Book 1 Chapter 684

684.

Crackling.

The bonfire blazed red.

In front of it, boys and girls gathered, resting.

“Delicious!”

“Yeah! It’s really delicious! I can’t get enough of it!”

“I’ve never eaten anything this delicious before!”

The beastkin and dwarf warrior candidates ate with happy expressions.

Seeing them, Artian covered his mouth.

“Sob!”

Artian’s eyes were moist as he looked at the warrior candidates.

What the warrior candidates were eating was combat rations distributed when going on long-term missions from Lumern.

Regardless of the school, hero candidates were often deployed on long-term missions in extreme situations.

And in extreme situations, nutritious meals were essential for maintaining strong mental fortitude for extended periods.

As such, each hero academy put great effort into creating combat rations that maintained freshness in subspace.

In fact, the combat rations of hero academies were so distinctive by race that they had become a signature specialty of each school.

Hero academies also paid attention to this, putting effort into research and development.

The taste was also guaranteed.

‘This is the biggest change from our time.’

Leo muttered while chewing on the jerky in the combat rations.

Lisina also did her best to pay attention to supplies.

However, in a dying world that was already on the brink of collapse, there were limits to supplies.

Even for a swindler savior leading the world to hope.

Or a eccentric magic genius who showed brilliant light in despair.

Or a perverted smith who made weapons praised by the gods.

There was nothing that could be done about that.

‘It’s so convenient. These kids these days.’

Of course, the hero candidates weren't just indulging in convenience.

There were limits to supplies.

Hero candidates were expected to have the toughness to cut and eat the meat of monsters or beasts and purify and drink their blood if they lacked food and water.

‘Well, it’s best not to be driven into such a situation.’

When the mission began, the warrior candidates who tasted Lumern’s combat rations couldn’t help but be amazed.

They were warrior candidates born in an era where scarcity was the norm.

When situations were bad, they often went hungry for two or three days.

The last banquet was a very special occasion.

They left Ivaldi, came to a fortress in the present world, and obtained supplies that had been sleeping underground, allowing them to be temporarily well-off.

Even that was only abundant from Ivaldi’s perspective; it was a very small amount for hero candidates living in the current era.

In such a situation, when they encountered combat rations that Lumern had intentionally made delicious to reduce the students’ mission stress, it was understandable that the warrior candidates of Ivaldi were moved.

The soft-hearted Artian shed tears watching them.

“Don’t you want to eat more, Tere?”

“Yes. I’ve eaten a lot.”

Tere, a boy who was a bear beastkin reaching 2 meters in height, smiled awkwardly.

But soon, his stomach rumbled.

“We don’t know when the enemies will attack, so shouldn’t we eat enough to be full?”

Tere replied to Chelsea, who was eating next to him.

“I want to let my younger sibling eat too.”

At those words, Chelsea looked around.

Besides Tere, there were other warrior candidates who were leaving food behind.

Seeing that, Artian’s already moist eyes welled up with tears.

“Everyone! When we return to the fortress, we’ll distribute supplies, so don’t worry about that…!”

“No! That’s not allowed!”

Kaneah shook her head in surprise.

“You said supplies, right? We don’t know when those Tartarus guys will attack, so we shouldn’t carelessly provide those to civilians!”

At those words, Artian flinched and his shoulders drooped.

“R-right. Even though I’m a professor, I let my emotions get the better of me… I was foolish.”

“N-no. You’re saying that because you care about us, aren’t you?”

Kaneah said to Artian in a flustered manner.

The warrior candidates assigned to this reconnaissance mission had not only become close to the hero candidates but also grew fond of Artian.

If it weren’t for the terrifying heroic spirits, Artian’s inclusivity was considered the best in Lumern.

It was natural for the warrior candidates to grow fond of him.

Leo, who was watching the situation, said.

“Whether you take it to your families or not, it’s something you can do after you return alive. Don’t starve yourself and then be unable to fight in a critical situation and die or get caught; just eat.”

At his cold words, the warrior candidates who were leaving food behind shivered and nodded.

“Leo Flob, don’t you think you can be incredibly cold sometimes?”

Even the cynical Eliza felt pity when she looked at the warrior candidates.

It was especially so because it was a stark contrast to herself, who lived in a prosperous era.

Duran felt the same way.

In contrast, Leo was surprisingly cold.

‘Leo Flob isn’t a kind person.’

In fact, Leo tended to have a bad personality.

He just didn’t show it well.

In a good sense, he was mature; in a bad sense, he was twisted.

“I was just giving advice because these kids aren’t in a situation where they can be swayed by emotion.”

At those words, Kaneah smiled bitterly.

“You’re right, of course.”

Agreeing with Leo’s words, Kaneah said as if it were strange.

“Looking at Artian-nim is really strange.”

“What is?”

“I don’t know… he seems like someone from a different world than us.”

At those words, Artian awkwardly laughed and scratched his cheek.

“Not just Artian-nim, but you guys are also around our age, right? Yet, you’re completely different.”

“How are we different?”

“Hmm.”

Kaneah pondered for a moment and said.

“Kind?”

“Even if you don’t know about me and Leo-oppa, these two are far from kind. They are really nasty people.”

“If you’re looking for a fight, say it directly to me, Chelsea Lewallin.”

“I don’t think you, who can’t even possess a tenth of Abad Lewallin’s character, have the right to say that,” Duran said menacingly, and Eliza sneered coldly.

“From my perspective, all three of you have bad personalities, so don’t fight.”

Leo shrugged his shoulders.

Kaneah laughed, seeing him, and said.

“I don’t mean kind in terms of personality. Hmm… altruistic, perhaps?”

Kaneah nodded.

“You guys are fighting for others. That’s strange.”

“You, of course, and the warriors of Ivaldi are fighting to protect the fortress, aren’t you?”

“Well… we are like one family.”

A large family formed.

It was natural to help each other.

Because if they didn’t, they would die.

However, they had to be wary of outsiders.

It was only because Dwenno, the leader of Ivaldi, vouched for them that they became close so quickly.

Normally, it would have been impossible to become this close.

Few among the warrior candidates had living biological parents.

If it weren’t for Ennha, who ran Ivaldi’s orphanage.

And if it weren’t for Dwenno, who sponsored Ennha.

Most of the warrior candidates here wouldn’t have survived.

In that sense, they were siblings who had parents named Dwenno and Ennha.

“It’s strange that you, who have nothing to do with us, are fighting so hard for us. If the situation were reversed… if it were me before, I would have definitely turned away from you. We’re truly… wicked, aren’t we?”

Led by Kaneah, the warrior candidates showed embarrassed expressions.

“Looking at you, I feel like you’re shining.”

Kaneah’s face blurred.

“Unlike us.”

Seeing Kaneah’s darkened expression, Leo said.

“What about you now?”

“What?”

“What about you now, after meeting us? Even if the situation were reversed, would you turn away from us?”

“No.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

Kaneah and the warrior candidates of Ivaldi, born in the era of calamity, simply didn’t know.

That there were other ways to live in the world.

It wasn’t wrong to ignore the plight of others.

‘Especially in this current era.’

They didn’t know how to act that way, and they couldn’t survive living that way.

As far as Leo knew, there was only one person born in this dark age who could shine brightly.

‘Berkia.’

Berkia, one of his disciples, was someone who illuminated his surroundings like the sun.

‘That’s why he was special.’

Even Arion couldn’t do that.

“What matters isn’t who you were in the past. It’s that you have changed now.”

Leo smirked.

“You’ve changed, taken a step forward, and grown. That’s a great thing, so hold your head high.”

At Leo’s words, Kaneah scratched her cheek.

“You really feel similar to us.”

To Kaneah, the only one she felt a sense of kinship with in this group was Leo.

Of course…

“It’s just a similar feeling, but we’re still completely different.”

Except for the sense of kinship, they were completely different.

“I don’t know… looking at you, I feel like I’m looking at Dwenno-nim.”

‘Good intuition.’

“If it were me before, I would have definitely fallen for him! But! Now I’m completely smitten with Kal!”

“That Kal fellow. He’s popular.”

Leo muttered, and Duran said.

“Hmph. It just means he has a charm that draws people in, as a hero.”

“What’s with the praise for Kal?”

“I just stated a fact.”

Duran snorted and said.

“If he has charm as a man, it’s also welcome from my perspective.”

At Duran’s words, Leo made a strange expression.

“What’s with that unpleasant look?”

“Is that your type?”

“If you’re looking for a fight, it’s welcome from my perspective, Leo Flob.”

Seeing Duran growling ferociously, Leo raised both hands.

“I apologize. But why is it welcome?”

“He’s undeserving, but I’m considering him as a potential consort for my younger sister. That’s why I said it’s welcome as an older brother.”

“What kind of nonsense is that now?”

Eliza asked, and Duran replied indifferently.

“Nonsense? Kal Thomas is a citizen of Moira. I am the ruler of Moira. As king, it is basic to consider marriage with royalty to retain talented individuals. I never imagined that a successor of Hergin would not know such a simple thing.”

Eliza’s shoulders trembled.

“Why are you getting upset? Eliza Hergin.”

Seeing that, Chelsea muttered inwardly.

‘Does Duran know he’s doing this, or is he not?’

Chelsea shook her head and looked at Leo.

“Leo-oppa, are you worried about something?”

“It’s already been over ten days since the reconnaissance began.”

“Yes. That’s right. We’ve already thoroughly searched the entire area up to the Wall of Restraints.”

Artian said to Chelsea’s words.

“It seems to be hidden quite well.”

The area surrounding the fortress enclosed by the Wall of Restraints isn’t that wide.

‘It’s also bothersome that Giase isn’t visible.’

Not just Giase.

The entire Giant King’s army was nowhere to be seen.

‘Then they must have gone outside the Wall of Restraints.’

Leo, thinking if that was even possible, came up with a hypothesis.

The inside of the Wall of Restraints is a real-world area, but it is also a dungeon area.

In other words, it’s a place where reality and the dungeon world intersect.

The laws of the dungeon apply.

And Leo knew a way to disregard the laws of the world of the army, or more precisely, the world of heroes.

‘Using divine power.’

Just as Leo had brought Luna and Aron out into the real world using divine power.

Tartarus might also be able to take people from the army world outside using Erebus’s power.

‘Was the invasion back then… to reduce their numbers?’

Recalling the previous invasion, Leo clicked his tongue.

It was obvious what the Giant King’s army, which had gone outside, would do.

‘Strengthening their forces.’

It’s coming soon.

A large-scale invasion that wouldn’t even compare to actual history.

‘It would be resolved if the army’s records were destroyed before then.’

However, no entrance to the army world could be found in this area.

Thinking that far, Leo subtly turned his head.

That direction was towards the fortress of Ivaldi.

‘Is the entrance inside the fortress?’