Book 1 Chapter 547

It was a dreamlike time for Berchiah and Bihars alike.

Their bodies had died long ago.

Berchiah closed her eyes in hatred for the world, and Bihars closed his eyes in sorrow for not being able to stop Berchiah.

Five thousand years passed, and Berchiah became a specter, while Bihars became a noble spirit.

The end of their lives was undoubtedly tragic.

However…

Berchiah looked at Eiran, who was struggling to eat.

"Eiran."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for showing you such a pathetic sight. Were you disappointed?"

Eiran, blinking his large eyes at the words, avoided her gaze slightly and replied.

"Rather than disappointed… I was scared."

"…"

"You didn't seem like the Berchiah I knew anymore. And I couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for you… I was scared."

She had carried the weight of the world on her shoulders and devoted everything to creating a better world.

And what returned was betrayal.

It was no wonder Berchiah became an undead out of hatred.

"Still."

Eiran smiled brightly.

"Berchiah is Berchiah."

A hero who worked harder than anyone else for the world.

It was still a fact that she was the hero Eiran liked and admired the most.

Watching Eiran, Berchiah closed her eyes.

She felt unwavering faith from Eiran.

"I want to be like Berchiah."

She realized anew.

This unchanging faith was a greater comfort and solace than anything else.

'Was Master Luna like this too?'

The reason she remained on this land as an undead, even at this moment, was her hatred for the world.

She was still sick of it.

The fact that she had dedicated herself to such a world.

The fact that her dear friend had stepped into darkness and strived for a lifetime for such a world.

The fact that great heroes had sacrificed everything to save the world for such a world.

But…

'Should I have tried a little harder?'

A lingering regret from the words of her young descendant.

It felt as if vitality was returning to Berchiah's weary soul.

Berchiah approached Eiran and rubbed her descendant's cheek.

Just as Luna used to do to her when she was young.

And she soon uttered the words Luna used to say to her when she was young.

"You definitely can."

She gave a bright smile, somehow resembling Luna's.

"Even after 5000 years, you haven't changed."

Berchiah looked at Leo.

"The path the great heroes took…"

Then her gaze shifted to Bihars, who stood beside her.

"The path we followed…"

Finally, taking a step back, Berchiah looked at the three girls.

"Now, you are trying to follow."

Generations connect.

The world saved by the great heroes passed to her.

The world she revitalized passed to future generations.

'It wasn't wrong.'

At that moment, everything felt wrong.

But it wasn't.

"As expected, the world was worth saving, Bihars."

Berchiah looked at her friend standing beside her and smiled brightly.

Bihars nodded, seeing her seemingly relieved expression.

-Yes, it was just that the era we lived in was the dawn.

A time before the sun had fully risen.

A gray time where darkness and light intersected.

An era where dawn was slowly breaking.

Berchiah nodded at Bihars' words and said, looking at the future generation.

"We couldn't stand on the final battlefield."

There wasn't enough time.

"That fact was so infuriating."

Berchiah's eyes slightly dimmed.

"The battlefield you will stand on will probably be fierce. So I beg you. Please don't let history repeat itself like it did 5000 years ago."

Berchiah said with all her heart.

"Lean on each other and move forward. And after all battles are over, please return together. When you return."

Berchiah looked at the table.

"Please spend a happy time together like this."

The ordinary life they had after the age of disaster ended.

They had become so accustomed to it that they let the peace flow by day after day without a second thought.

But sometimes, when they saw the dawn breaking, they felt the absence of the great heroes.

At those times, they realized how precious ordinary life was.

And they felt regret.

'It would have been nice if we were together.'

If they could have comfortably welcomed the morning in a bright world without any worries.

'It would have been really nice.'

It was an impossible dream.

But at this moment, that dream came true.

Both Berchiah and Bihars.

The end of their lives was undoubtedly tragic.

But thanks to it, their wishes were fulfilled even after death.

-Master.

"Why?"

-Want to go for a walk?

"I'm lazy."

Leo replied listlessly to Bihars' words.

Berchiah, who had approached Leo from behind, forcefully pushed his back.

"Let's go, old man."

"I'm lazy."

Despite grumbling, Leo wordlessly went outside as Berchiah pushed him.

The three people who were eating also hurriedly followed.

Creak-!

The sound of the door opening.

The world was colored white by the snow that had fallen again.

Crunch- crunch-

They walked through the ruined streets.

Berchiah and Bihars stood on either side of Leo.

"Master."

"Why."

"We worked really hard."

"So what?"

-Do you have anything to say?

Bihars asked curtly.

"…"

Leo chuckled at the words and raised both hands.

Then he reached out and placed his hands on his disciples' heads.

"You both did very well."

It was a calm statement.

Sincere praise, neither less nor more than necessary.

"Thank you for making our sacrifices not in vain."

He sincerely thanked his disciples, who had lived their lives to the fullest for him and the great heroes.

The young disciples had now become adults, lived their lives for the world as their past selves had, and then met their deaths.

They had their missteps too.

What did it matter?

Their achievements did not disappear because of that.

The sun had now fully risen.

Sunlight poured down, breaking as it hit people and objects.

The broken sunlight completely drove out the darkness.

A full morning.

This miraculous moment also came to an end.

Leo, who had been stroking his disciples' heads, gently pushed their backs.

Berchiah and Bihars walked towards the sunlight without any hesitation.

They shed all their lingering attachments as specters and noble spirits.

Even the small regrets of their lives.

"Ah."

Berchiah, who had been walking, stopped as if she remembered something.

The gloomy aura around Berchiah had completely disappeared.

Only a clear aura, like Bihars', enveloped her surroundings.

Berchiah whispered something in Bihars' ear.

Bihars nodded and then looked towards Leo at the same time as Berchiah.

Leo looked puzzled as he watched the two disciples with the morning sun behind them.

"Dad, cheer up."

The two, speaking in unison, laughed heartily at Leo's stunned expression and disappeared into the sunlight.

"Haa…"

Leo sighed, looking utterly bewildered.

"Who are you calling dad? Damn it."

Muttering softly, Leo stared at the spot where the two disciples had disappeared for a long time.

The three girls watching him could not discern what expression Leo had.

***

Rustle- rustle-

He walked through the courtyard covered in fallen leaves.

The leaves crunched under Leo's feet.

Luna and Eiran and Chen Shia followed behind him in silence.

"Miss Luna even came all the way to Rumern?"

"Something happened, so how could I just leave?"

Luna looked at Leo's back with a worried expression.

Looking at his somewhat lonely figure, Luna said.

"What must he be feeling?"

"I can't even imagine."

Chen Shia shook her head.

The three of them couldn't easily speak to Leo.

They keenly felt the weight of what Leo was carrying.

As the two walked on, silently watching Leo's back.

Tap-tap-tap-!

"Ah? Miss Eiran?"

"What are you doing?!"

Eiran, who was beside them, ran towards Leo, surprising Luna and Chen Shia.

"Leo-nim!"

"…"

"Please train me starting today!"

Eiran raised her voice next to Leo.

"I'll undergo any training! By working harder! Just like Berchiah-nim and Bihars-nim did! Like the other great heroes did, I want to be helpful to Leo-nim!"

Leo, looking at Eiran clenching her fists, chuckled and roughly stroked her head.

"I'll work harder than now too!"

"Me too."

Luna and Chen Shia, who had approached from behind, said with great spirit.

As Leo chuckled, watching their determined expressions.

"Oh? Isn't that Leo?"

"Where? Where? Ah! It's really Leo oppa!"

"Leo, Siah, Eiran, you're here?"

"How was the mission?"

Kal, Chelsea, Chloe, and Abad saw Leo and waved.

"Siah!"

At that moment, Iliana, with a tearful face, ran to Siah.

"The Knights Department and the Magic Department have been treating me like a bat since yesterday!"

"Miss Iliana definitely acts like a bat, though."

"Revenge! They're treating me like a bat! Even the class president, who is all-class, is treating me like a bat! Punish them!"

At Chen Shia's cold words, Iliana complained to Leo this time.

"Pathetic."

"It's not like it's the first or second day, is it?"

Celia said with a snort, and Nella shook her head.

Duran's expression turned cold.

"The student council president of Seirun is here too. Why are you here?"

"There must be a reason."

Eliza and Warden showed more interest in Luna.

It seemed they were moving by department.

Not just the second years.

It felt like the entire student body was moving.

Leo had a slightly strange expression as he watched them.

"Class president! Class president! Are you listening to me?"

"Stop bothering Leo, who just returned from a mission."

"Grow up, you bat."

Celia and Chloe grabbed Iliana and dragged her away.

Watching them, Leo chuckled.

Seeing the noisy scene naturally brought back memories of the past.

The chaotic days at Gardesron, where they were always bickering, overlapped with the present.

'They're the same.'

A yearning that began 5000 years ago.

The starting point for all existing heroes, they clenched their fists while looking at the aspiring future heroes.

What would the world be like when they reached the position of heroes?

5000 years ago.

Kyle, the hero of the beginning, did not paint a future.

His friends painted the future for him.

'I just followed the future they painted.'

Leo looked up at the sky.

There was no longer a future to lean on.

'So now, I have no choice but to paint it myself.'

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling at all.

'Thinking about it makes me excited.'

Recalling the future when all burdens were finally laid down.

The hero of the beginning smiled faintly.

***

The entire student body gathered.

Amidst this, all eyes were focused on one spot.

"Why is Seirun's student council president here?"

"I don't know. I heard she came with the student council president today?"

"This is a special class for our school, isn't it? Is it okay for a Seirun student to participate?"

"If you think about it that way, there are exchange students too, right?"

"Um… that's true. But what's certain is this."

The students of Rumern nodded.

'How brazen.'

Despite hundreds of students whispering and looking only at her, Luna didn't flinch.

Instead, she wore a confident expression.

"Oh my. Hello, Luna?"

"Ugh? Elena-shi?"

At that moment, Elena Zerone, a fourth-year student at Rumern and the strongest in the Magic Department, sat next to Luna.

Luna's expression turned awkward at Elena's appearance.

The two had a past experience of working together to conquer Luna's world.

While Elena was very reliable back then, Luna also found her burdensome.

As such a person approached and greeted her, she somehow felt intimidated.

Elena, looking at Luna, smiled brightly and said.

"Luna, don't you want to transfer to our school?"

"I'm Seirun's former student council president, though?"

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm asking you to transfer. If you transfer, I'll make you vice student council president. Even though you'll be vice president, you'll have as much real power as Seirun's student council president."

"I'll pass."

"What a shame."

As Elena shrugged her shoulders.

Creak-!

The lecture hall door opened.

And with it, all the students fell silent.

A child with a beautiful appearance, indistinguishable as a boy or girl, appeared.

Melina followed behind him, with gray hair and gray eyes.

Leo, who was sitting next to Kal, twitched.

"Greetings, aspiring heroes who carry on the will of Rumern, successors of the hero of the beginning, Kyle. My name is Lian."

The entire student body looked at Lian with bewildered faces.

"If I explain my introduction in detail, the situation will become very complicated, so I'll introduce myself briefly."

Lian smiled faintly.

"I am a god."