Book 1 Chapter 810
810.
Flash-
The warp gate emitted a bright light.
Along with it, several people appeared from the warp gate.
Kallian, the principal of Lumen, who had been tending to trees in a gardener's outfit in the garden surrounding the warp gate, widened his eyes at the sight.
“They’re finally here!”
He abruptly stood up and tossed aside his wide-brimmed straw hat.
“Student Leah! I’ve been waiting for you!”
Seeing Kallian greet her so heartily, like a grandfather seeing his grandchild after a long time, Leah pressed her temples.
“Principal. Isn't it work hours right now…?”
“It’s fine! Don’t we have a very, very capable faculty at our Lumen? They’re handling my work for this old man!”
“Professor Harind, Professor Sedjen… and Professor Riina must be busy managing the students, aren’t they?”
“They’re friends I’ve watched since I was a student! Very, very capable! A little bit of overwork won’t make them bat an eye!”
“If the principal did his work, they wouldn’t have to suffer from overwork!”
“Oh ho? Isn't this all because of Student Leah?!”
“Why me, suddenly?”
“Student Leah is so capable that she even took my work, didn’t she? I’ve become too used to a life without work. Lately, my eyes have been blurry too.”
Leah, who had been deeply sighing while watching Kallian feigning illness, spotted someone approaching in the distance.
“It’s Professor Harind.”
“Tch. Persistent fellow.”
Kallian clicked his tongue and tried to escape.
But Leah used magic to grab Kallian’s ankle.
“Assaulting an old man! Student Leah I know isn’t a delinquent student who would do something so outrageous!”
As Kallian protested with wide eyes.
*Thump-*
“Principal. It’s work hours.”
“Harind! Let go of me! I need to give Student Leah a little lecture…!”
“Work comes before lectures. Ein, Len.”
*Clack- clack-*
At Harind's call, his loyal subordinate professors, Ein and Len, grabbed Kallian by both arms.
“Take him to the principal’s office.”
“Overworking an old man! Don’t you think you’ll ever get old yourselves?!”
Kallian’s desperate shouts echoed, but Ein and Len did not listen.
Harind glanced at Leah.
“Looks like you’ve returned.”
“Yes, Professor Harind.”
Harind’s gaze, which had been on Leah as she nodded, shifted to the others.
‘The student council presidents of other hero academies interacting with Leah. And…’
Harind’s final gaze landed on Leo.
Harind approached Leo.
As Leo made a quizzical expression, Harind spoke.
“Name?”
“It’s Leo.”
“Leo, huh…”
Harind also knew that the boy in front of him was the cause of the recent commotion at Lumen.
After looking at Leo for a moment, Harind spoke.
“Have you considered becoming a professor at Lumen?”
At the sudden scout offer, Leo’s eyes widened.
But soon he smiled.
“I don’t think it’s time for me to teach anyone yet.”
“Looking at Chelsea Rwalyn and Iliana Raden, it doesn’t seem that way, though.”
“I just taught them the way a little.”
“That, too, is excellent education.”
“This one here would be more suitable as an educator than me.”
Leo smiled faintly, grabbed Leah by both shoulders, and pulled her in front of him.
Leah, whose eyes were wide, looked back.
“Well.”
Harind said indifferently.
“You might become a great leader, but as an educator, you seem a bit lacking compared to him.”
“Hmm? I was greatly influenced by this one, too?”
“Showing the way and leading is distinctly different from teaching the way and pushing from behind.”
Having said that much, Harind turned without hesitation.
“Let me know if you’re interested.”
Leaving those words, Harind followed Kallian and left.
“You were even doing the principal’s work?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be more efficient. When I’m busy or absent, Principal Kallian takes over… but he’s been talking about retirement lately.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Hey. How long are you going to hold on?”
Just then, Rune, who had interjected between them, playfully slapped Leo's hand on Leah's shoulder.
“Anyway, I’ve been thinking this for a while. That man, Harind, is very sharp.”
Valhar stroked his chin and said.
“His eyes for discerning the essence are precise.”
“Well, Professor Harind does have that side to him.”
Leo nodded.
“Does Principal Kallian in your world also push off work and run away like this?”
At Leah’s question, Leo gave a bitter smile.
“Principal Kallian in our world fought off the Monster Queen by himself until he ran out of strength and closed his eyes.”
“Ah…”
“It was a magnificent end befitting someone who bore the burdens of an era.”
Leah remained silent.
Seeing Leah, Rune spoke.
“Come on, Leah. You need to go to the students now, don’t you? You have a lot to take care of, right?”
Leah narrowed her eyes, watching Rune push her back.
“You seem eager to send me away quickly?”
“No way? Leo must have caused a ruckus, so there’s a lot to clean up… and you need to show the children their respective paths, don’t you?”
“That’s right. I’ll be very busy.”
“So hurry and…”
“Is only Leah busy?”
“Ow, ow, ow, ow! What are you doing?!”
Leo pulled Rune’s ear.
When Rune protested with wide eyes, Leo pushed Rune towards the warp gate.
“You also have things to sort out in Seirun. Like the Pureblood Society. Or the descendants you couldn’t look after properly.”
At those words, Rune flinched.
“In a way, out of the four of you, you were the most negligent.”
“Ugh.”
Rune made a startled expression and let his ears droop.
“…You’re right. How pathetic.”
Leah, who emphasized 'Kyle-ness' to the students.
Karr, who tried to teach the Azonia students many things, even if his explanations were too self-centered.
Unlike Valhar, who completely passed on his techniques, Rune was the great hero who had stagnated the most.
“I… might be disqualified as the progenitor of the Nebula.”
Seeing Rune drop his head with a dejected expression, Leo spoke.
“You can do well from now on.”
“Huh?”
“You’re a genius, aren’t you? If you just put your mind to it, inspiration will just pour out when you see the kids in Seirun, right?”
At those words, Rune’s drooping ears gradually perked up, then began to twitch incessantly.
And he folded his arms and snorted, *Hmph-!*
“That’s true! The greatest genius in the history of magic! Because I am Luna!”
Elated by Leo’s single compliment, Rune rushed towards the warp gate.
“I’ll finish quickly and be back! Wait for me! Leo!”
Valhar shook his head, watching Rune return to Seirun with a refreshing smile.
“The elven society will soon be in ruins everywhere.”
The Pureblood Society is secretly connected with Tartaros.
Until now, the unmotivated Rune had not judged elven society to be that corrupt, but now the story is different.
“He’ll sweep them away in an instant.”
Quick thinking and decisive action.
And Rune possesses the drive to act.
If they hadn’t been seen, it might be different.
The moment he found a clue through Leo, the cleansing of the Pureblood Society would literally be instantaneous.
‘Even if he seems reckless, his judgment on the ground is precise.’
“Leah. You should also pay attention to the kids.”
“Okay. Leo, you’ll be staying in Lumen as a guest for a while, right?”
“I will. I also have something I want to ask of you.”
“Ask?”
Karr tilted his head.
“Yes.”
Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.
“I want to confirm how well I'm utilizing the abilities I inherited from you… and if I can develop them further.”
***
A small training ground attached to the guesthouse building provided for guests of Lumen.
Leo, Karr, and Valhar were talking.
“You emitted killing intent when fighting?”
Leo looked at Karr with surprised eyes.
“That’s right. Karr was definitely emitting killing intent towards that evil god Nyx at the time.”
“The timid fellow managed to think such a thing.”
During the Age of Disaster.
Karr possessed overwhelming martial prowess, but his timid and kind nature prevented him from truly harboring killing intent towards opponents.
Karr could only fight with his full strength when his comrades were in danger.
For Leo, it was unbelievable that such a gentle Karr had emitted killing intent.
“You’ve made a great decision.”
At Leo’s words, Karr clenched his fist.
“…I keenly felt how much I relied on you all in my past life.”
“Hmm. You’re even starting to think about things like that. Quite impressive, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. In my past life, I didn’t take any responsibility.”
“Huh?”
“Leah took responsibility for the world, and Rune always worked hard to make Gathron prosperous with magic technology. Kyle… Leo, you alone vanquished the darkness of the world, and Valhar was a steadfast advisor who supported us.”
“That’s right.”
“In contrast… I was given special treatment because I was young.”
“…”
“You told me I was the bravest in the world… but the only reason I could be brave was because you were there.”
Karr stared with serious, wide eyes.
“I’ve decided that now, I want to be someone who can be brave even alone.”
“…That’s a splendid resolution, Karr.”
“Hehe.”
As Valhar smiled gently, Karr scratched his head with a shy laugh.
Watching that, Leo chuckled.
“You’ve also decided to move forward.”
“Yeah.”
“But there’s something I need to correct.”
“Huh?”
“You weren’t particularly pampered, nor did you shirk responsibility.”
“Huh? No, Leo. It’s okay if you’re trying to comfort me.”
“So, I’m not comforting you. I’m telling the truth…”
*Thump-!*
“Gah?!”
Valhar wrapped his thick forearm around Leo’s neck from behind.
Choking from Valhar’s overwhelming strength, Leo tapped Valhar’s forearm repeatedly.
“Karr. Go to Leah for a moment.”
“Huh? Why Leah, suddenly?”
“Tell Leah the story you just told us. She’ll be the happiest to hear it.”
“Oh, okay!”
Karr smiled innocently, nodded, and ran off.
Once Karr disappeared into the distance, Valhar released Leo.
“Haa! Haa! What are you doing, you damn old man?!”
Valhar kicked Leo’s back, who was rubbing his neck and protesting, *Thud!*
“Is there any need to discourage Karr? What's the point of telling him the truth?”
“Why? At that time, anything I asked him to do wouldn’t have helped, so I didn’t ask him to do anything, right? It’s time for him to know what he should know!”
“Silence! You should just purely rejoice in Karr’s growth!”
“So, shouldn't he know to grow more?”
“Harind’s judgment was wrong! You are the worst as an educator!”
Meanwhile.
“…You’ve made a great decision, Karr… but what’s that laugh?”
“Huh? I tried to imitate Leo! How is it? Cool, right? Rune taught me!”
‘I hoped he wouldn't be influenced.’
In the end, Karr had been influenced by the fools.
At the laugh that clearly reminded her of someone, Leah felt an emotion she couldn't categorize as either crying or laughing.
***
Erebos, in Kyle’s form, gazed at the sky.
He could, at this very moment, dye that blue sky the dark crimson color of death.
But Erebos did not.
He had absorbed the fragment held by his subordinate, the Necromancer King, and the resurrected Nyx, transforming into half of his complete self, but.
‘It is not yet time.’
Erebos narrowed his eyes.
‘If a surviving hero from another dimension came here… there must be an entrance.’
Through that entrance, he would cross over to a world where great heroes do not exist.
‘And I will turn that place into ashes and absorb my fragments there.’
After that.
‘I will return here and turn both worlds into ashes.’
If that happens.
‘You can never stop me, surviving hero.’