Book 1 Chapter 110

【110】109.

At Berga's question, Leo instantly made a surprised expression.

'Is this someone my mother knows?'

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

"Do you know my mother?"

"Indeed! You are Raina's son!"

Berga chuckled heartily.

"I am an old friend of your mother's. Son of Raina. She and I used to compete against each other as the class representative of Lumerne and the class representative of Azonia. You must have heard stories about me, Berga Tune, from your mother, right?"

"No. She didn't say a single word."

"Th-that can't be! How close were Raina and I?!"

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

At those words, Berga paused.

Then he let out a deep sigh.

"That might be true."

Then he murmured with a somewhat melancholy expression.

"How strong and dignified your mother was, like a single bloom… it seems you don't know."

"……"

At Berga's murmuring, Leo made a serious expression.

'If it's Berga, wouldn't he be a famous hero among the Beastfolk?'

Leo had also heard the names of highly renowned heroes at least once.

Berga was precisely the hero famous for his unreserved actions among the Beastfolk who pursued strength.

In fact, just a moment ago, all the entrance candidates had their eyes sparkling as they looked at Berga.

Of course, Leo was not among them.

'Is something wrong with his head?'

Leo was seriously worried about Berga.

A single bloom?

'That doesn't suit my mother at all, does it?'

According to his uncle Zis, Raina's nickname during her prime was 'The Witch of Flame'.

If his mother, who wasn't even a mage, was given the title 'Witch', he knew without being told what her actions must have been like.

"Ellen… if only that foolish fellow hadn't been there…!"

Veins bulged on the back of Berga's hand.

Watching Berga grit his teeth, Leo spoke.

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

"……!"

Hearing Leo's words, Berga's eyes wavered.

"Huhu. Yes! That's typical of Raina Zerdinger! Hahahaha!"

Then he suddenly burst into laughter.

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

"Yes! There's no need to dwell on the past! I clearly saw your power at the Monster Carnival! It was so powerful it reminded me of Raina in her school days! I'll be looking forward to tomorrow's entrance ceremony, son of Raina!"

"I have a name called Kyle, though."

At those words, Berga let out a 'Hoot-!' and laughed.

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

At those words, Leo nodded and left the waiting room.

'Raina. Even if you lost your flame, you must still be beautiful and dignified.'

Berga, looking out the window, made an expression lost in thought.

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

Berga, wearing a bitter smile, clenched his fist.

'Although our paths were different, Raina! Don't worry! I will make your son the greatest hero!'

Swearing to the woman he had a crush on in the past, Berga made a firm resolution.

'If my daughter and your son are together! It wouldn't be impossible to surpass even the current first-years of Lumerne, who are called the strongest generation! Watch over us! Raina!'

Berga, completely unaware that Leo was Lumerne's class representative, raised his fist, shouting "Down with Lumerne!"

***

Arriving at the allocated accommodation, Leo immediately headed into the shower room attached to the lodging.

This was because he continuously felt uncomfortable due to being covered in monster blood and gore.

"Still, the accommodation is good."

This coliseum was originally used as an arena, so it was designed to provide gladiators participating here with the utmost convenience.

'Did they say that if you act as a gladiator in the Beastfolk's country, you can gain great fame?'

There are five coliseums officially recognized by the Beastfolk.

And the champions who rule those coliseums are known to wield power no less than that of a king of a nation.

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

And participating in the coliseum every year was said to be one of Azonia's academic schedules.

'Anyway, they've been a battle-loving race since ancient times.'

Swishhhhh-! Creak-! Creak-!

Leo, who had turned off the hot water shower, picked up a towel.

As he dried his hair, Leo let out a wry laugh at the rabbit ears on his head.

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

Although he was currently disguised as a rabbit Beastfolk, these rabbit ears still felt unfamiliar.

'Then, shall I research the beast transformation phenomenon from earlier a bit more?'

He hadn't overcome the after-effects of Aura reinforcement, but if he could experience the beast transformation phenomenon directly, he might find a clue to overcome the after-effects and complement [Hero's Breath].

It was just as Leo was about to fully activate his Aura.

"Hmm?"

He sensed a presence and turned his head towards the window.

Along with that.

Click!

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

"Undressed what? I'm just shirtless."

"Even so!"

"And this is my room, isn't it? It's my freedom how I want to be, right?"

At Leo's words, Ar, who had covered her eyes, was at a loss.

Seeing Ar like that, Leo sighed and put on his shirt, saying.

"I'm dressed now, so open your eyes."

At those words, Ar cautiously opened her eyes.

The sun was already setting dimly.

Ar's blue eyes sparkled in the light of the sunset streaming through the window.

"So? What secret did you come to reveal about me?"

Since she said she came to reveal a secret, Leo couldn't help but be concerned.

After all, if she too had aimed for admission to Azonia, there was no reason why she wouldn't have investigated Lumerne, the rival school.

The fact that Leo, Lumerne's class representative, and Kyle, Azonia's recommended entrance candidate, looked alike would be clear enough to anyone interested.

'And she'd been watching me since earlier. She also said she had something to ask.'

As Leo felt a slight tension, Ar spoke.

"I saw you at the Monster Carnival earlier! You! You can transform into a beast at will, can't you?!"

Seeing Ar pointing a finger and asking, Leo felt a slight relief.

'Father and daughter both surprise me, I see.'

Leo, clicking his tongue as he recalled Berga from earlier, sat on the chair at the corner desk in the room and said.

"Yes, that's right."

"It was real?!"

Since he admitted it so straightforwardly, Ar was actually more surprised.

"Arion-nim was the only Beastfolk in history who could transform into a beast at will?!"

"What do you mean, you ask me and then question it as if you're confirming it yourself?"

Leo asked with an exasperated expression.

"C-could you possibly show me?"

Seeing Ar ask cautiously, Leo activated his Aura.

The first thing to change was his eyes.

Leo's pupils, which were identical to a human's, narrowed vertically and became 'four-white' eyes.

Soft, fluffy fur grew on his hands, like gloves.

His teeth became sharper.

Leo, having completed his beast transformation, lightly clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Oh my… it was real."

Making an impressed expression, she approached Leo.

Driven by curiosity, she held her tail at a medium height, wagging it gently, and circled around Leo.

Like a curious kitten, she cautiously reached out and lightly tapped the back of Leo's hand.

"Ooooh…"

Seeing Ar expressing admiration, Leo reverted from his beast transformation.

"Can't you maintain it for long?"

"It's not that, but it's tiring."

To be precise, just maintaining it caused him to suffer from muscle aches due to the after-effects.

Leo, who had answered indifferently, seemingly bored, picked up the quill pen from the desk and spun it around in his hand.

"So? Now that you know I can transform into a beast, what are you going to do?"

"……"

"Hey?"

"Huh?"

Ar, who had been watching the quill pen spinning in Leo's hand, blinked.

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

"No."

In response to Leo's question, Ar shook her head decisively.

"It's rude to ask about such things carelessly, isn't it? It could be your unique ability, or your family's ability. I just wanted to prove something."

"Prove?"

"Yes! That there could be a Beastfolk with the same ability as Arion-nim!"

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

"The fact that Arion-nim could transform into a beast freely is only a record remaining in literature. So there are many impudent people who doubt that fact."

As Leo spun the quill pen again, Ar's hand twitched.

"But now, thanks to you, it's proven that it's possible to transform into a beast freely. Of course, I'll keep your beast transformation a secret! It'll clearly become troublesome if it's known, won't it?"

As if her sole purpose was to satisfy her curiosity, Ar winked, promising to keep it a secret.

"Hmm."

Leo, lost in thought, spun the quill pen with a flourish.

Then Ar instinctively reached out her hand like a cat.

A brief silence passed.

As Leo waved the quill pen as if playing with a cat, Ar exclaimed "Ooh!" and followed the quill pen, then shouted.

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

Whoosh-!

"Got it!"

As Leo threw the quill pen on the floor, Ar smacked it with her palm, then cried out "Ack-!" and threw the quill pen away.

Seeing that, Leo chuckled softly and organized his thoughts.

'Arion had wanted to pass on his breathing technique to the Beastfolk.'

However, Kyle was the only one who had fully mastered the breathing technique.

'Just because you learn it doesn't mean anyone can do it. But it's also true that there must be someone to inherit Arion's techniques.'

Someone was needed to succeed Arion.

'Because power will be needed in the coming fight against Tartaros.'

If someone was worthy, Leo intended to pass on his friends' techniques to each race.

'Perhaps that's why I was reincarnated in this era.'

Even if he, now reborn, could not finish it, it might be the world's will to leave behind someone to inherit the legacy.

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

And Ar seemed to have potential.

'Her personality doesn't seem bad either.'

"Shall I teach you?"

"Huh?"

Ar, who didn't understand for a moment, blinked her eyes.

"How to transform into a beast. Shall I teach you?"

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

"C-can you really teach me?"

"There's no reason not to. But there are conditions."

"Conditions? What are they?"

Ar pricked up her ears.

"You just need to prove it."

"Prove what?"

Looking at Leo's faint smile, Ar suddenly felt an inexplicable thrill.

It was similar to the wild instincts she possessed as a Beastfolk.

'This guy.'

Feeling her fine hairs stand on end, Ar swallowed dry.

'He's looking down on me.'

"Whether or not you truly have what it takes to become a hero."

'From a very high place.'

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

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