Editor : Amethyst00



Late at night.

Chelsea looked at Tonkan's royal palace with anxious eyes.

A long time had already passed, and yet there was not a single word from Leo and Celia.

"They said the flow of time in the Elemental Domain can be different."

It had now been about half a day since Leo entered the palace.

Still, Chelsea felt a growing sense of unease.

It wasn't that she was worried about Leo.

No matter what anyone said, he was Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

Even if he had entered the Elemental Domain, Leo would be able to make it through just fine.

The problem was the news that had come from Lordren Empire.

"Just who would do such a thing…"

Chelsea bit her lip.

News that both Torua and Reina had been kidnapped while unconscious.

She worried about how Leo would react once he heard this.

"How could something like that happen in the heart of Zerdinger's territory?"

The place where Torua was taken—yes, that was a battlefield with rebels.

But Reina was different.

She was in a city with security rivaling that of the imperial capital.

A major incident had occurred in Phaeon.

And the one targeted wasn't just anyone—it was Reina.

She was no longer a direct member of the Zerdinger line, nor was she a key figure.

Just the matron of a minor noble family from a border kingdom.

The only thing special about Reina was this—

She was Leo's mother.

It was clear who the real target was.

"Traitors…?"

Chelsea thought of the Hero Hunters.

"Or another enemy from within?"

Just as she clenched her fist—

Saaa—

A winter wind blew.

In that instant, Chelsea's eyes sharpened.

Fwoosh—!

She drew her staff and turned around, chanting a spell.

Sharp blades of wind wrapped around the person approaching her.

"Wow, you and Chloe both… Are you really students about to become 3rd-years?"

The opponent let out a sound of admiration.

"Anya Becks?"

They weren't close, but Chelsea had seen her a few times—the daughter of the Northern Mage Tower's Lord.

Looking at the half-elf Anya, Chelsea showed a slightly flustered expression.

Someone who shouldn't be here.

Noticing this, Anya spoke.

"I came because I have something to tell Lord Leo. But since he's not here, I'll tell you instead."

"Why are you telling me?"

"Lord Leo said if he's not around, I should relay it to Miss Lewellin."

Anya's eyes curved into a smile.

Seeing that, Chelsea thought of someone.

'Aunt?'

The head librarian of the imperial palace's magical archive, and the current Lewellin family head's younger sister.

Cerna Lewellin.

That was her official title, but in truth, she was the one who led the shadows of the Lewellin family.

In short, the Shadow of Lewellin.

Chelsea didn't know that.

But for some reason, Anya gave her the same impression her aunt did.

Shaking off the thought of Cerna, Chelsea asked, "What is it you want to say?"

"The identity of the one who kidnapped Lady Reina and those involved in the incident."

"Who was it?"

Chelsea's face instantly hardened.

Seeing her reaction, Anya said, "The Hero Slayer. And those suspected of being collaborators…"

Anya trailed off, then sighed.

"…are the Zerdinger Council of Elders."

At those words, Chelsea's eyes went wide.

And then—

Rumble rumble rumble—

The royal palace began to shake.

Chelsea and Anya turned their heads in shock toward the palace.

bl

Fwoooosh—!

Leo lit a flickering blue flame before his eyes.

"The power of the Elemental Lord of Purification, huh."

Celia had indeed become stronger in every way.

Not just firepower, but also strength and speed.

Boom—!

Celia slammed her sword into the ground, sending a massive wave of flame toward him.

Leo evaded it and spoke.

"But only your strength has grown."

Her swordsmanship had actually regressed.

Understandable.

Why would a elemental need to refine sword skills?

She merely swung a sword around.

"You're far below the Celia I used to know."

Fwoosh—

Leo dodged her sword aimed at his head with a disinterested look.

And then—

Thwack—!

"Guh?!"

He delivered a clean uppercut to Celia's abdomen.

Whoooosh! Crashhh—!

Celia flew straight into the palace wall.

But protected by her Elemental Armor, she seemed largely unharmed and immediately stood back up.

Her lavish red dress emitted even stronger flames.

Seeing her charge in with even greater power, Leo clenched his fist.

Then, he brought it down on Celia's head.

Crashhh!

Celia was slammed into the ground.

Leo stepped on her back.

Boom—!

Her body crashed through the floor, falling to the level below.

Seeing this, Laruel looked flustered.

["L-Leo, isn't that a bit much, even if she's unconscious?"]

To Laruel's words, Leo replied bluntly, "That's exactly why I'm going this hard."

["Huh?"]

"I never taught her to surrender her body so easily."

Leo stared at Celia with dissatisfaction.

Since they first met, Celia had trained with him.

He hadn't taught her swordsmanship or aura control.

But battle experience, stamina, mental strength—

He had trained her thoroughly so she lacked in nothing.

So for Celia, even if she was confronting an Elemental Lord, to lose consciousness and give up her body—Leo couldn't accept that.

"Hah? Where's your willpower!"

["T-That's not something you can fix with just willpower…"]

Before Laruel could stop him, Leo jumped down after Celia.

Seeing her trying to rise, Leo grimaced.

"This won't do. I must've gone too easy on her."

At his words, Celia, who was about to lift her sword, flinched.

"From now on, I'll train you even more thoroughly."

Her body trembled.

"Don't… make me… LAUGH!"

A surge of aura flame burst from Celia.

Zerdinger's crimson flames drove out the blue ones.

Fwoosh—!

Even the sword and dress imbued with the high-rank elementals were overwhelmed by her flame.

"WHEN DID YOU EVER TRAIN ME GENTLY?! YOU WERE ALWAYS BRUTALLY TORMENTING ME! AND NOW WHAT? YOU'LL TRAIN ME MORE THOROUGHLY?! ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?!"

Celia screamed at Leo, pointing her finger at him.

"You're finally back to your senses."

Leo folded his arms and replied indifferently.

"Losing your body is proof you weren't prepared. To build willpower, there's no better way than hard training."

"You know… sometimes, you really sound like a grumpy old man!"

Celia shouted, stamping her feet in disbelief.

Leo replied, "By the way, you…"

"What now?!"

"Put some clothes on."

"…Huh?"

At his words, Celia looked down at herself.

And her face turned beet red.

"W-What is this?!"

She crouched down, wrapping herself up.

Leo said flatly, "Looks like that dress burned all your clothes."

"That perverted elemental! I'll kill him!"

Seeing Celia emit murderous intent, Leo shook his head and pulled some clothes from his subspace, handing them to her before turning around.

After hurriedly dressing, Celia sighed deeply.

"By the way… What should we do about the Elemental Lord of Purification?"

Seeing her worried expression, Leo replied, "If it's about that, don't worry."

"Huh?"

Just as Celia tilted her head—

Rumble rumble rumble—

The palace began to shake.

Celia looked bewildered.

"What is this?"

"The Elemental Domain is collapsing."

This wasn't just a palace—it was a space linked to the Elemental Lord of Purification, Ishtar.

If Ishtar suddenly lost his dominance here, it would collapse.

"W-What do we do? Shouldn't we escape?"

"Escaping a Elemental Domain is harder. Just stay put."

"Stay put?! What if we get caught in the collapse?!"

"It's just a building falling down."

"This giant palace is just a building?!"

Leo nonchalantly sat on a chair by the wall.

"This much won't kill us."

"No! What if we get seriously injured?!"

"After how I trained you? If a little collapse does serious harm, then your training was lacking."

"You—!"

Crassshhh—!

Celia screamed, pale as a sheet.

And then, Tonkan's palace collapsed.

bl

"What happened?!"

Abad, rushing in, looked at the collapsed palace in disbelief.

Despite the enormous structure falling, the surrounding area was unharmed.

The palace alone had collapsed cleanly.

Rumble… rustle…

Something stirred in the rubble.

Craaaack—!

"Seriously!"

Bursting from the debris, Celia looked utterly fed up.

"If the palace collapses, you're supposed to escape! Just because you won't die doesn't mean you should get buried!"

"Celia! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine…"

Abad rushed over, gripping her shoulders and checking her all over, leaving Celia flustered.

Abad let out a sigh of relief.

"You're unharmed."

Though they'd known each other for a long time, this was the first time she'd seen him like this. Celia scratched her cheek awkwardly and looked away.

"Of course. I'm totally fine."

"Where's Leo?"

Chelsea rushed over.

"If it's Leo…"

"He's over there."

It wasn't Celia who answered—but Anya.

"Who are you?"

"Anya Becks?"

Celia looked puzzled at the sudden appearance of the half-elf, and Abad looked bewildered.

Anya smiled at the two and spotted Leo sitting with legs crossed atop the highest pile of rubble.

"Looks like a throne."

Leo sat there calmly, exuding overwhelming presence.

Meanwhile, in Leo's vision, he saw Ishtar, the Elemental Lord of Purification, kneeling amidst the ruins, subdued by the top-ranking fire elementals.

Standing before him was Elsie.

And Althea knelt before Elsie and spoke.

["Our new master."]

["Our master."]

All the fire elementals within Ishtar's domain knelt to Elsie.

Laruel looked on, stunned.

["Unbelievable… The Elemental Lord of Darkness is ruling over fire elementals…"]

Is that even possible?

Watching that awe-inspiring scene, Leo smirked.

"Come to think of it, I heard of such a being in the distant past."

The noblest of elemental.

A legendary being who ruled all elemental.

A name forgotten in the current age.

"The Elemental Queen."

Under the moonlight, Elsie's figure overlapped with a memory from 5,000 years ago.

"She led the war that was thought impossible to victory by controlling the Lich King's army."

But using such great power came at a price—Elsie had also perished.

Watching Elsie, Leo stood up.

Then—

"Leo-oppa!"

Chelsea rushed over, face pale.

"Lady Reina! She's been kidnapped!"

At those words, all expression vanished from Leo's face.

Goooooooo—

Thud—

Chelsea, who had been approaching Leo, suddenly found her legs give way beneath her and she collapsed to the ground.

Not just her.

Everyone around held their breath.

Swoooosh—

A breeze under the moonlight stirred his silver hair.

A gleam flashed in Leo's crimson eyes.

"…What did you say?"