Book 1 Chapter 788

788.

A ruined mine.

The mine, which had been abandoned before it could even be developed, still bore the traces of the fierce battle between the psyches of Valhar and Erebus.

Looking at it, Lea's face narrowed.

"Kar."

At Lea's call, Kar, who was standing behind her, came closer.

And began to sniff.

"I don't feel Erebus's energy around here."

He searched for traces of Erebus with senses sharpened by extrasensory perception, but none existed.

However, the distinctive smell of burning left by Erebus's flame strongly stimulated his sense of smell.

At Kar's words, Lea let out a deep sigh.

Then, unknowingly, she stroked her belly with her hand.

A wound that no longer existed.

But past memories caused a faint phantom pain, as if etched into her soul.

Lea gritted her teeth and looked at Mount Erdien far in the distance.

5000 years ago, the final destination of Arhi's party.

But the place only Kyle ultimately reached.

Lea, staring at Mount Erdien, opened her mouth.

"Valhar."

Valhar, who was sitting on a fallen tree and puffing on a pipe, looked at Lea.

"Are you sure Erebus's psyche took on Kyle's appearance?"

"Lea. I pride myself on having the best eye among the five of us."

Valhar said calmly.

"Crucially, there's no way I wouldn't recognize my friend's face, is there?"

Just as Lea frowned at his words.

Kar, who was looking around, asked.

"Valhar. Is this the place where you decapitated Erebus's psyche?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"I smell Kyle here."

"Are you sure?"

When Lea asked urgently, Kar nodded.

"Yeah. There's no way I'd forget your scent."

Although a different scent was present now, Kar clearly remembered his friends' natural scents from his previous life.

At Kar's words, Lea bit her lip.

Seeing Lea like that, Valhar said.

"This is no time to be caught in the past. You are the only one who can infer about this phenomenon."

At that, Lea took a deep breath and said.

"If it's Erebus's psyche… it might have materialized in its most intense memory at its final moment."

"…You mean that materialized form was Kyle?"

"If Kar smelled Kyle, then it's certain."

"…"

At that, Valhar bit his pipe, took a deep drag, and asked.

"Then I'll ask you."

"What?"

"Is there a chance we'll fight Erebus in Kyle's form?"

"…"

"And if that happens, Lea, will you be able to fight dispassionately?"

At Valhar's question, Lea nodded.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? You, who are buried in the past?"

"…"

Lea looked at Valhar.

Valhar met Lea's gaze without faltering.

As an unusual atmosphere flowed between the two, Kar said urgently.

"It's okay! Valhar. You know it too! How trustworthy Lea is as a leader!"

Kar stepped between the two.

"And Lea won't waver on that issue anymore!"

"How can you be so sure of that?"

"Hmm… just a feeling?"

At Valhar's narrowed-eye question, Kar scratched his cheek.

Valhar watched him for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"I apologize for saying something unnecessary. I take back my words."

"I don't think it's strange that you'd think that."

"Yes. But I want to say this."

"…?"

"Stop teaching the Lumen students Kyle's fighting style."

"…"

"Don't you know better than anyone? That Kyle is not someone who can be created."

"…"

"What do you intend to do, if you, who should be guiding them to cultivate their own individuality, apply your own standards to the children?"

"I…"

"Those children cannot become Kyle. No, no one can replace Kyle."

"…"

"We, not others, must take on Kyle's role in our own ways."

Valhar tapped his pipe, shaking off the ash.

"As you know, I am training with a weapon that can cut Erebus… Kar is honing skills to cut Erebus. Isn't that right, Kar?"

"Yes."

Kar nodded.

"Lea, are you unearthing heroes who can defeat Erebus together? Is Rune creating magic to defeat Erebus?"

Valhar stood up.

"I…"

"Overcome it, even if it's heavy. You are our, Arhi's, leader, aren't you?"

Having said that, Valhar stood up.

"Kar. Let's move."

"Okay. Where to?"

"We need to search the surrounding area. There might be residual psyches of Erebus left."

"Yeah. But Valhar."

"…?"

"Don't worry too much about Lea and Rune."

"…You've been unusually optimistic since earlier. Is there really something good happening?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you later."

"How dull."

Lea, who had been silently watching the two who started moving first, looked down at her palm.

'…'

Lea clenched her fist once tightly, then followed her friends.

***

Deep in the night.

Thud-

"F-finally arrived."

Chelsea slumped down in front of the Lumeria City entrance.

Illiana collapsed beside Chelsea as if falling over.

Kal sniffled with a sense of profound emotion.

"I thought I'd never come back."

Seeing the three, Leo, standing behind them with his arms crossed, said calmly.

"Such theatrics."

"It's not theatrics!"

Illiana stood up abruptly with a tearful face.

"For a week, I couldn't even sleep properly! What is this!"

Leo chuckled, watching Illiana protest with a desperate expression.

"You look a bit more energetic now."

"Hup!"

Illiana, who had unconsciously covered her mouth, blushed and then covered her face with her hands.

Seeing her, Chelsea and Kal exchanged strange looks.

"I think this is the first time I've seen her like that since freshman year."

"Yeah. It's a bit nostalgic."

The two smiled, recalling the energetic Illiana they first met.

Then Chelsea got up with a grunt.

"Skipping for a week was nice, but I'm worried about the consequences."

Originally, they should have completed the mission within two days and returned to Lumeria City.

But following Leo, it took them a whole week to return to Lumeria City.

"I think I'll have to write a lot of reflection essays."

"Do you think it'll end with just reflection essays?"

Kal let out a giggle.

"Won't we be locked in the Chamber of Penance for about a week?"

"Ugh."

As Chelsea made a disgusted face, Illiana peeked out and grumbled.

"I'll take anything as long as I don't have to receive Leo's training."

"…Thinking about it that way, the Chamber of Penance might be better."

Chelsea stroked her chin, exclaiming "Oh?" in admiration.

True to her words, the three had a more grueling time than they could imagine for a week.

"Anyway. Are we really stronger?"

Chelsea made a peculiar expression.

What Leo had done was simple.

He hadn't improved their physical abilities through harsh training, nor had he increased their mana usage.

All he did was help them rediscover the style that suited their original selves.

'So they wouldn't imitate me.'

He merely taught them the movements of Chelsea and Illiana from Leo's world line.

And he only passed on the magic they originally used.

Since it was their own style, not someone else's, they learned incredibly quickly.

Teaching someone else's techniques to others was one of Leo's specialties, so it wasn't particularly difficult.

Chelsea and Illiana also immediately knew that the combat methods and magic Leo taught them suited them very well.

'It feels like wearing clothes that fit perfectly.'

But a question arose.

'Are we really stronger?'

It was hard to feel the difference since there wasn't a significant change in their abilities.

To Chelsea's question, Leo said calmly.

"You've gotten stronger."

"I didn't really feel it even when sparring with Illiana."

"Because Illiana also got stronger."

"I didn't feel much difference even when sparring with you, Leo Oppa."

"Because there's such a big difference between us."

Chelsea pouted her lips.

But she couldn't refute it.

"You two have definitely improved your movements compared to before."

Then Kal supported Leo.

"Hmm!"

Chelsea folded her arms, pondered, then smiled brightly.

"Well! Getting stronger is a good thing!"

She didn't seem to think she was stronger than the current Abad.

Thus, the group headed to Kal's inn to relieve the fatigue of their week-long journey.

While heading to the inn, they could hear various stories from the pubs in Lumeria City.

"It seems Sister Lea hasn't returned from Demian yet."

"She's been gone a long time, hasn't she?"

"And it seems the Seyrun Student Council President came to Lumen?"

"Eek? The Seyrun Student Council President?"

Chelsea made a displeased face.

"Why do you dislike her so much?"

"The Seyrun Student Council President is, how should I put it… she doesn't really like us."

At Leo's question, Illiana said cautiously.

Hearing that, Leo tilted his head.

The Luna he knew would surely have liked the Lumen students if they were brimming with potential.

'Is it because she imitated me due to that Lisinas guy?'

Having come to that conclusion, Leo said.

"Well, that works out."

"What?"

"We can test right away how strong you've become."

At those words, Chelsea and Illiana's eyes widened.

"How?"

The two girls looked at Leo with faces full of anticipation.

Whatever it was, the two girls wanted to see how much they had changed.

"Let's go to Lumen now."

"We can't go to Lumen now. It's curfew, you know?"

"There are no boats either."

At Leo's words, Chelsea and Illiana shook their heads.

Seeing the two, Leo smiled faintly.

Seeing that smile, Kal said with an uneasy expression.

"You're not planning to sneak into Lumen right now, are you?"

Chelsea and Illiana burst into laughter.

"Oh, please."

"How could we sneak into Lumen?"

The two, laughing as they denied Kal's imagination, looked at Leo's face.

And felt that something was wrong.

"Leo Oppa… no, right?"

Chelsea asked cautiously, but Leo only smiled.

"Say something. No, right?"

"Let's go."

"Wh-where?"

"To Lumen. I'll take responsibility."

"No, it'll be a disaster! A huge commotion will happen!"

When Chelsea shouted urgently, Leo said calmly.

"We'll go in quietly."

"How?!"

"I know a secret passage."

At Leo's words, the three's eyes widened.

A secret passage? There's such a thing?

'Well, I'll have to meet a very noisy guy, though.'

Leo thought of the fanatic and lightly clicked his tongue.