Book 1 Chapter 855
855.
My past life was not a very happy one.
‘It couldn't be otherwise.’
I remember the sky turning gray.
At the end of my life, I barely saw the sun rise and then my life ended.
I was one of the few people who experienced the beginning and end of the Age of Calamity.
It was impossible for a human life lived in the Age of Calamity to be happy.
But even in an unhappy life, there were memories worth remembering.
‘Even more so after meeting Lisinas.’
The encounters with Lisinas, Luna, Arion, and Dweno ultimately ended in tragedy.
As it always had.
I always sent my companions off first.
As it always had.
I was once again the sole survivor.
But even if that end was a tragedy, my bonds with them were not meaningless.
No.
They became a great meaning that I wouldn't trade for anything.
‘After all, the world was saved according to Lisinas’ will.’
The moment Kyle's life gained meaning.
That's why Leo remembers the moment he met Lisinas as if it were yesterday.
The joyful moments… and the sad moments…
Every moment, starting from his meeting with Lisinas, had firmly become a light in Kyle's gray-skied life.
But just as there were memories he didn't want to forget,
There were also memories he wanted to forget.
Like the moment unfolding before his eyes now.
Walking behind Rasha, Leo looked at the streetscape he had forgotten in his memories.
‘Levatein.’
It was Leo's hometown as he remembered it.
He didn't know his parents in his past life.
He couldn't help it.
‘Because I was an orphan.’
Recalling his memories, he had lived in Levatein since birth.
‘My earliest memory is around five years old, and I've been here since then, so it must be my hometown.’
Learning that Levatein was a city located in the eastern part of the continent was a story for much later.
Leo pulled his collar tighter against the cold wind.
Before the Age of Calamity, the northern part of the continent was a warm land full of life.
The cold place, like the northern continent, was none other than the eastern continent.
‘The southern continent was also a forest full of life, not a desert region.’
Due to Erebus appearing at the eastern end of the continent, the ice spirits migrated en masse to the north, creating the cold northern continent of today.
Conversely, the south was the first place Erebus targeted, and it all burned, becoming a desert climate.
This barren and cold eastern land was the land of beastmen and dwarves.
‘And when I was born, a considerable number of human pioneers had also settled,’ he recalled.
Levatein was the easternmost city of those pioneer settlements.
He learned about the origin of his hometown city after meeting Lisinas in the Age of Calamity.
It was a fact Lisinas told him after hearing that Leo's hometown was Levatein.
Thump- Thump-
“Rasha.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Do you know Levatein is a pioneer city?”
“First time hearing it? Is there a need to know such things?”
“……It’s important to know about the hometown you were born in.”
“Ugh. What's so important about such useless things? Who told you that? Media again?”
Rasha shook her head, listening to Kyle.
“Kyle. I keep telling you, Media is of a different social status than us.”
“……Shen is also an aspiring knight, so his status is different. He’s a legitimate quasi-noble. If he becomes a knight, he’ll be a noble.”
“Ugh. That Shen was born common! A brazen brat! That quasi-noble’s standard is the same as Kasam! The same as Kasam! And a kniiight?! Ha! If that brat becomes a knight, I'll be his live-in maid for life! Maid!”
Rasha glared and spewed her words.
‘…Those are nostalgic names.’
Even if I've forgotten them, it doesn't mean I don't miss them.
Rasha, Kasam, Shen.
They were Kyle's first companions.
And Media.
Leo recalled the mysterious girl from the far reaches of his memory.
“What about Kasam and Shen?”
“I don't know! They probably got another quest reward and went to the brothel with it! Seriously! I don't know how embarrassed I am with the sisters because of those beastly brats! I should just catch them and tear their crotches off!”
If Kasam and Shen were in front of her now, she would have lunged at them immediately.
“Kyle! Don't you dare be like that Kasam! You're the hope of our house! Don't even show interest in places like brothels!”
“It’s our main family business, so it’s hard not to be interested.”
“Anyway! You said you’d earn a lot of money so the sisters wouldn’t have to do rough work anymore!”
“Kasam is secretly saving money for that too.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“He said it was embarrassing and asked me to keep it a secret.”
“Honestly. I’m speechless. What's so embarrassing about that? No, then where does all that enormous entertainment money come from?”
“Shen.”
“That crazy guy! He must have money to burn! Well, he did say he was from a merchant family, didn't he? Why is he doing mercenary work, I wonder?”
Kyle let out a bitter smile, looking at the astonished Rasha.
Yes. She had such a fierce personality.
“Anyway! Right now, the reality in front of us is the most important! Don’t dream strange dreams! You’ve been enchanted by Media lately!”
“I don’t think I was particularly enchanted.”
“Yes, you were! You’re dreaming absurd dreams now!”
“Was I?”
“Yes! You were enchanted by Media’s words that you could do something great for the world! You don’t even know exactly what great thing it is, so what are you going to do?!”
Rasha glared and turned back to Kyle.
“You’ll disappear in a puff if you dream such baseless dreams! A puff!”
Rasha, who had turned to give a warning, paused.
Kyle was looking at her with a subtly sad face.
‘Kyle… You… You will definitely be able to do great things… I’m sorry for denying your dream… It’s just… it’s just…’
Kyle’s life changed after meeting Media.
What he wanted to do.
What he needed to do.
Not knowing where he had to go for it… The time when he vaguely believed he could do something great, trusting only in his own potential.
‘My dream… was to live happily with you… So I think I denied your dream because of my selfishness. I'm sorry…’
And the first time he survived.
‘At this time, I didn't know. That I would survive so terribly.’
The girl whose greatest happiness and goal was to build a future with the person she loved.
Simple in others' eyes, but the greatest happiness for herself.
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 development.
Mercenaries to subdue monsters in unexplored territories.
Merchants for them.
And administrators from the government who planned the development.
Knights from noble families to gain practical experience.
Levatein was a city where development was proceeding quite smoothly.
As people gathered, money gathered, and troops gathered to maintain order.
But when many people gather from various parts of the world for different reasons, darkness naturally arises.
Especially if money is also involved.
To control a harsh city where darkness and money intertwine, there needs to be a place to resolve human desires.
Alcohol, gambling, women.
The back-alley brothel was where Kyle, an orphan, grew up.
Kyle had no one he could call a parent.
But many people took care of him.
Women who did rough work in the back alleys.
Besides Kyle, Rasha and Kasam also grew up in a small brothel.
Rasha and Kasam were siblings.
They were born in the brothel when they were young, but their biological mother died.
So the three grew up like siblings from a young age.
To Kyle, Rasha and Kasam were his first companions, but even before that, they were like family.
There was no hierarchy, but Rasha acted like the eldest.
With her rather outstanding looks, Rasha was originally destined to receive customers.
But her fate changed when it was discovered that Rasha had the talent to wield weapons and aura.
‘In this era, the ability to wield aura was rare.’
Kasam also had the same talent as Rasha.
A pioneer city inevitably required ‘military power.’
And they could earn much more income than by receiving customers.
There were five women living together in the house.
They were people with stories and debts.
But the five lovingly cared for Kyle, Rasha, and Kasam.
‘They all hated being called mother, so we called them older sisters.’
Anyway, at this time, Kyle was trying to pay off his sisters' debts.
Shen was the son of a wealthy merchant and an aspiring knight.
He followed the knight order dispatched to Levatein to gain experience.
But he grew sick of knightly etiquette.
And while doing mercenary work, he naturally became friends with Kyle's party and joined them as a companion.
He especially got along well with Kasam.
And…
“Oh! Rasha! Long time no see!”
“We parted just two days ago after finishing a mission.”
Today was the day they were supposed to meet at the pub in front of the mercenary guild for a celebration party for completing a mission.
Kyle and Rasha were already at the pub, having taken a seat.
The third person to arrive was none other than Shen.
Shen pulled a chair close to Rasha and sat down.
“Monster attacks have been more frequent lately.”
“Hmm… I heard rumors of an earthquake at the eastern edge.”
Leo silently listened to the conversations coming from the pub.
‘…Was this before Erebus appeared?’
The Age of Calamity had not yet begun.
It seemed to be the period when its precursors were appearing.
Leo listened to the mercenaries' stories.
Rasha occasionally glanced at Leo's face, her cheeks slightly flushed.
‘What's with him? Since earlier. Why is he so mature today?’
Kyle’s atmosphere had changed.
Rasha, sensing this, was quite confused.
Whatever it was, one thing was certain.
‘He’s become so much cooler compared to usual.’
Rasha tried hard to maintain her composure.
Seeing Rasha, Shen made a sullen face and then grinned.
“Rasha. You’re so beautiful today too, aren’t you?”
“Get lost.”
Rasha frowned.
“Heh heh. I said this before, but what will it take for you to date me?”
“Bring your family’s entire fortune. Then I'll date you for about a day.”
“That includes the night, right?”
“No.”
“Aren’t you being too expensive? Even so, my feelings for you are genuine.”
Shen put on a sly expression.
“Do you dislike me that much?”
“Shen. I know that as a friend, and in terms of skill, you’re very reliable and not a bad guy. But your private life is too messy.”
Rasha crossed her arms and stated flatly.
“You and I are better off as friends. You just want to have one night of fun with me.”
“That hurts a bit, you know? My heart for you is pure.”
“Bullshit.”
Rasha narrowed her eyes.
Just then, Shen chuckled.
“Don’t be too hard on him, Rasha. Shen is pure in body too.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
Rasha and Shen looked at Kyle with bewildered faces.
Kyle said,
“He’s good at talking to women. But when a woman’s body touches his, he gets nervous and stutters.”
“Huh? This guy. He’s famous for frequenting brothels every other day.”
Rasha made a dumbfounded expression, and Shen’s mouth opened and closed.
“I know you want to get used to it so you don’t get embarrassed later, but you’re ruining your image to act tough.”
“Haha. Kyle. Where did you hear such nonsense? I’m Shen. The king of Levatein’s night alleys. Shen!”
As Shen laughed exaggeratedly and spoke, Kyle said,
“Try holding his hand now. He’ll freeze up immediately.”
“No way.”
Rasha grabbed Shen’s wrist, and Shen froze instantly.
“……Are you acting?”
Rasha made a dumbfounded expression.
“Ka-ka-ka-ka… Ka-sa-sa-sam!”
As Rasha released Shen’s hand, he who had spoken in a trembling voice, finally blurted out,
“That Kasam! He promised to keep it a secret!”
“Oh! You guys are already gathered!”
“Hey, you jerk!”
“Wh-what? Why are you suddenly like this?!”
Shen, his eyes rolling back, pounced on Kasam.
Crash!
Rasha grabbed her head and left the two brawling to approach the owner.
“How much do I owe?”
“The estimate isn’t fully calculated yet, it seems.”
The pub owner said calmly, as if accustomed to this.
Kyle left the pub as if he didn't want to get caught up in the commotion.
And stood at the entrance, looking up at the night sky.
‘…This is an illusion.’
An illusion comparable to the hero's world, as Melina said.
‘But why am I caught in an illusion?’
Kyle was lost in thought when,
“It’s noisy inside. Is something wrong?”
A gentle voice was heard.
Leo turned his head.
Beautiful silver hair.
And a girl with a mesmerizing face.
“Huh? Kyle, is there something on my face?”
Media touched her cheek as if surprised.
In his boyhood… the girl he had admired.
The girl who was also his teacher of magic and summoning… Kyle murmured, looking at Midir.
‘Media was a dragon.’
Having learned a fact he could never have known in his childhood, Leo gazed at Media's beautiful face.