Book 1 Chapter 357
357
Fwoosh-!
Pure white flames swirled.
Lunia’s flames drove out Erebus’s flames.
Everyone let out a gasp at the sight.
“Is that the flame of the legendary Phoenix King?”
“A flame that disappeared 5000 years ago.”
The mages who came for the association meeting had wonder in their eyes.
5000 years ago.
The flame inherited by the Phoenix Kings, severed by Erebus.
That flame, which had only been passed down through legends of the distant past, was realized in Lunia’s hands.
Furthermore, the creator of this magic was none other than Luna.
It was natural for the mages to feel reverence for the miraculous magic that unfolded after a long span of 5000 years.
‘Not enough.’
However, Lunia narrowed her eyes as if dissatisfied.
Fwoosh-!
The white flames enveloping her body intensified their power.
‘Still… not enough.’
The reason Lunia created this magic.
The reason Katariou inherited the flame of purification from Deweno’s world.
This flame, which even Luna couldn’t complete, burning in her hands was not merely a coincidence.
A miracle born from the addition of destiny upon destiny.
Lunia looked at Deweno’s staff, which she named the Flame Emperor.
‘It means to finish it in our generation.’
Luna, who shone brilliantly even in endless darkness.
Deweno, who stood firm even in the face of an unseen disaster.
Arion, who was more courageous than anyone in the face of deep despair.
Lunia recalled the images of the great heroes she had met and experienced firsthand.
Fwoosh-!
The flame of purification burned even more fiercely.
A dangerous flame, like a double-edged sword, capable of incinerating herself if mishandled.
It was a power too immense for her, who was still inexperienced, to handle.
But Lunia did not hesitate.
She remembered Leo, who had charged into the center of Erebus’s flames without hesitation.
‘Trying to be the only cool one?’
Lunia smiled faintly, thinking of the boy who had suddenly appeared a year ago and greatly influenced her life.
Leo Flov.
An all-class like Kyle, the hero of the beginning.
For some reason, Lunia thought Leo resembled Kyle.
Of course, she didn’t know much about Kyle.
It was only very recently known that he was a real person.
There was almost no remaining data related to the Hero Record, and his anecdotes remained only as fairy tales.
Why he was called the Hero of the Beginning.
What deeds he had accomplished.
Future generations had no way of knowing.
Yet, Lunia felt that Leo and Kyle were similar.
‘Kyle is called the Hero of the Beginning… probably because he is the beginning of something. Like that, Leo is also the beginning of this great flow.’
Fwoooooosh-!
Lunia’s flames burned even more intensely.
Everyone looked at Lunia.
Lunia held the Flame Emperor in both hands.
The magic array combined.
“Flame Emperor.”
As the magic was completed, a colossal pure white flame appeared above Erebus’s black flames.
A radiance like a giant sun.
While everyone’s jaws dropped, the pure white sun swallowed the black flames.
Fwoak-!
In an instant, the black flames were purified.
The pure white flames scattered in all directions, containing warmth.
Fragments of pure white flames incinerated all the rampaging undead.
The catastrophic black flames.
The undead emanating a deathly aura also vanished.
A gentle breeze, as if spring had arrived, enveloped the surroundings.
Everyone looked at Lunia with shocked expressions at the overwhelming power.
“Lunia!”
Eiran rushed towards Lunia, who was covered in burns.
“I’m fine.”
Lunia smiled.
“You said it would burn away all impurity…”
“It truly is purification.”
As everyone gazed at Lunia with admiration.
Seirun’s Hero Record fluttered down from the sky.
Lunia reached out and caught the Hero Record.
The instigator of this incident.
But for some reason, Seirun’s recorded Hero Record was in perfect condition.
As if it had been newly written.
‘That’s strange, it was almost gone from burning earlier, wasn’t it?’
Lunia showed a bewildered expression.
Had a damaged Hero Record ever regained its original form after being burned?
As far as Lunia knew, such cases did not exist.
Just as Lunia was surprised.
Fwoak-!
The Hero Record emitted a bright light, and then Leo appeared.
“Huk?”
Lunia was startled.
Leo’s face, as he appeared, was right in front of Lunia’s nose.
So close that they could feel each other’s breath.
Lunia’s face flushed, recalling Leo who had just grabbed her chin.
‘Did something… feel really intense just now?’
Eiran’s words came to mind, making her face even hotter.
Leo smiled at Lunia with a mature air, then reached out, took Lunia’s hand, and pulled her.
‘W-what is he doing all of a sudden?! Why is he pulling my hand in front of everyone?’
Lunia’s face turned even redder.
“Could you let go?”
“Uh… yeah… Eh?”
Lunia made a strange sound.
Only then did Leo realize that he was pulling Seirun’s Hero Record in his hand.
As she let go in embarrassment, Leo took a step back.
Lunia’s ears turned red, having imagined strange things for no reason.
“Are you okay, Lunia?”
“I’m fine… but didn’t the atmosphere feel strange just now?”
“Atmosphere? What atmosphere?”
Seeing Eiran’s confused expression, Lunia let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s nothing.”
“Lunia, what strange thing were you imagining?”
As Eiran opened her eyes languidly, Lunia retorted.
“It’s your fault! All your fault!”
“What? That’s unfair!”
Eiran protested with a pouting face.
“Student Leo.”
At that moment, Seirun’s teacher, Heridium, who was familiar with Leo, approached Leo.
“Is that… truly Seirun-nim’s Hero Record?”
“Yes.”
“Then why on earth did the flame of disaster flow from Seirun-nim’s Hero Record…”
“You’ll know if you ask them directly.”
“What…?”
As Heridium looked perplexed at Leo’s words.
Flash-!
As if a door opened in the air.
An oval, pure white entrance opened.
Heridium, Seirun’s teacher, knew very well what it was.
It was the door to the world of heroes.
Everyone’s eyes widened, knowing that fact.
Leo reached his hand into the entrance.
A moment later, a beautiful hand was pulled out into Leo’s hand.
Heridium dropped the staff he was holding without realizing it as he saw the elf who appeared with it.
“Ah… Ahh…”
Heridium’s voice trembled.
Not just Heridium.
Everyone looked at the elf who appeared before them with disbelief.
“Seirun… nim?”
It was an unbelievable event.
But Seirun had already experienced the Second Coming of the Progenitor of the Nebula last winter.
Therefore, they had no choice but to accept Seirun who appeared before them.
The elves bowed down in unison at the miracle wrought by the Hero Record.
Not only the elves.
So did the mages who visited Seirun to attend the academic conference.
The comet mage, considered the second greatest after Luna in history.
They could not help but bow their heads to the appearance of the hero of creation, who had once again saved the world from crisis.
Even Lunia and Eiran, who had been bickering, bowed their heads in surprise.
Seirun’s eyes twitched.
Students in Seirun uniforms came into her sight.
Starting with Lunia and Eiran, the figures of several students came into Seirun’s eyes.
“These are the sprouts that grew from the seeds you sowed.”
Leo said softly, only for Seirun to hear.
“Many hero candidates followed the path you paved, chasing after you. They reached out to us. As a result, countless heroes were born.”
The Age of Heroes.
The era from 5000 years ago until now, when the great heroes subdued Erebus and the gods gifted the Hero Records to the mortal realm.
But the era when countless heroes began to truly emerge explosively was after the heroes of creation.
“Did you do well?”
As everyone bowed their heads.
Leo reached out and ruffled Seirun’s hair.
“It’s so much that I’m grateful. What you achieved is what Lysinas yearned for so much. So, stop blaming yourselves. Be sure to tell the others too.”
“……Yes.”
Seirun nodded.
Then she said with strength.
“Everyone, lift your heads.”
At her words, everyone raised their heads.
Seirun turned her head.
She saw the Comet Hall, which had collapsed into ashes.
Seeing it, Seirun reached out.
Vwoong-!
A bright light flew from the ashes like a comet and attached itself to Seirun’s hand.
Cometes, the staff that symbolized Seirun.
Jiiing-!
Magic rippled from the tip of the Cometes staff.
At the same time, the collapsed Comet Hall instantly regained its original form.
Everyone who saw it looked astonished.
It was as if time had been turned back.
‘No, they actually turned back time!’
A great magic that even mages who had reached the rank of heroes could not dare to attempt.
Such magic was easily accomplished.
“Everyone.”
Seirun said, looking at the students.
“I am merely a relic of the past to you… but as the founder of this school, I am overjoyed to see you all.”
At Seirun’s words, the Seirun students looked moved.
“Therefore, I have something I would like to ask of you all here.”
Seirun’s eyes dimmed.
“A long time ago, I made a fatal mistake. The rule that only those who have mastered ‘Star Magic’ can enroll in this school.”
Everyone was surprised that Seirun Academy’s 3000-year tradition was a fatal mistake.
Seirun glanced at Leo.
She had already heard about Seirun Academy’s issues from Leo before leaving for the outside world.
“As the founder of the school, I hereby abolish that rule as of today.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
In particular, some gasped as if they were having a seizure.
It was none other than the Pureblood Faction.
“And… Leo Flov.”
Seirun smiled at Leo.
“Thank you so much for recovering the ‘magic that makes flowers bloom,’ which I couldn’t solve for a long time. I believe you are a more fitting mage for this staff than I am.”
Leo let out a hollow laugh at the sudden remark.
However, all the elves looked astonished.
Seirun was handing Cometes to Leo.
The act of a mage giving a staff to another mage.
It was an act of recognizing that mage as their successor.
Everyone looked back and forth between Leo and Seirun with disbelief.
Leo accepted Cometes with a reluctant expression.
Then, Cometes shone brightly.
As that marked the end, Seirun’s body also shone brightly.
Everyone present instinctively closed their eyes tightly.
Only Leo could see Seirun’s form clearly.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Kyle-nim.”
Leo said, looking at Seirun, who was sticking out her tongue slightly and smiling playfully.
“You, this is something even Luna couldn’t do for me. It’s truly amazing.”
In the distant past.
There was a time when she insisted on being called master because she had taught him magic.
He remembered ignoring Luna, who was forcibly trying to hand over her staff.
At Leo’s words, Seirun gracefully curtsied, lifting the hem of her skirt.
“It is an infinite honor.”
Seirun, who had bowed with etiquette, smiled.
“But now, foolish children will no longer be able to be rude to Kyle-nim.”
“That’s why I’m letting it slide.”
“Hehehe.”
Seirun covered her mouth and laughed.
Leo said, looking at Seirun like that.
“Hold on a little longer. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best!”
Seirun waved brightly and disappeared.
With a bright light, Seirun disappeared, and only Leo remained.
Everyone stared at Leo with blank expressions.
“Unbelievable…”
Orlen said in a trembling voice.
“A human… a human recognized by Seirun-nim! Unacceptable!”
Leo chuckled, looking at Orlen, who was shouting as if having a fit.
Then he waved Cometes in his hand.
“But I received this from Seirun-nim, didn’t I?”
Seirun herself had handed Cometes to Leo right in front of their eyes.
It was impossible to deny.
Seirun was the founder of the school.
No matter how much of a past existence she was, her will could never be defied.
The Pureblood Faction’s shoulders trembled.
The Seirun teachers and students, as well as the mages attending the academic conference, looked bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
“Well then…”
Leo said, adjusting his grip on Cometes.
“Why did Erebus’s flames flow from the Hero Record… and why did the undead appear in the center of Seirun.”
Leo’s expression turned cold.
“Shall we investigate the cause?”
The Pureblood Faction’s faces turned pale.
***
‘Unacceptable! This is a clear betrayal! That Necromancer!’
Rehagen inwardly seethed.
From the moment black flames erupted from the Hero Record and undead appeared at the top of the Comet Hall, Rehagen had a premonition that he was finished.
‘I shouldn’t have made a deal with those dirty demons! I will hold them accountable! Using Seirun-nim’s remains for my necromancy…’
Thump-
“Where do you think you’re going? Acting principal of Seirun.”
Rehagen’s movements stopped at the voice from behind.
Thump- Thump-
Leo, who had followed Rehagen, was now behind him with cold eyes.