Book 1 Chapter 532

532.

Trembling eyes.

Lips pressed tightly together.

Fists clenched.

Eiran’s face, visible in the darkness, was filled with anxiety.

“When did you last get a proper sleep?”

“……A week ago.”

Leo let out a deep sigh at Eiran’s answer.

Then he got up and turned on the magic stone lamp on one side of the tent.

Leo took a towel hanging on the side and began to dry Eiran’s wet hair.

“Ah, I……”

“Stay still.”

Leo said indifferently and roughly dried Eiran’s hair.

Once her hair was somewhat dry, Leo walked over to the sleeping bag, sat down, and asked,

“Are you very worried about Berkeia?”

Eiran’s head drooped at Leo’s question.

“I know I need to dissuade him.”

Eiran said softly.

“But I have no idea what to say or how to dissuade him.”

Eiran hugged herself with her arms and shivered.

“That’s why I’m so scared. Scared he won’t be the Berkeia I know. Scared he won’t wake up. Scared Berkeia will harm you, Leo.”

Eiran’s mind was bound to be in turmoil.

The corruption of someone she admired and aspired to be like.

And the fear that the person she respected might harm another person she respected.

The anxiety that filled her mind made sleep impossible.

For the past week, she had tried to gather her courage.

But she failed.

That was why she had come to Leo.

Seeing Eiran like that, Leo sighed deeply.

‘It must be hard.’

It must be a situation that would break Eiran’s heart.

It wasn’t a matter of weakness; the pressure of the current situation was too immense.

The situation was slightly different from Lunia and Chen Xia.

If Chen Xia had to defeat Leo, resurrected as an undead, how would she react?

If Lunia had to defeat Luna?

‘It’s the same situation for Eiran.’

It was too much pressure for Eiran, still a young girl, to handle.

Leo watched Eiran in silence.

‘What should I say?’

Should he tell her that he would defeat Berkeia, not be defeated?

‘In this situation, no words will be of comfort.’

He couldn’t carelessly say that Berkeia would regain his original form.

Eiran knew well that it was nearly impossible.

Anxiety wears down the spirit.

The silence and darkness that came at night must have made Eiran even more afraid.

However, he couldn’t tell Lunia and Chen Xia about this.

Although they had been trying not to show it for Eiran’s sake, both of them were equally anxious about the current situation.

He couldn’t harm them, who were trying their best to hold themselves together.

Eiran had tried to overcome it on her own, but in the end, her anxious heart couldn’t bear it, and she came to Leo.

The only person she could rely on in this situation.

Eiran, who had been trembling, looked up and met Leo’s red eyes.

“Is it hard?”

At Leo’s question, Eiran gritted her teeth and steeled herself.

‘I shouldn’t rely on Leo either.’

Eiran knew.

Leo didn’t see her as just a hero candidate.

As Leo was a Great Hero.

In the future, Leo would surely fight a decisive battle against Erebus and Tartarus.

And Leo had chosen Eiran as a hero to fight on that battlefield.

‘That’s why I can’t be even more childish.’

If she relied on Leo every time it got tough, she would only become a burden.

‘I have to overcome it alone.’

Eiran forced a smile.

“It was hard, but I’ll try my best…”

“If it’s hard, stay the night.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to force yourself to endure something difficult.”

“B-but I can’t rely on you forever…”

“No, you can’t. But it’s okay for now.”

Leo said calmly.

“It’s because adults help when things are tough. So? Shall I tell you one of your favorite old stories?”

At his words, Eiran, who had a slightly dazed expression, couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Leo, I’m not a complete child, no matter what.”

“Don’t you want to hear it?”

“Still, I want to hear it.”

Eiran replied in a slightly brighter voice.

Seeing Eiran like that, Leo took out another spare sleeping bag from his spatial dimension.

As Eiran was getting into the sleeping bag.

“Hmph~ It seems like nothing serious is going on.”

“Eek?”

Eiran flinched at the voice from behind and turned around.

There, crouching, was Chen Xia, looking at Eiran with half-closed eyes.

“S-Sister Xia. When did you get here?”

“From the beginning.”

Chen Xia smiled.

“You never know what might happen when a man and a woman are together at night, do you?”

“Do I look like that kind of guy?”

Leo clicked his tongue, and Chen Xia shook her head.

“I trust you, Leo. It’s Eiran I don’t trust.”

At her words, Eiran’s eyes widened, and she asked with teary eyes,

“You’re too much. Even if my reading tastes are like that, I don’t do strange things! Do I look like an elf who would sneak out late at night to seduce Leo?”

“Yes, you look exactly like that kind of elf.”

At the answer without a hint of hesitation, Eiran pouted.

“Can I sleep here too?”

“Why you?”

“If Eiran were to pounce on Leo, it would be a disaster.”

“I-I’m not that kind of elf!”

Eiran pouted and grabbed Chen Xia, shaking her vigorously.

Leo burst into laughter watching them.

“It reminds me of the old days.”

Bihard used to tease Berkeia like that often.

Seeing the descendants of his disciples, Leo recalled past memories and opened his mouth.

“Shall I tell you the story of when I first met Berkeia and Bihard?”

At his words, Eiran and Chen Xia, who had been bickering, sat in front of Leo.

Time flowed as they listened to the stories of their ancestors.

***

Early morning.

The snowstorm had stopped at some point.

Lunia, who had woken up, took a deep breath.

‘I wonder if Eiran is okay.’

As her close friend, Lunia also knew that Eiran was not in good spirits.

‘I want to cheer her up somehow.’

But Lunia also couldn’t comfort Eiran carelessly.

Lunia also deeply respected her ancestor from the Lundia family.

Her ancestor, who had strived to pass on the flame of faith to future generations, was always one of her prides.

What if such an ancestor were resurrected as an undead by the machinations of the Necromancer King?

She couldn’t even imagine how she would feel.

‘If I mention it carelessly, I might cause even greater pain.’

Lunia took a deep breath and opened her sleeping bag.

Zzzzzz-!

After unzipping it and sitting up, Lunia’s face contorted in confusion.

“Eiran? Chen Xia?”

Both of them had vanished without a trace.

As Lunia wore a perplexed expression, voices could be heard from outside the tent.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

‘Ah.’

Lunia, who had thought something had happened overnight, let out a sigh of relief.

Then, Eiran’s voice, which she heard next, sounded bright.

As Lunia got up, she suddenly pricked up her ears at a voice she heard.

“No. Leo needs to sleep too.”

“Can’t you just sleep with Leo?”

“I said no. We were together all night. Because of us, Leo couldn’t sleep, so we should let him rest, even if it’s short.”

“Leo made it so we couldn’t sleep. Since he’s doing that, how can we sleep?”

“Hmm… that’s true. It was certainly a fun time.”

At the conversation heard from outside, Lunia froze with a crunching sound.

The tent flap opened, and Eiran and Chen Xia entered.

Then they spotted Lunia, frozen and sputtering, and Eiran’s eyes widened.

“Lunia, you’re up early.”

“Uh, uh… Eiran, you seem a bit better?”

“Yes! I’m sorry for worrying you, Lunia.”

Lunia smiled awkwardly as she looked at Eiran, who wore an apologetic expression.

“Ah, no, it’s okay. By the way… are you coming from Leo’s tent?”

“Yes. It’s embarrassing, but Leo comforted me all night. Thanks to him, I was able to forget a lot of my worries and concerns.”

“Even though Leo couldn’t sleep because of Eiran’s childishness.”

“Sister Xia was here too.”

Eiran grumbled in a petulant voice.

As Lunia listened to their conversation, her voice began to tremble violently.

“You, you, you! Do you know what you’ve been doing?!”

“What? Well, I was with Leo all night… Ah, should I have not left Lunia alone and gone with you? I’m sorry! I didn’t think of it… Next time, let’s definitely go together.”

As Eiran made an apologetic face, Lunia, whose face had turned as red as her hair, began to have a seizure.

“You! As students!”

“Lunia?”

“What have you students been doing! Leo! Even if he’s an adult! No! The fact that he’s an adult is not the problem! Three? Th-hreeee? Th-hreeeee of youuuu?! All night?! And next time, include me?!”

“L-Lunia? What’s wrong? P-Please calm down!”

“Calm down? What’s wrong? You are outstanding students of Seirun and Lumern! You should behave properly! Do you think it makes sense to act like you don’t know what the problem is after doing something like that?”

Seeing Lunia glaring with a bright red face, Eiran said with a frightened expression,

“We… we just listened to old stories from Leo?!”

“No matter how many books like that you’ve read… Huh?!”

Lunia, who had been shouting, suddenly looked flustered.

And a moment later.

With a slightly pale face, she began to tremble.

“Ah, so that’s what you were thinking.”

Chen Xia smiled brightly.

“Lunia, you have such a rich imagination. I never dreamed you would think that way.”

“Ah, no, I mean. I… that is…”

Seeing Lunia sweating cold sweat, Eiran understood the situation and her eyes widened.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

“Lunia.”

“S-Sorry. I mean, I!”

“How vulgar.”

“……”

At her words, Lunia’s head drooped.

Lunia, who had been trembling, had another seizure and lunged at Eiran.

“This is all because you always see so many strange things!”

“Why is that my fault?! It’s your mind that’s strange!”

“Aaaagh! I don’t know! It’s your fault! It’s your fault!”

Watching the two elves yelling at each other, Chen Xia smiled.

“Shh, Leo-nim will hear everything.”

At her words, the two fell silent.

Chen Xia smiled and approached Lunia.

“I’m glad the misunderstanding is cleared up.”

“Y-Yes.”

“But I’m curious, how far did you imagine?”

Lunia’s shoulders began to tremble again.

She wanted to pull the mouth of this smiling person.

“Tell me. Okay?”

‘She’s subtly mean.’

Lunia, seeing Chen Xia teasing her with a smiling face, could only cover her face.