Book 1 Chapter 500

500

"Berkia?"

Luna nodded at Leo's question.

"Yes. My lingering regret seems to be Berkkia."

Luna looked down at her palm.

"I was very worried."

Worry flickered in Luna's eyes.

"Were you worried that he would carry too much alone?"

Luna shook her head at Leo's question.

"It wasn't that I was worried simply because Berkkia carried too much or that it would be difficult for him."

Luna smiled faintly.

"Because I believed in Berkkia's potential more than anyone else."

Although Berkkia couldn't wield star magic, Luna had already anticipated that his disciple wouldn't be able to use star magic.

The potential Luna believed in for Berkkia was his potential as a hero.

"Berkia would have grown even more. Overcoming difficult trials… he had the potential to stand tall and rebuild a fallen world. I had no doubt that he would protect the world we saved."

And so it was.

After Erebus was sealed.

Tartarus tried to destroy the world to fulfill his wish.

It was Berkkia who blocked the onslaught on the front lines.

He was a magnificent hero, capable of fully taking responsibility for an era after the great heroes.

"What I was worried about was Berkkia's disposition."

"His personality?"

"Yes."

Luna gave a bitter smile.

Berkkia was born in the darkest era.

He was born in an era where the brightly burning sun had disappeared, and he didn't know what it was.

"But when I first saw Berkkia, I felt like I was looking at the sun."

A child who could shine brilliantly even in dark times.

That wasn't simply because Berkkia was born with extraordinary talent.

"That child is someone who can genuinely smile brightly even in dark times."

"Indeed."

He was always arrogant, blunt, and rebelliously defiant, but he was still the only one born in the age of disaster who could smile brightly.

"When everything around was dark, I had no worries. But when the surroundings become bright, shadows are bound to appear."

Luna muttered softly and then chuckled.

"Still, I'm not too worried."

"If you're not that worried, can it be called regret?"

Luna scoffed at Leo, who asked with surprise.

"The regret of not being able to witness the life Berkkia lived is also enough to be regret, isn't it?"

Indeed it was.

"Well, Berkkia would have done well."

Luna showed unwavering belief.

"He's my disciple, no matter what anyone says."

Luna hummed a tune and walked away, grinning.

"In that sense, shall I focus on the present?"

Leo watched Luna's retreating figure for a moment and then took out a dagger from his pocket.

Bhihar's dagger.

Leo, without a word, looked at the dagger and followed Luna.

***

Luna's school visit continued.

Amidst this, Luna's attention was drawn to the joint rehearsal of the music club and theater club.

"A musical? Is it a play?"

"Yes. The only difference is that they act while singing."

Eiran explained kindly beside her.

"Oh!"

Luna's eyes sparkled at the culture that didn't exist in her time 5,000 years ago.

"Let's see. What kind of play are they doing?"

She entered the rehearsal room with an excited face.

And then…

"Ah?! Eiran unnie!"

A bright voice was heard.

Chelsea, who ran over, clung to Eiran's back.

"I heard you came as an exchange student, and here we meet!"

"Chelsea-yang, nice to meet you!"

Eiran smiled brightly and stroked Chelsea's head.

"Leo oppa and Shia are here too?"

"Now that you mention it, Chelsea-yang, you're in the music club, right?"

Chen Shia nodded.

"Yes, I'm the ace of the music club."

Chelsea said proudly, crossing her arms and smiling triumphantly.

"I'm playing the main role in this musical."

"Main role?"

"Yes."

Nodding, Chelsea showed her ears.

Unlike usual, Chelsea's ears were pointed.

She seemed to be dressed as an elf.

"That's why I came straight to practice as soon as I returned from my mission."

"You suit it perfectly!"

It was when Eiran smiled brightly.

Indeed, the costume was also traditional elf mage attire.

At that moment.

"What is it? What is it? Who is this?"

Luna, with her eyes shining brightly, leaned her face towards Chelsea.

Seeing Luna, Chelsea's face stiffened.

"Huh?"

She let out a surprised exclamation.

"Leo! What is this cute creature?"

Leo said, looking at Luna who was staring at him with an excited face.

"She's Chelsea Lewalin."

"So cute! I want to keep her!"

Chelsea's face contorted in horror as she looked at Luna, who spoke like a little girl who had found a favorite doll.

"Lu, Luna-nim?!"

"Oh my?"

Luna showed surprise as her perception-altering magic didn't work.

Perception-altering magic is also a type of suggestion magic.

Luna set a simple keyword so that her identity would not be recognized.

Only those who know Leo's identity can recognize her.

The simpler the keyword, the stronger the effect of perception-altering magic.

And Leo's identity was a keyword that could provide a simple yet very powerful suggestion.

"So. You know Leo's identity?"

"Gasp!"

Chelsea's mouth dropped open as what she had vaguely suspected turned out to be true.

"Goodness! Luna-nim! Did you come from the hero's world like Arion-nim?"

"It's a slightly different case than Arion, but yes, she's Luna-nim, the founder of the constellation."

"Goodness, goodness. How, how."

Chelsea wrung her hands, unable to decide what to do.

Chelsea loved heroic tales.

Moreover, meeting Luna, whom she respected so much as a mage!

What greater honor could there be?

"Can you… can you shake hands with me?"

"Yes. There's no reason why I can't."

Luna smiled faintly, took Chelsea's hand, and then hugged her tightly.

"Ah."

"You're so cute! Won't you call me Luna unnie?"

"Lu, Luna unnie?"

"I want a younger sister like you!"

Chelsea's face softened as Luna rubbed her cheek against her hair.

"Chelsea, you have to practice now!"

"Huh? It's the student council president."

The seniors from the music club and theater club called out to Chelsea.

Luna let go of Chelsea.

Chelsea headed for the stage with a disappointed expression.

She had a mountain of things she wanted to ask.

But she couldn't put off practice.

At that moment, members of the music club and theater club approached Leo.

"President. Are you observing?"

"I'm looking around."

"I see. This is the pamphlet for our upcoming performance."

"What's the content?"

"The unfulfilled love story between the founder of the constellation and the hero."

"Pfft?!"

At the theater club member's words, Luna, who was drinking the beverage handed out by the stage staff, spat it out.

"Cough! Cough!"

Instantly, curious gazes were directed at Luna.

Luna waved her hand, calming her cough.

Conversely, Leo held back his laughter, chuckling to himself.

"It sounds interesting."

"Right? That's why, regarding the budget…"

"I'm not here to discuss the budget."

It seemed like every club member they met talked about the budget.

At Leo's words, the music and theater clubs left with bright expressions.

"Leo-doryeong has become a figure of absolute terror."

It was when Chen Shia chuckled.

"An unfulfilled love between me and Arion! Where did such an absurd story come from, and why are they going to perform it!"

Luna shouted at Leo, her face flushed red.

"There's no point in complaining to me."

Leo shrugged his shoulders.

Eiran spoke in Leo's stead.

"The stories of the great heroes are so famous that many people in later generations speculate that they might have loved each other."

At that, Luna squinted her eyes.

"So? Is there a story going around that you and Arion might have been… intimate?"

"Yes. Along with the love story of Lisinas-nim and Arion-nim, it's a very popular story."

"Are you not linked with Kyle?"

At that, Eiran discreetly glanced at Leo.

"Until recently, the Hero of Beginning was treated as a non-existent, fictional character…"

"Hmm~"

Luna squinted her eyes and looked at Leo.

"And your love story with Dwenno is also quite famous, isn't it?"

"Ah~ Is there a story like that too?"

"According to the pamphlet, a performance based on that story was also a strong candidate. It seems they chose your story with Arion because there was no suitable person for the role of Dwenno?"

Elves and beastkin can wear makeup, but dwarves cannot have their height reduced.

Leo's words brought a bright expression to Luna's face.

"I'm so glad they're not performing that."

"Yes? Why is that fortunate?"

"If they had performed that story, I would have destroyed this place."

Luna's expression disappeared.

Seeing Luna express genuine anger, Eiran looked frightened.

A moment later, the rehearsal began.

Chelsea, who was the main character, played Luna's role.

As for Arion, he was a fourth-year student in the theater club.

"Goodness, who is Chelsea playing to be so pretty?"

Luna said shamelessly.

As if ignoring Luna's words, the song began.

Seeing that, Luna paused and stared intently at Chelsea.

"It's a beautiful song."

Eiran clasped her hands together and admired.

It was true.

Chelsea's singing was so moving that it astonished the listeners.

A moment later.

After the rehearsal ended, Luna said to Leo.

"Leo."

"Why?"

"Why are there so many gems in this school?"

Luna said, her eyes shining.

"I'm getting so much inspiration for magic."

At that, Leo chuckled.

Luna, leaving the rehearsal room, said with an excited face.

"Chloe, Iliana, and now Chelsea! There are so many children with brilliant talent in this era!"

"There's also the one who completed the 염제."

"Right! I want to meet Lunia quickly too! The successor you've chosen!"

Luna smiled brightly.

"It's really the best! This era is full of possibilities!"

Luna looked down at her hands.

"I can grow even more."

The magic accumulated and advanced over 5,000 years stimulated Luna.

Countless talents provided new ideas and inspirations that Luna hadn't even thought of.

Based on that, a new path appeared.

Before the age of disaster.

Even after the age of disaster, Luna is still considered the strongest mage in magical history.

However, Luna's talent had not yet fully blossomed.

The theories of magic created anew in the new era provided nourishment to her undeveloped talent.

Luna was confident that she could cultivate a new tree in the soil of 5,000 years of accumulated magical history.

'In this era… perhaps I can see the end of magic.'

As Luna, both as a mage and an explorer, her eyes sparkled.

"Oh! Leo!"

A cheerful voice was heard.

It was Karl.

"Chloe came long ago, but did Karl just arrive?"

Chen Shia asked with a puzzled expression. Karl smiled.

"Yeah. There was a lot to learn at the northern magic tower. Plus, I could skip class, you know?"

Karl, chuckling, also waved hello to Eiran.

Then he looked at Luna and showed a surprised expression.

"Huh?"

Karl's eyes widened.

At Karl's reaction, filled with shock, Luna looked up with a puzzled expression.

"Gasp?!"

Karl was startled.

Seeing that reaction, Leo narrowed his eyes.

Chen Shia also seemed taken aback, looking at Karl with a slightly bewildered expression.

Karl asked in a voice filled with shock.

"Lu, Luna-nim?"