Editor : Amethyst00



That evening.

"Mmm! It must be because it's a special autumn menu—it's delicious."

Chelsea cupped her cheeks with both hands and smiled happily.

"Hero or not, she's still a kid. A kid."

When Celia shook her head, Chelsea grinned.

"Yup. I'll be the kid. You be the grown-up."

'What's this? Why is she admitting it so easily?'

Celia frowned slightly at Chelsea's nonchalant response to her provocation.

"At this rate, you'll be an old hag soon. You're older than me, so it'll happen faster."

"You little brat…!"

This time, it was Celia who got provoked.

Leo burst out laughing at the sight.

"You two never change."

"Hehehe."

"Dummy. That wasn't a compliment."

As Chelsea giggled cheerfully at Leo's words, Celia chimed in with a jab.

"It was a compliment. Consistency is a good thing."

"See? He said it was a compliment."

Watching Chelsea delight in Leo's words, Celia made a dumbfounded face.

Even so, she glanced sideways at Chelsea.

'Guess calling her a kid doesn't work anymore.'

Calling her a kid used to be the most efficient way to make Chelsea lose her temper.

Having always been shorter than her peers, it naturally became a complex for her.

But ever since she became a hero, it didn't work at all.

Thanks to seeing her own future through Sylord's magic.

As Celia glanced at Chelsea, who was pointedly avoiding the vegetables she disliked, she spoke.

"You still a picky eater?"

"What can I do if it doesn't taste good?"

"Picky eaters don't grow taller, you know?"

Chelsea flinched at that, and Celia's eyes lit up.

'Aha?'

She found something to tease her with.

Grinning at the thought, Celia said,

"Oh, right. I didn't mention this yet, did I? My nieces were born."

"Congrats, Celia."

Abad congratulated her with a smile.

"Got pictures?"

At Chelsea's question, Celia pulled out a photo from her pocket.

Chelsea's eyes widened as she took it.

"Wow! They're super cute!"

"Hmph."

Celia looked smug hearing Chelsea's admiration.

"They're not even your kids."

Leo pointed out, but Celia flipped her hair confidently.

"But they're my nieces."

"What's their gender?"

"Twin girls."

"Wow! Good thing they don't look like you at all!"

"What did you just say?"

Celia scowled at Chelsea's comment.

Abad, taking the photo from Chelsea, said,

"Glad they were born healthy. That must be a relief for Brother Rhys."

Abad smiled softly at the happy family photo.

"Wait! Why are you even here?!"

"To keep an eye on you trying to seduce my brother, that's why!"

"Even if someone was seducing someone, wouldn't it be your brother seducing me?!"

As Celia and Chelsea bickered as usual, Leo shook his head.

Tonight's dinner had been arranged by Abad.

Originally, he'd only invited Celia, but Chelsea found out and quickly invited herself.

In the end, Celia also brought Leo, and the four of them ended up dining together.

Since they had reserved a private room, it was just the four of them inside.

As Leo watched Celia and Chelsea, he suddenly felt a gaze and looked toward Abad.

Abad was staring straight at Leo's face.

Reading his intent, Leo gave a slight chuckle and said,

"Chelsea, let's go buy some dessert."

"Huh? Can't we just get dessert at a café?"

"It's evening. There'll be a crowd. Let's just go quietly to my room and eat."

"Okay."

Chelsea stood up.

Soon, only Celia and Abad were left in the room.

"Thanks for accepting the invitation."

"There was no reason not to."

At Celia's reply, Abad laughed.

Celia and Abad had feelings for each other.

And they were nurturing those feelings steadily.

In fact, though there were conditions attached, they were already promised to each other for the future.

Spending time like this was a joy for both.

"I'm planning to talk to my father about our relationship at the next Great Family Assembly."

"Won't the head of the Lewellin family disapprove of me?"

"That would be the same for your father, the head of the Zerdinger family, wouldn't it?"

Though not enemies, the two families had been long-standing rivals.

Compared to that, the bickering between Celia and Chelsea was rather cute.

But it wasn't something they could keep hiding forever.

As they both mulled over how their families would surely erupt in chaos over this, Celia suddenly let out a snort of laughter.

"What is it?"

"It's just… this whole situation is kind of funny."

Celia wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes, shoulders shaking from holding back laughter.

"Who would've thought we'd be worrying about things like this just three years ago?"

Abad also let out a laugh.

"That's true."

They had once only thought of how to defeat each other.

And now, here they were, worrying about marriage.

"Life really is unpredictable."

"You sound like an old man."

Celia giggled.

Abad looked down at the photo in his hands.

"They really do look happy."

Staring at the peaceful family photo, Abad asked,

"But when the mistress of the Zerdinger family became a mage, wasn't there any opposition?"

"There were some voices against it, but the conservative elder council of our house got wiped out after that incident, remember?"

Celia shrugged.

"So it went smoothly. Besides, with my brother's children already in Torua's belly, no one could keep objecting, right?"

For the Zerdinger family, a chivalric house that prized honor, it was unthinkable to let the world know their heir had fathered the next successors out of wedlock.

That's why they held the marriage ceremony immediately after the Hero Slayer incident.

Zerdinger wasn't a family that cared much for formality, and since the previous head—Celia's grandfather—also had a small, quiet wedding, it didn't become a big issue.

"Hm. So forgiveness is easier to get than permission."

Murmuring that, Abad made a serious expression before speaking.

"Celia. We should also—"

"Don't try anything. Did you forget the condition for marrying me? You need to beat me in a one-on-one duel first."

Celia said with a bright smile, and Abad clicked his tongue.

Celia looked at him with an exasperated expression.

"Are you going to keep having pervy thoughts about me? You always acted like a gentleman, but it was all just an act?"

"You're special to me."

Celia snorted at that.

But she didn't dislike hearing it.

Especially not when someone with Abad's looks said it with a smile—it almost sounded sweet.

Thinking that, Celia flinched.

'No. I can't fall for this guy's tricks.'

She shook her head furiously and braced herself.

bl

"Sigh. Pretending not to root for them is exhausting."

"I thought you were trying to get in their way?"

Leo looked puzzled at Chelsea's mumbling.

She replied, "I mean, I do want to get in their way, but…"

"But?"

"It'd be weird to oppose them when my brother clearly likes Celia. I'm his sister—it'd just be awkward."

Chelsea pouted and grumbled.

"And when I really think about it, Celia's not a bad partner for my brother."

She crossed her arms and nodded seriously, prompting Leo to raise an eyebrow.

"Then why are you always so spiteful?"

"Because of my brother."

"Abad?"

Leo tilted his head in confusion, and Chelsea furrowed her brows.

"My brother always insists on doing whatever he wants. He's so stubborn—sometimes he acts just like a kid."

"That's hard to imagine, thinking of the usual Abad."

"Of course. He never shows it on the surface."

Chelsea had grown up with him, so she knew.

"My brother wants to get closer to the one he likes as fast as possible. Celia always calls him buttery or whatever, but she's never denied that he's attractive. And if their feelings for each other catch fire even more—who knows how far they'll go?"

"So you want to slow them down?"

"Exactly."

Chelsea nodded firmly.

Leo let out a short laugh.

"Anyway… Did you hear Arhi Kingdom is going to come up as an agenda item at the Great Family Assembly?"

"Celia told me."

"Sigh. What's wrong with those people?"

"It's about vested interests."

No one likes to lose something.

It's human nature.

"Still, Leo, you're the king recognized by Lady Lysinas, right?"

The King of the World.

Not a ruler, but the one recognized as the savior of the world.

From Chelsea's perspective, she couldn't understand why anyone would feel antagonistic toward Leo.

But Leo had expected it.

To them, whether Leo was the King of the World or the successor of the Great Hero who would save the world—it didn't matter.

He was just a threat to their existing privileges.

Even if the end of the world was tomorrow, some people would ignore the threat and chase after short-term gain.

Even during the Age of Calamity, when the world was collapsing, such people never disappeared.

"Why don't you just reveal you're the First Hero? Lady Melina would acknowledge you anyway, right?"

At this point, even if Leo's true identity as Kyle was revealed, there'd be no external or internal threats.

Leo had overwhelming power and influence.

"People who won't believe still won't believe. And even if I said I'm Kyle, their attitude toward me wouldn't change."

"Hmm."

"And most importantly."

"Yeah?"

"I'll tell those close to me one day… but I'm not planning to make it public that I'm Kyle."

"Why?"

Chelsea widened her eyes in disbelief.

"In this era, the status of the Great Hero is incredibly high. Practically like the gods of the Age of God."

"They're not like gods—they are gods."

The hero who vanquished the original evil, Erebos, whom even the gods couldn't defeat.

The one praised by the gods as greater than themselves.

That's the Great Hero.

If the Hero Record didn't exist, a religion worshipping the Great Hero might've formed.

Actually, some people obsessed with the Great Hero were no different from the extreme religions of the Age of Gods.

It would be fair to say he was treated as a god.

"Now imagine that such a Great Hero was reincarnated. And then went out and saved the world again…"

Leo stopped walking and said,

"Do you think the world would ever learn to be independence?"