Chapter 529

529.

Thud… Thud…

Lord Leo walked down the hallway, looking around.

The bodies had already been removed, but the bloodstains everywhere told the story of the atrocity that had occurred here.

Leo silently stared at the spattered bl**d on the floor and walls.

Behind him stood Chen Sia.

Normally, outsiders were not permitted here.

However, thanks to Melina’s authority, Leo was easily able to investigate the area.

After finishing the investigation of the scene, Leo returned to the entrance.

Swish-!

He drew his sword.

As Chen Sia looked on in puzzlement, Leo slowly swung his sword through the air as he moved forward.

Swoosh! Ssssk-!

Though slow, the sharp sound of the sword cutting through the air was clearly audible.

Chen Sia’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight.

‘He’s reenacting what happened here.’

Wherever Leo’s sword swept, bl**d was scattered.

When Leo reached the conference room at the end of the hallway, he stopped, lowered his sword, and closed his eyes.

Of course, it was no surprise that Leo knew all of Berkiya’s sword techniques.

‘Because I taught her.’

While Aron and Luna created the framework for Berkiya’s swordsmanship and magic, it was Leo who guided her in making it her own.

Thus, he immediately knew who was responsible for this atrocity.

‘It’s Berkiya.’

“Lord Leo, please give your command. Shall I summon the Shadows?”

The Shadows were tasked with tracking and eliminating traitors.

Being skilled in pursuit, they were suited for such missions.

“No.”

At Chen Sia’s question, Leo shook his head.

“It’s unlikely we could find her… and even if we did, it would be dangerous.”

At Leo’s words, Chen Sia bit her lip.

Chen Sia had a vague idea who was responsible for this atrocity.

“Let’s head to the Eresar house and meet up with Eiran.”

“Eiran?”

At Leo’s words, Chen Sia urgently interjected.

“Shouldn’t we tell Lady Eiran?”

“…”

At that, Leo closed his eyes tightly.

Like Lunia, Eiran was one of the Hero Candidates chosen by Leo.

The inheritor of Luna’s legacy and a future comrade in battle.

A girl with a strong will.

But that very fact made him hesitant.

‘Eiran resembles Berkiya.’

It wasn’t simply because they were ancestor and descendant.

In fact, they had little in common.

Over thousands of years, their physical appearances had diverged.

Their personalities were different as well.

While both had inherited the swordsmanship and magic techniques of their house, those were merely acquired traits.

The only things Eiran and Berkiya truly had in common were being elves and being magi-knights.

Still, Leo couldn’t help but be reminded of Berkiya when looking at Eiran because both saw the world with pure, clear eyes.

Should he tell Eiran?

‘That the ancestor she admires most has risen again filled with hatred?’

Until recently, Leo would have told her the story.

He believed Eiran could overcome it.

But seeing what Berkiya had become made him hesitate.

Leo finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“Not now.”

After the commotion had settled somewhat, Eiran genuinely asked Lun,

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened immediately?! Do you know how worried I was?”

At Eiran’s words, Lun smiled faintly.

“Eiran, you know well that my position within the elven community is far from insignificant.”

Lun Eresar was the speaker of the Elsalbekia council and, though temporary, also the principal of Seirun Academy.

“The current situation at Seirun is turbulent. If word got out that I had been attacked, it would cause chaos not just at Seirun, but among our entire race. Please understand.”

At Lun’s words, Eiran bit her lip.

She knew this well.

Not just Seirun, but the entire elven society had gone through tremendous changes in a short period.

Until last winter, those changes had seemed to be for the better.

‘Lady Luna’s descent marked the beginning.’

It was an unprecedented event that no one could have imagined.

Of course.

The return of the Hero from 5000 years ago who saved the world?

Who could have imagined?

Thanks to that, the prideful elves became even prouder.

Why had only Luna returned among the great heroes?

Was it not because elves were special?

Witnessing the miracle, the elves naturally came to believe this.

As a result, the influence of the Pureblood Society, those who subscribed to elven supremacy, grew stronger.

Eiran had seen this directly at Seirun.

It was around that time.

When the ‘Introduction to the Magic of the Stars’ came out, which made the magic previously thought to belong solely to elves accessible to anyone.

The book written by Ren was immediately designated as forbidden literature by elven society and condemned.

For thousands of years, elves had been called the magical race thanks to Luna’s legacy of the Magic of the Stars.

And Ren’s magic theory challenged the millennia-long authority of the elves.

Most elves refused to recognize the ‘Introduction to the Magic of the Stars’.

The elves, who had long avoided interaction with outsiders, showed even more signs of erecting walls between their race and others.

It was then.

The second miracle occurred.

The arrival of the Comet Wizard Seirun.

The great elf, the successor to the progenitor of stellar clouds, reappeared.

An event that should have bolstered the pride of elven supremacists.

However, that historical moment shattered the current elven society by rejecting it.

When students from Seirun Academy, who should have been their descendants, were not recognized as successors, but instead students from the Lumeran Academy were recognized as ‘successors’.

Because of this, the transformation in elven society turned into chaos.

Those with broad perspectives quickly adapted to the changes.

However, many failed to do so.

Shocked by the revelation that their great ancestors did not recognize them, and the insecurity that they may have been wrong all along, the elves wandered in confusion.

In the midst of this, the progenitor of stellar clouds reappeared again.

And as reports of conflicts between Luna and the Pureblood Society emerged, the elven society fell into even greater chaos.

Fortunately, there were undoubtedly heroes to resolve this chaos and lead the race forward.

And one of them was Lun Eresar, the elder of the Elven Council.

If it were known that he had been found in the bl**d-soaked meeting room of the Pureblood Society, it would undoubtedly cause upheaval in elven society.

Because of this situation, it took quite some time for the news to reach Eiran, Lun’s granddaughter.

“Still, still, you could have told me, couldn’t you? I was so worried!”

Her trembling voice carried reproach, but her eyes glistened with tears of worry for Lun.

“So, who is the culprit?”

In the tear-filled eyes of Eiran, a rare glint of malice appeared.

Seeing this, Lun’s face hardened.

He knew the culprit.

But was it right to reveal it to his granddaughter?

After pondering for a moment, Lun changed the subject.

“Let’s talk about the culprit later. Did Leo the student not come with you? I distinctly remember asking him to come along.”

“If you mean Lord Leo, he said he had somewhere to stop by.”

“A stop?”

Lun tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Yes, he said he was going to visit the crime scene.”

“The crime scene.”

As Lun murmured this, there came a knock on the door.

Knock knock.

“Master, we have a visitor.”

“Let them in.”

As Lun spoke, the door opened, revealing Leo and Chen Sia.

“Lord Leo!”

“Oh, you’ve… Ah. Did you come, Leo?”

Eiran greeted Leo with delight, and Lunia awkwardly smiled to greet him.

Lun looked intently at Lunia.

When their eyes met, Lunia quickly averted her gaze.

“Did you see the crime scene, Leo?”

“Yes.”

“Unfortunately, it’s the doing of that person.”

“That person?”

“Grandfather, do you know the culprit?”

At Lun’s sudden words, Lunia and Eiran widened their eyes.

Chen Sia was also surprised and looked flustered.

Leo silently stared at Lun intently.

Though his expression remained unchanged,

It was clear that the venerable elf before him had come to a realization.

Lun’s eyes, filled with deep wisdom and experience, gleamed.

“I need to have a private conversation with student Leo. The other students, please step outside.”

Smiling faintly, Lun requested.

Caught off guard by this unexpected request, the three girls glanced at each other before stepping out.

Creak! Thud!

As the door closed, Lun rose from his seat.

Standing up, Lun used magic to block any sound from escaping the room.

Having completed his preparations, Lun knelt before Leo and made a respectful bow.

“The 38th head of the Eresar family, Lun Eresar, greets the great Hero of the Beginning.”