenary.

Luna, also an orphan, who faced all sorts of contempt and discrimination in Barharun.

Risinus, born a black dragon, forced to grow by consuming darkness.

Even Dwenno, who was born with a curse-like ability, causing everything around him to burn and disappear.

The lives of the great heroes were, on the whole, far from blessed.

Even so, young Luna showed Leo a different side he hadn't known.

It was different from how he saw her as a student in Luna's world.

She was darker than back then, yet also more cheerful.

"Well, she does say she'll make me fall for her…"

Leo let out a hollow laugh.

It wasn't that she wasn't charming.

Even if she was young, Luna was still Luna.

But more than romantic feelings, he felt a strong sense of cuteness.

Crucially…

"She's different from the adult she becomes."

While young Luna expressed affection towards Leo, she didn't genuinely have romantic feelings for him.

Even Leo, whose emotions were dulled, knew that.

It was likely an effort for her future self, visible only to her.

Leo stopped walking as his thoughts reached that point.

"Luna."

A friend he could only meet indirectly through young Luna.

Leo recalled Luna, who existed in a weak spirit state, and looked down at his hand without a word.

The vow he had made with Luna as a spirit was not visible.

It wasn't due to Leo's lack of skill as a spirit user.

It was because Luna's presence wasn't strong enough for the vow to be revived.

"Is she going to disappear again soon…?"

Previously, Luna had departed, no longer existing in the world as a spirit.

But that wasn't because Luna had completely let go of her attachments.

It was because her power to exist in this world had run out.

Her being here now was solely due to the unstable Hero Record's rampage.

It wasn't something to be entirely happy about.

It was never a good phenomenon for the dead to remain in the mortal world as spirits for a long time.

A spirit user's duty was also to help spirits let go of their attachments to the world and depart completely.

However, Leo couldn't bring himself to do that.

"Do I have attachments too?"

Leo clenched his fist and looked ahead.

He saw countless people enjoying peace.

Abundance and prosperity.

A sight unimaginable in the age of calamity.

"I miss it… but I didn't expect to have attachments."

Leo gave a wry smile.

After reincarnating,

Leo had thought that other great heroes might have reincarnated as well.

But after enrolling in Lumern, he intuitively realized.

That he was the only one reincarnated in this world.

Unfortunately, Leo had not become the kind of person who could desperately search for and cling to what didn't exist.

For Leo, loss was an all too familiar experience.

The end of a life spent repeatedly losing precious things had worn down his emotions, allowing him to be calm at any time.

Even if he felt rage that burned blackly in his heart, that was all.

He never lost his reason.

It was because he had this humanity that he could subjugate Erebus in the final battle without being swayed by emotions.

But Leo hated this side of himself.

They were surely friends and family more precious than his own life.

He hated himself for being able to move forward without hesitation, clearing his emotions.

But.

He began to change little by little after meeting Arion in the world of heroes.

Starting with Arion, then Luna and Dwenno… meeting Risinas.

Then, by a miracle, spending time with his close friends in the present world, Leo also developed attachments.

"I want to live together."

The age of calamity came to mind.

A time of utter misfortune.

A dreadful time when he lost everything.

But unfortunately, for Leo, it was the happiest time.

Holding the hand Risinas offered, he met Luna and Arion, and Dwenno.

They struggled together, going through all sorts of things to save the world.

A time when physical and emotional wounds endlessly increased.

But…

"It was a time when the five of us gathered, laughed, and chatted."

It was a wish Leo couldn't have imagined before.

Miraculously, Leo shared time with all his friends.

He came to know emotions he hadn't realized and wounds he had hidden in his heart.

Ironically, Leo came to understand everyone only after losing them all.

And after experiencing all of that, Leo developed a desire to share the same time with everyone.

"Not meeting them one by one, but all together in one place."

He knew it was selfish.

Up until a short while ago, Leo wouldn't have thought this.

But as time passed, he yearned for it more.

It couldn't be helped.

Leo was human, and wanting what was unreachable was a very natural human tendency.

As Leo was thinking of his close friends.

"Oh! President?"

He turned his head at a familiar voice from behind.

"Leo, what are you doing here?"

Chloe and Iliana approached with puzzled expressions.

"President! President! Listen! I entered the beauty pageant! You knew that, right?"

"I know."

"I really need to win, so please cast your vote for me!"

Iliana said with a serious face.

Chloe sighed, looking at Iliana.

"We need to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, and the beauty pageant is more important to you?"

"Unforeseen circumstances are unforeseen circumstances, but Professor Halind is scarier than Tartarus."

Iliana was very serious.

Chloe said, looking at Iliana.

"Even so, for a beauty pageant, you need to show your charm. What do you mean, just asking for a vote?"

"That's true. Then, President."

Iliana suddenly stepped in front of Leo, unbuttoned a few buttons of her school uniform top, and smiled seductively.

"If you promise to vote for me, I can unbutton it even more… Ah!"

Chloe summoned her magic staff and hit Iliana on the head.

"Why are you hitting me? I'm trying to appeal with my charm, just like you said!"

"I didn't tell you to commit a disciplinary violation like that."

At those words, Iliana squinted her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's unfair."

"What is?"

"If unbuttoning a few buttons is a disciplinary violation for me, then aren't you a disciplinary violation just by existing?"

"What kind of nonsensical logic is that?"

"President, you know what? The other day in the library, Chloe! While stretching backward. Her uniform buttons went pop!"

"Don't tell Leo strange things! And that was an accident because the uniform was too small!"

"Chloe, didn't you get a new uniform during summer break? Why is it already too small?"

"I'm in my growth spurt."

"Growth spurt?"

Iliana tilted her head and grinned.

"Well, you are in your growth spurt! Your height hasn't grown at all, but your chest…"

*Crack!*

Iliana, who had fearlessly teased Chloe, was instantly encased in ice.

Chloe, with her staff in both hands and a bright red face, snorted and looked at Leo. She said in a trembling voice,

"Forget it."

"Forget what?"

"Forget it."

Seeing Chloe trembling, Leo chuckled.

Chloe, puffing out her cheeks at Leo, poked his side with her staff.

A moment later, Iliana, who had barely escaped the ice, shivered, clutching her body.

"I… I should go somewhere warm and have some hot tea… Ah, achoo!"

"That's why you should only tease so much."

At Leo's words, Iliana pouted.

Leo burst out laughing, seeing her expression.

Chloe, watching his laughter, tilted her head and asked,

"Leo. Is something wrong?"

"Why?"

"No, you seem a little different than usual."

"Achoo! Come to think of it, you seem a little more lonely than usual… than usual… Hachew! Krr… You look."

"…"

Leo stroked his own face, seeing their expressions, and said,

"I remembered some difficult memories."

Chloe and Iliana's eyes widened.

The Leo Flob they knew would laugh even if stabbed.

It was inevitable that they would be bewildered when Leo, who never wavered or showed weakness, readily admitted to having a hard time.

"But thanks to you guys, I'm feeling better."

"Hmph."

Iliana puffed out her chest with a smug smile and sidled up to Leo, nudging him with her head.

It meant she wanted him to pat her head.

"I'll buy you something delicious."

But Leo only left those words behind.

Iliana blinked, watching Leo walk ahead.

"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"

"No. President, he really seems different than usual."

"How so?"

"He doesn't treat me like a child, for one thing."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. There must have been some change in his heart."

Iliana's eyes sparkled.

"I read in a book that men are easily conquered when they are emotionally vulnerable."

"Why is that relevant?"

"It means it's a chance to conquer the President!"

Having said that, Iliana turned sharply to Chloe.

"Chloe."

"What?"

"I believe in fair play in competition."

"What do you mean by that all of a sudden?"

"It means it's cowardly to use this."

Chloe gave a cold smile and gripped her staff, looking at Iliana pointing to her chest.

A moment later.

Leo looked at Chloe, who came to his side alone, with a perplexed expression.

"…? Where's Iliana?"

"She said she needed to soak in some warm water."

'She put her in ice.'

Leo glanced back and burst out laughing.

***

"Mmm! This coffee is delicious!"

"Can cold coffee go down in this weather?"

"Yes."

Leo shook his head, watching Chloe savoring her iced coffee.

"By the way, is something really wrong?"

"Why? Are you trying to conquer me?"

"I'm not."

Chloe let out a hollow laugh and shook her head.

"Come to think of it, Chloe. What do you think about magic that can travel through time?"

"Time travel?"

Chloe's eyes sparkled.

"I'm interested!"

Lena had told him that Chloe was the one who created the magic that brought him to the past.

'Well, compared to the current Chloe, there's a vast difference… but he might be able to find some clues.'

With that thought, Leo took out a piece of paper from his subspace and placed it on the table.

Leo began to draw magic formations.

Chloe watched the magic circle with her sapphire-like blue eyes sparkling.

A moment later.

Before the magic was completed, Chloe's expression turned flustered.

"Huh?"

"Why?"

"No. I'm just asking in case… Leo."

Chloe looked at Leo.

"This magic… did I create it?"