Book 1 Chapter 530

Leo opened his mouth, looking at Rune, who politely bowed to him.

"How did you know?"

His voice held a hint of doubt.

Seeing Leo not deny his words, Rune smiled and replied,

"As the Hero of Origin knows, age shows many things."

"Unfortunately, I haven't lived as long as you. Well, I understand what you mean, though."

Rune smiled bitterly as he watched Leo shrug.

"I did think it was a little strange."

From the moment they first met, Rune had sensed something in Leo's eyes.

It wasn't the feeling of simple intelligence or a bright future destined for greatness.

It was the gaze of someone who had been through countless trials and tribulations.

Eyes that no absolute hero candidate, let alone a freshman, should possess.

Leo's actions were also astonishing.

The most surprising was his restoration of the 'Flower Blooming Magic' left by the Founder of the Constellation.

And it wasn't a typical restoration.

As an elf, Rune himself had dedicated his life to studying star magic.

In terms of his understanding of star magic, he was one of the top five experts among mages alive today.

From Rune's perspective, the Flower Blooming Magic that Leo restored was beyond mere restoration.

"It was as if someone who already knew the Flower Blooming Magic had simply written down the incantations they knew."

It was common for magic that had disappeared, leaving only traces, to be restored by later generations and re-emerge in the world.

However, unless one was from that era, even if a restoration was successful, it could not be perfect.

Furthermore, the Flower Blooming Magic was a complex spell that, even over a year after its perfect restoration, was still difficult to interpret correctly.

That's why Leo's existence was a mystery to Rune.

Leo's subsequent activities as a hero candidate were also extraordinary.

He had been an outstanding student, but at some point, his performance became unbefitting of a hero candidate.

While admiring Leo's achievements and harboring doubts, his granddaughter, who had conquered the world of Dwenos, said with a smile,

"Grandfather! I met Lord Berkkia. And you know what! Lord Leo!"

It was from the moment he heard Eiran's words, her eyes sparkling as she spoke of the heroic tales of her ancestor and Leo.

And after hearing the news of Seyrun's return and Luna's descent, he began to think even more about Leo's existence.

Thus, one by one, by untangling the complex threads, he reached a conclusion.

That conclusion was that Leo was Kyle, the Hero of Origin.

"When I think about it, it doesn't seem so strange. The Hero of Origin, Kyle, was an unprecedented All-Class. And in the history of the world, there have only been two All-Classes."

Kyle and Leo.

"Even though his name was on the Hero Record, he didn't receive a title. When you think about it, if he 'already' had a title… a new title wouldn't be necessary."

"Indeed."

"Besides, nothing is absolute. Anything can happen in this era."

The appearance of a Legion Commander who was purged in the Age of Disaster.

And past heroes returning as the undead.

There are even those whose names are erased from the Hero Record.

Furthermore, great heroes like Luna, the Founder of the Constellation, Aron the Brave, and Seyrun the Comet Mage have revealed themselves in the present world.

"In such a situation, it wouldn't be strange for the Hero of Origin to be reborn in this world. You were always there in moments of miracles."

Moreover, Leo himself continued to achieve feats that others could hardly accomplish in a lifetime.

Some of these could be called miracles without exaggeration.

"Even so, it couldn't have been easy to guess, could it?"

"Magic begins by not ruling out possibilities. Those were Lord Berkkia's words to the family."

"That's what Luna kept telling that Berkkia fellow incessantly."

Leo recalled the past.

"Even until the very moment he embarked on his final journey."

"It seems Lord Luna's view on magic has been passed down to Lord Berkkia."

"Not at all. Luna was born with the belief that the impossible is possible, and if it doesn't work, make it work. She never really had a particular view on magic. She just nagged Berkkia because he wouldn't listen."

Rune smiled wryly as he watched Leo speak indifferently.

'Just let him be moved.'

Wouldn't it be a beautiful scene if it were the last advice and plea from a master to a disciple?

"He left behind the nagging he heard until his ears were calloused for his descendants? He really hasn't changed."

Of course, Leo shattered the sentimentality and all pretense.

Seeing Rune with a gentle smile, Leo slumped into a chair.

Then, he asked Rune,

"Did you meet Berkkia?"

"Yes."

"……"

Leo closed his eyes.

'He must be disappointed.'

Even for Rune, it must have been a shock to see the ancestor he revered as great become an undead.

And it was certain that Berkkia had defeated Rune.

Who wouldn't be disappointed by their ancestor running wild?

It was as Leo bit his lip.

"I can guess what the Hero of Origin is thinking. But you don't need to worry."

"What?"

Leo looked at Rune with slightly surprised eyes at his calm words.

Rune smiled at Leo, who was looking at him.

"I was not disappointed in Lord Berkkia. No one in the Ersar family would be disappointed in Lord Berkkia."

Leo looked at Rune without a word.

He felt no falsehood from Rune.

"As the Hero of Origin knows, I am an old body."

With a grunt, Rune pushed himself up and patted his back.

Though his appearance was that of a young man, Rune's body was aged.

His eyes carried the weight of years, and the mana he subtly exuded held the depth of time.

"Having lived as long as I have, I know the world isn't just beautiful. And that no one is perfect."

Rune's eyes darkened.

"It's just sad. The Berkkia I met had such clear eyes."

As the head of the Ersar family, Rune had conquered Berkkia's world.

And he met Berkkia there.

That's why Rune knew.

How great an individual his ancestor was.

And also, how warm a person.

Feeling a profound sadness, Rune said,

"Does the Hero of Origin know what happened to my ancestor?"

Leo approached Berkkia's portrait hanging on the wall of his office.

Berkkia in the painting was expressionless.

He was generally expressionless, but… there was a sharpness to him.

It must have been painted after that tragedy.

Looking at his disciple in the painting, Leo opened his mouth.

He told him the truth that was not even passed down to the Ersar family through the Akashic Records.

Rune's hands trembled as he listened to the end of the story.

Rune, closing his eyes tightly, said,

"If I could, I would want to lessen his sorrow and pain."

Rune bit his lip hard.

"But my voice probably won't reach Lord Berkkia."

Rune clenched his fist.

Perhaps no one in the world could.

Except for the one person before him.

Rune bowed his head towards Leo.

"Hero of Origin, I know it's an embarrassing request from a descendant. But please. Please… save Lord Berkkia. Console his pain."

'Your descendants, even after 5000 years… don't know you well, and despite enduring hardships from you, they still respect and love you, Berkkia.'

Leo could feel Rune's unwavering respect for Berkkia.

It wasn't just because Berkkia was the founder of the Ersar family.

Beyond that, he knew too well that Berkkia was a person worthy of respect.

The world had forgotten the great deeds Berkkia had accomplished.

The great feats of rebuilding the world after the Great Heroes and saving it from despair once again.

It wasn't that the world had intentionally ignored Berkkia.

With the passage of time, everything is naturally forgotten.

But the people of the Ersar family never forgot that fact.

Through generations.

They passed down the great deeds Berkkia had left to their descendants.

'With the strength and history of the Ersar family, they could have ensured Berkkia wasn't forgotten by history, but they didn't do that.'

There wasn't a single person who did.

'They must have wanted to follow Berkkia's will.'

A noble life that silently sacrificed for the world.

They must have thought it didn't matter if no one recognized it.

The world itself was valuable.

The people of the Ersar family foolishly respected the will of their ancestor and followed in his footsteps.

'I am proud of you. If I had left descendants, they wouldn't have become like your descendants, but.'

Leo gritted his teeth.

'But couldn't you have been selfish just once?'

In the life of Berkkia that Leo had seen, Berkkia had never lived for himself, not even for a moment.

He never considered what he had achieved as special.

He always lowered himself and maintained an attitude of striving for more.

The image he saw through the Akashic Records was still etched in his mind.

If Berkkia's personality had been like that originally, it wouldn't be so regrettable.

'Just watch. When a peaceful era comes, I'll become more famous than Master Kyle and overshadow Master Kyle's reputation. I'll make future generations say that Kyle was not as good as other Great Heroes. Beh-!'

He remembered the annoying way he would stick out his tongue and tease him.

'In the era of peace, I'll become a great person and be remembered for generations like Luna, I used to say that constantly.'

But despite achieving great deeds that would be widely known in the future, he couldn't hold his head high, as if he had done something wrong.

As if apologizing to someone.

He continuously whipped himself, unable to fully enjoy what he should have.

As if being chased by something.

He dedicated his life to the world.

It was probably the same for Bihart.

'We passed the burden onto you.'

At the moment he defeated Erebus and closed his eyes for the last time.

Leo did not worry about the world.

Because he believed in his disciples.

He had unwavering faith that they could regain their former selves even without him.

And the two, in the light and the dark, built a strong foundation for the world.

For their entire lives.

Leo did not expect that not only he, but also the two would be unable to escape the sense of duty to be responsible for the world that the Great Heroes had saved.

Like Lisinas.

Like Luna.

Like Aron.

Like Dwenos.

Like Kyle.

They thought they had to live a life dedicated to the world.

'You didn't have to live like that.'

Leo gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

If the other Great Heroes, excluding Aron, were from a generation that had things taken away from them.

Berkkia and Bihart were from a generation that couldn't even have anything.

Having had things taken away, they were desperate.

If the Great Heroes had survived.

Even Lisinas wouldn't have lived as desperately as Berkkia and Bihart.

He overlooked that the world that was natural to Kyle was an unknown world to the two.

That they didn't have to take responsibility for everything.

That they could also find and live their own lives.

'We stole your lives.'

And that heavy burden is now carried by the descendants of his disciples.

Bihart's descendants lived their entire lives in darkness.

Berkkia's descendants lived their lives in humility.

Berkkia and Bihart.

Did the two fall short of the Great Heroes?

Can they be said to fall short of the Heroes of Creation?

"There is one condition."

"Please tell me."

"Don't live like Berkkia."

"Yes?"

Rune, who had been bowing his head, looked at Leo with surprised eyes.

"I have a general idea of how the Ersar family has lived for 5000 years."

Leo's eyes darkened.

"You have endured as a cornerstone supporting the world… and the elf race."

Leo looked at Rune, then back at Berkkia.

"I never taught you to sacrifice everything. Your family has done its best. You are… the Ersar family is… a noble family more heroic than anyone else in the world. So."

Leo said as if declaring.

"You don't have to lower yourselves anymore."

"……"

Rune lowered his head.

For some reason, his eyes were red.

'I'm so old and sentimental.'

But the work they had silently done for 5000 years.

His heart trembled at the fact that their history had been recognized by someone other than themselves.

"Berkkia would surely want that too."

'Ancestors of previous generations, is there any greater honor than this?'