Chapter 215
Chapter 215
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Leonhardt and Ariya's Encounter - Hope
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***
The infirmary, managed by Adelia.
Adelia was in a complete flurry due to Ariya’s unexpected visit.
And if his supervising instructor was that surprised, it was only natural for Leonhardt to be dumbfounded as well.
—Just what kind of being was the Master of the Magic Tower?
He had been educated on the matter by the Rorient family, so he knew well enough. But while he understood her greatness through the many achievements she had contributed to the Empire, he had never delved into the finer details.
He had figured he would never have the chance to meet the Master of the Magic Tower, a person whom even the Emperor of the Empire rarely saw.
But now, that very same great being was standing right before him.
And she had come with hopeful words, saying she had something to look into regarding his lost Trait…
“Hmm…”
Amidst her mysterious silver hair, her violet eyes, unlike those of any mortal, shone with an uncanny light.
Tense, Leonhardt waited for her answer in silence. He couldn't even think of speaking first or asking for a response.
“This can only be the influence of the Nine Apostles.”
“…?”
As Ariya muttered a single phrase, Leonhardt couldn't fully comprehend her words. Adelia, who was standing by his side, was in the same boat.
However, Adelia had a suspicion.
“Master Ariya. When you say the Nine Apostles, are you by any chance referring to… the Apostles of Lua?”
“That's right. They are sometimes called by that name.”
As Ariya calmly affirmed, Adelia’s expression hardened completely.
She had had a feeling over the past few days, but she had dismissed it, thinking she was overthinking things.
An apostle possessing the power to erase a given Trait could not be an ordinary apostle. Furthermore, the identity of the apostle that Anastasia had stopped was surprisingly announced to be an ‘avatar.’
…An apostle capable of causing such chaos within the Empire, despite being merely an avatar.
It inevitably brought to mind the group of apostles said to have destroyed over a dozen kingdoms in the past. The extremely dangerous apostles known as the ‘Apostles of Lua.’
Why had the continent become a single Empire in the past? It wasn't because some king sought to unify the lands or because someone waged wars of conquest.
—Simply to survive.
Because the human race itself had been on the brink of extinction, the countless kingdoms eventually had to unite their strength to form a single Empire.
It was a description left in the annals of history, a fragment of a terrifying truth.
“When you say the Apostles of Lua…”
As Leonhardt asked, blinking blankly, Ariya slowly shook her head.
“Don't you try to think too deeply about it. The more you dig, the weaker your spirit will become.”
“Ah, yes. I will do as you say.”
As Leonhardt replied instantly without a hint of disagreement, Ariya let out a deep sigh.
After meeting Han Cheon-seong, she had immediately sought out Leonhardt.
And she was even more surprised. Leonhardt’s condition was indeed severe, but more than that, she could feel his spirit had sunk into a deep abyss.
‘Why on earth would they do this?’
She didn't understand.
She was certain that a power, a trace of the Nine Apostles, was engraved upon Leonhardt’s heart. Yet, the question of why they hadn't killed him lingered in her mind.
‘If they were going to erase his Trait, it would have been far cleaner to just kill him.’
She thought for a moment, then let out a hollow laugh.
“How… vicious.”
The words, meant to be a thought, slipped past her lips.
The reason why the Nine Apostles had done this to a student was all too simple. It was one of the unrevealed truths known only to a select few, including the Emperor of the Empire.
—The succession of Legendary Traits.
It felt as if they had tried to prevent even posthumous succession. A Trait that vanished upon a student’s death had the potential to manifest in another human in the future.
In fact, there were quite a few records of similar Traits and powers.
But the Nine Apostles had taken that into account and chosen to erase the Trait altogether.
They had made a move to ensure that as long as Leonhardt lived as he was now, the Legendary Trait he once possessed would not be passed down to the next generation.
She clicked her tongue, her eyes fixed on Leonhardt before her.
“……”
Seeing Leonhardt still looking at her with such obedience, a sense of pity welled up inside her.
He was trying to be polite and courteous. It was an attitude commonly seen in others.
But Leonhardt possessed eyes that a being who had experienced the loss of a Trait—an incident barely mentioned even in first-class ancient tomes—should not have.
And through those tomes, I knew even of events from the distant past.
The fate of those hailed as unparalleled geniuses centuries ago, who, like Leonhardt, had lost their Traits.
The records stated that after losing their Traits, all of them either became invalids or descended into madness. The loss of a Trait brought a despair greater than any other loss a human could experience.
For all the achievements and accomplishments a person had built throughout their life to vanish in a single moment… it was a brutally horrific sensation.
And yet, the man named Leonhardt was now pulling himself together, his eyes even holding a certain clarity.
‘Is it because he’s a student?’
She had a strange feeling, wondering if she should consider it fortunate that he experienced this tragedy at a time when his accomplishments were not yet great.
“First, it’s not that there’s no way to recover your Trait, but it won’t be easy in the slightest. And I can’t even promise how long it will take.”
Her heart was not light as she delivered the words as calmly as possible.
It was a feeling separate from the anticipation of being able to teach the one called Han Cheon-seong, a talent like a massive gemstone, a jewel.
The Leonhardt before her was a man with a talent that could be called that of an unparalleled genius, enough to understand why he was mentioned in the ancient tomes.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. There is a way. But it depends entirely on you.”
I cleverly omitted a few words, offering him a sliver of hope.
“To put it simply, it is simple, so that you don't overthink it and can focus completely. So listen to my words carefully.”
“Yes!”
Seeing him answer with vigor, as if embracing hope, I spoke with an even heavier heart.
“The apostle that left its mark on you was one of the Nine Apostles, also known as the Apostles of Lua, who manifested its power through an avatar. If we try to erase the remnants of that power, your life will be extinguished along with it, so we can neither erase it nor touch it recklessly.”
Perhaps others wouldn't even be able to sense the presence of that power, but I felt it distinctly.
The utterly grotesque apostolic power residing in Leonhardt’s heart.
“Yes. I understand.”
As he replied with understanding, I met his eyes and spoke with intensity.
“Everything depends on your will.”
“…My will?”
“Yes. Your will must become stronger than the remnants of power residing in your heart. You must desire it intensely and constantly recall the origin of your Trait.”
Finishing my words, I added no further explanation.
The only way for a human who had lost their Trait to regain it was to manifest a will far greater than the remnants of power left by the Nine Apostles.
“……”
As he blinked blankly, I turned away.
With that, I had said all I needed to say.
Whether he could overcome it or not was entirely up to him… pitifully, that was all I could do.
“I shall take my leave now. Good luck.”
“Master Ariya. Please… have a safe trip.”
Accepting the words of the woman who seemed to be an instructor, my gaze inadvertently shifted.
The earnestness in her eyes beneath her green hair. I could feel what that emotion meant.
‘She understood my words.’
Unlike Leonhardt, who was blinking blankly, the instructor named Adelia seemed to have grasped the true meaning behind my words.
—It was impossible.
The truth that for a human to overcome the remnants of a being as mighty as one of the Nine Apostles with sheer will was practically impossible…
In terms of probability, it was so low it couldn't be described, like a number far below the decimal point.
*Clack.*
I shook my head slightly as I walked.
“……”
And yet, I had to give him hope.
Hope that the man named Leonhardt could live on without going mad.
That was why I couldn't bring myself to tell him of the despair hidden within that hope.
And because he was human, the possibility clearly existed.
The unconventional power known as a Trait, bestowed by the world. If a human’s faint potential could reach absolute power through their own will…
*Click.*
As I left the infirmary, my gaze drifted to Esia walking before me.
Her unique silver hair, shining like my own, and her form, now that of a fully-grown woman… my former disciple had grown up beautifully.
She was in the prime of human life, brimming with vitality.
“Esia.”
“Yes, Master.”
Her voice, now calm unlike before, prompted me to ask naturally.
“Are you not curious about the offers I made to Han Cheon-seong?”
“…That, yes. Honestly, from my perspective, I am.”
A faint smile escaped my lips at her hesitation, yet her inability to deny it.
Despite her grown appearance, Esia’s disposition hadn’t changed much. She had always been a curious child, so I had expected as much.
So, I spoke to her a little more gently.
“Han Cheon-seong has no talent for mana. Furthermore, his Common Trait isn't even related to mana. Yet the reason I showed him so much interest isn't simply because I took a liking to him.”
“If that's the case…?”
As my former disciple fell into step beside me, I unhesitatingly revealed what I hadn't before.
“It’s because Han Cheon-seong survived an encounter with one of the Nine Apostles.”
“……!”
A small laugh escaped me as her eyes widened.
“Even if it was just an avatar of a Nine Apostle, the number of people who could do that can be counted on one hand. It is a miracle in itself, and in other words, it is like hope.”
Seeing the student named Leonhardt just now made me feel it even more keenly.
The fact that even after facing the Nine Apostles, humanity’s greatest enemy… Han Cheon-seong’s will had not been broken.
‘It’s an unbelievably incredible feat.’
At this point, it wasn't something that could be expressed as simply completing a skill or achieving a certain level with a Trait.
The loss of a Trait, as described in the first-class ancient tomes, torments a person, pushing them to their limits with extreme pain. And all of that was merely a side effect intended to ‘weaken’ a human’s will.
And I could surmise that Han Cheon-seong must have been given the same ordeal of Trait loss.
Whether through pain or something else, the moment his spirit broke, it would have inevitably come for him.
But while Leonhardt’s spirit had broken, causing him to lose his Trait, Han Cheon-seong had overcome it.
It wasn't that Leonhardt, who lost his Trait, was strange… rather, he should be praised for recovering as much as he had despite losing it.
And in the case of Han Cheon-seong, who had overcome even that ordeal…
“That is why I have no choice but to take an interest. Han Cheon-seong will gradually become a pillar of the Empire.”
I could declare that with certainty.
A human whose spirit did not break after facing the Nine Apostles would be impossible to find, no matter how hard one looked.
Therefore, Han Cheon-seong required more ‘special attention.’
Because he is a special human being, worthy of my time.