Chapter 547

547.

It was truly a dream-like time for both Berkiya and Bihar.

Their physical bodies had long since perished.

Berkiya closed her eyes while harboring hatred for the world, and Bihar closed his eyes with the sorrow of being unable to stop her.

After 5000 years passed, Berkiya became an undead, and Bihar became a spirit.

The full stops to both of their lives were undoubtedly tragic.

But…

Berkiya looked at Eiran who was struggling to eat.

“Eiran.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for showing you such an ugly sight. Are you disappointed?”

At that, Eiran blinked her large eyes and slightly averted her gaze before responding.

“It’s less disappointment… and more… fear.”

“It’s…?”

“Because it feels like the Berkiya-sama I used to know isn’t here anymore. And I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for you… That’s why I was scared.”

Eiran gave everything to shoulder the world and create a better place.

And in return, she received betrayal.

It wasn’t surprising that Berkiya turned into an undead out of hatred for the world.

“Still…”

Eiran smiled brightly.

“You are Berkiya-sama.”

The hero who worked harder than anyone for the sake of the world.

There was no change in the fact that Eiran still respected and admired her the most.

Upon seeing such Eiran, Berkiya closed her eyes.

From Eiran, she could feel unwavering belief.

“I want to become someone like Berkiya-sama.”

Berkiya realized anew.

This unwavering belief was a great comfort and solace.

“Would Master Luna have been like this?”

Even now, the hatred she held for the world kept her tied to the earth as an undead.

It’s still tiresome.

The fact that she had sacrificed herself for such a world.

The fact that her close friend had stepped into the darkness and worked his entire life for such a world.

The fact that the Great Heroes had given everything to save such a world.

But…

“Perhaps I should have tried a little harder.”

Regret lingers upon hearing the words of the young descendant.

It felt like vitality was slowly returning to Berkiya’s exhausted soul.

Approaching Eiran, Berkiya lightly patted her descendant’s cheek.

In the same way Luna used to do when she was younger.

And she spoke the words that Luna often said to her when she was young.

“You’ll definitely succeed.”

She smiled brightly, with a smile that somehow resembled Luna’s.

“Even after 5000 years have passed, it hasn’t changed.”

Berkiya looked at Leo.

“The path the Great Heroes walked…”

Her gaze then shifted to Bihar next to her.

“…the path we followed…”

Taking a step back, Berkiya looked at the three young women.

“It seems now it’s your turn to follow.”

Generations after generations are being connected.

The world saved by the Great Heroes to her.

The world revived by her to the next generation.

‘This wasn’t wrong.’

She had felt that everything was wrong in that moment.

But it wasn’t.

“Indeed, the world was worth saving, Bihar.”

Berkiya grinned brightly at her friend who stood nearby.

There was something reassuring in his appearance, and Bihar nodded slightly.

“Because the era we lived in was just like the dawn.”

An early morning.

A gray time when darkness and light intersect.

The slowly brightening dawn.

With a nod at Bihar’s words, Berkiya, gazing at the next generation, spoke.

“We couldn’t reach the final battlefield.”

The time given to them was insufficient.

“That fact infuriated us greatly.”

Berkiya’s eyes slightly sank.

“The battlefield you will face is probably going to be fierce. So, we ask this of you. Please make sure that something like 5000 years doesn’t repeat itself.”

Berkiya said with all her sincerity.

“Help each other to move forward. And after all the battles are over, please return together. Return and…”

Berkiya looked at the table.

“Please spend some pleasant times sitting together like this.”

The normal daily life they welcomed after the Era of Catastrophe ended.

It had become too familiar, letting those days of peace drift by without much thought.

However, sometimes when the dawn breaks, there would be a moment when she could feel the absence of the Great Heroes.

And at those times, she realized how precious those ordinary days had been.

And she would feel a sense of regret.

‘If only we could have been together, it would have been good.’

If only they could have faced the bright world without any worries and comfortably greeted the mornings.

‘It would have been really good.’

An unattainable dream.

But in this moment, they achieved that dream.

For both Berkiya and Bihar.

The full stops to their lives may have been tragic, but because of that, after d*ath, they achieved the long-held wish.

“Teacher.”

“What?”

“Do you want to go for a walk?”

“Too troublesome.”

To Bihar’s words, Leo replied lazily.

Behind the sulking Leo, Berkiya forcibly shoved him.

“Just go, mister.”

“Too troublesome.”

However, though grumbling, Leo quietly followed as Berkiya pushed him toward the outside.

The three people having their meal also hurriedly followed after them.

Creeeeeak!

The sound of the door opening was heard.

The world had turned white again, covered in snow that had quietly fallen.

Crunch… crunch…

They walked through the ruined streets.

Leo was flanked by Berkiya and Bihar on either side.

“Teacher.”

“What?”

“We really tried hard.”

“What do you want me to do about it?”

– Aren’t you going to say anything?

Bihar asked curtly.

“…”

Smiling faintly at that, Leo raised his hands.

And reaching out, placed his hands on the heads of his disciples.

“You both did really well.”

It was a calm voice.

Neither lacking nor excessive, it was a sincere compliment.

“I’m truly grateful to both of you for not making our sacrifices in vain.”

He sincerely thanked his disciples, who had worked as hard as possible for the Great Heroes, including himself, even though they passed away.

Though they had once deviated.

What does it matter?

That doesn’t mean their achievements disappeared.

The dawn had now risen completely.

The sunlight poured down like it was falling from the heavens, breaking against people and objects.

The fragments of sunlight completely drove away the darkness.

A full-fledged morning.

This miraculous moment was also coming to an end.

As Leo, stroking his disciples’ heads, gently pushed their backs.

Berkiya and Bihar resolutely walked toward the sunlight.

They had let go of their lingering attachment as undead and spirits.

Even the small regrets from life.

“Ah.”

As Berkiya was about to take a step, she suddenly stopped as if remembering something.

The gloomy aura that had surrounded Berkiya disappeared completely, leaving only the clarity similar to Bihar’s presence.

Berkiya whispered something into Bihar’s ear.

After Bihar nodded and looked at Leo with Berkiya,

At that moment, Leo, who saw his two disciples facing him against the morning sunlight with a quizzical expression,

“Father, keep going.”

The two, saying this together, grinned at the dumbfounded Leo and disappeared into the sunlight.

“Hah…”

Leo sighed as if he didn’t know what to do.

“Who are you calling ‘Father’? You d*mn brats.”

Muttering softly, Leo gazed for a long time at the spot where his two disciples had disappeared.

The three young women watching this couldn’t tell what kind of expression Leo had on his face.

All the students gathered.

Among them, the eyes of the entire student body were on one spot.

“Why is Seirun’s Student Council President here?”

“I don’t know. She came with our student council president today though?”

“Is this our school’s special lecture? Can a Seirun student participate?”

“If you think about it like that, we have exchange students too.”

“Hmm… that’s true, but for sure, there’s this.”

The students from Lumeran university nodded.

‘Too brazen.’

Even though hundreds of students were whispering while only looking at her, Lunia didn’t even blink.

She rather kept a dignified look on her face.

“Wow. Hello, Lunia?”

“Uh? Miss Elena?”

At that moment, Elena Zeruon, the top of the Department of Magic and a fourth-year at Lumeran University, sat next to Lunia.

With her appearance, Lunia wore a slightly awkward expression.

They had the experience of teaming up to conquer the world of Luna before.

She was incredibly reliable then, but for some reason, Lunia felt burdened by Elena.

For some reason, she felt meek when she approached her and said hello.

Elena smiled gently at such Lunia and said,

“Lunia, why don’t you transfer to our school?”

“But I’m the Student Council President of Seirun?”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m asking you to transfer. If you transfer, I’ll make you the Vice President. Though it’s Vice President, the power will be as strong as that of the President of Seirun’s Student Council.”

“I’ll pass.”

“That’s disappointing.”

When Elena shrugged,

Creeeak!

The lecture hall door opened.

With that, all the students fell silent.

Appearing was a child with an indeterminate gender, possessing a beautiful figure.

Behind the child with gray hair and gray eyes followed Melina.

The eyes of Leo, who had been sitting with Kal, moved slightly.

“Nice to meet you, descendants of the Hero of Beginning Kail and the aspirants carrying on the legacy of Lumern’s hope. My name is Rian.”

All the students looked at Rian with quizzical faces.

“If I elaborate on my introduction, it will get extremely complicated, so let me keep it brief.”

Rian smiled faintly.

“I’m a god.”