Editor : Amethyst00



“Do you believe this world is worth saving?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said.”

Elsie stared straight at Kyle, her expression emotionless.

“I’m asking if this world has any reason to keep existing.”

“Well…”

Kyle scratched his head.

“Wouldn’t it be better to think about that after we save it first?”

bl

He recalled a memory from long ago.

When Kyle first met Elsie, the Erebos Subjugation Party had already formed the group remembered by history.

After Lysinas had dragged Kyle into what seemed like an impossible journey, Luna, Aaron, and Dweno had each joined in turn— and thus, the party of Great Heroes known to the present world took shape.

Not long after that, they encountered Elsie.

Among the Great Heroes, there were three with the potential to act as summoners— Kyle, Lysinas, and Luna.

Of those three, Luna lacked any particular talent in elemental arts.

Kyle could handle both phantom beasts and elementals, but he still fell short of Lysinas.

So naturally, they had all assumed Elsie would choose Lysinas as her contractor.

After all, as a black dragon, Lysinas was clearly the ideal match for a shadow elemental like Elsie.

Yet against everyone’s expectations, Elsie chose Kyle.

‘I never got to ask why she asked me that question before our contract… or why she chose me in the end.’

Their contract didn’t last long.

Not long after, during the battle against the Lich King, Hell Kaiser, Elsie was extinguished.

“Black Rabbit! Why are you just standing there?”

Aru approached, looking at him curiously.

“It’s nothing.”

‘I’ll have to talk with her properly later.’

Now wasn’t the right time to have that conversation.

And besides, Kyle’s first meeting with Elsie was supposed to happen a year from now.

Leo wasn’t Kyle, either.

The elf girl, who seemed to be the eldest among the children, handed them each a bowl. Leo and Aru accepted it.

“Could I get one more bowl?”

“Yes?”

“I think that mister should have something to eat, too.”

“Ah, of course!”

Smiling brightly, the elf girl handed him another bowl.

As Aru divided her share, Leo added some of his to Agon’s bowl as well.

“Mister! You should eat, too!”

Aru walked up and handed it over to Agon.

He looked between the bowl and Aru.

“What’s wrong?”

Aru blinked in confusion, and Agon let out a bitter smile.

“It’s nothing.”

Taking the bowl, Agon sat down at one side of the open space. Leo and Aru sat across from him.

“You two came from outside, didn’t you?”

Aru flinched for a moment.

‘Technically, we came from the *future, but…’*

Of course, she couldn’t say that out loud, so she nodded obediently.

“Yes.”

“Then you should leave this city as soon as you can.”

“Huh?”

Aru's eyes widened at the sudden statement.

“I can tell you’re not ordinary refugees. At your age, with that level of skill, you could find a better place anywhere.”

Seeing through their power, Agon’s face grew complicated.

“There are still places outside this city that would recognize your strength.”

During the Age of Calamity, the world was even more desperate for powerful individuals than now.

Strong forces were absolutely necessary to withstand Tartarus’s invasions.

“We can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I told you already. Aaron sent us here.”

As Leo spoke while spooning up some porridge, Aru's ears and tail perked up sharply.

“Right, you said Aaron sent you here. Do you know where he is now?”

“You mean you don’t know where Aaron is?”

“I don’t. That fool of a disciple—it’s already been half a year since I last heard from him.”

At that, Aru's eyes went round.

“D-Disciple?”

To Aru, Agon’s words came as a shock.

The Hero Record only chronicled the heroic deeds of heroes, so little was known about their pasts.

And since all the Great Heroes had lived five thousand years ago, any records of their earlier lives were scarce.

So hearing that Agon had been Aaron's teacher— that was a revelation of history.

“Y-You were Aaron-nim’s teacher!?”

Aru's eyes sparkled as she asked, and Agon let out a deep sigh.

“Yes. I’m that useless brat’s teacher.”

“Useless!? How could you say that about someone as noble and brave as Aaron-nim!?”

“What?”

Agon was taken aback by the sudden praise.

“How can you call someone you raised— someone so noble, great, and courageous—‘useless’!? Being too humble isn’t a virtue, you know!”

As Aru passionately praised Aaron with a bright smile, Agon just stared, speechless, while Leo covered his face.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, young lady.”

“What do you mean?”

“My disciple was neither noble, nor great, nor courageous.”

Aru's jaw dropped.

“Sure, he had power far beyond his years.”

Agon sighed deeply.

“But he was a coward unworthy of that power. The reason he left Raysar was because he was afraid of fighting.”

Faced with that harsh reality, Aru stammered, panicked.

“Ah, I get it! The Aaron-nim I know and your disciple must be two different people!”

Fumbling in her pocket, Aru pulled out a photograph of Aaron.

“Your disciple didn’t look like this person, right?”

Agon glanced at the photo.

“No, that’s him. That’s definitely my disciple.”

“Lies.”

“What?”

Aru stepped back, trembling.

“T-That can’t be. No way! Aaron-nim—a coward!? There’s no way that’s true!!”

With a wail, she dashed off at full speed.

Watching her go, Agon asked,

“What’s wrong with your friend?”

“She’s… someone who’s idolized Aaron for a long time.”

‘Well, it’s understandable she’d be shocked.’

For beastkin, Aaron had been their pride for millennia— a hero, a symbol of courage.

Even now, beastkin warriors prayed to Aaron before battle.

To learn that such a man had once been a coward— for someone like Aru, who dreamed of heroism, it was a crushing blow.

Especially when this Hero’s World was literal history— she couldn’t deny it, only flee from it.

“She idolized Aaron, huh. How unusual.”

“She was saved by your disciple. We both were.”

“What was that?”

“Not just her.”

Leo set down his bowl and looked at Agon squarely.

“Aaron’s a coward, yes. No one knows that better than me.”

He remembered his friend, trembling before battle.

“But he saved many people in ways you never saw. I’m one of them. So you should be proud of your disciple.”

For Agon, it was still a future yet to come. But Aaron did save the world.

“That boy… grew that much in just half a year?”

Agon murmured in awe, a look of pride flickering across his face.

Though he’d spoken harshly, to Agon, Aaron had always been like a son.

Hearing praise of that son—it brought him nothing but joy.

“I should go bring her back before she gets lost.”

Leo stood and went after Aru.

A short distance away, Aru sat clutching Aaron's photo, mumbling.

“Aaron-nim, a coward… I can’t believe it. There must be a mistake.”

“Why? Can’t he be a coward?”

“Hyak!?”

Aru leapt up like a startled cat.

“D-Don’t scare me like that!”

“It’s not that surprising.”

“Black Rabbit! You don’t feel anything after hearing Aaron-nim was a coward?”

“Not really. People can be like that.”

To beastkin, calling someone a coward was a grave insult.

To say that of a deified hero was practically blasphemy.

So of course, hearing that from Leo should’ve enraged her— yet her expression was just… lost.

She looked adrift, her usual confidence dimmed.

“Was it really that shocking?”

“Aaron-nim’s story gave me courage.”

Aru looked down at the photograph, her tail drooping.

Her voice carried a quiet melancholy.

“When I was little, I was a huge coward.”

“That doesn’t suit you at all.”

“Don’t ruin the mood when I’m being emotional!”

Aru glared at him sharply, then continued.

“When I was little, I was a huge coward.”

‘You’re seriously starting from the top again?’

Leo chuckled faintly at her dramatics.

“My father always told me the same thing.”

‘You must become the greatest! My daughter, Aru!’

“Every day was pure torment.”

She recalled the memory of that hulking, muscle-bound cat beastman she’d met once.

“Yeah, I can tell he must’ve been strict.”

“Stop ruining the mood when I’m being sentimental!”

Fluffing her fur in irritation, Aru sighed deeply.

“I wanted to give up all the time. But my father told me something— that my name came from the name of the great hero, Aaron.”

A name taken from the greatest hero of all.

“Hearing that… somehow gave me courage. So I decided I’d become like Aaron-nim.”

So that the name “Hero” wouldn’t be a shame.

“Noble, great, and brave— someone who never cowers no matter the situation.”

To the young Aru, Aaron's image came from the fairy tales she grew up with.

Remembering that, her tail swayed softly.

“But to think that Aaron-nim was a coward…”

Her tail drooped again. Leo smirked.

“That’s simple.”

“What’s simple!? This is complicated emotional stuff for a girl my age!”

As she wailed, Leo said,

“That coward saved the world.”

“…!”

“The truth might not be like the fairy tales, but that doesn’t mean you need to be disappointed.”

Leo spoke quietly, thinking of the friend he knew.

“That coward showed the greatest courage when everyone else despaired. That’s why the gods called him, Brave.”

Leo smiled.

“Shouldn’t you respect him even more for that?”

Aru blinked, looking again at the photograph.

The dignified face in the picture— it was clearly the glorified image created by later generations.

But it didn’t change the fact that Aaron was a hero, that he did achieve something extraordinary.

Her ears perked, her tail swaying once more.

“Now that you said that… I think I love Aaron-nim even more!”

Her cheeks flushed red as she shouted it. Leo clicked his tongue.

“You’re so easily swayed.”

“Stop ruining a maiden’s sentimental moments!”

“Argh!” she yelled as Leo walked off toward the clearing.

The children were cleaning up.

Seeing them, Leo’s face darkened slightly.

‘Right… these kids are all going to die from the plague, aren’t they?’

The place he remembered had been a massive graveyard.

By the time Kyle’s party arrived, all of the children Agon cared for had already died of the plague.

Knowing that history made it painful for Leo to watch this scene.

As he stood there, a bitter expression on his face, something struck him.

‘Wait. The plague?’

By this timeline, Kyle, Lysinas, and Luna were supposed to arrive in Raysar a month later.

‘By the time we reached here, everyone in this district except the Guardian of the Azure Sky was already dead from the plague.’

Even if it was a powerful disease, for this many children to die within a month didn’t make sense.

Thinking that far, Leo recalled another memory.

‘You’re really not going to try persuading the Guardian of the Azure Sky again?’

‘No. His will is already broken.’

‘But will can be rekindled. He’s too valuable to just leave behind.’

‘Luna… you’re right. Broken will can be restored. But…’

Lysinas’s expression had darkened.

‘A man consumed by hatred cannot save the world. Let’s look for someone else.’

After that, they met Aron— and Agon had blessed their path before they left.

They hadn’t thought much of it at the time.

‘Don’t tell me… something else was going on?’

As Leo’s expression hardened—

“Well, well. Still as filthy a place as ever.”

A haughty voice rang out.

Leo turned his head.

And the moment he saw the man’s face, his expression soured.

He knew this man.

The one who, years later, would refuse to help the subjugation party before the battle against Tartaros, only to join them after their success and steal credit— a fraud of a hero.

The Lord of Raysar—

Levaiten.