Book 1 Chapter 705

705.

That evening.

The third-year students of Leo's party, who had returned to the dormitory, gathered in a room within the Clock Tower Dormitory.

"What in the world was that blizzard?"

Kyle, who had a pen placed above his philtrum, crossed his arms and looked puzzled.

The third-year students of Leo's party, having completed their requested mission and returned, were currently writing up their mission report.

Despite the sudden blizzard, all the orc settlements had been subjugated.

"And a mana freezing phenomenon too."

Illiana twirled a pen between her fingers, an incredulous expression on her face.

The mana freezing was also a phenomenon experienced only by Leo and Chloe.

"You really couldn't use any special abilities?"

Chloe nodded at Kyle's question.

"Yeah. It felt like my powers were sealed."

"Leo, you too?"

Leo answered by nodding his head.

"What in the world is going on?"

Kyle, who knew Leo's true identity, looked perplexed.

Meanwhile, Leo, having finished writing the report, stood up from his seat.

"You guys finish up quickly too and get some rest."

Originally, they had planned to subjugate the orc settlements all weekend.

The idea was to give the second and first-year students practical experience.

However, due to an unexpected situation, the third-year students actively participated, and the orc settlement subjugation ended a day earlier than scheduled.

As such, Leo's party was now able to enjoy a free day tomorrow, one of the two weekend days.

After Leo left, a moment later.

Chloe also put down her pen and submitted her report.

"I'm leaving first."

"Huh? Already?"

"Yeah. I need to go back to the dormitory."

"Oh no! What are you saying! It's a rare opportunity! We should go out and have fun!"

Chloe looked dumbfounded at Illiana's words.

"It's curfew now."

Once curfew began, they couldn't leave the dormitory.

It was a strict rule of Lumern.

Illiana gave Chloe a meaningful look.

"That's what makes it fun! We're out when we're not supposed to be able to leave!"

Chloe gave Illiana a look of pity.

"All the convenient facilities are closed anyway."

"Oh, come on! Still, it's fun to wander around!"

"I'm going in early."

Illiana rolled her eyes, watching Chloe, who looked uninterested.

If Chloe returned, it would be reported to the dormitory professors.

Leo was free from the dorm supervisors' eyes because he used a private house, but regular students were not.

What was allowed to the third-year students right now was merely report writing time.

Once they finished writing, they had to return.

Illiana's plan was to take advantage of that short window of time to wander around the dormitory at night.

If Chloe returned, and they didn't return to the dorm too late, it was obvious the dorm supervisors would come looking for them.

'The Clock Tower Dormitory has many secrets.'

The Clock Tower Dormitory boasted a very grand scale.

However, compared to its size, the areas students could access were limited.

Although the professors didn't say anything, it was clear that secrets were hidden.

'There might be treasure chests hidden in secret spaces!'

The Clock Tower Dormitory itself stimulated students' desire for challenge.

That's why not a few students returned to the dormitory and explored the clock tower during non-class hours.

But at night, there was no such opportunity.

And by chance, such an opportunity had arisen.

Unfortunately, Chloe had little interest in such things.

More precisely, her desire to obey the school rules outweighed her curiosity about the clock tower's secrets.

For her, an honor student, school rules were something to be unconditionally followed.

Illiana was well aware of Chloe's disposition.

Illiana, rolling her eyes, spoke.

"Chloe! Did you hear the rumor? The rumor that there's a forbidden archive in the dorm library!"

At those words, Chloe stopped walking.

"They say there are tons of forbidden magic books there that are unknown to the world!"

Chloe looked at Illiana.

'Yes! She's hooked!'

Illiana inwardly rejoiced.

Chloe, looking at Illiana's face, turned to Kyle.

"Is it true?"

"There is such a rumor, yes."

"Credibility?"

"Close to zero."

Watching Kyle shrug his shoulders, Chloe left the room, seemingly uninterested.

If Kyle, the school's informant, said so, it was safe to assume there was no such forbidden archive.

"You should say it's credible!"

"The reason I became Lumern's informant is because of trust. How can I say something exists when it doesn't? And Chloe would find out if she investigated anyway."

Illiana clicked her tongue at Kyle's words.

"And even if you explore at night, can you properly explore anything? The professors will be on patrol."

"Honestly! No romance! No romance at all!"

***

Upon entering his room, Leo pressed his forehead at the sight before him.

"Oh, sofa. I envy you. You serve Lord Leo every single day, don't you? Ah! I want to be Lord Leo's sofa too. It would be wonderful if this humble body could provide comfort to Lord Leo."

This was because he found Lian sticking close to the sofa where Leo often sat, rubbing her face against it.

"Hey. Want to switch? I'll be Lord Leo's sofa. You be the manager of Hero Record. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Hmm?"

'No matter how many times I see that, I can't get used to it.'

She was definitely a god in that she wasn't beautifully insane, but messily insane.

As someone who had lived through the Age of Gods and the Age of Calamities.

He knew more about gods than anyone else in this era, yet he couldn't understand them.

No, perhaps no one could understand gods even in the Age of Gods.

"Ah! Lord Leo! From now on, I've decided to replace the sofa! Please sit on me!"

Lian pushed Leo's sofa aside and crouched down where the sofa had been.

"Although it's a humble body, I will do my best to provide comfort to Lord Leo!"

At those words, Leo approached Lian.

And sat on the guest sofa next to her.

Lian made a sad face.

"Ah! I am an existence even less than a sofa!"

Just as Lian drooped, thinking she had been defeated by a sofa.

"Why are you comparing yourself to something like a sofa? You're far greater than a sofa."

"Pardon?"

"Managing the Hero Record is something only you can do. How important is that?"

At those words, Lian looked touched.

"Do you mean I am a more necessary being than a sofa?"

"Yes."

Lian smiled genuinely, happy at the fact that she had won against a sofa.

'If you're less than a sofa, are you even human? Ah, this is a god.'

To quote Luna, a crazy god was less than a weed on the roadside.

While Leo shook his head.

Lian put the sofa back in its original place and knelt across from Leo.

And clasped her hands together as if praying to a god.

That sight brought to mind a reverent and devout worshiper.

He clicked his tongue, looking at Lian's posture which almost seemed sacred.

He had told her many times not to do it, but she wouldn't listen to him on this one.

So Leo had given up.

After a moment, Leo asked Lian, who had opened her eyes.

"I called you because I have something to ask."

"Command me, Lord Leo."

"Can Erebus use powers of other attributes?"

"Other attributes, you mean?"

"Can it use attributes other than fire? For example, ice abilities."

"Impossible."

Lian shook her head and added an explanation.

"For that monstrosity, the primordial evil, the unextinguishable flame is the very symbol representing the monstrosity itself."

"The symbol itself?"

"Yes. The sight of the world burning to ashes and disappearing. That is that monstrosity's ultimate desire. And the ability befitting that desire is the unextinguishable flame. Ultimately, its true form is the black flame itself."

If so, using ice abilities made no sense.

After hearing Lian's explanation, Leo looked serious.

"Why did you ask that?"

Leo recounted what had happened in the mountains.

"Unmelting ice and a power that froze mana, you say."

Lian's face turned serious.

"It wasn't magic. That must have been a divine authority."

Magic was ultimately an ability within the laws of the world.

And what went beyond those laws was called a miracle.

The unique authorities of the legion commanders fell into the category of miracles.

The Lich King possessed a fragment of Erebus.

If he could use it, it wouldn't be impossible to bestow an authority upon a new legion commander.

'Or it could be an ability obtained through the world of the legion.'

At Leo's words, Lian spoke.

"Even if the Lich King used the monstrosity's fragment to wield power, it would be difficult to bestow an authority like 'unmelting ice'."

"Why?"

"Unmelting ice. That's because it's the same concept as the unextinguishable flame. That is, Erebus itself."

"The same concept?"

"Yes. Because even miracles have ranks. If I explain in detail it gets complicated, so to put it simply… you can easily understand it if you think of unmelting ice as a miracle of the highest concept."

"Hmm."

Leo nodded.

"But you said Erebus doesn't use any power other than fire?"

At that, Lian thought for a moment and then spoke.

"What I'm about to tell you is purely my conjecture."

An existence close to omnipotence.

Leo nodded at the mention of a god's conjecture.

"The origin of the primordial evil cannot be known even by us gods. It's just that the monstrosity existed at some point and has desired the destruction of the world ever since."

"So?"

"The monstrosity possesses many authorities. But among them, the most powerful authority is the unextinguishable flame."

An authority that could be said to be Erebus itself.

"But it was strange. Unextinguishable means it continuously burns. That is, as time passes, Erebus's flame grows stronger. But while the gods remained on the ground and suppressed Erebus for a long time. Erebus had nothing to burn."

Until the gods' power weakened.

Erebus had spent its time burning itself.

No matter how unextinguishable a flame, it eventually disappears if there's nothing to burn.

In other words, Erebus had been burning only its own flesh for a long time.

But in the end, Erebus did not burn itself completely.

"It might have possessed a power to suppress the flame?"

"Yes."

Lian nodded.

"Among the gods, there were those who speculated that Erebus might have swallowed evil gods of similar tendencies to become its current form. They said it would explain the diverse authorities it possesses."

Having heard that far, Leo also grasped what hypothesis Lian was thinking of.

"Are you saying it might have devoured an evil god with an opposite attribute power a long time ago?"

"Yes. Wouldn't it have been controlling its firepower with the power of ice?"

Leo stroked his chin after hearing Lian's words.

"Erebus is currently in six fragments."

In the final battle, Leo cut it into six pieces and sealed it.

If so, there is only one inference that can be predicted here.

"One of those six fragments, the one with ice power, awakened?"

"That is my humble estimation. However, as Lord Leo predicted, there's also a high possibility that it's an authority bestowed upon the legion commander by the Lich King."

Hearing Lian's words, Leo felt a shiver.

'If it's an Erebus fragment, as Lian predicted. Then things have really gotten complicated.'