Book 1 Chapter 928

928.

Crackle- crackle-

In front of the campfire at the campsite.

Ar, who was bandaging himself here and there, looked at the tent where Elena was sleeping and asked.

"So, the healing magic Elena-ssi cast on me… was magic that took my injuries upon herself?"

"Yes. Sacrifice. It's forbidden magic in elven society."

Lunnia sighed softly.

"H-how many times did you use such dangerous magic on me?"

"Something like that. Please thank Elena-ssi when she wakes up. I'll grant you one thing you want, if possible."

"W-what you want?"

"Yes. Even if it's not a wish, shouldn't I show my sincerity?"

Dryana said, poking the campfire.

At those words, Ar fidgeted with his tail and said.

"Sh-should I allow her to touch my tail?"

"That's all?"

At Lunnia's words, Ar's fur bristled.

"That's all! That's all! My tail is sensitive!"

"Leo always grabs it."

Lunnia, with a puzzled expression, reached out to Ar's tail.

Then Ar's tail slyly avoided Lunnia's touch.

"……"

"……"

Lunnia tried to grab her tail again, but couldn't catch it this time either.

'……It's bothering me, so I just want to grab it.'

Lunnia, feeling a strange charm from Ar's tail, shook her head vigorously.

"By the way, Azonia-nim…"

Dryana said with a surprised face, looking at the campfire.

"It's really herself, right?"

"It must be. This is big trouble."

Lunnia sighed and said.

"It means the Hero Dungeon that's open somewhere in the Azonia Desert right now belongs to the Heroes of the Great Opening."

Neglected Hero Dungeons erode the world.

When the erosion intensifies, things that exist in the hero's world emerge into the real world.

Azonia being here now was one of those erosion phenomena.

"This is a big problem."

It wasn't a situation where one could simply be happy about meeting a legend.

Just then.

Ar, with his arms crossed, fell into deep thought.

"What are you thinking so much about?"

"No. The black rabbit from earlier…"

Ar blinked his blue eyes.

"Azonia-nim… the world of Arion… Nyaaaaaaak?!"

Suddenly, Ar screamed and jumped up.

"What were you talking about so much?"

Ar, with his eyes wide open, turned around with a fierce face.

There was Leo, pulling Ar's tail.

"I said! Don't touch my tail, I said!"

Ar hissed and tried to scratch Leo.

Of course, he struggled with both wrists held by Leo.

Dryana, who had been shaking her head at the sight,'s eyes lit up when she discovered the two people behind Leo.

Lunnia also showed a surprised expression seeing the little one standing next to Azonia.

"Y-you!"

Dryana sprang up from her seat and approached Demian in a trembling voice.

Seeing Dryana like that, Demian said.

'Is this child the successor of Dweno that Kyle-nim mentioned?'

Although she had a small stature and a cute face, her small hands were scorched by fire and covered in hard calluses.

Seeing that, Demian easily deduced that Dryana was a dwarf who was diligently hammering at the forge.

Demian's eyes glowed with a warm light.

In fact, he wasn't a person with a particularly good personality.

He was extremely reluctant to show his appearance to others and disliked becoming close to anyone.

He had his life-long friends, the Heroes of the Great Opening, but he wasn't particularly kind to them either.

Rodia had even jokingly commented that Demian 'lives up to his appearance'.

However, there were those to whom he was kind: the great heroes and their shadows.

Demian smiled gently as he looked at Dryana, who had walked towards him.

"You're Dryana, aren't you?"

"Do you know about me! Then you must know about my fame!"

"Huh?"

Demian looked puzzled at Dryana's reaction.

'Ah, she doesn't know I'm Demian? I suppose it can't be helped, since my face isn't publicly known.'

Demian nodded.

Then he recalled what Leo had said about Dryana.

'He said Dweno-nim might have been reincarnated as a girl. That means she's an outstanding craftsman…'

"Hey! Would you like to be a nude model?"

"……"

For a moment, Demian's thoughts froze.

Azonia, who had been watching Leo and Ar with amusement, looked at Demian and Dryana with a stiff expression.

"There she goes again."

Lunnia clicked her tongue at the sight.

Just then.

"Kyle-nim, Kyle-nim."

Azonia quickly called out to Leo.

"What's wrong? Azonia-nim?"

Ar, who was being held by Leo, looked at Azonia with a puzzled expression.

And seeing Azonia's pale, frightened face, Ar instinctively knew something serious had happened.

The Great Warrior Azonia.

A warrior so great that he was called the reincarnation of the brave Arion, he was a legendary beastkin warrior who re-taught the value of courage to beastkins.

The image of a brave warrior that beastkins today recall is all derived from Azonia.

'Azonia-nim is scared? Something immense must be attacking!'

Thinking so, Ar activated his hyper-senses.

"We have to stop Demian!"

"Huh?"

While Ar had a blank look on his face.

"What? Nude?"

Demian asked in a chilling voice.

"That's right! Your beauty should be passed down to future generations…!"

"Who the hell are you calling a nude model and talking nonsense!"

Leo and Azonia stopped Demian before he could pounce on Dryana.

As expected of a legendary dwarf, Demian's strength was beyond imagination, but what was holding him were legends of equal standing and even greater ones.

In the end, Demian, who was subdued, was pinned to the ground.

"Hey, hey, calm down! She said it by mistake, so let it go!"

Azonia calmed Demian down.

"If you dislike being asked to be a nude model so much, how about semi-nude…?"

"Kuaaaaak!"

At Dryana's subsequent words, veins bulged on Demian's forehead again.

Watching that, Leo understood why Demian was acting like this.

'That damned old man. What the hell did he do to this kid?'

"Ar, Lunnia. Take Dryana somewhere out of sight."

Only after the three of them disappeared did Demian finally calm down.

Just then, Eiran, whose wounds were treated by Melina, approached.

Looking at the messy surroundings, Eiran, who was frightened, asked.

"W-what happened?"

"Many things."

***

Dawn, after Lunnia's treatment was finished.

In Leo's tent, besides Leo, there were three other people.

Demian, Azonia, and Melina.

"I apologize for my shameful behavior, Kyle-nim."

"It's okay. Judging by your reaction, Dweno, that damn fellow, must be the culprit."

Leo clicked his tongue.

Demian covered his face, watching Leo like that.

Azonia said, looking at Demian like that.

"Thank you for understanding. Demian hasn't liked his appearance since he was young."

Azonia sighed softly.

"Being beautiful to a certain extent is an advantage, but excessive beauty brings more disadvantages than advantages."

Leo nodded at Azonia's words.

"I understand."

Once one has acquired a certain level of power and status, appearance might not be power, but before that, excessive appearance is often more of a hindrance.

Just then, Melina, who was listening to the story, asked.

"But since you were young? Have you two known each other since childhood?"

"Yes. Both Demian and I were born in this Azonia Desert. In short, we're childhood friends."

"Childhood friends? Get lost!"

"You're being so prickly."

Demian irritably pushed away Azonia, who had put an arm around him and was grinning.

Watching that, Leo asked.

"By the way, Demian, why is your appearance different from what's known?"

The Hero Records of the Heroes of the Great Opening are almost lost, so their real appearance cannot be confirmed, but portraits and statues of the Heroes of the Great Opening remain all over the world.

And the appearance of Demian that is known is that of a typical 'dwarf'.

An appearance that anyone would think is the successor of Dweno.

However, Demian's actual face was so beautiful that it was hard to believe he was a dwarf.

Even Leo had only seen three people in his entire life, past and present, whose appearance could compare to Demian's.

Demian gave a bitter smile at Leo's question.

"Did you disguise yourself?"

It was Azonia who answered Leo's question.

"No. I've never disguised myself."

Shaking his head, Azonia glanced at Demian and asked.

"Do you want to tell me? Or should I tell you?"

Demian let out a deep sigh at the question and said.

"The person known to the world as me… is my shadow."

"Shadow?"

"Yes. To be precise, I should have been his shadow, but…"

Demian gave a wry smile.

"I became a hero, and he became my shadow."

Melina's eyes widened at the unexpected story.

"I had an appearance unbecoming of Dweno-nim's successor. So, when I was active publicly, I put my shadow forward."

"Even if you dislike your own appearance, was there a need for that?"

"The reason I put a substitute forward wasn't just because of my appearance. There was another reason."

"What is it?"

Demian took a deep breath at Leo's question and said.

"It's embarrassing to say… but I have absolutely no talent as a blacksmith."

"What?"

"Pfft. This guy. His talent as a blacksmith is at a desperate level."

Azonia, trying to stifle his laughter, patted Demian's head and chuckled.

Demian punched Azonia in the side.

"Gaaah?!"

Ignoring Azonia, who had fallen to the floor, Demian said.

"Dweno-nim was not just a hero. He was also a blacksmith responsible for the equipment of his party members. That's why I, with my poor blacksmithing ability, couldn't claim to be Dweno-nim's successor publicly. Fortunately, my shadow was an excellent blacksmith. So, I put him forward."

"It wasn't bad, though. Just a little lacking."

Azonia said "Ucha-" and got up from the floor.

Leo stroked his chin at the fact he had never known.

Then Leo's gaze turned to Azonia.

"Why didn't you conquer Arion's world?"

At Leo's words, Arion pouted his lips.

"Because I didn't particularly need to conquer it."

"Why?"

"Because even without conquering it, I could use the skills of that coward… no, Arion-nim."

At Azonia's words, Demian curled his lips upwards.

"Even though you were jealous of Arion."

"Shut up!"

Azonia glared at Demian.

"Did you learn Arion's skills directly from Arion?"

"No."

Azonia had a slightly sullen expression.

"It's impossible for that person to teach anything properly."

"That's true. Then who did you learn from?"

Leo, understanding Azonia's words, asked again.

"I learned from my master."

"Master?"

"Yes."

Azonia took a deep breath.

"My master is the Guardian of the Azure Sky… Agon-nim."