Book 1 Chapter 539
539.
Berchia, who had taken a hit from an unexpected counterattack, stood up.
There was no significant damage.
However.
‘Master.’
A moment ago, he had clearly glimpsed Kyle's shadow.
But Berchia couldn't fully accept what he had seen.
“What did you say you are?”
Leo pointed at himself with his finger.
“I am.”
Leo said gruffly and pointed at Berchia.
“Your.”
And then he announced indifferently.
“Master.”
Even at those words, Berchia looked at Leo with dull eyes.
“Nonsense.”
A cold scoff flew back.
‘He won’t believe it.’
It was only natural.
Because it was a ridiculous story.
Then…
“I just need to prove it.”
Leo spread his palm.
Whoosh-!
Berchia’s expression became wary at the magic power emanating from Leo's hand.
Flash-!
And soon, a single flower bloomed in the snowy ruins.
Berchia’s eyes widened at the sight.
One by one, two by two, the blooming flowers soon began to blossom fully throughout the surrounding area.
Berchia’s eyes trembled at the sight.
“Magic that… makes flowers bloom….”
He couldn't possibly forget this magic.
How could he forget the master's face, smiling brightly while creating a field of blooming flowers?
Berchia’s hand trembled.
‘No. This isn’t… this isn’t….’
Suddenly, a spirit appeared on Leo’s outstretched palm.
Berchia gasped at the sight.
“Spirit magic?”
Soon, a grey aura erupted from the sword in Leo’s hand.
Using magic, wielding spirits, and emitting aura.
Berchia knew very well what that meant.
“…All… Class.”
Muttering in a trembling voice, Berchia met Leo’s eyes once more.
Someone’s figure clearly emerged behind Leo.
“M-Master…”
He couldn't possibly not recognize him.
The magic that makes flowers bloom.
The ability of an All-Class.
And even that appearance.
Innumerable pieces of evidence declared Leo to be Kyle.
“Ugh!”
Berchia covered his face.
Leo took a step towards the trembling Berchia.
Thump- Thump-
At the same time, Berchia stepped back.
“No…”
“Berchia.”
Thump- Thump- Thump-
“Don’t look…”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“It’s different from back then! Don’t understand me!”
Berchia screamed as if having a fit.
Seeing his master understanding him, his mind collapsed even faster.
Seeing his state, Leo clenched his hand.
He knew.
That his presence alone couldn't make Berchia stand up.
Berchia had fallen too far for that.
It was too late to lean on anyone.
‘Even if it was hard, he wouldn’t have leaned on anyone.’
Leo had taught his disciple that way.
To walk silently alone, relying on no one.
“Ahhh!”
The hatred burning in his chest was agonizing.
The fact that there was a master who would be disappointed to see his hideous self was despairing.
Berchia, who had tightly shut his eyes and was trying to soothe his maddening emotions, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
And he lifted his head to look at Leo.
“Master.”
Berchia, who had been backing away, said in a trembling voice.
“Please… please punish me.”
Thump- Thump-
Berchia walked towards Leo.
“Please punish this hideous me who became an undead… me who tried to destroy the world you saved.”
Only one person.
The only person worthy of judging Berchia’s sins.
That was Kyle, who had sacrificed everything to protect the world.
And it was also a way to escape this terrible pain.
Seeing such Berchia, Leo said.
“Yes. Running away is also a path.”
Berchia’s face began to relax upon hearing those words.
But then it froze solid at the words that followed.
“It’s not a bad choice to ask the person you considered a father to kill you and find peace, Berchia.”
Berchia’s body began to tremble like an aspen leaf.
He had remembered.
What if his own child told him to kill them?
How would he feel hearing those words?
He felt like his insides were turning over.
His self-loathing deepened even further.
Thud-!
“Aaaah.”
Berchia tilted his head back and let out a groan.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Screaming in pain, Berchia began to go berserk.
His mind was fading.
Reason was disappearing amidst uncontrollable emotions.
In the midst of that, his eyes met Leo’s for a moment.
It was those eyes again.
Eyes that seemed pitiful… sad… understanding.
When was it?
When did Master first look at me with those eyes?
Since when was it?
Since when did I think of Master as a father?
In his fading mind, Berchia lost consciousness.
“Leo!”
At that moment, an urgent voice was heard.
Leo turned his head to see Lunia, Eiran, and Chen Xia running towards him with pale faces.
“Lord Berchia?!”
Seeing Lunia ask urgently, Leo said.
“His mind has collapsed.”
Lunia and Chen Xia’s faces hardened.
Eiran’s face went white.
“He’s going to go berserk now.”
“Th-that’s…”
Eiran looked at Berchia.
“W-what… what should I…!”
“Don’t worry.”
Leo spoke calmly.
His gaze was already fixed on the berserk Berchia.
He had no intention of giving up from the beginning.
Because that word wasn’t in Leo’s vocabulary.
But…
‘Even if I wanted to give up, if he looks at me with those eyes… I can’t give up, can I?’
Leo’s hand clenched.
In the last moment just before his mind collapsed, Berchia’s face, looking at him with terror, was etched into his eyes.
He had only seen Berchia look so terrified once before.
It was the same then.
‘Even then.’
***
That day, too, an incomprehensible training session had ended.
“Kieeeeeeeek!”
“Anyone would think you’re an animal.”
Kyle made an indifferent expression as he looked at Berchia, who was lying on the floor, snarling like an animal and glaring at him with all his might.
Kyle’s training was a repetition of the basics.
The most basic of basics: endlessly swinging a sword and making Berchia recite the spells he could use without end.
It was easy at first when he was full of stamina and mental strength.
But Kyle’s training became more difficult as time went on.
When stamina and mental strength began to deplete, mistakes started to happen.
And Berchia had been repeating this ascetic practice for two months.
If he failed to continuously swing his sword and memorize spells for a full day, he couldn’t move to the next stage.
The task Kyle had given was extremely simple yet equally difficult.
For Berchia, who had a strong desire to become stronger, Kyle’s training was nothing but torment.
Nor did Kyle coddle Berchia.
No matter how harsh a life he had lived, a child was still a child.
The difference in how Luna and Arion treated Berchia compared to how Kyle treated Berchia was too great.
Kyle showed Berchia not an ounce of emotion.
No, rather, he was cold and malicious.
If Berchia fell during training, Luna and Arion would come to his side and help him up.
Kyle would wait until Berchia got up on his own, and then knock him down again.
That’s why Berchia disliked Kyle.
He knew his training was helpful, but it was hard to follow.
Before he knew it, it was dawn.
Berchia, who had slumped to the floor, muttered.
“I’m hungry.”
He might have to go hungry until tomorrow.
Because Luna and Arion would be asleep at this hour.
And the Kyle in front of him didn't seem likely to get him food…
“Eat before you go.”
“Huh?”
Berchia looked up at Kyle, his eyes wide with surprise.
Kyle looked at such Berchia and said indifferently.
“Don’t you want to eat?”
“If you provide it, I’ll eat.”
Berchia, an orphan, didn’t skip meals just because he disliked Kyle.
You had to eat when you could.
Berchia knew that fact better than anyone.
Berchia stood up and trotted after Kyle, who was walking ahead.
‘Is Master Kyle surprisingly a good person?’
Such a thought naturally occurred to him, but he soon disliked himself for thinking it.
Calling someone a good person just because they give you food.
That’s ridiculous.
Berchia shook his head fiercely, and defiance and grumpiness sprouted in his eyes.
‘This person is a bad person.’
Of course, it wasn't long before that thought changed.
‘Master Kyle is a good person.’
Berchia bit his fork and made a happy expression.
Then, with a ‘Hah!’ expression, he shook his head vigorously.
‘No, he can’t be a good person just because the food is delicious!’
As Berchia tried to compose himself, Kyle, seeing Berchia eat hurriedly, asked as if dumbfounded.
“Don’t Luna and Arion give you food?”
‘No, that’s not it. He’s a good person. I’m sure.’
“They do.”
“I guess they give you what they made, calling it nutritious food.”
Kyle clucked his tongue mercilessly.
“They should just buy it and feed it to you.”
Mmm-! Berchia nodded unconsciously.
It was an irreverent thought to have towards masters who loved him endlessly, but the food Kyle made naturally brought such thoughts to mind.
While eating, Berchia looked around Kyle’s house.
It was bleak.
It didn't feel like a living space.
“Master Kyle’s house has nothing.”
“That way, you don’t get attached.”
Kyle said calmly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“If there’s a place to return to, you get attached. Then, at the final moment, you’ll have regrets.”
As a young Berchia, he didn't understand those words.
But he knew that Kyle’s face, as he said them, looked somewhat lonely.
Clink-
Berchia put down his fork and asked.
“Can I sleep over?”
“If you’re done eating, go.”
At that, Berchia pouted his lips.
“Miser.”
Whack-!
***
“It’s strange.”
“What are you talking about, calling all of us except Kyle?”
Dwenho asked indifferently.
Seeing such Dwenho, Luna slammed the table-!
“Berchia has been eating at Kyle’s house every day lately! Making food for Berchia was one of my joys!”
“That’s strange. Why would that be? He doesn’t like Kyle very much, does he?”
Risinas tilted her head.
Seeing the two women, Dwenho said.
“Do you truly not know the reason?”
“Dwenho, do you know the reason?”
Dwenho, looking at Risinas with genuine disdain for her bewildered expression, said.
“Isn’t it because Luna’s cooking doesn’t taste like cooking, so he eats 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 desecrate art. And my cooking is a product of originality. Moreover, unlike yours, its appearance is beautiful.”
Dwenho scoffed.
“It would be more delicious to eat monster meat raw than to eat your and Risinas’s cooking.”
At those words, Risinas and Luna used magic to restrain Dwenho.
“You first?”
“No, let’s hit him together. I’ll go for the face.”
“I’ll go for the solar plexus.”
“Go ahead and hit me as much as you like. Only your hands will hurt.”
Even while being hit, Dwenho was calm.
After a brief commotion, Luna said seriously.
“Okay. So it’s because Kyle’s cooking is more delicious, right? Then I’ll start practicing cooking today too!”
“It must be hard to play the role of Berchia’s parents.”
“Huh? Do Luna and I look like parents?”
“Arion, snap out of it. I’m talking about Kyle. Do you want to look like parents with such a person?”
“No.”
“You guys really!”
Luna wildly swung her staff at Dwenho and Arion.
Seeing them, Risinas shook her head and looked out the window.
There, Berchia was trotting after Kyle.
Risinas, watching the scene, nodded.