Book 1 Chapter 671
671.
“I want to go back to school. No, I just want to go home.”
“Fire! I hate it!”
Illiana was muttering blankly with her knees hugged in the corner of the tent, while Dryana flinched, looking at the campfire visible through the open tent entrance.
Watching them, Chelsea, with her arms crossed, made an incredulous expression.
“What on earth happened?”
“I heard Leo Flov took the two of them for morning training.”
“Brother Leo?”
At Eliza’s words, Chelsea clicked her tongue.
“Then it makes sense they’re so broken. Brother Leo’s training is indeed too much.”
When Chelsea poked Illiana with her foot, Illiana grabbed Chelsea’s school uniform skirt and held on tightly.
“Chelsea! The class president is there! The class president is there!”
“Let go! My skirt is falling down!”
Chelsea flinched and shook Illiana off.
“The class president tried to kill meeee!”
“You won’t die from just that.”
“You devil!”
Illiana shouted at the voice coming from the tent entrance.
“Seeing you’re so energetic, perhaps we can increase the intensity of the afternoon training?”
“You’re a devil! The class president is a devil!”
“You once said Brother Leo was like a divine agent.”
“What’s that now?”
When Leo asked with an incredulous look, Chelsea shrugged.
“The name of the Lord Kyle research club she made is ‘Kyleism’. This fool is now even trying to act like a cult leader. She’ll only come to her senses after being put in handcuffs.”
“A cult, you say! Lord Kyle was a real person! And it’s not a religion in the first place?! It’s just a fan club!”
Of course, Leo knew someone who genuinely mistook his fan club for a religion and tried to join.
Moreover, that person, though formerly, was also a real god.
Illiana, who had received help from Kyle during last year’s Festival of Heroes, became completely captivated by the Hero of Beginnings from that day on.
She researched records related to Kyle and collected Kyle-related merchandise.
Enthusiastically learning about Kyle, she soon reached the point of half-jokingly revering Kyle as a god.
In the process, she seemed to have once called Leo, an All-Class like Kyle, a divine agent.
“Anyway, Lord Kyle and the class president are completely different! Lord Kyle was incredibly gentle and benevolent! Totally unlike the malicious class president!”
‘I am Kyle, and I saved you then.’
At Illiana’s cry, Leo sighed briefly.
Then he noticed Chelsea covering her mouth and snickering, and asked.
“Is it funny?”
“Ehm-hem-hem! Ahem-hem!”
Chelsea cleared her throat and turned her head away.
“Come out and eat.”
At his words, the female students came out of the tent.
In one corner of the clearing where the tents were, Duran was sparring with the three second-year students from the Knight Department.
Flash-
Aina’s golden aura pressed Duran from all directions.
“Fast.”
Duran gripped his longsword.
“But that’s all!”
Kaga-ga-ga-gak-!
“……!”
Duran, who had deflected all of Aina’s sword strikes, immediately thrust his sword at Aina’s neck.
Hwak-! Chae-eng!
Habiden, who flew in with a gust of wind, tried to strike Duran’s sword away.
‘It didn’t budge?’
Habiden’s eyes widened.
He tried to deflect Duran’s sword with a speed-infused strike.
But Duran’s longsword didn’t budge.
It merely shifted the trajectory of Duran’s sword, which was aiming for Aina’s neck, ever so slightly.
Hwaak-!
That small deviation in trajectory was enough for Aina to dodge the attack.
‘Just how strong is he!’
The moment Habiden, gritting his teeth, tried to create distance from Duran.
Flash-!
Simultaneously with a flash, Duran’s sword was swung towards Habiden like lightning.
Ka-ang-! Pa-ji-ji-ji-ji-jik-!
“Kuek?!”
“If you retreat indecisively, you’ll just become prey.”
Simultaneously with Duran’s words, Aina closed the distance with Duran to help Habiden.
Pa-ji-ji-ji-ji-jik-!
“Aura release……!”
The moment Aina, seeing the lightning aura swirling around Duran’s body, gritted her teeth.
“Haaap!”
Pa-ba-ba-ba-bat!
“Luke!”
Luke charged into the lightning storm unleashed by Duran.
“Eugeugeugeuk?!”
A scream burst from Luke’s mouth as he was electrocuted.
But Luke did not stop his charge.
He even accelerated.
Hoowang-!
A silver flash threatened Duran.
Duran dodged Luke’s sword.
“Hooo? Tough guy, eh?”
“Thank you, Luke.”
“Save your thanks for later!”
Duran’s aura, along with Celia’s, is famously known for its immense power, almost comparable to grand magic.
“I’ve felt this before, Luke Elda. Your combat style isn’t refined.”
“Haha, well… compared to Aina and Habiden, I do fight a bit recklessly. I should probably adjust it to fight a bit more efficiently.”
As Luke laughed awkwardly, Duran curled up the corners of his mouth.
“Is there really a need to fix it?”
“Huh?”
“There’s no such thing as a safe place on the battlefield, but it’s true that we fight in more dangerous places.”
The class that confronts enemies on the front lines, creating time for mages and summoners, is the knight.
Occasionally, there are those with auras possessing overwhelming firepower.
Duran is a prime example of this.
However, that doesn’t mean Duran can replace the role of a mage.
“A knight is one who fights enemies up close, breath to breath. There’s no need to fight while getting injured, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. However, there are countless situations where one must risk injury.”
Pa-ji-ji-jik-
Duran withdrew his aura.
It signified the end of training.
Accordingly, the second-year students also sheathed their weapons.
“We talked about efficiency, but what’s efficient depends on the situation. Sometimes, you must be able to inflict fatal wounds on the opponent, even at the cost of your own life.”
Duran’s gaze turned towards Aina and Habiden.
“You are certainly rougher and cruder compared to Aina and Habiden. A high risk of injury is definitely a fatal drawback. But you also possess distinct advantages compared to the two of them.”
“Advantages?”
“Yes. The point is that you strike at the opponent’s weak spot.”
Aina and Habiden have been thoroughly educated as knights since childhood.
As warriors, they are bound to be more refined than Luke.
But precisely because they are so refined, they are also easy to predict.
Conversely, Luke first truly wielded a sword upon entering Lumern.
During his first year, Leo did show him the way, but it was just a path.
He refined what he saw and learned at school in his own way.
“It means you’re wild.”
Duran chuckled.
“Aina, Habiden. You two should also observe Luke’s movements.”
“Yes.”
“Yep.”
Duran, nodding as he watched Aina and Habiden stand at attention, sheathed his longsword.
Watching this, Karl said, chewing on roasted meat.
“The knight department kids have good energy. Training from morning on an empty stomach.”
“Huhu. They’re diligent.”
Artian smiled faintly.
“Student Dryana and Student Illiana also trained hard from the morning, didn’t they?”
At those words, Karl let out a hollow laugh, looking at the two suffering from trauma.
“Why can’t Dryana even look at the campfire?”
“Lord Dweno put her in the furnace.”
At Ar’s answer, Karl made an incredulous expression.
“…What kind of training is that?”
“He said to control strong fire, you need to build up resistance first. He even tried to make the Black Rabbit do that training.”
“Water torture and electric torture… now fire torture? I’m afraid next they’ll try burying alive.”
Karl muttered quietly.
“But does that really work?”
When Karl asked Leo, Leo, who was eating stew, nodded.
“It works. I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.”
Leo wasn’t just carelessly trying to push Dryana into a blazing pit.
He had already confirmed that this training was incredibly effective in building fire resistance.
The test subject was none other than Arion.
‘I consulted Dweno, saying I’d need fire resistance since I’d be on the front lines with him.’
At the time, Luna, knowing that fact, was angry, asking why he would consult Dweno about it.
But because he had undergone Luna’s howling training, Arion’s trust in Luna regarding training was already at rock bottom.
In the first place, Dweno was also the best expert on ‘fire’ among the party members.
So, Dweno, at Arion’s request, forcibly pushed Arion into the furnace to enhance his fire resistance.
‘Since then, he also came to distrust Dweno.’
Leo, having thought that far, looked at Ar.
Ar was laughing heartily, waving a burning log in front of Dryana.
‘Come to think of it, Ar also needs Dweno’s training, doesn’t he?’
The moment he thought that.
Suddenly, Ar flinched and shivered, then raised his head and looked around nervously.
His stiffly erect tail and twitching ears made him look like a cat sensing danger.
Leo subtly shifted his gaze away from Ar.
‘It seems his senses have become unnecessarily sharp since he learned supersenses.’
In that state, he might vehemently protest against going into the furnace.
But Leo really wanted Ar to undergo this training too.
‘After all, Arion couldn’t withstand Erebus’s flames.’
Of course, there’s a limit to the flame resistance that can be built using Dweno’s training method.
But completing Dweno’s training was one of the minimum conditions for Ar to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Arion.
‘How can I coax him to willingly walk into the furnace himself?’
It was while Leo was contemplating.
Ding-dong-ding-dong-
Suddenly, the bell on top of the watchtower began to ring frantically.
Wooooooo-!
Simultaneously, an ominous horn blared.
“Air raid! Air raid!”
“It’s Tartaros’s air raid!”
Commotion began to be felt on top of the castle walls.
Kyaaaak!
Countless Fafnirs appeared in the sky, letting out monstrous roars.
“It’s Fafnir! Activate the barrier above the fortress!”
***
Upon hearing news of the invasion, Dweno immediately appeared from his workshop.
It had only been a short while since the Gigantes invaded.
But now there was another massive invasion like this?
“What’s the enemy’s scale?”
At Dweno’s question, Enniha urgently replied.
“I can’t tell exactly! But… the numbers are so vast that it feels like the entire army of the Giant King!”
At those words, Dweno narrowed his eyes and looked outside the castle walls.
“…It’s definitely the same as back then.”
“What?”
“What about Giant King Gias? It would be hard to hide such a massive body, wouldn’t it?”
“He hasn’t shown himself!”
“Hmm.”
“Such a scale… I wonder if the castle walls can withstand it.”
“Don’t say such weak things.”
“B-but… Lord Dweno! If the soldiers see that overwhelming force, their morale will surely…”
“This place won’t fall. Right?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
Leo, who had been watching the Giant King’s forces with his arms crossed on top of the castle wall, scoffed and said.
“No…! When did he get there!”
“Outsiders cannot arbitrarily climb the castle walls!”
“Get down!”
The surrounding beastfolk and dwarves regarded Leo warily.
Although he was accepted into the fortress, it was a catastrophic era where traitors ran rampant.
They couldn’t allow an outsider to climb onto the castle wall, a key strategic point for fortress defense.
Especially in the current situation, where the Giant King’s army might have launched an all-out offensive.
“Leave him be.”
“B-but, Lord Dweno.”
“He won’t betray us.”
“Why are you so sure?”
At the dwarf’s question, Dweno glanced at Leo.
“It’s a feeling.”
Having said that much, Dweno spoke to the beastfolk adjutant.
“We’ll need help from this friend’s companions too. They will surely be a great help.”
“Yes! I’ll bring them immediately.”
The castle walls became bustling.
Even amidst this, Leo stood on the castle wall, not budging an inch.
Dweno stood beside him and opened his mouth.
“What do you think will happen?”
“Why do you keep asking me that?”
“I’m asking because I think you know the answer.”
Seeing Dweno laugh heartily, Leo chuckled.
“We’ll win.”
***
“Wow, this is insane. There are so many.”
Karl clicked his tongue, looking at the endlessly sprawling army.
“It’s almost the same scale as Lord Dweno’s world last time.”
Dryana also clenched and unclenched her hands.
“We weren’t allowed to fight on the front lines back then.”
For being too inexperienced.
But now it was different.
Then Illiana spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
“But in actual history, this place fell, didn’t it? If this is an all-out offensive… can we defend it?”
At those words, Karl chuckled.
“I don’t know if it’s an all-out offensive or not. But this place won’t fall.”
“How can you be so sure?”
At Illiana’s still anxious question, Karl turned his head to look towards Leo and Dweno, then said.
“You call Lord Kyle a god, don’t you?”
“Huh? Well, that’s…”
“We have a god with us now too, don’t we?”
“Are you talking about Lord Dweno?”
At those words, Karl smiled faintly and shrugged.
‘If Leo is a god, then Lord Dweno is also a god. So we have two gods with us right now! And.’
“We’re here too, aren’t we?”
Karl glared at the Giant King’s forces.
“I don’t know what happened in the past. We know the outcome of that history, but not the process. So let’s not dwell on past results.”
At those words, everyone’s gaze turned to Karl.
“History we don’t know about? We can just rewrite it. So let’s only look forward for now. Because from now on…”
Karl grinned.
“…will be the beginning of a newly recorded history.”