Editor : Amethyst00



After finishing their meeting with Dade, the three of them left the Plov family's office.

Since Dade was the humble lord of a rural domain, there wasn't much valuable intel to be gained from him.

Most of what he provided were eyewitness accounts from the citizens.

"We won't know anything specific until we investigate the site ourselves."

Leo hadn't expected to gain much information from his father in the first place.

The reason he had come straight to meet Dade was simply because he was the lord, the one in charge of the territory.

"Well, just the fact that he influenced Luna in some way makes it worth it."

Leo glanced sideways at Rune, who wore a thoughtful expression.

There was a hint of confusion lingering in her face.

While looking at Rune, Leo then turned to glance at Reina.

And without realizing it, he opened his mouth and muttered:

"Blegh."

"Hmm? And what kind of rude reaction is that supposed to be?"

Reina grabbed Leo by the collar, still smiling beautifully.

Her expression was radiant like a flower, but veins bulged threateningly on her forehead.

Just moments ago, Reina had shown a surprisingly girlish expression—and Leo had reacted instinctively without thinking.

Reina shook Leo by the scruff before finally letting him go.

"By the way, you."

"What?"

"You kind of resemble Marquess Dade."

She tilted her head, hand under her chin.

In response, Leo straightened his collar and said:

"Not at all."

"Hey, hey. Student Council President of Seiren—didn't this kid look just a little bit like Marquess Dade earlier?"

"Not even a little."

Rune shook her head as well.

Dade Plov had a kind, gentle expression that put people at ease—but his features were more plain than handsome.

"If anything, I take after my mother."

Even before his talent was recognized, Leo had always been popular among the girls in Lumene.

He firmly believed his looks came from Reina.

"When Mom always said I looked just like Dad, I thought she meant it the way parents always do… but…"

It seemed Reina's eye for detail was sharper than he'd expected.

With a faintly curious expression, Reina glanced at the door and murmured:

"Marquess Dade… I wonder if he's married?"

"Are you interested?"

Rune blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. I kind of like him."

"I figured you'd have really high standards for men… You actually go for someone that normal?"

Rune commented, sounding genuinely surprised.

Leo chuckled softly.

"She does have high standards. But she only takes a liking to someone she sees as a genuinely good person."

Reina was bold and direct on the surface, but in truth, very cautious at heart.

Of course, once she decided something was right, she could also be extremely aggressive.

"From the look of the place, I'd guess there's no lady of the house."

"Oho. That's true."

Reina's eyes sparkled as she smiled slyly.

"I want to have a daughter."

"Why?"

"Because if I had a son, he'd probably turn out like you—an annoying little brat with no charm."

Reina narrowed her eyes and tugged playfully at the ends of Leo's hair.

Leo gave a dry laugh and said:

"Let's head to the site where the black flames rose."

"Yeah. Let's."

bl

BZZZZT—! FLASH—!

A surge of powerful magic roared as Leah appeared at Lumene's warp gate.

Despite the return of the student council president, no students came to greet her.

'Must be class time, huh?'

After checking the time, Leah stepped through the gate.

She exchanged brief greetings with the staff and made her way back to the dormitory.

The faculty members seemed more distracted than usual.

Normally, Leah would have picked up on the unusual atmosphere and immediately sensed something had happened while she was away.

But her mind was preoccupied from the recent mission.

'…Erebos, in the form of Kyle.'

Leah bit her lip.

Just the fact that Erebos had taken Kyle's appearance was enough to make her blood boil.

But that wasn't the real problem.

'They were able to bring someone from the Hero Record into the outside world…'

That was what shocked her the most.

'Of course, the remnant fragment's power was clearly weakened…'

But when considering Erebos's immortality, it was still an anomaly.

A remnant fragment.

A mere fragment of Erebos's power.

But even so, it retained the god's authority—his immortality.

'Summoning a being recorded in the Hero Record must require a primal source of power… something like… divine power.'

The Hero Record and the gods were fundamentally of the same origin.

With her unique insight, Leah was able to piece things together.

'Calling upon the past must take a tremendous toll… they wouldn't do it lightly.'

To summon someone only to have them be destroyed by the enemy would be a massive waste of power.

'And if they can summon people from the Hero Record…'

Leah clenched her fists.

'Then we should be able to do the same.'

At that moment, one person flashed through her mind.

'…Kyle…'

She stopped in her tracks.

And when Kyle came to mind—another figure followed naturally.

'…Dweno… no, Valhar.'

Valhar's appearance had left a deep impression on her.

'I thought I knew everything about him.'

But it wasn't just Valhar.

Kar and Rune, too.

Leah had always believed that just as they understood her, she too knew her friends completely.

The Great Heroes weren't just comrades who had entrusted their lives to one another—they were like family.

Irreplaceable.

But what Valhar showed her this time was unfamiliar.

More precisely—

'…He's moving forward.'

Valhar was moving on.

She had felt it clearly this time.

What now preoccupied Leah's mind was not Erebos. Nor the Hero Record.

It was Valhar.

'…I've never once doubted the path I've taken since being reborn.'

She had searched for traces of Kyle, who had vanished from the world.

She had lived to prove that the Hero of the Beginning existed.

She'd struggled, believing that somewhere, someone like Kyle might have been reborn.

But—

'…I never found a single trace of Kyle.'

As a spirit medium, she could tell.

That's why she'd immediately recognized Rune, Kar, and Valhar when she first saw them.

Their soul frequencies hadn't changed at all from five thousand years ago.

So she knew that if Kyle had also been reborn, she would've recognized him instantly.

But—Kyle was nowhere to be found.

'I thought I had to avenge him.'

On Tartaros.

And on Erebos, whom they had failed to reach five thousand years ago.

If the Hero of the Beginning no longer existed, she would create a second.

Even if a new Hero of the Beginning wasn't possible, she would raise heroes who carried his will.

That's why Leah had shown the students of Lumene a path to follow.

A path that would lead them to follow in Kyle's footsteps.

She believed that was how she could honor him.

Step, step…

Leah walked in silence, eyes fixed on the ground.

'But… was that really the right thing to do…?'

She told her comrades to stop using the names of the past.

She told them to move forward into a future without Kyle.

Because she was the leader.

She had been then, and she still was now.

The leader of the Great Heroes.

No one ever questioned that.

But—

'If I go the wrong way… then we'll all go the wrong way.'

She had forgotten that.

Five thousand years ago, she had always thought things through carefully.

So they wouldn't lose their way.

But now—

'…Am I really going in the right direction?'

For the first time, that doubt crept in.

'No… was I ever moving forward at all?'

She stopped again.

WHOOOOOSH—

A wind blew from behind her.

Leah turned around unconsciously.

She saw them—herself and the other four Great Heroes.

In their past forms.

With steady, unwavering eyes.

The illusion vanished in an instant.

Leah clenched her fists.

Valhar's resolve was clear.

Leave behind the ones who are gone, and move forward.

That was the path for those who remained.

'I know. Kyle would have said the same. But… if we forget, then Kyle disappears forever.'

She bit down hard on her lip.

Tears welled in her eyes as she clenched her trembling fists.

'We're the ones who get to enjoy this peaceful world… while the one who suffered the most—Kyle—is the only one left out.'

Leah turned her head and looked forward.

The present that shone so brilliantly just moments ago… was now half-destroyed and in ruins.

"……"

She stared blankly at the devastated dormitory.

Mouth agape, she grabbed a passing student.

"C-Chelsea! What happened here?!"

"Oh! Senior Leah!"

Chelsea blinked wide-eyed and hopped over the rubble to stand in front of her.

"You're finally back?"

"Yeah. But more importantly… what the hell is this…?"

Leah faltered when she locked eyes with Chelsea.

'Huh?'

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Huh? What's wrong, Senior Leah? Is there something on my face?"

Chelsea blinked again and touched her cheeks with both palms.

Leah stared at her, confused.

'Was she always like this?'

It was unmistakably the same Chelsea as always.

But something felt different.

Leah saw a light in her that she hadn't seen before.

Then—

"Ahem! Make way! Third-year Knight Department's number one! Eliana Raden is on the move!"

From the distance, Elaina strutted confidently, carrying a load of construction materials on her back.

It was a far cry from the timid girl she usually was.

"Oh wow."

"No way she's top of the third-year Knight Department…"

"The Knight Department is doomed!"

Lamentations rose among the third-year knight students.

"Hey! If you've got a problem, fight me!"

Eliana threw punches in the air, scowling fiercely.

Then she spotted Leah staring and gasped—stumbling backward and tripping over a rock.

'Eliana too…'

She had changed.

Not just in mood—there was a glow about her now that Leah hadn't seen before.

'Almost like Valhar…'

Just as she was remembering her friend and feeling conflicted, Elena approached.

"You're back, President."

She sounded snappish and irritated, not her usual soft tone.

Leah spoke up.

"Elena. What happened here? Why is it like this?"

Elena sighed deeply.

"Some shady guy attacked the dorm. Along with these damn brats."

She pinched both of Chelsea's cheeks.

"Ow! Let go, please!"

Chelsea flailed her arms.

Using telekinesis, she also dragged over the fallen Eliana.

"Eep! Senior Elena! My skirt—!"

Eliana shrieked, holding her skirt tightly as she flailed in the air.

THUD!

"Ow!"

The spell released, and Eliana dropped to the ground.

At the same time, Chelsea's cheeks were released.

She rubbed them with a pout.

"A shady guy?"

"Yeah. Oh, and here's a letter from the Seiren student council president."

Elena pulled an envelope from her coat and handed it over.

It was magically sealed—only Leah could open it.

She unfolded the letter and read its contents.

Then closed her eyes.

"Looks like… I need to go. Right now."

"Right after you got here?"

"Yes."

As she folded the envelope, Leah realized there was a second sheet inside and flipped it over.

["You damned, scheming, slimy lizard."]

'…Why is she like this to me again…'

The words radiated a certain malice, and Leah pressed her temple in frustration.

"Where are you going, Senior Leah?"

At Chelsea's question, Leah answered plainly.

"To the Marquees of Plov, in the Kingdom of Delad."