Book 1 Chapter 539

Berkia, having been dealt a blow by an unexpected counterattack, got to his feet.

It wasn't a severe blow.

But.

'Master.'

Just a moment ago, he had clearly glimpsed Kyle's shadow.

However, Berkkia couldn't fully accept what he had seen.

"What did you say?"

Leo pointed a finger at himself.

"Me."

Leo said curtly and pointed at Berkkia.

"Yes."

Then he declared nonchalantly.

"Master."

Even at those words, Berkkia looked at Leo with a dry gaze.

"Nonsense."

A cold sneer flew out.

'He won't believe me.'

It was natural.

Because it was an unbelievable story.

If so…

"I just need to prove it."

Leo opened his palm.

Woong-!

Berkia's expression turned wary as mana emanated from Leo's hand.

Whoosh-!

And then, in the ruins where snow was falling, a single flower bloomed.

Berkia's eyes widened as he saw it.

One flower, then two, began to bloom, and soon flowers were in full bloom throughout the surrounding area.

Berkia's eyes trembled as he saw it.

"Magic… that blooms flowers…"

He wouldn't forget this magic.

How could he forget the face of his master, who had smiled brightly while creating a field of full blooms?

Berkia's hands trembled.

'No. This… this is…'

In that instant, a spirit appeared on Leo's outstretched palm.

Berkia gasped as he saw it.

"Spirit magic?"

Soon, a gray aura burst from the sword in Leo's hand.

Using magic, controlling spirits, and emitting aura.

Berkia knew all too well what that was.

"…All… Class."

Berkia muttered in a trembling voice and met Leo's eyes again.

Behind Leo, someone's figure clearly appeared.

"M-Master…"

There was no way he wouldn't recognize him.

Magic that blooms flowers.

All-class abilities.

And even that appearance.

Countless pieces of evidence pointed to Leo being Kyle.

"Kuhh!"

Berkia clutched his face.

Leo took a step towards the trembling Berkkia.

Thump- Thump-

At the same time, Berkkia stepped back.

"No…"

"Berkia."

Thump- Thump- Thump-

"Don't look…"

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"It's different from then! Don't understand me!"

Berkia screamed as if having a seizure.

Seeing his master understand him, his mind collapsed even faster.

Watching him, Leo tightened his grip.

He knew.

That his presence alone couldn't make Berkkia stand up.

Because Berkkia had fallen too much.

It was too late to lean on someone.

'Even if it was hard, he wouldn't have leaned on anyone.'

Leo had taught his disciple that way.

To walk alone silently without relying on anyone.

"Aaah!"

The hatred burning in his chest was agonizing.

The fact that his master, who would be disappointed seeing his ugly self, existed was despairing.

Berkia, who had tightly closed his eyes and was trying to calm his maddening emotions, suddenly opened his eyes.

And he looked up at Leo.

"Master."

Berkia, who had been backing away, said in a trembling voice.

"Please… please punish me."

Thump- Thump-

Berkia approached Leo.

"Punish me, this ugly self who has become an undead… me who tried to ruin the world you saved."

Only one person.

The only person qualified to hold Berkkia accountable.

It was Kyle, who had protected the world by sacrificing everything.

And this was also a way to escape this terrible pain.

Watching Berkkia, Leo said.

"Yes. Running away is also one path."

Berkia's face began to relax upon hearing those words.

But he froze completely at the words that followed.

"It's not a bad choice to ask the person you thought was your father to kill you and find peace, Berkkia."

Berkia's body began to tremble like an aspen.

He had recalled it.

What if his child asked him to kill them?

How would he feel hearing those words?

His stomach turned.

His self-loathing deepened.

Thud-!

"Aaaah."

Berkia raised his head and let out a groan.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Berkia let out a scream of pain and began to rampage.

His mind grew hazy.

Reason disappeared as he was consumed by uncontrollable emotions.

During that time, their eyes met for a moment.

It was that kind of look again.

A look as if he pitied him… as if he was sad… as if he understood.

When was it?

When did Master first look at me with those eyes?

From when did I start thinking of Master as father-like?

In his fading consciousness, Berkkia lost consciousness.

"Leo!"

At that moment, a desperate voice was heard.

When Leo turned his head, Luna, Eiran, and Chen Xia were running towards him with pale faces.

"Where's Berkkia?!"

Seeing Luna asking urgently, Leo said.

"His mind has collapsed."

Luna and Chen Xia's faces hardened.

Eiran's face turned pale.

"He's going to rampage now."

"N-No…"

Eiran looked at Berkkia.

"Wh-What… What should we do…!"

"Don't worry."

Leo opened his mouth calmly.

His gaze was already fixed on the Berkkia who had lost his reason.

He had no intention of giving up in the first place.

Because that was a word not found in Leo's vocabulary.

But…

'Even if I wanted to give up, if you look at me with those eyes… I can't give up.'

Leo's grip tightened.

The image of Berkkia looking at him with terrified eyes in the last moment before his mind collapsed was etched in his memory.

This was the only time he had seen Berkkia look so terrified.

It was the same back then.

'Back then too.'

***

That day too, the incomprehensible training ended.

"Kiiiiiiiiiiek!"

"Anyone would think you were an animal if they saw you."

Kyle looked indifferently at Berkkia, who was panting on the floor like a panting beast and glaring at him.

Kyle's training was a repetition of the basics.

Endlessly swinging his sword and endlessly reciting the magic Berkkia could use, the most basic of basics.

It was easy at first, with overflowing stamina and mental strength.

However, Kyle's training increased in difficulty as time went on.

When stamina and mental strength began to dwindle, mistakes started.

And Berkkia had been repeating this ordeal for two months.

If he couldn't succeed in swinging his sword and reciting magic for a full day, he couldn't move to the next stage.

The task Kyle had set was extremely simple, yet difficult.

For Berkkia, who had a strong desire to become stronger, such training from Kyle was a torment.

But Kyle didn't indulge Berkkia's childishness.

No matter how harsh a life one had lived, a child is still a child.

The difference in temperature between how Luna and Arion treated Berkkia and how Kyle treated Berkkia was vast.

Kyle didn't give Berkkia a single shred of emotion.

No, rather, he was cruel and malicious.

If Luna and Arion were the ones who would come to pick up Berkkia if he fell during training.

Kyle would wait until Berkkia got up on his own and then make him fall again.

Because of that, Berkkia hated Kyle.

He knew his training was helpful, but it was difficult to follow.

Time had already become dawn.

Berkia, who had collapsed on the floor, muttered.

"I'm hungry."

He might have to starve until tomorrow.

At this hour of dawn, Luna and Arion would likely be asleep.

And it wasn't like Kyle in front of him would prepare a meal…

"Eat before you go."

"What?"

Berkia's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked up at Kyle.

Kyle said indifferently, looking at Berkkia.

"Don't you want to eat?"

"I'll eat if you prepare it."

Berkia, an orphan, didn't skip meals just because he disliked Kyle.

He knew he had to eat when he could.

Berkia knew that better than anyone.

Berkia got up and followed Kyle, who was walking ahead.

'Is Master Kyle surprisingly a good person?'

Such a thought naturally came to mind, but he soon hated himself for thinking that.

Just because he gave him food, he was a good person?

Nonsense.

Berkia shook his head vigorously, and defiance and ill will welled up in his eyes.

'This person is a bad person.'

Of course, that thought didn't last long before changing.

'Master Kyle is a good person.'

Berkia held a fork in his mouth with a happy expression.

Then, with a "Hot!" expression, he shook his head.

'No, he can't be a good person just because the food is delicious!'

While Berkkia was steeling his resolve, Kyle asked in disbelief as he watched Berkkia hastily eating.

"Aren't Luna and Arion feeding you?"

'Yes, no. He's a good person. For sure.'

"They do."

"They probably give you their own creations, calling them nutritious meals."

Kyle said without mercy, clicking his tongue.

"Just buy and eat it."

Mmm-mm-! Berkkia nodded unknowingly.

It was a disrespectful thought to have towards the masters who loved him unconditionally, but the food Kyle made naturally made him think that way.

While eating, Berkkia looked around Kyle's house.

Bleak.

It didn't feel like a place where people lived.

"There's nothing in Master Kyle's house."

"That's so you don't develop attachments."

Kyle said calmly.

"What does that mean?"

"If you have a place to return to, you'll develop attachments. Then, in your final moments, you'll have regrets."

Young Berkkia couldn't understand those words yet.

But he knew that Kyle's face looked somewhat lonely as he said them.

Click-

Berkia, who had put down his fork, asked.

"Can I stay the night?"

"Go if you're done eating."

At those words, Berkkia pouted his lips.

"Stingy."

Thwack-!

***

"It's strange."

"Why are you calling us all here, excluding Kyle?"

Dwenno asked indifferently.

Seeing Dwenno, Luna slammed her hand on the table.

"Berkia has been eating at Kyle's house all the time lately! Cooking for Berkkia was one of my pleasures!"

"That is strange. Why would that be? Doesn't that child dislike Kyle?"

Lisinas tilted his head.

Seeing the two women, Dwenno said.

"Do you really not know the reason?"

"Dwenno, you know the reason?"

Dwenno looked at Lisinas, who asked with a bewildered face, as if he were truly pathetic, and said.

"It's because Luna's cooking doesn't taste like cooking, so he's eating at Kyle's house."

"Ah! Certainly!"

Arion nodded as if he understood.

"You old geezer! What's wrong with my cooking! Compared to your cooking, mine is a work of art!"

"Don't insult art. And unlike yours, my cooking is a product of originality. Moreover, unlike yours, it's not beautiful in appearance."

Dwenno sneered.

"I'd rather eat raw monster meat than your and Lisinas' cooking."

At those words, Lisinas and Luna restrained Dwenno using magic.

"You first?"

"No, let's hit him together. I'll hit his face."

"I'll hit his stomach."

"Hit as much as you want. Your hands will just hurt."

Even while being hit, Dwenno remained calm.

After a commotion, Luna said seriously.

"Okay. So Kyle's cooking is more delicious. Then I'll practice cooking from today too!"

"It must be hard being Berkkia's parents."

"Huh? Do Luna and I look like parents?"

"Arion, get a grip. He's talking about Kyle. Do you want to look like parents with these guys?"

"No."

"You guys are really!"

Luna wildly swung her staff at Dwenno and Arion.

Shaking his head as he watched, Lisinas looked out the window.

There, Berkkia was following Kyle diligently.

Looking at that scene, Lisinas nodded.