Book 1 Chapter 779
779.
WHOOANG-!
Kar’s fierce fist sliced through the air.
“It’s the wind pressure from my fist! Dodge!”
KWAAANG! PEBERBERBERBUNG-!
“Kyak!”
“You told me to dodge, and you got hit!”
Borrman was blown away by the fierce storm generated by Kar’s fist.
A chain explosion caused by air pressure occurred over the sea behind him.
Seeing that, Leo burst into a hollow laugh.
“Huh. At this point, it’s bordering on eccentricity.”
Leo was marveling at the new technique he had never seen in his previous life.
KWAAANG-!
“Kweyek?!”
SPLASH-!
Luwen, brushed by Kar’s charge imbued with aura, let out a pathetic scream and was blown away into the sea.
A one-sided rout.
Leo sighed deeply, watching the Azonia students being sent flying into the sky just by brushing against Kar.
Then, sensing a presence, he looked back to see people gathered outside the sandy beach, watching.
“Ooooh…! We’re making it through today!”
“Got popcorn~”
“Ah! Run away! I bet you’ll be the last one to fall!”
The Azonia students’ training had apparently become quite the spectacle in this city.
Leo clicked his tongue, watching Kar create a sandstorm.
‘I’m not even that bad.’
Kar, in the first place, doesn’t know moderation.
Born with overwhelming talent, he couldn’t understand what others couldn’t do.
He simply taught them with his body, looking at them with pity.
It wasn’t ineffective, but it was certainly difficult training to endure.
Dion, who had been challenging Kar, was blown back towards Leo.
PUHWAHAAK-!
Leo, slightly dodging Dion who flew in, scattering sand everywhere, got up from his seat.
KUHAGAGAGAK-!
At that moment, Luwen, who had fallen into the sea, pulled in seawater using magic.
Seeing that, Leo clicked his tongue and retreated to a place where the magic’s range wouldn’t reach.
The training, which resembled a real battle, was brutally intense.
PEBERBERBUNG-!
Water and sand splashed everywhere.
A moment later.
SWISH- SWISH-
Leo, with his feet in the water on the safe side of the beach, crossed his arms and watched the beastkin who stood until the very end.
The last one standing was Ar.
“Yiaaaah-!”
Ar charged at Kar with great momentum.
BANG-!
“Kyaul!”
But he was soon hit by a fist and sent flying.
Coincidentally, Ar flew towards Leo’s location.
Clicking his tongue, Leo spread his arms.
POOK-!
Ar, precisely caught by Leo in a princess carry, opened his eyes wide.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah… I’m… okay…”
“Then.”
“Huk?!”
SPLASH-!
“Kuhek! Puheob!”
As Leo let go, Ar, who fell straight into the sea, flailed.
“It’s shallow.”
Leo said, and Ar, who had been struggling, stood up straight.
SWISH-!
The seawater rushed in and covered Ar.
“Why did you suddenly let go!”
Leo smiled faintly at Ar’s protest and approached Kar.
The students, in disarray, gathered around Kar, almost crawling.
Ar, using a stick that had washed ashore as a staff, laboriously followed Leo.
Seeing his juniors in a terrible state, Kar wore a sad expression.
“Poor things… are you all okay?”
“W-we’re okay…”
“Perfectly fine!”
As the Azonia students answered energetically, seeing Kar genuinely worried about them.
“Are you trying to give medicine after causing the illness? You’re the one who beat them up to this point.”
At Leo’s words, Kar’s shoulders drooped.
Leo, scratching his head as he looked at Kar’s expression, said to the Azonia students.
“You’re somehow still attending school without dying.”
At that, Borrman slapped his chest muscles.
“We are descendants of proud heroes and great warriors! We become stronger through such rough training!”
“It’s definitely effective.”
Dion nodded with a wry smile.
It certainly was.
Azonia’s third-year students were physically very strong.
‘They feel much wilder than these guys from my world.’
It was bound to be.
In Leo’s world, the Azonia students were inspired by the image of the Hero, not the Hero himself.
The image of the Hero projected onto the Hero of the Beginning.
Even if Leo could pass on the maintenance and techniques of Arion, he couldn’t be their Hero.
‘There is only one Hero.’
But the Azonia students of this world were different.
Just as the Lumern students were influenced by Leo and followed him.
The Azonia students of this world had also grown up directly influenced by Arion, their ideal and object of admiration.
They might not know it, but they were growing as disciples of the Hero.
The problem was…
‘These guys are just becoming strong like Arion, with brute force.’
With this kind of practical sparring, they had certainly become physically stronger, and their combat sense had grown.
‘Purely in terms of brute strength and speed, these guys have the advantage over our guys.’
However, that didn’t mean these guys could defeat Leo’s Azonia students.
‘Technically, our guys are superior.’
They hadn’t awakened their extrasensory perception yet.
‘Crucially…’
Leo looked at Ar.
‘Our cat is stronger.’
This was definitely unexpected.
Given the direct influence of Arion, Leo expected the Ar of this world to be stronger compared to the Ar of Leo’s world.
But it wasn’t so.
‘No matter how poorly Arion taught, if they underwent such rough training… they wouldn’t not get stronger.’
“Hey, cat.”
“I have a name, Ar Tune!”
Ar, with his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest and lifted his chin.
Seeing such Ar, Leo said.
“Compared to you, Seirun, and Lunia El Rulunda, who is stronger?”
“Hmph! Of course, I’m stronger! Who are you comparing me to, that frail, weak elf?”
Ar snorted.
At that, Leo tilted his head.
‘Frail and weak?’
These were words that didn’t suit Lunia.
It was true that Ar, a beastkin and a warrior, had superior physical abilities.
But even so, Lunia was far from frail and weak.
‘Considering her ferociously gangster-like personality, it doesn’t fit at all. Is their personality also changing little by little? Looking at this fool, it doesn’t seem like it.’
Feeling puzzled, Leo fell into thought.
‘Lunia is also not strong…’
After muttering to himself for a moment, Leo looked at Ar and said.
“Cat.”
“I said, my name is Ar Tune…!”
“What is your goal?”
“Huh?”
Ar’s eyes widened.
“As a Hero, what is your goal?”
Ar looked flustered by the sudden question.
Seeing Leo’s infinitely serious expression, Ar was momentarily taken aback.
But after a moment.
Ar, after serious consideration, said.
“To follow in Senior Kar’s footsteps.”
“Not as a Hero?”
“Senior Kar is the successor of the Hero?”
Ar shrugged.
Then he snorted.
“To follow in the footsteps of such a Senior Kar is ultimately to follow in the footsteps of the Hero Arion!”
‘Following in Kar’s footsteps…’
Leo looked at Kar and said.
“Wouldn’t it be better to dream bigger?”
“What?”
“Anyway, you Azonia students are descendants of Heroes. Wouldn’t it be a bigger dream to chase after the Hero rather than him?”
“Senior Kar is so amazing!”
Ar smiled brightly.
“An unprecedented student of Azonia! Overwhelming power! And he’s the second beastkin after Arion to be able to use sign language freely!”
“You can do it too.”
“I learned it from Senior Kar.”
“Well, you learned that one well.”
“……”
Ar’s face darkened rapidly.
Leo subtly glanced at Kar, who gave an awkward smile.
‘I don’t even want to know what he did.’
Leo clicked his tongue.
“Furthermore, after enrolling, he conquered Arion’s world alone! And he did it single-handedly! Senior Kar is a legend in himself! Although he’s a bit timid! That’s also a charm in itself! When needed, he shows tremendous courage like the Hero Arion!”
“……Alone?”
Leo’s face changed strangely.
“Without even giving others a chance?”
“Yeah? So?”
Ar nodded as if to say, ‘What’s the problem?’ and Leo looked at Kar.
Kar subtly avoided his gaze.
“Hey, let’s talk.”
“Huh? Can’t we talk here?”
“Follow me. You guys, take a break.”
Leo grabbed Kar by the back of his neck and headed to a deserted place.
Arriving at a deserted place, Leo let go of Kar and said.
“You understand what a Hero Record is, right?”
“Y-yeah… it’s the power to inherit the strength of a past Hero to future children…”
“Then why didn’t you give the other guys a chance to conquer it? There were plenty of opportunities to conquer it together, weren’t there?”
Leo narrowed his eyes, and Kar fidgeted with his fingers.
“Well… the trials I went through were dangerous for the children… and also…”
“Tell me the truth.”
Leo glared and said.
“You intentionally conquered it alone, didn’t you? Because you were afraid of your cowardly nature being revealed?”
“B-but… Kyle…!”
“But what! What’s the ‘but’!”
“I-I could just train them? In fact, Ar can use sign language and gained the ability to make other beastkin use sign language with howling…”
“Are you trying to get these kids killed by your training!”
“I-I couldn’t break people’s illusions.”
“It’s because you were ashamed!”
Leo smacked Kar on the head.
Kar’s shoulders drooped.
“Is there anyone else who did this?”
“It’s just me…”
“That’s something to be proud of.”
Leo sighed.
Ar wasn’t weak just because he couldn’t conquer the Hero’s world.
Ar’s potential was astounding even to Leo.
For Ar, conquering Arion’s world was just a minor difference.
Crucially, Ar here was said to be of comparable skill to Lunia.
Kar didn’t deny that fact.
‘Lunia conquered Luna and Luna’s world together.’
Perhaps she was given more opportunities than Lunia in Leo’s world.
‘But still, she’s weaker compared to Lunia in my world.’
Driana would be no different.
‘…There is a decisive difference with these three people from this world.’
After contemplating, Leo reached a conclusion.
The three people from Leo’s world were the official successors of the Great Heroes.
Whether they liked it or not, they were destined to become successors of the Great Heroes.
But this world was different.
Externally, the successors of the Great Heroes were the Great Heroes themselves, excluding himself.
‘…These children are not following the Great Heroes.’
They are following in the footsteps of the successors of the Great Heroes.
The difference in admiration.
The difference in dreams.
The difference in what they must do.
‘They are not unfolding their full potential.’
It wasn’t their friends’ fault.
It was an unavoidable situation.
Leo looked at Ar, who was talking to the Azonia students from afar, and said.
“Arion.”
“Huh?”
“Ar is the child who will be your successor.”
“Yeah. I know. That’s why I’m teaching Ar many things…”
“Not Kar’s successor, but Hero Arion’s successor.”
Leo made eye contact with Kar.
“Show them your true self. Those children will never be disappointed.”
“……”
Kar hunched his shoulders and looked at Leo.
“And… I’ll train them for a while.”
“You?”
“There must be a reason I came here.”
“……”
“Then I must pass on what I can.”