Book 1 Chapter 531

Lunia watched Leo, who sat before her with tense eyes.

Airin poured black tea into Lunia's teacup with a puzzled expression.

"Lunia, are you feeling unwell?"

"What? No, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem somehow uncomfortable. You look like you're breaking out in a cold sweat."

"Oh, that?"

Lunia gave an awkward smile and glanced furtively at Leo.

When their eyes met, she flinched and lowered her head.

Seeing Lunia like that, Chen Sia, who was standing next to Leo, blinked her large eyes a few times and then smiled faintly.

"I thought Lunia was reckless, but she's surprisingly a good student."

"What does reckless mean? Reckless."

As Lunia glared at Chen Sia, Airin, with her index finger on her chin, looked up at the ceiling, thought for a moment, and then smiled brightly.

"Rather than reckless, it's more like a thug."

"What? Why am I a thug!"

"Hmm… then a delinquent student?"

As Chen Sia tilted her head, Airin smiled brightly in agreement.

"You brats!"

Lunia, who had clenched her fists and jumped up from her seat, suddenly met Leo's eyes and flinched, then sat back down.

"S-sorry for causing a disturbance… Ah, no! Sorry."

After saying that much, she sneakily glanced around and muttered.

"…you."

Seeing Lunia like that, Airin approached Chen Sia and whispered.

"Why is Lunia so wary?"

"Isn't it because she treated Leo-nim so casually until now?"

"Indeed."

"…"

Lunia squeezed her eyes shut.

She certainly felt guilty about how she had acted towards Leo up until now.

But more than that…

'You guys are the ones who are strange for being so nonchalant!'

Lunia shouted inwardly.

He was a great hero, no less.

The hero of the beginning who had vanquished Erebus as the last of his kind!

'It's natural to feel self-conscious!'

From what she could see, all the students in Rumern who knew Leo's true identity were nonchalant.

'What kind of thinking do the Rumern kids have! And has Airin been influenced too?'

Indeed, she had changed a bit since going to Rumern as an exchange student.

Leo spoke, looking at Lunia, who was gazing at Airin with a complicated expression.

"Airin, Lunia. I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Leo-nim?"

Airin, sitting next to Lunia, wore a puzzled expression.

Lunia, sensing Leo's mood, realized something and asked with a "No way."

"Leo, do you know who attacked the principal?"

As Lunia asked with a stern face, Airin's expression changed drastically.

"Really?"

Lunia looked at Airin with a slightly flustered expression.

Given the situation, it was natural for Airin to be angry.

But even so, this was the first time she had heard such a cold voice from Airin.

Lunia was startled by this unfamiliar sight.

While Lunia was surprised by this unfamiliar sight.

Airin's eyes sharpened.

"Who is the culprit?"

Her aura was so sharp that it felt like it could cut through anything.

Seeing that, Leo, with his eyes closed, inhaled.

"Young Master Leo."

Chen Sia called out, seemingly worried.

Leo opened his eyes, turned to Chen Sia, and smiled.

"It's okay."

He knew what Chen Sia was worried about.

Chen Sia also knew well.

The meaning Berkkia held for Airin.

'That's why it's even more important to tell her.'

At first, Leo hesitated to tell Airin the truth.

But Rune told Leo, who was worried.

'Airin is the successor of the Ersar family.'

It meant that Airin had the right to know everything, and that she wouldn't crumble even if she knew the truth.

If it wasn't Leo, Rune would have told Airin directly.

"It's as Lunia said, Airin. I know who the person who cut down your grandfather is."

"Who is it?"

Airin's eyes gleamed chillingly.

Lunia's eyes also turned cold.

Seeing the two elves, Leo opened his mouth.

"Berkkia."

The sudden mention of the name left Airin and Lunia bewildered.

Seeing them confused, Leo continued.

"The culprit is my disciple… and Airin, your ancestor, Berkkia."

Airin's face stiffened.

After a moment, her face began to turn pale.

Seeing that, Leo said.

"Tonight, I plan to leave to find Berkkia."

Chen Sia spoke at Leo's words.

"Can we find Lord Berkkia in this vast northern continent?"

Chen Sia asked with a hint of worry.

"I've figured out which direction Berkkia headed."

At that, Chen Sia looked slightly surprised.

But she soon understood.

Before coming to the Ersar family.

Leo and Chen Sia had visited the scene.

There were countless clues at the scene.

For Leo, it wouldn't have been difficult to find clues there about where Berkkia had gone.

'Young Master Leo is the first shadow.'

Shadows must be skilled in tracking.

There was no reason Leo couldn't do it.

Chen Sia knew that in that field, Leo had reached a realm far beyond her own.

"I won't tell you to come with me. It's dangerous."

At Leo's words, Lunia asked cautiously in a heavy voice.

"Leo, can't you defeat Berkkia either?"

"I can't guarantee it. If I were still Kyle, maybe, but in terms of pure power, Berkkia far surpasses me now."

Leo said calmly.

"And my words won't reach Berkkia now. I could lose my life."

At that, Chen Sia said.

"Even if you try to stop me, I will follow Young Master Leo. Especially to dangerous places."

"I'm going too. Luna-nim must have been worried about Lord Berkkia."

Lunia said with determination in her voice.

"I don't know if I can be of help, but I want to do my best to persuade Lord Berkkia."

Hearing their words, Leo nodded and looked at Airin.

"I…"

Airin's lips trembled.

Looking down, Airin spoke with strength.

"I want to see Lord Berkkia."

She remembered the image of Berkkia she had met in Hero Record.

She still couldn't believe it.

That Berkkia had fallen and become an undead?

That he had become a being consumed by hatred?

But she knew all too well that Leo wouldn't lie about such a thing.

It was a shock.

But she didn't want to turn away.

"I want to meet him and talk."

She didn't know what to talk about.

Her mind was still blank with shock.

She was so confused that she didn't even know why she wanted to meet Berkkia.

All she could think of was that she had to stop him somehow.

Airin bit her lip.

Leo looked at the three girls and said.

"We will depart as soon as preparations are complete."

With those words, Leo left the room.

The three girls bit their lips, their atmosphere clearly different from usual.

It was clear that a difficult journey awaited them.

***

A week has passed since Leo's party began chasing Berkkia.

Leo followed, tracing the lingering mana of Berkkia he remembered.

However, after a week, even that mana trail had disappeared.

Fwoooosh-!

In the blizzard-swept forest, Leo sighed deeply.

"This is problematic."

Even Leo couldn't create a trace that had disappeared.

"I guess we'll have to spend the night in this forest today."

"Right."

At Chen Sia's words, Leo nodded.

It was already late.

There was nothing more to gain by moving further.

The party quickly prepared for the night.

Lunia took out a tent from her subspace.

In the cold northern winter continent, the severe cold arrives earlier than in other regions.

And that severe cold is very fierce.

Even for a trained hero candidate, sleeping in the blizzard was a chore.

That's why in Seirun, such camping preparations were thoroughly taught from the first year.

Chen Sia, who entered the tent, mumbled in wonder.

"Still, I can't get used to it. It's strange that elegant elves are so accustomed to camping."

"Then what? Did you think we built mansions with magic every time we slept outside?"

"Yes, in Seirun, I think you would have done that and more."

Seeing Chen Sia nod with a serious expression, Lunia sighed.

"I can see how other school students view us."

Clicking her tongue, Lunia took off her coat in one part of the tent.

Fwoosh-!

As Lunia used magic, the inside of the tent became warm.

The tent was spacious, so there was no great difficulty for four people to sleep.

Lunia spread a circular table taken from her subspace in the center of the tent and said.

"First, everyone gather around."

At those words, Leo, Chen Sia, and Airin gathered around Lunia.

Lunia spread a map of the northern continent on the circular table and said.

"First, this is our travel route so far."

The travel route for the week since leaving Elsabeckia was all recorded on the map.

"We wandered aimlessly."

"They wouldn't be in a normal state."

As they organized their travel routes chasing Berkkia, they looked like they had wandered aimlessly.

Leo nodded at Lunia's words.

"Right, Lord Berkkia doesn't know about this era. And he hasn't shown himself to other people."

Along the travel routes over the past week, there were small and large villages.

But they only heard that there were no outsiders in those villages.

"This is just my opinion, but even if he has become an undead, Lord Berkkia is Lord Berkkia. He would never harm innocent people. So, he must be intending to eliminate only his targets."

Lunia's red eyes focused on the map.

"Then, isn't it likely he headed here?"

Lunia pointed to a spot on the map with her finger.

Not far from their current location was a small city-state called 'Eldon'.

Seeing that, Chen Sia said.

"It's the place where the pure-blood faction is strongest in the northern continent."

"Yes, that's right."

Lunia scowled.

Eldon was a country where purity was prevalent, from its council to its citizens.

To put it nicely, they had strong racial pride, and to put it badly, they were typical elves who were stubborn and narrow-minded.

Because of that, Lunia was reluctant to set foot there.

"So, what do you think about investigating this place? What do you say?"

Lunia said cautiously, glancing at Leo.

At those words, Leo, who had been listening to the explanation, nodded.

It was a judgment that only Lunia, who knew the situation in the northern continent well, could make.

"Good idea. Excellent."

At that, Lunia smiled faintly.

A target was set.

They also discussed what to do after entering Eldon.

However, throughout their conversation, Airin had a dazed expression.

Lunia and Chen Sia watched Airin with concern.

"Airin, are you really okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

Airin nodded with a voice that lacked energy somewhere.

She had been in that state for a week.

Airin, with her head down, gritted her teeth.

***

Fwoooooo-!

The sound of the blizzard echoed inside the tent.

The tent was dark.

Outside was a dark, blizzardy night, and there was no light inside the tent.

However, Leo was awake inside the tent, lying in his sleeping bag.

Even in the dark, Leo could clearly see the dagger in his hand.

'Biharr.'

In Leo's hand was none other than Biharr's dagger.

'How can I make that damned guy listen?'

In the pitch-black darkness, he asked another of his disciples a question that had gone unanswered.

'And can you forgive Berkkia?'

Biharr's death was due to wounds sustained in a fight with Berkkia.

Biharr also died suddenly in Berkkia's rampage.

Biharr also closed her eyes without being able to fully pass on her will to her children.

If Biharr had lived longer, perhaps the lives of her descendants would have been slightly different.

What thoughts did Biharr have as she closed her eyes?

'She must have resented Berkkia.'

As he gently closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the dagger.

Fwooo- Sssst- Sssst-

Leo's sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footsteps.

Swish! Fwoooooo-!

The sound of the tent flap being carefully opened, followed by the roar of the blizzard.

Ssssk- Ssssk-

The intruder entered the tent and approached Leo with cautious steps.

Then, the intruder opened their mouth with a trembling voice.

"Leo-nim… are you sleeping?"

The one who had come to Leo's tent in the middle of the night was none other than Airin.

"Can't sleep?"

"Yes."

Airin, Lunia, and Chen Sia shared the same tent, and Leo used a separate small tent by himself.

It was natural to separate the space for washing and changing clothes.

In the darkness, Leo looked at Airin.

She had come through the blizzard in her nightclothes despite the cold, so her clothes were wet.

Furthermore, she was shivering due to the freezing weather.

"Wait a moment, I'll brew you some warm tea."

"Tea is fine."

Airin replied in a trembling voice and shook her head.

"Just."

Airin moved closer to Leo.

"Can I sleep with you, Leo-nim?"