Book 1 Chapter 1035

1035.

Even though it was a small city, the festival was quite splendid, perhaps due to the city's scale.

Leo, wandering around the central square, entered a restaurant and asked while ordering food.

"What is this festival for?"

"Oh, you must be a guest from out of town."

A waitress, who looked about Leo's age, said with a smile.

"This festival is to celebrate Lord Kyle's birthday."

At those words, Leo flinched.

Luna and Lena also widened their eyes.

'Come to think of it.'

Leo nodded, looking at the calendar visible in a corner of the shop.

The calendar, created in the Age of Gods, had remained unchanged for thousands of years and was still in use in the Heroic Age.

"Is that really something to celebrate so much?"

"Of course! Lord Kyle is a great hero who saved the world and represents us humans! You shouldn't speak such blasphemy carelessly!"

Seeing the waitress sternly admonishing him, Leo burst into laughter.

The waitress's face turned slightly red at his laughter.

"Ahem! Anyway, I'll confirm your order."

After confirming the order, the waitress glanced at Leo's face once more and hurried to the kitchen.

"Are you always that popular?"

"Popular, my foot."

Leo replied indifferently to Luna's question.

Then he glanced at Lena.

'Granddaughter.'

Leo still felt a strange emotion about Lena's existence.

'Is it right to say it lacks realism?'

Leo had no idea how to treat Lena.

Just as Leo was silently gazing at Lena.

Suddenly, Lena placed both hands on the table, palms facing each other, and stared intently between them.

Lena, with a serious face and no words, occasionally made groaning sounds as if exerting force.

Leo, watching her intently, said,

"If you have to go urgently, go to the restroom."

At those words, Lena flinched and glared at Leo with a face full of displeasure.

Young Luna punched Leo in the side with her fist.

"Can't even make a joke?"

Leo clicked his tongue, and Luna growled ferociously.

"Jokes are jokes, but there's a limit."

Leo clicked his tongue again at her words and spread out his palm.

"Watch closely."

As he spoke, spiritual energy flickered above Leo's palm.

Lena, with wide eyes staring at the gray spiritual energy, once again tensed her whole body.

Lena, who had momentarily seen Luna's spirit earlier, thought she might have talent as a summoner.

That's why she was trying hard to generate spiritual energy.

Seeing Lena struggling and exerting force again, Leo said,

"Spiritual energy isn't like Aura. It doesn't manifest just by exerting force."

And then he asked Lena a question.

"Do you know how Aura manifests?"

"Yes. Aura is the power of accumulating processed natural mana in the body, and it manifests by burning that power."

"What about magical power?"

"Magical power is the force generated when mana is amplified."

"Then, what about spiritual energy?"

"Spiritual energy is the force generated when it resonates with natural mana."

"That's right. You know it well. That's why you don't need to exert force to manifest spiritual energy."

Of course, Lena knew this.

But she had overlooked it due to her impatience.

"Close your eyes."

Lena closed her eyes as Leo instructed.

"Take a deep breath slowly."

"Hoo… hah."

"Feel the mana around you."

As Leo spoke, Lena gradually fell into a state of trance.

Leo brought his fingers to Lena's forehead.

Beyond Lena's consciousness, a shimmering white light appeared.

Lena's eyes opened.

"Hmm. You can really handle spiritual energy?"

Leo showed a surprised expression.

When Leo resonated with the mana around Lena, who had fallen into a trance.

Lena, in turn, naturally resonated with her own mana.

"Does a new ability suddenly awaken like this?"

Young Luna asked with a perplexed expression.

"It happens sometimes. I could only use Aura at first."

Leo said, looking at Lena, who was amazed.

"Since you didn't use spiritual energy yourself, it won't be easy to adapt. You'll have to try hard?"

"Yes! Thank you! Grandfather! I love you!"

Lena said with a bright smile.

Leo, who had flinched at Lena's words, soon burst into laughter and stroked her head.

Young Luna, watching them, said,

"By the way, you teach well."

"The person who taught me magic and summoning taught me well."

"Hmm? Your first love?"

Leo shrugged at Luna's half-opened eyes. Just then, the waitress brought the ordered food.

"Here! This is our restaurant's special menu!"

Saying that, the waitress brought three beer mugs in front of Leo.

"This is on the house! It's a festival, after all!"

"Thank you."

"P-please enjoy your meal!"

The waitress hurried away.

"It's nice. Getting freebies."

Lena said, and slyly reached for a beer mug.

Slap-

Leo slapped Lena's hand.

"What is a child doing drinking alcohol."

"Hmph. Just one glass."

"No."

"Then why aren't you saying anything to Luna!"

Lena protested, pointing at Luna, who was taking a beer mug.

"She might look like that, but she's actually old."

"Hey. Don't mention that I'm actually old. Unlike the old future me, I'm still fresh, you know?!"

Luna, with half-opened eyes, examined the beer mug.

In fact, young Luna had never drunk alcohol before.

The moment she smelled the beer with curious eyes and took a sip.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! What is this! Why does it taste like this! It's not good!"

[You're too young! You don't know that taste yet. When you chug a glass, that refreshment… Ah~]

Spirit Luna imagined drinking beer and rejoiced.

"It doesn't taste good?"

"It's not good! The adult me tricked me! Why would anyone eat this?"

Luna scowled.

Leo sighed, looking at Luna.

"You were so pure, yet you became such a drunkard in the future."

[What?]

Spirit Luna's eyes widened.

They started eating, bickering like that.

Songs were playing, and people were dancing in the restaurant.

While celebrating the great hero Kyle with joy, there were also those who praised the heroes of the Genesis.

After all, without them, they wouldn't have been able to celebrate Kyle's birth.

"By the way, I left it with Seirun… I hope nothing happened?"

Luna said with a hint of worry, and Leo replied,

"It doesn't matter if something happens."

"Why?"

"Because they can overcome any situation."

Leo showed strong trust in his juniors.

After finishing their meal, they went sightseeing in the festival streets.

Luna, happily enjoying the festival, suddenly clicked her tongue, seeing Leo and Lena still awkward.

'They're still so stiff.'

[From Kyle's perspective, he'd be flustered. A granddaughter suddenly appearing.]

The two Lunas, standing a little behind, arms crossed and watching Leo and Lena, nodded simultaneously when their eyes met.

"Leo, I'm tired. I'm going to go ahead and sleep."

"Then let's go in."

"Lena seems like she wants to play a bit more?"

"Yes? I'm fine…"

"Have fun. I'll be waiting at the accommodation first."

Luna quickly excused herself.

Leo let out a small click of his tongue, watching Luna disappear into the crowd.

Her intentions were obvious.

"What should we do?"

Lena also understood Luna's intentions.

But she hesitated and watched him.

Seeing Lena like that, Leo said,

"Then let's look around a bit more before we go back. Since she even made a special effort for us."

"Yes!"

Leo felt a strange emotion again, seeing Lena's joy.

The kindness and affection he felt from Lena were of a type Leo had never experienced before.

It was different from the affection of a comrade or friend.

It was also different from romantic affection.

It resembled the maternal love that his mother, Reina, had for Leo.

'Family.'

A familiar yet somewhat awkward word.

Lena, who respected and followed him as a granddaughter, seemed happy yet sad just by spending time together.

Leo looked at her and asked,

"What kind of grandfather was I?"

Lena flinched at his words, pondered, and then said,

"You were a good grandfather to your grandchildren. You played well with them and even personally taught them how to prank their parents."

"It seems the future me is senile."

Lena giggled at Leo's words.

"You were a respectable person."

Leo said nothing to that.

As they were looking around the street, Lena suddenly stopped.

Leo glanced at where Lena was looking.

A street vendor was selling accessories.

Leo approached the vendor.

"Welcome!"

"Pick one."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you want something?"

"Um… well…"

Lena's eyes darted around.

Seeing that, Leo said,

"If you can't choose, should I pick one for you?"

Leo scanned the accessories and bought a hair clip with a small bear character face.

He also bought a ring with a flower-shaped ornament.

"Thank you!"

The vendor bowed with a big smile.

"Here."

"Tch… What is this? A bear hair clip, so childish."

"I think it suits you, a little kid."

Lena, who had a slightly sulky expression at Leo's words, received the hair clip and put it in her hair.

"It suits you. You're cute."

"Really?"

Lena's sulky expression completely disappeared, and she was genuinely happy.

Leo burst out laughing and checked the time, then said,

"It's too late. Let's go back."

"Yes!"

Lena replied with a beaming smile.

"Was the date fun?"

When they arrived at the accommodation, Luna, who was waiting, asked with a smile.

Leo threw the flower-shaped ring he bought on the way to Luna.

"I bought it on the way."

Luna, who received it, widened her eyes.

"Wow! It's cute!"

Then, she happily put it on her finger.

As Luna examined the ring, she noticed Lena's hair clip and said,

"Lena's hair clip is cute too."

"Hehehe."

Leo chuckled, watching Luna and Lena laughing happily.

***

The next morning.

Leo woke up early and took Luna and Lena across Lake Lumelia.

Leo's eyes twitched as he reached the center of the island, which was Lumern's territory, after dealing with the underwater monsters pouring out.

"Leo?"

Young Luna called out to Leo with a perplexed expression.

Swish-!

Leo drew his sword.

Thump- Thump-

Along with it, footsteps could be heard.

Lena looked ahead and adopted a wary expression.

"Bellyan!"

Lena was about to draw her sword.

Leo stopped her.

"No."

"……?"

"It's Erebus."

At those words, Erebus, in the form of Bellyan, grinned.

"Should I say it's been a while? The hero who survived."