Book 1 Chapter 753

753.

The highest spire of the royal palace of the Kingdom of Debian.

Leo, standing there, looked down at the ruined Debian without a word.

Various parts of Debian's city remained in ruins.

Scars of civil war.

Many people were seen coming and going on the ruined streets.

Overall, the atmosphere was chaotic, and everyone's faces were filled with worry.

It was when Leo's red eyes were observing the people.

"What would Arion have said if he saw this?"

At the voice from behind, Leo glanced at Licinius.

Licinius, who came to Leo's side, crouched down.

Whoooosh-

The wind blew, scattering Licinius's black hair.

The obsidian-like eyes of the black dragon, who once carried the world alone, reflected the state of the world.

Unlike then, it was a peaceful world.

The sky was spotless and filled with light.

But even so, the faces of the people in this city were filled with darkness.

Licinius knew.

That darkness was also present on the faces of people 5,000 years ago.

There was something that hadn't changed even after 5,000 years.

Anxiety about an uncertain future.

Laments for those who were sent away first.

Even if the world regains peace, it will not disappear.

But Licinius was not discouraged by such things.

Licinius knew and saved them.

That the world he would save was this kind of place.

He knew well that it was a world full of bad things too.

But because he knew there were many more good things, he staked his all on saving the world.

But…….

What about those born in the age of calamity?

The future they dreamed of was only hopeful and bright.

Because they had only seen extreme darkness from birth.

They naively thought there would be no conflict in a world full of light.

Originally, adults should have taught them.

That the world coexists with good and bad sides.

They shouldn't have been filled with only false illusions.

But Licinius did not teach such things to the children born in the age of calamity.

Not even to Arion.

Because sometimes, not knowing was better.

Licinius knew too well that the hope of a world so opposite to the age of calamity, a world full of brightness, would give great strength to those who had only lived in despair.

'I just used that.'

Licinius's eyes sank.

"In the end, I might have been a swindler to those born in that era."

"Why are you saying that now?"

Leo glanced down at Licinius.

Licinius, who had been looking down at the people, pulled his knees to his chest.

"It seems you heard about Berkeia from Eiran."

"…Yes."

Licinius closed his eyes.

Berkeia Ersar.

Kyle and Luna, Arion's disciple.

But Berkeia was special to Licinius too.

Even more so than Bihard, whom he secretly regarded as a daughter.

The reason was simple.

'That child was a child who shone brightly even in the darkness.'

The souls of children born in the age of calamity are dark.

It was natural, as they hadn't grown up seeing proper light.

But Berkeia was different.

'A child who can shine on her own.'

If Bihard was someone who assimilated into darkness and moved forward.

Berkeia was someone who pushed back the darkness with light and moved forward.

Licinius's Erebus subjugation team and Archi's expedition ended in success.

Archi's final journey was undoubtedly a gamble, but there was a chance of winning.

But strictly speaking, Licinius was not sure if he would be alive after the expedition succeeded.

And when that happened.

He thought the leader who would guide the world after him would be none other than Berkeia.

The Wisdom King's eyes were accurate.

After Erebus was subjugated.

Berkeia consolidated the remaining forces and repelled Tartarus's great invasion, which aimed to destroy the world.

And laid the foundation for the world's prosperity.

As he had expected.

No, even more than he had expected, Berkeia splendidly rebuilt the world without them.

But even that Berkeia eventually fell to the world's malice.

'If I hadn't lied, wouldn't they have avoided such a tragedy?'

"If Arion had survived and seen the world regain its light… wouldn't he have resented me?"

Arion was timid.

That's why Licinius told Arion stories of the world before Erebus.

'The blue sky was the foundation of Arion's courage.'

Arion confided many things to Licinius.

And he followed and believed Licinius's words more than anyone else.

Licinius told Arion only the bright side of the world in peaceful times.

He was afraid that if Arion heard about the ugly aspects, his courage would be broken.

"In the end… I might not have trusted Arion."

The fact that he deceived someone who trusted him more than anyone else with pure sincerity returned as guilt.

Hearing about Berkeia made his heart sink even more.

"Is that why you didn't tell me about Berkeia and Bihard?"

Licinius asked with a bitter smile.

"Because I know you're the type to worry and get depressed over trivial things."

Leo said in an annoyed tone.

Luna, who was always confident, was always smug.

But sometimes, she could become excessively dejected.

Unlike Luna, Licinius was always calm.

But once his heart sank, he became so dark that it was difficult to watch.

The severity was even worse when it concerned others, not himself.

Licinius gave a bitter smile at Leo's careless tone.

Watching him, Leo said,

"Even if Arion had lived to see the Age of Heroes, he wouldn't have been broken."

"Why?"

"It's true that the guy is foolishly naive, but he's also strong beyond that."

Leo thought of Arion.

"He would have overcome it and gone his own way."

"…You believe in Arion more than I do."

Licinius smiled bitterly, and Leo made a look of disdain.

"He had a good teacher. A good teacher who saw through what he believed was right, no matter how desperate the situation."

"Was there such a teacher? Are you talking about the Guardian of the Azure Sky?"

Licinius asked with a surprised expression.

'Why is this lizard sometimes so clueless?'

Leo looked at Licinius with an expression of disbelief.

"I'm talking about you."

"Huh?"

Licinius's eyes widened.

Leo said,

"The path you guided was always right. So don't get dejected just because you told a few lies."

"……."

"If you make a lie true, it's not a lie, is it?"

Seeing his friend spouting his own shameless words, Licinius couldn't help but burst into laughter.

'But there is one promise I ultimately failed to keep.'

The promise to never leave them alone, which ultimately remained a true lie.

Remembering that unfulfillable promise, Licinius asked,

"What about Bihard and Berkeia?"

Licinius mustered the courage to ask about the children he cherished.

At the question, Leo told him the stories of the two people he knew.

"They've both become grandmothers."

"Right."

Licinius burst into laughter, and Leo shook his head.

"…The end?"

Finally, Licinius asked cautiously.

"What was the end?"

At that question, Leo closed his eyes.

Licinius watched Leo with tension.

"Those damned brats called me Dad."

"What?"

"I guess the person they consider their mother was different for each of them, but."

Leo clicked his tongue.

"This is why popular people have a hard time."

"You're talking nonsense."

Licinius spat out rough words, unlike himself.

Seeing him, Leo chuckled.

"So?"

"Huh?"

"How long are you going to be slumped over? Bihard's mother."

"Hearing you say that makes me feel strange, like I've become a parent without my knowledge."

Seeing Licinius frown, Leo said coldly,

"How can that be stranger than me suddenly getting married and becoming a parent without my knowledge?"

"……."

At those words, Licinius fell silent.

"Cheer up. The kids worked so hard to do something with the world we left them… It's embarrassing to be so dejected."

"…That's true too."

"Ah~ Leo-nim~"

At that moment, Eiran's voice reached his ears.

Looking down at the base of the spire, he saw Eiran waving.

Originally, the voice shouldn't have reached them, but Leo and Licinius didn't have much trouble hearing it.

Chen Xia was beside Eiran.

It seemed they were looking for Leo.

Licinius stood up.

Seeing Licinius belatedly, the two bowed their heads.

"Seeing them like this, they really resemble each other."

Licinius saw the images of Berkeia and Bihard in the two.

After watching them for a moment, Licinius said,

"Kyle."

"Why?"

"If… if somehow."

"If what?"

"Is there a chance we can all gather together again?"

"……."

Leo knew well who Licinius meant by "we."

The great heroes.

Licinius, who had borrowed Artian's body in Dweno's world and stood before Dweno, but that was just the manifestation of a strong will. They couldn't have a proper conversation.

The memories of that time were also vague.

At Licinius's question, Leo closed his eyes.

"…It will probably be difficult."

"Right?"

"But I wish we could all gather together."

At Leo's words, Licinius burst into laughter.

"Aren't you the type to not hope for things that can't be achieved?"

"Some damn lizard taught me that even false hope gives strength."

Licinius chuckled at Leo's sarcasm.

"Then, if the five of us gathered, what would you do first?"

"There's something I absolutely have to do."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to smash Luna."

Seeing Licinius speak in a chilling voice, Leo thought.

'Should I run away? Or hide behind the perverted dwarf?'

Whatever the case, he didn't want to stay at the scene for long.

Leo, who was watching the dragon's anger, suddenly raised his head.

Licinius did the same.

"Snow…"

At Leo's murmur, Licinius's expression became serious.

The abnormal weather phenomenon that Leo and Licinius had been investigating.

"Suddenly?"

Leo scowled.

When Leo arrived in Debian, the snow had already stopped and melted away.

When he asked, he was told that the snow had stopped just before Leo's party arrived, and it hadn't snowed since.

But suddenly, it started snowing again.

After watching the snow for a moment, Licinius said,

"Perhaps."

"Huh?"

"Wasn't a fragment of Erebus somewhere else, not in Debian, for a while?"

"……."

At those words, Leo fell into thought.

Certainly, the fragment of Erebus, by its very existence, influences its surroundings.

If, as Licinius said, it had gone elsewhere for a while and then returned, it was understandable that the snow, which had suddenly stopped, would start again.

But…….

"Why?"

Leo asked with a puzzled expression.

He could understand it suddenly moving somewhere.

It might have colluded with Tartarus.

Tartarus would follow the resurrected fragment of Erebus.

But no such sign had been detected.

"If so, it wouldn't have left Tartarus. Rather, it would have gained strength there."

The situation where the fragment of Erebus, which had left, had returned was more strange.

Licinius fell into thought.

And after a moment.

The Wisdom King, who once possessed the wisdom to comprehend all knowledge in the world, reached a conclusion.

"If there's something this land needs?"

"Something it needs?"

"Yes."

Licinius narrowed his eyes.

"Perhaps the fragment of Erebus didn't resurrect as Erebus. If it resurrected in the form of the ancient evil god that Erebus swallowed in the past."

Leo's face became serious.

"Then it's possible it failed to take over Tartarus."

Because Tartarus only follows its creator.

"Then, what would the ancient evil god need in the current situation?"

"Its legions."

"Right."

Licinius nodded.

"This is just a hypothesis, but if it has returned to this land… perhaps the ancient evil god's legions are dormant here."

At Licinius's words, Leo's face turned grim.

"Legions of the ancient evil god…"