Book 1 Chapter 999
999.
Plaza of Stars.
This was a room located at the highest point of Seirun, a place used for important meetings.
And currently, two elves were using this place.
One of them was Seirun, the person who created this place and the founder of the school.
Seirun stroked her chin as she looked at the magic circle Lunia had cast.
“H-How is it?”
Lunia asked cautiously.
Seirun glanced at Lunia, who was clearly nervous, and said.
“It’s incredible.”
“Huh?”
“How should I put it? It feels like the culmination of modern magic.”
This morning.
Seirun had read books about modern magic in the library.
Seirun’s speed-reading was so fast that even Lunia was astonished.
Seirun quickly caught up with modern magic theory, instantly devouring several contemporary magic theses.
Seeing that, Lunia could understand why Seirun was Luna’s successor.
Mages, surprisingly, do not easily accept new things.
But Seirun had bridged a gap of thousands of years in an instant.
Her appearance was like seeing Luna herself.
Just as Lunia realized how much of a genius Seirun was.
“You’re a genius.”
Seirun admired Lunia, looking at her.
The basic framework of Lunia’s magic formula was the Star Magic systematized by Seirun.
However, the magic theories left by Seirun were merely foundational work.
The magic Lunia built upon that was very similar to Luna’s magic, which Seirun had aimed for.
‘Lady Luna.’
The direction Seirun had aimed for.
Moreover, it wasn't simply an imitation of Luna.
Even Luna’s magic was merely a process for Lunia.
Seirun, seeing the essence of the magic Lunia had built, knew.
That Lunia was forging her own path.
“It seems your goal is the sun.”
If Luna’s goal was the countless brightly shining stars in the night sky.
Conversely, what Lunia pursued was the sun.
It was a flame that drove away the darkness of the world and burned endlessly.
“Is your goal… a flame that can stand against the Flame of Calamity?”
“Yes.”
Lunia nodded.
“As you know, Lady Seirun, Leo is the only one with the power to defeat Erebus right now.”
The only natural enemy of the primordial evil with the power of purity.
What that meant was one thing.
“Leo was inevitably destined to carry countless burdens in the fight against Erebus.”
During the Age of Calamity.
The reason Luna ultimately sacrificed herself to save Kyle on her last journey.
Kyle was precious to her more than her own life, but before that, it was also because Kyle was the only existence who could defeat Erebus.
“Whether Leo wants it or not, it’s inevitable that he’ll be left alone.”
“That’s right… We, too, ultimately couldn’t subjugate Erebus because we didn’t have the power of purity.”
Seirun gave a bitter smile.
It was true that the heroes of creation saved the world against Erebus.
But they failed to subjugate him.
Lunia spoke after listening to Seirun.
“I hope Leo no longer has to carry so much alone.”
Lunia gazed at the essence of the magic she had constructed, spread out in the air.
White Flame.
A flame Luna had created, but which could not bloom from Luna's hands.
That pure white ember was inherited by Lunia through Leo.
This magic was Luna’s heart itself, not wanting Kyle to bear everything alone.
‘Me too. I don’t want Leo to bear everything.’
That’s why she was developing this incomplete magic into a complete one.
‘My goal isn’t simply to defeat Erebus. It’s to lose no one.’
What Leo desired was to lose no one anymore.
Lunia wanted to fulfill Leo’s wish.
Therefore, she wanted to become the natural enemy of the black flame herself.
She wanted to be like the sun that brightly illuminated the world even after the primordial evil disappeared.
‘I want to live a new era with Leo.’
Lunia’s magic was for that purpose.
Seirun smiled faintly, looking at Lunia, who exuded firm resolve.
“That’s a wonderful conviction.”
“Huh?”
“People who can believe in themselves and move forward can shine on their own. Like stars and the sun.”
“You’re like that too, Lady Seirun.”
“No. I can’t shine on my own.”
Seirun’s eyes clouded over.
“What’s our school motto?”
“Believe in yourself.”
“Right. But I couldn’t believe in myself.”
“Huh?”
“Lunia, what is magic to you?”
“…”
At Seirun’s question, Lunia fell into thought.
Magic.
To define it is infinitely complex.
Perhaps each mage would have a different answer depending on their perspective.
After a moment of contemplation, Lunia spoke what she thought.
“I think it’s a torch that illuminates the path I’m going to take.”
For Lunia, magic was a tool to find the path she wanted to go.
In that respect, Lunia’s view of magic was completely different from Luna’s.
For Luna, magic was possibility.
It was a vast world that satisfied her infinite curiosity.
Seirun gave a bitter smile at Lunia’s answer.
“Magic is a means to help you achieve what you want, right? In that respect, you’re similar to me.”
Seirun looked at Lunia’s magic.
“Of course, your dream is incomparably bigger than mine.”
“Huh?”
“You see. I wanted to be like Lady Luna.”
“Well, all elves…”
“That’s different.”
“…”
“I just wanted to become Lady Luna herself.”
Seirun looked down at her hand indifferently.
“Fortunately, I had a talent for magic and was called Luna’s second coming. I conquered Luna’s world several times… When I started being called the second Lady Luna, I felt smug.”
Seirun closed her eyes, recalling the past.
For her, magic was a means to become like Luna.
“So when I got the chance to subjugate Erebus, which Lady Luna ultimately failed to achieve… Honestly, I was happy. I thought it was an opportunity to fulfill Lady Luna’s wish on her behalf.”
But after facing Erebus, Seirun realized.
She, who had believed without a doubt that she shone brightly, was an existence that could not shine on her own.
“I couldn’t come up with any way to defeat Erebus.”
“Well. You can’t confront Erebus without the power of purity…”
“Did Lady Luna think so too?”
Lunia, who had been speaking cautiously, could only fall silent at Seirun’s words.
Luna had found a way to defeat Erebus even without the power of purity, and Lunia was walking that path.
“My dream… my ideal… my light was merely borrowed from Lady Luna. And that was my limit.”
“…”
“When Lumern suggested sealing Erebus in the heroes’ world. I agreed without hesitation.”
Seirun gave a self-deprecating smile.
“I couldn’t trust myself, let alone my comrades.”
When blocked by a huge wall, finding a way is the mage’s job, not anyone else’s.
Luna would have tried her best to find a way.
She would have left the sealing as a last resort and somehow tried to find a way to solve it herself.
But Seirun gave up on finding a way.
“It’s a relief that Lady Luna’s successor is an elf like you, not an elf like me.”
“That’s not true.”
Lunia said firmly.
“I’m the same as Lady Seirun. I am who I am because I received so much from Leo. In fact, it’s worse than Lady Seirun. If it weren’t for Leo, I’d just be dimwit elf number one, wouldn’t I?”
“Considering your rebellious streak, I don’t think so.”
“Oh, anyway! Lady Luna was the same! She could shine so brightly because she received so much from others! Besides!”
“Huh?”
“What’s wrong with shining with the help of others? The important thing is that you can shine, isn’t it?”
The moon in the night sky cannot shine on its own.
But no one denies that the moon shines.
“You’re saying it’s a relief that Lady Luna’s successor is like me, not like Lady Seirun? Lady Luna didn’t say that! She saw the magic Lady Seirun created and said it was a relief that Lady Seirun was her successor!”
Luna said.
Seirun’s reinterpreted Star Magic was certainly magic she had created, but it was completely different magic.
She rejoiced, saying it was magnificent magic, on the same level as creating something from nothing.
“How happy Lady Luna was when she saw Lady Seirun’s magic!”
“…”
Seirun’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Yes! So please don’t disparage yourself so much, Lady Seirun. Besides, Lady Seirun believed in herself.”
“What?”
“You left everything you had to this school because you believed that an elf capable of defeating Erebus would be born someday. That’s proof that Lady Seirun believed in herself.”
At Lunia’s words, Seirun felt her heart stir.
“Thank you, Lunia.”
Seirun said, smiling faintly.
“By the way, Lady Luna recognized me as her successor? When?”
“Lady Luna once appeared in this era as a spirit.”
Lunia smiled shyly.
“She even gave me the alias ‘Pursuer of the Nebula.’ It’s an undeserved title, so it’s still a bit daunting.”
“Your alias is Pursuer of the Nebula?”
“Yes.”
“And Lady Luna gave it to you?”
“Yes.”
“This… this… EEEIIIIKKK!”
“L-Lady Seirun?”
“You envious fellow!”
“Huh?”
Lunia looked bewildered, seeing Seirun suddenly change.
“Lady Luna herself gave you that alias, huh? Are you bragging right now?!”
“O-Oh, no. It’s not bragging, but…”
“How was it?!”
“Huh?!”
“What was Lady Luna’s reaction when she saw the modern magic system?!”
“She… she created a bunch of new unique magics for me?”
“Lady Luna even created magic herself? Who are they! Those envious brats!”
Seirun, blinded by jealousy, grabbed Lunia and shook her wildly.
Seeing that, Lunia realized.
Just like Ar and Driana, her own lessons with Seirun would not be smooth either.