Book 1 Chapter 930
930.
“So you don't know much about the entrance to the Hero Dungeon either, do you?”
“Yes. When I came to my senses, I was in the outside world. I didn't even realize it was external until I met the students.”
Damian answered Leo's question politely.
To that, Leo asked.
“Did the Hero Dungeons open separately?”
“No. Only one Hero Dungeon opened.”
“I understand that, other than the world's master, it's an illusion created by the world of heroes?”
“Yes. Usually, that's the case. But occasionally, the stories of two heroes are recorded on one page. In such cases, there are two masters of the world. Azonia and I are such a case.”
At his words, Leo made a surprised expression.
“Such a case exists?”
“It happens when the heroes have a deep connection! For example, if they're lovers!”
Azonia smiled brightly, then suddenly hugged Damian from behind and lifted him up.
Thereupon, Damian's face hardened, and he swung his left elbow, striking Azonia's temple.
Crack-!
“Gurgle?!”
Azonia made a strange sound and collapsed.
Damian snorted and brushed off his clothes.
At that cold reaction, Leo tilted his head.
“I thought their relationship was strange, but was it *that* kind of relationship?”
“What? Lord Leo noticed the subtle feelings of a man-woman relationship at once?”
Melina covered her mouth with both hands.
As Leo's gaze fell on her, Melina quickly hid behind Elsie.
At that moment, Damian spoke.
“We're just friends from childhood. As friends and comrades, we can entrust our lives to each other, but we are not lovers.”
“That's too much. We even shared a bed…”
Thwack-!
“Gurgle?!”
Thud-!
Damian didn't hesitate and twisted Azonia's jaw with his fist.
Seeing Azonia fall, foaming at the mouth, Melina asked with a serious face.
“Is it okay to hit her like that?”
“Don't worry. She's as tough as I am, so she'll wake up soon.”
Watching Damian answer coldly, Leo chuckled.
“Why? You two suit each other quite well.”
“Thank you for the words, but I have no intention of taking a woman with a promiscuous past as my partner.”
“Promiscuous?”
“Because Azonia is strong and beautiful.”
Damian sighed.
“Since she showed the qualities of a great warrior from a young age, many suitors sought her. As a great chieftain who had many beast-kin tribes under her command, she also needed political successors. Of course, she was sealed with the Erebos Shard before having children.”
In beast-kin society at the time, it was not a big problem for a great leader to have countless excellent partners for a superior successor.
This was because, even if many children were born, power would ultimately be passed on to the most outstanding one.
For that reason, beast-kin chieftains had countless lovers.
“Did Azonia also have many men?”
“Yes.”
“You dislike her because of her colorful romantic history?”
“It's not that I particularly dislike her.”
Having many children was the culture of the beast-kin race at the time.
“But I only want one partner. And Azonia is impulsive. Crucially…”
“Crucially?”
“I thought Azonia needed a pure-blooded beast-kin successor.”
“I don't really care if they're mixed-blood!”
Azonia, who had jumped up from her seat, smiled brightly and hugged Damian tightly.
“If you don't want me to meet other men, just say so! I'll only look at you for the rest of my life!”
“Hmph.”
Damian let out a cold laugh.
And this time, he twisted Azonia's jaw with his elbow.
Thud!
“There's no way you can quit alcohol, gambling, and men.”
Leo, who was watching Damian with his cold smile, glanced at Azonia.
‘Considering she met many men, her reaction was rather innocent?’
Leo, who had erased the momentary question that arose, spoke.
“Melina.”
“Yes.”
“First, keep looking for the entrance to the Hero Dungeon.”
“Yes.”
Melina, who had answered politely, bowed to Damian and Azonia, then left to search for the Hero Dungeon.
Azonia opened her mouth a few times, touched her jaw this way and that, then got up from her seat.
“Follow me.”
Leo exited the tent.
A moment later.
Arr and Driana, who were sitting by the bonfire with Lunia and Eiran, looked at Azonia and Damian approaching with Leo, their eyes sparkling.
“As you may know, I'll introduce them. This is the Great Warrior Azonia and the Indomitable Damian.”
Clap clap clap clap clap-
At Leo's introduction, Arr and Driana clapped enthusiastically.
Caught up in the momentum, Lunia and Eiran also clapped inadvertently.
Azonia, who had been smiling brightly just moments ago, had returned to a poker face as if nothing had happened.
Conversely, Damian's face, which had been exuding a cold aura, relaxed slightly.
“Driana.”
“Why do you call?”
“From today, you are forbidden from talking about models.”
“Whoa?!”
Driana flinched at Leo's words.
Then she clenched her fists tightly and said decisively.
“Ye-yes, art does not succumb to oppression!”
At her words, Leo smiled.
Seeing that smile, Driana recoiled.
“Ah, I won't do it.”
Driana's original way of speaking came out, not the Dweno-style speech she usually used consciously.
She felt such strong pressure from Leo's smile.
Leo, having suppressed Driana's small rebellion, introduced the four to Azonia and Damian.
“This elf here is Lunia El Runda. She has the epithet [The Pursuer of Nebulae].”
“It's an honor to meet you, I'm Lunia.”
“This cat beast-kin is Arr Tune. Her epithet is [The Inheritor of the Hero's Will].”
“I'm Arr Tune!”
“The dwarf is Driana. She doesn't have an epithet yet, but she's Dweno's successor.”
“I'm Driana.”
“This elf is Eiran Ersar. She's a descendant of Berkia, my disciple.”
After Leo finished the introductions, Azonia asked Driana.
“Has Damian's junior not yet made it into the Hero Record?”
“Yes. I am not good enough, so I haven't become a hero yet.”
“Oh?”
Azonia curled the corner of her lips and looked down at Damian.
She felt inexplicably good at the thought that Arr, her junior, had surpassed him.
Of course, Damian didn't seem to care at all.
“By the way, Lord Damian, your appearance is different from what we know?”
At that moment, Eiran asked cautiously.
To that, Damian said indifferently.
“The appearance known to the public is that of my shadow.”
“Ah, in that case, unless one sees the Hero Record, one wouldn't know your real face, would they?”
“No, my true appearance wasn't recorded in the Hero Record either.”
“What?”
“I made a deal with the manager of the Hero Record.”
“…”
At those words, Leo recalled the Damian that Lian had manifested earlier.
‘Now that I think about it, he was in the form of a portrait even then.’
Although he felt curious about Damian, who had handed his achievements to his shadow, Leo didn't press for the reason.
“As you might have expected, a Hero Dungeon has opened somewhere in the Ajo Desert, and Melina is currently looking for the entrance.”
“Is the situation serious?”
When Lunia asked worriedly, Leo said.
“First of all, there were no signs… So it probably isn't urgent right now.”
If Erebos's shard had been about to cross over, there would have been signs.
“Still, once it's known that the heroes of the beginning are out in reality, there will be great chaos. Keep this a secret. I'll tell Sia and Elena separately.”
At his words, the four nodded.
“And this is also an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“Yes. Besides me, you've gained teachers who can teach you about great heroes, haven't you?”
At those words, Arr and Driana looked at the founders of the school they attended.
“Azonia, Damian. Teach these kids what you know.”
“Understood, Lord Leo.”
Damian nodded immediately.
“Please take good care of us, Lord Damian.”
Driana smiled shyly.
Azonia folded her arms and looked at Arr, who had come before her.
Watching that scene, Lunia felt a strange sensation.
‘Eiran said Lord Azonia was a dog beast-kin, didn't she?’
A beast-kin race that is now extinct.
Similar to wolf beast-kin, yet subtly different.
‘So that's why she said she disliked cat beast-kin.’
Because dogs and cats don't get along.
Just as there are beast-kin races that dislike each other, Azonia's words made sense.
‘But… that's the complete opposite.’
Arr's eyes sparkled, and her tail wagged vigorously like a puppy's.
‘Anyone looking would think that one was a puppy.’
Conversely, Azonia had an indifferent expression, and her tail was even twitching slowly and nervously.
It was the behavior of a cat when it was displeased.
A reaction that made it seem as if their species had been swapped.
“I'm Arr Tune! Lord Azonia! I admire you!”
“Hm. Okay.”
Azonia picked up a nearby branch and flung it far away!
“Want to fetch it?”
“Yes!”
Arr quickly ran off.
“Does she really think she's a dog?”
Lunia wore an exasperated expression.
But at the same time, she was envious.
Because learning from the heroes of the beginning was an enviable thing, no matter what.
At that moment, Leo spoke.
“Lunia, Eiran. You two learn from Azonia too.”
“Huh? Us too?”
“Is that allowed?”
“Of course.”
It was Azonia who answered instead.
Seeing Azonia smile faintly, Leo said.
“Eiran will have a lot to learn from Azonia about extrasensory perception. Lunia will be able to learn about summoning magic.”
“Summoning magic?”
As Lunia made a puzzled expression, Leo glanced at Azonia.
“Yes. In spirit magic, Azonia far surpasses Seirun.”
At those words, Lunia made a startled expression.
It was well-known that the Great Warrior also mastered spirit magic, but the fact that she surpassed Seirun was not known.
But Leo would not lie.
“Um, Lord Leo. But how will the exam supervision be handled?”
At that moment, Eiran asked cautiously.
To that, Leo said.
“Of course we have to. The learning will take place at Leisar.”
At Leo's words, Azonia's eyes sparkled.
“What will the students of our future school be like? Damian, aren't you curious too?”
“Not really.”
Damian answered curtly.
Just then.
“Lord Azonia! I brought it!”
Arr brought the branch Azonia had thrown, holding it up high.
To that, Azonia took the branch and threw it again.
“Fetch it again.”
Whoosh-!
“It's stamina training!”
Arr smiled positively and ran off again.
“…Surely all our kids aren't as foolish as her, are they?”
When Azonia asked with a serious face, Eiran shook her head.
“They are very brave and excellent individuals.”
“Really? That's a relief.”
Azonia smiled faintly.
Lunia covered her face and mumbled as she watched Arr, who had gone to pick up the branch.
“That foolish cat…”
Then she approached Leo and whispered.
“Leo, will it be alright? Lord Azonia… seems to be very displeased with Arr?”
“Really? To me, she seems quite fond of her?”
“What?”
“Rather, that side is more concerning.”
Leo glanced at Damian and Driana.
Driana was enthusiastically asking Damian questions, and Damian was answering with a smile.
‘There doesn't seem to be a big problem?’
Lunia tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
***
Whoosh-
A dry wind blew.
A gray, ash-colored sky.
In the middle of ruins with small graves, a haggard middle-aged wolf beast-kin was drinking alcohol.
Gulp gulp-
The man, who had been guzzling alcohol from the bottle, looked up at the sky with murky eyes.
“The world will soon perish, I suppose.”
A desperate situation.
But no anxiety could be seen on his face.
Instead, only cynical laughter filled it.
“This kind of world, it might as well just perish.”