Book 1 Chapter 478

478.

[Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning? A Great Hero from Fairy Tales?]

Tiar, with her eyes wide open, reacted with bewilderment.

'This kind of reaction is also novel.'

It had been a year since the world learned that Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, actually existed.

The fact that the fifth Great Hero, who was believed to be fictional, was real had caused an immense ripple effect in the world.

Leo, having been recognized after being forgotten, accepted it as natural, but others did not.

The name Kyle was a hot topic everywhere.

Having become accustomed to the clamor around him, Tiar's bewildered reaction to a 1000-year-old hero was quite surprising.

As Leo watched Tiar in confusion, he extended his right hand into the air.

*Whoosh-!*

With a resonant sound, his magic staff appeared.

Tiar was surprised to see the staff in Leo's hand, emitting magic.

[Cometes…!]

She too had seen Cometes during her time as a student at Seirun.

That's why she recognized at a glance that the staff in Leo's hand was the Hero Weapon used by Seirun.

That Cometes was shining brightly as if it had met its master.

It hadn't emitted such a brilliant light even in the hands of the Tingel family.

"It must be difficult to believe that I am Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning."

Leo raised his hand.

Then, aura and spiritual power flickered from his hand.

[Oll… Class!]

Tiar exclaimed in shock.

Oll Class, which only existed in legends, and the clear light of Cometes.

[Are you truly… Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning?]

She still had doubts about him being Kyle, but it was clear that the boy before her was no ordinary being.

First, she needed to thank the benefactor who saved her from the Necro King.

[Great Great Hero. I sincerely thank you for saving me from the Necro King's wicked clutches.]

"Yes. Then will you help me?"

[Kyle, you are my benefactor. I will help with anything I can.]

"Can you explain in detail the situation when you were resurrected as an undead?"

Tiar had died with deep hatred.

And for a long time, as her consciousness faded, she heard the Necro King's thoughts.

Tiar's consciousness strongly resisted the Necromancy that the Necro King used to control her.

"But an irresistible, great power captured your consciousness, and you became a vengeful specter?"

[Yes. The first one to awaken my consciousness was the Grand Duke of Dirge.]

Seeing Tiar clenching her teeth with a resentful expression, Leo asked,

"Did you feel the presence of other specters?"

The basic principle of Necromancy is similar to spirit summoning.

It revives and controls the consciousness of the dead by tracing residual mana.

This process is a kind of contract.

Tiar had been in a contractual relationship with the Necro King until now.

If so, she must have felt the presence of other spirits who had contracted with the Necro King.

At Leo's question, Tiar clenched her fist.

[I felt the presence of countless spirits. Among them were those who exuded especially powerful energy… even heroes.]

Tiar's shoulders trembled.

Fear was evident on her face.

[Among those the Necro King commanded, there were those who far surpassed me…]

The Iron-Blooded Mage is a mage remembered even after 1000 years among the countless heroes who lived in the Heroic Era.

This was proof of her immense power as a hero.

To think that such a hero, who could make even she tremble in fear.

'If we compare it to the current era… does that mean they are comparable to the Sword Saint?'

Sword Saint.

A powerful hero who, if born in the right era, might have even challenged the world of creation.

His very existence was a restraint on Tartarus.

'If he hadn't lost his life last year and had lived until now, Tartarus wouldn't have been able to move like this.'

"Even with the power of Erebus enhancing your abilities, is that even possible?"

As Leo muttered with a serious expression, Tiar lowered her head.

[Certainly… among the heroes, there will be some who voluntarily accepted the Necro King's contract.]

"…"

At those words, Leo let out a deep sigh, and Tiar wore a contrite expression.

She couldn't be sure if the boy before her was truly one of the Great Heroes, Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

But what if he was truly one of the Great Heroes from 5000 years ago?

'Is there anything more embarrassing than this?'

The Great Heroes had risked everything to gift the world to future generations.

And yet, the heroes of the subsequent generations who followed in their footsteps.

Even though they were dead, they willingly collaborated with the Necro King afterward.

They chose servitude for the greed they pursued during their lives, living as specters.

This was an act of betrayal to the world.

As a hero who lived her entire life fueled by hatred, Tiar had witnessed countless cruelties in the world.

She knew too well that behind the shining world lay a deep shadow.

That's why, as a hero of a later generation, Tiar dared not meet Leo's eyes.

As Leo watched Tiar, who avoided his gaze and looked down, he spoke.

"As I felt earlier, you're excessively strict with yourself."

[What?]

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Whether others cooperate with the Necro King or not."

[But…]

"It's not something you need to feel responsible for."

Leo reached out and placed his hand on Tiar's head.

"We didn't set out to create a just world, nor did we dream of an ideal world. We saved them simply because we wanted to save them."

Leo chuckled.

"So it's funny that you, of a later generation, are worried about what I think because of others."

[…Kyle.]

"They say that those who become spirits have one unfulfilled regret in their hearts."

Leo recalled Tiar apologizing to Luna earlier.

"I'm sorry, but I peeked into your life a little."

Tiar never regretted the path she chose and walked.

She lived a life where she was pointed at by her own people, gained nothing, and ultimately lost everything.

She lived without letting go of her hatred until the end, but

she didn't see that as a regret.

"Being so stubborn is a disease. Luna has no qualms about how she creates her star magic. She's not that delicate. She's a simple fool."

Tiar gritted her teeth.

Seeing Tiar with a look like she was about to cry, Leo said,

"So you don't have to apologize. And Luna and I defeated the Monster Queen. So,"

Leo patted Tiar's shoulder.

"Rest easy. No matter what your intentions were, you also contributed to the world's peace."

[Thank you.]

Tiar, her shoulders trembling and her head bowed, soon disappeared.

Watching Tiar's spirit disappear like particles of starlight, Elsi, who had been observing the situation, said,

[Leo understood her well.]

"Perhaps it's because we're in similar circumstances?"

[Similar circumstances?]

"I can understand that feeling of not being able to find peace, even a little."

Leo, speaking with a calm tone, fell into thought.

'Tiar succumbed to the Necro King's power, became corrupted, and turned into a specter.'

And purifying such corrupted specters into spirits was one of Lisinas's specialties.

'Although not as much as Lisinas, I've vaguely gained the ability to use his spirit summoning.'

Leo looked down at his hand.

He recalled the mana that had seemed to have a will just moments ago.

"Hey, if you can hear me, can you answer?"

Despite Leo's call, Lisinas's mana remained silent.

Leo smiled wryly.

Soothing the regrets of a spirit is called ascension.

And ascended spirits do not reappear.

'… The Lisinas I met in the Heroic World was the one from his last moments, summoned as a spirit.'

In the meantime, Lisinas must have ascended.

No, that meeting itself might have been a miracle that could only happen in the Heroic World.

It was the past Lisinas summoning his future self.

'I'm not Lisinas.'

In the first place, summoning a person from 5000 years ago as a spirit might be impossible unless one possesses divine authority.

The reason Lisinas's mana responded just now was the nature imbued in the mana.

It was closer to the desire to save a pitiable specter resisting a malicious thought, not actual will.

Still, he asked just in case.

'…Is it too much to ask for a little more lingering attachment?'

Clenching his fist and shaking off his feelings, Leo moved forward.

'The Necro King now commands powerful specters. They are likely those who couldn't let go of their desires in life.'

Not all heroes are saints, and some can be twisted.

The Justice Guild had proven that sufficiently.

'Among them, there will be those who could have carried the era.'

Leo's face darkened.

[Leo, are you worried about something?]

At Elsi's question, Leo let out a deep sigh.

"I'm thinking that I might run into someone I know if things go wrong."

[Someone you know?]

Elsi wore a bewildered expression.

Leo looked up at the clear sky, recalling someone.

'Bihr.'

Bihr was originally an orphan from the Orphanage, created to acquire powerful specters.

Therefore, he had harbored endless hatred towards the Necro King.

The Age of Calamity ended.

The world was saved, but Bihr's heart likely was not.

'As long as the Necro King is alive, he would never have stopped.'

He must have lived in darkness, pursuing the Necro King his entire life.

Leo envisioned the worst-case scenario.

'What if the Necro King's power has become even stronger?'

It's a fragment of Erebus, after all.

The extent of the Necro King's power in wielding a fragment of Erebus is unknown.

'What if he obtains the power to corrupt Bihr and turn him into a specter, and then finds Bihr's tomb?'

This world might face the strongest shadow in history as an enemy.

Bihr was also acknowledged by Lisinas as his successor.

'He likely reached a level comparable to the heroes of creation before closing his eyes.'

Leo sighed deeply, envisioning the worst-case scenario.

'No, I have to believe.'

*Thump- thump-*

'He's the one I entrusted my back to. He won't be swayed by the Necro King.'

Composing himself, Leo walked forward.

'What's important now are the Artkhan guys and the specters revived by the Necro King.'

"…Are all the heroes of our guild who went to subjugate specters in various locations annihilated?"

Jerome asked with a puzzled expression.

"Yes."

"Hmm. As expected, those who became heroes through their own strength are different. Even if you turn failures who couldn't graduate from the Hero Academy into heroes, there's still a limit, isn't there?"

"What do we do now?"

Deputy Guild Master Chain asked with a blank expression.

"What about Leo Frolov?"

"We cannot confirm his location."

"You can't confirm it even with your clairvoyance?"

"Yes. He's blocked it."

"Hoh."

Jerome exclaimed in admiration.

"I'm truly curious about the source of that endless potential."

"He must be the chosen true hero you speak of."

At Chain's words, Jerome stood up.

"First, let's subjugate the heroes' specters appearing in various places…"

"No."

"Yes?"

"If you can't use the Rook, then send the Knight and Bishop. If that doesn't work, send the Queens."

"Jerome Master. Aren't you being excessively fixated on Leo Frolov?"

"I believe he's worth it. I can somewhat guess his disposition. He's definitely not someone who will join us."

Jerome clicked his tongue.

"Then it's best to crush him before he grows too big. He can't do anything alone anyway."

***

[Speaking of which, Leo.]

"Why?"

[Is it okay to just leave those guys from the Justice Guild alone?]

[Peep.]

At Keiran's words, Fiora agreed.

But Leo was indifferent.

Facing a much larger problem now, the threat of the Justice Guild felt trivial.

"They don't seem like a major threat for now, so we'll clean them up later."