Book 1 Chapter 687

687.

"Isn't it a little strange?"

That night, after finishing their exploration mission.

Eliza, who had finished resting and was eating, spoke with a frown.

Seeing her, Chelsea tilted her head and asked,

"What is?"

"We've finished exploring most of the areas within the Wall of Restraints."

"That's right."

"Yet, we still haven't found the entrance to the Legion's World. Let alone the entrance, we haven't even encountered the Giant King's Legion."

"Now that you mention it, it certainly is strange."

Chelsea's expression turned serious.

She recalled the Giant King's Legion that had attacked this place.

An overwhelming presence that sent shivers down her spine.

'Would we have been able to stop them if Dweno-nim and Leo-oppa hadn't been here?'

With that thought, she swallowed dryly.

"Is it hidden very well?"

Luke asked cautiously, and Duran spoke.

"It's possible. But in this case… there's a not insignificant chance it's within this fortress."

"Inside the fortress?"

Luke's expression turned surprised, and Dryana said,

"That's impossible."

Dryana, who spoke with a flick of her finger, said proudly,

"Have you forgotten who the commander of this city is? It's Dweno-nim! Dweno-nim!"

"Dryana is right. If it's Dweno-nim, he would have been the first to grasp the situation within the fortress."

Ar also nodded in agreement.

Cal, who had been listening to the conversation, asked,

"Leo, what do you think?"

"Hmm."

Leo, with a fork in his mouth, fell into thought.

The entrance to the dungeon was within this fortress.

And Leo had an idea of where it was.

However, Dweno's words made him hesitate to tackle the dungeon.

'I want to lead these people a little into the future. That much… is it wrong to wish for that?'

It wasn't a wish for Dweno himself, but a wish to show the people of Ibaldi a future.

And it wasn't even to have the people of Ibaldi live in the future.

He just wanted to show them a completely peaceful world.

Just as they were granted the night sky with stars.

He also wanted to show them beautiful sunlight.

'Of course, it's absurd.'

To bring a being from the past into the future.

It was an utterly nonsensical wish.

But the one who made that wish was more deserving of fulfilling it than anyone else in this world.

Leo, and this world, owed Dweno a great debt.

Because Dweno never hesitated to dedicate himself and sacrifice for a peaceful future he could not enjoy.

Recalling Dweno's small yet ridiculously grand wish, Leo tapped the fork in his mouth several times before speaking.

"They might have hidden it well… but I think there's a not insignificant chance it's inside."

Saying so, Leo stood up.

"Black Rabbit, where are you going?"

"To the ramparts."

"Ooh! I'm going too!"

Ar, who had stood up, quickly followed Leo.

'I thought Leo would have found some clue.'

Watching their retreating figures, Cal tilted his head.

'Well, what can you do. Leo isn't an omnipotent god.'

Thinking that, Cal tilted his head.

'Wait a minute. Come to think of it, isn't he almost a god?'

He has a track record of saving the world, and he's trying to save it once more.

Moreover, he's a human who even worships gods.

'At this point, it seems like he might be a god…?'

Cal, who was earnestly thinking foolish thoughts, noticed Chelsea staring intently in the direction Leo and Ar had disappeared, and smiled slyly.

"Are you bothered by Leo and Ar going on a date?"

"Does that look like a date to you?"

Seeing Chelsea's exasperated expression, Cal looked embarrassed.

Chelsea sighed lightly and stood up.

"Cal, come with me for a bit."

"Why?"

"I have something to talk about."

Pulling Cal along, Chelsea arrived at a quiet place with no sign of people.

Then, sharpening her senses, she surveyed the surroundings, confirmed there was no one, and spoke.

"Leo-oppa. Isn't something strange?"

"Leo?"

At Chelsea's words, Cal crossed his arms and tilted his head.

After contemplating for a while, Cal shook his head.

"He didn't seem particularly strange? Why?"

"No. It's like Leo-oppa looks like he has a lot on his mind. He seems subtly different from usual."

"Huh. You can even distinguish that?"

"Of course! I'm always watching Leo-oppa."

"That's almost stalking…"

"What? What did you say?"

"Help me."

As Chelsea's staff was held close to his cheek, Cal raised both hands.

Watching Cal, Chelsea, with half-closed eyes, retracted her staff and said,

"If it were the usual Leo-oppa, he would have found a clue by now with this much exploration, isn't that strange?"

"That's true. But Leo isn't an omnipotent god, is he? It's natural for him to take some time when faced with a difficult situation."

"That may be so, but."

While agreeing with Cal's words, Chelsea, with a lingering unease, asked,

"Leo-oppa went to your side this afternoon, didn't he? Was there anything?"

"Anything? Hmm! Well. He came to the orphanage mansion, cast a spell to make flowers bloom, and then went to sleep, so there wasn't anything."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. It's not like I saw him for long anyway."

"What do you mean? Tell me in detail."

"Leo didn't come to the orphanage right away. He was with Dweno-nim and at the workshop."

"With Dweno-nim?"

"Why?"

"You mean Dweno-nim saw the flower-blooming magic?"

"Yeah. The orphanage children had shown Dweno-nim their flower drawings, and seeing that, Leo used the flower-blooming magic."

Upon hearing that, Chelsea's face became serious.

Cal looked at her quizzically.

"What's wrong?"

"Cal. If, if."

"Yes?"

"When Leo-oppa and you went to Dweno-nim's world… do you think Dweno-nim might have taken your memories?"

"What?"

Cal looked incredulous.

"Luna-nim and Arion-nim said they had Leo-oppa's memories."

Chelsea recalled the cases of Luna and Arion that Leo had told her about.

"No way? This isn't the Hero's World, it's the Legion's World."

"Yes, it's the Legion's World. But it was originally Dweno-nim's world, wasn't it?"

At Chelsea's words, Cal's expression turned serious.

Cal, with his arms crossed, contemplating seriously, asked,

"What's the basis for that assumption?"

"What was Dweno-nim's reaction when he saw the flower-blooming magic?"

"He looked a little surprised, I guess?"

"Just a little surprised? Isn't that strange?"

Chelsea spread her hands.

Then, a magic circle appeared above them.

It was the magic circle for the flower-blooming magic.

"Cal, you're a mage too, so you know. How absurd the flower-blooming magic is."

The essence of the progenitor of the constellations, Luna Luminance.

"The flower-blooming magic is a more advanced magic than any other. No, it's already in the realm of miracles."

The result is merely blooming flowers, but the process is unimaginably difficult and complex.

A miracle that touches the realm of creation, defying the laws of the world.

"This magic is astonishing the more deeply one understands magic."

*Whoosh-*!

The magic circle that had appeared above Chelsea's hand dispersed.

"And Dweno-nim's understanding of magic-tech is incredible."

Although limited to the field of magical engineering, Dweno is also undeniably a mage.

Hearing Chelsea's explanation, Cal's face became serious.

'Indeed.'

When Dweno saw the flower-blooming magic, he was surprised, but that was it.

'From Dweno-nim's perspective, it must have been a miracle he couldn't understand.'

Thinking that far, Cal looked flustered.

"B-but! Why would Dweno-nim hide the fact that he has memories? Did he only reveal it to Leo?"

"Leo-oppa didn't know either, but maybe he found out today?"

"That makes even less sense! If Leo knew, why would he hide it?"

"He might be hesitating because of Dweno-nim."

"What?"

"Think about how Dweno-nim treats the people of Ibaldi. You said it yourself, Cal. It's very different from the time of Guardsron."

Even in Cal's eyes, Dweno in the future was different from Dweno now.

The current Dweno felt colder.

But the current Dweno treated all the people of Ibaldi not just as people to be protected, but like family.

The residents of Ibaldi were the same.

They treated Dweno like a father, an uncle, or an older brother.

"Dweno-nim promised to show the people of Ibaldi the sun."

Cal had also seen Dweno talk about such things several times.

"B-but if Leo knew… if Leo knew…"

The Leo that Cal knew was someone who would do anything to save the world.

An ideal hero, like something out of a fairy tale.

It couldn't be helped.

Leo was, in essence, one of the archetypal heroes of this era.

The perfect hero of beginnings.

That was Leo.

"Cal, you just said it."

Chelsea bit her lip tightly.

"Leo-oppa is not an omnipotent god."

"…"

"Leo-oppa is also human. Someone who laughs when happy and cries when sad."

His emotions had simply been dulled by the many experiences he'd had.

She didn't believe Leo was so heartless as to turn away from the wish of a close friend, like family.

"Leo-oppa wants more than anyone for the great heroes to be able to live in a peaceful era like him."

At Chelsea's words, Cal buried his face in his hands.

"Haa… Then what should we do? If Dweno-nim and Leo, wanting to show the people of Ibaldi even a glimpse of our era, know the location of the entrance but aren't tackling it? What are we supposed to do?"

"…I don't know."

'…Arion-nim, what should I do?'

Arion, who had told Leo about Cal, had left a request for him to be Leo's strength.

She wanted to be strength for Leo, who might be in conflict.

'What should I do.'

Just as Chelsea bit her lip tightly.

"Hmm? So, you're saying you're from the future, right?"

At the voice from above, Chelsea and Cal were startled and looked up.

Ennih, holding a brush, was looking down from the ramparts.

"H-how?"

Seeing Chelsea flustered, Ennih smiled and pointed to his ear.

"I'm an elf. Sensitive to the movement of the wind."

He meant that he had sensed Chelsea sensing magic when she came here and evaded it.

"So, to summarize your story, that dwarf has memories of the future, and that Leo kid is that dwarf's friend."

Ennih put his brush in its pot and leaped from the ramparts, landing lightly between Chelsea and Cal.

"That dwarf doesn't want to tackle it even in a crisis? Because of us."

Ennih scowled.

"That damn dwarf. Does he think of us as burdens? Who is he to talk about bringing us to the future? How presumptuous."

"Ah, well, the conversation we were having…"

"It's not beautiful! As an artist who pursues aesthetics, I can never allow this!"

"What?"

Ennih looked at Chelsea and Cal and said,

"Let's find that entrance."