Book 1 Chapter 387

387.

Goooooo-!

The world was burning.

Unquenchable black flames engulfed everything.

A sea of fire, a dangerous catastrophe that could claim a life just by touching it.

Yet, as they walked through it, fear was nowhere to be found in the eyes of the gray-haired man and the black-haired woman.

"…We've finally arrived."

Gazing at the black tower burning in the distance, Kyle murmured.

A colossal tower of endless height, as if it would pierce the very sky.

It was the Tower of Calamity, the dwelling of Erebus, the primordial evil.

The place where the flames of calamity first ignited.

The final destination for the subjugation party.

A murderous intent erupted from Kyle's eyes.

His clenched fist dug its nails into his flesh.

Drip— drip—

Seeing the blood trickling from Kyle's hand, Lisinas spoke.

"Kyle, calm down."

"Don't worry."

Kyle opened his hand.

Traces of a brutal, prolonged struggle remained on his hand.

Those scars were proof that even in endless despair, he had never given up and had continued to reach out for hope.

He had sustained terrible injuries, so much so that it was a wonder his hand was still intact.

Each time, he had barely recovered and grasped his weapon.

At first glance, they were just unsightly, scarred hands.

But to the great heroes, they were hands more meaningful than any others.

***

"I'm noticing it again. Kyle, your hands are truly beautiful."

Before embarking on the journey.

Dwenno said, looking at Kyle's hand holding a drink.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden? These hands aren't your type, are they?"

"They certainly aren't my type."

Dwenno looked down at his own hands.

Like Kyle, they were scarred, and Arion's were the same.

Even Lisinas, who was in the rear on the battlefield, had many scars on his hands, though not as many as the other three.

Luna also had many scars, but she hid them by wearing gloves or using magic, so they weren't noticeable.

Dwenno took a sip of his drink.

"But aren't these hands the ones that have cultivated hope in this world? Even if they don't suit my taste at first glance, the fact that they hold beauty remains unchanged."

"Gulp— gulp— Puh! This is the first time Dwenno has called Kyle beautiful."

Luna, wiping her mouth after downing a large mug of golden liquid in one go, said with surprise.

"That's right. The only beautiful thing about this guy is his hands. And we all have the same kind of hands."

"…So, in the end, Dwenno, you're saying Kyle has no beauty unique to him?"

Arion, blowing on his hot tea with a "hu-hu-" sound, tilted his head.

"Of course not."

"What a shame. The self-proclaimed aesthete says you're not beautiful."

"Hmm… I'm sure Kyle has his beautiful points too. Don't give up."

"You guys, really. Are you going to keep judging me by your standards!"

Kyle, enraged by the dwarf nodding resolutely and Luna laughing heartily, lunged at the three of them.

After a brief commotion, Kyle returned to his seat and rested his chin on his hand.

"You all seem unnervingly carefree for people about to embark on their final journey."

Kyle shook his head in disbelief.

No matter what anyone said, it was bound to be the worst battle.

There was no guarantee of success.

No, rather, it was a final journey with a higher probability of failure.

Despite facing such a monumental trial, there was no tension to be found among his friends.

Kyle sighed, watching Luna foolishly try to outdrink Dwenno.

He also saw Arion, flustered, refusing drinks offered by the others.

"There's no tension at all."

Lisinas sat down in front of Kyle with a mug of beer, a faint smile on his lips.

"It's not a bad thing. In fact, it's good to see them all hopeful."

Lisinas nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the inn where the party was in full swing, taking a sip of beer and appearing to have his fatigue eased.

"It's much better than being paralyzed by fear."

"What were you doing?"

"I was writing my memoirs."

Lisinas rested his chin on his hand, just like Kyle.

"Now that I think about it, we had a meeting here, you and I, a long time ago."

"Did we?"

Kyle, with a listless expression, clinked glasses with Lisinas.

Gulp— gulp— After drinking, Lisinas wiped his mouth and said.

"I told you, Kyle."

"What?"

"We were going to save the world."

Kyle let out a bitter laugh at his friend's confident smile.

"Yes, yes. That's amazing."

"Apologize for being so contrary from the beginning."

"I feel like I've apologized countless times already?"

"That's not enough."

Lisinas, snorting, his face flushed from drinking, stared intently at Kyle.

"Yes, yes. I was wrong. You were right."

Lisinas smiled with satisfaction, seeing Kyle speak with annoyance.

"And I will keep the promise I made with you."

"……?"

"We promised, didn't we?"

Lisinas crossed his arms and smiled.

"That I wouldn't leave you alone."

"…Yes."

Kyle smiled.

"Kyle, you are no longer a hero who survives. You are…"

Lisinas grinned.

"A new beginning."

***

"I am colder than anyone else."

Kyle said in a flat tone.

"I have lost too much."

With sunken eyes, Kyle looked at Lisinas.

"And I have carried too much. So I must succeed."

"……."

"Failure is unacceptable."

At his words, Lisinas clenched his fist.

"Yes."

Lisinas bit his lip tightly.

"Don't worry, Kyle. I won't let you bear it alone."

Lisinas said.

"I will definitely keep the promise I made at first…"

***

Knock, knock, knock—

*Snap!*

Leo's eyes opened at the sound of knocking.

Leo sat up, covering his face.

"Wake up, Kyle. It's morning."

At the voice from outside, Leo got out of bed.

'How strange. To dream about that time.'

Rhodia left the inn room after their conversation last night.

The Erebus subjugation party had begun yesterday.

As of yet, it was a party of only Leo and Lisinas.

In such a situation, it was impossible to suddenly include Rhodia, who was not originally part of the plan.

'If other variables arise in the original event, we can't know how the hero's world will become entangled.'

Regardless of what anyone said, Leo had overcome this trial once.

For Leo, it was like repeating the past.

Therefore, he thought it was best to clear the hero's world by minimizing variables, and Rhodia agreed with this opinion.

That's why Rhodia decided to join later.

Leo opened the door.

Lisinas stood with his arms crossed, looking up at Leo.

"Good morning. Kyle."

Leo greeted Lisinas, who returned the greeting with a somewhat stern expression, arms crossed.

"Yes, good morning."

Leo greeted him with a faint smile.

Seeing Leo like that, Lisinas showed a hint of surprise.

"Why?"

"I can't get used to your attitude since yesterday."

"You can't get used to it?"

"You've become so gentle overnight after being incredibly prickly and twisted for the past few weeks."

Lisinas, revealing his bewilderment, continued.

"I thought we would argue a lot even if we were to form a party. Even today."

A shadow fell over Lisinas's face.

"There was a big battle yesterday."

"……."

Leo recalled the past.

To Leo, it was a distant past.

But to those living in this world, it was only yesterday.

After a life-or-death battle, Kyle always drank himself into a stupor.

In an attempt to force himself to forget the memories of the battlefield.

But not the current Leo.

That Leo had disappeared long ago.

What stood before Lisinas now was not a man who lived with a hollow, ash-like gaze, devoid of hope, but a man who had shouldered the dreams given to him by his comrades and saved the world against the primordial calamity.

It was only natural that he seemed unfamiliar, even though he was the same person.

"Someone taught me."

"What?"

Leo smiled faintly.

It was the smile he often gave to the hero candidates.

"That if you never give up and keep moving forward, you can grasp hope."

At Leo's words, Lisinas blinked.

"Let's go have breakfast."

Leo left the room and went downstairs.

Watching his retreating back, Lisinas wore a dazed expression.

*Hwa-reuk-*

-What is that foolish expression?

White flames flickered on Lisinas's head, and a woman the size of a palm appeared.

Katarriu, lying on her side with her head resting on one hand, appeared above Lisinas's head and pulled his black hair.

-It's a slightly different appearance.

Luminus, the spirit of radiance, appeared with a soft glow and landed gracefully on Lisinas's shoulder.

"What?"

The Phoenix King and the Great Spirit of Light.

Lisinas asked the two contractors with a puzzled expression.

At his question, Katarriu showed a look of pity.

-Want to look in a mirror?

"Why a mirror?"

-It's the face of a girl who fell in love at first sight.

"What?! What are you talking about!"

Luminus laughed at Lisinas's indignant reaction.

-I think it's nice to see. Lisinas, who has always been bound by conviction and lacked leisure, is making an expression like a girl of the same age.

-It is indeed a masterpiece.

"It's not like that!"

Lisinas yelled "Baaaack-" and went downstairs with a snort.

"I was just surprised because he showed a completely different appearance from the hero I knew who just survived."

-Isn't that a good thing?

Katarriu said with a mischievous smile.

"Of course it's good. I prefer that kind of appearance to one that seems to have lived through everything."

-What kind of appearance?

"Like the heroes in fairy tales."

-So that's your contractor's preference.

"I told you no."

Lisinas grumbled and sent his two contractors away.

*Thump— thump—*

As he descended the stairs, Lisinas brushed his left chest.

'My heart has been fluttering since yesterday.'

It started the moment Leo took his hand.

'Kyle changed from that moment.'

Lisinas had clearly noticed that change.

'Yes, it's like the hero I've always wished for.'

A person who never gives up and moves forward.

Reaching that thought, Lisinas quietly smiled.

'I see. I've been waiting for such a hero for a long time.'

***

While having breakfast, Lisinas said.

"Before we leave for the Elf Forest, there's something we need to do."

"What is it?"

"We need to form a subjugation party to fight the monster queen, Silathuna, who has cursed the Elf Forest."

Lisinas and Kyle, the first great feat of subjugating Jörmungandr.

That feat was not accomplished by the two of them alone.

Without the allies who had helped Lisinas and Kyle at the time, even they might have failed.

The powerful guardians of Gardsron at the time.

It was possible because they held Jörmungandr back.

Though they didn't leave their names in history, they were comrades who had weathered the era of despair together.

Originally, Lisinas had planned to form a subjugation party to confront Silathuna, but.

When they encountered Jörmungandr, the subjugation party also suffered immense damage.

Satisfied with recruiting Luna to the party, they had given up on the Elf Forest.

"It's going to be a busy few days."

"Yes. I'll handle the preparations. You rest until then."

At Lisinas's words, Leo rested his chin on his hand.

"No, I have a little something I need to do too."

"Something you need to do? What?"

Leo smiled at Lisinas's question.

"A contract."

"A contract?"

At that answer, Lisinas looked slightly taken aback.

'Normally, this contract would be made much later. But now, we can meet.'

A partner who had fought through countless battlefields together.

The leader of the Pegasi, known as the White King.

'Albus.'