Book 1 Chapter 48

【48】47.

Alia watched Leo talking in the distance and thought.

'He looks like my brother.'

Although their personalities and atmospheres were different, the impression they gave off was very similar.

"Isn't it a little strange?"

The boy holding the spear, Teayard, furrowed his brows.

"What?"

"They said they were a rescue team, didn't they? But there are only two of them?"

"It's definitely strange."

"Could it be some kind of Tartarus trap?"

Dina the spellblade and Louis the summoner, both party members, also agreed with Teayard.

But Bellak from the Knight department shook his head.

"If they were enemies, they wouldn't team up with us to fight the demons."

"That's right. Those people aren't enemies."

When Alia spoke with a confident tone, Teayard asked in a sullen voice.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Don't you feel a very familiar vibe? Besides…"

"Besides what?"

"And he's a little cool too."

Seeing Alia's face slightly flush, Teayard was flustered.

"Cool? Hey! Hey! Alia! Snap out of it! You haven't given a single glance to a guy since you enrolled!"

"She has a point. Who among our peers is good enough for Alia? Plus, she's Senior Albi's sister, so her standards must be high."

"Hey, but what's so cool about *that* guy!"

"He's definitely cool though?"

"Dina? You too!"

Teayard gripped his head.

While they were bickering, Leo, who had finished talking with Chloe, approached.

"Noisy, aren't we?"

"Ah! We apologize! Getting needlessly excited during an emergency!"

"I'm not scolding you. I just think freshmen are always noisy, no matter the class year."

"Any class year? Are you perhaps students from our school?"

It was Chloe who answered Illia, who asked with sparkling eyes.

"Yes. Not currently, though."

"Ah!"

Illia was flustered, mistakenly thinking the two were seniors who had dropped out.

"I apologize! For saying something unnecessary…"

"It's alright."

"I'll explain the current situation first."

"Do we even need an explanation? Demons have appeared in this forest, haven't they?"

Teayard replied curtly to Leo's words.

"If it were a simple demon appearance, there'd be no need for an explanation. But in this forest right now, there's a demon beyond your ability to handle."

"How strong of a demon is it for you to be making such a fuss?"

"It's Level 3."

"What?!"

"L-Level 3?"

"That's not a rank that first-years can handle!"

Dina asked urgently.

"What about the others? Are the other parties safe besides us?"

"They're safe. You just need to escape this forest. So, from now on, I'd like you to follow my instructions."

While Dina let out a sigh of relief, Teayard asked.

"Do you have the power to defeat a Level 3 demon?"

A Level 3 demon.

It was a high-grade threat with enough power to wipe out an entire regiment.

"I cannot guarantee that my current strength can defeat a Level 3 demon."

"Then is there any reason for us to follow your instructions?"

"Of course there is."

But Leo smiled leisurely.

"What is that reason?"

"Because I have the skill to get you all out safely."

"What kind of baseless confidence…"

"Yes, I understand. I'll follow your instructions."

"Hey, Alia!"

Teayard made a bewildered expression.

"You saw him fight earlier, too. Besides, he probably understands the situation much better than we do."

Alia persuaded her party members.

"A Level 3 demon is certainly beyond our current abilities. So, as party leader, I think it's right to follow the experienced rescue team rather than moving clumsily now."

At Alia's persuasion, the party members looked at each other and nodded.

"If Alia says so."

"Nothing bad has happened from listening to you so far."

"Haa! Seriously!"

Teayard scratched his head vigorously and glared at Leo.

"But! If you're even slightly unreliable, we absolutely won't follow your orders, so just remember that!"

"I'll live up to your expectations, so don't worry."

***

"Find cases of Hero Records becoming Hero Dungeons!"

In the Tower of Heroes, which oversees the practical administrative work of Lumerne Academy, professors and assistants were moving busily.

It was a sensitive time due to the appearance of magical beasts during the practical summoning exam.

In such a situation, with the unprecedented event of a Hero Record becoming a Hero Dungeon, Lumerne had no choice but to go into emergency.

Amidst this, in the principal's office on the top floor of the Tower of Heroes, Kalian was pressing his temples as if suffering from a headache.

Before him lay an open Hero Record.

"The fact that it's still inaccessible should be considered a positive sign, right?"

"Yes."

Albi looked down at his rampaging Hero Record and replied.

Hero Dungeons cannot be entered by additional participants if there are already entrants.

In other words, it meant Leo and Chloe were still alive.

"Three hours have already passed since the two students entered the Hero Dungeon. It must be night in the world of heroes. Albi, when was it that you defeated Chuvarn 30 years ago?"

"It was around midnight."

"So, we have no choice but to entrust everything to your past self."

Kalian let out a deep sigh.

Just then, Kalian's secretary, Erena, entered the principal's office.

"Principal, we've found the person who sold the magic beast summoning catalyst to student Ryu."

"Who is it?"

Albi's eyes flashed.

Erena, who had come to report, turned pale.

Bloodshot veins appeared in his left eye, and an unnatural magic circle surfaced in his pupil.

It was fairy magic.

30 years ago.

Albi, who had lost his younger sibling to demons, was a man who harbored a stronger hatred for Tartarus than anyone else.

"Calm down, Albi."

At Kalian's words, Albi's eyes returned to normal.

"I'll go cool my head."

Leaving those words, he left the principal's office.

"Lord Albi is a dangerous person, no matter when you see him."

"Because Albi is a man who rose to the position of a hero through hatred."

30 years ago.

Faced with the death of his younger sibling, who left no body or even a keepsake, he dropped out of Lumerne that day and began to dedicate himself to hunting demons, becoming a hero acknowledged by the gods as a result.

However, due to his thorough destruction of everything related to Tartarus, the collateral damage was considerable.

Because of this, among the public, Albi was an object of fear rather than praise.

"I still can't believe Lord Albi accepted the professorship."

"Still, Albi tends to listen to me."

Kalian, who had smiled bitterly, suddenly changed his expression.

"Alright, who is he?"

"He's a fence who set up shop in the back alleys of Lumeria City this year. He's not well-known among upperclassmen, but he seems quite famous among first-years. Some first-years bought items from this merchant. Among them was a magic beast summoning catalyst."

"Does this mean a Tartarus spy had infiltrated Lumeria City?"

"We investigated, and he wasn't someone related to Tartarus. However, it's clear that Tartarus leaked a few items in that direction."

"…I don't understand. Why would they do such a thing?"

"I don't know the reason for that either. This is the fence's transaction ledger."

Kalian took the ledger and turned the pages.

Flip-! Flip-!

Kalian's hand, flipping through the ledger, paused.

'Chloe Mueller: Black Grimoire.'

Kalian, staring intently at that entry, spoke.

"Miss Erena. Please call Professor Sedjen and Professor Len to the principal's office immediately. Tell them I have something to ask regarding student Chloe."

"Have you found anything?"

"No. But I have a feeling."

"A feeling? You're going to act based on a feeling?"

Kalian smiled faintly, watching the flustered Erena.

"Miss Erena, I am old. The reputation of being a Sword Saint is now just a facade of old glory. But I tell you this…"

The old Sword Saint's eyes flashed.

"I pride myself on the intuition that has crossed countless lines of death, which remains as sharp as ever."

***

The sun had completely set, and darkness had descended.

The group, who had just finished a battle, were all breathing heavily.

"Let's rest for a bit."

At Leo's words, groans erupted from all directions.

'Everyone is almost at their physical limit. Has it been about three hours since we entered the world of heroes?'

Considering that previous groups had clear times of about an hour, this meant it took three times longer.

But there was nothing they could do.

Other groups met the clear conditions just by rescuing a party in danger, but Leo and Chloe were different.

Chloe predicted that the [Safety Guarantee] condition for Alia's party was to completely escape from Chuvarn's threat.

So, they were leaving the forest via the shortest route.

Unlike when Leo and Chloe utilized their mobility to avoid combat, now they had no choice but to engage in frequent battles.

'Still, we're almost there.'

Leo, who had been sighing, felt his head throb and his vision blur at the same time.

'Damn, did I use Super Senses for too long?'

Super Senses, which maximized perception, was a technique where the brain processed more than double the usual amount of surrounding information.

As such, mental fatigue was bound to accumulate quickly.

'Just hold on a little longer.'

Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Seeing him, Alia's party were astonished.

"How come he doesn't look tired at all?"

"His skill must be truly amazing."

"Pfft! Teayard asked someone like *that* 'Is there any reason for us to follow your instructions?'? I'd be too embarrassed to even lift my head!"

"Shut up!"

As his party members teased him, Teayard shouted, his face beet red.

Meanwhile, Chloe, sitting under a tree, pulled a black grimoire from her embrace and looked down at it.

Just then, Alia approached.

"Chloe-nim. Can we talk for a bit?"

"About what?"

"About Leo-nim."

Alia smiled faintly and sat next to Chloe.

"Chloe-nim, what's your relationship with Leo-nim?"

"What do you mean, 'relationship'?"

"Are you perhaps a couple?"

"No, we're not?!"

Chloe, flustered, shook her head quickly.

"Judging by your reaction, you're definitely not!"

Chloe let out a hollow laugh.

'Even a senior who enrolled 30 years ago is still a first-year at heart.'

It felt like talking with the girls in her class.

Most of the girls in the class were very interested in love affairs.

"Why do you ask that? Are you interested in Leo?"

"I am, somewhat. My heart pounds when I see him."

"It seems you fell in love at first sight."

Chloe let out a hollow laugh, thinking that even an honors student from 30 years ago couldn't help it.

"I don't know if I've fallen for him. My heart does pound, but that pounding feeling is very similar to someone else."

"Who?"

"My brother."

"Your brother? Albi Jeron?"

"Yes. Of course, if you compare Leo-nim and my brother, Leo-nim is much cooler. My brother is quite clumsy and often makes mistakes in everything he does."

For a moment, Chloe doubted her ears.

'Clumsy and makes frequent mistakes? Who? That Mage of the Demonic Eye?'

These were not adjectives that suited the Mage of the Demonic Eye, the only hero feared by the public.

"But he's like a hero from a fairy tale. Someone who challenges seemingly impossible tasks without hesitation and ultimately achieves them. That's why I admire my brother."

"Challenges impossible tasks without hesitation… He certainly sounds like Leo."

Chloe's eyes darkened.

"Leo is amazing. He always leads people well. He has good grades and is a perfect person who accomplishes seemingly impossible things without a hitch. Just as Alia-ssi said. Leo is like a hero."

Chloe let out a bitter laugh.

"What's my relationship with Leo? At first, I thought we were friends and rivals. But now…"

"Now?"

"I'm jealous."