Book 1 Chapter 357
357
Whoosh-!
Pure white flames raged.
Lunia's flames drove out Erebus's flames.
Everyone gasped in admiration at the sight.
“Is that the rumored Phoenix King's flame?”
“A flame said to have disappeared 5000 years ago…”
Wonder filled the eyes of the mages who had come to attend the association meeting.
5000 years ago.
The flame passed down by the Phoenix Kings, severed by Erebus.
That very flame, which was literally only passed down in legends of the distant past, manifested in Lunia's hands.
Furthermore, the one who created this magic was none other than Luna.
It was natural for the mages to feel awe at the miraculous magic unveiled after a long period of 5000 years.
‘Not enough.’
However, Lunia narrowed her eyes, as if dissatisfied.
Whoosh-!
The white flames enveloping her entire body gained more power.
‘Still… not enough.’
The reason Luna created this magic.
The reason Katariu passed down the Flame of Purification in Dweno's world.
It couldn't be a mere coincidence that this flame, which even Luna couldn't complete, blazed in her hands.
A miracle born from the intertwining of destinies.
Lunia looked at Dweno's staff, which she had named Flame Emperor.
‘It must mean we should finish it completely in our generation.’
Luna, who shone brightly even in endless darkness.
Dweno, who remained steadfast in the face of an unseen catastrophe.
Arion, who was more courageous than anyone in the face of deep despair.
Lunia recalled the great heroes she had met and experienced firsthand.
Whoosh-!
The Flame of Purification burned even more fiercely.
A dangerous flame, like a double-edged sword, that could burn even herself if she made a mistake.
It was a power too immense for her, still inexperienced, to handle.
However, Lunia did not hesitate.
Because she remembered Leo, who had charged fearlessly into the heart of Erebus's flames.
‘Is he trying to be cool all by himself?’
Recalling the boy who had suddenly appeared a year ago and profoundly impacted her life, Lunia smiled faintly.
Leo Flov.
All-Class, like Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.
Lunia thought Leo resembled Kyle for some unknown reason.
Of course, she didn't know much about Kyle.
It was only very recently known that he was a real person.
Hero Records related materials were hardly left, and anecdotes about him remained only as stories in fairy tales.
Why he was called the Hero of Beginnings.
What actions he had left behind.
People of later generations had no way of knowing.
Yet, Lunia felt that Leo and Kyle were similar.
‘Sir Kyle is called the Hero of Beginnings… probably because he's the beginning of something. Just like that, Leo is also the beginning of this great flow.’
Whoosh-!
Lunia's flames blazed even more fiercely.
Everyone looked at Lunia.
Lunia gripped the Flame Emperor with both hands.
The magical incantations combined.
“Flame Emperor.”
As the magic was completed, a gigantic pure white flame appeared above Erebus's black flames.
A brilliance like that of a massive sun.
While everyone's mouths hung open, the pure white sun devoured the black flames.
Swoosh-!
In an instant, the black flames were purified.
The pure white flames scattering in all directions held warmth.
Fragments of the pure white flame incinerated all the rampaging undead.
Even the catastrophic black flames.
The undead emitting the aura of death also vanished.
Gentle air, as if springtime had arrived, enveloped the surrounding area.
Everyone looked at Lunia with surprised faces at her overwhelming power.
“Lunia!”
Eiran rushed towards Lunia, who had burns all over her body.
“I’m fine.”
Lunia smiled.
“You said it would burn away all impurities…”
“It’s purification, literally.”
While everyone gazed at Lunia in admiration.
Sayrun's Hero Records fluttered down from the sky.
Lunia reached out and grabbed the Hero Records.
The culprit of this incident.
But for some reason, the Hero Records containing Sayrun's story were in perfect condition.
As if newly written.
‘That's strange, it was clearly burned and almost nothing was left just now?’
Lunia wore a perplexed expression.
Had Hero Records that were burned and damaged ever restored their original form?
As far as Lunia knew, no such case existed.
It was then that Lunia made a surprised face.
Swoosh-!
The Hero Records emitted a bright light, and then Leo appeared.
“Huh?”
Lunia was startled.
The face of the appearing Leo was right in front of Lunia's nose.
So close that they could feel each other's breath.
Remembering Leo who had just held her chin, Lunia's face flushed red.
‘Just now, something… the atmosphere was really suggestive.’
Eiran's words unnecessarily came to mind, making her face burn even more.
Leo smiled maturely at Lunia, then reached out, grabbed Lunia's hand, and pulled.
‘Hey, hey, why is he suddenly doing this?! Why is he pulling my hand in front of everyone?’
It was then that Lunia's face turned even redder.
“Will you let go?”
“Uh… yeah… huh?”
Lunia made a strange sound.
Only then did she realize that Leo was pulling Sayrun's Hero Records which she held in her hand.
When she let go of her hand in embarrassment, Leo stepped back.
It was then that Lunia's ears also turned red from unnecessarily imagining strange things.
“Lunia, are you okay?”
“I’m fine… but wasn't the atmosphere just now a bit strange?”
“Atmosphere? What atmosphere?”
As Eiran made a puzzled face, Lunia let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s nothing.”
“Lunia, what strange things were you imagining?”
As Eiran squinted her eyes, Lunia flared up.
“It’s because of you! All because of you!”
“What? That's unfair!”
Eiran protested with a tearful face.
“Leo student.”
Just then, Sayrun's teacher, Herdium, who was acquainted with Leo, approached Leo.
“Is that… definitely Lady Sayrun's Hero Records?”
“Yes.”
“Then why on earth did the catastrophic flames come from Lady Sayrun's Hero Records…?”
“You'll know if you hear it directly from her.”
“What…?”
It was then that Herdium made a puzzled expression at Leo's words.
Flash-!
As if a door opened in mid-air.
An oval, pure white entrance opened.
Herdium, Sayrun's teacher, knew well what it was.
It was a gate to the hero's world.
It was then that everyone's eyes widened upon realizing that fact.
Leo put his hand into the entrance.
A moment later, a beautiful hand emerged, led by Leo's hand.
Seeing the elf who appeared with him, Herdium involuntarily dropped the staff he was holding.
“Ah… ahh…”
Herdium's voice trembled.
It wasn't just Herdium.
Everyone looked at the elf who appeared before them with an expression of disbelief.
“Sayrun… nim?”
Something hard to believe.
However, Sayrun had already last winter.
Experienced the reappearance of the progenitor of the nebula.
Therefore, they had no choice but to acknowledge Sayrun who appeared before their eyes.
At the miracle brought forth by the Hero Records, the elves all knelt.
It wasn't just the elves.
The mages who had visited Sayrun to attend the academy meeting were also the same.
The Comet Mage, regarded as the greatest after Luna in history.
There was no way they wouldn't bow their heads at the appearance of the Hero of Creation, who had once again saved the world that was in crisis.
Even Lunia and Eiran, who had been bickering, were surprised and bowed their heads.
Sayrun's eyes trembled.
Students in Sayrun uniforms came into her sight.
Starting with Lunia and Eiran, the appearances of several students entered Sayrun's eyes.
“These are the sprouts that grew from the seeds you sowed.”
Leo spoke softly, just loud enough for Sayrun to hear.
“Many hero candidates followed the path you pioneered, chasing after you. They reached out to touch us. As a result, countless heroes were born.”
The Age of Heroes.
The era when great heroes subdued Erebus and the gods gifted Hero Records to the mortal realm.
The era from 5000 years ago until now.
But it was after the Heroes of Creation that countless heroes truly began to appear explosively.
“Did you do well?”
While everyone bowed their heads.
Leo reached out and ruffled Sayrun's hair.
“It's truly admirable. What you've achieved is what Rishinas had so yearned for. So stop blaming yourselves. And be sure to tell the others.”
“…Yes.”
Sayrun nodded.
And she spoke with emphasis.
“Everyone, raise your heads.”
At her words, everyone raised their heads.
Sayrun turned her head.
She saw the Comet Hall, which had collapsed into ashes.
Seeing it, Sayrun reached out her hand.
Vwoom-!
A bright light flew out of the ashes like a comet and was caught in Sayrun's hand.
Cometes, the staff symbolizing Sayrun.
Ziiing-!
Mana surged from the tip of the Cometes staff.
Simultaneously, the collapsed Comet Hall instantly restored its original form.
Everyone who saw it wore an astonished expression.
It was as if time had been reversed.
‘No, she actually reversed time!’
A grand magic that even mages on the level of heroes could not even attempt.
She performed such magic with ease.
“Everyone.”
Sayrun looked at the students and spoke.
“I may be just a figure from the past to you… but as the founder of this school, I am so glad to see you all.”
At Sayrun's words, Sayrun's students wore moved expressions.
“Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to ask something of you.”
Sayrun's eyes settled.
“Long ago, I made a fatal mistake. It was the school rule that only those who mastered ‘Star Magic’ could be admitted to this school.”
Everyone was surprised that the 3000-year tradition of Sayrun Academy was a fatal mistake.
Sayrun glanced at Leo.
She had already heard about the problems of Sayrun Academy from Leo before coming out to the outside world.
“As the founder of the school, I hereby abolish that rule as of today.”
Everyone's eyes widened.
Especially some, who gasped as if having a fit.
It was none other than the Pureblood Society.
“And… Leo Flov.”
Sayrun smiled gently at Leo.
“The ‘Magic of Blooming’ that I couldn't solve for so long. Thank you so much for retrieving Lady Luna's legacy. I believe you are a mage even more deserving of this staff than I am.”
At the sudden words, Leo let out a dry laugh.
However, all the elves wore expressions of shock.
Sayrun was handing Cometes to Leo.
The act of one mage giving a staff to another.
It was an act of acknowledging that mage as one's successor.
Everyone alternately looked at Leo and Sayrun with disbelief.
Leo received Cometes with a wry expression.
Then Cometes shone brightly.
With that, as if time had ended, Sayrun's body also shone brightly.
Everyone present involuntarily squeezed their eyes shut.
Only Leo could clearly see Sayrun's form.
“I apologize for my disrespect, Sir Kyle.”
Seeing Sayrun playfully stick out her tongue and smile, Leo said.
“You, this is something even Luna couldn't do to me. It's truly amazing.”
The distant past.
He once insisted that since he taught her magic, she should call him Master.
He remembered ignoring Luna who tried to force a staff upon him.
At Leo's words, Sayrun gracefully bowed, lifting the hem of her skirt.
“It is an infinite honor.”
Sayrun, who bowed with courtesy, smiled gently.
“But now those foolish children won't be able to disrespect Sir Kyle again, will they?”
“I’m letting it slide because of that.”
“Hoo-hoo.”
Sayrun covered her mouth and chuckled.
Looking at Sayrun, Leo said.
“Just hang in there a little longer. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best!”
Sayrun, greeting brightly, vanished.
With a bright light, Sayrun had vanished, and only Leo remained.
Everyone looked at Leo with blank faces.
“No… way.”
Orlen said in a trembling voice.
“A human… a human being acknowledged by Lady Sayrun! Unacceptable!”
Leo chuckled, seeing Orlen half-convulsing and shouting as if having a seizure.
Then he brandished the Cometes in his hand.
“But I received this from Lady Sayrun, didn’t I?”
Sayrun herself handed Cometes to Leo right before their eyes.
It couldn't be denied.
Sayrun was the founder of the school.
No matter how much she was a being of the past, her will could never be defied.
The shoulders of the Pureblood Society trembled.
It was then that Sayrun's teachers and students, as well as the mages attending the academy meeting, also wore confused expressions at the sudden situation.
“Now, then…”
Leo gripped Cometes firmly and said.
“Why Erebus's flames flowed from the Hero Records… why undead appeared in the middle of Sayrun.”
Leo wore a cold expression.
“Shall we investigate the cause?”
The faces of the Pureblood Society turned pale.
***
‘Unacceptable! This is a clear betrayal! That Necrolord bastard!’
Luhagen cursed inwardly.
From the moment black flames erupted in the Hero Records and undead appeared at the top of the Comet Hall, Luhagen instinctively knew he was finished.
‘Indeed, I shouldn't have made a deal with those filthy demons! I will hold them accountable! I’ll take Lady Sayrun's remains and with my necromancy…’
Thump-
“Where are you going, Acting Headmaster Sayrun?”
At the voice from behind, Luhagen's movement stopped.
Thump- thump-
Before he knew it, Leo, who had followed Luhagen, was standing behind him with cold eyes.