Book 1 Chapter 503

503.

Startled—

Luniah, who had woken from sleep, blinked a few times, then hastily sat up and looked around.

Last night.

Luniah, who had fainted at the shocking sight, had somehow fallen asleep.

"Ugh…"

Groaning, Luniah got up and approached one side of the room where a memo was placed.

It was a memo left by Eyran, saying he would go and attend Rumerne's class.

'Leona Cal… and that child named Chen Shia must have gone to Rumerne too.'

If so, what remains here now is.

'Lady Luna.'

Feeling complex emotions, Luniah left the room and headed to the first floor.

Unlike the night, the first floor was quiet, perhaps because it was morning.

Creak- creak-

As she descended the stairs, the characteristic friction sound of old stairs echoed.

And the moment she reached the first floor.

"Ah…"

Luniah let out a gasp without realizing it.

On the first floor of the tavern, several customers were having breakfast.

But what caught Luniah's eye was an elf sitting by the window among them.

Her pale silver hair sparkled in the morning sun, and her golden eyes shone brightly.

It was the appearance of Luna, the progenitor of the Nebula, whom Luniah knew.

'As expected, what I saw yesterday was an illusion!'

Just as Luniah let out a sigh of relief and approached Luna.

Luna looked at the contents of her glass and muttered.

"Ugh- as expected, wine is just expensive and not to my taste. What on earth did Lycinas and Dweno find so delicious about this?"

Watching Luna grumble with a face like a day laborer, Luniah tripped over her own feet and fell without realizing it.

Thud-!

Customers having breakfast whispered as they watched the elf with splendid red hair fall by herself first thing in the morning.

"Look at that elf."

"She doesn't seem to have sobered up yet."

"That elf drinking in the morning… my fantasy about elves is shattered."

Luniah raised her head and glared at her surroundings, eyes narrowed.

At this, the startled people around quickly turned their heads away.

Taking a deep breath, Luniah got up and approached Luna.

Standing before Luna, Luniah adjusted her clothes, cleared her throat, and began her introduction.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is…"

"Yes, I know. You're Luniah, right?"

Luna said, writing something down with a quill.

"Pardon?"

"Twice in our hero's world. No, we met once, didn't we?"

"You remember that time?"

"Yes. We fought Erebus together, didn't we?"

Luniah made a surprised expression, looking at Luna who had taken her eyes off the book and was smiling at her.

It was surprising enough that Luna had come to the present world, but to remember the events of the hero's world!

Watching Luniah's bewildered expression, Luna propped her chin.

"So? You said you're my successor?"

"Pardon? Wh-what do you mean?"

Luniah's face turned red.

"I heard all about it from Leo."

Luniah didn't know what to do, watching Luna burst into playful laughter.

It was true that she wanted to follow Luna.

However, since she had been designated as a successor in a situation Luna herself didn't know about, Luniah felt embarrassed by the situation.

'Oh! Why did he say such a thing!'

Just as Luniah was fidgeting, remembering Leo.

"That's reassuring, having a successor like you."

Luniah's eyes widened.

"Aren't you displeased that I'm your successor?"

"Hm? Why should I be displeased?"

"You don't know much about me, do you?"

"Yes. I don't know you well."

Luna smiled sweetly.

"But I know what kind of elf you are."

"Pardon?"

One can tell a person's nature by looking at their magical power.

Luniah, as seen in Luna's eyes, was a white flame.

"You are an upright and talented child. That's why you completed the Fire Emperor, right?"

That alone was enough, Luna muttered inwardly.

"It wasn't something I accomplished alone, you know? Lord Katariru's help was also great."

"That damned chicken head?"

"Ch-chicken head?"

Luniah looked aghast, watching Luna refer to the Phoenix King with such an unconventional term.

"I should have caught him and boiled him alive sometime."

Luniah, who had been blankly staring at Luna clicking her tongue, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hm? Why?"

"Oh, no. Haha. What should I say? Your appearance yesterday and… your appearance today… they're very different from what I imagined."

"The me you imagine. No. What do people of this era imagine me to be like?"

"You were imagined as beautiful, benevolent, and pure. The perfect elf herself."

"What? That's exactly me, isn't it?"

Luna said with sincerity.

Watching such a Luna, Luniah pondered how to reply.

She felt like she'd get hit if she contradicted her.

'Did Ar feel like this?'

Luniah thought of her beast-kin friend, Ar.

Ar-eon, the coward, was completely different from the hero people imagined.

But despite that, Ar respected him without faltering.

'I'm so ashamed of myself for freaking out after seeing Lady Luna yesterday.'

Taking a deep breath, Luniah looked at Luna with clear eyes.

"By the way, Lady Luna. What have you been doing since this morning?"

"I was creating magic."

"Magic?"

"Yes! This world is amazing!"

Luna said in an excited voice.

"Magic has developed to an incomparable extent compared to 5000 years ago! It's potential itself!"

Originally, Luna, known as an exchange student in Rumerne, should have attended classes, but today Luna decided to stay here and research magic.

Luniah perked up her ears and listened intently to Luna's words.

And with admiration, she exchanged stories about magic with Luna.

At Luniah's attitude, Luna also continued the conversation cheerfully.

While they were engaged in a lively discussion about magic.

Time had already passed noon.

Ordering lunch, Luna leaned back in her chair and smiled.

"Chloe, and you too, your ideas about magic are excellent!"

"I'm so happy to receive your praise."

"Berkiya secretly dislikes studying, so it wasn't easy to have such discussions."

Luniah smiled shyly, watching Luna hum a tune.

"You. Eyran, Chelsea, Chloe, Avard. And that child Illiana too. It's truly enjoyable to watch you all. You'll become great mages. Oh, that child Illiana is a bit like Berkiya, though."

Luna recalled the promising mages she had met in this era.

She had already talked a lot with the second-year honor students of Rumerne.

And meeting Luniah like this made her truly happy.

Luniah, whom Leo had assessed as her successor, also harbored infinite potential.

Just by looking, magical inspiration arose.

"Ah~ I don't want to leave."

At that remark, Luniah's shoulders trembled slightly.

Then, her lips parted.

"Lady Luna."

"Hm?"

"Couldn't you stay in the present world?"

Luna's eyes widened.

"It's presumptuous to say this, but… Lord Ar-eon saved the world one more time last time."

The subjugation of Erebus's fragments.

A feat the world had yearned for so much.

With this, the world took another step towards complete salvation.

And talking with Luna, Luniah was convinced.

'If Lady Luna stays in the present world… the history of magic will change once more.'

"Just by Lady Luna remaining in this world, the world will surely be saved."

Luniah could easily notice that the magic Luna was creating was unique magic.

That magic, combining Luna's magical knowledge with the current magical knowledge, was enough to make Luniah tremble.

She knew it instinctively.

By Luna's presence in this era, magic would achieve tremendous progress.

And…

'I want to talk with Lady Luna more.'

Luniah felt sorry for Luna.

Even while they were talking, Luna smiled cheerfully, looking at the peaceful scenery outside the window.

The sight of countless people moving busily and the bustling street.

It was, literally, an ordinary everyday scene, but Luna gazed at that scenery and genuinely rejoiced as if she had seen something magnificent.

Seeing that, Luniah realized.

'This person… hasn't enjoyed anything.'

She had risked everything to save the world, but she hadn't enjoyed anything.

A fact Luniah, who had only seen her noble image in stories and history, had never known.

Before being a great hero, she was a person.

"How interesting."

Luna smiled.

"Everyone who learned my identity revered me. You're the first to look at me with pity."

"I-I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. It means you understand me that well."

Luna reached out and patted Luniah's red hair.

"Thank you."

Luniah's face blushed at Luna's gentle touch.

"I wonder what kind of hero you will grow into."

"I want to be like Lady Luna."

"Of course you should be!"

Luna chuckled and got up.

"Alright, then let's go out with your big sister."

"Go out?"

"Yes. Shouldn't we enjoy the festival?"

Luna grabbed Luniah's wrist, pulled her up, and kicked open the door with a confident stride.

As Luniah followed her, she burst out laughing.

"Stop."

No sooner had they left the tavern and walked a few steps down the alley than a group of elves blocked their way.

Seeing this, Luna tilted her head, and Luniah's face twisted.

"Pureblood Society."

"Pureblood Society? What's that?"

Luna tilted her head.

"They're elf supremacists."

"Elf supremacists, you say…"

Luna narrowed her brows at Luniah's answer.

"Like High Elves?"

***

"All Pureblood Society elves connected to us have been annihilated."

Atkhan, the Grand Duke of Dirges, reported, and the Necromancer King propped his chin, exhaling.

"It seems they've been searching for a long time. As expected, Berkiya made her move."

The Elf Pureblood Society.

Previously, due to Leo's actions, most of the elves connected to the Necromancer King had either died or been deposed.

But that didn't mean the connection was severed.

"Elves truly don't change their racial characteristics. Which makes it convenient."

5000 years ago.

The Necromancer King's machinations were also behind the collapse of a vast elven force during the Age of Calamity.

Most elves steeped in racism are narrow-minded.

Their arrogance, believing themselves to be supreme, instilled in them a firm belief that they could control everything.

Even if it was Tartarus's power that would strangle their own necks.

Even if all the connected Pureblood Society elves died, the Necromancer King felt no great emotion.

Because he was confident that elves who would contact them again would appear someday.

The Grand Duke of Dirges bowed his head to the Necromancer King.

"I still don't understand Lord Hell Kaiser's intention in reviving the Fairy Knight."

Fairy Knight Berkiya.

She was the most powerful hero the Necromancer King Hell Kaiser had resurrected with his authority.

But even the Grand Duke of Dirges, who had served as the Necromancer King's close confidant for ages, found it difficult to gauge his intentions this time.

No matter how much the Necromancer King's authority was strengthened by Erebus's power, there were limits to his authority.

And reviving Berkiya as an undead was an act that consumed immense power.

However, Berkiya, resurrected as an undead, broke free from the Necromancer King's control.

"If only you had awakened other Legion Commanders with that power…"

"If I had awakened old comrades, it might have been of great help immediately, I suppose."

The Necromancer King said leisurely.

"But regrettably, Tartarus was defeated by the great heroes of the past."

During the Age of Calamity.

Tartarus's forces suffered devastating damage at the hands of the great heroes.

"Even if they were revived, there's a high chance they'd just become sacrifices for the brats raised by the surviving heroes."

"But the Fairy Knight is a monster stronger than the heroes of genesis. If she, uncontrollable, were to turn her blade against Tartarus…"

"If that happens, it would be uncontrollable. But Berkiya will never turn her blade against Tartarus."

"Why is that? Please enlighten this foolish one."

"Because the reason she was consumed by hatred wasn't because of us."

The Necromancer King curled the corners of his lips.

"She will absolutely not tolerate it. This current world."

In some ways, it is a world more twisted and ugly than 5000 years ago.

Berkiya will never tolerate that.

Countless forces would be annihilated by the rampaging Berkiya.

"But if she were to meet a surviving hero…"

"His voice will not reach her. The sins she has committed will block her ears."

Even the Necromancer King who revived Berkiya cannot control Berkiya.

The same applies to the other side.

Literally, chaos that destroys everything.

That is the current Berkiya.

"I wonder. What reaction will the surviving hero show if he sees his fallen disciple?"

The Necromancer King's mouth twisted.

"And what expression he will make if he learns that his disciples had a blade fight among themselves."