Book 1 Chapter 996

996.

Crackle- crackle-

The firewood blazed in the fireplace.

Harsh cold.

An era when the world was ablaze.

Even though it was an era where the flames of disaster were bringing about ruin, winter still existed.

Of course, winter was very short.

But it was more severe than any cold.

Rustle-

Along with the sound of burning firewood, the sound of turning pages could be heard quietly.

Kyle, who was simmering soup in the kitchen, turned his head and glanced at the living room.

The bleak living room.

In front of the fireplace, a small elf girl, Berchia, slept covered in a blanket.

In front of Berchia sat a beautiful elf woman, Luna, in a rocking chair, reading a grimoire.

Berchia, breathing softly in front of the fireplace, shifted.

"Munch. Munch……. You're so kind today……. I can't eat any more……. Master Kyle……."

It seemed she was eating in her dream.

Hearing that, Luna took her gaze off the grimoire and looked at her disciple.

Then, as if Berchia's sleepy murmuring was cute, she giggled softly.

Her gentle demeanor appeared exceptionally benevolent, unlike her usual self.

It felt as if her smile alone created a cozy warmth.

Watching the picturesque scene, which looked like sisters or a mother and daughter, Kyle muttered to himself.

'She really is devilishly pretty when she's like that.'

Though he sometimes forgot because of Luna's personality.

When her mouth is shut, Luna is breathtakingly beautiful.

'The problem is that her demeanor ruins the mood.'

Of course, even with her usual personality, she was beautiful even if her appearance didn't shine.

Luna, gazing at Berchia with soft eyes, met Kyle's gaze.

"What are you looking at? You damn brat. What rude thoughts are you having now?"

"Is that how you speak to the homeowner? If you don't like it, leave."

"Hey! This house doesn't treat guests well at all! You heartless creature!"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who barged in. If you don't like it, leave."

"Can't I joke around? Don't be so serious. Stingy."

Watching Luna grumble, Kyle let out a deep sigh.

"It's just strange that you're from Barharun."

"Why? Are you unhappy because I'm not arrogant like the High Elves from there?"

"No. Compared to them, you're much better."

"Hmph. You're stating the obvious."

Luna scoffed, but her expression brightened as if pleased by Kyle's words.

"Did you go through a lot of hardship?"

Barharun is an educational institution that trains High Elves.

And High Elves were arrogant beings who looked down even on ordinary elves.

Kyle couldn't even imagine how much hardship Luna, an orphan of unknown origin, must have endured there.

Luna also didn't have pleasant memories of that time.

"I went through hardship. I was really twisted back then. But I met good teachers, so I was able to grow up properly like this."

"Is this growing up properly? No, if you were more twisted than you are now, how terrible were you?"

At that, Luna's expression stiffened.

"What about you? What were you like as a child? Were you always so twisted?"

"No. I was quite good-natured as a child."

"Lies. You must have been a child with a terrible temper."

"It would be very different from what you imagine."

"It seems exactly like what I imagine."

Luna grinned and looked at Berchia.

"Seeing her like this, Berchia is really good, unlike us."

"Leave me out."

"I hope she continues to grow up well."

Seeing Luna label her past self as a bad-tempered child, Kyle shook his head.

'Speaking of which, 'twisted'.'

The Luna Kyle knew, while having a bad temper, was far from being twisted.

'I can't imagine it.'

***

'I never knew she was like this.'

Twisted.

Luna didn't tell him anything else about herself at that time.

She literally dismissed her past self as a complete dark history.

Looking at her current appearance, Leo understood why.

Leo sighed softly, watching Luna kneel before him with her hands raised.

Just moments before, she had been very submissive in front of Leo, whom she had called an inferior species.

Her bright, clear eyes seemed to say, 'I have no intention of rebelling.'

Seirun and Lunia were flustered, watching the punished young Luna.

'It's a good thing the seal wasn't broken when I wasn't here.'

If it had been, this young Luna would have become insufferably arrogant.

As Leo looked towards Seirun and Lunia, Luna subtly lowered her hands.

Then, when Leo looked again, she raised her hands stiffly as if nothing had happened.

"Lower your hands."

*Shick-*

At his words, Luna lowered her hands.

And then, with eyes that seemed to say, 'I'm a good listener,' she stared up at Leo's face.

Watching Luna, Leo said,

"This is not Barharun."

"What? Aren't those High Elves over there? You're saying this isn't Barharun?"

Luna looked at Seirun and Lunia with a puzzled expression.

High Elves are like nobles in human terms.

But they have a unique aura.

Elves who are exceptionally beautiful and possess a noble aura even among elves.

High Elves in the Age of Gods usually exuded such an aura.

"They are not High Elves."

"Hmm……."

"And they hate High Elves."

"……."

At Leo's words, doubt began to sprout in Luna's eyes.

A moment later.

Luna asked,

"Then please prove it."

"Hey, Seirun."

"Yes, Master Kyle."

"Say 'High Elf son of a bitch'."

"High Elf son of a bitch."

"Say 'Elf King son of a bitch' too."

"Elf King son of a bitch. Barharun's idiotic school."

"You don't have to go that far."

At Leo's words, Seirun, without a hint of hesitation, insulted the High Elves, the Elf King, and Barharun, which was called the holy land of elves.

Luna's eyes widened at that sight.

During the Age of Gods, merely making such a statement could lead to execution for blasphemy.

Lunia approached Leo with a worried expression and whispered,

"You see, you called her an inferi- … an inferior species. It seems like young Luna was indoctrinated by the ideology of the elves of Barharun… will she be okay?"

Lunia had experienced the High Elves of Barharun.

Knowing how arrogant and self-righteous they were, Lunia worried that young Luna, who seemed indoctrinated by their ideology, might show hostility towards this radical reaction.

"Don't worry. Even though she's young, Luna is still Luna."

At those words, Lunia wore a puzzled expression.

Soon, however, Lunia was able to understand Leo's words.

Luna showed no particular reaction to the insults towards the High Elves and the Elf King.

"Considering Luna's personality, she must have been a rebel from a young age."

The Luna that Leo knew was a supremely talented magician.

An elf born inherently to learn magic.

She wasn't a supremely talented magician simply because she was born with immense magical affinity.

She was a great, genius magician because she was born with a way of thinking that allowed her to objectively observe, question, and research targets.

Luna did not fully accept the prevailing thought in elf society during the Age of Gods that elves were great and superior.

To put it nicely, she was smart, and to put it badly, she was a rebel.

'Well, she was discriminated against, so she probably wouldn't have liked the High Elves much.'

Luna, who entered Barharun based solely on talent.

In the eyes of the High Elves, Luna was an existence that did not fit in with them.

She couldn't assimilate because she was ostracized.

Despite that, the reason Luna called Leo an inferior species just moments ago was simple.

If Luna, an orphan of unknown origin, also possessed a rebellious streak from the High Elves' perspective?

Even for Luna, she wouldn't have survived in Barharun.

Therefore, she pretended to conform.

As for the young Luna that Leo and Lunia had seen, she clearly had a rebellious streak.

Her talent had already begun to blossom, so she no longer needed to hide her rebellious nature in Barharun.

Luna, whose eyes darted around, asked Leo,

"Then where is this place?"

"It's a school."

"A school?"

A question arose on Luna's face.

"Yes."

"Is it similar to Barharun?"

At Luna's question, Seirun, who had been listening nearby, smiled.

"It would be an insult to compare it to that idiotic school."

"This school also had a strong idiotic tendency until just a few years ago?"

"That's because a few damnable elves of later generations carelessly corrupted her teachings."

Seirun's expression turned serious at Leo's point.

"Why am I here?"

"Hmm."

Leo, pondering how to explain, said,

"This is the future."

"What?"

"It's a future thousands of years after the era you lived in."

"……."

Luna blinked her large eyes.

"You accidentally came to this future due to a magical mishap."

Doubt sprouted in Luna's eyes at Leo's words.

Time travel?

It was unbelievable.

However, Luna did not just accept it at face value.

Luna knew very well that she was weak.

She knew better than anyone that she shouldn't speak her mind directly in such a situation.

It was Luna's survival tactic from her childhood, when she had to endure contempt.

Watching Luna, Leo gave a wry smile.

'It's not like Luna.'

It was strange that Luna, who was always confident, was now looking at someone else's reaction, and at the same time, it made him feel uneasy.

'Look, she wants to say 'don't talk nonsense' right now, but she's holding back.'

"You don't believe me?"

At Leo's words, Luna, after a moment of conflict, cautiously nodded.

"Yes. It's impossible for magic to interfere with space and time."

"Didn't one of the elves I know say that magic has no limits?"

"Isn't that just a delusion?"

Magic has no limits.

That was a phrase Luna often used.

But the Luna of this era seemed different.

Looking at her, who seemed somewhat dejected, Leo thought.

'She must have gone through a lot of emotional turmoil.'

While Leo silently looked down at Luna.

Luna had her head bowed low.

Magic has no limits.

Luna also thought that way once.

It was like that when she first encountered magic.

But now, her thoughts had changed.

'Interfering with space and time… If I said that in Barharun, they would laugh at me and call me stupid.'

With such thoughts, she couldn't have survived in Barharun.

Luna's eyes were losing their light, as if there were storm clouds in the night sky.

Leo, watching her with her ears drooping and looking dejected, extended his hand right in front of Luna's nose.

"Huh?"

As Luna showed a flustered expression.

*Flash-*

Light flashed from Leo's hand.

"Oh…?"

A dazed exclamation escaped Luna's lips.

She couldn't understand what magic it was.

Magic that far surpassed Luna's common sense.

However, she could tell that the phenomenon, which was akin to a miracle, was achieved purely through magic.

"You… created a flower…?"

Luna looked up at Leo with disbelief on her face.

Leo handed Luna the flower and said,

"There's even magic like this in the future."

Magic that touched the realm of creation.

'If that's the case, then time travel might not be impossible.'

Leo smiled at Luna, who was receiving the flower with a lost expression.

"Does magic still have limits, even with this?"

Looking at Luna's eyes, which now shone brightly like stars in the clear night sky, Leo thought to himself.

'Yes. This is the look that suits you.'