Book 1 Chapter 58

Leo looked at the room key in his hand and thought.

'No matter what, shouldn't you be giving the room key of your granddaughter's room to a strange man?'

According to Rune, she had locked the door and shut herself in.

'Rehabilitating a hikikomori.'

He scratched his head.

'Will seeing me be stimulating enough?'

Lumern and Seirun are rival schools.

Even so, would confronting a Lumern first-year representative be stimulating to a gloomy elf who had given up on competition?

'Whatever. It's not like there's any disadvantage if it doesn't work.'

Leo arrived at the door Rune had mentioned with a light heart.

And he knocked.

After all, he couldn't just barge into the girl's room, could he?

But there was no reaction to the knock either.

Next, he turned the doorknob, but it was locked as well.

Leo opened the door with the key he was holding and entered.

The state of the room was a sight to behold.

Snack bags were scattered on the floor, and change of clothes were carelessly shoved into a corner.

Underwear was also conspicuously visible among the strewn clothes.

If Leo had been an ordinary teenage boy, it would have been quite a stimulating scene, but Leo's sensibilities were not those of a teenager.

In other words, in Leo's eyes, this was nothing more than a pigsty.

However, there was one spot that was clean.

Those were the photos that occupied the entire wall on one side of the room.

'Lisinas, Luna, Arion, Dwenno?'

The photos were of his companions, who are now called Great Heroes.

To each race, the Great Heroes are proud figures and the most popular hero tales.

As a result, there were naturally many related merchandise.

'I knew there were kids who collected them, but this is a bit too obsessive!'

Leo, who had narrowed his eyes, discovered another clean thing.

It was a school uniform hanging neatly in the closet.

'Is it a Seirun uniform?'

"Grandpa. Isn't it too much to enter a grown granddaughter's room so carelessly?"

At that moment, something whimpered from under the blanket on the bed and poked its face out.

And their eyes met Leo's.

"Hiiiiiick! Wh-who are you!?"

The elf girl, seeing a stranger, shrieked and rolled off the floor with the blanket.

And her eyes widened as she looked at Leo's ears.

"Hello. I'm Leo Flov."

Despite Leo's introduction, the girl remained frozen.

Watching the stunned girl, she suddenly snapped out of it and asked with a flustered expression.

"H-how did a human like you get here?"

It was natural for her to be shocked that a human boy, who shouldn't be in the elf territory, had suddenly entered her room.

She even wondered if she was dreaming.

In response to the girl's question, Leo smiled softly.

"I came to talk with you at your grandfather's request."

"G-grandfather?"

Airan, who was flustered, soon escaped from under the blanket she was wearing and sat up.

"P-please, have a seat."

And she offered Leo the guest sofa in the corner of the room.

The elf girl, still in her pajamas, approached the tea set set up in the corner of the room.

It was an elven custom to personally brew and serve tea to guests.

As she was about to brew tea, she saw the scattered clothes around the room and her face turned bright red.

She hastily shoved them into a corner, covered them with a blanket, and then prepared tea and brought it to Leo.

"I am Eiran Ersar."

Eiran, the hikikomori elf with long, disheveled silver hair and clear blue eyes, shyly introduced herself.

"You said you were Grandpa's guest, but how did a human come to Elsalbekia…?"

Looking at Eiran, who asked with a bewildered expression, Leo replied while sipping his tea.

"I'm a student at Lumern. I came to Elsalbekia on a school trip."

"Lumern?"

Eiran was surprised.

"Rune-nim said that since my granddaughter is a student at Seirun, it would be mutually beneficial to meet, so I came to see you."

In reality, it was a plan to stimulate Eiran, the hikikomori, but she couldn't say it as it was.

Eiran swallowed a dry gulp and looked at Leo.

'A student from Lumern, the Human Hero Academy.'

She had never seen a human before, and not only was he her age, but he also attended the same hero academy.

That alone made Eiran very curious about Leo.

'A boy my age… in my room for the first time…!'

The situation of a boy her age visiting her room was a significant stimulation for a teenage girl.

Above all, it was Eiran's first time having a friend visit her room.

In fact, she was introverted and didn't have many friends.

'Snow-white hair and beautiful ruby-like eyes.'

As Eiran examined Leo's face closely, she met his eyes for a moment and her face flushed slightly.

Meanwhile, Leo was pondering what to talk about with Eiran.

After a moment's thought, Leo pointed to a corner of the room.

"You seem to like the Great Heroes?"

"Yes! I, I like them very much!"

Eiran said, clenching her hands.

"They are respectable individuals who saved the world! I fell in love with them after reading fairy tales about the Great Heroes when I was young! So collecting things related to them is my hobby!"

The introverted Eiran was now sparkling with excitement.

"Leo-nim, do you have any favorite anecdotes related to the Great Heroes?"

"The Battle of Darnoss."

"You mean the battle where they defeated Tiberka, the commander of Tartarus's army? The battle where the Great Heroes first became comrades!"

It was an anecdote that remained only in literature, not in hero records.

"Do you also know where the army of Commander Jirga was defeated?"

"Edvelik. Where Luna first tested the magic of the stars."

"That's right! Usually, people don't know records that are only in literature!"

'Because I experienced it all.'

Leo smiled slyly.

Eiran, who had found someone to talk to well, had lost her tension and was getting excited.

Then, she suddenly snapped out of it.

"I, I think I've only asked you trivial questions as a guest."

"No. I think the Great Heroes would be very happy if they knew there was someone like you."

'Indeed, except for Arion, they all like to be revered, so they would be happy.'

Hearing Leo's words, Eiran's expression brightened even further.

After that, Eiran introduced her collection.

The appearances of the Great Heroes known in this era are all based on their appearances in hero records, so the friends depicted in Eiran's collection looked as vivid as they did in life.

Seeing them, Leo's memories of those times resurfaced.

"This is something I particularly cherish. It's said to be a depiction of the Great Heroes before their final expedition!"

"That's right. It looks exactly the same."

"Looks the same?"

Eiran paused.

"You speak as if you've seen it yourself, Leo-nim."

To the sharp question, Leo replied.

"There's something similar in human society. That's what I meant by 'the same'."

"I see!"

The innocent girl readily accepted his explanation.

Leo looked at the drawings of his friends on the desk and smiled bitterly.

"I've never shown my collection to anyone else, but this is really enjoyable."

Eiran, whose gloomy demeanor had disappeared and was now smiling brightly, said cautiously.

"This is just my opinion, but while historically there are four confirmed Great Heroes, I wonder if there might have been a fifth one… What do you think, Leo-nim?"

"Are you talking about Kyle?"

"Yes. Others ridicule it as delusion… but while only hero records remain, there are many written records about Kyle."

Saying so, Eiran's face turned red.

"Because I can talk well with Leo-nim, I ended up saying strange things without realizing it…"

"I think the same way."

"What?"

"I also think Kyle existed. I'm not collecting such collections, but I'm thinking of joining a school club that researches Kyle's deeds."

Although he couldn't pay attention due to various things, he planned to start club activities when he returned to school.

"Ah, no wonder! That's why you knew so much about the Great Heroes."

Eiran, clasping her hands, exclaimed.

She thought she had met someone with similar hobbies.

Leo looked at Eiran, whose guard had now disappeared, with a puzzled expression.

'She doesn't seem like someone who would refuse to go to school?'

Seirun, like Lumern, also has a dormitory system.

It was a serious matter to leave school and come home in the middle of the semester.

Rune had said that the reason he had Eiran meet Leo, whom he had met for the first time today, was because she could face expulsion if she didn't return soon.

'At first, I thought she wouldn't be able to talk to anyone at all… but considering she's introverted and passive, this is quite good!'

Moreover, she even has the commendable belief in Kyle's existence.

'She's so cute and commendable, it's hard to believe she's a descendant of that arrogant Berkia.'

"Actually, Rune-nim is very worried because you're not going to school."

"Ah…"

Eiran's face suddenly darkened.

"According to Rune-nim, you are a very excellent student… Why aren't you going to school?"

Rune had said it was because there was one student she could never surpass.

But Leo didn't think that was the case.

When the topic of school came up, Eiran's face darkened rapidly.

"I, I don't think Seirun is a place that suits me."

"Why?"

"All the students at Seirun are tremendous hard workers… and they have great passion for self-improvement. And they are people who seriously strive to become heroes. There wasn't a single person like me who dreamed of being a hero with such a light heart."

Drooping her ears, Leo folded his arms and looked at Eiran.

"Trying to become a hero with a light heart…"

'Indeed, elves have slightly different sensibilities from humans.'

Elves prioritize order.

Therefore, they make meticulous plans for the future.

'There are such people among humans, but for elves, it's almost a racial trait. However, it's strange to refuse to go to school just for that reason.'

Looking at Eiran's shadowed face, Leo tilted his head.

'Did someone say something strange to her?'

He thought that she might have been hurt by someone's words and lost her will.

Leo glanced at Eiran's school uniform.

'But the fact that she keeps the uniform so carefully means she hasn't given up yet, doesn't it?'

Leo smiled slyly.

"Right now, the entire class is here in Berkia with me."

"What?"

"I told you, we're here for a school trip. They would all love to meet you if they heard about you."

At that, Eiran hurriedly hid behind the sofa.

"Are, are you going to take me? I, I don't want to leave my room!"

"I'm not that rude a human."

"H, all humans at school are rude… Ah! No! I don't mean you, Leo-nim!"

Eiran waved her hands in a fluster.

Seeing that, Leo chuckled and stood up.

"We'll be staying in Berkia for ten days. If you're interested, our homeroom teacher and assistant teacher are at the mansion, so feel free to visit our lodging."

"……"

Eiran averted her gaze shyly.

It seemed unlikely that she would do so.

"There's a girl in my class named Chelsea who collects this kind of collection. She's missing a lot of what you have."

"…! H, Great Hero collections made in human society!"

Eiran's eyes widened, and she looked intrigued.

"Maybe you'll get along well."

Leo looked out the window.

The sun was already setting.

They had talked for quite a long time about the Great Heroes.

"It's getting late, so I'm going."

"Ah! Um, well… Leo-nim."

"Yes?"

"Ah. Goodbye."

"See you again."

Leo left the room with a smile.

"Ah…"

Looking at the room Leo had left, Eiran let out a sigh of regret.

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