Book 1 Chapter 496

Under the gray sky.

The great heroes who finished their battle with the legion commander panted for breath.

"I, I really thought I was going to die this time."

Arion said with a pale face.

"I agree. I never thought there would be a legion commander with such abilities."

Even Dwenno, who was always calm, put down his battle axe and muttered with a serious expression.

"Still, this is the second formidable enemy we've defeated after Yormungandr. Everyone worked hard."

Lisinas took a deep breath and comforted his comrades.

"Where are Kyle and Luna?"

Dwenno asked with a puzzled look.

"Luna took Kyle, saying she was going to the library in this area."

"Tsk. The one who needs rest the most has been taken away by the one who is the most well."

Lisinas smiled bitterly at the words.

This legion commander was literally like a natural enemy to Kyle.

On the other hand, Luna had strong resistance to the legion commander's authority.

'If it weren't for Luna, the battle would have been truly dangerous.'

Lisinas also felt a chill inwardly.

"But why does Luna always bring so many grimoires from the library of the liberated city?"

Arion, the only one in the party who was ignorant of magic, asked with a bewildered expression.

"To study magic."

"Luna is already the greatest mage in the world. Is there anything more to learn?"

Despite Dwenno's explanation, Arion retorted as if he didn't understand.

Seeing Arion like that, Lisinas said,

"There's a proverb among mages: 'Even the greatest mage has something to learn from a street fortune-teller.'"

"Ah. So Luna reads other grimoires to improve further."

"To put it simply, yes. But before that, Luna has a dream."

"A dream? What is it?"

Arion tilted his head.

"Luna wants to know all the magic that exists in this world."

"Isn't that absurd?"

Arion's jaw dropped.

Even Arion, who didn't know magic, knew.

That there are countless magics in this world.

Knowing all that magic is a realm close to impossible.

"It's absurd. Magic is a study that explores endless mysteries."

Lisinas smiled.

"But for a mage like Luna, learning new magic must be an unparalleled joy."

Whoooooosh-!

A dry wind blew.

"For Luna, a world full of unknown magic would probably be heaven."

***

"……Is this heaven?"

Luna, who arrived at the library of the second-year magic department, muttered blankly, looking at the countless grimoires laid out before her.

Luna, who was holding a basic grimoire that mages learn these days with trembling hands, covered her eyes with her palm and groaned, "Ahhh-!" before stumbling.

"I feel like I'm going to die from happiness. No. I don't mind dying."

"You're already dead."

Leo interjected from the side, but Luna ignored him and focused on reading the grimoire.

'The spells in the basic grimoires should be primarily casting formulas.'

Leo's first real encounter with magic of this era was after entering Lumern.

And it was then that he first saw casting formulas.

Even the greatest mage, Leo, who had magic knowledge from 5,000 years ago, couldn't properly understand what a casting formula was at the time.

"Wow, in the future, there are formulas that can be cast just by memorizing them."

However, Luna quickly grasped the structure after looking at the casting formula for a short time.

"I want to try it once."

"This is the magic department library, so you can use simple magic."

"Alright then. Hoya."

Luna used the casting formula to cast a simple spell.

"Amazing."

Luna exclaimed.

A simple fire magic that conjures flames.

Luna then immediately created a casting formula and transformed the fire magic into a fireball.

"Still amazing."

"Heh heh. Who do you think I am? I am the great Luna. Luna."

Luna wore a triumphant expression.

Mastering a casting formula after seeing it once.

Luna, who retracted her magic, exclaimed, "Ah!"

"Could my lingering regret be that I haven't seen all the infinite possibilities of magic?"

At those words, Leo stroked his chin.

"That might be the case."

"Heh heh. Yes. I had a strong desire to explore magic."

"You always looked greedily at grimoires you'd never seen before."

"Your choice of words is strange. Do you think a word like greed suits me, who is pure and innocent?"

"It suits you very well."

Luna punched Leo in the side.

Leo, his face contorted in pain, clutched his side and said,

"Anyway, you can read grimoires to your heart's content later, so let's stop here."

"I want to read it now."

As Luna said, hugging the grimoire tightly, Leo clicked his tongue.

"There's someone you need to meet."

"Someone I need to meet?"

At Leo's words, Luna blinked several times.

***

"Ah."

The fairy king, who had lived for 5,000 years, trembled as he looked at his former oath-taker before him.

"This… this isn't a dream, is it?"

"You've grown so much, Silod. Well, it's been 5,000 years."

"Luna!"

Silod flew to Luna, who was smiling through tears.

Silod, clinging to Luna's hair, shook her shoulders.

"Yes. You're so good. So good."

Luna smiled, gently stroking Silod's hair with her fingertips.

Tears welled up in Luna's eyes.

Leo smiled wryly, watching the scene.

'To be able to see Luna and Silod together again in this era.'

Luna was present at the place where Silod was born, and they formed an oath from that moment.

Although they were in an oath-bound relationship, they were like family before that.

'One of Luna's lingering regrets might be not keeping her promise with Silod.'

Before leaving on her last journey.

Luna made a promise with Silod.

That she would definitely come back.

But in the end, she couldn't keep that promise and closed her eyes.

If that remained as a regret,

this reunion would surely help Luna.

In the fairy king's residence, the three who sought to save the world during the era of disaster talked.

"So, who did Berkkia marry?"

"She married an ordinary elf young man. Surprising, isn't it?"

"An ordinary elf young man?"

Luna's eyes widened.

Leo also heard it for the first time.

"Didn't that guy brag that he would never marry a man weaker than him?"

"Yes. He definitely did."

Luna also looked surprised.

"He was an ordinary but very pure and kind young man. Someone fitting for the new era."

Silod recalled the past as if reminiscing.

"He was an elf who gave a sense of comfort when you were beside him. Perhaps that's why Berkkia chose Maide."

"So she chose him?"

Luna tilted her head.

"Berkkia was very tired at the time."

Silod sighed softly.

"Rebuilding the world wasn't easy. The collapsed order had to be re-established. The order of Gardsron, established by Lisinas, turned into chaos after Lisinas disappeared."

If the great heroes who saved the world had been alive, there might not have been much trouble even after the world found peace.

They all disappeared during the process of finally subjugating Erebus.

The great heroes were undoubtedly the saviors of this world.

But before that, they were also a deterrent.

Not everyone is righteous.

Some have good natures, while others have twisted ones.

But when the world was on the brink of destruction, twisted natures were a shortcut to the world's ruin.

Lisinas did not tolerate such people.

'I dealt with those who operated in the shadows.'

"There were many among the residents of Gardsron who turned into evil people, true to their desires."

"I can't believe it. Everyone in Gardsron was good."

Luna looked bewildered.

"Thinking about it now, maybe everyone was suppressing their true natures."

Great heroes who sacrificed themselves for the world and countless heroes.

Because they set an example, the world on the brink of destruction was, in a sense, a very good and orderly world.

Many people cared for others more than themselves.

"Are you saying they hid their true natures because they were afraid of our power?"

At Leo's muttering, Luna fell into thought and then spoke earnestly.

"I don't think that's all of it. Maybe they just wanted to live meaningful lives because it was a world that could be destroyed at any moment."

Luna gave a wry smile.

"Whenever there was a crisis in Gardsron, we helped each other. The image we saw was definitely not a lie."

Hearing Luna's words, Leo recalled the past.

It felt like ancient history to Leo, who had been reincarnated, but it was vivid to Luna, as if it happened yesterday.

"It's ironic. That people in a world on the verge of destruction have more good natures."

"It's probably why the world didn't get destroyed."

Luna replied earnestly to Leo's words.

"So, during the process of rebuilding the world and establishing order, you fell for a man you met?"

"Yes."

"Were you happy?"

Leo asked gruffly, and Silod smiled.

"She seemed very happy when she was with Maide. Just like when she was with the two of you."

"That's a relief."

Leo chuckled.

"What? After bickering with Berkkia like that? I can't believe you're worried about your disciple when you said that she needed to suffer with a strange man to mature?"

"What do you think of people?"

"Morally bankrupt."

Luna answered without hesitation with a bright smile.

Seeing Luna like that, Leo clicked his tongue.

"I worry about the ones left behind, too. Besides…"

"Besides?"

"That guy seemed to consider me like a father."

Luna's eyes widened at the unexpected remark.

"Like a father… to you?"

"Yes."

"How do you know that?"

"He told me himself. I heard it in the hero's world."

At those words, Luna stared at Leo and then burst out laughing.

"It actually suits you."

'It really felt like a nagging dad and a rebellious daughter.'

Chuckling, Luna's expression became slightly excited.

"Then, am I the mother?"

"Mother, my foot. You just played at the same level, so he probably considered you an older sister."

Luna kicked Leo's butt.

Of course, Leo dodged.

As Luna grumbled, Silod said with a laugh,

"Berkkia considered both of you as parents."

"See! I considered Berkkia like a daughter too!"

Luna crossed her arms with a triumphant expression.

"If you considered her like a daughter, why didn't you educate her? You indulged her, and she became insolent day by day."

Seeing Leo grumbling, Luna covered her ears and pretended not to hear.

Leo, who clicked his tongue at Luna, said to Silod,

"Silod, let's talk for a moment, just the two of us."

"Yes."

"What secret are you going to talk about?"

"It's about Biharu."

Leo and Silod moved to a corner of the fairy king's residence.

Leo said, crossing his arms.

"You said the world was in chaos after we died, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll ask directly. I have an idea, but what kind of life did Biharu live?"

"……"

At Leo's question, Silod closed his eyes.

And then he opened his mouth heavily.

"She lived a life of punishing those who harmed the world. She lived as if she couldn't tolerate them enjoying life. Wherever she appeared, there was always a sea of blood. So people feared Biharu more than demons."

***

"I see. That Berkkia, she considered me and Leo like her mother and father?"

The morning of the expedition.

She recalled the disciple who had come to find her.

'Fortunately, she lived happily.'

'I will never tarnish the names of my teachers. And if there are those who tarnish their names again, I will never forgive them.'

'We will definitely return, Berkkia.'

'Even so! Even after you return, there will be people who secretly badmouth you, won't there? I will absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not forgive those guys!'

Berkkia's words came to mind.

'It's a shame. I wish I had known sooner.'

Luna's eyes blurred.

'I really wanted to see Berkkia become happy.'

Even knowing she lived happily, she wasn't satisfied.

She felt a greater regret, like a deeper thirst.

Feeling the lingering regret of not seeing Berkkia happy, Luna said,

'But it's really good.'

The world they saved was truly beautiful.

Magic had progressed.

It was a truly happy world, despite having lived only a few days.

'This is a big problem.'

Luna looked at Leo.

'I think I'm starting to have regrets.'