Book 1 Chapter 809
809.
“No.”
“Oh, no?”
“Exactly. This is how you handle a Phoenix.”
As Leo opened his palm, Runia looked at Leo’s palm with a tense expression.
Fiora was summoned onto Leo’s palm.
Fiora flapped her wings.
Runia made a flustered expression as she watched Fiora breathe out flames.
“This… it’s completely different from how you handle a Phoenix.”
“Right.”
“I’d like to learn your method a little.”
Leo said, looking at Runia, who had a disappointed expression.
“You don’t need to follow me. And honestly, I’m not very good at handling Phoenixes.”
“What?”
“The summon I handle best is Pegasus.”
“You can even summon a Pegasus?”
“For now…”
“What kind of monster is this…”
Runia made a fed-up expression.
Currently, Leo was teaching Runia how to handle a Phoenix.
It was also the summoning art used by Runia in Leo’s timeline.
Anyway, since it was a method used by another Runia.
It suited Runia better than any other method.
‘Of course, I’m not teaching her exactly the same way.’
He was teaching her imperfect summoning techniques so that Runia herself could ponder and realize things.
Rustle-
“Runia, I’ve been thinking… shouldn’t your Phoenix lose some weight?”
At that moment, Rhea approached the two.
Fiora, who had been tumbling around on the floor nearby, heard Rhea’s words and flapped her wings wildly, chirping as if protesting.
Seeing that, Rhea crossed her arms.
“Yes. But it’s true that she’s fat. I can’t tell if you’re a Phoenix or a pig.”
Shocked by the word “pig,” Fiora drooped.
It was then that Runia hurriedly tried to comfort Fiora.
“Runia. Sorry, but could I talk to Leo for a bit?”
At her words, Runia nodded and moved away.
Rhea sat next to Leo and spoke.
“Leo.”
“Hm.”
“What do you think about the Lumern students now…?”
“You already know the answer.”
“…”
The current location was the garden of the Flobe territory.
Rhea silently gazed at Leo’s profile.
“You’ve changed a lot, Kyle.”
“You haven’t changed at all.”
“I’m human now, not a dragon?”
“You know I’m not talking about that.”
“…Haha.”
Rhea gave an awkward laugh.
“I used to lead you back then.”
“…”
“Now you’re leading me.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Rather than complaining…”
The evening glow was setting.
Leo’s red eyes stood out even more.
“You seem to have gotten cooler.”
Rhea muttered without realizing it.
Leo looked at Rhea with an incredulous expression.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Rhea realized what she had said and her face turned completely red.
“That! I mean! Compared to your past life’s face, now is more…!”
“Leo! Let’s go out for a drink together tonight!”
Just then, Rune rushed over and hugged Leo tightly from behind.
“Don’t talk to this insidious woman. You might get scammed again and end up caught.”
“Scammed! I just had no choice but to hide my feelings!”
“Whatever. It’s true you couldn’t express your feelings bravely and acted cowardly with schemes from behind!”
“I told you I had no choice! It’s different from you, who just hid your feelings out of pride!”
Entangled, the two people loudly bickering pinched each other’s cheeks.
“At least I proposed openly! This idiot just didn’t get it!”
“Whether it was because of this fool or not! I had a noble reason!”
In the midst of their fight, Leo, who had been mentioned for no reason, grabbed both their cheeks with his hands.
“This damn lizard and rotten elf dare to call someone an idiot and a fool.”
“What are you doing?!”
“Did we say anything wrong?!”
Rhea and Rune reached out and pinched Leo’s cheeks.
From a distance, Carl, who watched the situation where everyone was pinching each other’s cheeks, said.
“Honestly, I was a little envious of Leo because Rune-nim liked him so one-sidedly, thinking he must have saved the country in his past life.”
“But?”
As Runia crossed her arms and tilted her head, Carl clicked his tongue.
“But seeing that Rhea also has feelings for Leo, I feel sorry for him.”
“Why?”
“Are those two ordinary women? He’ll never be able to handle them!”
“Indeed.”
Even now, it looked like a terrifying love triangle.
It looked like a cute fight of pulling each other’s cheeks, but the momentum the three of them exuded was incredibly fierce.
It was when Runia made an understanding expression.
Reina, who was elegantly reading a book in one corner of the garden, said.
“Not at all, I bet?”
“Huh?”
“Surprisingly, that type of person gets along well with both of them.”
“…That Leo guy. Did he save the world, not just a country, in his past life?”
It was when Carl was thinking seriously.
“Miss Runia!”
“Hm? Aylan, what’s wrong?”
Runia looked puzzled as Aylan rushed over urgently.
“G-Guests have arrived!”
“Guests?”
Runia looked puzzled.
If guests had arrived here, it was likely they came to the Flobe family.
But why would they tell them about it?
“They are guests who came looking for Miss Rhea and Senior Rune.”
“Why are those idiots fighting again?”
Runia’s eyes widened at the voice from behind.
“It’s been a while. Even seeing them fight like that. What should I say… I’m glad to see it?”
As Karl smiled brightly, Balhar shook his head.
“Just hearing it makes my head throb.”
“It’s been a long time for both of you.”
“Hmm? It’s Rune’s two-faced junior.”
“I’m not two-faced?!”
As Runia bristled, Balhar chuckled and approached the three.
Then he grabbed Rhea and Rune by the scruff of their necks and threw them backward.
“Oh?!”
“What are you doing! You dwarf runt!”
Rhea and Rune landed on the floor.
“Are both of you okay?”
Karl hurried over to the two.
Rhea and Rune looked at Karl.
“Karl!”
Rune smiled brightly and approached Karl with open arms.
“Oh? Are you that glad to see me?”
Karl grinned and approached Rune.
At that moment, Rune put Karl in a headlock.
“You damn brat! If you knew, you should have told us quickly! You should hide what needs to be hidden, but you hide something like this?!”
“Heeiiik?! T-To surprise you…”
“Huh?! Surprise? Surpriiise?”
Rune growled fiercely.
“R-Rhea! Help me!”
Karl made a tearful face and asked Rhea for help.
Rhea urgently reached out to Karl and grabbed his hand.
And twisted it.
“Aaagh!”
“I can’t forgive you, Karl.”
When Karl was facing the resentment of the two great heroes at once.
“Hmm.”
Balhar looked at Leo and stroked his chin.
Leo smiled bitterly, seeing Balhar.
“…You’ve had a tough time.”
“I certainly did have a tough time because of those idiots. Anyway…”
Balhar, who scanned Leo up and down, grinned.
“You’re very different from your past life. You’ve come to emit a beautiful light.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. In that sense, you.”
Balhar said seriously.
“Have you ever thought about being a nude model?”
At Balhar’s words, Rune, who had been tormenting Karl, ran over and slapped Balhar on the back of the head.
“What kind of nonsense is this damned pervert spewing?!”
“Why are you saying anything?”
“Shut up! Absolutely not!”
Rune was yelling, and Balhar had a pathetic expression.
Seeing that, Leo let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s a mess.”
It was true.
It was a mess.
“…As always.”
Just like always.
His past life, a daily routine he thought was merely ear-splitting arguments.
Thinking about it now, those were the happiest moments of that time.
That moment, which he thought he would never encounter again, was right before his eyes.
“Truly.”
Leo’s fist trembled slightly.
“We’re still the same.”
So much so that he wanted to cry.
***
“Damn it! Damn it all to hell!”
Nix’s mouth erupted with crude curses.
His eyes were thick with murderous intent.
The humiliation of being overwhelmed by the power of a mere resident of the lower world and forced to flee gripped his entire body.
“If only I had recovered my original strength!”
“It would have been useless.”
Someone spoke to Nix, who was expressing his resentment.
“Because they are beings too strong for a mere creature like you to handle.”
A sneering sound was heard.
Nix’s face turned chillingly cold.
“I didn’t know there would be remnants. You are truly persistent, Freezing of Death.”
“Flame of Calamity.”
Nix looked at Erebus.
And let out a sneer.
“What is this, in the form of a lowly resident of the lower world? Even after devouring the power of all evil gods, you were defeated by the gods… you’ve really gone too far, haven’t you?”
Erebus laughed, looking at Nix, who was clearly looking down on him.
“I was not defeated by gods. I was defeated by terrifying monsters that made me wish for gods instead.”
“Ha, you’re boasting about your defeat.”
“It’s not a boast. But I can learn from it.”
Erebus’s eyes flashed.
Nix scoffed, looking at Erebus.
“What can you learn from defeat?”
“Freezing of Death, do you know why you lost to me?”
“Because you devoured other evil gods and became stronger than me.”
“Wrong. Even if I hadn’t devoured other evil gods, dealing with you would have been simple.”
“What did you say?”
“The reason I devoured you late was simple. It was because I could devour you anytime. There was no need to devour you first and arouse the vigilance of other evil gods.”
Erebus smiled.
“That smile… is unpleasant. It’s like the smile of that beast from a moment ago.”
Nix said, revealing murderous intent.
“I’ll cure your delusion. You are never stronger than me in an equal situation…”
Thwack-!
Before he could finish his sentence, Erebus’s sword sliced off Nix’s head.
“What…?”
“I’ll tell you why you lost.”
Erebus stomped on Nix’s fallen head and said.
“It’s because you’re arrogant. A god who is defeated by beastmen and dwarves, who are merely residents of the lower world, should think about why they lost, but you are incapable of such thought.”
Erebus said with a faint smile.
“I’ll tell you why I’m in human form.”
Erebus raised his sword, looking at Nix who was trying to resist.
“Because this form is the most perfect form for hunting evil gods.”
Flare-
Black flames gathered on the sword.
A moment later.
When the trace of Nix, swallowed without even a scream, disappeared.
“We behold the Great Ruin.”
“It’s been a while, Necromancer King.”
“Congratulations on your resurrection.”
The Necromancer King said, offering a black stone that looked like coal to Erebus.
Erebus took it and laughed.
“This makes it half.”
“Finally, the time to destroy this world has come…”
“No.”
Erebus said indifferently.
“Now is the era when all the Great Heroes have resurrected. There are too many variables to fight them.”
“Yes? But if they completely regain their power…”
“Exactly.”
Erebus looked up at the sky.
“Originally, now would be the right time to fight. But there’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”
“Please teach this unworthy one…”
Erebus smiled eerily.
“It just so happens that a world where not a single Great Hero exists has appeared.”