Book 1 Chapter 443
“It seems they’ve realized Sir Arion’s identity.”
Melina said, wearing a slightly troubled expression.
“He must have somewhat expected it too.”
“What should we do?”
“I don’t think those three people will tell others about that fact.”
All three were former student council presidents.
They wouldn’t be unaware of the repercussions that would arise if it became known that Arion had appeared in the current era.
“Even so, I will talk to them separately.”
“Alright.”
Leo nodded at Melina’s words.
Leo fell into thought, watching Arion guide the graduates.
‘You’re preparing in your own way.’
“And Sir Leo.”
“What?”
“It’s about what you told me before.”
“Yes.”
“I think next week might be fine.”
Leo nodded at the question.
“Understood.”
***
On the third week of the training camp.
Splash-
“I feel alive~”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment~”
The second-year students, who had now set up their lives in the campsite, had succeeded in resolving all their basic needs.
“Who knew they’d even build a bathhouse here?”
“I like it. Lady Celia was happy too, wasn’t she?”
Chen Xia replied with a smile to Celia’s murmur.
“That’s true.”
Even if they were hero candidates, they were still students in their adolescence.
There were plenty of students who cared about their appearance even in extreme environments.
As such, the students’ desire to maintain cleanliness, even when thrown into the wilderness, only grew.
In the end, that’s why they ended up building a bathhouse.
It was while they were soaking in the hot water, washing away the day’s fatigue.
“Those first-years! Huh? While us seniors are suffering like dogs! Huh? They’re living comfortably, stretching out their legs?”
At that moment, Iliana’s sharp voice was heard.
Iliana, who had entered the bathhouse, was grumbling, holding onto Nella.
“I felt sorry for the first-years, thinking they were suffering like us! What am I going to do with this feeling of betrayal!”
“Do you want to get angry at your juniors for that reason?”
Nella shook her head.
Yesterday, it was revealed that unlike the second-years, who were spending hellish days thrown into the wilderness, the first-years were having their training camp in a very good environment.
“I want to have a campfire too! Eat delicious food every day! Be busy playing every night! I dreamed of such a training camp too! I want to be a filial daughter, sitting in front of a campfire and thinking about my parents’ grace!”
The female students of Lumen ignored Iliana, who was waving her arms and shouting as if feeling unfairly treated.
Iliana, who had entered the hot spring, then muttered.
“By the way, it’s an open-air bath like this, but there are no perverted kids trying to peek.”
“Who would do such a foolish thing?”
It went without saying that escaping the eyes of the female students was impossible, given that it was a gathering of those called geniuses of aura, magic, and summoning.
It was, literally, an act of suicide.
At that, Iliana said.
“Why? The class president has that much ability, doesn’t he?”
“Leo would never do such a thing.”
“The class president is a man too, though.”
Iliana muttered softly at Nella’s words, but no students agreed.
“Stop with those foolish thoughts already.”
Chelsea chided her.
Iliana, who had pouted, then grinned.
“What’s with that mischievous grin?”
As Chelsea squinted her eyes, Iliana shook her head.
“No, it’s just. I thought you were definitely young. Compared to that.”
Iliana looked at Chen Xia.
“Xia is definitely an older sister, an older sister. Hmm hmm! Cough! Gurgle-!”
Iliana, who had been needlessly teasing and got kicked by Chelsea, floundered.
After a brief commotion.
“Oh! By the way, did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
“They said there’s no training tomorrow!”
“What are you talking about?”
Everyone’s eyes widened at Iliana’s sudden words.
“They said tomorrow is free time! We can go visit Delan, the capital of the Kingdom of Delard! And we just have to be back the day after tomorrow?”
“What?!”
“Really!”
“You’re not lying, are you?”
The female students’ eyes widened as they flocked around Iliana.
“Of course~ It’s information I heard from Karl, so it’s definite!”
“Freedom from this hell!”
“It’s only one day, but! We can rest comfortably!”
“Hooray!”
***
The next morning.
Melina appeared during the morning roll call.
“You all worked hard and suffered greatly during the past three weeks of training. You all endured the harsh schedule well. So, for one night and two days, you’re allowed to go out…”
“Whooooooa! Freedom!”
“Those who screamed. Come out to the back right now.”
The faces of the students who had screamed turned pale at Rienia’s chilling voice.
As several students were being disciplined, Melina finished with a bright smile.
“I hope you all have a pleasant outing.”
***
Arion’s eyes widened at the sight unfolded before him.
The place where Arion now stood was none other than the streets of Delan.
“So this is a city of the current era.”
Arion exclaimed in admiration.
Although it was a small border nation, as the capital of a country, the streets were filled with vitality.
Watching carriages and people come and go, Arion was busy turning his head this way and that.
Watching him, Chelsea muttered.
“Doesn’t it make you a little anxious to watch Sir Arion?”
“What?”
“I feel like we need to take good care of him. How should I put it, it’s like looking at a child let out by the water?”
“Isn’t it really funny coming from you, who’s the most childish?”
Karl chuckled.
In response, Chelsea didn’t hesitate to unleash a dropkick to Karl’s side.
Karl, who had collapsed miserably, groaned for a long time, clutching his side, before painstakingly getting back up.
“By the way, Leo and Chelsea. Lord entrusted you two with guiding Sir Arion, didn’t he?”
“Yes!”
Chelsea proudly puffed out her chest.
For a hero candidate, personally taking on the role of guiding a great hero whom they had only encountered in childhood fairy tales was an honor close to infinite.
“As for Ar, he was almost sobbing as Lunia dragged him away.”
Ar had volunteered to guide Arion but was rejected.
It was because Melina thought that Arion, who implicitly feared Ar, might not be able to enjoy the present comfortably.
“Still, we decided to stay in the same lodging for the evening.”
Chelsea and Karl shook their heads, thinking of Ar.
“Karl, what are you going to do?”
“Hmph. I’m going to acquire items that can be secretly smuggled in. They’ll sell for a high price, won’t they?”
“If you get caught, you’ll be in terrible trouble, won’t you?”
“Just don’t get caught. Don’t get caught.”
Karl chuckled.
Watching Karl, Chelsea shook her head.
“You sure talk boldly in front of Brother Leo.”
Leo, as the student council president, had reported Karl, who cunningly violated school rules, to the student council multiple times.
“He said he’d overlook minor forbidden items if they weren’t serious, remember? Mwahahaha!”
Karl laughed confidently.
“Go on, do your best.”
“Alright. Then have a good time! Sir Arion! See you in the evening!”
Karl greeted them and left.
Arion, who waved his hand to Karl, approached Chelsea and said.
“Chelsea. I’ll buy you that. Let’s eat it together.”
Arion pointed to the ice cream sold at the street vendor.
“Yes! Sir Arion!”
Lunchtime.
Following Leo’s recommendation, the three arrived at a hidden gem restaurant in Delan.
It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, but since Leo, who had lived in Delan, recommended it, the taste was extremely satisfying.
“Haa.”
Chelsea, sitting on a bench near the restaurant, muttered as she basked in the strong summer sunlight.
“I’m happy. This is living.”
Having been cooped up in the mountains for three weeks, rolling around, Chelsea was greatly enjoying the current situation.
Arion approached Chelsea, who was smiling brightly.
“Chelsea. The sun is strong. You’ll get a sunburn. I bought you a hat here.”
“Thank you!”
“I also bought drinks. Let’s drink them for dessert.”
“Yes!”
Chelsea, who had put on the wide-brimmed hat given by Arion, took a sip of the iced drink with a smile, then exclaimed ‘Gasp!’ and shot up from her seat with wide eyes.
“Wa-Wait a minute! Something is wrong here!”
At Chelsea’s urgent cry, Arion, who was bringing the straw to his mouth, widened his eyes.
Leo asked with a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean, something’s wrong?”
“Brother Leo is helping Sir Arion with his sightseeing! But what about me? Sir Arion is just taking care of me! I should be guiding Sir Arion!”
Since coming to the city, Leo had taken on the role of Arion’s guide.
The very reason he created this free time was because he wanted Arion to enjoy the current era.
Arion vehemently refused, saying he would help the growth of future generations, but Leo insisted on creating a day of free time for Arion.
In such a situation, Arion was meticulously taking care of Chelsea, as if she were a younger sibling.
For Chelsea, who had been brimming with enthusiasm at the prospect of guiding the great hero who saved the world, the current situation was perplexing.
“But I like this.”
“Huh?”
“Ar, Lunia, Eiran, Driana, and Karl are like Berkhia.”
For Arion, Berkhia was a younger sibling, but before that, a disciple.
A disciple who would stand on the battlefield with him.
A precious younger sibling he had helped and been helped by countless times.
“But Chelsea. You remind me of my younger siblings from my childhood.”
“Your younger siblings from childhood?”
“Yes.”
Arion gave a bitter smile.
“Younger siblings I couldn’t protect because of my patheticness.”
The younger siblings from the orphanage.
Younger siblings who were too young to die.
“If I hadn’t acted foolishly back then… maybe they would all have grown up to see such blue skies.”
Arion looked up at the blue sky.
“That’s why I want to take care of you. Is it perhaps uncomfortable?”
“No. How should I put it? I don’t know what to do when you take care of me like this. My own older brother and Brother Leo treat me cutely, but they don’t take such meticulous care of me, so it feels unfamiliar. Or perhaps, I should say I’m happy.”
Arion smiled, watching Chelsea’s eyes darting around.
“Then, keep me company.”
“Yes! But if you only take care of me like this, won’t Brother Leo feel a little left out?”
As Chelsea looked at Leo and spoke, Arion chuckled.
“Leo will be fine. Right?”
“Don’t mind me.”
“See?”
Chelsea nodded at Leo’s answer.
“Then, shall we move on?”
“Then, next, I’d like to visit the library.”
Leo nodded at Arion’s answer.
‘Brother Leo is amazing.’
Chelsea burst into laughter watching them.
At first, she was surprised to see Leo speaking comfortably with Arion.
‘Karl, and the other kids too. They said they talked as equals with the great heroes they met in the hero world, right?’
Whenever she heard that story, it always felt surprising, yet very much like Leo, given how confident he always was.
‘Sir Arion also seems to treat Sir Leo more comfortably. Should I call it Brother Leo’s charm?’
Chelsea smiled faintly, watching the two people walking ahead.
Then, suddenly, she paused, seeing Arion talking with Leo.
Leo and Arion seemed like friends.
But at the same time, their relationship felt strangely familiar to Chelsea.
‘Where had I seen this before?’
Chelsea, tilting her head, suddenly remembered something.
Arion’s appearance resembled herself, relying on Leo as a younger sibling.
‘Huh?’
Chelsea wore a blank expression.
She uttered a question filled with embarrassment and confusion.
“Huh?”