Book 1 Chapter 757

757.

Late evening.

Students from Retin's Blue Hall gathered.

"Senior Elena. Did you find any clues?"

"Not at all."

Elena shook her head and asked Chloe, who had a magic book tucked under her arm.

"What about you and Warden?"

"We haven't found anything significant either."

Chloe glanced at Warden, who also shook his head.

"I'll ask the Seirun side too."

Chloe replied, approaching Lunia and striking up a conversation.

However, the Seirun side had also found nothing.

"It seems we've all struck out. Is our president the only one left?"

As Elena, sitting comfortably on the sofa in the Blue Hall's reception room, spoke with a relaxed expression, there was a knock.

The door opened, and a man who appeared to be Siss's secretary bowed his head.

"Everyone. Dinner is ready."

The students, having explored various parts of Retin all day, were hungry as they hadn't had a proper meal.

"Did Leo come?"

Lunia asked with a puzzled expression, and Siss's secretary shook his head.

"His Majesty the King has not yet returned."

Lunia felt awkward at the title.

She knew Leo was going to be king, but still, hearing someone call her friend "His Majesty" didn't quite sit right.

As the students paused upon hearing that Leo hadn't arrived, Elena got up from the sofa and said,

"If they offered us dinner first, it means Leo will take care of his own meal. Let's all go eat instead of starving."

"That's right. You have to eat well to grow well."

"Lil. You talk like a grandmother to people only a year or two older than you?"

"Ah. That was something Senior Elena should have said, not me."

"Are you saying I sound like a grandmother now?"

"You're the oldest."

"So you're saying I look old."

"Because you're the senior."

"Lil, you've become quite rebellious lately, haven't you? Is this puberty?"

With the two bickering, the students headed to the dining hall.

Siss was waiting in the dining hall.

"You've all worked hard."

Siss gestured for the students to take their seats.

"Please sit."

"Thank you for the invitation."

Elena said as a representative, and Siss shook his head.

"Friends of His Majesty the King are important guests of our Arhi Kingdom. It is only natural to entertain them. Please enjoy the meal, though it may be humble."

The table was laden with delicious food.

Having not had a proper meal, the students quickly sat down at the smell of delicious food.

As the meal began, Siss asked Elena,

"I've heard a lot. Elena, you were amazing from the moment you enrolled, weren't you?"

"It's embarrassing to talk about my reckless days."

"Senior Elena is still… Huh?!"

Elena stomped on Lil's foot under the table.

Siss, laughing heartily at the sight, looked at Lil.

"Lil, the stories I hear about you also make my heart race."

"You flatter me."

"Both of you. Do you have boyfriends?"

"No."

"I'm busy focusing on my studies."

"I see."

Siss nodded.

Hearing the conversation, Chloe put her fork in her mouth with a strange expression.

'Is this a continuation of yesterday's conversation?'

"Chloe."

At that moment, Lunia, who was eating opposite her, called out to Chloe.

"Yeah. Why?"

"What kind of magic research are you doing lately?"

Lunia asked with interest.

As the successor of Luna, Lunia was deeply interested in magic exploration.

Because of that, she could communicate quite well with Chloe, who was engrossed in magic research.

In response to Lunia's question, Chloe said,

"I'm researching multiverse interpretation magic."

"Multiverse interpretation? What kind of magic is that?"

Leah, who was listening from the side, asked with a puzzled expression.

In response, Chloe began to explain her magic research.

'What is this? Is it a foreign language?'

Leah's face changed strangely.

Leah, as a descendant of Seirun, also possessed excellent magical aptitude, but Chloe's magic was too complex and esoteric for her to understand yet.

"Ho ho? An interesting theory?"

Lunia exclaimed after listening to Chloe's explanation.

"By the way, Leo is late."

Elena checked the time.

It was late evening, but Leo had no intention of returning.

Siss smiled faintly.

"I've been informed that he's not only investigating but also fulfilling his duties as king. In a way, it's inevitable that he'd be late."

"King's duties?"

As Elena tilted her head in confusion.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the entire Blue Hall began to shake.

"An earthquake?"

As everyone wore bewildered expressions,

Warden narrowed his eyes and looked at the floor.

"There's something underground."

***

"Your Majesty. Thank you for listening to my story."

"Please have a meal, however humble it may be…"

An elderly couple bowed to Leo.

"It's alright."

Leo waved his hand at the elderly couple and left the house.

A hill on the outskirts of Retin.

It was a small hot spring inn run by the elderly couple.

Leo had come to investigate and heard the elderly couple's troubles.

As he left the house, he saw Lissinas looking at the scenery outside.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking."

Below the hill, the glittering night streets of Retin could be seen.

Although the hot springs were currently having problems, the nights in Retin, famous as a tourist city, were still brilliant.

"It's strange to think that this is the country you will rule."

Lissinas said, glancing at Leo.

"You seem to have a sense of self-awareness as a king."

Today.

Leo had walked the streets of Retin and met many people.

They told him various stories as he was about to ascend the throne.

They thought his walk through the streets was an inspection.

Leo took the time to listen to their stories.

He noted down problematic areas and promised to resolve them.

That alone brought relief to the people.

Even though the immediate problems weren't solved, they felt at ease just being able to tell their stories to the king.

That was sufficient for a king ruling a nation.

"It's strange that Kyle, who is good not only on the battlefield but also in everyday life, takes such good care of people."

"It must have seemed insufficient to you."

"No? Not at all. You did very well."

"Well, I learned a lot by watching."

These were things Lissinas used to do in his past life.

Lissinas chuckled at Leo's words.

And he looked at the scenery of Retin once more.

"Kyle."

Lissinas, looking at the prosperous city, asked again.

"When everything is finished, what will you do?"

"……"

"Do you still have nothing you want to do?"

5000 years ago.

This was a common topic among the great heroes.

What would they do after peace was restored to the world?

Back then, they moved forward with hopeful dreams.

When such conversations took place, Leo would reply that he had never thought about it or ask the questioner what they would do.

But now, there was no one to ask.

Luna, Arion, and Dweno were not here, and he couldn't ask Lissinas.

Lissinas's time had stopped.

"I intend to pass on your dreams to future generations."

"That's not what I want to hear."

Lissinas shook his head.

"And our dreams have already been passed on to future generations."

The stories of the great heroes, except for Leo, ended 5000 years ago.

However, the legacy left by the great heroes, the dreams they envisioned, have been passed down through generations.

"I want to ask what you want to do."

"I haven't thought about it."

Leo smirked.

"It's not too late to think about it later. I have a clear goal now."

"Erebos?"

"That's right."

The complete subjugation of Erebos.

"Perhaps the reason I was reborn is to achieve that."

"……"

"Perhaps I might die in the final battle with him."

Leo's thinking was different from Kyle's 5000 years ago.

He had no intention of losing.

His intention was absolute victory.

However, there was no guarantee that he would survive that battle.

Just like in the final battle 5000 years ago.

Perhaps after Erebos was completely subjugated, he would truly close his eyes.

Erebos was too formidable an existence to guarantee survival.

Even if he was cut into six pieces and some pieces met complete annihilation, that fact remained unchanged.

'Even if I die, my will will be passed on to someone else.'

Just as the will of the great heroes has continued for 5000 years,

Someone will carry on the will of Kyle, of Leo.

Lissinas spoke at Leo's words.

"Kyle."

"Yeah?"

"Don't die."

Lissinas stood up.

"This is an order from me as the commander of Arhi."

"……"

"Neither I, Luna, Arion, nor Dweno would want your time to end with merely subjugating Erebos."

"……"

"I sincerely wish for you to be happy. To live as long as you can, and to watch over the world we saved for a long time."

His obsidian-like eyes shone brightly.

"So, find a reason to live."

"It's a hassle."

"Is there anything I can forcefully pass on to make you feel responsible? Hmm. Can I really not have children with this body?"

"Luna would go wild if she heard that. She'd call you promiscuous."

"Let her go wild. She spread rumors about me! She even used elves to tarnish my honor! Why did I become a jealous dragon caught between you guys!"

Lissinas growled.

"I didn't do it."

"Exactly!"

Lissinas scoffed.

"In the first place!"

Lissinas said, his eyes half-closed.

"According to the contract, you're my husband. I'm not promiscuous, I'm normal! Rather, she's the problem!"

"You said you wanted a divorce?"

"The stamp hasn't been applied yet, has it?"

Lissinas scoffed.

As Leo let out a hollow laugh at his shamelessness,

Rumble!

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

Crash!

Suddenly, ice spikes began to erupt from the center of Retin.

Coincidentally, this was where the Palace of Purification, the former headquarters of Istar, was located.

Looking at the sight, Leo clicked his tongue.

"If they were going to appear like this, there was no need to search so hard."

"I know. But the power I feel is similar to dark magic, yet different."

Dark magic felt like a burning sensation, while the power felt now was one that froze its surroundings.

"An ancient demon?"

"I think so."

At Leo's words, Lissinas stood up.

"If they were sealed, they must have awakened simultaneously with the resurrection of their master."

"Indeed. If they were slumbering in this region and awakened due to the influence of the ancient evil god's resurrection, it makes sense that the hot springs suddenly froze."

"Such incidents might occur all over the continent. The situation is going to get complicated."

Lissinas sighed softly.

At his words, Leo smirked.

"Why complicate it?"

"Huh?"

"It's simple."

Leo grinned, looking at the ice pillars.

"Hunt demons. Isn't that something we've done countless times? It's actually simple."

"That's right. It's simple."

Lissinas clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Then should we let those ice demon creatures know?"

Stomp-

Lissinas began to walk.

Leo followed behind him.

Just like 5000 years ago.

"How the world has changed while they were asleep."