Book 1 Chapter 502
502.
Fiiiiiing! Bang! Bang!
“Waaaaah!”
Fireworks soaring high into the sky and cheers pouring in from all directions.
This meant the start of the Twilight Festival.
Countless people on the streets wore bright smiles.
Lumaria City, the center of the world, was always lively, but today it was even more full of energy.
People of many races, usually seen sparsely, moved along the streets.
Although the Twilight Festival is often mistaken for a festival honoring only the Lumens due to its name, it is not actually a festival solely for the Lumens.
Statues of the heroes of creation were erected throughout Lumaria City.
And adorning the central plaza were none other than the statues of the great heroes.
The countless crowds visiting Lumaria City offered flowers to the great heroes.
This year, in particular, there were many offerings to Arion.
Last summer.
The impact of Arion appearing in the mortal realm and eradicating a fragment of Erebus was significant.
Children on the streets, dressed as the great heroes and wearing masks, ran around.
“It’s like Gardesron,” Luna murmured, standing blankly on the street.
Indeed, the sight of a city where countless races coexisted gave off the atmosphere of Gardesron.
“Of course, it's fundamentally different.”
The festival was peace itself.
There was no sense of unease, and everyone wore bright expressions.
Luna closed her eyes.
‘This is the world we saved.’
Her chest felt warm.
She had felt the reality of saving the world before.
But seeing the happy smiles of the countless people on the streets warmed a corner of her heart.
It was literally moving.
It was then.
Thump-!
A child, running without looking ahead while playing, bumped into Luna.
“Ouch!”
“Are you okay?”
Luna’s eyes widened as she helped up the boy who had bumped into her and fallen.
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry……”
As the boy stood up, holding Luna’s hand, he looked at Luna’s face and exclaimed, “Wow!”
“You look like Luna-nim!”
“You look like Luna-nim?”
“Yes! You’re so pretty!”
“What an honest child?”
Luna smiled brightly and helped the boy up.
Then, while dusting off the child, she noticed his scraped hand and healed it with magic.
“Amazing! You’re a magician, sister!”
“Because I look like Luna-nim.”
“But sister, did you drink? I smell alcohol.”
“Yes. I had a little.”
Luna smiled faintly.
“Here’s a question.”
Luna said with a serious face.
“Who is the greatest among the great heroes?”
“Lord Dweno!”
The boy clenched his fists and his eyes sparkled.
“Lord Dweno made the divine artifacts used by the great heroes! My family are blacksmiths! That’s why I think Dweno is the greatest of the great heroes!”
Indeed, the boy’s outfit was Dweno’s.
And behind his back was a Dweno mask.
Luna smiled brightly and said,
“Yes. You’re wrong. The greatest great hero is Luna-nim.”
“No way.”
The boy looked incredulous.
“Not ‘no way’. Dweno was a pervert and a grumpy dwarf.”
“How do you know that, sister?”
“Because I’m Luna.”
“Sister, are you drunk?”
“In that sense, that mask is confiscated. I’ll buy you a Luna mask to replace it.”
Luna tried to snatch the Dweno mask.
The boy recoiled in fear.
“What are you doing to a child, you drunkard.”
“Early education is important! It’s unacceptable to let that young and pure sprout admire such a perverted old man!”
“Don’t shatter the child’s dream.”
“Reality is harsh! Even children should know the truth! No! That old man isn’t a worthy figure to be admired in the first place!”
Luna cried out.
At that, people’s gazes naturally turned to the two of them.
The boy, staring blankly at the scene, waved his hand.
“Goodbye, pretty sister who looks like Luna-nim! Have a good date with your boyfriend!”
The boy disappeared into the crowd with a bright smile.
“Did you find Luna-nim?”
Just then, Chen Xia and Eiran came running in a panic.
They were very surprised to see Luna suddenly disappear when they were together.
“As you can see.”
Leo grabbed Luna by the back of her neck and set her upright.
Seeing Luna like that, Chen Xia said,
“Luna-nim, you seem to be quite drunk. You should stop drinking.”
“I’m fine.”
Luna shrugged her shoulders.
Looking at her face alone, she did seem fine.
If it weren’t for the strong smell of alcohol emanating from her, one could never imagine she had been drinking.
However, her actions were unrestrained and violent.
Exactly like a drunk person’s behavior.
As soon as the festival began, Luna drank to her heart’s content at the street stalls, indulging in potent spirits.
She drank only high-proof liquor.
Already a heavy drinker, Luna was like a fish in water at the festival.
“Sir! One more glass here!”
As Luna asked the stall owner for another drink, he chuckled and handed her a glass.
“Elf maiden! You’re quite spirited!”
“Kyahaha~ This is the life!”
Watching Luna drink heartily and happily, Eiran said with concern,
“Is… is she okay like that?”
“Once she gets going, no one can stop her,” Leo clicked his tongue.
Then, he took out a map from his pocket and said,
“Let’s go to the inn Karl booked first.”
Karl had already booked an inn for the Twilight Festival.
Karl’s connections, both within and outside the school, were extensive, so he boasted about securing a good lodging.
“Hey. We need to move now.”
“A little more drinking.”
Despite Leo’s words, Luna had no intention of moving.
Seeing this, Leo approached Luna, put his arm around her waist, and carried her like a sack of goods under his arm.
However, Luna, accustomed to Leo’s attitude, drank from two glasses of alcohol in her hands.
Watching this, Chen Xia muttered,
“I knew you were an eccentric person… but you’re truly amazing.”
It was both familiar and bewildering to see the true form of the great hero she had admired since childhood.
Chen Xia looked to the side with a slightly worried gaze.
To the innocent elf, Eiran, Luna’s drunken state might be shocking.
She turned her head and saw Eiran, hands clasped, smiling brightly.
“Luna-nim… you are very beautiful.”
‘That?’
Being dangled by Leo and dragged along was far from beautiful.
‘Well, Eiran-san does have somewhat peculiar tastes.’
Chen Xia nodded in understanding and followed behind Leo, holding Eiran’s hand.
***
A moment later.
Leo and his group arrived at a place that served as both a bar and an inn.
Seeing this, Chen Xia tilted her head.
“Is this really the place?”
“It is,” Leo murmured, looking at the name of the bar.
Karl had said he booked a good inn, but this was far from the kind of good inn Chen Xia and Eiran had imagined.
It was then.
“Oh! You’re here! You’re here!”
The bar door opened, and Karl rushed out with a welcoming face.
“Come on, come on! Don’t just stand there!”
Karl, with his characteristic sly smile, led the group to the back of the bar.
“Is this the good inn you mentioned?”
“Yes. I rented the entire top floor! And it’s free!”
Karl winked and gave a thumbs up.
“Well, actually, I helped out this place a while back. I was able to rent it through that connection. But there’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yes. Leo, the student council president of Lumern, will work as a waiter for one day!”
As he said that, Karl was wearing a waiter's uniform.
Seeing Karl like that, Chen Xia frowned.
“Are you telling me to make Leo-doryo work as a waiter?”
Chen Xia’s eyes turned cold.
Seeing Chen Xia like that, Karl looked startled.
Karl knew that Chen Xia treated Leo like a master.
It was natural that he wouldn’t be pleased to have Leo do waiter work.
“Not only is the room fee… but they also said the food and drinks are free. I thought it would be a good memory…”
“Free drinks?”
At that moment, Luna, who was on the side,’s eyes lit up.
“Let’s do it.”
“What? Luna-nim is going to be a waiter?”
Eiran was extremely flustered.
For the greatest hero of the elf race to be asked to be a waiter!
What a monstrous act this was!
“What’s wrong with it! The drinks are free! Leo! You’re doing it too, right?”
But Luna didn’t care.
At Luna’s words, Leo chuckled.
“It sounds fun.”
“Ohhh!!”
Karl let out a cheer.
“Since the two of them agreed, there’s no problem, right?”
Karl grinned at Chen Xia and Eiran.
The two girls, who usually smiled a lot, stared at Karl.
“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Karl-kun.”
“You will be punished by heaven.”
Seeing the two girls with half-closed eyes, Karl looked startled.
***
Stomp- Stomp-
It was night, but Lumaria City was still vibrant with the festival. A red-haired elf walked down the street.
As the beautiful elf passed, the crowd parted.
They instinctively moved aside due to the charisma emanating from the elf.
The elf, Lunia, walked through the parted crowd nonchalantly, snorting.
Her intense red hair and eyes exuded an even stronger presence.
‘I should have come with Eiran originally.’ Lunia inwardly lamented.
She was envious of her friend who had gone to Lumern as an exchange student.
Of course, Seyrun, like Lumern, was a hero academy, so there was no shortage of learning.
But still, Lunia envied her friend.
‘Eiran must have been with Leo all the time?’
Leo Flove was in Lumern.
And Lunia wanted to show Leo her changed self after the short break.
Though not for a very long time, Lunia had definitely become stronger.
She had made a contract with Phoenix, which she had longed for.
In addition, the magic she learned from Leo, Flame Emperor, had also been further enhanced.
She wanted to show him her changed self as soon as possible.
She believed she had taken a step closer to Leo Flove.
However, unfortunately, she had only just become available due to handing over her student council president duties.
‘I originally intended to come in the morning.’ Lunia licked her lips.
Something unexpected happened at school today.
News that Rune, the acting principal, had collapsed spread throughout the school.
At first, the school was thrown into chaos, but the commotion soon ended when Rune himself announced that it was nothing serious.
‘He said he would be fine with a few days of rest, but Rune’s face was grim.’
Although he didn’t show it, Rune’s face was serious.
Feeling a lingering unease, Lunia stopped walking.
‘I should at least inform Eiran.’
She thought Eiran should know, as it was about her grandfather.
Thus, Lunia entered an alley.
‘Karl said he booked an inn around here, right?’
Due to the Twilight Festival, crowds were everywhere.
Many elves who didn’t want to go to human cities were also visible.
As Lunia was looking for the address.
“Tsk. To be a human waiter, serving humans.”
“It’s a disgrace to elves.”
“And to be drunk and disgrace yourself in an alley. As a fellow elf, I am ashamed.”
From a distance, she could hear elves grumbling.
‘There are always elves like that everywhere.’
A group that, due to excessive racial pride, despises fellow elves they don’t approve of.
Lunia clicked her tongue.
She didn’t particularly like that kind of elf.
As Lunia was heading to the inn.
“Ugh! Uweeek!”
A vomiting sound came from somewhere.
People passing by the alley chuckled.
Lunia involuntarily looked towards the source of the sound and let out a wry laugh.
There, an elf in a waitress uniform was leaning against the wall and vomiting.
“Uweeeek!”
‘Indeed, that’s embarrassing for a fellow elf.’
Lunia felt awkward for no reason.
As she was about to turn away from the elf who was disgracing their race,
“Are you okay?”
An elf with a familiar face rushed out of the alley.
‘Eiran?’
Lunia’s eyes widened, and she approached Eiran.
Eiran was hastily patting the elf’s back.
“Eiran… ugh… thank you… uweeek!”
The elf continued to vomit even while expressing thanks.
“Eiran, what are you doing there…”
“Luna-nim, please refrain from drinking any more…”
“What?!”
Upon hearing Eiran’s words, Lunia exclaimed in shock.
Eiran, with wide eyes, spotted Lunia and smiled brightly.
“Lunia-san!”
“What? Lunia… Aeek?!”
Luna also turned her head and then looked back at the ground.
Seeing her face, Lunia’s expression hardened.
“Yes. It’s a dream. A dream. Yes, I’m dreaming.”
Lunia denied reality.
‘Yes. Luna-nim wouldn’t be here in reality, would she? Such a miracle like the one with Arion wouldn’t happen so easily, right? Yes. It’s a dream. A bad nightmare. In the first place, it makes no sense for Luna-nim to vomit like that. Yes. Let’s wake up.’
The Luna that Lunia knew was a beautiful, pure, and benevolent elf.
Of course, with a slightly eccentric and cute side, a perfect elf.
While Luna was desperately trying to ignore reality.
“Unfortunately, it’s reality.”
Leo, who had somehow appeared in the alley, said coldly.
“This is Luna’s true form.”
“Lies!”
Shocked, Lunia shook her head.
“You grow up seeing a lot of dirty things.”
“No!”
“Congratulations on becoming an adult.”
“If this is what being an adult means, I don’t want to become one!”
Lunia, desperately denying reality, staggered.
Eiran, surprised, helped Lunia.
Leo patted Luna’s back instead of Eiran and said,
“You’re disgracing your race. Are you satisfied with shattering the child’s illusion?”
“What?”
“No, continue what you were doing.”
At those words, Luna looked at the ground again.
As Leo patted Luna’s back, he muttered,
“If you’ve seen all sorts of disgraceful things, you wouldn’t notice me, would you?”
“What? What did you just say…?”
“I was talking to myself.”