Book 1 Chapter 392

Kiiiiiiik-! Thud-!

The walls of Gardslon opened.

Through that gate, the 12 heroes advanced.

"Did you say you were going to the Elf Forest?"

"Are you really risking your life on the words of a fool?"

"You should just guard this place better."

"Look, there are heroes who survive."

"They might all die."

People murmured as they watched them.

Rhodea's cold gaze turned towards the voices laced with ridicule aimed at Leo and Lisinas.

Leo reached out and pressed Rhodea's head down firmly.

"Don't worry about it."

"Aren't you even angry when they're openly mocking us?"

"I'm used to it. And."

Leo chuckled.

"Well, I'm used to being revered as a great figure who saved the world, so coming back to the past, this kind of reaction feels fresh."

"If Lord Kyle says so, there's nothing I can do."

"What were you planning to do?"

"I was going to punish them thoroughly."

Leo clicked his tongue at Rhodea's words.

As they were talking, Lisinas approached.

"Rhodea, are you really okay?"

"Of course! Lord Lisinas!"

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

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

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

"Yes."

As they were talking, Alene asked, and Rhodea turned towards her.

Watching that, Lisinas said,

"How on earth did you get to know someone like her?"

"I got to know her somehow."

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

"Do you know that what you just said sounds incredibly old?"

At that, Lisinas glared at Leo.

Lisinas tried to kick Leo, who just chuckled at his glare.

But Leo, as if he had anticipated it, easily dodged the attack.

"It's unpleasant."

"What is?"

"You act like you can see right through me."

Lisinas grumbled, frowning.

Leo let out a hum as he watched the sulking Lisinas.

"I don't like that smile of yours, like you understand everything."

Lisinas glared and sighed, looking down at his trembling hands.

"It's as if you're trying to alleviate even a little bit of my anxiety."

The objective of the expedition had suddenly changed from meeting Luna in the Elf Forest to subjugating the Glutton King.

As Lisinas, the leader of the expedition, it was inevitable that he would feel anxious about that choice.

"Kyle, aren't you anxious?"

"I am anxious."

Leo showed his trembling hands, just like Lisinas.

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

Leo reached out and took Lisinas's hand.

"Even in desperate situations, you will meet companions who will find a way out."

At Leo's words, Lisinas felt the trembling in his hands gradually subside.

"You will also meet companions who will rush forward without hesitation when facing great fear."

Lisinas's dark eyes captured Leo's face.

"We will definitely meet companions who will forge reliable weapons for us until the very last moment."

By then, the trembling had disappeared.

"Indeed, my eyes were not mistaken."

"Of course. Whose choice was it?"

It was when Lisinas burst into laughter at those words.

"Oh? What's this? This warm atmosphere?"

Alorx, a beastman, approached the two with sparkling eyes.

"There's a strange energy flowing, isn't there? Are you two, you know, involved?"

"No."

Lisinas replied curtly and withdrew his held hand.

"Heh heh! Don't deny it, Lisinas! There's nothing to be ashamed of… *cough*?!"

"Yes, yes, Mr. Beastman. If you know the atmosphere is good, don't disturb it."

Rhodea, who had appeared out of nowhere, thrust her small fist into Alorx's side.

Dragging him away as he collapsed, she smiled brightly at Leo and Lisinas.

"Have a good time."

"Why does Rhodea keep telling both of us to have a good time whenever she sees us?"

Leo clicked his tongue as he watched Lisinas tilt his head, looking bewildered.

"I have no idea."

***

Half a day after leaving Gardslon.

The expedition had left the safe domain of Gardslon.

An area teeming with all sorts of monsters and demons.

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

The expedition members advanced, scanning their surroundings with tense eyes.

The sun set, and night arrived.

After preparing for the camp and lighting a fire, they ate.

The expedition, filling their stomachs with simple preserved food, set the watch and went to sleep.

The first to stand watch were Leo and Alene.

"It's been a while since we left Gardslon."

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

"I won't."

The nights of the Age of Calamity were dangerous.

A situation where the whole world was heading towards ruin.

The night sky, where not even moonlight or starlight could be seen, was enough to inspire fear just by looking at it.

Crackle- Crackle-

The bonfire burned.

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

Alene asked with curiosity.

Instead of answering, Leo summoned Albous.

Albous, dressed in a pure white dress, did not fit the atmosphere of the place.

"This is outside Gardslon."

Albous looked around with a blank expression and said.

Watching Albous, Alene greeted her.

"It is an honor to meet you, Pure White King."

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

Albous smiled slightly at Alene.

Perhaps it was a reaction to Albous's summoning?

From where the sleeping Lisinas was, mythical beasts and spirits also appeared.

"I thought something happened when the summoning circle unfolded."

Kathariou flew towards Leo, floating in the air, and said.

"Hey, human. I know it's something to be proud of to have made a contract with the Mythical Beast King, but please refrain from flaunting it."

Kathariou spoke harshly, having witnessed the disrespect Kyle had shown Lisinas over time.

While she was willing to overlook it with Luminous, another of Lisinas's sworn, Kathariou, who was crooked in her beliefs, was not.

"Pure White King, you didn't make a contract with this guy to become a spectacle, did you?"

"If you continue to disrespect me, you'll regret it, Flame Emperor."

"Calm down, that chicken leg is always like that. Even though he talks tough, he takes care of things when needed."

Leo reached out and stroked Albous's head.

Albous, who instinctively tried to shake off his hand, paused at Leo's touch.

The way he was stroking her head, strangely familiar, felt good.

Albous's eyes, sharper than usual, softened, and she soon enjoyed Leo's petting.

"Kathariou, you're being too harsh."

Luminous said as if to scold her.

Kathariou scoffed.

"That elf named Luna, wasn't she also a sworn of the fairy king's successor? Elves should have good manners. I have more expectations for her than for Kyle."

"That well-mannered elf would probably suggest deep-frying you and serving you half plain, half fried?"

"Do you think all elves are as ill-mannered as you?"

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

While Leo recalled the elves who had been close to him throughout his past and present lives.

Swoosh-!

Lisinas, who had been asleep, sat up.

"I'm sorry, Lisinas. Did we wake you up by talking so much?"

Alene said with an apologetic expression.

Lisinas did not answer, but stared into the darkness beyond the reach of the campfire's light.

Screech-!

Leo got up and drew his sword.

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

"…You guys stay here. I'll go alone. Kathariou, Luminous. You too."

Leaving those words behind, Lisinas disappeared into the darkness.

The ones most surprised by Lisinas's reaction were Kathariou and Luminous.

Watching the two sputtering in the sudden situation, Leo said,

"I'll follow."

"It's impossible to chase Lisinas in the darkness."

Lisinas, a black dragon, is a creature more familiar with darkness than anyone else.

In the deep night of the Age of Calamity, where even moonlight and starlight had disappeared, chasing Lisinas at this hour was impossible, as Luminous said.

"Normally, yes."

Leo said as he headed into the darkness.

"But I can."

***

During the Age of Calamity.

Using magic to illuminate the surroundings on a deep night was a very dangerous act.

But for Leo, darkness was not the slightest hindrance.

In the pitch darkness where he couldn't see an inch ahead, Leo sharpened his senses.

'Super senses.'

He opened his super senses using aura.

A technique of the hero Arion.

Even in the darkness, everything was clearly visible.

Leo stealthily but quickly followed the trace of mana left by Lisinas.

A moment later.

'How fast did she go!'

Leo shouted inwardly as he chased Lisinas.

Even Leo was struggling to keep up with Lisinas's current speed.

'Why is Lisinas acting like this all of a sudden?'

5000 years ago and now.

The expedition's route is the same.

However, there were no battles in this area 5000 years ago.

'Even if there was an enemy, I didn't feel it at all.'

A literal unforeseen situation.

Leo, with a bewildered expression, moved even faster.

Everything in the darkness was clearly visible due to his sharpened vision from the super senses.

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

Then, Leo saw scattered corpses.

They were not monsters or demons.

Nor were they Tartarus demons.

'Humans who use dark magic.'

Traitors who had turned their backs on the world.

They had become tragic corpses, as if sliced by something sharp.

Leo found the mana emanating from those corpses very strange.

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

'Lisinas.'

For a moment, Leo felt bewildered.

Lisinas, the King of Wisdom.

The leader of the Erebos Expeditionary Force, who was wise and benevolent.

A noble great hero who brought hope to the world.

She was originally a black dragon.

A dragon race that had eradicated traitors in the darkness even in the Age of Gods.

However, Lisinas was too kind to fulfill her duty as a black dragon.

She had never shown mercy to traitors, but she felt regret at taking their lives.

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

Leo knew this too.

That's why Leo replaced Lisinas.

So as not to stain his hands with the blood of traitors.

Because he himself felt no pity or regret for traitors.

Because he thought he was suitable as a judge.

'Perhaps, because I was afraid Lisinas would be corrupted by darkness.'

Leo looked up.

Kuwwoooooooh!

A roar filled with pain echoed.

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

The black dragon, exuding an ominous crimson energy all over its body, was tattered.

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

A massive wave of mana engulfed the surroundings.

Breath.

The moment Leo recognized that fact.

Whoosh-!

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

Chop-!

A blade of darkness beheaded the black dragon.

Whoooosh-! Kwaaaang-! Thud-!

The body of the nameless black dragon fell futilely.

Leo swallowed dryly without realizing it.

The magic from just now.

'Lisinas's magic.'

But Leo didn't know the magic.

Leo approached the spot where the black dragon had died.

And he saw it.

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

Lisinas, who had fought alongside Leo for centuries to save the world, wore a cold, blank expression, unlike herself.

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

"Kyle?"

"What have you done, Lisinas?"

Leo asked, swallowing a gasp.

Lisinas soon replied calmly.

"I did what needed to be done."

"Yes, I know it needed to be done. But you don't need to do this. Dealing with traitors in the darkness is your job…"

"That's my job, Kyle. I'm a black dragon."

Lisinas replied as if to say, 'What are you talking about?'

"You should give hope to people in the light. That's what you need to do?"

Lisinas said with wide eyes.

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

"What?"

Lisinas said with a face full of trust and conviction.

"Because you will save the world."