Book 1 Chapter 529

529.

Thump- thump-

Leo walked down the corridor, looking around.

The bodies had already been recovered, but the bloodstains everywhere told of the atrocity that had occurred here.

Leo silently stared at the blood splatters on the floor and walls.

Behind Leo stood Chen Xia.

Originally, outsiders were not allowed in this place.

However, Leo was able to investigate the area without difficulty under Melina's authority.

Leo, having finished his on-site investigation, returned to the entrance.

Swish-!

And he drew his sword.

It was when Chen Xia looked at Leo with a puzzled expression.

Whoosh-!

Leo slowly swung his sword through the air and advanced.

Slicing! Swish-!

Though slow, the sound of the sword cutting through the air was sharp.

Chen Xia's expression turned surprised at the sight.

'He's reenacting what happened here.'

Blood splattered where Leo's sword had swept past.

Leo's sword, which had traversed the corridor and reached the inside of the conference room, stopped abruptly.

Then, letting his sword hang down, he closed his eyes.

Naturally, Leo knew all of Berukia's swordsmanship.

'Because I taught him.'

Although Arion and Luna created the framework for Berukia's swordsmanship and magic, it was Leo himself who guided him to make that framework his own.

Therefore, he could immediately tell who the perpetrator of this atrocity was.

'It's Berukia.'

"Young Master Leo, please give us your command. Shall we summon the Shadows?"

The Shadows are tasked with finding, chasing, and eliminating traitors.

That's why they were skilled trackers.

"No."

Leo shook his head at Chen Xia's words.

"It's impossible to find them, and even if we did… it would be dangerous."

Chen Xia bit his lip at Leo's words.

Chen Xia also had a vague idea.

Who was responsible for this atrocity.

"Let's go to the Ersar family first and join Eiran."

"As for Lady Eiran!"

Chen Xia said urgently at Leo's words.

"Don't you think we should tell Lady Eiran?"

"……."

At those words, Leo slowly closed his eyes.

Like Luna, Eiran was a hero candidate chosen by Leo.

She was someone who would inherit Luna's will and a comrade who would fight together in the future.

And a girl with a strong will.

But that made him hesitate even more.

'Eiran resembles Berukia.'

It wasn't just because they were ancestor and descendant.

In fact, the two had nothing in common.

With thousands of years passing, she hadn't inherited his outward appearance.

Nor was her personality similar.

She inherited the swordsmanship and magic passed down through the family, but that was merely an acquired element.

The only commonalities between Eiran and Berukia were being elves and sword-mages.

Despite this, the reason Leo thought of Berukia when looking at Eiran was because she viewed the world with pure, innocent eyes.

Could he really tell such a person?

'That the ancestor she most revered has been resurrected as a vengeful wraith?'

Until recently, Leo would have told her this story.

He would have believed that Eiran could overcome it.

But seeing Berukia in such a state…

Leo himself hesitated.

Leo, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

"Not now."

***

Tatatatat-!

Eiran ran down the corridor of the Ersar family mansion with a pale face.

'Grandfather, Grandfather, Grandfather.'

Even as she ran, Eiran's hands trembled.

Eiran lost both her parents to demons long ago.

Run was the only blood relative she had left.

Moreover, her grandfather was a kind man who understood Eiran's childish decision to leave school and live as a recluse at home after enrolling in Seirun.

'While I was being childish and only thinking of myself again…!'

Eiran, closing her eyes tightly, arrived in front of Run's room.

The retainers guarding the entrance bowed their heads.

Eiran barely acknowledged their greeting and roughly opened the door.

Bang!

"Grandfather!"

As she opened the door and entered, the first thing she saw was familiar red hair.

Eiran's best friend, Luna, was sitting by Run's bed, looking flustered.

Seeing Luna like that, Eiran's face turned pale.

"L-Lady Luna. Grandfather…?"

"Eiran? Eiran, are you here?"

Run, leaning against the headboard of the bed, called out to Eiran in a heavy voice.

"Yes! Grandfather! I'm here! How are you feeling? Are you okay…?"

As Eiran rushed to the bed, her face stiffened.

She noticed several books in Run's hand.

"Eiran, I don't intend to interfere with your reading tastes, but they are quite violent…"

"Kyaaaaaaak!"

Eiran, her face red, screamed and rushed to Run, hastily snatching the books away.

Run's expression turned serious as he watched Eiran.

"This old man understands. Your mother read books like these often. Although her tastes were different. Anyway, that's why you were born at such a young age…"

"Aaaak! Aak! Aak!"

Eiran screamed frantically, drowning out Run's voice.

Luna averted her gaze, embarrassed.

Eiran, her tension relieved, sat down on the floor and said,

"Weren't you in a lot of pain? You were said to have suffered a serious injury…"

"How long ago was that injury for it to be life-threatening? The wounds have all healed. But as I am old, I am suffering due to the aftereffects. Egugu. When you're old, you should just die."

Run said, patting his back.

If he were human, Run, who had the appearance of a young man, might not have adapted well to such behavior.

But to elves like Luna and Eiran, it looked like the complaints of an old man.

Eiran's soul seemed to leave her body at his nonchalant demeanor.

"How did you find those books?"

"An old man can tidy up his granddaughter's room."

"Don't! I have privacy!"

"Don't worry, I didn't read your diary."

"Of course!"

Eiran, who had been reacting violently to Run's words, took a deep breath, calmed down, and looked at Luna.

"By the way, Lady Luna, why are you here…?"

"The Headmaster called me for a meeting."

"Ah, I'm interrupting."

"Yes, it's okay. We were talking about you too."

"About me?"

"Yes, he asked about your peculiar reading tastes… Cough? Cough-cough!"

Eiran, with a sad face, grabbed Luna's neck as if having a seizure.

***

After the commotion, the real Eiran asked Run.

"Why didn't you tell me right away what happened?! Do you know how surprised I was!"

Run smiled faintly at Eiran's words.

"Eiran, you know my status within the elves is by no means low."

Run Ersar is the chairman of Elsalbekia's council and, albeit temporarily, the principal of Seirun.

"Seirun is currently in a state of internal turmoil. If news of me being attacked were to spread in such a situation, Seirun, no, the entire race would become internally chaotic. Please understand me."

Eiran bit her lip at Run's words.

Eiran knew that.

Not just Seirun, but the entire elven society was undergoing such significant changes in such a short period.

Until last winter, those changes seemed to be heading in a positive direction.

'The descent of Lady Luna was the beginning.'

It was an unprecedented event that no one could have imagined.

How could it not be?

The descent of the great hero who saved the world 5,000 years ago.

Who would have imagined that?

Thanks to that, the elves, with their strong racial pride, became even more arrogant.

Among the great heroes, why did only Luna return to the present world?

Isn't it because elves are special?

Witnessing the miracle, the elves naturally came to think that way.

Consequently, the influence of pure-blooded supremacists, who believed in elven superiority, grew stronger.

Eiran witnessed that firsthand at Seirun.

It was around that time.

The 'Star Magic Primer,' which made the star magic, believed to be exclusive to elves, easily learnable by anyone, appeared.

The grimoire authored by Ren was immediately condemned as a forbidden book among elves upon its release.

For thousands of years, elves had been called a race of magic.

The reason for that was the star magic left by Luna.

And Ren's magic theory challenged the authority of elves that had been passed down for thousands of years.

Most elves had no intention of acknowledging the Star Magic Primer.

The elves, who had always avoided interaction with the outside world, showed even more signs of building walls with other races.

It was then.

The second miracle occurred.

The descent of Seirun, the comet mage.

The great elven figure, called the successor of the Nebula Founder, reappeared.

It was a major event that should have further boosted the arrogance of elven supremacists.

However, that historical moment was shattered by Seirun denying the current elven society.

By recognizing a student from Rumern as the 'successor,' not students from Seirun Academy, who could be considered his descendants.

As a result, the upheaval in elven society turned into chaos.

Those with a broad perspective quickly adapted to the changes.

But many did not.

Shocked that their great ancestor did not acknowledge them and anxious that they might have been wrong all along, the elves wandered aimlessly.

During that time, the Nebula Founder descended once again.

And as eyewitness accounts of clashes between Luna and the Pure Blood Society emerged, elven society fell into even greater chaos.

Fortunately, heroes who could manage this chaos and lead the race undoubtedly existed.

And one of them was Run Ersar, an elder of the Elven Council.

The fact that he was found in the blood-soaked conference room of the Pure Blood Society would obviously turn elven society upside down.

Given the circumstances, it took quite some time for the news to reach Eiran, Run's granddaughter.

"Still, still, you could have told me. Do you know how worried I was!"

Resentment laced her trembling voice.

But tears welled up in her eyes due to her worry for Run.

"So, who is the culprit?"

A rare murderous intent appeared in Eiran's tear-filled eyes.

Seeing that, Run's expression hardened.

He knew the culprit.

But could he tell his granddaughter?

After a moment of deliberation, Run changed the subject.

"We'll talk about the culprit later, but didn't Leo student come with you? I thought I asked you to come together."

"Leo-nim said he had a place to stop by and left."

"A place to stop by?"

Run tilted his head in confusion.

"Yes, he said he was going to the crime scene."

"The crime scene."

It was when Run murmured softly.

Knock-knock-

"Master, a guest has arrived."

"Let them in."

At Run's words, the door opened, and Leo and Chen Xia appeared.

"Leo-nim!"

"Oh, you're here… Ah. No. You came? Leo?"

Eiran greeted Leo warmly, and Luna greeted him with an awkward smile.

Run stared intently at Luna.

As their eyes met for a moment, Luna quickly averted her gaze.

Run asked Leo,

"Did you see the crime scene well?"

"Yes."

"Indeed. Unfortunately, it was his doing."

"His?"

"Grandfather, do you know the culprit?"

Luna and Eiran's eyes widened at Run's sudden words.

Chen Xia also looked surprised and flustered.

Leo silently stared at Run.

There was no change in his expression.

But the elder elf before him had clearly realized something.

Run's eyes, filled with deep experience, shone wisely.

"I have something to discuss with Leo student alone, so please have the other students leave."

Run said with a gentle smile to the three girls.

At the sudden remark, the three girls looked at each other and left the room.

Creak- Bang-!

As the door closed, Run rose from his seat.

As he stood up, Run used magic to block any sound from leaving the room to the outside.

After preparing the room, Run knelt before Leo and bowed respectfully.

"Run Ersar, the 38th head of the Ersar family, pays his respects to the great hero of the beginning."