Book 1 Chapter 110

[110] 109.

Leo's expression briefly showed surprise at Berga's question.

'Is he someone my mother knew?'

After a moment of thought, Leo decided to be honest.

"Do you know my mother?"

"Indeed! You are truly Reina's son!"

Berga laughed heartily.

"I am an old friend of your mother's. Son of Reina. We used to compete as the top representatives of our respective years at Lumern and Azonia. You must have heard of me! Berga Tune!"

"No. She never mentioned you."

"Th-that's impossible! How close Reina and I were!"

"My mother didn't talk much about her school days."

Berga paused at his words.

Then he let out a deep sigh.

"That could be the case."

And then he muttered with a somewhat melancholy expression.

"You don't seem to know how strong and valiant your mother was, like a single flower…"

"…"

Leo's expression turned serious at Berga's mumbling.

'If it's Berga, he's a famous hero among the beastkin, isn't he?'

Leo had also heard the name of a renowned hero at least once.

Berga was a hero famous for his relentless progress among the beastkin who pursued strength.

Indeed, just moments ago, all the new recruits were looking at Berga with shining eyes.

Of course, Leo wasn't among them.

'Is there something wrong with his head?'

Leo was deeply concerned about Berga.

'A single flower?'

'That doesn't suit my mother at all.'

According to his uncle Gis, Reina's nickname during her prime was 'The Witch of Flames'.

If their mother, who wasn't even a mage, was called a 'witch', Leo could imagine her actions without even hearing about them.

"If only that foolish Elan hadn't…!"

Veins bulged on the back of Berga's hand.

Seeing Berga clench his teeth, Leo spoke.

"She didn't tell me stories from the past, but my mother didn't regret her choices."

"!"

Berga's eyes wavered at Leo's words.

"Heh heh. That's right! That's just like Reina Zerdinger! Hahahaha!"

And then he suddenly burst into laughter.

Leo was starting to worry about the person who claimed to be his mother's old friend.

"That's right! There's no need to dwell on the past! I clearly saw your strength at the Beast Carnival! You were as powerful as Reina was in her school days! I look forward to tomorrow's entrance ceremony, son of Reina!"

"I have a name, it's Kyle."

At his words, Berga let out a scoff and laughed.

"I'll call you by your name if you pass tomorrow's entrance ceremony!"

Leo nodded at his words and left the waiting room.

'Reina. Even if you've lost your fire, you're still beautiful and valiant.'

Berga looked out the window with a reminiscent expression.

'I tried to become a man worthy of you… but by then, you had already lost your fire and gone into hiding.'

Berga smiled bitterly and clenched his fist.

'Even though our paths are different, Reina! Don't worry! I will make your son the greatest hero!'

Berga made a firm resolution, vowing to the woman he had unrequitedly loved in the past.

'If my daughter and your son are together! It might not be impossible to surpass Lumern's current first-year students, who are called the strongest generation! Watch over us, Reina!'

Berga, completely unaware that Leo was the top representative of Lumern's year, raised his fist, shouting for the downfall of Lumern.

***

Upon arriving at his assigned accommodation, Leo immediately went into the attached shower room.

He had felt uncomfortable due to the beast blood and flesh he had been covered in.

"Still, the accommodation is nice."

This Coliseum, originally used as an arena, was designed to provide maximum convenience to the gladiators participating.

'Didn't I hear that being a gladiator in the beastkin country brings great fame?'

There were five officially recognized Coliseums for beastkin.

And the champions who reigned over those Coliseums enjoyed power comparable to that of a king.

Naturally, all those champions were heroes, or close to it.

And participating in the Coliseum every year was part of Azonia's curriculum.

'They really are a race that loves combat, aren't they.'

*Splash! Squeak! Squeak!*

Leo turned off the shower, which was dispensing hot water, and picked up a towel.

As he was drying his hair, he let out a hollow laugh at the rabbit ears resting on his head.

'I still can't get used to them.'

Although he was currently disguised as a rabbit beastkin, he still couldn't get used to these rabbit ears.

'Then, shall I research the phenomenon of beastification I felt earlier a bit more?'

He hadn't fully overcome the aftereffects of aura reinforcement, but if he could feel the beastification phenomenon, he might find a clue to overcome the aftereffects and supplement [Hero's Breath].

Just as Leo was about to activate his aura in earnest.

"Hmm?"

Sensing a presence, he turned his head towards the window.

And at the same time.

*Click!*

"Black Rabbit! I've come to uncover your secret… Why are you undressed!"

"Undressed? I'm just shirtless."

"Still!"

"Besides, this is my room, isn't it? What I do is my freedom, right?"

At Leo's words, Arga, who had covered her eyes, was flustered.

Leo sighed at Arga's reaction and put on his shirt, saying,

"I'm dressed now, you can open your eyes."

At his words, Arga cautiously opened her eyes.

The sun was already setting.

In the sunset glow that entered through the window, Arga's blue eyes sparkled.

"So? What secret did you come to uncover?"

Leo couldn't help but be concerned when Arga said she came to uncover a secret.

After all, if he had aimed for admission to Azonia, there was no reason why he wouldn't investigate Lumern, a rival school.

It was something anyone paying attention would notice that Lumern's year representative Leo and Azonia's recommended admission candidate Kyle looked alike.

'And you were watching me intently from before. You said you had something to ask.'

As Leo tensed slightly, Arga spoke.

"I saw you at the Beast Carnival! You can beastify whenever you want, right?!"

Leo felt a slight sense of relief seeing Arga pointing at him and asking.

'Both mother and daughter are surprisingly startling.'

Leo, recalling Berga from earlier, clicked his tongue and sat down on a chair at the desk in the room.

"Yes, that's right."

"It was real?!"

When he casually admitted it, Arga was the one who was surprised.

"Only Lord Arion was able to beastify freely in history?!"

"You asked me, so why are you asking as if you're checking?"

Leo asked with an incredulous expression.

"C-can you perhaps show me?"

Seeing Arga ask cautiously, Leo activated his aura.

The first change was his eyes.

Leo's pupils, which were the same as a human's, narrowed vertically, becoming slitted pupils.

His hands became covered in soft fur, like gloves.

His teeth became sharper.

After finishing the transformation, Leo lightly clenched and unclenched his hands.

"My word… it was real."

With an amazed expression, she approached Leo.

Her curiosity piqued, her tail raised to a medium height and wagged gently as she circled Leo.

As if to satisfy her curiosity like a kitten, she cautiously reached out and gently tapped the back of Leo's hand.

"Wow…"

Seeing Arga marvel, Leo released his beastified form.

"Can't you maintain it for long?"

"It's not that I can't, but I get tired."

To be precise, just maintaining it caused muscle pain due to the aftereffects.

Leo answered nonchalantly and, as if his hands were bored, picked up a quill pen from the desk and spun it on his palm.

"So? You know I can beastify, so what are you going to do about it?"

"…"

"Hello?"

"Hmm?"

Arga blinked, her eyes fixed on the quill pen spinning on Leo's hand.

"Why are you asking about my beastification ability? Do you want me to teach you?"

"No."

Arga shook her head decisively at Leo's question.

"It's rude to ask such things carelessly. It might be your unique ability, or it might be a family ability. I just wanted to prove it."

"Prove?"

"Yes! That there can be beastkin with abilities like Lord Arion's!"

Arga said, watching the quill pen with cat-like eyes.

"The fact that Lord Arion could beastify freely is only recorded in literature. So there are many audacious individuals who doubt that fact."

When Leo spun the quill pen again, Arga's hand flinched.

"But thanks to you, it has been proven that you can beastify freely. Of course, I'll keep your beastification a secret! It'll be a hassle if it gets out, right?"

As if her sole purpose was to satisfy her curiosity, Arga promised secrecy and winked one eye.

"Hmm."

Leo spun the quill pen back and forth, lost in thought.

Then, Arga unconsciously reached out her hand like a cat.

A brief silence passed.

As Leo waved the quill pen like playing with a cat, Arga exclaimed, "Wow!" and chased after the quill pen, then shouted.

"Don't treat me like a pet cat!"

*Swish!*

"Caught it!"

Leo threw the quill pen to the floor, and Arga smacked it down with her palm, then cried out "Ack!" and threw the quill pen away.

Leo chuckled as he watched her and organized his thoughts.

'Arion wanted to pass down his breathing techniques to the beastkin.'

However, only Kyle had fully mastered the breathing techniques.

'It's not something anyone can do just by learning. But it's also true that someone needs to inherit Arion's techniques.'

Someone was needed to succeed Arion.

'We need power for the upcoming fight against Tartarus.'

If they were qualified, Leo intended to pass down the techniques of his friends to each race.

'This might be the reason I was reincarnated in this era.'

Even if he himself couldn't finish it in this life, it might be the world's will to leave behind successors.

Leo attended Azonia's entrance ceremony precisely to find such promising individuals.

And Arga seemed to have potential.

'Her personality doesn't seem bad either.'

"Shall I teach you?"

"Hmm?"

Arga blinked, not understanding for a moment.

"How to beastify. Shall I teach you?"

At Leo's question, Arga's eyes widened.

"C-can you teach me?"

"There's no reason why not. There are conditions, though."

"Conditions? What are they?"

Arga perked up her ears.

"You just need to prove it."

"Prove what?"

As Arga looked at Leo's grin, she felt an unknown thrill.

It was similar to her primal instincts as a beastkin.

'This guy.'

Feeling her fur stand on end, Arga swallowed dryly.

'He's looking down on me.'

"Whether you are truly capable of becoming a hero or not."

'From a very high place.'

"I'll be looking forward to it. Ar Tune."