Book 1 Chapter 617

617.

[Amazing. I never thought I'd be caught so quickly?]

"I'll be there soon, so wipe your neck and wait."

[Hehehe. Waiting patiently would be enjoyable in its own way, but it might get a little boring. So, I'll invite you.]

"Invite?"

[Yes. I'll tell you where I am right now.]

"Where is it?"

[Oh? You're not even a little suspicious?]

"After all, what you want is my ability."

[You already know who I am? The doddery old man of Gerdinger? Or the abominable shadows?]

"The location?"

Despite the Hero Slayer's showing interest, Leo spoke directly, as if there was no longer any value in continuing the conversation.

[Haha. Hahaha! I want to talk to you much more slowly.]

The Hero Slayer said with a joyful smile.

[The territory of the Plov family. I am here. Waiting for you.]

With those words, the communication was cut off.

Leo's crimson eyes emitted a clear killing intent.

Goo-ooo-oh-!

Even the Shadow Lords.

Even Legas, the hero of the previous generation and Rodren's greatest knight.

They were overwhelmed by the killing intent Leo exuded.

The killing intent, flickering like flames, soon subsided.

"It's a trap."

"I know."

Leo said calmly at the words of Algren, the Northern Shadow Lord.

"It's an unavoidable trap."

"……"

The Hero Slayer did not just take Raina hostage.

He took everyone living in the Plov family's territory hostage.

That was why he revealed his location.

'Declaration of war.'

Leo smiled eerily.

It meant he had finished preparing to hunt him and was waiting.

"Lord Leo. Taking the shadows with us…"

Algren shook his head at Anyas's words.

"No. He knows of our existence. Mentioning us is a form of threat. The moment we take the shadows, he threatens to slaughter the residents of Plov territory."

"Then Lord Leo has to go to Plov territory alone? That's ridiculous!"

Kirin, the Southern Shadow Lord, said, looking at Anyas who spoke as if it was unacceptable.

"Lord Leo, make a decision…"

"Certainly, he didn't say come alone."

Leo looked at the communication crystal ball in his hand and said.

"But as the Northern Archmage said, if the shadows move, we don't know what he'll do. He was hunted by the shadows, after all."

Leo opened his mouth.

"What he fears most are the shadows."

The Hero Slayer is different from typical Hero Hunters who hunt heroes.

They are never given the chance to become heroes, being traitors from the start.

'Even if the gods are depraved, they wouldn't choose such individuals as heroes.'

And all Hero Hunters hunt heroes against their will.

Whether they were raised that way from birth.

Or if they were caught with a weakness through betrayal and had no choice but to walk the path of a Hero Hunter.

Later, they might go mad or become twisted and act voluntarily, but their origin is against their will.

'Even if they've turned their backs on the world, they eventually can't help but chase the light.'

But the Hero Slayer is different.

He turned his back on the light of his own volition.

Purely for his own desires.

It's unknown what those desires are, but whatever they may be, the Hero Slayer's fundamental nature is that of a hero.

That's why, despite slaughtering countless heroes, he was defeated by the shadows.

'He must know a lot about heroes. That's why he could slaughter heroes. But not shadows.'

A kind of natural enemy.

'That's why he must be wary of shadows.'

It is tricky to grasp the movements of shadows moving stealthily in the dark.

Taking Plov territory hostage must be for that reason.

If he senses the presence of shadows, he will immediately slaughter the villagers.

'If it doesn't work, he must think he can just escape.'

If a large-scale subjugation force is formed, he will simply escape.

He will not engage in unfavorable battles.

'Then there's no reason to set a trap.'

"Taking a small number should be possible."

At those words, Legas said.

"I will send the heroes of Gerdinger."

"No. If he thinks the balance is tipped, he will escape."

"……"

"Hero candidates should be possible."

Legas and the Shadow Lords realized that Leo intended to go with Liss and his friends.

"Liss and her friends might be fine, but Cecilia and Rwalin's children might be in danger, no?"

At Legas's words, Leo said.

"It will be dangerous. But those kids will be fine. And I want them to learn."

"You want them to learn?"

"Human malice."

"……"

Legas was silent at Leo's words.

Chelsea, Cecilia, and Abad will grow even further in the future.

Legas thought.

'The current hero candidates will surpass not only me but even my sons by far. The current era is such an era.'

When the hero world was discovered.

The world dramatically strengthened itself.

3000 years ago.

At the time of the Calamity's reappearance, the scales had practically tipped towards Tartarus.

Although the fragment of Erebus was sealed and countless legion commanders were annihilated by the heroes of creation, the world also suffered immense damage.

The heroes of creation sealed themselves with Erebus in the hero world to fulfill their duties.

And countless heroes lost their lives to the calamity, and the world, which had been revived for thousands of years, burned, though not as much as during the age of calamity.

Unlike such a world, this was a time when three legion commanders who had lived since the age of calamity were still intact in Tartarus.

The first historical turning point after the end of the age of calamity.

An era that might have determined the fate of the world.

But at that turning point, the world obtained a new possibility, the hero world, and barely balanced with Tartarus.

Historians say.

3000 years ago.

The era after the Calamity's reappearance was the true age of heroes.

The birth of a new type of heroes inheriting the power of their predecessors.

And now is such an era.

Not only inheriting the power of their predecessors.

Great heroes, who can be called the progenitors of current heroes, are once again appearing in the world.

Gods who disappeared during the age of calamity have reappeared, and secrets of the world that were unknown until now are spreading worldwide.

Heroes who indiscriminately made a name for themselves are losing their qualifications.

Shadows, who have been discriminated against behind the scenes of history, are also making their names on the Hero Record.

'A historical turning point where the fate of the world is at stake.'

The hero candidates of such an era.

They will surpass the existing heroes by far.

With power comes responsibility.

The current hero candidates will suffer more threats.

'Among them, there will certainly be attempts to crush their potential before they fully bloom.'

Soon.

'No, perhaps from the time they become third-year students. Cecilia might become a target for Hero Hunters.'

The battle with Tartarus and the battle with Hero Hunters are different.

Tartarus is fundamentally an incompatible existence.

But traitorous Hero Hunters are different.

'They walked the same path as us. In a sense, they are even more dangerous than Tartarus.'

Because they can understand each other, they can act even more maliciously.

That is why heroes are hunted by Hero Hunters.

Leo wanted to expose them to such malice.

He was trying to provide a stepping stone for further growth.

'Raina is taken hostage… and the entire villagers are in danger… Is he looking to the future?'

Legas silently looked at Leo.

'Is this confidence that he can save both Raina and the villagers?'

But Leo's eyes were different from that.

Legas, who had roamed battlefields for a long time, muttered, looking at Leo.

'It's familiar.'

He was used to losing.

What on earth had he lost?

What on earth had the boy in front of him, who was not particularly old, lost?

And…

'And he still doesn't give up.'

Leo's appearance showed no sign of a hero candidate.

What was felt was the emptiness that only one who had fought endlessly on the battlefield, to the point of being worn out, could possess.

As a knight leading Gerdinger.

As Legas, an old knight who had stood on the battlefield for a long time, he sensed that emptiness.

'When one knows loss, one eventually accepts and compromises.'

One gives up a part.

Otherwise, one suffers even more.

But Leo has none of that.

Even knowing he will lose, there is no sign of giving up.

'Hero.'

The image of a true hero that Legas had long envisioned.

Legas, who had been silent, said.

"I'm sorry, Leo."

"For what?"

"Because I was complacent, I let you bear the burden."

"…I never imagined that someone in an important position in the family would do such a thing, Grandfather."

Eggerson had thoroughly hidden his desires his entire life.

Suspicious points were found and investigated, and evidence was fortunately seized at the right time.

He probably never thought that someone who had spent his entire life on the battlefield under the name of kinship would stab a knife for foolish desires.

"I was just as complacent. And… I don't consider it a burden. She is a precious person I must protect."

Leo smiled.

"So don't worry. I will definitely bring Mother back."

"…I ask this of you."

* * *

While preparing to head to Plov territory, Leo silently watched the situation unfolding before him.

-Lady Elsie. Here is tea brewed from herbs grown in the cleanest air in this world, gathered from morning dew.

-Oh my, the aroma is truly wonderful.

-Lady Elsie! These are fruits picked from the deepest forest in this world.

-Such precious things.

The high-ranking fire spirits, who followed the spirit of purification, were serving rare delicacies to Elsie.

Elsie, who had returned to her usual palm-sized form, looked at the teacup and fruits, which were the same size as her, with a troubled expression.

Next to them, only Fiona and Kirian were excited.

Initially, when these two naive phoenix and fairy aimed for the refreshments, the high-ranking fire spirits glared at them, but they softened at Kirian's words.

-We are Lady Elsie's closest confidantes.

Chirp.

Arti made a troubled expression, watching the two brazenly lie.

"Lady Fiona has always had a strong appetite, but recently, young Kirian's appetite is quite impressive too. I wonder if both of them will get fat like this."

Indeed, Fiona had a history of becoming an obese phoenix.

-No! Are these not the very things I cherish! These disloyal ones! How dare you betray me!

Meanwhile.

Istar, confined in the prison of darkness, merely screamed, clutching the bars.

The high-ranking fire spirits completely ignored her.

"I knew the hierarchy of spirits was strict, but that seems excessive."

Leo sighed softly at Leo's words.

"Even lower spirits aren't without emotions. It seems they suffered quite a bit from the spirit of purification. What are your plans for Istar?"

"First, eliminating the Hero Slayer is the priority. Let's go soon."

At his words, Elsie spread out a shadow.

Then the high-ranking fire spirits entered it, and Istar, who was subdued by Elsie, was also dragged in.

When Leo opened the door, Chelsea, Cecilia, and Abad stood before him with tense expressions.

Behind them were Liss, Ulta, and Jamua.

The six of them had already heard the situation and were ready.

"Shall we go?"

Leo nodded at Liss's question.

"Let's go."

Thump- Thump-

As Leo walked ahead, the hero candidates followed behind him.