Book 1 Chapter 855

855.

The previous life was not a particularly happy one.

'It couldn't be helped.'

I remember the sky turning a grayish color.

At the end of my life, I barely saw the rising sun and passed away.

I was one of the few who experienced the beginning and end of the age of disaster.

There was no way a human life lived through the age of disaster could be happy.

However, even in an unhappy life, there were memories worth remembering.

'Especially after meeting Lisinas.'

The encounters with Lisinas, Luna, Aron, and Dwenno, if viewed only by their conclusion, ended in tragedy.

As always.

I sent my companions away first.

As always.

I ended up surviving alone again.

But even if the end was tragic, the connection with them was not meaningless.

No.

It became a profound meaning that couldn't be exchanged for anything.

'After all, the world was saved according to Lisinas's will.'

The moment Kyle's life gained meaning.

That's why Leo remembers the events of the moment he met Lisinas as if they happened yesterday.

Happy moments… sad moments…

All the moments that began with meeting Lisinas were firmly established as light in Kyle's life, which had been like a gray sky.

But just as there are memories I don't want to forget.

There are also memories I want to forget.

Like the moment unfolding before my eyes.

Walking with Rasha, Leo looked at the scenery of the streets he had forgotten in his memories.

'Levatine.'

It was Leo's hometown, as he remembered it.

In his past life, he didn't know his parents.

It couldn't be helped.

'Because I was an orphan.'

If I try to recall, I had been living in Levatine since birth.

'My earliest memory is around the age of five, and I've been here since then, so it must be my hometown.'

It was much later that Leo learned that Levatine was a city located in the eastern part of the continent.

As Leo shivered in the cold wind, he pulled his collar tighter.

Before the age of disaster, the northern continent was a land with warm life.

The place that was as cold as the northern continent was none other than the eastern continent.

'The southern continent was also a forest full of life, not a desert region.'

As Erebus appeared at the eastern end of the continent, the ice spirits moved north in large numbers, turning the northern continent into the cold land it is today.

Conversely, the southern part was the first target of Erebus, and it all burned down, becoming a desert climate.

This desolate and cold eastern land was the land of beastmen and dwarves.

'And when I was born, human settlers had already established themselves in considerable numbers.'

Levatine was the city at the easternmost edge of that settlement.

He learned the origin of his hometown city much later, after meeting Lisinas in the age of disaster.

Lisinas told him this fact after hearing Leo's hometown was Levatine.

Stomp- stomp-

"Rasha."

"Yes? Why?"

"Do you know that Levatine is a settler's city?"

"This is the first I've heard of it. Do you need to know something like that?"

"…It's important to know about the place where you were born."

"Ugh. Why is something so trivial important? Who told you that? Was it Media again?"

Rasha shook her head as she heard Kyle's words.

"Kyle. As I've told you time and again, Media is someone of a different status than us."

"…Shen is also a prospective knight, so his status is different. That guy is a legitimate quasi-noble. If he becomes a knight, he'll become a noble."

"Ugh. Shen was born common! That brat! A quasi-noble is the same level as Kassam! The same as Kassam! And a knight?! Ha! If that kid becomes a knight, I'll be a maid in his house for the rest of my life! A maid!"

Rasha poured out her words with wide-open eyes.

'…Those are nostalgic names.'

Even if I forget them, it doesn't mean I don't miss them.

Rasha, Kassam, Shen.

They were Kyle's first companions.

And Media.

Leo recalled the mysterious girl from the depths of his memory.

"What about Kassam and Shen?"

"I don't know! He probably went to a brothel with the money he earned from another commission! Seriously! I don't know how embarrassing it is for my sisters because of those brutes! I should just catch them and tear off their legs!"

If Kassam and Shen were in front of her now, she looked like she would pounce on them.

"Kyle! Don't be like Kassam, that brat! You are the hope of our house! Don't take an interest in places like brothels!"

"It's hard not to take an interest when it's what our main family does."

"Either way! You said you'd earn a lot of money so my sisters wouldn't have to do difficult work anymore!"

"Kassam is also secretly saving money for that reason."

"Really? How do you know?"

"He asked me to keep it a secret because he was embarrassed."

"My goodness. I can't believe it. What's so embarrassing about that? No, then where does all that extravagant entertainment money come from?"

"Shen."

"That lunatic! He must have money to burn! I guess! He said he was from a merchant family, right? Why is he doing mercenary work?"

Seeing Rasha's astonishment, Kyle let out a wry smile.

Yes. She had such a rough personality.

"Anyway! What's in front of us is most important right now! Don't have strange dreams! You're infatuated with Media lately!"

"I don't think I was exactly infatuated."

"No. You're having a ridiculous dream right now!"

"Was I?"

"Yes! You're infatuated with Media's words that you can do great things for the world! You don't even know what kind of great things, so what are you going to do!"

Rasha glared at Kyle and turned back.

"You'll get ruined by having vain dreams! Ruined!"

Rasha, who turned around to give advice, stopped.

Kyle was looking at her with a somewhat sad expression.

'Kyle… you… you will surely be able to do great things… I'm sorry for denying your dream… just… just…'

Kyle's life changed when he met Media.

What he wanted to do.

What he had to do.

Where he had to go for it, he didn't know… at that time, he just believed in his own potential and vaguely believed he could do great things.

'Because my dream… was to live happily with you… so I think I denied your dream because of my selfishness. Sorry…'

And the first time he survived.

'I didn't know then. That I would survive so stubbornly.'

A girl whose greatest happiness and goal was to build a future with someone she loved.

To others, it might seem humble, but to her, it was the greatest happiness.

Looking at Rasha, Leo couldn't support his first companion's dream.

***

A pioneer city is a place where all sorts of people gather.

Laborers for pioneering.

And mercenaries to subdue monsters in unexplored territories.

Merchants for them.

And officials of the nation that conceived of pioneering.

Knights of nobles to gain combat experience.

Levatine was a city where pioneering was proceeding quite smoothly.

As a result, as people gathered, money gathered, and troops gathered to maintain order.

However, when many people gather from all over the world for various reasons, darkness naturally arises.

Especially when money is involved.

To control a rough city where darkness and money intertwine, a place to satisfy human desires is needed.

Alcohol, gambling, women.

The place where Kyle, an orphan, grew up was a back-alley brothel.

Kyle had no one he could call a parent.

However, there were many who looked after him.

Women who did tough jobs in the back alleys.

Besides Kyle, Rasha and Kassam also grew up in a small brothel.

Rasha and Kassam were biological siblings.

They were born in a brothel when they were young, but their birth mother died.

Thus, the three grew up like siblings from a young age.

To Kyle, Rasha and Kassam were not only his first companions but also like family.

Although there was no clear hierarchy, Rasha acted like an older sister.

Rasha, who was quite attractive, was originally destined to entertain customers.

However, her destiny changed when it became known that Rasha had a talent for handling weapons and aura.

'The ability to handle aura was rare in this era.'

Kassam also had the same talent as Rasha.

A pioneer city was inherently a city that required 'power'.

And it brought in more income than entertaining customers.

There were five women living together at home.

They were people with stories and debts.

However, the five took good care of Kyle, Rasha, and Kassam.

'They all disliked being called mother, so we called them sisters.'

In any case, at this time, Kyle was working hard to repay his sisters' debts.

Shen was the son of a wealthy merchant and a prospective knight.

He came to Levatine with a knight detachment to gain experience.

However, he was fed up with knightly etiquette.

Then, while working as a mercenary, he naturally became close with Kyle's party and joined as a companion.

He particularly hit it off with Kassam.

And…

"Ooh! Rasha! Long time no see!"

"We just finished our mission two days ago and parted ways."

Today was the day they agreed to meet at a tavern in front of the mercenary guild to celebrate the completion of their mission.

Kyle and Rasha, who arrived at the tavern first and secured a table.

The third person to arrive was none other than Shen.

Shen pulled up a chair next to Rasha and sat down.

"Monster attacks have become more frequent lately."

"Mmm… I heard rumors of an earthquake in the easternmost part."

Leo silently listened to the conversations in the tavern.

'…It hadn't appeared before Erebus revealed himself yet.'

The age of disaster had not yet begun.

It seemed to be the period when its prelude was showing itself.

Leo listened to the mercenaries' stories.

Rasha, glancing at Leo's face repeatedly, blushed slightly.

'What is it? Why is she acting so mature today?'

Kyle's atmosphere had changed.

Sensing that, Rasha was quite confused.

Whatever it was, this was certain.

'Compared to usual, he's gotten incredibly cool.'

Rasha tried to maintain her composure.

Seeing Rasha like that, Shen made a sullen face and then smiled.

"Rasha. You're as beautiful as ever today, aren't you?"

"Get lost."

Rasha scowled.

"Heh. As I said before, how can I get you to date me?"

"Bring all the wealth of your house. Then I'll go on a date with you for about a day."

"Including one night, right?"

"No."

"Aren't you asking for too much? I'm serious about my feelings for you."

Shen said with a sly smile.

"Do I hate you that much?"

"Shen. I know you are reliable as a friend and as a skilled person, and you're not a bad guy. But your private life is too messy."

Rasha said with her arms crossed, cutting him off.

"It's best for us to remain friends. You just want to have a good time with me for one night."

"That hurts to hear. My feelings for you are pure."

"Bullshit."

Rasha narrowed her eyes.

At that moment, Shen chuckled.

"Don't scold him too much, Rasha. Shen is pure in body, too."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Rasha and Shen looked at Kyle with surprised faces.

Kyle said,

"He's good at talking to women. But they say he stutters and gets nervous when a woman's body touches his own."

"Hah? This guy is famous for going in and out of brothels every other day."

Rasha looked bewildered, and Shen's mouth twitched.

"I know you're trying to get used to it so you don't get embarrassed later, but you're tarnishing your image to show off."

"Haha. Kyle. Where did you hear such nonsense? I'm Shen. The king of Levatine's night alleys. Shen!"

As Shen said with exaggerated laughter, Kyle said,

"Try holding hands right now. He'll freeze up immediately."

"No way."

When Rasha grabbed Shen's wrist, Shen froze up.

"…You're acting, right?"

Rasha said with a bewildered expression.

"Ka-ka-ka-ka… Ka-sa-sam!"

Shen, who uttered words like he was vibrating, let go of his hand, and Shen spoke.

"Kassam, that brat! He promised to keep it a secret!"

"Ooh! You're already gathered!"

"You bastard!"

"What, what? Why are you like this all of a sudden!"

Shen, with his eyes rolling, lunged at Kassam.

Crash-

Rasha, holding her head, ignored the two fighting and approached the owner.

"How much will it be?"

"The estimate doesn't seem to be out yet."

The tavern owner said calmly, as if accustomed to such incidents.

Kyle, as if wanting to avoid getting caught up in the commotion, left the tavern.

Then he stood at the entrance and looked up at the night sky.

'…This is an illusion.'

As Melina said, an illusion comparable to the world of heroes.

'But why did I fall into an illusion?'

It was when Kyle was lost in thought.

"It's noisy inside. Is something wrong?"

A gentle voice was heard.

Leo turned his head.

Beautiful silver hair.

And a girl with a face that made him lose his mind.

"Huh? Kyle, is something on my face?"

Media touched her cheek as if surprised.

In his youth… the girl who became an object of admiration for him.

The girl who was also his teacher in magic and summoning… Kyle, looking at Midir, muttered,

'Media was a dragon.'

Leo, who learned a fact he could never have known as a child, looked at Media's beautiful face.