Book 1 Chapter 697
697.
A bright light illuminated the entire world.
It was as if the sun had risen.
The gazes of everyone on the battlefield turned towards the light.
At its center stood Leo.
The light pouring from the tip of Leo's sword struck Ghias.
Ghias, struck directly by Leo's unique magic, Zero, opened his eyes wide.
‘My existence…!’
Ghias’s existence was fading.
This was not simply physically powerful magic.
It was, literally, a power that negated evil.
Neither strong defense nor overwhelming regeneration was any use.
It was magic that erased existence itself.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
Ghias raised his dark magic to its maximum.
He had to resist this power somehow.
Just as Ghias was struggling,
“You won’t survive this time.”
Dweyno jumped.
At that moment.
The hammer Dweyno held grew as large as Ghias’s head.
“Hryaaaaaap!”
Whoosh-
Golden flames blazed.
The moment the massive hammer was about to strike his face,
Ghias cried out to the heavens.
“To the great Erebus! Infinite glory! By His will! Victory…!”
Smack-!
Dweyno’s hammer completely blew off Ghias’s head.
Swoosh-!
Ghias scattered into dust with the light.
[God of Blacksmiths Dweyno has survived.]
[Giant King Ghias has been subjugated.]
Ar’s eyes widened.
“Wow!”
She raised both hands and bounced up and down in her spot.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Ghias’s army, which filled the battlefield, began to turn into dust and vanish.
However, the Giant King’s army that had invaded from the present world did not disappear.
Even so, their numbers were not that great.
Towards this remaining army of the Giant King, Ivaldi’s warriors switched to offense and began their subjugation.
“We won! We won! Black Rabbit!”
Ar turned her head towards the remains of the wall, which still stood like a tower, with a bright expression.
Leo, swaying on top of the wall, lost his balance and fell.
“Aaaargh!”
Ar gasped and ran towards Leo, barely catching him with both hands.
Thump-!
“Are you okay?!”
“How could I be? My mana is depleted.”
Leo let out a deep sigh.
Dweyno, who had delivered the final blow to Ghias, also fell from the sky.
Ar was about to run to catch Dweyno, but Enniha, who had already rushed over, managed to safely catch him.
Seeing this, Ar let out a sigh of relief and said in an excited voice.
“Anyway, that was amazing! What kind of magic was that?!”
“It’s a newly created unique magic. Though it’s unfinished.”
It wasn’t yet a perfect magic.
In Kyle’s time, he couldn't deliver a decisive blow to Erebus and it ended in a sealing.
This was a magic he had steadily researched to subjugate Erebus, never forgetting that memory, and only recently became able to manifest.
But there was still a long way to go.
In the meantime, Ivaldi’s warriors succeeded in subjugating the remaining remnants of the army.
“Wooowaaaaaaah!”
“We won!”
Ivaldi’s warriors cheered with joy.
Seeing this, Leo murmured.
“We won.”
“Yes, we won. Black Rabbit.”
“Put me down now.”
“Huh? If your mana is depleted, shouldn’t you rest more comfortably? And you’re quite cute being held so docilely in my arms, aren’t you?”
Ar looked down at Leo, her blue eyes sparkling.
Her white tail wagged gently.
Leo, looking up at the white cat teasing him with a sideways glance, reached out and tightly grabbed the gently wagging tail.
“Aack!”
“Who are you to tease your elders?”
“I said! My tail!”
Ar, her face flushed, shrieked and barely pulled her tail out of Leo’s hand.
Meanwhile, Dweyno, supported by Enniha, approached and burst into laughter.
“You’re quite a sight.”
“You too.”
Leo, barely standing with Ar’s support, looked up at the sky.
Dweyno also looked at the sky.
Stars were shining in the early morning sky.
“Enniha.”
“Hmm?”
“There isn’t much time left.”
“……”
Enniha gave a wry smile.
“So, let’s start the festival.”
Dweyno smiled faintly.
“As splendidly as possible.”
“……Okay.”
Enniha nodded and ran towards the warriors.
“Let’s have a drink as promised.”
“Alright.”
***
“Let’s raise a toast to victory!”
“It’s a festival!”
The news of the Giant King’s subjugation soon spread throughout the city.
Residents who heard the news emerged from the shelters with joyful faces.
They couldn’t contain their happiness.
Though it was late dawn, even the children came out to the public square to prepare for the festival.
Amidst this, Leo and Dweyno were having a drinking contest.
“Brother Leo!”
A bright voice was heard from afar.
“You won!”
She had seen the Hero Record message about Ghias's subjugation.
Coincidentally, that moment was when Arhi's party reached the center and succeeded in reclaiming the Hero Record.
Once the conquest objective was achieved, Arhi's party stopped destroying the Hero Record and immediately returned.
“Yes, I won. But you’re wearing nice shoes?”
“Oh, these?”
Chelsea lifted one foot.
Chelsea, who proudly showed off the shoes adorned with wing decorations, smiled brightly.
“A gift from Lord Dweyno!”
It wasn’t just Chelsea.
Luke had a sword.
Habiden had a spear.
Aina had wrist guards.
Illiana had light armor that enhanced mobility.
Eliza had earrings.
Cal held a bracelet, and Artian wore a necklace.
It wasn't hard to guess who made them.
“I made them in my spare time. I couldn't make them perfectly, but they’re still fairly useful items.”
Dweyno said indifferently, despite the items being good enough to be called divine artifacts.
“You certainly made time.”
“Repairing weapons themselves wasn't difficult.”
Indeed, with Dweyno's skill, he would have had time left over after easily repairing the requested weapons.
“Leo, student.”
Just then, Artian approached and cautiously handed something over.
It was a charred fragment of the Hero Record.
A faint ember still glowed at the tip of the Hero Record fragment.
It was burning.
This signified that the lifespan of this world itself was almost at an end.
No one knew when this world would meet its end.
It was as Leo received it and fell silent.
“You all. Shouldn’t we raise a toast to victory?”
At Dweyno’s words, Arhi’s party hesitated.
“Come on, everyone, quickly get a drink!”
They couldn’t refuse the drink from a great hero.
Arhi’s party, who had settled down, raised their glasses.
“Thank you! For fighting for us!”
“No, we just did what we had to do.”
Artian said in a solemn voice.
Dweyno stared intently at Artian.
“Is there something on my face…?”
“It’s nothing.”
Dweyno smiled faintly and poured drinks for the other students as well.
And so, the atmosphere ripened.
Dweyno chuckled, continuously pouring drinks for the hero candidates.
Soon, those who had formed bonds gathered and chatted excitedly.
“Lord Dweyno!”
Driana spoke to Dweyno with a serious face.
“I learned so much again this time! Since then, I’ve been striving to become a smith who upholds your legacy!”
“Excellent. I have a gift for you too.”
Dweyno took out a small hammer.
It was the very weapon that had just blown off Ghias’s head.
“This is Aeternus, a hammer I made with all my might. It will be helpful both in battle and when you’re doing smithing work.”
“Ah! I could even make sculptures with this!”
“Sculptures…?”
“Yes! I’ve been dedicated to my art as an artist too!”
Dweyno nodded, looking at Driana whose eyes were sparkling.
“Hmm, now that I think about it, there was something I wanted to say to you ever since I met you again.”
“What is it?”
Seeing that, Leo said,
“Get up.”
“Huh? Why?”
Cal, who was drinking beside him, tilted his head.
“Move.”
Leo said that and then calmly took a sip of his drink.
Among the bewildered group, Cal, who had excellent danger perception, quickly ran away.
“I told you to quit art! Why don’t you ever listen to me! Are you rebelling?! I’ll just smash your head in!”
“Hiiiiiiik!”
Dweyno swung Aeternus savagely towards Driana’s head.
“Quit art! I said quit it! Don’t you dare desecrate art!”
All sorts of things around were destroyed by Dweyno’s hand, and their fragments scattered in all directions.
The party was caught up in the commotion, screaming and running away.
Leo calmly drank his alcohol, avoiding the fragments by sharply turning his head left and right or leaning back.
After a bout of commotion.
Dweyno pressed his temple and handed Aeternus to Driana.
Driana had a gleeful expression.
With the party scattered,
Only Leo, Dweyno, and Enniha sat in front of the campfire.
Then.
“Um…”
Deet approached Leo.
Leo looked at Deet and then spoke.
“You are just like your father.”
“Pardon?”
“Just as the weapons your father made saved my unknown life, the weapons you’ve made have surely saved someone unknown on the battlefield.”
Such were the weapons of Ivaldi’s artisans.
Even after Ivaldi’s destruction, they flowed into Gardstron.
They contributed to the long journey of saving the world.
Even if neither the creators nor the weapons themselves left their names in history,
The weapons thus created would have fulfilled their duties in their respective places.
In this way, invisible connections linked, ultimately leading to the salvation of the world.
‘If someone doesn’t stop moving forward, their will won’t be broken.’
“Be proud.”
At Leo’s words, Deet nodded with a flushed face.
“Yes!”
Deet left after giving a spirited answer.
“You've become quite talkative. It’s like seeing Lysinaas.”
“Is that so?”
“You two get along well, even without being married.”
Dweyno chuckled and took a drink.
Leo, clicking his tongue at the sight, also poured all the remaining liquor into his mouth.
Then he put his cup into the barrel and drew more.
Having already drunk an enormous amount of alcohol, he was quite drunk.
“We were married.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lysinaas and I.”
“Pfft!”
Dweyno spit out the drink he was consuming.
“What did you say?!”
“That damn lizard committed marriage fraud on me. I only recently found out.”
“You. Do you know what kind of feelings Lysinaas harbored for you?”
“I also know that damn elf’s feelings.”
“Amazing. Were you pretending not to know on purpose?”
“I found out after being reincarnated.”
“That’s a relief. You’re still a clueless idiot.”
“You perverted old man.”
Leo choked Dweyno.
However, Dweyno merely continued to drink calmly.
Meanwhile.
“Ugh, I drank too much.”
Not far away, Cal shook his head sharply.
Perhaps because he had drunk too much, his mind felt lightheaded.
“Hmph. How ignorant. To drink beyond your limit.”
When Eliza said, with a snicker, Cal raised his glass and said,
“This is the time to drink!”
“Hear, hear!”
Canea, who was next to him, raised her glass in return.
Clink! The two clinked glasses and drank.
Eliza shook her head, watching them.
A moment later, Cal bowed his head deeply.
He had fallen asleep from the alcohol.
Canea, who had been staring at him, approached Eliza.
Then she gently lifted Eliza.
“……?”
“Heave-ho!”
Canea pushed Eliza towards Cal’s embrace.
Eliza, unintentionally embraced by Cal, gasped.
“You two look good together.”
“What?!”
Eliza glared at Canea, who was giggling with a bright red face.
“But you’re not pushing him away, are you?”
At Canea’s words, Eliza frowned and pushed herself out of Cal’s embrace.
“Huh? What is it?”
Cal, roused from his sleep, looked around.
The festival atmosphere continued.
And eventually, it became a faint dawn.
“Speaking of which, Enniha.”
“Hmm?”
Enniha, who had been laughing and chatting with Dweyno, tilted her head.
“The promise to be my model. Keep it.”
“Yes. I will.”
“Then take off your clothes.”
“What is this crazy dwarf talking about?!”
“Shouldn’t a model naturally be nude?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Who thinks such a thing?”
“I learned that from you, though?”
“When did I ever say that?!”
Enniha elbowed Dweyno’s head.
But Dweyno didn’t even flinch.
‘They’re a perfect match.’
Leo clicked his tongue.
Meanwhile, Enniha, who barely escaped being a nude model, sighed and asked,
“What pose should I strike?”
“Draw a picture for me.”
“A picture?”
She tilted her head but soon brought a canvas and easel, putting on a serious expression.
Then, as if a thought struck her, she began to draw.
Dweyno also sat in front of a canvas and easel and began to draw her.
Dweyno, who had been concentrating on drawing for a while, put a long pipe in his mouth.
It was none other than Enniha's pipe.
“Oh? Dweyno? You don’t smoke, do you?”
“In the future, I do.”
As Leo recalled, Dweyno had been holding a pipe since their first meeting.
And he held the same pipe until his very last moment.
‘It was Enniha’s, I see.’
He watched the painting being completed beside Dweyno.
‘There’s not enough time.’
Leo had a premonition.
That there wasn’t enough time to complete the painting.
He looked at the fragment of the Hero Record in his hand.
It was burning more and more.
Looking at the small remaining fragment, Leo opened his mouth.
“Dweyno.”
“If you're going to say something foolish like increasing my allotted time using divine power, I'll punch you in the face right now.”
Dweyno, who had read Arion's memories through Brave, said resolutely.
“Save that power.”
“……”
Leo closed his eyes.
“And my artwork, from the moment I touch it, is beauty itself. There’s no such thing as completion or anything.”
“……That’s true.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
The image of the elf earnestly drawing on the canvas was indeed beautiful.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Right. As I said, comparing her to Luna is disrespectful.”
“I don’t know about personality, but Luna’s face seems prettier?”
“You, a married man, are trying to flirt with another woman?”
“I was scammed, I tell you. And I was just stating a fact.”
“You have no eye for beauty.”
Dweyno clicked his tongue as if pitying him.
“Hey, how is it?”
Just then, Enniha asked, as if unable to wait any longer.
“Want to see?”
Enniha, seeing Dweyno’s faint smile, approached him.
“Wow.”
Enniha’s jaw dropped.
“This, this is me?”
“Yes.”
“It’s beautiful. But isn’t it too idealized?”
“My eyes as an aesthetician are more accurate than anyone else’s. Enniha. You are this beautiful.”
Dweyno smiled faintly.
“Surely, thanks to the beauty you showed me, I was able to move forward without breaking until the very end.”
“……”
“Thank you, Enniha.”
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-!
The fragment of the Hero Record burned away completely.
As Leo clenched his hand, watching it turn into black ash and scatter away,
[The people of Ivaldi have been saved.]
[Dweyno’s World: Prologue - Battle of Ivaldi has been cleared.]
The Hero’s World was cleared.
And with it, a brilliant light enveloped the world.
Everyone closed their eyes.
The Hero Dungeon disappeared.
This space, which had been on the boundary between the Hero’s World and reality, had now become reality.
The moment Leo, eyes closed, took a deep breath.
“Ah.”
Exclamations of surprise were heard from all around.
Arhi’s party, including Leo, who had their eyes closed, hastily opened them.
The people of Ivaldi were looking towards the east.
“……The sun.”
Dawn was breaking.
Brilliant light shone upon the people of Ivaldi.
Those who saw the sun for the first time in their lives.
Those who regained this sight after decades.
Everyone looked upon the saved world with moved expressions.
Enniha, who had been looking at the sun, slowly brought her canvas over.
“I drew it well, didn’t I?”
And she showed the painting to Dweyno, smiling brightly.
Dweyno, taking the painting, murmured.
“You drew it well.”
“Right?”
“But I drew better.”
At those words, Enniha burst into laughter.
And then she said,
“I’ll go first.”
Enniha, leaving the same words she had left for Dweyno earlier, turned into particles of light and disappeared.
It wasn't just Enniha.
All the people of Ivaldi turned into light and vanished.
Dweyno, who had been silent watching them, handed Leo the painting and spoke.
“Thank you…”
Dweyno stopped speaking.
His time had ended, but Leo’s time continued.
It was too soon to say thank you.
Dweyno, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“I ask this of you.”
To his comrade who still had to move forward.
The one who had been a sturdy pillar of the party conveyed a single message filled with apology, gratitude, and encouragement to the one left behind.
Leo, receiving the painting, nodded.
“Leave it to me.”
At those words, Dweyno smiled and turned into particles of light, disappearing.
“……”
As everyone remained silent, Leo looked at the paintings.
‘I want to preserve them.’
Dweyno wanted his artworks to remain for future generations.
Originally, this painting left by Dweyno should have disappeared.
But.
[Conquest Reward: Paintings]
The conquest reward was decided by Leo’s wish.
With a sigh of relief, Leo carefully placed Enniha’s painting next to Dweyno’s painting.
As dawn light poured in.
The painting of Enniha drawing and the painting of Dweyno drawing were displayed side by side.
Arhi’s party gathered around.
“Wow, beautiful.”
“These are amazing paintings.”
Seeing his party members express admiration, Leo opened his mouth.
“Of course they are.”
Because.
“They are paintings drawn by the last artists who lived in this era.”