Book 1 Chapter 466
465.
“It’s been almost a year since I went on a mission with Leo!”
Lil shouted, sounding happy.
Last year, when Leo was tasked with meeting Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss, a Great Spirit of Darkness invited from Lumerne, he had formed a party at Lil's request.
“And a mission related to mysteries! I never thought Leo would have the same hobby as me!”
Lil, with a truly joyful expression, pulled something out from her pocket.
“What do you say, Leo? Why don't you join our club? There's no law saying the student council president can't participate in club activities.”
Seeing Lil hand over a club application form, Leo asked.
“There was a mystery club at our school?”
“Yes! It’s a club that investigates urban legends and mysterious happenings around the world! We also research many enigmas related to the world of heroes!”
“It doesn't seem like an official club.”
“That’s because we only have two members!”
Lil said proudly.
To that, Leo said.
“I'm not particularly interested in mysteries. It's just a request that personally piqued my interest.”
“I see.”
At his words, Lil’s shoulders slumped.
But she soon regained her spirits.
“By the way, I heard all about Leo's activities during the summer vacation. Ah, to reach the rank of a hero at that age! As your senior, I'm truly proud!”
Seeing Lil rejoice at her junior's success as if it were her own, Leo let out a small chuckle.
“I heard that Senior Lil's activities were also quite remarkable.”
Lil Luce, the third-year class representative.
She was an outstanding spirit user, possessing overwhelming skill to the point where her seniors nicknamed her 'Monster Girl.'
Even in her second year, she possessed incredible spirit magic skills, and upon entering her third year, her abilities were improving by leaps and bounds, as if she had awakened.
At Leo's words, Lil waved her hand.
“Compared to Leo, I'm truly lacking. Even Wareden, a junior in the Summoning Department, is more amazing than me.”
“Wareden?”
“Yes. He made a contract with the Great Spirit of Earth, didn't he? Ah, these talented juniors make a senior feel so intimidated.”
Currently, among Lumerne's Summoning Department students, the most publicly renowned student was Wareden.
Leo was considered an exception, as he was already evaluated to have surpassed the level of a student.
It was natural for people's attention to be drawn to Wareden, who had made a contract with a Great Spirit as a mere second-year student.
Even in Lumerne's history, summoners who made contracts with one of the three great mythical beasts or a Great Spirit in their second year were few and far between.
‘But if you evaluate her by pure combat power, not outward flashiness, it's a different story.’
She had the nickname 'Spirit User of the Gale,' but it was only a nickname she earned because she enjoyed using wind attributes.
Lil had contracted with spirits of all attributes.
‘Compared to Wareden, who only handles the spirits of the four great elements, she can certainly use a wider variety of attacks.’
Furthermore, her spirit magic for each attribute was also excellent.
An all-rounder who could do everything from frontline to backline to supporter.
Her combat power, based on that versatility, was formidable.
Indeed, Lil lacked flashiness.
It was natural since she didn't possess overwhelming firepower or special mana characteristics.
‘But that's what's frightening. The fact that she has no specialized strengths, but every aspect is outstanding and she has no weaknesses.’
Moreover, Lil's spirit magic, which had stood out since her first and second years, completely awakened upon entering her third year, achieving explosive growth.
Even the professors of the Summoning Department anticipated that her skill level already surpassed that of fourth-years and would rival fifth-years.
[With that level of skill, isn't she third best in Lumerne?]
At Elsie's words, Larael tilted her head.
[Not fourth?]
[Leo should be counted as an exception.]
[That's right.]
Listening to the conversation between the Great Spirits of Darkness and Light, Leo also shook his head inwardly.
‘She's definitely third.’
In Leo's eyes, Lil's growth rate was astonishing.
‘Is she overly humble, or is she timid? I can't tell.’
While Leo shook his head inwardly.
“Student Leo, Student Lil. It's your turn.”
The wizard managing the warp gate approached and spoke.
“Shall we move first?”
As Lil stepped onto the warp gate, Leo followed suit.
A moment later, with a bright flash of light, the two disappeared.
***
Flash-!
The warp gate emitted a bright light.
Leo, who had emerged from the warp gate, tilted his head, looking at the surrounding scenery.
“It’s a ruin.”
“It is.”
At Leo's words, Lil nodded indifferently and stepped down from the warp gate.
‘One-way.’
Leo could easily tell that the warp gate they had used was not being maintained.
A warp gate isn't something that can be used permanently once installed.
It required continuous maintenance, and if neglected, it would become unusable.
In the case of this warp gate, it was possible to travel *to* it, but impossible to travel *from* it to another location.
Leo looked around.
It wasn't just the warp gate that was in ruins.
Warp gates are fundamentally only built in prosperous cities.
The ruined cityscape came into view at a glance.
The expression vanished from Lil's face.
“A war must have happened not long ago.”
Smoke was rising in various parts of the city.
Building debris was still burning from unextinguished embers.
Not much time had passed since the destructive flames of war had swept through.
Lil, who had been gazing at the horrific sight, took a deep breath and shook off her emotional turmoil.
Then she looked at Leo and admired him.
“As expected, Leo is incredible.”
“What is?”
“Even though I'm used to such sights, my heart is stirred, but I see no such reaction in Leo at all.”
“I'm just trying not to be perturbed.”
“It seems fundamentally different from that.”
“Is Senior Lil used to battlefields?”
“Yes.”
Lil nodded.
Coming from a military family, she had received education related to war from a young age.
“Our Luce family is from the Kingdom of Thebern, located in the southeastern part of the continent. It's a military kingdom famous even on the continent.”
Lil said as she walked towards the battlefield.
“It's not as much as this northeastern region, but it's an area with frequent wars. My father believed that as a member of the Luce family, I needed to understand war, so he took me to battlefields every vacation since I entered Lumerne.”
At her words, Leo furrowed his brows.
“Senior Lil isn't the heir, is she?”
“No. But my father seems to have thought that I could assist my brother. It's also a duty naturally expected of a member of the Luce family.”
Lil said impassively.
Leo realized the reason Lil's skills were improving by leaps and bounds.
‘Practical experience.’
No matter what anyone says, combat experience is the greatest driving force for growth.
However, the battles Lil experienced were not against Tartarus, but against humans.
“Does Senior Lil like that?”
“I don't like it.”
“Then you don't have to go to the battlefield.”
“I can't do that.”
Lil said firmly.
“Heroes are born on the battlefield. Whether it's a fight against Tartarus or a fight against humans.”
At her words, Leo stared intently at Lil.
Lil, still with an emotionless face, kept her gaze fixed on the ruins left by the destructive flames of war.
A moment later, Lil met Leo's eyes.
“Leo, I must become a hero. Not just any hero, but a hero who shines brilliantly, like you.”
“Why do you want to be a hero?”
“You won't laugh, will you?”
“No.”
At Leo's words, Lil brought a fist to her mouth and cleared her throat, "Ahem-!"
“I will achieve world peace.”
At her words, Leo stared fixedly at Lil's face.
Receiving Leo's gaze, Lil added.
“I want to create a world without war.”
Infinitely grand.
Lil, speaking of her dream that seemed so preposterous because of its immense scale, was infinitely serious.
She also seemed to have little interest in how others reacted to her goal.
Most people probably would have looked at her strangely or reacted with laughter.
So, she had probably grown accustomed to any reaction.
“That's a wonderful dream.”
Leo smiled faintly.
At that reaction, Lil, who had been looking up at Leo with an impassive face, widened her eyes slightly.
Lil also knew.
That her dream was preposterous.
Therefore, whenever she spoke about why she wanted to become a hero, people would laugh at her or think she was joking.
Even if they didn't deny it, no one affirmed it.
They merely offered insincere encouragement, so as not to be impolite.
That's why Lil immediately knew.
That Leo had 'affirmed' her dream.
“Isn't my dream strange and preposterous? Everyone laughed at it.”
“I once laughed at someone else's dream before.”
He recalled Licynas, who had declared she would save the world.
“I was saved by that dream I laughed at. After that, I resolved never to laugh at anyone else's dream.”
Remembering Licynas, Leo smiled.
“And I think there should be at least one hero who dreams such a dream. Besides, my goal is also preposterous, isn't it?”
Lil recalled what Leo's goal was.
It was already a famous story throughout the school.
‘The complete subjugation of Erebus.’
A feat that even the Great Hero and the Hero of Genesis couldn't accomplish.
And Leo had already taken one step closer to that goal.
“In a way, Senior Lil's goal and my goal could be seen as the same.”
Leo had already seen.
The one who led the world to salvation at the brink of destruction.
He had seen his friend, who realized a preposterous ideal, right beside him.
“What can I say, my heart is pounding.”
At Lil's appearance, so overjoyed she didn't know what to do, Leo unconsciously reached out and stroked her head.
Leo genuinely admired Lil for having a goal that truly cared for this world.
‘If Licynas were alive, she would have been truly happy.’
Lil, slightly flustered by Leo's action, stroked her cheek.
“Well, if a junior treated me like this, I normally should feel bad, but…”
From their first meeting, Lil had emphasized her seniority to Leo and tried to take good care of him.
While Lil herself enjoyed looking after others, prior to that, there was a strong sense that she didn't want to lose her dignity as a senior.
“My apologies.”
As Leo removed his hand and spoke, Lil shook her head.
“It's not a bad feeling. Actually, it's good. It feels like I'm being praised by my older brother.”
Lil nonchalantly twirled her hair and then smiled faintly.
“Well then, we can't stay here forever, so shall we depart?”
Leo nodded and pulled a map from his pocket.
“Let's first figure out our location. This is the border territory of the Canel Kingdom, right?”
“That's right. Originally, it was the territory of Viscount Tibune, who commissioned the request, but it's currently under invasion by the neighboring Kingdom of Petiman. We should first find Viscount Tibune, the client…”
Boom-boom-boom-
Just as they were about to discuss their future plans, a drum sound began to reverberate.
Leo and Lil, who had been talking while looking at the map, stopped moving and raised their heads.
Hooooorn-!
The sound of a horn began to be heard.
Lil raised her hand.
Wind began to gather at Lil's fingertips.
“Oh dear.”
Lil's face hardened.
“What is it?”
“The Petiman Royal Army has invaded.”
“Lumerne students aren't supposed to intervene in wars, are they?”
“Yes. But the Petiman Royal Army isn't targeting the soldiers of the Canel Kingdom. They're targeting the refugees.”
At her words, Leo narrowed his eyes and activated his supersenses.
Vast amounts of information from the surrounding area instantly began to pour into Leo's mind.
Lumerne students are not allowed to intervene in the wars of other nations.
However, civilians being attacked is a different story.
Shring-
Leo, who had drawn his sword, spoke.
“Let's go.”
“Yes, Leo.”
Leo and Lil swiftly flew towards where the battle was taking place.