Book 1 Chapter 863
863.
Seneor's eyes gleamed with madness.
She truly loved the two heroes before her eyes.
No.
The demon named Seneor loved any hero.
Demons are beings that bring ruin.
This is because the origin of demons began from the flames of catastrophe.
A being whose very purpose of existence was the destruction of the world, Erebus.
Demons born from the wishes of such a creator yearned for the world's destruction.
But 5000 years passed since Erebus was sealed into six fragments by great heroes.
Among the demons born after the Age of Catastrophe, signs of change began to appear.
Especially two of the three great legion commanders who had reigned since the recent Age of Catastrophe.
As the Monster Queen and the Giant King were subjugated, the flow of change rapidly accelerated.
Demons who desired dominion over the world, not its destruction, began to emerge.
The one who represented demons with such tendencies was the Dark King.
‘I don’t care about such things.’
A devilish smile spread across Seneor's lips.
The origin of demons is destruction.
Only the destruction of the world is the reason for a demon's existence.
‘That's why demons don't fear beings who have the potential to prevent the world's destruction. Pathetic.’
Seneor had no interest in the destruction of the world.
Nor was she interested in killing all beings on earth to dominate the world.
She desired only one thing.
She wished to be a special being.
And for Seneor, battling heroes was the way to prove that she was a special being.
The battle between those who seek to destroy the world and those who try to stop it.
Whatever the outcome, it holds meaning.
That's why she was drawn to the ancient enemies of demons, called heroes.
And as she conquered the world of the Legion, Seneor's thoughts became even more firm.
Only a very few demons succeeded in conquering the world of the Legion.
The Necromancer King evaluated the demons who succeeded in conquering it like this.
The natural enemy of heroes.
‘Killing heroes is truly the reason for my existence.’
A battle for the world.
How incredibly special is this?
No matter how much they were enemies, she couldn't help but love the heroes who made her special.
“The first heroes I’ve ever met since I was born…!”
A blush appeared on Seneor's face.
“I will never forget you all.”
With those words, Seneor’s clones charged towards Melina and Kyle.
Woong-!
At the same time, intense dark magic surged from Seneor’s body.
“Ahahahahahahaha!”
Seneor, whose body became grotesque with bulging veins, burst into mad laughter.
Melina’s eyes twitched as she saw it.
“This is…?”
“It's a divine authority.”
Leo’s voice was heard from behind Melina.
“The Authority of Giath’s Madness.”
It was clearly a power inherited through the world of the Legion.
“Lord Leo.”
“Oh! Leo! You’re here?!”
Melina and Kyle looked back.
And fell silent.
Kyle, seeing Leo next to Chelsea, scratched his cheek.
“Uh… hmm… What’s with your appearance?”
“Due to the illusion’s influence, Leo Oppa has returned to his childhood appearance! Isn’t he super cute?”
Chelsea giggled, put her hands under Leo’s armpits, and lifted him up.
“You’ve been subtly treating me like a child since a while ago?”
“You are a child right now, though.”
Chelsea smiled brightly.
“Unlike Leo Oppa, I’m an adult now!”
Chelsea, who laughed with an "Ahem-!", put Leo down and puffed out her chest.
“Normally, Leo Oppa treats me like a child at the slightest provocation, doesn't he? You get to experience that feeling now.”
At those words, Leo chuckled.
“Adults don’t call themselves adults.”
“Lord Leo…”
Melina looked at Leo with a slightly worried expression.
Kyle also made a serious face.
“Can you fight in that form?”
“There’s no problem handling mana. Though it’s not suitable for combat.”
Currently, Shilrod’s illusion magic had begun to be influenced by Erebus.
As a result, the illusion became powerful enough to exert influence even over Leo.
However, if he put his mind to it, he could escape from this illusion at any time.
‘The problem is that I need to find the key.’
Considering that, it was better to remain under the illusion for now.
“Well, it’s a relief you can handle mana.”
Kyle’s expression relaxed.
But Melina’s face remained serious.
Melina wasn’t worried about Leo’s combat ability.
What concerned her was Leo’s current appearance as a child.
Melina knew the true nature of this illusion.
To those who wish for the future, it shows the future.
To those who wish for the present, it shows the present.
And to those who wish for the past, it’s a fairy’s illusion reflecting the past.
Having experienced the illusion multiple times, Melina understood it precisely.
And the fact that Leo was in the form of a child meant…
‘That Lord Leo yearns for the past.’
Leo is the one who ushered in the Age of Heroes.
And he was reborn in this era, becoming the King of the World.
He is trying to accomplish the task of completely subjugating Erebus, which he couldn't fully achieve in his previous life.
Others do not know what the complete subjugation of Erebus means.
But Melina, who could be called a descendant of the King of Wisdom and inherited Lisinas’ knowledge and will, knew very well what the complete subjugation of Erebus meant.
‘The beginning of a new era.’
The Age of Heroes ends.
A completely different new era would begin.
Leo is the beginning and the end of the Age of Heroes.
And he is the being who will be the beginning of a new era.
Melina knew.
When people yearn for the old days.
‘When they are tired and struggling…’
That appearance was nothing less than proof that Leo, who could be called a symbol of beginnings, was exhausted.
Leo chuckled, seeing Melina looking at him with worried eyes.
“Don’t you also have times when you’re like me?”
“…That’s right.”
Leo immediately saw through what Melina was worried about.
“Longing for the past… is proof that one is an adult.”
“I’m also a normal human. There are times like that.”
“…”
Listening to their conversation, Chelsea and Kyle wore bewildered expressions.
“What kind of conversation is that?”
“Well. It must be a conversation only adults can understand.”
Kyle shrugged at Chelsea’s question.
“I’m an adult now, though?”
“Only your body is an adult, isn't it?”
Kyle shook his head back and forth.
Then.
Leo said to Melina.
“A child shouldn't worry about an adult. Don’t think too deeply about it.”
“…I’m not a child, though.”
Melina gave an awkward smile.
Seeing that, Chelsea said.
“See, from Leo Oppa’s perspective, we and Lord Melina are all the same.”
“…I don’t think that’s true.”
Kyle said as if dumbfounded.
Of course, Chelsea also knew that fact.
She was just desperately ignoring it.
“So? What about the other three?”
“Senior Lil is in the south, and Eliza and Xia seem to be together in the northern part of the continent.”
As Kyle recounted the information he found, Leo, who had been contemplating for a moment, nodded.
“I can roughly guess two locations where the key might be.”
“Where, where are they?”
Kyle made a puzzled expression.
At that moment, Melina destroyed Seneor’s clones that had approached close.
Along with that, a massive explosion occurred, scattering flesh and bones.
“Ugh? Did she cast an explosion spell on the corpses?”
“It’s simple, but it’s an efficient magic.”
Leo, who spoke calmly, looked at Seneor.
“Haa-! Haa-!”
Seneor, panting and rolling her eyes back, was not normal.
The Berserker’s influence.
Even the cautious Giant King revealed immense belligerence the moment he used the Authority of Madness.
For an ordinary demon, it wouldn’t be strange to be half-mad.
‘Although she doesn't seem like a legion commander, her power is real.’
Leo had met legion commanders from the Age of Heroes several times, not just those from the Age of Catastrophe.
And the power Seneor exuded was easily overwhelming those legion commanders.
‘Even if she conquered the world of the Legion and inherited its power, the mere fact that she is using an Authority must be proof that the Necromancer King is drawing power from fragments of Erebus.’
“Lord Leo. I will defeat that legion commander.”
Melina spoke respectfully to Leo.
“I will dedicate the glory of victory to Lord Leo.”
Melina, observing solemn etiquette with a reverent face.
Her appearance resembled a knight addressing a king.
“Wow… that’s cool.”
“Indeed, Leo is now the King of the World. And didn’t they say he’s the owner of the Hero’s Record? That means he’s also the King of Heroes.”
As Chelsea mumbled blankly, Kyle chuckled and said.
And strictly speaking, he is also the progenitor who opened the Age of Heroes.
“Isn’t it quite impolite to lift such a Leo up so unhesitatingly, calling him cute?”
“Oowut?!”
“Well, Leo isn’t a very authoritarian person, so it seems he accepts everything.”
Chelsea flinched.
Then.
“Chelsea.”
“Huh?”
“You fight her.”
“Me?”
Not only Chelsea, but also Melina and Kyle widened their eyes.
Leo met Chelsea’s gaze with his usual calm expression.
“You can do it, right?”
Chelsea, recognizing the ‘trust’ in his eyes, clenched her fist.
‘Can I… fight a legion commander by myself?’
No matter how strong she had become, Chelsea couldn’t gauge the extent of her own power.
Therefore, fear took precedence.
But…
‘Leo Oppa sees that I am fully capable.’
Chelsea trusted the faith Leo had in her more than she trusted herself.
“Yes.”
Chelsea said with a serious face.
“I will dedicate the glory of victory to Leo Oppa.”
“Fufufu-! Did you just imitate me?”
Melina covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled, as if finding it cute.
With a slightly reddened face, Chelsea gave a "Ahem-!", cleared her throat, and approached Seneor.
“Will she be okay?”
As Kyle made a worried expression, Leo said.
“She’ll be fine. The current Chelsea is strong.”
Leo looked at Chelsea’s back.
“When her potential blossoms. Knowing how strong she becomes will also be a good lesson.”
Having said that, Leo opened his mouth.
“Fiora, Arty.”
Hwarrureuk- Paji-jik-
-Did you call, Master?
-Did you call, Master?
A magnificent phoenix and a pure white pegasus appeared.
“Wow. Fiora has also completely become an adult, hasn’t she?”
As Kyle exclaimed in admiration, Fiora wore a slightly smug expression.
“Well, I thought I’d become incredibly fat. Is that a good thing?”
Hwaak-! Kwak-!
The phoenix immediately grabbed Kyle by the scruff of his neck with its beak and spun him wildly in the air.
“Kuaaaak! H-Help me!”
-Fi, Miss Fiora! Please use that new skill on me!
Leo sighed at the instantly boisterous atmosphere.
“Enough.”
Fiora let go of Kyle.
“Fiora, go to the northern continent, find Chen Xia and Eliza, and wait there. Arty, take Lil from the southern continent and go to where Chen Xia and Eliza are.”
-Yes, Master.
-Understood, Master.
The two who answered disappeared, turning into flame and lightning.
“Where do you suspect the key might be?”
Melina asked carefully.
“The old Fairy Land. And…”
Leo answered calmly to that question.
“Gardsron.”