Book 1 Chapter 799
799.
As expected of her alias, the Flame Witch, Reina pounced on Leo as if she was about to breathe fire, causing a commotion.
Of course, Leo nimbly avoided such a Reina.
“Haa… haa…!”
Reina, hands on her knees, exhaled ragged breaths.
“Just one hit… just one thump, please let me hit youuuuu…!”
Leo lightly sighed, seeing Reina fervently wishing with an unusual voice, and approached Reina.
“Just hit me once.”
Reina's eyes flashed at his words, and she raised her fist.
And then…
Bonk-!
She lightly bopped Leo on the head.
It was a punishment contrasting with how she had charged at him, looking like she would breathe fire from her entire body at any moment.
“The little squirt is messing around.”
Reina grumbled, lightly dusting off her hands, and Leo shrugged, watching her.
Rune, who had been watching them from a little distance, widened her eyes as if surprised.
‘There's no way that guy would meekly let anyone hit him?’
Of course, Leo's words had been somewhat impolite upon their first meeting.
But even so, he wasn't nice enough to just let himself be hit.
‘And the Flame Witch is also surprising.’
The Flame Witch, Reina Zerdinger.
A knight-class hero with overwhelming skill and achievements.
As a student of Seirun, Rune had met Reina a few times.
Especially since she had a deep connection with Elen Rundar, Lunia's father and the head of the Rundar family, who taught at Seirun, they had even conquered the world of heroes together.
Because of that, Rune was quite close to Reina.
Reina had a magnificent and straightforward personality that was likable, but once enraged, she expressed fury like an intense flame.
It was surprising that such a Reina, despite hearing words that should have sufficiently angered her, let it pass with just a light thump.
‘It doesn't seem like she's just tired.’
Knowing she possessed a fairly tenacious personality, Rune understood that Reina had gone easy on Leo.
“To end it with a light thump. That's not like Reina.”
As Rune walked and spoke, Reina crossed her arms and smiled faintly.
“He's Rune, the student council president's boyfriend, isn't he? I can't treat him poorly.”
“Still, you seem overly generous, don't you? And this guy. He's incredibly annoying. You could've landed a straight punch right to his face.”
Rune said, mixing seriousness with jest.
“I thought about it too.”
Reina glanced at Leo.
Then she grinned and ruffled Leo's hair.
“He's annoying, but somehow, I don't dislike him, if that makes sense? His eyes are cheeky, but that's quite cute too.”
Leo calmly spoke, watching Reina patting his head.
“Maybe it's just because I'm around your son's age. Like a son.”
“You really could die, you know? Is that something you say to a maiden who hasn't even held a man's hand?”
Reina grabbed Leo's hair and said in a menacing voice, making Leo chuckle.
“Anyway, it's not like there was a man who caught your eye, was there?”
At his words, Reina tilted her head.
“That's strange. You seem to know me oddly well? Have we met somewhere before?”
“Perhaps.”
Reina rested her hand on her chin and stared intently at Leo, who shrugged as he spoke.
Reina, who had been carefully examining Leo's face, said.
“You, you must charm a lot of women, don't you?”
“Alright, alright. You two, stand apart.”
At that moment, Rune stepped between Leo and Reina.
Reina smiled faintly, seeing this.
“Don't worry, Rune, student council president. He's not my type, and there's too much of an age gap.”
Reina said, crossing her arms.
“Crucially, he's also your boyfriend.”
“He's not my boyfriend.”
Reina looked surprised at Rune's words.
“Then what's your relationship?”
“I'm going to try to win him over starting now.”
“…”
Reina scratched her head.
“I guess I'm getting old. Kids these days are too bold.”
‘We're older than you.’
While Rune muttered to herself.
Reina said.
“I'm on my way to meet Marquis Flobe right now. You two are too, right? Let's go together.”
“Yes.”
Rune nodded and walked with Reina.
“Speaking of which, why aren't Lunia, Eiran, and Kal following us?”
Rune tilted her head and looked back, and Leo said.
“They're probably dealing with the Dellard nobles in our stead. So you don't get caught up in troublesome matters.”
“Right.”
Rune scratched her head.
Although there had been some commotion upon their arrival, since they had officially visited Dellard.
They couldn't continue to ignore the nobles' hospitality.
It was clear that Lunia and Eiran, Rune's right and left arms in public, would be adequately entertaining the nobles to keep Rune from being bothered.
Then, they could at least maintain appearances.
“This is serious. A black pillar of flame would be connected to primal evil. And the nobles of a country where such an event occurred are fools blinded by ambition.”
Reina clicked her tongue.
She too had been troubled by the bothersome Dellard nobles who rushed at them as soon as they arrived.
If it were up to her personality, she would have liked to sweep them all away, but sadly, she had come to this country as a representative of Zerdinger and Rodren to investigate the incident.
‘I'm also past the age where I can cause trouble and do whatever I want like before.’
Reina smacked her lips.
‘Are there no good men out there?’
Thinking that far, Reina glanced at Leo.
‘Now that I think about it, his eyes… they resemble mine a little, don't they?’
It seemed that was why she felt a sense of familiarity.
‘Hmm… If I had married a little earlier, I would have had a child like him or Celia, wouldn't I?’
Reina chuckled, thinking she was having silly thoughts, and said.
“Anyway, since we're in Flobe territory… we do have to meet its lord… but seeing the Dellard nobles, I don't have high expectations.”
“Don't worry about that. Marquis Flobe will be a proper person.”
“You seem to know him well?”
“I heard he has a good reputation among his territory's residents. And I heard the reason he hasn't come out to greet us as a representative is because he's busy dealing with the commotion in the territory.”
“Hmm? So he's at least a decent person, it seems.”
Reina smiled faintly.
A little later.
Leo arrived at the familiar entrance of Marquis Flobe's office.
A knight guarding the office entrance asked Reina.
“What is your business?”
“I am Reina Zerdinger, dispatched from the Rodren Empire. This is Rune Orweni, the student council president of Seirun.”
“Huh?!”
The knight gasped, taken aback by the appearance of such important figures.
Reina Zerdinger, who possessed outstanding renown among current-generation heroes, and the next generation… no, the student council president of Seirun, praised as the strongest archmage of the current era.
The knight, frozen by the arrival of two giants he could never hope to meet in his lifetime, stammered.
“I-I will inform the lord of your visit. Please wait a moment.”
Having said that, the knight knocked and entered the room.
“He's well-trained.”
“That, and I also sense respect for his lord.”
Reina and Rune murmured, observing the knight's demeanor.
There are many strong knights in the world.
But knights who sincerely follow and care for their lord are rare.
Because that means the lord must treat the knight with sincerity.
‘…Even if the worldline is different. Father is still Father.’
Leo glanced at Reina.
The reason Dade and Reina didn't marry and he wasn't born.
That was probably because Reina hadn't lost her power.
She had diligently become a hero.
Because of that, she likely never met Dade.
Naturally, as a hero on the battlefield, she probably never had the chance to meet a man.
Even in Leo's worldline, Reina was an upright and righteous person.
Someone who, even if she lost her power, would see through the path she chose to the very end.
The reason such a Reina chose Dade, even though she could have been the mistress of a much better family.
It was because Dade's character was excellent beyond anyone else's.
As a lord, always thinking of his territory's residents.
It seems easy, but it's not easy for a human being.
‘Especially since Father is an ordinary person.’
He wasn't born with the qualities of a hero.
Just a supremely kind and upright person.
Though he had said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, that he couldn't marry because of his personality, more likely, he hadn't met someone who met Reina's standards.
As Leo was looking at the door.
The office door opened.
What appeared with it was the simple interior of the office.
A familiar sight to Leo.
Amidst it, Dade stood, greeting the three of them.
“I greet the great hero of Rodren and the student council president of Seirun. I am Dade Flobe, who, though lacking, serves as the lord of Flobe.”
To Dade's greeting, Reina, as the elder, responded as a representative.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Marquis Flobe. I am Reina Zerdinger, dispatched to represent Rodren for the investigation of this incident.”
“Ah. I heard you were very dignified… I am surprised to see such a delicate and beautiful person.”
“Oh-ho-ho-ho. I am beautiful, aren't I?”
At Dade's words, Reina covered her mouth and smiled elegantly.
She sensed that Dade's words were not flattery or to curry favor, but sincere.
‘He's a good person.’
She knew it instantly.
There are many bad nobles in the world.
But there are also quite a few good nobles, though not as many as bad ones.
Reina had met many such good nobles.
But still, Dade's first impression was quite impactful.
A gentle and mild impression.
A warm atmosphere.
‘He's like a gentle breeze.’
Reina, who felt an odd sense of goodwill from Dade's first impression, continued the conversation.
“You've carefully recorded every testimony from the territory's residents.”
“Yes. It's a very important matter.”
A shadow fell over Dade's face.
“I hope nothing serious happens.”
“Don't worry about that. We're here to solve it.”
Rune said in a serious voice at Dade's words.
“You're trustworthy.”
Dade offered a gentle smile.
Rune smiled softly, looking at Dade.
‘He's a good person. This is the kind of person my father is, right?’
Rune, who had already heard about what kind of life Leo Flobe had lived, carefully observed Dade.
Among the great heroes, no one's eye for judging people surpassed Lisina's.
It had to be that way.
It was the insight that saved a dying world.
But through countless experiences, Rune, though not as much as Lisina, had also gained the wisdom to see through people.
In Rune's eyes, Dade was a 'good' person.
‘A good person…’
Rune muttered to herself.
‘…These kinds of people were living in this world.’
As Rune stared blankly at Dade.
Leo thought to himself.
‘Lisina risked everything for people like Father.’
Kind and good people.
People who live ordinary lives but know how to make their surroundings warm.
People who may not greatly influence the world but can guide it in the right direction, even if in small ways.
Leo sipped the tea served for guests.
‘People think powerful heroes lead the world.’
Leo put down his teacup and looked at Dade.
‘That's half right and half wrong.’
In the past, Leo carried the hope of the world as the last great hero.
It wasn't what he wanted.
He had merely taken on the wishes and aspirations of his friends.
But at the moment he thought, ‘I can't win,’ during the final battle.
It wasn't just memories of his comrades that came to mind.
‘The many people I met and parted with in life.’
The many people with whom he had formed connections even in the gutter of the age of calamity.
It wasn't special events that came to mind.
Just the kindness and warm hearts shown to him in the ordinary daily life that had continued.
‘When I thought I had failed, for some reason, those thoughts gave me strength.’
The thought that he wished there were more such people in this world.
Even after reincarnating, he couldn't understand for a long time why that thought had come to him.
But Leo understood the reason through Dade.
‘That was also why Lisina tried to save the world without asking for anything in return.’
Many people who, knowingly or unknowingly, influenced his life.
He tried to save the world to repay and protect the kindness those people had shown.
‘By seeing Father, I could understand Lisina's heart.’
A hero is someone who represents ordinary but good people.
One who, influenced by them, guides the world to a better place.
‘Even I was influenced and saved the world.’
In connections with great heroes close at hand…
To kindness shown by people whose names he didn't even know, far away…
Having a person like Dade made Leo feel a sense of recompense, however small, for the hardships he had endured in his previous life.
And this was also the reason he didn't immediately take Rune to the place where Erebus was resurrected.
‘I wanted Luna to meet Father.’
In Leo's view, Luna was trapped in the past.
And it wasn't just Luna.
‘Arion too… Lisina too…’
Arion, whom he met when he first came.
Lisina, whom he met indirectly through the students of Lumen.
‘Perhaps Dweeno too.’
Leo closed his eyes.
Trapped in the past.
No.
To be precise, each of their times of death… their time might have stopped at the point when they passed the burden onto him.
‘…It must be guilt.’
They must have blamed themselves for having to pass on the burden and pain.
As they were like family, he knew better than anyone.
Though they possessed strong mental fortitude…
They too were ultimately living beings made of flesh and blood.
‘I can tell by looking at Arion and Luna… and Lisina.’
Even the hero candidates, shining brilliantly like unpolished gems right now, couldn't properly see.
It was impossible for such people to have properly seen the world they had saved.
Leo glanced at Rune.
Rune gazed blankly at Dade, like someone whose mind was elsewhere.
‘Discard such thoughts as saving the world for me. I no longer have any intention of saving the world for you either.’
Leo looked out the window.
‘I will save the world for myself.’