Book 1 Chapter 392

Screeeech-! Thump-!

The gates of Guardslon's city walls opened.

Through those gates, twelve heroes advanced.

"Did they say they were going to the Elven Forest?"

"Are they really risking their lives on the words of a fool?"

"They should just protect this place well instead."

"Look, some heroes survived."

"They might all die."

People murmured as they watched.

Rodhia's cold gaze turned towards the jeering voices directed at Leo and Lisinath.

Leo reached out and gently pressed down on Rodhia's head.

"Don't mind them."

"They're doing it so openly, aren't you even angry?"

"I'm used to it. And besides,"

Leo chuckled.

"What can I say, I got used to being revered as a great person who saved the world, but coming back to the past, this kind of reaction actually feels fresh."

"Since Kyle-nim says so, there's nothing I can do."

"What were you going to do?"

"I was going to punish them thoroughly."

Leo clucked his tongue at Rodhia's words.

As they were talking, Lisinath approached.

"Rodhia, are you really okay?"

"Of course! Lisinath-nim!"

Rodhia puffed out her chest as if to say she was fine.

"To be able to follow Lisinath-nim and Kyle-nim on their journey! It's an infinite honor for me!"

"Rodhia, you said you can use healing magic, right?"

"Yes."

When Alene asked during their conversation, Rodhia turned to her.

Watching them, Lisinath said,

"How on earth did you get to know a kid like that?"

"I just happened to get to know her."

"The more I see her, the less she seems like a kid these days."

"Do you know that what you just said makes you sound incredibly old?"

At that, Lisinath glared at Leo.

Lisinath tried to kick Leo, who was chuckling even under her gaze.

But Leo, as if expecting it, easily dodged the attack.

"I don't like it."

"What?"

"You're acting as if you can see right through me."

Lisinath grumbled with a frown.

Leo let out a hum as he looked at Lisinath.

"I don't like that smile either, as if you understand everything."

Lisinath, rolling her eyes, sighed and looked down at her trembling hands.

"It's as if you're trying to ease my anxiety, even a little."

The expedition's objective had abruptly changed from joining Luna in the Elven Forest to subjugating the Glutton King.

As Lisinath, the leader of the expedition, she couldn't help but feel anxious about that choice.

"Kyle, aren't you anxious?"

"I am."

Leo showed his own trembling hands, just like Lisinath's.

"But it's okay. We can do it."

Leo reached out and took Lisinath's hand.

"Even in desperate situations, you'll meet comrades who will somehow open a path forward."

At Leo's words, Lisinath felt the trembling in her hand gradually subside.

"You'll also meet comrades who will rush forward without hesitation when faced with great fear."

Lisinath's dark eyes captured Leo's face.

"We will definitely meet comrades who will forge reliable weapons for us until the very end."

Before she knew it, the trembling was gone.

"My eyes weren't wrong after all."

"Of course not. Whose choice was it?"

It was then that Lisinath burst out laughing.

"Ohho? What is this? This lovely atmosphere?"

Allox, the beastman, approached the two, his eyes sparkling.

"A strange current is flowing, isn't it? Are you two, like, 'that' kind of relationship?"

"No."

Lisinath answered curtly and pulled her hand away.

"Haha! Don't deny it! Lisinath! There's nothing to be ashamed of… Cough?!"

"Yes, yes. Beastman uncle. If you know the atmosphere is good, don't interrupt."

Rodhia, who had appeared out of nowhere, jabbed a small fist into Allox's side.

She dragged the fallen man away and smiled brightly at Leo and Lisinath.

"Have a good time."

"Why does Rodhia keep telling only you and me to have a good time whenever she sees us?"

Leo clucked his tongue as he watched Lisinath tilt her head, a puzzled expression on her face.

"How would I know?"

***

Half a day after leaving Guardslon.

The expedition had left the safe zone of Guardslon.

An area swarming with all sorts of monsters and fiends.

If they were unlucky, they might even encounter high-ranking demons.

The expedition advanced, their eyes tense and vigilant of their surroundings.

And so the sun set, and night fell.

After preparing camp, lighting a fire, and having a meal, the expedition, having filled their stomachs with simple preserved food, set up watch and fell asleep.

Leo and Alene were the first to stand watch.

"It's been a long time since we left Guardslon."

"Yes. So don't let your guard down."

"I won't."

The nights in the Age of Calamity were dangerous.

The world was hurtling towards destruction.

A night sky where even moonlight and starlight were invisible was enough to make one feel fear just by looking at it.

Crack- crackle-

The campfire burned on.

"Kyle, I heard you made a contract with the King of Purity, is that true?"

Alene asked with curiosity.

In response, Leo summoned Albus instead of answering.

Albus, in a pure white dress, seemed out of place with the atmosphere here.

"We are outside Guardslon."

Albus said, looking around with an expressionless face.

Alene greeted Albus.

"It's an honor to meet you, King of Purity."

"You are a sworn ally of Arpia. It's nice to meet you."

Albus smiled slightly at Alene.

Was it in response to Albus's summoning?

Even from Lisinath, who was asleep, spirits and elementals appeared.

"I saw a summoning circle unfurl, so I thought something had happened."

Katariu floated up and flew towards Leo, saying.

"Hey, human. I know you're proud of contracting with the King of Phantoms. But could you refrain from showing it off?"

Katariu spoke harshly because he had witnessed the rudeness Kyle had shown Lisinath over time.

Luminus, another of Lisinath's sworn allies, had let it pass, but Katariu, with his twisted nature, was not so forgiving.

"King of Purity, you didn't contract with this fellow just to become a spectacle, did you?"

"If you continue to be rude to me, you will regret it, Emperor of Flames."

"Calm down, that chicken leg is always like that. He talks like that, but he takes care of you when it matters."

Leo reached out and stroked Albus's head.

Albus, who instinctively tried to shake off the hand, paused at Leo's touch.

The touch that stroked her head in a strangely familiar way felt pleasant.

Albus's eyes, which had been sharper than usual, softened slightly, and she soon enjoyed Leo's stroking.

"Katariu, that's too much."

Luminus said reproachfully.

Katariu snorted.

"Did that elf, Luna, also become a sworn ally of the Fairy King's successor? Elves should be cultured. I have higher hopes for her than for Kyle."

"That cultured elf would probably want to deep-fry you and make you half seasoned, half fried."

"Do you think elves are as uncultured a race as you are?"

'At least among the elves I know, there aren't many who are truly sane.'

While Leo recalled the elves close to him throughout his past and current life.

Swoosh-!

Lisinath, who had been asleep, sat up.

"I'm sorry, Lisinath. Did we wake you?"

Alene showed a apologetic expression.

Lisinath didn't answer, merely staring into the darkness beyond, where the campfire's light couldn't reach.

Clang-!

Leo got up and drew his sword.

Alene also realized something had happened and tried to get up.

"…You stay here. I'll go alone. Katariu, Luminus. The same goes for you."

Leaving those words, Lisinath disappeared into the darkness.

The most surprised by Lisinath's reaction were Katariu and Luminus.

Seeing the two of them gaping in the sudden situation, Leo said,

"I'll follow her."

"It's impossible to chase Lisinath in the dark."

Lisinath, a black dragon, was more familiar with darkness than anyone else.

In the deep night of the Age of Calamity, where even moonlight and starlight had vanished.

Chasing Lisinath at this hour was, as Luminus said, impossible.

"Normally, yes."

Leo said as he headed into the darkness.

"But I can."

***

During the Age of Calamity.

Using magic to illuminate one's vision in the deep night was a very dangerous act.

But for Leo, darkness was no obstacle.

In the pitch-black darkness, Leo sharpened his senses.

'Extrasensory Perception.'

He activated extrasensory perception using aura.

A skill of the Hero Arion.

Everything was clear, despite the darkness.

Leo secretly but swiftly followed the trace of mana Lisinath had left behind.

A moment later.

'How fast did she go!'

Leo silently shouted as he chased after Lisinath.

Even Leo found it difficult to keep up with the current Lisinath.

'Lisinath, why is she suddenly acting like this?'

5000 years ago and now.

The expedition's route was the same.

But 5000 years ago, there was no battle in this area.

'Even if there were enemies, I didn't sense anything.'

It was, literally, an unexpected situation.

Leo, his expression bewildered, moved even faster.

Everything in the darkness was clearly visible through his sharpened vision from extrasensory perception.

Due to his rapid movement, he was already far from the campsite.

Then, Leo's eyes caught sight of scattered corpses.

Not monsters or fiends.

Nor were they Tartaros demons.

'Humans using black magic.'

Traitors who had turned their backs on the world.

They had been turned into gruesome corpses, as if cut by something sharp.

The mana emanating from the corpses felt very unfamiliar to Leo.

But at the same time, he clearly felt whose mana it was.

'Lisinath.'

For an instant, Leo felt bewilderment.

Lisinath, the King of Wisdom.

The wise and benevolent leader of the Erebus subjugation team.

The noble great hero who brought hope to the world.

She was originally a black dragon.

A dragon race that purged traitors in the darkness, even until the Age of Gods.

But Lisinath was too kind to fulfill the black dragon's duty.

She never showed mercy to traitors, but she felt regretful about taking their lives.

'If it weren't for a time like this, these people might have had another path.'

Leo knew that too.

That's why Leo took her place.

So that her hands wouldn't be stained with the blood of traitors.

Because he didn't pity or feel sorry for traitors.

Because he thought he was suited to be a judge.

'Because he was afraid Lisinath might be tainted by darkness.'

Leo looked up.

KWOOOOOOOH!

A roar of pain echoed.

And with it, a black dragon soared high into the sky.

The black dragon, emitting an ominous dark red aura all over its body, was tattered and ragged.

The black dragon, covered in horrific wounds, let out a roar of hatred and inhaled.

A massive wave of mana engulfed the surroundings.

Breath.

The moment Leo realized that fact.

WHOOSH-!

Darkness, sharp as a blade, shot up into the sky.

SWISH-!

The blade of darkness decapitated the black dragon.

WOOSH-! CRASH-! SPLAT-!

The body of the nameless black dragon fell futilely.

Leo swallowed dryly without realizing it.

The magic just now.

'Lisinath's magic power.'

But it was magic Leo didn't know.

Leo approached the spot where the black dragon had died.

And he saw it.

A woman, drenched in the blood of her own kind, in the middle of a sea of blood.

Lisinath, displaying a chillingly expressionless face unlike herself, a sight even Leo, who had fought alongside her for ages to save the world, had never witnessed.

And soon, she noticed Leo's presence and showed a slightly surprised expression.

"Kyle?"

"What have you done, Lisinath?"

Leo asked, swallowing a sigh.

Lisinath then calmly replied,

"I did what needed to be done."

"Yes, I understand it needed to be done. But you didn't have to do this. Punishing traitors in the darkness isn't your job…"

"It is my job, Kyle. I am a black dragon, after all."

Lisinath replied as if asking what he meant.

"You have to give hope to people in the light. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

Lisinath said, her eyes wide.

"Kyle, that's what you have to do."

"What?"

Lisinath, with a face full of conviction and certainty, said,

"Because you're going to save the world."