Book 1 Chapter 286
286
“Those children and Berkia?”
“Yes. Master Dweno said they probably aren’t Tartaros’s spies, but.”
The elf reported politely, watching Dweno furrow his brow.
“Erkint was found among their belongings.”
Gadsron.
The last fortress remaining in a world heading towards ruin.
The final legacy left by the gods as they departed the earth.
It was a city of miracles that stood firm against countless invasions from Tartaros.
While refugee cities like Leysar existed, Gadsron’s scale was immeasurably vast compared to such cities; it was a colossal city that could truly be called the last bastion.
However, this city, too, would not have avoided destruction without the dwarf hero, Master Smith Dweno.
It wasn't just Dweno.
Dragon King Lysinas.
Genius Sorceress Luna.
White Wolf Arion.
And Hero Kail.
Because these strongest heroes, formed to subjugate Erebus, existed, Gadsron has been able to firmly maintain its prestige until now.
These five heroes, who led impossible battles to victory amidst endless despair, were currently the symbols guarding Gadsron.
“Those children have Erkint.”
Dweno’s face turned serious.
Erkint.
Originally a sword Dweno made for Luna, Luna gave that sword to her disciple, Berkia.
For Berkia, Erkint was a treasure irreplaceable by anything else.
‘If it’s truly Erkint, then one can only assume it was taken from Berkia.’
Dweno stroked his beard, recalling Lunia and Driana.
‘They did trespass into a forbidden zone, but they themselves seemed puzzled to be there. No, it seemed they didn’t even know it was a forbidden zone in the first place.’
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
‘Judging by their attire, the intruders who entered the Lake of Spirits must also be their companions. But Arion also said he didn’t feel anything suspicious.’
Rather, Arion thought well of the intruders.
‘The cat beast-kin girl was scary, though. But if they smell good, then… they seemed like good kids.’
As a wolf beast-kin, Arion’s crisis detection ability was sharper than anyone else’s.
If such an Arion evaluated them as good people, it was almost never wrong.
‘Moreover, despite their youth, they possessed extraordinary skills.’
In this era, military strength capable of fighting Tartaros was more crucial than ever.
Once the investigation was complete and their identities confirmed, Gadsron would have nothing more to welcome.
Dweno, who had been contemplating, spoke.
“What did Arion say?”
“Lord Arion first forbade their interrogation and set out from Gadsron to find Berkia.”
The elf spoke firmly to Dweno.
“What should we do?”
Dweno sighed deeply, looking at the elf who awaited his decision.
Lysinas, Luna, and Kail had currently gone to Leysar for support.
Dweno and Arion remained in Gadsron, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.
Therefore, Dweno was currently the ultimate decision-maker for Gadsron’s public order and defense.
“Lord Defeser is currently preparing for the interrogation.”
“I knew that hot-blooded friend would step forward.”
Dweno rose from his seat.
Defeser.
A gold dragon who had served Lysinas since childhood, he was like Lysinas’s personal secretary.
As the one in charge of Gadsron’s internal affairs, he was a fervent devotee of Lysinas.
Therefore, he held great favor for Berkia, whom Lysinas had evaluated as the hope for the future.
Hearing that such a Berkia might be in danger, he must have rushed off, his eyes wide.
“Stop that friend for now. If Berkia is safe, Arion will bring news soon. And bring me the Erkint confirmed from their belongings. If it’s a fake, then that means Berkia is also safe, so there’ll be no reason to cause a commotion, right?”
“Understood.”
The elf bowed and, a moment later, brought Erkint to Dweno’s workshop.
Dweno took out his pipe, put it in his mouth, and lit it.
“Hmph. The appearance really looks genuine.”
Dweno exhaled a long puff of smoke and reached out his hand to the Erkint on the workbench.
And began to examine Erkint.
Dweno’s mana flowed into Erkint.
The elf nervously watched Dweno’s face.
A moment later.
Dweno’s face began to turn serious.
“Why, what’s wrong, Master Dweno? Surely it’s not the real Erkint, is it?”
The elf’s face turned pale.
Dweno took out a monocular and carefully examined the sword’s surface, then took out a small hammer and tapped the sword a few times.
And nodded.
“Go tell Defeser that Berkia will return with Arion soon. And tell him not to forget to apologize politely to the child he was going to interrogate. Knowing his personality, how much must he have frightened them?”
The elf’s face brightened.
The Master Smith of Gadsron.
These were the words of Dweno, who had created countless legendary weapons.
“That Erkint is a fake, then!”
“…It’s not Berkia’s.”
“Yes!”
The elf left the room, relieved.
A sense of stillness filled the workshop.
“Hmph.”
Dweno took a long draw from his pipe.
The tobacco leaves burned quickly.
“He exhaled.”
Dweno took his eyes off the long, dissipating smoke and looked at the Erkint on the workbench, saying:
“Who made you? I don’t remember making you.”
Hum-
Erkint emitted mana as if resonating with Dweno’s words.
“Yes. You are certainly a weapon I made. But.”
Dweno’s face became serious.
“I don’t remember making two Erkints.”
‘What on earth are those children?’
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
‘If they possessed such skills at such a young age, their names would surely be known to some extent.’
But at least, in Dweno’s memory, he had never heard rumors of five similar individuals.
‘And… they were strangely different.’
Lunia and Driana, as seen through Dweno’s eyes, were different from their peers.
Children born in the Age of Calamity generally have dim eyes.
It was akin to the fate of those who had never seen a clear sky and had to live in dark times.
Even Arion’s eyes were fundamentally dim.
But Dweno saw.
The eyes of Lunia and Driana, sparkling with hope.
Bright eyes that seemed to gaze upon a brilliant future, a future young boys and girls should naturally possess.
But eyes that could never be found in this era.
‘Eyes that dream of salvation… and eyes that look to the future are fundamentally different, aren’t they? Moreover.’
Dweno looked at Erkint.
This Erkint was real.
There was no way Dweno, its creator, wouldn’t recognize it.
However…
‘I feel the traces of a long time.’
Boom-!
At that moment, the ground shook with a powerful explosion.
Dweno stood up.
‘It seems it’s those children. Did they escape to save their friend?’
‘I’ll find out once I meet them again.’
Dweno, having taken Erkint, left the workshop.
***
Leo and Berkia were walking in the forest.
“Ugh… monster blood!”
Berkia, covered in monster blood, shuddered in disgust.
Then she put her nose to the back of her hand, sniffed, and stuck out her tongue in an ‘Eww-’.
‘It’s been a while since I saw that tomboyish look.’
Leo recalled Berkia, the leader of the elves, as she was known in later generations.
A great leader who led the elves as Luna’s successor.
Berkia was often portrayed as a sage-like figure, benevolent in her leadership, knowing how to share her possessions with others.
‘Share her possessions with others? My foot.’
Leo had never once been offered a side dish when eating with Berkia.
‘Benevolent leadership? If making peers who learned swordsmanship or magic alongside her cry is leadership, then sure, it’s leadership.’
The Berkia Leo remembered had no cuteness whatsoever.
‘She would always talk back or rebel against my words.’
Leo squinted his eyes and looked at Berkia.
Sniffing around, Berkia suddenly—! looked at Leo.
“Why?”
“That look in your eyes. It’s similar to Master Kail’s.”
‘Anyway, she’s quick-witted. Why don’t I just try talking behind her back again?’
“Similar in what way?”
“Like a father.”
“……”
Leo was surprised by the unexpected answer.
“Master Kail is strict.”
Berkia fundamentally followed Luna very closely.
Therefore, Luna doted on Berkia greatly.
Arion liked children.
So he took great care of Berkia.
Only Kail was strict with Berkia.
He had no choice but to be strict.
Berkia possessed talent.
Therefore, she was in a position where she had to go to the battlefield in the near future.
He couldn’t just indulge her.
All Kail could do was teach her strictly to make her resolute.
He thought that Berkia, who monopolized Luna and Arion’s affection, would have hated his strict training.
Berkia’s coming to this dangerous area alone for training was ultimately because of him.
So, while he thought she was impertinent, he also thought it was unavoidable that she disliked him.
But…
“Like a father?”
“Yeah. Of course, I’m an orphan, so I don’t really know what a real father is like.”
Berkia said indifferently.
Orphans were common in this era, so revealing that she was an orphan wasn’t even considered a dark story.
Leo, who had been looking at Berkia for a moment, said:
“A real father-daughter relationship probably isn’t much different from what you feel.”
“Oh, really? Do you have parents?”
“Yes, I do. They’re good people.”
“I’m envious.”
Berkia looked at Leo with admiration.
Seeing such a Berkia, Leo let out a small laugh and said:
“If you go that way, there should be a lakeside where you can wash. Go and wash up.”
“Okay.”
Berkia nodded and was about to go in the direction Leo pointed, but then she paused.
Then she widened her eyes slightly and looked at Leo.
“Why?”
“This forest is complex, but you know the geography well. And…”
“And?”
“Just now, you were a bit like Master Kail.”
Berkia looked at Leo as if amazed, then put down her belongings and disappeared into the bushes.
Leo gathered Berkia’s belongings and, washing them with magic, smiled bitterly.
‘Like a father, huh…’
He never imagined she would see him with such feelings.
Because he had no leeway at the time.
It was when Leo was thinking about Berkia.
Whoosh-!
Something caught Leo’s senses.
‘Something’s coming.’
He sensed someone approaching him at an incredible speed.
Leo’s eyes twitched.
‘Arion?’
Simultaneously with that thought.
Thud-!
Someone appeared before Leo.
White hair and golden eyes.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Last year. Arion’s appearance during the Azonia entrance exam was, for Leo, a blurry image from distant memory.
But the wolf beast-kin before his eyes now was the very image Leo remembered.
‘Arion.’
Leo, who had never expected to meet Arion in Dweno’s world, felt his heart stir.
‘Well, I met Berkia… there’s no law saying I can’t meet Arion.’
The image of his friend apologizing, even as he was losing his life, flashed through his mind.
‘Luna… she remembered me.’
Miraculously, Luna had recalled her memories from the Hero’s world.
This wasn’t Arion’s world, but Dweno’s world.
However…
‘Perhaps Arion might also recall his previous strategy memories?’
Thinking so, Leo looked into Arion’s eyes and then smiled bitterly.
Arion was looking at him with wary eyes.
‘Miracles… don’t happen easily.’
***
“……”
Arion felt a sense of bewilderment looking at the white-haired boy holding his disciple’s belongings before him.
It was a boy he had never seen before.
But he felt remarkably familiar.
A subtly familiar scent.
And an aura.
The fact that he felt a sense of welcome towards a boy he had never met before was perplexing.
Because his instincts, those of a coward, made him wary of strangers.
Feeling bewildered for a moment, Arion spoke.
“What you’re holding are my disciple’s belongings.”
Striving to conceal the inexplicable sense of welcome he felt, Arion questioned Leo.
“Can you explain why you have them?”
Looking at such an Arion, Leo thought:
‘He seems to be misunderstanding something. Does he think I harmed Berkia?’
Arion was fundamentally very gentle with strangers.
The very fact that he was displaying such an attitude was a very firm stance.
Looking at Arion for a moment, Leo said:
“If you want to hear the story, how about you fight me and win?”
“What?”
Arion showed a slightly bewildered expression.
If he told the truth, he could go to Gadsron without much trouble.
But suddenly, he became curious.
‘How much can I fight against Arion right now?’