Chapter 142
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Elena walked over to the elven girl writhing on the floor.
Blood trickled from the lips of the slave girl, Merin, who had been kicked in the stomach.
Elena summoned her magic.
*Vwoom-!*
With a gentle glow, Merin’s expression eased considerably.
“E-En. You can use magic?”
Merin couldn’t hide her surprise at seeing her childhood friend use magic.
“I’m not En right now, Merin.”
“What?”
Elena smiled brightly at the bewildered Merin.
“I’ve borrowed your friend’s body to punish the wicked.”
Merin was flustered as Elena gently stroked her hair.
She couldn’t understand what her friend was saying.
But the girl, still too young to know the world, found herself believing Elena’s words.
“A-Are you an angel?”
“Oh my, you’re so sweet.”
Elena beamed, stroking Merin’s head.
*Squelch-!*
Just then, a wet, sloppy sound echoed.
Hearing it, Elena spoke with a radiant smile.
“Merin. Now, I want you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, okay?”
“Y-Yes.”
Merin squeezed her eyes shut.
Elena rose to her feet and turned around.
She looked at Sarman, who was pushing himself up despite his missing upper torso, and said.
“Why don’t you just stay down? It would hurt less.”
“You damn bitch!”
A vicious grin spread across his half-regenerated face.
It was a grotesque sight, a far cry from his previous pristine appearance.
An ordinary person might have screamed or retched at the sight, but Elena remained composed.
“Such foul language.”
Elena smiled faintly.
“It seems you don’t wish to die peacefully.”
A deep pink light began to emanate from Elena’s eyes.
Sarman flinched at the sight.
The pink glow radiating from Elena’s eyes intensified, soon turning a deep red.
Watching this, Hadin smiled bitterly.
‘Has she… gotten stronger again?’
Until his first year, Hadin had been a typical Seirun student.
He had been proud to be a student of Seirun and never doubted that he was one of the chosen elves.
A speciesist mindset that held elves as supreme.
When he entered the top class of his year and became the class representative, he had been certain that he was one of the chosen among the chosen elves.
‘I dreamed of being a hero.’
For any student of Seirun.
No, for any student of a hero academy, it was the natural goal to strive for.
Until his first year, Hadin’s goal had been to become a hero.
Then, during the school competition between Lumerne and Seirun, he met a fellow first-year girl.
Elves, by their nature, are all beautiful.
But this girl possessed a nobility and beauty that could captivate even other elves.
In the battle for their school’s pride, Hadin had been utterly defeated.
‘I couldn’t do a single thing. We were literally in different leagues.’
It was the first time in his life that Hadin had experienced such a difference in ‘class.’
From that day on, Hadin’s goal changed to Elena.
Not the brilliant upperclassmen at Seirun.
Not the countless heroes who had left their names in history, but a first-year girl, just like him.
‘It was never a feeling of admiration.’
From the moment he first met Elena, Hadin could tell that she was twisted in some way.
A crookedness and cruelty hidden beneath her beautiful exterior.
She was by no means someone to be admired.
Yet, Hadin never stopped pursuing Elena as his goal.
The more he did, the more he was forced to realize a bitter truth.
‘That I could never stand on the same level as her.’
The hero academies often crossed paths, not just for inter-school competitions.
Students in the same year, in particular, had overlapping activities.
No matter how much he chased.
Every time they met, the gap between them had only widened.
He didn't even feel despair at the fact.
All he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
They were simply born different.
Because she was his goal, he could see it all the more clearly.
The girl before him, hailed and praised as a genius, couldn't be described with a word as simple as ‘genius.’
She was literally born that way.
‘A chosen one, born to be a hero.’
He could never catch up.
Even knowing that, Hadin didn’t give up.
“Y-You…!”
“I told you.”
A suffocatingly dense killing intent flowed from her eyes, which had now turned a blood-red.
But in contrast to that chilling aura, Elena’s face was utterly serene.
With a lovely smile, she brought an index finger to her lips.
“Watch your mouth.”
*Flash-! Kra-ka-ka-ka-ka-kak-!*
A magic circle materialized in the air, unleashing a torrent of light chains.
A thousand years ago.
This was the signature magic of the elven hero Tiar, who had been nicknamed the Iron-Blooded Mage.
Eisen Unblut.
This was the Heroic Magic version of that spell.
This magic, which pulverized the opponent's bones and flesh, was treated as heresy among elves, despite being the creation of an elven hero.
Tiar had certainly risen to the rank of hero with this magic, but the spell was too cruel.
Then and now, she was a hero condemned for defiling the Star Magic created by their progenitor.
Naturally, elves were forbidden from learning her magic.
But regardless, its power was undeniable.
‘Magic designed solely to hunt Tartaros.’
Elena’s magic brutally savaged Sarman.
*Splat-!*
Looking at Sarman, now reduced to a mess of blood and flesh, Elena clapped her hands with a bright smile.
Despite having created a gruesome festival of blood and gore, her expression was utterly innocent.
“Still alive? What an interesting toy. You must have a curse, right? Let’s see… a [Negation] curse, I see.”
Elena, having instantly grasped Sarman’s ability, wore a bored expression.
“But other than that, there’s nothing special about you.”
All interest vanished from Elena’s face.
A toy that no longer interested the queen had lost its value.
In that case, there was only one end.
*Fwoosh-!*
Crimson flames ignited at Elena’s fingertips.
Sarman’s face, which had been regenerating, turned deathly pale.
“Still, our meeting was interesting.”
With a sweet, beautiful smile, Elena incinerated Sarman.
“H-How.”
Sarman, now nothing but a head, looked up at Elena with eyes full of terror.
Looking down at him, Elena nonchalantly twirled the end of her hair with a bored expression.
“If you want to beat me, bring one of the Legion Commander’s right-hand men. A pathetic demon like you is no match for me. Now, goodbye.”
With a faint smile, Elena stomped on Sarman’s head.
Instantly, even the remaining head burned away, leaving not even ashes behind.
Elena turned, her steps impossibly light for someone who had just displayed such cruelty, and stood before Hadin.
She wore an amused expression.
“You really are interesting, Hadin.”
“What about me?”
Elena snapped her fingers.
*Crackle-!*
The magical restraints binding Hadin were easily destroyed.
“The people who know my true self are one of two types. They either fear me or despise me.”
Elena clasped her hands primly behind her back.
“But you’re the same as when we first met.”
*Twirl-* Elena spun around and approached En with light steps.
“You still see me as your goal. Even though you know you can’t catch up.”
“Do you think that’s foolish?”
“No. I think that’s your charm. It’s amusing, too.”
Elena smiled faintly.
“I’m sure you’ll become a great hero.”
Elena, who had seen many heroes since she was young, was certain of it.
Looking at her, Hadin asked.
“Do you still have no desire to be a hero?”
At his question, Elena gently twirled the end of her hair with her finger.
Then, she let out a soft chuckle.
“I admire heroes, too.”
There was no lie in her words.
“But I have a rotten personality. The gods probably wouldn’t acknowledge me as a hero, don’t you think?”
Elena shrugged.
“And most importantly… I don’t really want to be a hero.”
She could lead others, certainly.
But a hero was more than just someone who led people.
‘You have to be able to sacrifice yourself for others.’
Elena admired heroes.
But at the same time, she disliked them.
No, she hated them.
‘Because they took what was precious to me.’
That was why, though she admired heroes, she could never admire their way of life.
“Let’s get out of here first. Oh, and let’s take this child with us.”
Elena pointed at En.
“Why?”
“If we leave her here, something terrible will surely happen to her. You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The noble elves you know don’t exist in this era.”
Watching Elena speak in a teasing tone, Hadin let out a deep sigh.
“I understand.”
“So, how did you end up in a prison cell? Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? You lost your temper and did something foolish again, right?”
“I have nothing to say to that.”
“Admitting it so readily. How boring.”
Elena grumbled, then said.
“Anyway, Hadin. You understand how serious this situation is, right?”
“I do.”
Elena approached En and took her hand.
En’s eyes widened.
Elena gave the girl a radiant smile.
Her magic had prevented En from hearing their conversation.
“Tartaros is here, in the World of Heroes, just like us. This is an unprecedented event.”
“That’s right.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“This could be an event that overturns the balance of the world.”
***
Luna entered Akint’s laboratory.
“Offering to counsel me… that doesn’t seem like you, Professor Akint.”
“I’d like to think the relationship between us wasn’t so bad.”
“…You’re right. Professor Akint, you were more than just a teacher to me, you were like my magic tutor, and…”
“And?”
“No. It’s nothing.”
Luna smiled awkwardly.
Leo knew the words she had swallowed.
‘Like a father.’
And yet, a slight distance could be felt between Luna and the current Akint.
Leo knew what that meant.
‘History has been completely twisted.’
To the point where even the bond with someone Luna held dear had become distant.
Akint was undoubtedly still a steadfast pillar of support for Luna.
But it was clear from what happened in class earlier that he was facing pressure within Barharun because of it.
That fact must have tormented Luna.
‘Is that why she isolated herself?’
Luna was the top student, sponsored by the Elf King.
It was absurd for her to be conducting magic research in a place like a warehouse, and even more absurd for her to be searching for materials all by herself.
As corrupt as the elves of this era were, their minds weren't rotten.
They all must have realized it from the moment they first saw Luna.
That the greatest mage in elven history had been born.
Even if her status was low by their standards, Luna was an object of awe to the elves of this era.
Luna had been famous even before the Age of Calamity.
For that same Luna to be treated like this.
To have lost her confidence, her shoulders and ears drooping.
‘It’s certain that Tartaros entered this place and changed history. But what on earth is the reason?’
They were plotting something in the World of Heroes.
‘It’s probably deeply connected to what happened to my page. Are they trying to obstruct the conquest? No. No one else has entered, so why would they obstruct it? Wait, conquest?’
Leo paused in his reasoning.
For those on the surface, conquering the World of Heroes meant overcoming its trials.
But under the same conditions, what would be the conquest condition for Tartaros?
‘To them, heroes are the most dangerous enemies. It’s not their role to help a hero overcome their trials.’
The goal of Tartaros would be to interfere with the hero.
‘Don’t tell me… they’re conquering the World of Heroes in their own way?’
Even as a child, Luna was still a powerful mage. For anyone less than a Legion Commander-class demon or one of their trusted subordinates, fighting Luna was a suicidal act.
Killing Luna was not an option.
In that case, it wouldn't be strange for them to resort to cumbersome methods to obstruct her heroic deeds.
And the goal of conquering this world was to help her complete the Star Magic.
If Tartaros’s objective was to prevent the completion of the Star Magic, then their actions made sense.
Having thought that far, Leo ground his teeth.
‘How dare they defile Luna’s world?’
“To be honest, things have been very difficult lately.”
Luna lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers.
It was a subconscious habit she had when she was conflicted.
“…Whether I’m an elf who truly belongs in Barharun.”
Luna’s eyes trembled.
“Whether the magic I pursue is really all that great.”
Seeing the confidence-drained Luna, Leo sensed that she was in a broken state.
Tartaros’s plan was nearing success.
But Leo scoffed at them.
‘Do they think breaking her once is enough?’
“Luna.”
“Yes?”
“I can promise you this.”
Leo knew better than anyone.
There was nothing special about being a Great Hero.
Great Heroes also felt frustrated, despaired, and had their wills broken.
No, in fact, Great Heroes were frustrated and despaired more than anyone else, and were broken countless times.
The reason they still managed to defeat Erebos was simple.
They just got back up every time.
And Leo knew the magic words to raise Luna back up.
Words that only the comrades who had weathered those times together could say.
Leo knew them well.
‘She used to say it like a catchphrase.’
“Barharun has existed just to nurture an elf like you.”
Luna’s eyes widened.
“You will become the most revered elf of future generations. You know why?”
Looking at the wide-eyed Luna, Leo declared with certainty.
“Because you are destined to shine like the stars in the night sky.”