Book 1 Chapter 489
‘It must be a coincidence.’
In the long history of the world, there are often unusual phenomena that defy the seasons.
For example, it often rains near someone with a powerful water affinity.
Or when someone with a strong fire affinity appears in a region experiencing heavy snowfall, the snow stops.
While these cases are not frequent, they do appear rarely in history.
The present is no exception.
Especially now, when the Spirit King can revive past heroes.
‘Perhaps it was because of him that such powerful individuals were resurrected. Or perhaps the spirits in the area migrated en masse. The probability of it being related to Luna is extremely low.’
But even so.
‘I should check it out anyway.’
There were no classes now.
Of course, students couldn't go outside carelessly, but it wasn't difficult for Leo to create an excuse to leave.
“What did you talk about with Teacher Mel?”
Chen Xia asked Leo, who had returned to his seat, with a puzzled expression.
Ailan was also listening intently, curious.
Seeing the two of them, Leo said,
“Don't you guys want to go see the flowers?”
Chen Xia and Ailan’s eyes widened at his sudden remark.
***
Crackling-
The firewood was burning.
“Dweuno! Have a drink!”
“Hmm, thank you.”
“Arion, you too!”
“Ah, yes!”
Gardsron was a city of many festivals.
In this era where the world was heading towards destruction day by day.
News of the heroes’ victories against Erebus and Tartarus was enough to make people ecstatic.
They were temporarily freed from the anxiety of not knowing when the world would end.
But today was not a festival to celebrate victory.
“Come on, everyone, attention!”
Luna, who had climbed onto the platform, raised her wine glass.
“Tomorrow, we will embark on our final journey to conquer Erebus!”
The conquest of Erebus.
A wish held by everyone in the world, yet a word they dared not utter.
Luna, who mentioned that wish in a casual tone, continued speaking.
“Of course, many of you may feel anxious.”
Seeing Luna speak with a serious expression, the festive atmosphere turned cold.
In that atmosphere, Luna smirked.
“But trust us! We will save the world! We will reclaim the blue sky from that damned fireball! We will reclaim the beautiful stars!”
“Woohoo!”
“And I will be called the greatest mage in history! Cheers to me, Luna, who will become the greatest mage in history!”
“Cheers!”
Luna’s shout dispelled the heavy atmosphere.
Watching the people raising their glasses, Kyle said,
“Why did you leave such an important speech to that guy?”
“Luna is the best at livening up the mood,”
Risinus, who was sitting next to Kyle and holding a wine glass, said with a gentle smile.
“If you asked Dweuno, he’d say something perverted. Arion would be too nervous to say anything. You’d definitely make the festival mood depressing. It wouldn’t be fun if I did it.”
“Since this might be our last festival, enjoy it to your heart’s content?”
“You’re spouting more obnoxious nonsense.”
“K-Kyle! Do you really think this expedition is hopeless?”
Dweuno, who had approached them, clicked his tongue, and Arion looked uneasy.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Luna, who had finished her speech, asked with a puzzled expression.
“That this might be our last festival.”
“Why the last? Don’t we just need to blow away Erebus?”
“That’s right, the world will be saved, Kyle.”
Luna looked at Kyle as if he were strange, and Risinas said as if it were obvious.
Hearing their confident replies, Kyle averted his gaze and said,
“I certainly hope so.”
“Why do you keep ruining the mood? This damn human.”
“Am I going to die if I agree with you at a time like this?”
Luna grabbed Kyle by the collar and shook him, and Risinas sent a cold glare.
“Come on, everyone, stop and enjoy the festival. It’s not the first time this friend has acted like this.”
Thwack!
Dweuno hit Kyle on the back of the head with his thick hand.
“You damn dwarf. You say you hit lightly, but it still hurts when you’re on the receiving end.”
“I hit you so you’d feel pain.”
“Oh, really? Then can I punch you hard in the gut?”
As Kyle growled, Dweuno calmly replied,
“D-Don’t fight.”
Arion flusteredly tried to break them up.
After a small commotion like that.
Kyle, left alone, took a sip of his drink.
‘The atmosphere is nice.’
Kyle rested his chin on his hand, his wine glass beside him, watching his friends enjoy the festival with lively laughter.
‘Yes, you will definitely be able to move forward to the future.’
All five of them knew that the battle was not one where victory was guaranteed.
But even so, their mindset was different.
It was when Kyle was wearing a gentle smile.
He felt a stealthy presence approaching from behind.
Kyle easily recognized that the person behind him was Berchia.
‘Why is she acting like this again?’
He watched to see what she was up to, and Berchia dropped something into Kyle’s wine glass.
“Master Kyle, let’s toast with Master Luna.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, she casually sat next to Kyle and called out to Luna.
“Master Luna.”
“Huh? Why are you calling me?”
“Let’s toast, us.”
“Shall we?”
Luna smiled brightly, raised her glass, and they toasted.
Luna downed her drink in one gulp and shouted,
“Ah! That’s great~!”
“Aren’t you drinking?”
Kyle, feigning ignorance, grabbed Berchia and forced her to drink the wine from his glass.
“Ugh!”
“What are you two doing!”
“You idiot, what did you put in my drink?”
“Berchia, what did you put in it?”
To Luna’s question, Berchia quickly closed her eyes and said,
“M-Master Dweuno’s love potion…”
At that, Luna clicked her tongue.
“That doesn’t work.”
“What?”
Berchia’s eyes widened.
“It’s a stupid, perverted potion with no effect.”
Luna, speaking with venom, turned away sharply!
At her words, Berchia pouted.
“Do you want to play a trick on me until the very end?”
“It’s not like that, is it?”
It was when Berchia was pouting.
“Master.”
Bihara approached Kyle.
Kyle, after looking at Berchia and Bihara for a moment, said,
“You two, sit here in front.”
At his words, Berchia and Bihara sat in front of Kyle.
Kyle poured them drinks and said,
“Thank you for learning from me until now.”
“Why are you talking like it’s the end?”
Berchia said with a frown.
“Because it might be the end.”
“Don’t say weird things.”
Berchia pouted, but Bihara lowered her head with a solemn expression.
“Thank you for teaching me… until now.”
“You too, don’t say weird things! Master will come back after defeating Erebus! Are you saying Master can’t defeat Erebus?”
Berchia grabbed Bihara and shook her violently.
“No, I believe in you.”
Bihara smiled faintly.
“I believe Master will defeat Erebus.”
Satisfied by her words, Berchia puffed out her chest and nodded.
Watching the two of them, Kyle said,
“What will you do when peace returns to the world?”
“We will help our masters rebuild the world.”
Berchia said with a bright smile.
“I want to help those in need and create a world where everyone can be happy.”
“Yes, do your best.”
“Of course.”
“Berchia, come here for a moment?”
“Yes! Master Luna!”
Berchia ran to Luna’s call.
Luna handed her disciple a large bouquet of flowers.
“This is a gift. My favorite flowers.”
“Wow, they’re so pretty! Master Luna!”
Seeing Berchia genuinely delighted as she received the bouquet, Bihara said with a smile,
“Berchia will surely brighten this world.”
Bihara’s gentle smile suddenly turned expressionless.
“Master.”
“Why?”
“Even after peace is restored, if there are still those who prey on the world like now, what should I do?”
The emotion disappeared from Bihara’s voice.
“Should I continue doing what I'm doing now?”
Kyle looked at Bihara without a word.
Fundamentally, Bihara distrusted others.
It was an unavoidable course of events, having lived a thoroughly miserable life without parents from birth.
Erebus, Tartarus.
They took away everyone’s happiness and plunged them into misery.
But it was humans like her who brought tragedy upon her miserable life as an orphan.
Leo looked at Berchia.
Despite being born into a dark world, Berchia was a bright woman.
If Berchia was like the sun, Bihara was like the moon in the night sky.
“I… cannot tolerate it. In a world where peace is regained through the sacrifice of many heroes… a world built by the hands of Masters and great heroes… to see maggots that eat away at the world… I can never forgive it.”
Bihara spat out the words, emitting a twisted murderous intent.
“If I see those who are not worthy of living in an era of peace… if there are many such people… what should I do?”
“There will probably be many.”
Kyle said indifferently.
Those born in the age of despair thought that a world without Erebus would be endlessly beautiful.
But having lived before the age of despair, Kyle knew.
That a world without Erebus is not always beautiful.
That it is sometimes more ugly than the age of despair.
“You’ll see a lot of dirty things too.”
Bihara gritted her teeth at Kyle’s words.
“But don’t get too caught up in such things.”
Kyle smiled.
“Many people, including myself, knew that, yet we risked our lives to save the world.”
“……”
“Surely, when the era of peace arrives, you will meet all sorts of people. Surely Risinas will regret it too, thinking, ‘Did we save the world for that sort of thing?’.”
Kyle smiled faintly, looking at Risinas in the distance.
“But still, there will surely be more good people. The era you will live in will be a world where the light shines brighter than the depth of darkness. So.”
Leo reached out and roughly stroked Bihara’s head.
“When the world finds peace, don’t live in darkness your entire life.”
“……Yes, Master.”
***
Deep in the forests of the eastern continent.
There was a fairly large village here.
“Melanu Village. It has beautiful natural scenery, so outsiders visit for tourism or recuperation. It’s famous for its hot springs,”
Chen Xia explained about the village.
“But… this is surprising.”
Chen Xia looked at the scenery unfolding before her with a bewildered expression.
“Look at this! It’s a flower I’ve never seen before, but it’s so beautiful!”
Eilan said with a wide smile, looking at the flowers blooming profusely on the ground.
“What kind of flower could it be?”
As Chen Xia also looked puzzled, Leo replied,
“Statice.”
“Young Master Leo, do you know this flower?”
“It’s a flower that has disappeared in this era.”
To be precise, they all disappeared during the era of disaster.
‘It was Luna’s favorite flower.’
Now, it could only be bloomed with ‘magic that makes flowers bloom.’
The moment Leo plucked a flower.
Vwoom-!
Leo’s spiritual energy reacted, and his vision went dark.
What he saw in that moment was.
Crunch… crunch…
Bihara, holding a large, withered bouquet of statice, was walking.
[Where is Master?]
[…… Here.]
To Bihara’s question, Berchia, who was beside her, showed a small urn.
[Is it right to bury Master next to Luna?]
At Bihara’s question, Berchia tightly gripped the urn.
[… We couldn’t find the graves of the others. At least I want to make sure these two aren’t lonely.]
Seeing Berchia bow her head, Bihara nodded.
[Let’s go.]
Unlike Bihara, who walked forward, Berchia could not.
She just stood there, staring at the ground.
Whoosh-!
“Young Master Leo?”
“Master Leo!”
Chen Xia, startled, supported Leo.
Eilan quickly approached Leo.
“It’s okay. It’s nothing.”
Leo, holding his head, shook his head.
‘That was Spirit Possession. But whose memory was it?’
It was definitely one of them, Berchia or Bihara.
‘Is it related to this flower?’
Leo looked at the blooming flowers.
He couldn’t know the source of the memory.
Only that it was related to this flower.
‘What I can know now is. That Luna and my grave are somewhere around here?’