Editor : Amethyst00



Leo raised his sword as he watched the soldiers closing the distance while gripping their spears.

At Leo's action, the soldiers shrank their necks.

Step—

Leo took a single step forward.

And in response, the soldiers who had been closing in flinched and took a step back.

A strange sight—one man overwhelming hundreds who surrounded him.

Step— Step—

As Leo slowly advanced, the soldiers retreated.

They instinctively sensed it.

That the boy before them was dangerous.

Even the soldiers could clearly feel the overwhelming presence Leo exuded.

A knight watching from behind the line shouted.

"You cowards!"

Schwing—!

"You're retreating in fear from just one person! Do you still call yourselves the proud soldiers of Davienne?!"

Drawing his sword, the knight strode forward to strike down the soldier in front of him.

"Must I really cut you down to make you come to your senses—?!"

Smack—!

At that moment.

Leo charged toward the soldiers at tremendous speed.

"Gah?!"

"D-Don't come! Don't come!"

As Leo approached, the front-line soldiers panicked and thrust their spears.

That acted as a signal, and all the soldiers simultaneously rushed at Leo.

Soldiers in groups tend to move together.

Even if they are initially overwhelmed by momentum, once they begin to move, they charge like a flood breaking through a dam.

Clang—!

"Guh?!"

Leo struck down the spear aiming for him.

Then, he lunged at the off-balance soldier and cut him down.

"Urgh?!"

The soldier screamed and rolled across the ground.

But in the meantime, Leo was instantly surrounded.

The soldiers encircling Leo gritted their teeth and thrust their spears.

Leo scanned the spears flying in from all directions with crimson eyes and stepped on the tip of the lead spear to leap.

Slash! Slash!

Even then, he didn't stop moving his sword.

His movements bordered on the miraculous.

He didn't use even a shred of aura.

He simply read the flow of the battle, dodging and blocking the soldiers' attacks as he struck them down.

To the soldiers, it was like fighting a ghost.

Overwhelmed by that immense martial skill, the hundreds attacking Leo were seized with fear.

Leo quickly reached the soldier farthest in the rear.

"Uuuuugh…!"

"Cut him down, now!"

Prompted by the shouts of the knights behind, the trembling soldier rushed at Leo.

Slash—!

"Guh?"

Leo's sword flashed.

The soldier grabbing his neck froze on the spot.

Leo, expressionless, struck the soldier's helmet with the flat of his blade—wham!

Thud—

The soldier collapsed on the spot.

Step— Step—

Leo walked calmly toward the knights, his gaze cold.

"Indeed, your swordsmanship borders on the miraculous. But surely you've exhausted yourself slaying hundreds of soldiers."

The knights at the front broke into a cold sweat and formed a formation.

Seeing them, Leo tilted his head.

"Slay? Who?"

"You just slaughtered hundreds of the proud soldiers of Davienne! They may have been ignorant, but they gave their lives for their country! To honor them, we shall punish you!"

The lead knight pointed his sword at Leo, releasing aura.

Leo smirked at the knight.

"Strangely enough, people like you always seem to put a favorable spin on things for yourselves."

"Say whatever you will, enemy of Davienne."

Leo rested his sword on his shoulder with a tap.

Then pointed behind him.

"Unfortunately, I may have cut the soldiers, but I didn't kill them."

As he said that, the soldiers slowly began to rise.

"W-What?"

"I thought I was cut… I felt it!"

"It doesn't hurt!"

"W-What is this…?"

Though they had been cut, no blood flowed, and there was no pain.

bl

"What kind of magic is that?"

Elena crossed her arms, an incredulous look on her face.

In front of them, Leo's battle was being projected via magical vision.

Lyl clenched her fists tightly, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"As expected of Hyung-nim! He's amazing!"

"That's beyond amazing."

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't magic.

Nor was it summoning.

It was pure swordsmanship.

Even Elena, who didn't know much about swordsmanship, could tell something was different.

Meanwhile—

Celia, watching the scene, clenched her fist tightly.

Just then, Abad approached.

"Celia. What exactly is that?"

"…Swordsmanship."

"That kind of swordsmanship… really exists?"

Abad looked baffled.

Celia stared intently at Leo on the screen and spoke.

"It's not a structured form of swordsmanship."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just… even I can't explain it."

Celia looked confused.

"Xia, how would you describe it?"

"Hmm…"

Chen Xia thought for a moment.

Then said—

"Flower Blooming Sorcery."

Everyone turned to look at Chen Xia.

With the Lumene students' eyes on her, Chen Xia smiled softly.

"Luna's 'flower-blooming sorcery' is still magic, but I heard it steps into the realm of creation."

"Yes."

Chloe nodded at Chen Xia's words.

"Luna's flower-blooming magic… is probably a magic that current theories can't explain."

It literally creates life.

Even if it's just a flower, it's no exaggeration to say it's a magic that enters the realm of gods.

"In the same way, I think Leo-doryeong's swordsmanship has stepped into a realm close to that."

Chen Xia took out a dagger.

"To cut means to harm your opponent."

That is an unchanging truth.

"But that swordsmanship seems to have removed the aspect of harming from the act of cutting."

It may be swordsmanship, but it's also a kind of state.

A level akin to the magic that makes flowers bloom.

Chen Xia continued.

"Perhaps… someone kind left that swordsmanship to Leo-doryeong."

"Who?"

"Aaron-nim."

"Ah…!"

Celia's eyes widened.

"Since Leo-doryeong spent more time with Aaron-nim than we did… he probably saw and learned many things."

Though Chen Xia was referring to Leo's past life, Celia thought back to the training retreat.

Indeed, Leo had spent more time with Aaron than the other students.

Celia clenched her hands tightly.

Looking at her cousin, Celia felt something indescribable.

She already knew there was a difference.

That he was on another level.

Of course, that didn't mean she would stop working hard or chasing after him.

But seeing Leo show a realm of a completely different dimension, she couldn't help but feel shaken.

Sometimes, Celia questioned what kind of being Leo truly was.

Just then—

"What's got you thinking so hard?"

Chen Xia leaned her chin on Celia's left shoulder from behind.

"I think we should watch that scene carefully."

"What?"

"Maybe Leo-doryeong wants you and me… and the students of the Knight Department… to become like Aaron-nim."

"Anyone aspiring to be a knight wants to be like him. That's nothing new…"

"No."

Chen Xia took a step back and stood beside Celia.

Looking at Leo on the screen, she said—

"Maybe he wants us to become warriors with a warm heart, like Aaron-nim."

"What?"

"Think back to Aaron-nim."

Celia recalled the Aaron she had seen.

Contrary to her imagination, he was timid.

A warm-hearted hero.

A kind-hearted beastkin who treasured all living things.

"He protected the weak and cherished life."

Chen Xia looked at Leo.

"He didn't threaten others with power, and showed true courage when it mattered."

Chen Xia smiled softly.

"Isn't that… what they call chivalry?"

"…That sounds like something out of an old fairy tale."

"Yes. But Aaron-nim lived that way."

It was true.

A hero like one from a fairy tale.

"I'm sure Leo-doryeong wants us to become like that."

Knights who suit peaceful times.

Knights like Aaron from a fairy tale.

"That's why he's showing us this now."

"…How arrogant. Who does he think he is?"

Celia scoffed with arms crossed, but her crimson eyes followed Leo's image.

She muttered quietly—

"I really don't know how I'll repay that guy."

She wasn't the type to live in someone's debt.

Someday, she'd pay him back.

"I feel the same."

Chen Xia cupped her cheeks and sighed deeply.

"But he never wants anything in return."

Chen Xia pouted slightly as she glanced at Leo.

bl

The soldiers looked bewildered, unable to understand the situation. The knights widened their eyes.

"They were clearly cut…!"

"I see! You're a demon who uses black magic!"

"Those soldiers were resurrected corpses too!"

"Say whatever you want."

Leo looked bored.

Just then, one of the knights spoke.

"White hair and red eyes… Could it be… Leo Plov?"

At those words, the knights began murmuring.

Leo Plov.

The weight that name carried was immense.

And from that moment, some of the knights and nobles began to recognize Leo.

"Gasp…!"

"That face! I've seen it in the papers!"

"Leo Plov!"

"Why is Lumene standing in our way?!"

As the nobles reeled in shock, Leo replied dispassionately.

"You're the ones who involved Seiren."

He pointed behind him.

"Kyyaaaaaaah! S-Spare me! Please spare me!"

"…."

Just then, a Seiren student bitten by Lysinas screamed.

Leo realized that the elf bitten by Lysinas was Seiren's second-year top student, Leah Tingel.

'Did she really need to bite her?'

Leo shook his head slightly in disbelief.

"Now that Seiren's involved, Lumene has no choice but to intervene in the Davienne civil war."

"That's absurd!"

"Unacceptable! This is Davienne's affair!"

As the nobles protested angrily, Leo remained indifferent.

[So unfair… So unfair…!]

[I can't die like this… My family… My wife… My daughter…!]

The spirits summoned by Lysinas gathered around Leo.

They had become spirits, but were not originally qualified to become such.

Just ordinary soldiers with no power.

People who farmed, fished, and worked with wood—living each day as best they could.

People unrelated to war.

Some had even been unjustly killed by knights.

Leo looked expressionlessly at the spirits surrounding him.

Those who had risen in their intact forms through Lysinas's spirit conjuring had their lower halves or arms blown off during the battle.

Even as spirits, they had once been ordinary soldiers.

They stood no chance against knights wielding aura.

Leo looked down at a soldier clinging to his ankle as if pleading.

It wasn't an act of vengeance.

They were simply too aggrieved, clinging to Leo to plead.

"Even if I kill them with my own hands, will that resolve your grudge?"

It wouldn't.

A spirit's resentment must be resolved by the spirit itself.

Help from others cannot solve it.

Even if the perpetrators are slain, the resentment of the unjustly killed does not disappear.

Becoming an undead is simple.

When one's resentment toward the living deepens.

Eventually, even spirits lose reason and fall.

Lysinas didn't summon them for revenge.

She just wanted to hear their unjust stories.

It's inevitable.

The Dragon of Wisdom… that kind-hearted dragon knows.

The chain of resentment cannot be broken.

The only answer is to embrace and apologize on their behalf.

'That's why Lysinas is noble.'

Because she can cry for the dead.

"The one who summoned you as spirits didn't do it to avenge you. Nor would she want you to take revenge."

Even if Lysinas had wanted to settle their grudges, he would have stopped her.

That wasn't something for her to do.

Lysinas shouldn't bear that burden.

"Leo Plov, Student Council President of Lumene. It's an honor to meet you on the battlefield."

The commander of the Second Prince's royal guard stepped forward.

"To cross swords with a hero like you on the battlefield—what an honor for my house."

He spoke boldly.

No one knew what trick Leo had used, but he hadn't killed the soldiers.

'Because he's the Lumene student council president.'

Renowned Student Council President of Lumene.

Even if he intervened in a civil war abroad, he wouldn't take lives on the battlefield.

'He probably doesn't want his reputation stained with blood.'

Blood can bring either honor or infamy to a hero.

Even if they had to intervene because of Seiren, spilling blood now wouldn't benefit the Student Council President's reputation.

'This is my chance.'

Just surviving a battle against a hero brings great fame.

Even in defeat.

And it was Leo Plov, no less.

Thinking of how to elevate his fame and status, the commander drew his sword.

"I humbly request a duel."

Leo looked at the commander blankly.

[Kyaaaaahhhh!]

The spirit clinging to Leo's ankle screamed with bloodshot tears.

The resentment in his eyes deepened.

Leo stood up.

"Really fascinating."

"What do you mean?"

"Why is it that people like you always act like others dying is normal, but assume you'll never die?"

"What are you—"

Slash—

A chilling sound rang out.

The commander felt a sharp sting on his neck.

Ssshhh—

His vision tilted.

Thud—!

In that instant, the commander realized his head had fallen from his shoulders.

"Gaaahhhhhh!"

He screamed as he grasped the reality.

Hot pain exploded beneath his neck.

It had been so cleanly cut that no blood spurted out at first.

Spurt—!

"Guh!"

Moments later, blood gushed forth.

"P-Please spare…"

The commander begged before collapsing.

Thud—

Silence fell over the battlefield.

'Lysinas can't, but I can.'

Just before slashing the commander, Leo had also severed Elena's magic.

'That kind of thing is bad for kids' education.'

Leo smirked coldly.

Step— Step—

He walked forward.

"If you step onto the battlefield, you should be prepared to risk your life equally. All the more so…"

Leo's red eyes gleamed.

He looked toward the knights and nobles.

"The world may not be fair, but… don't you think it's more fair that those who wanted war die, rather than those who didn't?"

"Waaaaaaaah!"

"R-Run away!"

Knights and nobles screamed and fled.

Watching them, Leo said—

"Lysinas may not want revenge, but…"

His gaze turned to the spirits.

Their eyes now glowed blue with murderous intent.

In a normal state, perhaps it would be manageable.

But in such panic, it would be impossible to fend off the spirits.

The spirits reattached their limbs and chased after the knights and nobles.

A spirit soaked in blood deepens in resentment.

But—

'Lysinas is here.'

Surely, Lysinas would guide them to rest in peace.

Thump—

Leo sat down on a nearby rock and looked up at the sky.

"M-My lord…"

The surviving soldiers from the Second Prince's faction approached.

"Th-Thank you."

"I didn't do it for your thanks."

Leo didn't even look at them as he spoke.

"I just remembered something from the past."

His first war had been one like this.

A war where the powerful sacrificed the lower ranks for glory.

It was also the moment he had most yearned for that blue sky now above him.

Closing his eyes, Leo murmured quietly.

"…Disgustingly clear."