Chapter 537

537.

“Will it be alright?”

Eiran asked worriedly.

To that, Lunia clasped her face and replied.

“What could possibly happen?”

“But… if Lord Leo and Lady Berkiya were to clash.”

“Things have gotten complicated, but I don’t think this situation is entirely bad.”

At first, when Berkiya declared she would teach Leo a lesson, it was an unexpected and confusing situation.

However, upon calm observation, the meeting between Leo and Berkiya was actually an ideal scenario.

“Lunia is right. Our goal was to make Leo and Lady Berkiya meet, wasn’t it?”

Chen Sia also nodded her head in agreement.

“Yes. And… I wonder if we should really be worried about Leo when those two meet.”

Lunia showed a somewhat troubled expression.

“That’s right.”

Chen Sia also agreed with a nod.

Berkiya had said she would reprimand Leo.

But was that even possible?

It wasn’t solely because Leo was Berkiya’s master that there was concern.

“Certainly, Leo won’t just let Lady Berkiya be.”

Lunia also understood.

The feelings Berkiya held for Kyle from her childhood days in Lord Dwenno’s world.

Back then, young Berkiya undoubtedly regarded the Hero of Beginning, Kyle, as a father figure.

Leo’s feelings towards Berkiya likely weren’t much different.

Talk of arrogance.

Talk of rebellion.

Though he seemed displeased with his disciple, there’s no denying Leo trusted Berkiya more than anyone else.

That’s why during the entire pursuit of Berkiya, Leo’s face remained shadowed.

And…

‘What will you do when you meet Lady Berkiya?’

‘What to do? I’ll beat her up, of course.’

When Lunia asked carefully, Leo answered calmly.

‘Wouldn’t it be Lady Berkiya we should be worried about?’

Lunia sighed.

At that moment, Eiran, who had been standing quietly, glanced around the room where Berkiya had been staying and murmured.

“For some reason, it feels familiar.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Surprised by the statement, Lunia asked curiously.

“Here… in Lord Dwenno’s world, didn’t the atmosphere of the old Master Leo’s home feel similar?”

At this, Lunia looked around.

And nodded in agreement.

“Certainly, they do feel alike.”

There was a barren feeling overall, devoid of any sign of life.

Only necessities remained, and everything else was cleanly organized.

It was as if this was the house of someone who would never return.

Looking at this, Lunia sat cross-legged on the dining chair and gazed at the interior.

Driana’s words about the interior of Kyle’s house came to mind.

‘Maybe the person didn’t form any attachment to this space.’

The stark, desolate sight made it seem as though the owner might never come back.

At that time, it seemed like just a solemn composure befitting the Great Hero.

However, thinking about it now, Lunia couldn’t imagine what Leo had been thinking.

Turning her head slightly, Lunia looked at the table full of empty dishes.

It was the only place where warmth could be felt in this home.

“Could it be that while Lady Berkiya was being thoroughly scolded, she thoroughly messed up the house… because she wanted to give Leo a reason to come back?”

“Ah…”

Eiran let out an exclamation as she recalled Berkiya completely wrecking the house.

Listening to their conversation, Chen Sia sighed deeply and said as she began to clear the dishes.

“Let’s tidy up first.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s split the work.”

As the three were about to clean up the mountain of dishes:

Uuung!

“Huh?”

Chen Sia’s eyes widened at the resonating sound coming from her bosom.

She put down the dishes and took out the object making the resonating noise.

“What?”

Seeing Bihar’s dagger emitting the resonating sound, Chen Sia’s eyes widened.

*

‘Something has happened.’

It was near dawn, yet neither Lunia nor Eiran showed any signs of returning.

Realizing that something must have happened, Leo sighed deeply.

‘Looks like things got bigger.’

Leo wasn’t distrustful of Lunia, Eiran, or Chen Sia.

They were the hero candidates he had personally chosen.

He had faith that, no matter the trial, they would overcome it.

‘But the situation is serious now.’

Leo, who had been sitting on the windowsill, looked outside.

‘Berkiya is certainly somewhere in this city. And this city is distorted.’

Even amidst the snowstorm, the townspeople were smiling broadly.

Here, amidst this frigid land, any kind of elegance seemed to be fading.

But in their eyes, desire was stirring.

Not the usual eyes of elves.

Elves, by nature, are a noble race.

Regardless of temperament, Luna on the battlefield was always noble.

The same applies.

When elves commit entirely to something, few races are as noble as elves.

‘But not all elves are noble.’

What makes elves noble is their lack of shame in proving their own worth.

But not these individuals here.

While they think of themselves as noble, all that props them up is their elven bloodline and the magic of the stars.

They might think it’s special, but from Leo’s viewpoint, it isn’t.

‘This city is strange.’

It might appear dazzling on the surface, but Leo saw something else.

Deep in the underbelly of this city lay a profound darkness.

Though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, it felt as though his nose would rot from the putrid stench.

Berkiya might be here because of that.

But the city is surprisingly peaceful.

The prevailing mindset in this city is undoubtedly something Berkiya despises the most.

As a dead man seething with hatred, it wouldn’t be surprising if Berkiya turned it into a sea of fire right away.

‘Should I call it a stroke of luck?’

Leo sighed deeply.

It wasn’t that he was worried about the city and deemed it lucky.

‘Hatred consumes oneself.’

Endless hatred will ultimately consume oneself.

Screaming and writhing with it, Berkiya will eventually lose himself.

It should be called a stroke of luck.

If Berkiya had lived, he would have become a disaster incarnate by now.

But as a dead man now?

‘He’s only becoming less and less salvageable.’

That’s why Leo felt relief.

Because the current Berkiya hasn’t crossed the line yet.

He wasn’t concerned about the residents living in this land.

Rather, if this land of pure-blooded elitists had any ties with Tartarus…

Leo wouldn’t hesitate to burn Eldon to ashes.

And erase all traces from this land.

‘I’m not Lissinas.’

Leo knew.

Not just Leo, but Lissinas, Luna, Aron, Dwenno, and everyone who risked their lives for that era…

They all knew that the world they redeemed wasn’t an entirely utopian world.

Despite that, they didn’t hesitate to give their lives.

Because they knew it wasn’t entirely dark and twisted.

Another thing:

‘Everyone followed Lissinas’s will.’

The King of Wisdom.

The title the gods bestowed upon her.

‘The gods didn’t simply call her king because she was wise and intelligent.’

Throughout 5000 years of history, Lissinas was unique.

In the Hero Records, no one had ever been titled King.

Among those called King by the gods…

And the title King, according to the gods, is especially meaningful.

While earthly people call those who rule vast territories and their inhabitants Kings,

The concept the gods call “king” transcends this.

‘Simply put, it means the Lord, or Master, of the world.’

Later generations might think Lissinas was called the King of Wisdom because of her immense wisdom, but that’s incorrect.

The King of Wisdom meant the world’s master acknowledged as wise by the gods.

‘Perhaps she was the only one ever called King by the gods.’

The reason the gods so highly esteemed Lissinas is quite simple:

‘She bore everything.’

It didn’t end with merely initiating a counteroffensive to fell Erebus.

She entirely shouldered the world as it moved toward the light.

Those who acted wickedly,

those who committed sins,

even those who betrayed the world—

Lissinas forgave and embraced them.

She gave them chances.

Though burdened with the duty of a black dragon to punish evil-doers, she accepted them.

Of course, those who rejected this chance were judged by Leo himself.

Leo had said,

“Traitors are not forgiven.”

But Lissinas shook her head.

“All of it is part of the world we must save.”

And the culmination of all this—this immense effort—was salvation.

Compassionate, noble, luminous beyond compare—the master of this world.

‘That’s why I respect you, Lissinas. And that’s why I can never be like you.’

Leo’s eyes turned cold.

If it had been Lissinas, she could have rallied the countless forces existing in this world.

But regrettably, Leo isn’t Lissinas.

He’d sever the rotten flesh with his own hands.

Efficiently.

‘Just like I did 5000 years ago.’

That’s why Leo understands why Berkiya hasn’t destroyed this city yet.

‘I might not have taught you everything, but…’

Ultimately, Berkiya had observed and learned from him.

Berkiya knows what Kyle… and Bihar… did in the darkness.

Whenever Leo and Bihar ventured into the darkness, Berkiya tried to follow them.

But Leo and Bihar always pushed Berkiya away.

“Here is no place for you.”

Though Berkiya’s feet remained outside it, she undeniably saw.

She observed how Leo and Bihar acted.

‘They’re making judgments.’

To identify who’s worth saving.

Though Berkiya is a monster now,

he remains a monster with reason.

That’s why Leo feels this heavy heart.

Berkiya will gradually lose whatever goodness remains.

At that instant,

Creak!

The door opened.

Leo’s gaze twitched.

Extrasensory Perception remained active.

No presence was detected.

Meaning…

Click.

Berkiya entered, closed the door, and looked at Leo with a vacant expression.

At that gaze, Leo stepped down from the windowsill.

Their eyes locked in the empty air.

Leo closed his eyes tightly.

A meeting after 5000 years.

But by human perception, it hadn’t been that long.

It’d been merely decades for Leo.

And probably a few decades for Berkiya.

That said, this Berkiya standing before him wasn’t the Berkiya Leo once knew.

Her eyes lacked vitality.

It wasn’t because she was undead.

The eyes that had once never lost their light were now arid.

The sight of her dimmed eyes squeezed Leo’s chest tightly.

He already knew Berkiya was undead.

He was aware she’d been like this for a long time.

Still…

The sight of her felt different.

Leo glanced up at the ceiling.

“d*mn world.”

He’d known it was dirty.

Knowing this, he still saved the world.

Thus, he harbored no regrets or grievances.

Because that was the belief he followed. Its value warranted his allegiance.

But in this moment…

He regretted saving the world.

He resented the weaker version of himself who selfishly closed his eyes back then.

Leo’s crimson eyes locked on Berkiya.

Looking into them, Berkiya muttered,

“Such an arrogant gaze.”

A gaze full of regret.

A gaze heavy with sorrow.

A gaze that seemed to understand everything.

For a moment, Berkiya’s face contorted.

The gaze felt like it pierced through everything about her.

‘There’s no one left.’

No one who could look at her this way anymore.

So…

“With that gaze… don’t look at me.”