Chapter 109
Chapter Title: Proof of a Hero’s Mettle
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At Berga's question, Leo's expression flickered with surprise.
‘Does he know my mother?’
After a moment of thought, Leo decided to be honest.
"Do you know my mother?"
"Indeed! So you are Reina's son!"
Berga laughed heartily.
"I am an old friend of your mother's, son of Reina. She and I used to compete as the year representatives of Lumerne and Azonia. Surely you've heard plenty about me, Berga Tune, from your mother?"
"No. She never mentioned you, not once."
"Th-that can't be! Reina and I were such close friends!"
"My mother didn't talk much about her school days."
At those words, Berga froze.
Then, he let out a deep sigh.
"I suppose that's possible."
He then muttered with a somewhat melancholic expression.
"It seems you don't know just how strong and valiant your mother was... like a single, blooming flower."
"..."
Leo's expression turned serious at Berga's muttering.
‘If he's Berga, he must be a famous hero among the beastkin, right?’
Leo, too, had heard the names of highly renowned heroes at least once.
Among the strength-seeking beastkin, the hero famous for his bold actions was none other than Berga.
In fact, just a moment ago, all the prospective students had looked at Berga with shining eyes.
All except Leo, of course.
‘Is there something wrong with his head?’
Leo was genuinely concerned for Berga.
A single, blooming flower?
‘That doesn't suit my mother at all.’
He'd heard from his uncle, Jis, that Reina's nickname in her prime was the 'Witch of Flames'.
For his mother, who wasn't even a mage, to earn the title of 'Witch', he could imagine what her actions must have been like without needing to be told.
"Ellen... if it weren't for that foolish man...!"
Veins bulged on the back of Berga's hand.
Watching Berga grind his teeth, Leo spoke.
"She never told me stories of the past, but my mother never regretted her choices."
"....!"
Hearing Leo's words, Berga's eyes wavered.
"Hehe. Yes! That's just like Reina Jerdinger! Hahahahahat!"
Then he suddenly burst into laughter.
Leo began to feel genuinely worried about this man who claimed to be his mother's old friend.
"Right! No need to dwell on the past! I saw your strength clearly in the Monster Carnival! You were so powerful, it reminded me of Reina in her school days! I'll be looking forward to the entrance ceremony tomorrow, son of Reina!"
"I have a name, you know. It's Kyle."
At that, Berga chuckled.
"I'll call you by your name once you pass tomorrow's entrance ceremony!"
Leo nodded at his words and left the waiting room.
‘Reina. Even without your flames, you must still be beautiful and valiant.’
Berga looked out the window, his expression lost in memories.
‘I tried so hard to become a man worthy of you... but by then, you had already lost your flames and disappeared.’
A bitter smile on his face, Berga clenched his fist.
‘Though our paths diverged, Reina! Do not worry! I will make your son the greatest of heroes!’
Vowing this to the woman he had a crush on in the past, Berga made a firm resolution.
‘If my daughter and your son are together! It might not be impossible to surpass even Lumerne's current first-years, who are called the strongest generation! Just you watch! Reina!’
Completely unaware that Leo was Lumerne's year representative, Berga raised his fist, vowing to take down Lumerne.
***
Arriving at his assigned quarters, Leo immediately went into the attached shower.
He felt sticky from the monster blood and flesh that had covered him.
"Still, the accommodations are nice."
This colosseum was originally used as an arena, so it was designed to provide maximum comfort for the gladiators who competed here.
‘I heard that in the land of beastkin, you can gain great fame by being a gladiator, right?’
There were five officially recognized colosseums for the beastkin.
And he knew that the champions who reigned over those colosseums enjoyed power comparable to that of a king.
Naturally, all those champions were heroes, or warriors who came close.
And participating in the colosseum annually was part of Azonia's curriculum.
‘Anyway, they've always been a race that loves to fight.’
Sshhhhhhaaa—! Squeak—! Squeak—!
Turning off the hot shower, Leo picked up a towel.
As he dried his hair, Leo let out a dry laugh at the rabbit ears on his head.
‘I just can't get used to these.’
Though he was currently disguised as a rabbit beastkin, he still couldn't get used to the rabbit ears.
‘Should I try to study the Beastification phenomenon from earlier?’
He hadn't overcome the aftereffects of Aura enhancement, but he thought that if he could physically experience Beastification, he might find a clue to overcome the aftereffects and supplement [Brave Hero's Breath].
Just as Leo was about to seriously conjure his Aura.
"Hm?"
Sensing a presence, he turned his head toward the window.
And with that.
Click!
"Black Rabbit! I've come to uncover your secret... Why are you naked!"
"Naked? I'm just shirtless."
"Still!"
"Besides, this is my room, isn't it? It's my freedom to be however I want in here."
At Leo's words, Ar, who had covered her eyes, was at a loss.
Sighing at her reaction, Leo put on a shirt and said.
"I'm dressed, you can open your eyes now."
At his words, Ar cautiously opened her eyes.
The sun was already setting, casting a dim light.
The sunset light streaming through the window made Ar's blue eyes sparkle.
"So? What secret of mine did you come to uncover?"
Hearing that she came to uncover a secret, Leo couldn't help but be concerned.
After all, if she was aiming to enter Azonia, there was no rule saying she couldn't investigate its rival school, Lumerne.
Anyone with an interest would surely know about the resemblance between Lumerne's year representative, Leo, and Azonia's recommended candidate, Kyle.
‘And she's been watching me since earlier. She even said she had something to ask.’
As Leo tensed up slightly, Ar spoke.
"I saw you during the Monster Carnival! You! You can Beastify at will, can't you?!"
Watching Ar point and ask, Leo felt a small sense of relief.
‘This father and daughter duo really knows how to startle someone.’
Recalling Berga from earlier, Leo clicked his tongue and sat down in the chair at the desk in the corner of the room.
"Yeah, that's right."
"It was real?!"
His straightforward admission surprised Ar even more.
"But the only beastkin in history who could Beastify at will was Lord Ar-on?!"
"You're the one who asked, so why are you asking again for confirmation?"
Leo asked with a look of disbelief.
"C-could you maybe show me?"
Seeing Ar's cautious question, Leo activated his Aura.
The first thing to change were his eyes.
Leo's human-like pupils narrowed into vertical slits, his irises becoming surrounded by white.
Fluffy fur, like gloves, grew on his hands.
His teeth grew sharper.
Finishing his Beastification, Leo lightly clenched and unclenched his fists.
"Oh my gosh... it was real."
With an impressed look on her face, she moved closer to Leo.
Her curiosity piqued, she circled around Leo, her tail raised halfway and swaying gently.
Like a curious kitten, she cautiously reached out and poked the back of Leo's hand.
"Ooooh..."
Watching the amazed Ar, Leo released his Beastification.
"You can't maintain it for long?"
"It's not that, it's just tiring."
To be precise, just maintaining it caused him to suffer from muscle aches due to the aftereffects.
Answering nonchalantly, Leo, as if his hands were bored, picked up a quill from the desk and began twirling it.
"So? Now that you know I can Beastify, what are you going to do about it?"
"..."
"Hey?"
"Huh?"
Ar, who had been staring at the quill twirling in Leo's hand, blinked.
"Why are you asking about my Beastification ability? You want me to teach you?"
"No."
Ar shook her head firmly at Leo's question.
"Asking about something like that so carelessly would be rude, wouldn't it? It could be your own special ability, or maybe a family one. I just wanted to prove it."
"Prove it?"
"Yeah! That a beastkin with the same ability as Lord Ar-on could exist!"
Ar said, her cat-like eyes fixed on the quill.
"The fact that Lord Ar-on could Beastify at will is only a record left in texts. So there are many impudent people who doubt it."
As Leo twirled the quill again, Ar's hand twitched.
"But now, thanks to you, it's been proven that it's possible to Beastify at will. Of course, I'll keep your Beastification a secret! It'd obviously be a hassle if it got out, right?"
As if her goal was purely to satisfy her curiosity, Ar promised to keep it a secret and winked.
"Hmm."
Lost in thought, Leo flicked the quill, making it spin.
At that, Ar unconsciously reached out her hand like a cat.
A brief silence passed.
When Leo waved the quill as if playing with a cat, Ar went "Ooh!" and followed it before shouting.
"Don't treat me like a pet cat!"
Flick—!
"Got it!"
Leo tossed the quill to the floor. She slapped at it with her palm, then cried out "Agh—!" and threw the quill aside.
Watching her, Leo chuckled and organized his thoughts.
‘Ar-on wanted to pass down his breathing method to the beastkin.’
But the only one who had fully mastered the breathing method was Kyle.
‘It's not something just anyone can do by learning it. But it's also true that there needs to be someone to inherit Ar-on's techniques.’
A successor to Ar-on was needed.
‘Because we'll need all the strength we can get in the coming fight against Tartaros.’
If he found someone worthy, Leo planned to pass on his friends' techniques to each of their respective races.
‘That might be the very reason I was reincarnated in this era.’
It could be the will of the world, for him to leave behind successors to carry on his legacy, even if he couldn't finish it himself in this new life.
The reason Leo attended Azonia's entrance ceremony was also to find such talent.
And Ar seemed to have potential.
‘Her personality doesn't seem bad either.’
"Want me to teach you?"
"Huh?"
Not understanding for a moment, Ar blinked her eyes.
"How to Beastify. Should I teach you?"
Ar's eyes widened at Leo's question.
"Y-you can teach me?"
"There's no reason I can't. But there are conditions."
"Conditions? What are they?"
Ar's ears perked up.
"You just have to prove it."
"Prove what?"
Seeing Leo's grin, Ar felt an inexplicable shiver run down her spine.
It was similar to the primal instinct she possessed as a beastkin.
‘This guy.’
Feeling the fine hairs on her skin stand on end, Ar swallowed dryly.
‘He's looking down on me.’
"Whether or not you truly have the makings of a hero."
‘From a very high place.’
"I'll be waiting. Ar Tune."