Book 1 Chapter 444
444.
“Wow. Wow.”
Arion held the book, full of admiration.
“This novel is really interesting.”
Seeing Arion, whose eyes were shining as he spoke, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“That’s a history book.”
What Arion was reading was none other than a history book recording the deeds of great heroes.
Of course, it is also true that many of the deeds of great heroes have become fictionalized in the current era.
However, as it is a book written by renowned scholars, the book Arion is reading is like a textbook on the history of great heroes in this world.
‘Well, when I first read it, I also thought it was a novel, not a history book.’
“I like the beastkin in this book the most.”
“Hey.”
Leo narrowed his eyes, watching Arion speak with a beaming smile.
It was then, as Arion and Leo were reading a book about their own stories, that Chelsea was lost in thought.
‘Now that I think about it, there weren’t just one or two strange things about Brother Leo.’
From the entrance exam, Leo stood out.
When they first met, he easily overpowered Chelsea without using Aura.
Not just that.
He single-handedly faced the monster that Celia and Abbad had barely managed to defeat by combining their strength.
Of course, it wasn't that he could defeat the monster because he couldn't use Aura at the time.
‘But even back then, he had overwhelming skill that was incomparable to his peers.’
Chelsea was moved by Leo’s battle, as it was like seeing a hero from a fairy tale.
‘Even after enrollment, Brother Leo was the center of attention.’
The biggest topic, of course, was his unprecedented "All-Class" status.
‘An All-Class like Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.’
The All-Class, which was thought not to exist, was proven by Leo.
Moreover, he not only handled all three powers but also showed tremendous prominence in all aspects.
Leo was an experienced knight, an overwhelming mage, and an amazing summoner.
If he had only excelled in the Knight Department, it would have been understandable.
Leo's maternal family was the Zerdingers, and Leo's mother, Reina, was a famous knight in her youth.
But in what he showed regarding magic and summoning, he was so outstanding that you could even glimpse seasoned experience.
‘He had already surpassed the realm of talent back then.’
And now, one year after his enrollment.
He had gained strength so powerful that it was incomparable to his classmates.
‘Until now, I thought he was an incredible person, on par with a great hero.’
Chelsea, roused from her thoughts, looked at Leo and Arion and crossed her arms.
‘The more I think about it, the more strange things there are.’
As questions arose, things she had taken for granted until now started to chain together.
‘Brother Leo uniquely conquered many worlds of great heroes. Furthermore, wasn't Brother Leo the first person to reveal the fact that Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, actually existed?’
Chelsea stared intently at Leo’s face.
‘Moreover, even before that fact was revealed, Brother Leo had a deep interest in Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings. He even tried to research Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, in his club activities, right?’
At the time, she simply thought that since he was an All-Class, he was interested in Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, who was the only All-Class to leave his name in history.
But thinking about it now, it was strange.
‘Brother Leo definitely has some secret related to Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.’
Chelsea racked her brain.
‘A descendant or… not a successor. Could it be… Kyle himself?’
Chelsea's eyes widened when her thoughts reached that point.
If that were the case, everything she had thought before made sense.
‘No way, really?!’
It was when Chelsea was astonished.
“Chelsea, let’s go.”
“Yes, yes!”
Chelsea sprang up from her seat and answered loudly at Arion’s words, who had approached from behind her unnoticed.
The piercing gaze of the entire library fell on her.
Arion bowed his head as if apologizing, and Chelsea also hurriedly apologized to the patrons.
“Why are you acting so uncharacteristically?”
When Leo approached and asked, Chelsea smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
And she stared intently at Leo’s back as he walked ahead.
Arion tilted his head, watching Chelsea.
***
In the evening, after sightseeing.
Leo settled into his accommodation in Delan.
And in that accommodation were the students who knew about Arion’s true identity from before.
That is, the students who had previously conquered Dweno’s world gathered.
“Why did you come here instead of going home?”
Lunia asked Leo with a curious expression.
As the Flov family mansion was in Delan, Lunia thought Leo would stay there.
Leo answered Lunia’s question.
“The training camp schedule is still ongoing. Besides, if I go, my mother will definitely make a fuss.”
“It seems you’re also just a helpless son in front of your parents, huh?”
Lunia smiled sweetly.
“By the way, where did Arion-nim and the foolish cat go?”
A small hotel had been entirely rented for Arion.
In such a situation, Lunia was puzzled when Arion and Ar weren't visible.
“They went to the bathhouse together.”
Driana answered, eating an entire whipped cream cake.
“T-together, in the bathhouse?!”
Eiran was startled and blushed slightly.
“What are you thinking? They just needed a place with water for howling training.”
“Th-that’s right! I also thought they were doing howling training!”
Eiran answered with a start as Driana spoke, narrowing her eyes.
Driana looked displeased, watching Eiran.
“Eiran. Do you look at every situation with such a lewd gaze?”
“L-lewd? I, I’ve never thought like that even once!”
“If your head is so full of naughty thoughts, why do you refuse to be a nude model?!”
“I said I never thought that!”
Eiran grabbed Driana’s neck, making a tearful face, and shook her vigorously.
Seeing Driana being violently shaken by that, Karl said.
“It’s okay, Eiran. Everyone goes through that during puberty… *cough*!”
“I didn’t!”
Eiran, with tears welling in his eyes and his eyes tightly shut, grabbed Karl’s neck and shook him.
“S-save… *cough*! *Gag*!”
Karl struggled, but the agitated Eiran had no time to worry about him.
Watching the scene, Driana mumbled.
“Karl, that fellow is sometimes brave.”
“Isn’t it because you’re calm even when being strangled?”
“Aren’t I sturdy?”
Eiran’s hands looked delicate but were surprisingly vicious.
Finally, seeing Karl, who was foaming at the mouth and slumped over, Eiran screamed.
***
“Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble—! *Puwah*!”
Ar, who was howling in the bath, hurriedly lifted his head.
Arion spoke, watching Ar panting.
“Yes. You’ve improved greatly. It doesn’t seem like the power to convert other beastkin into beastforms has manifested yet, though. Shall we stop here for today?”
At first glance, it seemed like simple water torture, but Ar’s howling was definitely getting stronger thanks to Arion’s special training.
In addition, with Arion explaining beside him, Ar’s skills noticeably improved.
“Chelsea, you did well too.”
Chelsea had been using wind to prevent the sound of howling from escaping outside.
“No, it’s nothing. It’s what I have to do, after all?”
Chelsea shook her head and secretly glanced at Arion.
Arion smiled sweetly, watching Chelsea.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll go out first!”
Chelsea, who hurriedly shook her head, left the bath.
‘Should I ask Arion-nim or Brother Leo? No. It’s just my speculation, after all? Brother Leo being Kyle-nim himself. That’s absurd, isn’t it? Moreover, even if my speculation were true, this is something to keep secret. It feels awkward to pretend I know.’
Arion watched Chelsea’s back, who was agonizing and groaning in her thoughts.
Seeing that, Ar drooped his ears and tail.
“Do you find Chelsea cuter, Arion-nim?”
“Huh?”
Arion looked at Ar.
Ar lowered his head slightly and said.
“You’re gentle with Chelsea. Of course, you’re gentle with me too… but Arion-nim takes the most attentive care of Chelsea.”
He spoke with a slightly disappointed look, for some reason.
“Of course, meeting Arion-nim like this, talking, and receiving guidance on howling is an honor beyond measure. But I wanted to be more helpful to Arion-nim and receive praise. I guess I’m lacking.”
The fact that Chelsea had taken over guiding Arion today in his place was a big shock to Ar.
Arion scratched his cheek, watching Ar make a disappointed face.
“Ar and Chelsea are different. Of course, I think of both of you like younger siblings. But I receive a lot of comfort from Chelsea.”
“Am I not a comfort?”
“For you, my expectations are greater than my desire for comfort.”
“Huh?”
Ar’s eyes widened at Arion’s words.
Arion patted Ar’s head and said.
“Whether you like it or not. Whether you wanted it or not. Ar, you’ve inherited so much from me.”
Arion smiled bitterly.
“More than what I passed on to Berckia. You received more.”
Arion removed his hand and knelt down to meet Ar’s eyes.
“I didn’t want children to go to the battlefield. I wished for children like you and Chelsea to live lives unrelated to combat. For that, I squeezed out courage I didn’t have.”
“Arion-nim…”
“But because I was insufficient, we couldn’t put an end to everything and ultimately left the flames of disaster to future generations.”
“Arion-nim is never insufficient!”
Ar flared up and jumped to his feet.
Arion smiled, watching Ar.
“Thank you for saying that. Anyway, the black flame still remains in this world.”
Arion said.
“That might be why I’m so strict with you.”
‘He wasn’t being strict.’
Ar mumbled inwardly.
But Ar also had some sense.
He gave a cat-like smile at the gentle hand patting his head.
He felt that if he said anything unnecessary, Arion might stop stroking him.
Arion spoke, unaware of Ar’s ulterior motive to fulfill his desires.
“Because you will stand on the battlefield someday in my place. You mustn’t become like me.”
“But I want to be like Arion-nim?”
Arion shook his head at Ar’s words.
“If you become a coward like me, you’ll just be a burden again.”
“Arion-nim is not a coward! You’re not a burden! You’re the great hero who saved the world!”
At those words, Arion merely smiled gently without answering.
“I hope you become a true hero, Ar. And I truly hope you create a world where children in future generations can laugh without worries. Because you are my successor.”
At the word ‘successor,’ Ar’s eyes widened.
Then he bowed his head deeply and trembled.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
Arion asked with a surprised expression, and Ar lifted his head.
“Nyaaaaaaaack!”
“Whoaaaaaack?!”
“Successor! Successor! Successooooor!”
“Hiiiieek! S-save me!”
Ar, whose eyes had rolled back, let out a shriek and pounced, and Arion screamed, fleeing from the bath.
***
*Rumble, rumble, rumble—!*
“Earthquake?”
Flov family’s territory.
Luke made a puzzled expression as a small earthquake occurred deep in the mountains.
Juen said to Luke.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yeah.”
“So! Why aren’t they giving us free time?!”
Juen grumbled, grilling meat on a skewer in front of a bonfire.
“The seniors said they suffered a lot, didn’t they? Maybe that’s why?”
When Luke said with a smile, Juen pouted his lips.
“We’re suffering enough too, you know?”
“Are you still saying that after seeing the seniors’ state yesterday?”
Juen retorted sharply at Aina’s words, who was beside him.
“I didn’t ask you?”
“Didn’t you two make up?”
Luke asked with an awkward smile, and Aina nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Who made up with who? And we never even fought, you know?”
While Juen narrowed his eyes.
Luke was about to eat the meat on the skewer.
*Whizz—!*
Then something quickly snatched the skewer from Luke’s hand.
*Thump-thump—!* After creating distance, it was none other than Lea, the first-year representative of Seirun, who was tearing off and eating the meat from the skewer while looking askance at Luke.
Luke smiled brightly, looking at Lea, and said.
“Miss Lea, would you like some more?”
At those words, Lea furrowed her beautiful brows, then scoffed, “Hmph!” and left.
“Luke Elda.”
“Yes, Mr. Habiden.”
“Why are you smiling and asking if she wants more?! She’s picking a fight with you, isn’t she? As the first-year representative of Rumerun, don’t take such a soft stance!”
“Eek?!”
Luke screamed as Habiden stared with wide eyes and shouted.
Shasha, covering her mouth with a folding fan, narrowed her eyes, watching the scene.
“Lunia El Rundia, a second-year from Seirun, was also terrifying. The first-year representative of Seirun also picks fights with Luke like a thug.”
“Why is that elf so eager to tear Luke apart?”
It was when Betty also tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.
*Grooooooooooan—!*
A faint killing intent was felt.
The first-year students, who were cooking dinner by the bonfire in front of the accommodation, raised their heads.
“This presence is a monster.”
Habiden said, tearing off and eating the meat from the skewer.
“It seems like an unexpected situation prepared by the training camp staff.”
“I thought it was too peaceful, after all.”
Juen scoffed.
Students from other schools showed similar reactions.
Even if they were first-years, they were hero candidates.
They were very used to such unexpected situations.
“Alright, then, shall we have a quick digestion of our dinner?”
Shasha smiled sweetly.
***
On the mountain peak of the Flov estate.
Melina’s eyes, which had been closed, twitched open.
Melina’s face slightly stiffened at the sudden situation.
“…A monster?”