Editor : Amethyst00



His previous life had not been a particularly happy one.

'It's no wonder.'

He remembered the sky being dyed a shade of gray.

At the edge of life, he had gazed upon the sun barely rising on the horizon as he met his end.

He was one of the few who had experienced both the beginning and end of the Age of Calamity.

No human who had to live through that age could possibly have had a happy life.

Still, even in an unfortunate life, there had been memories worth remembering.

'Especially from the moment I met Lysinas.'

Meeting Lysinas, Luna, Aaron, and Dweno—if one looked only at the conclusion, it had ended in tragedy.

Just like always.

He had sent his comrades off before him.

Just like always.

And once again, he alone had survived.

But even if it had ended in tragedy, his bond with them was not without meaning.

No.

It became something of great meaning, something that could not be replaced by anything.

'In the end, the world was saved just as Lysinas intended.'

That was when Kyle's life gained meaning.

That's why Leo remembered the moment he met Lysinas as clearly as if it were yesterday.

The joyful moments… the sorrowful moments…

Every moment that began with meeting Lysinas had taken root as a definite light in Kyle's otherwise ashen-gray life.

And just as there were memories he never wanted to forget—

There were memories he wanted to forget, too.

Like the moment unfolding before his eyes now.

Walking behind Lasha, Leo looked around at the scenery of a street long forgotten in his memories.

'Revatain.'

The hometown he remembered.

He didn't know who his parents were in his previous life.

That couldn't be helped.

'I was an orphan.'

Tracing his memories, he had lived in Revatain since birth.

'My earliest memory is from when I was about five, and I was already here, so I guess it is my hometown.'

He learned much later that Revatain was a city in the eastern part of the continent.

Leo pulled his collar tighter against the chill wind.

Before the Age of Calamity, the northern continent had been a land of warmth and life.

The truly cold region had been the eastern continent.

'The southern continent too, before it became desert, had been full of lush forests.'

It was when Erebos emerged from the eastern edge of the continent and ice elementals migrated north that the northern continent turned into the frigid land it now was.

In contrast, the southern continent had been Erebos's first target, resulting in its complete incineration and transformation into a desert.

This harsh, cold land in the east was home to beastmen and dwarves.

'And by the time I was born, a considerable number of human pioneers had also settled here.'

Revatain was the easternmost city among those settlements.

Leo only learned about the origins of his hometown after meeting Lysinas during the Age of Calamity.

It was Lysinas who told him, upon hearing that his hometown was Revatain.

Squelch—squelch—

"Lasha."

"Hm? What?"

"Did you know Revatain is a pioneer city?"

"That's news to me. Do I need to know that?"

"…Knowing about the place you were born is important."

"Oh please. What's so important about that kind of useless info? Who told you that? Medea again?"

Lasha shook her head firmly at Kyle's words.

"Kyle. I've told you many times, but Medea is from a different social class than us."

"…Shen is a knight apprentice too, so he's of a different class. He's technically a semi-noble. If he becomes a knight, he'll be a full noble."

"Oh come on. Shen was born vulgar! That cocky bastard! His class is the same as that scumbag Kasam! The same as Kasam! And knight?! Hah! If that bastard becomes a knight, I'll spend my whole life working as a maid in his house! A maid!"

Lasha's eyes blazed as she ranted.

'…Familiar names.'

Even if he had forgotten them, it didn't mean he didn't miss them.

Lasha, Kasam, Shen.

They were Kyle's first companions.

And Medea.

Leo thought of the mysterious girl from the depths of his memory.

"What about Kasam and Shen?"

"No idea! Probably took the commission money and went to the brothel again! Those damn beasts! Do you know how embarrassing they make it for me in front of the other girls?! I should rip their legs off one of these days!"

If Kasam and Shen were in front of her, she looked ready to pounce.

"Kyle! Don't be like Kasam! You're the hope of our household! Don't even think about going to places like brothels!"

"Hard not to, since our family business runs those kinds of places."

"Regardless! Didn't you say you'd make a lot of money so our sisters don't have to do rough work anymore?!"

"Kasam's secretly saving money for that too."

"Really? How do you know?"

"He asked me to keep it secret 'cause he's embarrassed."

"Seriously. What's so embarrassing about that? Then where does all that money for nightlife come from?"

"Shen."

"Crazy bastard! Must be rotting in money! Oh right! He's from a merchant family, isn't he? Then why's he working as a mercenary?"

Watching the flabbergasted Lasha, Kyle let out a bitter smile.

Yeah. She had always been this fierce.

"Anyway! What's most important now is the reality in front of us! Stop dreaming weird dreams! You've been bewitched by Medea lately!"

"I don't think I was exactly bewitched."

"No, you're dreaming ridiculous dreams right now!"

"Am I?"

"Yes! You've been taken in by Medea saying you could do something great for the world! She's not even specific about what that 'great thing' is!"

Lasha turned to Kyle, eyes wide.

"If you chase a foolish dream, you'll crash hard! Real hard!"

Lasha, who had turned around to lecture him, hesitated.

Kyle was looking at her with a strangely sorrowful expression.

'Kyle… You… I'm sure you'll be able to do great things… I'm sorry for denying your dream… I just… just…'

Meeting Medea had changed Kyle's life.

What he wanted to do.

What he had to do.

Back then, he had no idea where to go or what to do—but had believed vaguely in his own potential, believing he could do something great.

'My dream… was to live happily with you… So I think I denied your dream because I was selfish. I'm sorry…'

And the first time he had survived.

'Back then, I didn't know. That I'd survive so stubbornly.'

To build a future with the one she loved—that was her greatest happiness and goal…

It may have looked modest to others, but to her, it was everything.

Looking at Lasha, Leo couldn't support the dream of his first companion.

bl

Pioneer cities gathered all sorts of people.

Laborers for development.

Mercenaries to hunt monsters in unexplored regions.

Merchants to cater to them.

Government officials sent by the lords planning the pioneering efforts.

Knight orders of nobles looking for real-world experience.

Revatain was a city where development had gone rather smoothly.

Because of that, people gathered. Money gathered. And to maintain public order, soldiers gathered.

But when people gather from all over the world for all kinds of reasons, darkness inevitably follows.

Especially when money is involved.

To control a rough city where darkness and money are intertwined, there needs to be a place to relieve human desire.

Alcohol, gambling, women.

The place where orphan Kyle grew up was a back-alley brothel.

Kyle had no one he could call a parent.

But there were many who cared for him.

Women who worked in rough jobs in the backstreets.

Lasha and Kasam also grew up in a small brothel, just like Kyle.

Lasha and Kasam were biological siblings.

They were born in the brothel, but their mother had died.

The three of them grew up like siblings from early on.

To Kyle, Lasha and Kasam were not only his first comrades—they were like family.

There was no age hierarchy between them, but Lasha acted like the eldest.

Lasha, who was quite pretty, was originally destined to entertain customers.

But her fate changed when it was discovered she had a talent for weapons and aura.

'At the time, the ability to wield aura was rare.'

Kasam had the same talent as Lasha.

A pioneer city inevitably needed "strength."

And it brought in more money than taking customers.

There were five women living in the house.

Each had a story, each had debts.

But all five lovingly cared for Kyle, Lasha, and Kasam.

'They hated being called "mom," so we called them sisters instead.'

At any rate, Kyle at that time was working hard to repay the sisters' debts.

Shen was the son of a wealthy merchant and an aspiring knight.

He had come to Revatain with the knights to gain experience.

But he quickly tired of the strict knightly etiquette.

He ended up working as a mercenary and naturally became close to Kyle's party.

He especially got along well with Kasam.

And then…

"Oh! Lasha! Long time no see!"

"We just finished a mission two days ago."

Today was the day of their celebration party for completing a mission, meeting at a tavern in front of the mercenary guild.

Kyle and Lasha arrived first to secure a table.

The third to arrive was none other than Shen.

He pulled his chair close to Lasha and sat down.

"Monster attacks have been increasing lately."

"Hmm… I heard rumors about an earthquake at the eastern edge."

Leo silently listened to the conversations around the tavern.

'…So Erebos hadn't appeared yet.'

The Age of Calamity had not begun.

It seemed to be the time when the signs were beginning to show.

Leo listened closely to the mercenaries' conversations.

Lasha glanced at Leo's face now and then, her face slightly blushing.

'What's up with him? Why does he seem so mature today?'

Kyle's vibe had changed.

Lasha, sensing it, was quite flustered.

One thing was certain.

'He's way more handsome than usual.'

Lasha tried her best to stay calm.

Seeing her, Shen frowned, then grinned.

"Lasha, you look beautiful today too."

"Get lost."

Lasha scowled.

"Heh, I said it before, but what do I have to do for you to date me?"

"Bring me your family's entire fortune. Then I'll go on a date with you for a day."

"Does that include the night?"

"No."

"Aren't you being too pricey? My feelings for you are pure, you know."

Shen flashed a roguish grin.

"Do you hate me that much?"

"Shen, I know you're a trustworthy friend and not a bad guy. But your private life is way too messy."

Lasha crossed her arms and said firmly.

"Being friends is good enough for us. You just want a one-night stand with me, don't you?"

"That hurts a little, you know? My feelings for you are pure."

"Pure, my ass."

Lasha narrowed her eyes.

At that, Shen chuckled.

"Don't be too hard on him, Lasha. Shen's pure in body too."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Lasha and Shen looked at Kyle in disbelief.

Kyle continued.

"He's great at talking to women, but when one touches him, he stutters."

"Huh? This guy's famous for visiting brothels every day!"

Lasha looked incredulous, while Shen gaped like a fish.

"I get that he wants to get used to it to avoid embarrassment later, but ruining his image with fake bravado is just dumb."

"Haha, Kyle. Where'd you hear such nonsense? I'm Shen! The king of Revatain's backstreets!"

Shen laughed dramatically, and Kyle said, "Try holding his hand. He'll freeze up."

"No way."

Lasha grabbed Shen's wrist, and he immediately froze.

"…He's faking it, right?"

Lasha looked unimpressed.

"Ka-ka-ka-kasam!"

As soon as she let go, Shen shouted, "Kasam, you bastard! You promised to keep it a secret!"

"Oh! You guys are already here!"

"You bastard!"

"W-what? What's going on?!"

Eyes wide, Shen lunged at Kasam.

Crash—

Holding her head, Lasha left the brawling two behind and approached the tavern owner.

"How much will it be?"

"Haven't finished the estimate yet."

The tavern owner replied flatly, clearly used to this.

Kyle, not wanting to get caught in the chaos, stepped outside the tavern.

Standing by the entrance, he looked up at the night sky.

'…This is an illusion.'

Just as Melina had said—an illusion comparable to the world of heroes.

'But why am I trapped in this illusion?'

While Kyle pondered—

"Sounds noisy in there. Something happen?"

A gentle voice called out.

Leo turned his head.

A girl with beautiful silver hair and a breathtaking face stood there.

"Hm? Kyle, do I have something on my face?"

Medea touched her cheek, looking startled.

The girl who had been his idol during boyhood…

His teacher in magic and summoning—Kyle looked at Medea and murmured,

'So Medea was a dragon…'

Something he could never have known as a child—Leo looked at Medea's beautiful face, now knowing the truth.