Book 1 Chapter 878
878.
An inn room in Guardsron.
Leo silently looked at the scenery outside the window.
The streets were full of drunks.
‘Drink, drink, eat and throw up. What a mess.’
Leo shook his head.
The entire city was half a mess.
But there were no problems.
As if they couldn't control their emotions if they didn't drink.
Because hope was blooming amidst the joy.
It was as if a bright future was blessing the people living in Guardsron.
‘This must have been the scenery I hoped for.’
It was a scenery Leo had never seen.
Because they couldn't fully enjoy the joy of the world being saved.
“Ugh…”
Carl, who had been sleeping in bed, sat up, let out a sleepy groan, and then spotted Leo sitting by the window.
“What? Didn't you sleep?”
Yawwwn- Carl yawned widely, scratched his belly, and approached the window.
He looked outside and clicked his tongue.
“Seriously, it’s no joke. They don’t seem to be thinking of stopping, do they?”
Carl watched the people of various races enjoying the festival without rest, then nodded as if he understood.
“Well, I guess I can understand why they’re like that. But Leo.”
“Why?”
“Did you really not know that Lord Arion and that Lisa person were lovers?”
“I didn’t.”
“Huh? Still, wasn't there that unique subtle atmosphere?”
Carl tilted his head.
“What about the other Great Heroes?”
“They probably didn’t know either? If they had, they would have meddled somehow, even while teasing them.”
Especially in Luna’s case, she would have made a fuss and cheered on Arion.
Carl clasped his hands behind his head and nodded at Leo’s words.
“Lord Lisinas and Lord Dweno seemed unusually perceptive… Lord Arion must have hidden it well.”
As Carl admired, Leo said.
“It’s probably because, except for Lisinas and Luna, they all look the same in front of women.”
“What did they look like?”
“Very shy personalities.”
“Oh, somehow I can imagine that.”
Carl nodded.
Then he smiled bitterly.
“That Lisa person must have been very sad.”
In the end, Arion could not return.
“But to not be recorded in history at all… that’s incredibly regrettable. Or was it known but forgotten by later generations?”
“Lisa must have kept the fact that she was Arion’s lover buried in her heart her whole life.”
Not only Shilrod but even Berkia and Bihar did not know about Arion and Lisa’s relationship.
Arion and Lisa’s relationship remained an eternal secret, except for the two of them and a few close individuals.
Leo understood Lisa’s feelings.
Now, excited by the fact that the world had been saved, he might have spoken about it…
‘Because Arion himself said he would tell it, not anyone else.’
Given Arion’s personality, that was an act that required immense courage.
Lisa remained silent out of respect for such an Arion.
Carl scratched his head at Leo’s words.
“Are there many former Arhi members here?”
“There are a few.”
“Don’t you feel like meeting them?”
“…”
Leo remained silent at Carl’s cautious question.
Then he spoke.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t that close with the other Arhi members, except for the Great Heroes.”
“Why?”
Considering Leo's current display of responsibility towards his companions, it was an incomprehensible statement.
“There was a superstition.”
“Superstition?”
Carl tilted his head.
Leo chuckled, looking at Carl.
“Yeah. That anyone who joined my party would die.”
“What?”
“That’s why I was called the surviving hero.”
Carl fell silent at Leo’s words, then spoke.
“You must have had a very hard time, after all.”
“It was hard.”
Leo chuckled.
His calm demeanor was a consideration for Carl.
Knowing this, Carl cheerfully changed the subject.
“By the way, why is this pub completely empty? Outside, it’s a festive atmosphere.”
Carl tilted his head.
“Even the elf owner here isn’t thinking of taking customers, just wiping cups.”
Even with many drunks outside, they weren't entering this particular pub.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s no alcohol.”
It’s strange, considering people are clamoring for alcohol outside.
Leo spoke calmly at Carl’s words.
“No one would drink here.”
“Why?”
“This was our regular spot.”
“Oh?”
“Whenever the Great Heroes returned, they would throw a party here. So, the people of Guardsron don’t come to this pub until the Great Heroes arrive.”
“…”
Carl made an embarrassed expression at Leo’s words.
‘Wow, why do I feel like I'm stepping on landmines today?’
“Hmm. Suddenly I feel like a drink.”
Having said that, Carl got down from the window.
“Let’s have a drink.”
“Huh?”
Carl looked bewildered.
“Really?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
“No. It’s the first time you’ve ever suggested we drink.”
“Because you’re still a kid.”
Leo chuckled.
“But now your body is an adult, right?”
Carl scratched his head at Leo’s words.
“You’re a kid, though. No, more importantly, it’s the Great Heroes’ regular pub, so will the owner even sell us alcohol?”
“He probably will?”
Leo smiled broadly and opened the inn room door.
Carl followed him out.
As they were about to go down the stairs to the first floor, Chelsea and Chen Xia’s doors opened.
“Where are you two going?”
Carl made a drinking gesture with his hand, seeing Chelsea peering out.
“Leo suggested we have a drink?”
“What? Me too! I’ll get ready and come out right away. Go downstairs!”
Chelsea’s eyes widened, and she closed the door.
“Alcohol?”
At that sound, Mel’s door and the door where Lil and Eliza were staying also opened.
“Those who are interested, come down.”
Leaving those words, Leo went down to the first floor.
Even in the late hours of the morning, the elf owner was silently wiping glasses with a cloth.
“What is it?”
As the elf owner asked with an expressionless face, Leo shrugged and said.
“I thought we’d have a drink.”
At his words, the elf owner gestured towards a table with his chin.
At his unchanging demeanor, Leo burst into laughter and instinctively sat at a table.
Seeing this, the elf owner paused.
Carl, sitting opposite Leo, said in surprise.
“Wow, I thought he might not sell it to us. Saying it was alcohol reserved for the Great Heroes.”
“He’s probably not in a good mood about it, though? Because he has no customers because of it.”
“You know well.”
The elf owner chuckled and placed some light snacks on the table.
“The surviving hero and the foolish one. Those damned plague gods came and went from my shop, and my customers dropped dramatically. And I can’t sell alcohol even on a joyful day like this.”
Leo spoke to the slightly grumbling owner.
“Seven drinks.”
At his words, the owner went to get the alcohol.
“Whoa. This is completely…”
Carl’s jaw dropped as he looked at the table.
The wooden table was full of graffiti carved with a knife.
“There’s a lot of insults about you, isn’t there?”
As Carl whispered, Leo chuckled.
“Luna wrote that.”
“Ah.”
Carl nodded.
“By the way… why did we suddenly come from the future to the past?”
Leo spoke calmly, looking at Carl who had a questioning expression.
“This might be Shilrod’s illusion.”
“What?”
Carl looked bewildered.
“You said Berkia and Bihar were looking for Shilrod earlier, right?”
Leo sighed softly, remembering his disciples.
“There’s no reason for Shilrod to disappear from them right after the Age of Calamity ended.”
“That means…”
“It means it’s not Shilrod from the current era.”
“No, still, can a magic caster be affected by their own magic?”
“Shilrod cast this magic, but the magic itself is going berserk. Erebus is exerting influence over Shilrod’s magic.”
“That means…”
“It means we have to find Shilrod within this illusion.”
“Do you have any idea where to look?”
“…Well.”
Just as Leo closed his eyes.
“We’re here!”
“You’ve already found seats?”
The group rushed down from the second-floor entrance.
Every single person from the group gathered and sat around the table.
“Wow, look at this.”
“There are so many insults about Kyle. Who wrote them?”
Carl looked smugly at the bewildered group.
“Luna wrote those, apparently.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“This pub is supposedly the Great Heroes’ regular spot? That’s why there are no customers.”
“Really? Wow! Wow!”
Chelsea looked around with a surprised expression.
Leo rested his chin on his hand, watching the noisy group.
Just then, the owner came out with seven glasses and placed them on the table.
Clang-!
“This isn’t just those drunkards’ regular spot.”
The elf owner smiled broadly as he handed out large mugs to the seven people.
“It’s also the place where Lisinas and Kyle founded the Arhi party.”
“Huh?”
“Wow… it’s such a historic place?”
“Are you outsiders? You don’t know what everyone else knows.”
As the elf owner made a curious expression, everyone looked startled.
“Because we took on a lot of external missions.”
“Hmph… you must have gone through a lot of hardship.”
The elf owner gave a grateful smile.
“Then this is on the house.”
“On the house?”
Leo looked suspicious.
“Did you put poison in it?”
The owner said, looking at Leo.
“I’ve felt it since earlier, this kid is unpleasantly similar to that damned Kyle fellow.”
The owner grumbled and placed a glass in front of Leo.
Leo made a face.
“What is this?”
“It’s milk. What kind of alcohol would a kid drink?”
After saying that, the owner returned to the kitchen to prepare snacks.
“Hahahahahahaha!”
Carl held his stomach and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Eliza crossed her legs and rested her chin, with her characteristic condescending gaze.
“Indeed, you are a child right now.”
Chelsea, Chen Xia, Lil, and Melina showed similar reactions.
“I have no one on my side.”
“You should have behaved well normally. You always treat us like children, don’t you?”
Leo sighed at Eliza’s remark.
“Yes, yes. It’s all my karma.”
Saying that, Leo took Carl’s glass and drank from it.
“Ah! Brother! You shouldn’t put alcohol to your lips in a child’s body!”
Lil made a fuss, but Leo ignored her and drank the alcohol.
‘…The taste of memories.’
It was when Leo felt a bitter memory from the taste of the beer the owner brewed himself.
Clang- Splash-!
The glass fell to the floor, and its contents spilled.
“…”
Leo silently looked down at his tiny palm.
The other group members looked down at Leo, their mouths agape.
“What happened.”
Leo’s mouth uttered the inaccurate pronunciation peculiar to a newborn baby.
The elf, who was bringing snacks, said with a serious face.
“Just in case… I don’t put poison in the alcohol. I swear.”