Book 1 Chapter 432
432.
“This place…?”
Arion felt bewildered by the sudden change in scenery.
“I was clearly with Erebus and…”
Recalling what had happened just moments ago, Arion looked up at the boy who was getting up beside him.
“You are?”
Seeing Arion’s bewilderment, Leo took a breath and looked down at his hand.
A small, tattered piece of Hero Record, burnt by fire.
It was Arion’s record.
“Leo. How is Lord Arion here?”
Leo quietly spoke to Melina, who asked with a flustered expression.
“Let’s get out of here first. There are too many eyes watching for us to have a detailed conversation.”
***
Leo quickly sorted out the situation and returned to the Plove family territory with Arion and Melina.
Melina was waiting for Leo to speak.
Arion alone couldn't quite follow the situation.
He just…
“…Stars?”
He simply stared at the countless stars embedded in the sky, as if they would pour down at any moment.
He gaped blankly, staring at the moon.
It wasn't the chilling red moon.
He was simply spellbound by the beautiful night sky he had never seen before.
After a moment, Arion took his eyes off the night sky and asked Leo.
“You’re Kyle, aren’t you?”
‘It’s like with Luna.’
When the former Legion Commander, Poison King Zerdiaq, appeared in Seirun, and the Demon Queen Silatuna invaded Seirun.
Leo had used the divine power contained in the Folium to bring Luna out of the hero’s world.
It was exactly the same this time.
As proof, all the divine power that had resided in Leo’s body had disappeared.
“That’s right.”
Leo met Arion’s eyes and nodded.
“Kyle, you say it’s you? Then what about Lysinas? And Luna and Dweno?”
Arion’s confusion grew even greater.
‘I met Arion in the hero’s world twice.’
The first time was last summer vacation when he entered Aru and Arion’s world.
‘The second was at the beginning of this semester, while conquering Dweno’s world.’
At that time, Dweno had realized that Leo was Kyle from the future, and Arion had as well.
‘The fact that he doesn’t remember that time… Does he only remember the first conquest?’
“Arion.”
“Hmm?”
“How many times have you met me in this form?”
“This is the second time, after I met that strange cat-person child.”
‘I see.’
Leo nodded.
‘Luna also said she remembered meeting me in another page after meeting me.’
Arion was the same.
‘Is the reason he can’t remember the events in Dweno’s world because it wasn’t Arion’s world?’
The owner of Dweno’s world was, after all, Dweno.
‘So, memories from someone else’s Hero Record don’t carry over.’
Leo, having sorted out the situation, took a deep breath.
“Arion, listen carefully.”
“Okay.”
“The era we are in now is… 5,000 years after the Age of Calamity we lived through.”
“If this is the future 5,000 years later, then you are?”
“I was reincarnated.”
“You were reborn?”
“Yes.”
Arion fell silent in thought at Leo’s answer.
‘If this is the future and Kyle was reincarnated, then this situation makes sense.’
“Then how did I come to the future 5,000 years later?”
“In this era, there’s something called the Hero Record.”
Leo explained the process of how Arion came to be here.
After hearing the whole story, Arion asked.
“Then we won, right?”
If this timeline was indeed the future, that alone was concrete evidence that the Great Heroes had triumphed over the primordial evil.
But Arion wanted to hear it directly from Leo.
Seeing Arion, Leo smiled.
“Yes, we won.”
“That’s a relief.”
He smiled in genuine relief, as if truly comforted.
And once again, he looked up at the night sky.
“So these are the stars Luna talked about.”
Arion purely marveled at the beautiful night sky, which he was seeing for the first time in his life.
Seeing Arion, Leo also looked up at the sky.
“It’s beautiful. I understand now why Luna said she wanted to become a star.”
Leo involuntarily chuckled at Arion’s murmur.
“Doesn’t it really not suit her?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t suit her.”
Melina, who had been watching their conversation, also looked up at the night sky.
Having looked at the night sky for a long time, it was a commonplace sight for her.
But this ordinary sight must have been an unimaginable one 5,000 years ago.
Melina bowed her head as she watched the two of them looking up at the night sky.
‘I may not be able to represent everyone living now, but… thank you.’
***
Afterward, Leo briefly told Arion about 5,000 years of history.
Arion was astonished as he listened to the story of what happened after the Age of Calamity ended.
“Berkhia?”
Arion’s expression was surprised.
“She became the leader of the elves and is respected?”
“Yes.”
“Goodness. Her?”
‘…Just what kind of Berkhia do these people remember?’
Arion reacted with disbelief upon hearing that Berkhia was praised as a great figure who rebuilt the elves.
Melina felt her curiosity pique at his reaction.
Berkhia Ersar.
The great figure of the elf race, renowned as the ancestor of the nebula and a disciple of the brave, was one of the heroes Melina respected as much as the heroes of creation.
After Erebus was vanquished, she was a great figure who led the elves and brought about the revival of their race, but even before that, she was also a great figure who devoted herself to rebuilding the World Forest.
She was a global great figure, beyond just her elf race.
That's why Melina had asked Leo about Berkhia after getting to know him.
‘She was an extremely impudent brat. Her eyes were askew, her attitude was bad. She’d try to climb all over you at the slightest provocation.’
It was an assessment from someone who actually knew Berkhia, but it was also an extremely personal assessment.
That's why she took Leo's words with a grain of salt.
‘Should I ask? No.’
She wanted to ask Arion more about Berkhia, but she couldn’t bring herself to.
She didn’t want to ruin the image of the noble elf hero in her imagination.
While Melina shook her head.
“So Erebus wasn’t completely annihilated.”
Arion’s expression darkened.
“I feel sorry for those people called the heroes of creation. I’m sorry to you too. We ended up passing difficult tasks onto you.”
“No! Lord Arion, you don’t need to say such things!”
Melina flinched and waved her hands dismissively.
“Still, I want to help. I don’t know how long I can stay in this era, but is there anything I can do to be of help?”
“In that case…”
Melina opened her mouth cautiously.
“In this era, there are hero trainees who wish to follow in the footsteps of the great heroes. Those children are diligently training in this mountain. Could you perhaps guide those children?”
“Like Berkhia?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
“Thank you so much!”
Melina smiled brightly.
Seeing her, Leo said.
“It would be good to give Kyle, Lunia, Eiran. And Dryana and Aru a heads-up beforehand.”
In this era, many real records of Arion, known through the hero’s world, remain.
However, it would be difficult for people of this era to recognize Arion.
‘Because his impression is completely different.’
When Leo was reincarnated and first saw Arion’s portrait in a history book recording the deeds of the great heroes, he even burst out laughing.
‘Because of his impression, he looks like a completely different person.’
Recalling the sharp eyes depicted in the portrait, Leo shook his head.
Moreover, his expression is firm, and the aura he exudes is sharp.
He is, quite literally, a seasoned warrior who has experienced all sorts of hardships.
He emits a force akin to a god of war.
The portraits of Arion remaining in modern times are products that have undergone immense correction and idealization.
Unlike the known portraits, the real Arion was a gentle young man.
His eyes are mild, and he always wears a soft smile.
‘Though in battle, he sometimes shows an appearance similar to the portrait.’
More easily, however, one can see him getting scared by small things.
According to Luna's assertion, he's the so-called 'type you want to protect,' or something like that?
‘If people of this era saw the real Arion, they would just think he was someone who resembled the brave hero.’
Unless it’s within the hero’s world where Arion exists.
At this point in time, as a figure from the distant past, it would not be easy to recognize the real Arion even if one saw him.
However, for the five people who witnessed Arion’s true form in Dweno’s world, it's a different story.
‘If it becomes known that Arion has appeared in the present world, it will cause a lot of trouble in many ways.’
In the case of elves, countless elves are still making pilgrimages to Seirun.
The beastmen’s feelings towards Arion are not much different from those of the elves.
‘Because the virtues of beastmen are courage and strength.’
And Arion, who can be said to embody courage and strength itself, is an object of worship.
Countless beastmen would flock to the Plove family territory.
Leo didn't want to make his father's life difficult.
Furthermore, the news of Arion’s appearance in reality might provoke Tartarus.
Melina nodded, listening to Leo’s words.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of children are waiting.”
Arion likes children.
The reason he wanted to save the world was because he wished for a world where children could smile brightly.
“They’ll all be kind, pure, and passionate children, won’t they?”
It seems he thinks the children will all be bright and innocent, living in an era of peace.
‘There are many kids as eccentric as Luna or Dweno.’
Leo didn’t want to prematurely shatter his friend’s illusion.
‘He’s going to be startled by Aru again.’
Leo shook his head lightly, looking at Arion’s bright smile.
***
The next day at dawn.
Leo returned to the training camp where the second-year students were staying.
En, who had been filling in for Leo, came out to meet Leo deep in the secluded forest.
“You’ve worked hard. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, did it?”
“No. Nothing major happened. However.”
“However?”
“Lord’s guardians attacked all night, so most of the students haven’t shaken off their fatigue.”
Hearing En’s words, Leo let out a hollow laugh.
‘Those bizarre-looking large stuffed dolls?’
The grotesque appearance of the guardians was enough to make even Leo feel eerie.
Recalling those who had suffered from them all night, Leo shook his head and returned.
Perhaps because they had appointed night watchmen due to the guardians, several people stood before the campfire with exhausted faces.
“Did you take care of your business?”
Kyle greeted Leo with hollow eyes.
“It’s been hell from the first day. Hahaha.”
Leo chuckled at Kyle’s sorrowful laugh.
“Get some sleep. I’ll stand watch for you until morning.”
“Would you? Thanks, Leo!”
Kyle would normally refuse, but he was too exhausted now to decline Leo’s offer.
Leo stared at the campfire.
‘Arion came to this era.’
Divine power had wrought a miracle.
Reaching out to Arion at that moment was purely instinctual.
Even if he saved Arion at that instant, nothing would change.
Arion was already dead.
‘But I wanted to reassure him, if only a little.’
He wanted to show his friend what he had achieved.
It seemed that divine power had responded to that will, performing the miracle of bringing Arion to the present era.
‘I don’t know how much time Arion is allowed, but since it’s happened, it would be good if he could enjoy this era of peace with us for a while.’
Leo took a deep breath and looked around at the students.
‘Arion as an instructor.’
Leo murmured, looking at the dawn sky.
“Well, getting a taste of a new kind of despair wouldn’t be so bad.”