Book 1 Chapter 876

876.

The party, having finished their exploration of their assigned zones, gathered in the center of Fairy Land.

Melina listened to reports of each group's engagements and made a serious expression.

"Many new Legion Commanders have been born."

"Well, even so, our abilities have improved based on future standards, so we were able to cope well."

Kal said positively.

"What about the key?"

When Chen Xia asked with a puzzled look, Melina shook her head.

"It seems there's no key in Fairy Land after all."

At Melina's answer, Chen Xia let out a small sigh.

"Then it's highly likely to be in Gardstron."

"Shouldn't we also consider the possibility that it might not be there?"

Kal brought up the topic seriously.

Meanwhile.

A little distance away, Eliza stood with her arms crossed, staring intently at Leo.

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Why did you get even smaller?"

Looking at Eliza who asked with narrowed eyes, Leo answered calmly.

"I was hit by a Legion Commander."

"That's not like you. To show a weakness."

"He was quite a troublesome fellow."

At Leo's answer, Eliza made a serious expression.

"Leo Oppa! You're really cute! And cool!"

"As Chelsea says, your current appearance, hyung-nim, is both cute and dignified."

Watching Chelsea squeal and Lil's eyes sparkle around Leo, Eliza clicked her tongue softly.

‘He just looks like a cheeky kid with arrogant eyes. Love is truly blinding.’

Eliza, who mumbled to herself, spoke in a slightly sharp voice.

"Aren't you all too carefree? If someone could make Leo Flobe like this, it must mean he's a formidable opponent, wouldn't it?"

"That's true, but our current skills are at a level where we can fight against a Legion Commander, right? The one who made Leo Oppa like this was defeated by Xia."

Just as Eliza was about to say something to that remark.

"Don't underestimate the Legion Commanders."

At Leo's cold voice, Chelsea flinched and recoiled her neck.

"It's not bad to joke around to relieve tension. But underestimating your opponent too much can lead to irreversible consequences. Chelsea, you're not mistaking your current power for your own, are you?"

Even Leo never let his guard down when fighting Legion Commanders.

He might mock and toy with his opponents, but he always thoroughly kept his guard up and prepared for any eventuality.

One can lose their life with a single mistake.

Legion Commanders were that threatening of beings.

Furthermore, the new generation of Legion Commanders, though still immature, were enough to evoke the Legion Commanders of the Age of Calamity.

At Leo's cold words, Chelsea recoiled her neck and answered in a small voice.

"I, I'm sorry…"

"And Lil."

"Yes, y-yes!"

As Leo's gaze fell on her, Lil unconsciously stood at attention.

"Aren't you the leader of the party? Why is Professor Mel receiving reports and synthesizing the situation?"

"Th-that's because… it's Professor Mel…"

"Professor Mel hasn't received party leader authority from you. This party moves strictly according to your decisions, even if you receive advice. Or what? Should I be the party leader?"

Lil flinched at Leo's cold voice.

Lil wasn't so dense as to not understand what Leo was saying.

In this situation, letting Lil continue as the party leader meant Leo trusted Lil.

Taking away the leader position meant also taking away that trust.

"I'm sorry! I'll correct it immediately!"

Lil bowed sharply! and rushed to Melina.

Chelsea also began to reflect as the atmosphere changed.

"I'm relieved. Indeed, even if his appearance has gotten younger, the 'contents' are still Leo Flobe."

It was then that Eliza curled up the corners of her mouth.

"Wow~ As expected of Leo. He really sets the discipline straight!"

Kal approached with a slightly lighter tone.

"Should I have said more?"

Kal shook his head at Leo's words.

"No. I think that's enough. Too much isn't good, is it?"

At that, Leo nodded.

"By the way, I heard your performance was amazing?"

"I was just lucky, I guess."

The Succubus Queen, who had dragged Kal into a dream, had to retreat directly due to the blow of losing control to Kal.

"Being able to show such ingenuity against a Legion Commander cannot simply be called luck."

"Because he aspires to be the world's strongest supporter."

Kal chuckled.

At that sight, Eliza was momentarily captivated.

Her heart pounded for a moment.

"Wow, Kal. That was incredibly cool just now."

"Hmph. I know how to be cool sometimes too."

Kal puffed up with pride at Chen Xia's compliment.

Watching that, Eliza clicked her tongue, "Tsk."

"Everyone, please gather."

Just then, Lil, having received the situation from Melina, gathered all the party members.

"First, as you all know, we found nothing in Fairy Land. So we must now move to Gardstron."

Everyone nodded at Lil's words.

"Before we move, I have something to say about the demonkin who invaded as illusions. Kal. What do you think Tartarus's goal is?"

"Hmm. First, if I summarize the situation, all the Legion Commanders we fought this time are newly born Legion Commanders, right?"

"That's correct."

"And some of them seemed to have awakened their own unique powers."

In the case of the King of Lust, who fought Chen Xia, he even used his power to make Leo even smaller.

"Since they didn't show any special reaction to receiving power… perhaps their goal is the fragment of Erebus that the Fairy King sealed. And the fact that they came to this old Fairy Land means they must be thinking the same thing as us. We will probably fight them in Gardstron too."

At that, Chelsea made a serious expression.

"They might have gone ahead and set up traps."

Lil shook her head at Chelsea's words.

"That's probably not the case."

"Why not?"

When Eliza looked at Lil and asked, Lil said calmly.

"The forces Tartarus sent were probably all the Legion Commanders we fought. They probably didn't lead their legions here. If four Legion Commanders led their legions, the balance would be broken."

After the Age of Calamity ended.

The Age of Heroes is recorded as an era of peace, excluding the reappearance of calamity when the heroes of creation emerged.

However, in the areas bordering Tartarus, war has never ceased.

Big or small, battles have continued on the front lines against Tartarus.

The world has maintained its superiority in those battles.

Even so, it had never once set foot in Tartarus's core territory.

Just as Tartarus was constantly looking for an opportunity to destroy the world.

The world was also working to completely destroy Tartarus.

And what that meant was simple.

It meant that if there was even the slightest sign of weakening in Tartarus's forces, the world was ready to push into Tartarus's core territory at any time.

Lil, born into a military family, knew this fact more clearly than the heroic noble families.

"Given the current situation, our forces will likely be superior to Tartarus's."

Everyone nodded at Lil's words.

"Of course, it's questionable whether that superiority will continue."

Kal looked puzzled at Lil's words.

"Are you saying there might be reinforcements?"

"No. Hmm… You all might not know this because you lack combat experience with demonkin yet."

It's only a one-year difference in grade, but the difference in combat experience between third-year and fourth-year students is immense.

This is because Lumern students begin actively carrying out missions when they become third-years.

Of course, even considering that, Lil, who was the school's top student, had a level of mission experience that was incomparable even to her own grade.

Furthermore, despite the enormous number of mission requests, her mission success rate was 100%.

Considering that the missions given to Lumern students were all of high difficulty, it was a tremendous achievement.

"Demonkin also grow."

At that, the third-year students made strange expressions.

This was because all of them had learned in combat theory class that the demonkin's power is determined at birth.

While the exception of the Legion's Records emerged, it was nonsensical that the Legion Commanders they had just fought could quickly enhance their abilities through the Legion's world conquest.

Lil added to the third-year students' reactions.

"More precisely, if they accumulate combat experience, they start to maximize their abilities."

Lil made a serious expression.

"They are new Legion Commanders. They are calamitous beings, but for us, you could think of them as students."

Such beings had gained experience fighting hero-level beings who were perhaps their equals, or even stronger.

"Next time we face them, they might show completely different skills."

"Student Lil is right."

As Melina chimed in, the students' faces turned serious.

"Therefore, in Gardstron, we plan to move together rather than splitting up for searching. Does everyone agree?"

Everyone nodded at Lil's question.

Leo, who had been watching them quietly from a little behind, chuckled.

"Student Lil is amazing."

Melina said in a voice quiet enough only for Leo to hear.

"It was because she was intimidated by those strange seniors… She always had leadership qualities."

"At that level, couldn't she be made vice president?"

"Well. Rather, I think president would suit her better."

Saying that, Leo silently watched the party members preparing to move.

Melina, watching him from beside Leo, spoke carefully.

"Are you in a bad mood?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Leo's eyes widened as he looked up at Melina.

Melina's face was filled with concern.

Looking at Melina, Leo said.

"Bad mood? How long have I waited for this moment?"

"Waited?"

"Yes."

Leo looked at the party members.

"I can really trust my back to them now. Well, only for a short time in this illusion, though."

Leo smiled softly.

"Now it finally feels real. That these guys are comrades who will fight alongside me."

His friends, who had blossomed with future potential, were no longer those he had to lead from the front.

They were literally comrades he could trust his back to.

Like those who had been by his side in the past.

"I thought, 'This is what the new Arhi looks like…' So I'm in a good mood, actually?"

"Is that so? To me, Leo-nim looked a little lonely."

"Looked lonely?"

"Yes. But I guess I was mistaken."

Melina shook her head.

At that moment.

"Professor Mel! Everything's ready!"

At Lil's words, Melina walked towards the party members.

Leo stood still and watched them.

"Leo Oppa. What are you doing?"

"Come quickly, Young Master Leo!"

Chelsea and Chen Xia called out to Leo.

At their call, Leo unconsciously looked behind him.

Old Fairy Land.

A ruin preserving the appearance of the past, left untouched and unchanged since the Age of Calamity.

‘Looked lonely, huh.’

Repeating Melina's words, Leo slowly.

He hesitated a little, then headed towards his friends.

‘Maybe that's right.’

Leo's eyes sank.

‘Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I felt this way.’

He had found reliable new comrades.

For anyone else, it would be simply an endlessly joyful thing.

But for Leo, the meaning was a little different.

‘Meeting new comrades… means I've survived alone again.’