Book 1 Chapter 995

Leo, having finished his search, fell into thought.

"If a Hero Dungeon appeared… it would be in the farther seas or deep in the abyss."

He couldn't find the Hero Dungeon at the moment.

He could begin a thorough search, but that would take a long time.

Before heading to Seirun.

Leo had come to search in advance in case of unforeseen circumstances, so he couldn't afford to spend more time searching.

"Iliana. Let's go back to Seirun."

At Leo's words, Iliana nodded with downcast eyes.

"Was what that unknown girl said that shocking?"

"She called me an old hag! Where do I look like an old hag! I'm so vibrant!"

"If you're innocent, you don't need to get angry, do you? It was just a provocation, why are you getting so worked up?"

"No! It's not just a matter of that! She really looked at me like an old person!"

Iliana whined to Leo with a tearful face.

"Do I look like a grandmother to you, captain?"

"No. You look like a child."

"That's a problem in its own way."

Iliana pouted and grumbled.

"Anyway, next time I see her, I'm going to wring her neck."

Watching Iliana growl with a fierce voice, Leo looked in the direction where the mysterious girl had disappeared.

'What was her identity?'

Iliana's skills were no longer immature.

While she was still a bit clumsy, she was flawless in battle.

Moreover, if Iliana, who had surpassed the third year and now possessed the fastest speed in Lumern, couldn't catch her, it meant her abilities were extraordinary.

'She is suspicious.'

Leo, curious about her identity, pondered whether to investigate but soon shook his head.

If she had fled, she wouldn't be lingering around this area anymore.

"Anyway, let's go to Seirun for now."

"You're not going to search for the Hero Dungeon anymore?"

"It will take too long if we conduct a full-scale search."

"Hmph. I thought we'd have some quiet time alone together."

Leo chuckled at Iliana's grumbling and conjured magic.

*Wooooong-!*

In an instant, a teleportation magic circle was completed.

*Flash-!*

With a bright light, the two disappeared from the spot.

***

Upon arriving at Seirun's warp gate, Lunia and Eiran were waiting.

"Welcome, you're a bit later than expected?"

"We briefly explored the northwest sea region."

"Did you find the Hero Dungeon?"

"No. It seemed like it would take too long, so we came to Seirun for now."

While Leo and Lunia were talking, Eiran approached.

"Leo-nim. I'll carry your luggage."

"No, it's fine."

Leo smiled.

"Whoa! It's cold! It's cold! Eiran, could you perhaps show me to my room?"

At that moment, Iliana, who had appeared behind Leo, shivered and requested.

"Yes. Iliana-yang. I'll show you to the accommodation where the Lumern students will be staying starting tomorrow."

"Eiran. I'm going to talk with Leo for a bit."

"Yes."

The ice shard containing Seirun and Luna, presumed to be elves, was a secret known only to a select few.

The revelation of their existence before a major event could cause significant chaos.

'Besides, it's not certain yet.'

Leo also hadn't informed Iliana about Luna and Seirun.

As Leo and Lunia headed to the basement where the ice shard was, Iliana was guided by Eiran to their accommodation.

The sun was setting.

As a result, the temperature dropped further.

"Mmm! It's a bit burdensome to use such a large accommodation by myself… Eiran! Can't you let me sleep in your room tonight?"

"Yes? I need to get permission from the teachers… Is that okay?"

"Huh? Will it be uncomfortable for you if I sleep? I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"No, I'm worried it might be uncomfortable for Iliana-yang. And the bed is wide, so it's fine for both of us to sleep together."

"Then I'll be in your debt."

"Hehe. Then let's get permission from the teachers first."

Eiran led Iliana to her room.

As they entered the dormitory building, curious glances were cast upon Iliana.

After getting permission from the dormitory supervisor, Eiran took Iliana to her room.

Upon arriving in the room, Iliana took off her coat.

"Hoo. My clothes are all wet."

Having been caught in a snowstorm, the clothes she had put on with effort were all soaked.

"Iliana-yang, you're dressed up so nicely?"

"Yeah. I thought it was a date with the captain."

Iliana grumbled displeasantly, then her eyes sparkled.

"By the way, Seirun rooms have private bathrooms?"

"Yes. Unlike Lumern, Seirun doesn't have shared bathrooms."

"Wow! There's a bathtub too! Can I take a bath?"

"Of course. Give me your coat and warm yourself up."

Eiran smiled and took Iliana's coat, hanging it on a hanger.

"Huh? This…"

"Why?"

As Iliana, who was filling the bathtub with water, asked with a puzzled look, Eiran said,

"Is this coat Leo-nim's?"

"Yes. It's the captain's."

At those words, Eiran stared intently at the coat, and after confirming Iliana had completely entered the bathroom, she quickly put on the coat.

Then she buried her face in the lining of the coat and perked up her ears.

'Leo-nim's scent.'

"What are you doing?"

"Hiiik?!"

Eiran shrieked and took off the coat.

Iliana, who had emerged from the bathroom, was looking at Eiran with a sinister smile.

"Were you enjoying the captain's scent?"

"N-no! That is to say! This is…!"

Seeing Eiran flapping her hands in embarrassment with a bright red face, Iliana giggled and said,

"Can you lend me some clothes?"

"Yes, yes! I'll lend them to you."

Eiran nodded nervously, hanging Leo's coat.

"Thank you!"

Smiling brightly, Iliana washed herself and soaked in the bathtub, which had filled with water.

"Hoo. Seirun is certainly better in these aspects."

Looking at the luxurious dormitory room in Seirun, Iliana showed an envious expression.

The bathtub they had just entered was incredibly large and luxurious, almost unbelievable for a single room.

"Eiran~ Do you want to come in if you need to wash too?"

"Shall we?"

Eiran also washed up and then soaked in the bathtub.

And she wore a relaxed expression.

Living in such an extreme region, elves greatly enjoyed soaking in warm water.

"This is nice~"

"Right?"

Both of them leisurely enjoyed their bath.

A little later, Eiran asked.

"By the way, was there anything special that happened in the northwest sea?"

"Hmm. We didn't find a Hero Dungeon… Ah! We found someone suspicious."

"Suspicious?"

"Yeah. It was a human girl, not an elf…"

"Huh? Could it have been a girl with white hair and red eyes?"

"Huh?! How do you know that?"

Iliana's eyes widened.

"I saw her too."

"Hmm?! This is even more suspicious!"

Iliana squinted her eyes and stroked her chin.

"I have to tell the captain right away and suggest we go find her."

"Tomorrow is the start of the Ruse Battle, will there be time?"

"Hmm. There isn't much time, but we have to catch her."

"Why?"

"Because that damn brat called me an old hag."

"…"

Eiran gave an awkward smile at Iliana's vengeful words.

"By the way, Iliana-yang."

"Why?"

"Didn't that girl look somewhat familiar?"

"Hmm?"

At Eiran's question, Iliana tilted her head in thought and then nodded.

"She did have a strangely familiar aura about her…"

Stroking her chin, Iliana scratched her head in thought.

"I just can't recall where."

"Hmm. I can't recall anything specific either."

Eiran wore a confused expression.

"Hmph! I don't know! I'll know when I catch her next time."

"Will we be able to see her again?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling we will."

Iliana made a sullen face.

"I feel like we'll be able to meet again soon."

***

*Thump- thump- thump-*

Leo and Lunia arrived deep underground in Seirun.

"Welcome, Leo-student."

And upon arriving underground, Leo encountered a familiar figure.

"Professor Tina."

Tina Tingel, a professor who taught magical engineering at Lumern despite being an elf.

As a descendant of Seirun, her abilities in magical engineering and analysis were immense, which is why Seirun had requested Leo's assistance.

Tina waved her arm from beneath the loose sleeve of her lab coat. Leo walked over to Tina and stood before the ice shard. Then, he looked at Seirun, trapped within the ice.

"It seems to be the real Seirun-nim… To confirm if it's Seirun-nim…"

"You're not going to say you want to dissect it, are you?"

"…What do you think Leo-student thinks of me? No matter how much I like dissections, I wouldn't dissect an ancestor."

"That's a relief."

"I was just going to take a little bit of blood after taking him out of the ice… No, I was going to try and take a lot."

"…"

Hearing that, Lunia was horrified, and Leo sighed.

"Well, it seems impossible since I can't melt the ice."

Tina shrugged and headed towards the basement entrance.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes. There's nothing I can do about this ice right now."

Saying that, Tina tilted her head and looked at Leo.

"Do you think Leo-student can do it?"

"I don't know. I'll have to try."

"Okay. If the ice melts, call me."

After Tina waved goodbye and left the basement, Leo silently gazed at the ice shard.

"It's a seal made with star magic, but I couldn't decipher it."

"Of course. It's original star magic."

"Oh? Original, you say…?"

"It's not star magic that Seirun reinterpreted, but the original spell that Luna and I use."

"So, the one who used this magic was Luna-nim?"

"No. The user is Seirun himself."

The magic unleashed by Seirun, who inherited Luna's mana through the Hero Record.

"Lunia, if you grow a little more, you'll be able to decipher it easily."

Leo added, and Lunia sighed softly.

"So I'm still not good enough."

"You're already doing well, so don't blame yourself too much."

"That was comforting. More importantly, if what you say is true…"

"Yes. This is the real Seirun."

Leo narrowed his eyes and looked at Seirun, who was unconscious in the ice.

"Then the person embraced by Seirun-nim… is Luna-nim?"

"I don't know about that either."

Although the face couldn't be confirmed, the silhouette certainly resembled Luna.

However, Leo wouldn't know until the seal was broken.

As Leo placed his hand on the ice, the ice shard began to glow.

*Wooooong-! Crack-!*

The seal magic, instantly deciphered, began to crack.

Seeing that, Lunia's face brightened.

*Wooooong-! Crack-crack-!*

But at that moment.

A powerful cold air swept through again, and the cracked parts refroze.

"Wh-what is this…"

Lunia was flustered.

At that moment, Leo, staring intently at the ice shard, began to pound on the ice shard with his fist.

*Bang- bang- bang-*

Lunia, with a surprised expression, came to Leo's side and looked into the ice.

"Seirun-nim?"

And she found Seirun, with his eyes open, looking at Leo within the ice.

"You've regained consciousness! But why isn't the seal completely broken?"

"He resealed it himself."

"What?"

"It seems to be because of what he told me when we met at Lumern before."

"What did he say?"

"He said he'd shave off all the hair of that damn pointy-eared bastard next time we meet."

Of course, the target of shaving included Rodia.

*Bang- bang- bang-!*

Leo began to pound on the ice even harder with his fist.

"Come out right now, you damn pointy-eared bastard. I'll shave all your hair."

Watching Leo muttering quietly, Lunia realized anew.

'Ah, he has a bad temper.'

The mage of the comet, looking at his senior with fearful eyes, and the hero of the beginning, shouting at his junior to come out.

Seeing that scene, it was clear that Seirun had done something wrong to Leo.

Watching the scene, Lunia wore a slightly sad expression.

'Seirun-nim is also different from what I imagined.'

Today again, realizing reality, she was growing up.

Lunia sighed bitterly, thinking such thoughts.