Book 1 Chapter 390

390.

*Crackle-crack!*

Powerful pure white lightning swirled through the Sanctuary of Pegasus.

"Unbelievable…! Why would the King answer the call of such an unrighteous individual?!"

Arpia cried out in disbelief.

Rhodiya, arms crossed, looked at Arpia and said,

"It's not unbelievable, is it?"

"What?"

"Well, I know how people think of Lord Kyle, so it's understandable to think that."

Rhodiya turned her gaze towards the area of lightning.

"Why do you Pegasi fight on, unable to give up on hope that isn't even visible?"

"Are you going to tell us we're foolish too?"

"Not at all."

Rhodiya shook her head.

Her orange eyes, like a fading sunset, fixed on Arpia.

'Is this dragon truly a young dragon?'

There was a sense of gravitas about the still-youthful dragon.

As Arpia scrutinized Rhodiya.

"It is thanks to noble beings like yourselves that the world is not destroyed."

Rhodiya said.

"And if the reason you don't give up on that hope is because you believe in the sliver of a possibility that the world will someday be saved… then nothing is unbelievable."

Arpia's eyes widened.

"You may not believe it now. But please, try to believe."

Rhodiya looked Arpia in the eye and said.

"Lord Kyle will create a miracle."

"…Have we met before somewhere?"

"Who knows."

Rhodiya smiled wryly.

Though she pretended not to know, Rhodiya knew Arpia well.

Not just Arpia.

She also knew her sworn ally, Alene Frilene.

'We're not just acquaintances; we're close friends.'

Alene and Arpia were allies who participated in the battle against the Gluttony King, Jörmungandr.

And they had saved Rhodiya multiple times by sacrificing themselves.

'Don't mind us and attack! Kyle!'

'Show us! The hope you spoke of!'

In her immature days, Rhodiya, who had possessed Kyle's body, spoke of hope to people.

Rhodiya's words were true.

The world was saved by a great hero, and peace was regained.

The world that had burned regained its original form, and countless races blossomed once more into a brilliant golden age.

However, to the people of that time, it was a future that seemed like a baseless delusion.

Alene and Arpia staked everything on those delusion-like words.

Even if the one who spoke them was Kyle, the hero who survives, whom one could call an ill-fated acquaintance.

They did not hesitate to pave the way by sacrificing everything for Rhodiya's sincere words.

'It truly pains my heart.'

Rhodiya closed her eyes.

'To have shared friendship… and for a friend who saved me countless times… to forget me.'

She couldn't simply dismiss them as figures from the past.

*Whoosh!*

At that moment, the lightning cleared, and Leo and Albus appeared.

At that instant, all the Pegasi knelt and bowed their heads.

"Everyone, raise your heads."

At Albus's words, the Pegasi raised their heads.

"I have formed a pact with Kyle, who is here."

The Pegasi began to murmur.

"Of course, I haven't fully acknowledged him as a sworn ally."

Albus glanced at Leo.

"He certainly has the right to make a pact with me, but I don't know what kind of person he is yet."

A Beast King, at that level, doesn't form a pact just by satisfying the conditions.

They evaluate whether he truly has value as a sworn ally.

Whether he is worth helping in his pursuits.

If they don't like him, they can break the pact at any time.

At Albus's words, Leo let out a smirk.

"So, Kyle."

Albus blinked with a blank expression.

"You said you would hunt down the primordial evil. Do you have a plan?"

"I do. First, the task that needs to be done immediately has been decided."

"What is it?"

"To hunt down the Gluttony King, Jörmungandr."

For a moment, silence fell among the Pegasi.

It was due to the name of the most terrifying demon, mentioned so casually by Leo.

"What… did you say?"

Arpia asked again.

To Arpia, Leo said with a smile,

"Hunt down the Gluttony King, Jörmungandr. That is the first objective."

***

'Alene Frilene, as expected, joined without hesitation.'

Walking down the street, Lisinas recalled the list of candidates for the subjugation force.

Alene Frilene.

Lisinas had become friends with her on the very first day she arrived at Gardesron.

From the moment they first met, Lisinas had seen through Alene's true nature.

'Goodness and order.'

Lisinas had pursued countless forms of wisdom since childhood.

It wasn't simply out of intellectual curiosity.

Dragons have symbols for each race.

In the case of black dragons, it is darkness.

And each race must become familiar with its symbol.

Fire dragons and water dragons are born in volcanoes and oceans.

And they spend their youth in volcanoes and oceans.

The same applies to black dragons.

Having to become familiar with darkness, black dragons grow up in deep underground from childhood.

Lisinas was no different.

In the pitch-black darkness, Lisinas embraced the darkness.

Black dragons are guardians of world order within darkness.

They do not hesitate to punish traitors who betray the world, nor to sacrifice the few for the many.

That is the way of black dragons to maintain order.

Lisinas also took it for granted.

She was superior to anyone else, and many of her kin believed without a doubt that she would grow to be the King of Darkness.

Then, one day.

She had an opportunity to see the outside world, albeit early, led by adults.

Young dragons who would lead the next generation were gathered in one place for the Dragon Race Council.

And the world she saw.

It captured the heart of the young Lisinas.

'It was a shock.'

To Lisinas, who had only lived in darkness, the world was so beautiful.

'It was… moving.'

She was moved by the fact that this was the world she lived in.

And her curiosity about the world she lived in was piqued.

From then on.

She began to explore everything in this world.

The more she learned about the world, the more her affection grew.

She believed without a doubt that everything in this world had value.

It was around that time.

She began to reject the values of black dragons, who believed in purging those unnecessary for the world.

And then… the era faced a catastrophe.

The world that Lisinas had been curious about was destroyed.

The world lost its light and hope, transforming into a world filled only with darkness, despair, and lamentation.

So Lisinas made a vow.

To return the world she loved to its original state.

She delved into ancient texts to hunt down the primordial evil.

And she learned about the primordial evil, Erebus.

'That he is a being comparable to a god. And that he is a being pushed out of this world, which has been built by the order of gods for countless ages.'

The reason why the demons born from Erebus were not exterminated even in the age of gods.

It was because even the gods could not eliminate Erebus.

'If the gods are light… then Erebus is darkness.'

Light and darkness.

Though they cannot coexist, they are inseparable.

And the order established by the gods collapsed.

Erebus's flames engulfed the world.

The gods could not set foot in the lower realms, and the world headed for destruction.

Just as the gods hated Erebus, Erebus felt the same.

However, they knew that they could not completely destroy each other, as they both existed.

Therefore, the gods bound darkness with their order.

But Erebus did not.

The primordial evil chose to burn everything and disappear.

Because he knew it was the only way to annihilate the gods he hated.

'If one lives under the order established by gods… they cannot defeat Erebus.'

So she searched.

For a hero who would save this world.

A miraculous hero who had broken free from the order of gods.

And the one she found was Kyle, the hero who survives.

'Mana with pure characteristics unconstrained by anything. Thanks to that, he is a being with unprecedented all-class power.'

Literally a being outside the order of the world.

If Lisinas's prediction was correct, Kyle was the natural enemy of Erebus, the primordial evil.

The hero Lisinas had desperately searched for.

'Well, the guy I finally found was far from being a hero.'

So Lisinas couldn't rashly reveal that Kyle possessed the power to defeat Erebus.

Luna, the genius mage of the elves.

Agon, the guardian of the sky of the beastkin.

Dwenno, the blacksmith of the dwarves.

The three chosen as companions for the journey to defeat Erebus were heroes who would open the path to reach Erebus.

'Including myself.'

She could suppress the power of the never-ending disaster flames, but she couldn't defeat them.

'Only Kyle can defeat Erebus. In the end, he will be tasked with the most dangerous job.'

That means he would have to sacrifice himself for the world.

Lisinas could gladly give her life for the world.

But not everyone could do that.

'If Kyle changes his mind and refuses to fight Erebus… the world cannot be saved.'

Kyle, the only hope to save the world.

That's why Lisinas hid the nature of Kyle's mana.

There was no guarantee that Kyle would feel the same as her.

Lisinas gritted her teeth.

She remembered herself, extending her hand and smiling nobly, saying they would definitely save the world.

Feeling sickened by her self-loathing, Lisinas mocked herself.

'In the end, am I just an unavoidable black dragon?'

Sacrificing the few for the many.

There was no difference from the values of black dragons she so abhorred.

Lisinas, disgusted with herself, returned to the inn.

And she stopped as she saw the three waiting with food prepared.

"Who are the two of you?"

With a slightly flustered expression, Lisinas looked at the clan girl who was looking at her with sparkling eyes.

"Hello! Lady Lisinas! I'm Rhodiya! I've respected you for a long time!"

"…I'm not a dragon worthy of such respect. I'm even called foolish."

"Yes! Don't worry! From now on, I will burn everything that utters such blasphemous words…"

"Be quiet."

Leo sighed and pushed Rhodiya's head down.

Then, looking at Lisinas, he said,

"She wants to join our journey."

Leo smiled and looked at Albus.

"And this one is…"

-Hmph. The Pure White King, is it?

Katariou, who appeared above Lisinas's head, curled the corners of his mouth.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Flame Emperor."

-It's surprising that the most noble being would make such an insolent human their sworn ally.

At Katariou's words, Albus said,

"Because Kyle's voice reached me."

Lisinas, watching Albus speak calmly, urgently grabbed Leo's arm.

And she took Leo outside the inn and asked,

"How did you make a pact with the King of Pegasus?"

To Lisinas's question, Leo replied,

"You know too, don't you? About my mana characteristics."

"What?"

Lisinas's eyes widened.

"You… knew?"

"Yes."

Leo said calmly.

"I also know that's why you chose me."

Leo smiled.

"…Then you also know that you are the most dangerous, right? So why did you follow me?"

"Because I believe you will lead the world to salvation."

Lisinas gasped at the unwavering answer.

"Don't worry too much, Lisinas. We will save the world."

Leo said with emphasis.

"I am ready. So don't hesitate. We just need to… move forward."

Leo knows.

That Lisinas, who smiled so casually at this moment, was also feeling anxiety about the uncertain future.

So he wanted to give her hope.

'Just like I received it.'

Leo patted Lisinas's shoulder with a smile and said,

"Let's go inside. I think you'll like that Rhodiya girl too."

"Yes."

Lisinas nodded with a smile.

'Kyle is indeed the hero I've been searching for.'

Suddenly, she had that thought.

If Kyle is the hero she's been searching for.

She must do her best to help Kyle on his journey.

In that case…

"Yes. Kyle. You will surely save the world."

'I must become Kyle's shadow.'