Book 1 Chapter 798

798.

Click-clack-

"A backwater village with no warp gates in this day and age."

Looking at the scenery outside the carriage, Rune wore an expression of surprise.

Seeing Rune, Leo said,

"Sorry it's a backwater."

"Huh?"

Rune's eyes widened.

Seeing Rune, Leo said,

"This is my hometown."

"What?"

"More accurately, my hometown after reincarnation."

"It's heartwarming to have a rural territory."

"Didn't you look like you hated it just a moment ago?"

"Not at all."

Leo chuckled, watching Rune shamelessly feign ignorance.

'Did Father and Mother get married?'

Suddenly, Leo thought of his father and mother in this worldline.

'And was I born?'

Many questions arose.

After a while.

The carriage arrived in front of the Plov family's main mansion.

As the carriage stopped, knights, or those who looked like them, lined up.

Like other schools, the public status of Seirune's student council president was no less than that of a king of a nation.

It was natural to receive such a welcome given Rune's official visit.

The carriage door was opened from the outside.

As Rune was about to disembark, Leo stood up first.

"I'll get out first."

"Huh?"

Saying that, Leo got out of the carriage.

As a human disembarked from the carriage of Seirune's student council president, all eyes were focused on him.

"A human?"

"Who is he?"

"Is he Rune Orweni's servant?"

"Don't they use elves for servants? Why a human?"

Murmurs could be heard.

Leo glanced at them.

To Leo, these were familiar faces.

'The central nobles of Delad.'

Influential nobles of Delad.

Of course, they were only influential nobles by the standards of Delad, a small rural kingdom, and in a global context, they were merely vain border nobles.

The reason they were at the Plov family's mansion was simple.

Due to the appearance of the black flame pillar, people were dispatched from the Rodren Empire, Lumerne, and Seirune.

Even for nobles, it was an opportunity to meet people they would never encounter in their lives, being nobles of a border kingdom.

Therefore, they came to the Plov family's mansion with the thoroughly aristocratic goal of making an impression and building connections.

Upon closer inspection, the knights who were lined up were also not Plov family members but Delad Royal Knights.

'It's become a national event.'

Leo clicked his tongue lightly.

As everyone murmured and looked at Leo, someone approached.

'Oh?'

That young man was quite familiar to Leo.

From his childhood until before entering Lumerne.

They had attended Delan Royal School together.

He boasted of being a magic genius himself, but in Leo's eyes, his talent was not that great.

'Well, for our kingdom, he was certainly talented enough to be called a genius.'

He hadn't seen him since entering school, but Leo wasn't particularly happy to see him.

They weren't exactly friends, and the Glibbon had looked down on Leo, who didn't practice Aura.

'He must have tried to enter several times later… but failed every time, didn't he?'

It seemed that future hadn't changed in this worldline either.

However, Leo was slightly glad for the Glibbon's appearance.

"Who are you?"

The Glibbon looked at Leo with a puzzled expression.

'This confirms it. Leo Plov was not born in this world.'

He was curious if another Leo Plov, who was born with the soul of Kyle, the hero of the beginning, had been born.

If he had been born, he wouldn't have failed to recognize himself.

'I wonder how my father and mother are doing. Did they have another child?'

Leo asked with a puzzled expression.

"Something like a guide for Seirune's president?"

"…Are you a Lumerne student?"

"I'm a wandering adventurer."

"Hmph, what is it? I thought there was something since you got out of the same carriage. You're just a mere adventurer."

'Wow, how can this guy be so consistent?'

Leo looked surprised at the Glibbon, whose attitude changed immediately.

Even if he rode in the same carriage as Seirune's student council president, he should have been a little more cautious.

'Well, he's excessively authoritarian.'

Delad, perhaps because it was a rural kingdom, was a country with very strong aristocratic influence.

It was a tiresome country that excessively emphasized aristocratic tradition and pride.

'That's why my father shuddered.'

Leo's father, Deid.

He was a noble with very open thinking.

He was gentle and took good care of those around him.

'That's probably why Mother fell for him.'

In fact, only Deid could handle Reina.

It was safe to say that no man other than Deid could handle Reina.

Thinking of his father, Deid, Leo reached into the carriage.

Rune, who had been watching the situation from inside the carriage, gaped.

'What? That guy. Did he get out first to escort me?'

Rune's face contorted in shock.

Leo frowned, looking at Rune's strange expression.

'Why is he looking at me like he's seen something weird?'

At that moment.

The Glibbon bumped into Leo with a "thump!" and reached into the carriage.

"My most noble and beautiful star of the night sky… President Rune Orweni of Seirune. I am Glibbon Traden, the greatest magic genius of the Kingdom of Delad. I have been assigned to escort President Rune Orweni."

At those words, Rune stared intently at the Glibbon's hand and then his face crumpled.

As Glibbon looked flustered by the reaction.

Bang!

Rune opened the carriage window, poked his head out, and shouted,

"Runia! Runia!"

"Ah! Yes! Senior Rune!"

Runia, who was in the carriage behind Leo and Rune's, quickly got out and ran.

"Get rid of this brat. He's so annoying."

Rune pointed at Glibbon with his finger, and Runia's face turned cold.

"Yes! Go away."

"Uh, I am on a mission to escort President Rune Orweni as a representative of the Kingdom of Delad…"

"Ah?! Senior Rune doesn't like you! Aren't you going to get lost?! I'll burn all your hair off!"

"Ru, Runia, please calm down. Your true nature is showing."

"Hey! You weren't like this before!? Are you a thug?"

"No! Who do you think you are to say you're escorting Senior Rune when he doesn't like you?!"

Eiran and Carl, who were in the same carriage, ran over in a panic, clinging to Runia's arms and trying to stop her from causing a scene.

"Hic?!"

Intimidated by Runia's fierce aura, Glibbon disappeared as if fleeing.

"Hmph! Just a nobody acting like he's something?"

Rune scoffed, watching him go.

Leo, watching Rune, crossed his arms.

"That would be a diplomatic offense."

"They committed the offense first. They ignored you, my guest. Anyway, those who are steeped in arrogance can't say a word if you crush them with authority."

As Leo shook his head and started to walk away, watching Rune growl menacingly.

Snap!

Rune grabbed Leo by the nape of his neck.

He stretched his arm out so far that his hip rested on the carriage window.

It was a situation where it wouldn't be strange for him to fall out of the window.

"Why?"

Leo frowned, and Rune scoffed.

"Did you forget something?"

"No."

With a dejected expression at Leo's answer, Rune forcibly pulled Leo.

Sighing, Leo adjusted his clothes and reached into the carriage.

Rune's eyes sparkled at Leo's behavior.

"What about the line?"

"Get down, you damn elf."

Rune pouted.

Shaking his head at Rune's expression, Leo said,

"Please disembark, Miss."

At those words, Rune beamed a smile.

Then, lifting his chin, he elegantly took Leo's hand.

And lightly, lightly- he disembarked from the carriage.

The Delad nobles, who had been frozen by Rune's almost barbaric attitude moments before, involuntarily let out exclamations of admiration.

She was so beautiful.

Like a goddess descending to earth in the era of gods.

Her previously barbaric demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

As Rune stepped onto the ground, time, which had seemed to stop, began to flow again.

"My goodness… Senior Rune… you are so beautiful."

Eiran clasped her hands together with an emotional expression.

"This is the first time I've seen you smile like that since the second year."

Runia also had a tearful expression.

"Wow… she's really amazing when she smiles? Wow, my heart is pounding. It's bad for my heart."

Carl patted his left chest and shook his head.

Leo, who had brought forth Rune's full bloom of a smile, released her hand and walked ahead.

He then approached a knight nearby.

"Where is Lord Plov?"

It was a knight of the Plov family, a face Leo recognized.

The knight, snapping out of his daze at Leo's question, hurriedly replied,

"He's in his study. The territory suffered considerable damage due to the earthquake and the black flame pillar… so he's very busy with official duties."

"I understand."

Nodding, Leo entered the mansion.

"Ah! Let's go together!"

Rune ran to Leo's side.

And smiling sweetly, she linked her arm with his.

"Strange rumors will spread."

"They will. Or rather, I hope a real scandal breaks out~"

Hugging Leo's arm tightly, Rune giggled.

Seeing Rune's demeanor, the Delad nobles hurriedly spoke to her.

"P-President Rune Orweni. A welcoming party has been prepared. Would you like to go there…"

"A welcoming party? I haven't even greeted the owner of the mansion, and you're talking about a welcoming party? And why am I here in the first place? Are you kidding me?"

"Eek?!"

Rune's face, which was completely different from the gentle smile she showed Leo, was menacing as she spoke, causing the Delad noble to shrink back.

Seeing the retreating noble, Rune scoffed and looked up at Leo again with a bright smile.

Runia, Eiran, and Carl followed the two into the mansion.

"Um… Leo."

At that moment, Carl carefully spoke.

"You seem to be very close with Seirune's student council president?"

"We're best friends."

At those words, Leo pushed Rune's face away with his hand.

Rune tried to bite Leo's hand that was trying to push her away.

"We're more than just best friends."

After biting Leo's hand once, Rune grinned.

And tightening her grip on Leo's arm, she said,

"We're in love!"

"Huh?"

"Th-that's…!"

Runia and Eiran's eyes widened.

"It's unrequited love."

"You'll soon find yourself unable to help but like me too."

Rune scoffed.

The three watched the backs of the two walking away, stunned.

Runia and Eiran were frozen.

Carl stroked his chin.

"Leo, did he perhaps save the country?"

He saved the world, not the country.

Leo, who had walked a short distance away from the three, whispered softly.

"Wasn't it that I wouldn't reveal my feelings until I made you like me?"

"That was about Luna."

Rune smiled sweetly.

"I am Rune Orweni."

"You change as you please."

As Leo shook his head.

"Oh my? Seirune's student council president?"

A familiar voice echoed from down the corridor.

Click-clack-

"It's been a while."

"It has. It's been a while. Is the handsome young man beside you your boyfriend? He's so attentive."

Leo stared silently at the beautiful woman smiling brightly.

Rune released Leo's arm and shook hands with the woman.

Then, the woman stood in front of Leo and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Reina Zerdinger. I'm participating in the investigation as a representative of the Rodren Empire."

At those words, Leo muttered bitterly.

"You couldn't get married because of your personality."

At Leo's muttering, Reina smiled and said to Rune,

"Seirune's student council president, can I kill this brat?"