Chapter 445

445.

Leo was sitting atop the roof of the hotel, gazing up at the night sky.

The stars filling the night sky seemed to shine brighter than usual today.

After silently admiring the stars, Leo lowered his head.

In the hotel garden, Chelsea was sitting alone, deep in thought.

That was when –

“Hahk! Hahk!”

Ar suddenly appeared beside him, panting heavily.

“Were you being chased by Aron?”

“It was terrifying!”

Upon Leo’s question, Ar trembled all over.

“Will you keep shaking every time Ar’s eyes start glowing?”

“B-but… it was far more terrifying than anything I’ve ever experienced before!”

“Hmm… Did you by any chance tell Ar that you consider him as your successor?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, then, it’s no wonder they threw a fit.”

Leo clicked his tongue, having anticipated Ar’s reaction.

Looking at Leo, Ar, who was making a wretched face, noticed Chelsea lost in thought in the garden.

“Oh, it’s Chelsea.”

Smiling brightly, Ar, who was perched on the rooftop, spoke.

“Leo, something seems off about Chelsea…”

“She might have noticed something, you mean?”

“I see… you already knew, huh.”

“Yeah, it’s been strange since this afternoon.”

Recalling Chelsea’s behavior from earlier that day, Leo spoke.

“I might have been too forward with her.”

“Maybe you should be more careful?”

As Ar scratched his cheek, Leo replied with an unenthusiastic expression.

“Even if you’re careful, you’re terrible at acting. You’d just look awkward and raise even more suspicions.”

Leo could treat Ar like a hero any day.

However, if Leo were to do so, it was evident that Ar would end up making mistakes.

‘He probably floundered and embarrassed himself while wrestling with the burden alone.’

Ar scratched his head upon hearing Leo’s words and then looked at Chelsea to continue the conversation.

“Has she figured out Kyle’s identity?”

“She likely doesn’t have complete certainty yet. It’s an implausible thing by common sense.”

The gods encountered in Luna’s world, even Pibua, were astounded at Leo’s reincarnation.

Even in the current situation where numerous miracles occurred, reincarnation was something unimaginable.

With that, Ar continued.

“I’d rather Chelsea realized that you’re Kyle.”

“Why?”

“Because if she finds out that you’re Kyle, that girl will definitely lend you her support.”

“Support?”

“Now, Kyle, you remind me of Lissinas.”

“Lissinas?”

“Yeah. You’re carrying the world, aren’t you?”

Ar diverted his eyes from Chelsea to look up at the night sky.

“But Lissinas didn’t bear everything alone back then. You, Luna, Dwenno, and many others inspired by Lissinas’ light were the ones supporting him.”

“Why do you always leave yourself out?”

Upon Leo’s remark, Ar chuckled bitterly before continuing.

“You’re trying to take all the responsibility on yourself now, aren’t you? Even though Melina knows your secret, there still needs to be more people around to support you at this moment.”

A gentle smile appeared on Ar’s face.

“Chelsea is smart and kind-hearted. She will surely become a great support for you.”

“That so.”

Leo smirked.

“But not now.”

“Why? Don’t you trust Chelsea?”

“No, I do. I got a word of advice from some old man in Dwenno’s world.”

“Dwenno?!”

“Yes. He told me to trust the future I’ve chosen.”

“So typically Dwenno.”

Ar nodded.

“That’s why I’ve decided to trust it too. But she’s still young. It’s fine if she finds out when we’re on the same battlefield.”

At that response, Ar looked silently at Leo.

“What?”

“You know, Lissinas once told me something similar.”

“Lissinas did?”

“Yeah. It was the night of my first battle after joining the group.”

“Back then, you looked up to him, didn’t you.”

Leo chuckled.

During their first battle, the still youthful Ar had cowardly hidden behind Lissinas.

Though he possessed great power, Ar was back then inexperienced.

“Was Lissinas’ expression odd that time?”

“Do you not remember?”

Leo smirked.

“At that time, Lissinas had great expectations for you. I was a bit of an outcast even before joining, so he didn’t even expect much. And Luna was just a wild card.”

Lissinas placed a large burden of expectation on the youth who joined his party through the recommendation of the noble hero, the Guardian of the Heavens.

“But when you got scared and hid behind him, the look on his face… it was almost as if he was about to cry.”

That was the first and last expression Leo had ever seen on Lissinas.

“So that’s why Luna laughed so much?”

Recalling the giggling sound of Luna that night, Ar scratched his cheek.

“What did you talk about that night with Lissinas?”

“I apologized for running away and told him I was sorry.”

“Then, Lissinas told me this.”

“It’s alright. You’re still young. Mustering courage can happen even after one’s ready to step onto the stage.”

Recalling how Lissinas had smiled gently, encouraging him, Ar continued.

“That gave me a lot of courage.”

“Fitting for the guy.”

“Right?”

Ar laughed.

“I never actually became fully ready in the end though.”

“Hey, Aron, you keep…”

Before Leo could continue speaking with a frown, a voice sounded in his mind.

“Lord Leo, Lord Aron.”

It was Melina’s voice.

“What’s the matter?”

“An unusual situation has occurred at the training ground.”

“Unusual situation? What exactly happened?”

Leo furrowed his brow and asked.

“Large numbers of monsters and beasts have started appearing.”

“End?!”

“Could it be one of the graduated seniors?”

“A spell of this magnitude… impressive.”

The Seyrun students, who had been combating monsters, gazed at the magic that illuminated the surrounding area like a bright noon with expressions filled with reverence.

On the other hand, Juen, who was shooting magic bullets and hunting the beasts, paused momentarily and muttered.

“This doesn’t seem like an elf’s magic.”

“It’s not an elf.”

The magic being used by Juen’s side by Leia also picked up her ears.

“It’s a human casting the Magic of the Stars.”

“Hmph, with that kind of magic, there’s only one person who could cast it.”

Juen smirked.

“Senior Sister Toluah!”

“Amazing.”

Leia genuinely marveled.

The other Seyrun students also widened their eyes upon hearing their conversation.

“I’d like to hear about the Magic of the Stars next time.”

Just as Leia was marveling, a massive roar echoed.

Gooorrrrrr-!

A huge Ogre let out a roar as it charged.

Seeing it, Leia was about to cast her magic when suddenly:

Hwaaak-!

Together with a golden flash, Aina slashed off the Ogre’s head.

Ding! The severed head shot up into the air.

Terrifyingly swift and sharp swordplay.

But the Ogre, with its tenacious vitality, lunged toward the 1st years as if determined to k*ll at least one person before its final breath.

“Indeed, Ogres are tenacious.”

As Leia was about to release her magic –

Flash-!

This time, a silver flash sliced the waist of the headless Ogre in half.

“Wow, incredible.”

“Zoocky, so strong.”

“Indeed, a representative student of Lumeran!”

While other students marveled at Luke, they exchanged words.

“Luke Eldar! Who appointed you to take the lead?!”

“Wha?!?”

Leia’s eyes widened.

“Why do you get so riled up when you see Luke?”

“It’s because he dared to take Leo-senpai as his mentor! Before me!”

“Are you this upset just because you couldn’t catch Luke?”

As Juen showed a look of disbelief,

Guuuguguguguguh-!

The ground strongly shook.

The 1st years swayed unsteadily.

“Is this earthquake more severe than the last one?”

Juen showed an astonished look.

*

Upon arriving at the territory of the Flove Family through the Warp Gate opened by Melina, Leo narrowed his eyes.

Aron, waving his hand lightly, easily repelled the beasts charging at them while snarling.

Hwaaak-!

The gold aura streaming from Aron’s fingertips tore apart the monsters.

“Does the smell of demons reach you, Aron?”

Leo asked, but Aron shook his head.

“Nope, just the stink of beasts and monsters.”

“What’s going on, then?”

‘After hearing from Melina, I thought maybe the Demon King was moving. Seems it isn’t.’

It wasn’t another Legion Commander either.

Demons couldn’t possibly avoid detection by Aron’s sense or smell.

Guuugugugugung-!

At that moment,

The ground began to violently shake.

‘An earthquake?’

The earthquake was powerful.

Chajeoek-!

The violently shaking earth was such that the ground itself began to split.

‘The Flove territory isn’t a place where earthquakes of this magnitude occur…’

The crust of the Delrad Kingdom was extremely stable.

Earth spirits were beneath the flowing magma, and fire spirits were gentle.

Such earthquakes occurring were unusual.

Guuugugu-!

The tremor subsided.

‘Could this abnormal event be related to the earthquake somehow?’

As Leo frowned,

“Huh?”

Aron’s perplexed voice rang out.

“Why?”

“I sense a smell.”

“Smell?”

“An awful odor I’ve smelled before.”

Aron looked down at the ground with a stiff expression.

An odor that irritated his sensitive sense of smell.

It was like the ash left over from something that had burned.

“…The same smell I encountered in Fairy Land… emitted by the Piece of Erebus.”

“Huh?”

Leo’s face stiffened.

“But… this isn’t entirely the smell of ashes. Kyle.”

Aron’s face turned pale.

“It’s burning.”