Book 1 Chapter 290

290

"What is this… to be able to visit the great hero's house!"

Kal said in a nervous voice.

"Shouldn't we, uh, buy a gift or something to bring?"

"We should, right? Is there anything worth buying?"

"But we're broke."

Eiran, Ar, and Lunia also looked nervous.

Driana said, looking at the excited group.

"Lord Kyle isn't here anyway."

As she spoke, Driana pulled out a sketchbook from her pocket.

Leo narrowed his eyes.

"What are you going to use that for?"

"If there's a portrait in Lord Kyle's house, I'm thinking of sketching it."

"If you draw something with your hopeless skill, won't Kyle hate it?"

"Leo, unlike someone as emotionally dry as you, Lord Kyle will understand my artistic sensibilities."

"That's not going to happen."

Leo replied with a frown.

Depesere smiled faintly, looking at the group.

"You all seem to greatly admire Lord Kyle."

"I, however, respect Lady Luna the most."

"Hmph. Lord Arion is indeed the best."

"No matter what anyone says, Lord Dweno is the greatest hero."

Lunia, Ar, and Driana spoke one after another.

And they glared at each other.

Depesere chuckled at their words.

"Many children admire them just like you. And they have every right to. They are the ones who showed the world that there is hope in this age of despair."

Listening to Depesere, Eiran carefully asked.

"Would you mind telling us a story about Lord Kyle's heroic deeds?"

Although Depesere's fierce appearance from a moment ago came to mind, Eiran mustered her courage.

Eiran's eyes, who loved heroic tales, were already sparkling brightly.

In Eiran's era, just being able to hear stories of Kyle, who could be called an unknown great hero, was a great joy for her.

"Lord Kyle's heroic deeds, you say…"

Depesere smiled faintly.

"I personally like the story of him single-handedly fighting against the Army of Death led by the Necrolord Hell Kaiser the most. But it's a very famous story."

"The story of him single-handedly fighting against the Necrolord's army…? Are you by any chance referring to the Battle of Deriolana?"

As Eiran asked with wide eyes, Depesere nodded.

"Yes. That's right."

"What? The Battle of Deriolana was Lady Luna who… *Gasp*?!"

Eiran, who had been wearing a puzzled expression, looked sideways in surprise.

Leo, who had silently approached her, poked Eiran in the side.

Eiran, whose eyes met Leo's, realized her mistake.

In the current era, the Battle of Deriolana was known as a battle where Luna played an active role, but in reality, it was a battle Kyle fought alone.

It was one of Kyle's most famous feats in the Age of Calamity.

In such a situation, bringing up Luna's story would obviously arouse unnecessary suspicion.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I also like that heroic tale, so I want to hear it again."

"Hmph. Then I shall tell you the story."

The dragons of this era sometimes took on the role of relaying the heroic deeds of heroes they had witnessed directly to people.

As Depesere's story began, the party members, except for Leo, focused on it.

Lunia, listening to the story and comparing the differences with the Battle of Deriolana they knew, carefully asked.

"You're telling the story as if you witnessed it yourself… Did Lord Depesere also see this battle firsthand?"

"Yes."

At Depesere's words, Lunia everyone held their breath.

'It was an even more incredible battle than what was in the storybooks.'

"Lord Kyle, who annihilated the Skeleton King's army in a single blow, shouted, 'This is your grave, Necrolord!'"

At Depesere's words, Leo let out a hollow laugh.

'I didn't say that.'

It seems that when he relayed heroic tales to children, he embellished himself and his friends with white lies.

It was then that Leo, feeling a renewed sense of gratitude towards Depesere, chuckled.

"No, he didn't. He said, 'Today, I'll finish you off for good, you bony bastard.'"

A slightly pouty voice, somehow, was heard.

Everyone who had been focused on Depesere's story turned their heads with surprised expressions.

Before they knew it, the group had arrived in front of a log cabin.

And in front of a desolate clearing that was too embarrassing to even call a garden, an elf girl was standing on a chair.

"Oh dear, I was so engrossed in the story that we arrived without realizing it."

At Depesere's words, Kal scratched his cheek.

"This is Lord Kyle's house? It's a bit different from what I imagined."

Kal, who had been looking at the very ordinary house, asked, looking at the elf girl.

"But who is she?"

"She is Berkhia, Lord Kyle's disciple."

"*Gasp*!"

"*Gasp*!"

Everyone stared at the elf girl with wide eyes.

After the end of the Age of Calamity.

The great racial leader who had led the elves.

It was a moment when everyone was astonished by the appearance of a figure beyond imagination.

"Lord Depesere. Who are they? Are they the ones who intruded into the spirit realm this time?"

"Yes, Lady Berkhia. And they will be staying at Lord Kyle's residence for the time being."

At those words, Berkhia's eye twitched.

"Why are they staying at Master Kyle's house? There should be plenty of other places to stay, shouldn't there?"

"I don't know the reason either. It's just Lord Dweno's order."

"Lord Dweno's?"

As she couldn't defy Dweno's words, Berkhia, despite her sullen expression, no longer protested.

"Well then, it's getting late, so please rest comfortably. I will come to pick you up tomorrow."

Depesere bowed his head and then left.

And so, only Leo's group and Berkhia were left alone.

"Don't you have your own house? Go now."

At Leo's words, Berkhia said.

"I need to clean up Master's house."

"Clean up?"

'What is there to clean in this house?'

Leo felt puzzled by Berkhia's sudden words, yet headed towards the entrance.

'Home, huh…'

Leo felt a strange emotion as he entered his own house, which had disappeared in the distant past.

*Creak-*

Leo, who opened the door and entered the entryway, stared at the house's interior, which was messy like a pigsty, for a moment, then turned his gaze to Berkhia.

"Wow… this is a bit severe."

"It seems Lord Kyle wasn't one for tidying up."

"Still, what should I say? It's surprising to see a human side."

Kal clicked his tongue, and Eiran gave an awkward laugh.

Lunia smiled faintly.

"Oh, Master Kyle is such a problem. To use a house like this, making such a mess."

Berkhia, with her arms crossed, entered the house as if to say, "There's no helping it."

"Guests have arrived, so there's nothing for it."

Berkhia said, placing her hands firmly on her hips.

"You're going to stay in this house, too, aren't you? Why don't you help clean up?"

"Yes, I understand, Lady Berkhia."

Eiran bowed her head respectfully.

Eiran glanced nervously at Berkhia's face.

Her respected great ancestor was right before her eyes.

For Eiran, who had admired Berkhia and listened to her heroic tales since childhood, she was more nervous now than ever.

Just as Eiran was about to start cleaning the house.

Leo raised a hand and stopped Eiran.

And he stared directly at Berkhia and said.

"Hey."

At Leo's words, the entire party gasped in shock.

"Hey! Leo!"

"What rudeness!"

"She's Lady Berkhia! Black Rabbit!"

"Watch your mouth."

Kal hastily tried to stop Leo, and Lunia widened her eyes.

While Ar and Driana were also flustered, Leo spoke.

"You clean up what you messed up."

"Th-this was all Master Kyle's mess!"

"Kyle's?"

Leo narrowed his eyes, then picked something up from among the clothes scattered on the floor.

"There are clothes here that don't suit Kyle's gender, are there?"

"G-give that back!"

Berkhia lunged at Leo.

Berkhia's face was flushed red, as if embarrassed by the item in Leo's hand as she reached out.

When Leo quickly tossed it, Berkhia urgently ran and hid it behind her back.

"And that's clearly not a book Kyle would read, is it? 'Secret rendezvous in the forest…'"

"Ack! Ack! Ack!"

Berkhia screamed with a deeply flushed face.

"Should I call Dweno and Arion? What would they say if they saw this house?"

At Leo's words, Berkhia's ears drooped.

"I'll clean it up."

Berkhia's grand plan to use the guests to clean up her own messy room was thwarted.

Looking at Berkhia, who started cleaning with her ears drooping, the party members, except for Kyle, wore dumbfounded expressions.

The three most respected heroes in elf history.

Luna, the progenitor of the nebula, and Seirun, the Comet Mage.

And Berkhia, the Fairy Knight.

Lunia, who witnessed the undignified behavior of one of them, covered her face with both hands and murmured as if sobbing.

"My Lady Berkhia, in my imagination, has been defiled."

"Wipe it."

Leo said mercilessly.

And he glanced at Eiran.

Eiran seemed a little surprised.

But she looked at Berkhia with a somehow warm gaze.

"It seems you weren't as shocked as I expected."

When Ar wagged her tail and asked, Eiran gave an awkward laugh.

"Yes. It's definitely different from the image I had… but what should I say? I think I might like it even more. She feels familiar somehow."

"Familiar?"

"Yes."

"They're quite similar."

Leo chuckled and crossed his arms.

"Really? In what ways?"

As Eiran asked with a bright smile, Leo said.

"Like messing up a room to the level of a pigsty or having strange fantasies."

Eiran made a tearful face and lunged at Leo, trying to cover his mouth.

Stopping Eiran, Leo looked at Berkhia.

'Right. She used to come over, make a huge mess, and then leave.'

It was then that Leo, recalling past memories, let out a hollow laugh.

"By the way… it's excessively bleak. To the point where no human warmth can be felt."

As Driana looked around the room and spoke, Kal said.

"Looking at this mess, it doesn't seem that way, though?"

"Isn't that Lady Berkhia's doing?"

Driana glanced at the furniture in the room.

"There's only the bare minimum of necessary furniture. Beyond that, everything is blandly organized to the point of emptiness."

"Now that you mention it, yes. It seems a bit different from just being clean."

As Ar tilted her head, Driana stroked her chin.

"Perhaps he didn't grow attached to this place."

"Why? It's his home, isn't it?"

"…I wonder if he always kept everything tidy because he never knew when he might lose his life."

At Driana's murmur, Leo made a bitter expression.

'Even the kids can feel that, huh.'

Whenever Leo left Gardsron, he always cleaned everything thoroughly.

Because he always thought he might never be able to return.

'Because I had nothing worth leaving behind for anyone.'

Leo looked at the bleak room scenery.

Those who had many things to leave behind and many things they wanted to do forcibly dumped everything on him and went ahead.

'Come to think of it, I'm still the only one left.'

It was then that Leo smiled bitterly.

"Um… Lady Berkhia. Shall I help you a little?"

"Really?"

Lunia said carefully.

Although she had declared she would become a delinquent student at Seirun, Lunia was still the top student.

No matter what, she couldn't just watch a hero of a great race pitifully cleaning all by herself.

"I, I'll help too!"

"You're really going to help?"

As Berkhia perked her ears and asked, Eiran smiled brightly.

"Yes!"

It was then that Berkhia, looking at the innocently smiling Eiran, flashed a sly smile.

"Don't help her, she'll get spoiled."

When Leo spoke mercilessly, Berkhia made a fierce expression.

"Who do you think you are! Are you even Master Kyle?"

Instead of answering, Leo responded to Berkhia with a playful flick to the forehead.

"I'm going to tell Master Arion everything tomorrow!"

"Go ahead."

Leo, not batting an eye, hit Berkhia on the head one more time.

Watching that scene, Kal clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"That guy, sometimes he's really amazing, you know. No matter what, how can he treat a historical figure like that?"