Chapter 146
Chapter Title: The Founder's Power
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The elves stared in astonishment at the brilliant light radiating from Polium.
Lunia, too, looked back and forth between Leo and Luna with wide, startled eyes.
“Leo, what in the world is that staff?”
“Polium.”
“What? Polium?”
Polium was originally the magical staff that symbolized the Elf King.
But in this era, it was a staff that symbolized only Luna.
She had heard that the real Polium shone most brilliantly when Luna used it.
*As if it were made for Luna.*
It was the same now.
It was emitting a brilliance incomparable to when Leo had touched it.
“How did you get your hands on Polium?”
“I just happened to come by it.”
Leo shrugged at Lunia's question.
“Well then.”
Leo looked up at the World Tree.
“Shall we go?”
“Where?”
“To defeat Erebos.”
Lunia flinched at Leo's words.
“Defeat Erebos?”
“Yes.”
“Is that even possible?”
Lunia's face darkened.
Defeating the Great Cataclysm.
It was the stuff of fairy tales.
Having seen Erebos with her own eyes, Lunia thought it was next to impossible.
“Right now, there's likely no other way to clear this world.”
“What?”
Lunia looked surprised at Leo's statement.
*Nothing is certain yet. How Tartaros was able to enter the World of Heroes. Why a piece of Erebos is in Luna's world.*
Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.
*However, Tartaros's ability to enter the World of Heroes must be deeply connected to the Erebos that Lunia saw.*
And it would also be related to the corruption of the Hero's Page.
Convinced of this, Leo spoke.
“You don't have to be so scared. The Erebos you saw is probably different from the one we know.”
“What?”
3,000 years ago.
When just one of the many fragments of Erebos was revived, the world suffered catastrophic damage.
That day, called the Second Coming of the Great Cataclysm, also heralded the cracking of the peace the Great Heroes had achieved.
*It's a monster capable of threatening the world with just a single piece.*
Its presence was likely unforgettable.
But now, he couldn't feel the aura of Erebos that should have been palpable.
*It's not because it's sleeping. The Erebos in this world isn't whole. It might just be a fragment.*
If so, it wouldn't be impossible to defeat it with their current strength.
Having made this judgment, Leo spoke to Luna, who was curiously examining Polium.
“Luna, let's go.”
“Huh?”
Luna paused at Leo's familiar tone.
After a moment of watching Leo, she asked.
“It's true I agreed to help you. But shouldn't you tell me what I'm supposed to be helping with first? And I don't think this is the right situation to be going anywhere.”
Luna was right.
This was a party celebrating the Elf King's birthday.
Leo and Lunia were nothing more than unidentified intruders.
Indeed, everyone was still watching Leo and Lunia with wary eyes.
But having clearly seen Leo produce Polium, they couldn't make a rash move.
Amidst the tension, Leo approached the Elf King, Ergen.
“Human boy. Why have you disguised yourself as a High Elf to trespass on this sacred land? And why do you possess Polium?”
Ergen asked, calmly trying to assess the situation.
“I am here by the will of a god.”
“A god?”
“Yes. By the will of Pivua.”
At the mention of Pivua's name, Ergen took a deep breath.
Pivua.
A god known to the outside world only as the headmaster of Barharun.
But a select few High Elves knew he was a god who had existed since long ago, since the time this city was built.
Now that Pivua's name had been invoked, it meant Leo had truly come here at Pivua's behest.
*Moreover, this boy has brought Polium.*
Even if he hadn't been chosen by Polium, he had the eyes to distinguish a real one from a fake.
The Polium reflected in Ergen's eyes was genuine.
Pivua must have anticipated this and given Polium to Leo.
“What is Pivua's will?”
“To vanquish the darkness that has fallen upon the World Tree.”
“The darkness of the World Tree? Is that possible with just you?”
“Only we can do it.”
Hearing Leo's words, Ergen nodded.
“I understand. The elves will not stand in your way.”
The elves attending the party stared wide-eyed at Ergen's declaration.
“Y-Your Majesty! A human entering this place is an act deserving of punishment! But not only are you letting him go, you're allowing him to set his filthy feet in the World Tree!”
an elf said urgently.
Ergen sighed, looking at the elf.
“You all saw it as well. That Polium's light has chosen this human boy. And.”
His gaze shifted to Luna, who was wearing a Barharun uniform.
“That it has chosen that student.”
Only one chosen by Polium can become king.
That was, quite literally, the tradition and culture of the elves.
To deny the light of Polium was to deny the very honor they held so dear.
“That can't be the real Polium!”
“That's right! It must be a fake brought by those cunning fiends!”
But the protests did not subside.
Ergen ignored them and spoke.
“I will handle things here, so go, human boy.”
At his words, Leo bowed his head and walked over to Luna and Lunia.
*He's worthy of being the last Elf King, at least.*
Ergen was the king who fought against Tartaros until the very end in the early days of the Age of Calamity.
The Elf Kings who succeeded him were all corrupt, but Ergen had risked his life for his people.
“Let's go.”
At Leo's word, Luna and Lunia followed him.
“So this was the real Polium.”
Luna marveled, examining Polium from all angles.
Then she looked at Leo and Lunia, tilting her head.
“So, I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves yet?”
At that, Lunia hurriedly spoke.
“Hello, Lady Luna! My name is Lunia El Lundua! It's an honor to meet you!”
“Lunia El Lundua, mm-hm! Nice to meet you. But is meeting me really that much of an honor?”
“Of course! You're famous, Lady Luna!”
“What? Has my fame spread that far in the outside world? Hmph. As expected, my genius cannot be hidden!”
Seeing Luna strike a smug pose with a hand on her chin, Lunia gasped and squeezed her eyes shut.
Leo frowned at her and asked.
“What's wrong?”
“S-so dazzling! So beautiful! So cute! To think I can talk with the Founder!”
*...She's just a smug idiot. What's so dazzling about that?*
Leo let out a deep sigh.
“That Ar kid had a weird reaction when he saw Ar-on, too. Why are you the same?”
At his words, Lunia momentarily forgot she was in front of Luna and flinched, looking at Leo.
“Ar? You mean the top first-year at Azonia this year?”
“Yeah.”
“How would you know how he reacted when he met Lord Ar-on?”
“Because I cleared Ar-on's world with him.”
“What?! How?!”
“It's too long a story to tell now.”
Lunia narrowed her eyes at Leo's response.
“What did you think of him? That Ar kid.”
“He was excellent. Befitting of Azonia's class representative.”
“And?”
“And? He was just kinda cute.”
“Cu-cute...?”
Lunia was flustered.
Luna, who had been watching them, spoke up.
“Hey. Save the stories only you two know for later. What's your name?”
“Leo Flove.”
“Alright. Leo, Lunia. So? What am I supposed to help with? Didn't I hear something about a darkness falling on the World Tree?”
“That's right. There's a monster hiding in the World Tree right now. We're going to subjugate it.”
“A monster? Not a bad first great deed for me.”
Luna responded with confidence.
“What should I do with Polium?”
“You keep it.”
“Huh?”
“It's yours, anyway.”
Leo said with a smile as he opened the gates to Barharun's castle.
*Creeak—*
This castle was a kind of entrance connected to the inside of the World Tree.
“There will be a lot of pests. Stay sharp.”
Luna and Lunia's faces filled with horror as they looked inside the castle gates.
The interior of Barharun Castle, known as the sacred sanctuary of the elves, was teeming with hideous magical beasts.
“Where in the world did all these things come from!”
Leo said to the horrified Lunia.
“If Erebos is here, this much is to be expected.”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
“It's no exaggeration to say this place is a den of demons right now.”
Saying so, Leo drew his sword.
*Fwoosh—!*
An aura of flames enveloped the blade.
Seeing this, Lunia also summoned her mana.
*Fwoosh—!*
Luna let out a sound of admiration at the sight of the aura and mana imbued with the power of a phoenix.
“That's an incredible ability.”
A competitive spirit, unique to youths her age, sparked in Luna, and she grinned.
“Then shall I show off my skills, too?”
Luna gave Polium a stylish twirl. *Whirl—!*
*Thwack—!*
Then, gripping it firmly, she summoned her mana.
A silvery mana flickered to life.
Seeing it, Lunia's face filled with emotion.
*To think I can see the Founder's magic right before my eyes!*
Could there be any greater honor for an elf?
Seeing the two elves ready, Leo gathered his mana and shot a spell into the sky.
*Whoooosh—! Bang—!*
A mana bullet soared high into the sky and exploded brightly.
A signal flare.
It was a spell to let Elena and Hadin, who were somewhere in Barharun, know their location.
Leo turned his gaze inside the castle.
Looking at the horde of magical beasts exuding killing intent, Leo said.
“Let's go.”
With those words, Leo dashed forward.
At the same time, Luna's voice rang out from behind him.
The sound of her chanting was like a beautiful melody.
Hearing it, Leo felt strength flow into his hands.
*I never thought the day would come when we'd fight in sync again.*
The small anxiety that lingered in his heart vanished.
The voice that had pushed him forward and saved his life countless times on the battlefield where lives were on the line awakened his senses.
The voice he had overcome so many trials with gave him courage once more.
*Crunch—!*
Leo sent the head of a magical beast flying.
What followed was, quite literally, a spectacular show of blood fountains.
Leo's movements as he weaved through the beasts were nothing short of divine.
As if he had eyes on his back, he reacted to attacks coming from every direction.
He slaughtered the beasts with minimal movement.
Lunia's eyes widened at the sight.
*I knew he'd gotten stronger... but I never imagined it would be to this extent.*
He was incomparably stronger than he had been during the school trip.
Lunia felt a tremor of emotion.
*I can't lose.*
Beside her was the Founder she had admired since childhood.
Before her was the boy she had decided to chase as her goal.
*I can't lose.*
Determination filled Lunia's red eyes.
*Fwoosh—*
Lunia raised her index finger.
A small flame formed above it.
The flame soon compressed, taking the shape of a disc that began to spin furiously.
“Crimson Frisbee.”
It was Lunia's unique magic, one she had perfected by dedicating herself to it after the school trip.
The magic, imbued with her will, shot through the beasts, literally slicing them apart.
“Not bad.”
Luna said in admiration after watching the two fight.
*I can't be outdone.*
“Fire Ball.”
*Fwoooosh—*
The completed spell was surprisingly ordinary.
When the basic fire-type magic was complete, Lunia looked perplexed.
But Luna added another formula to that Fire Ball.
“Multiply.”
Lunia stared in astonishment at the Fire Balls that filled the space.
The magic before her was extremely simple.
Just a formula that duplicated the spell.
But contrary to its simplicity, the phenomenon defied common sense.
Luna simply repeated the multiplication formula over and over.
She multiplied the Fire Balls that had already increased at a tremendous rate.
A simple, brute-force task.
This simple task became exponentially harder with each multiplication.
Normally, one or two times was the limit.
But Luna continued to repeat it without much difficulty.
*This is the Founder's skill.*
She wasn't called a genius just because she created the great Star Magic.
Her magical sense and the sheer volume of her mana were on another level.
“This should be enough, right?”
Luna snapped her fingers.
*Snap—!*
*Whoosh—!*
The multiplied Fire Balls flew toward the magical beasts.
*Kaboom—!*
*Kwoooaargh!*
The screams of the beasts echoed.
Annihilating a troop of magical beasts with just a simple Fire Ball.
It was something impossible even in the current era, where magic had advanced overwhelmingly.
“Amazing.”
The Founder in her youth.
But the power she possessed was overwhelming.
*So this is Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.*
Lunia didn't even dare to try and appraise Luna.
Lunia trembled at the Founder's power.
Seeing Lunia, Luna cleared her throat, *ahem!*
Luna was looking at Lunia with sparkling eyes.
Like a child hoping for praise.
But Lunia couldn't figure out exactly what Luna wanted.
*What is she hoping for?*
She couldn't even dream of the Founder wanting a compliment.
Just as Lunia was staring blankly in confusion, Luna's face fell with disappointment.
Leo, who had returned to the two, reached out his hand as if it were a familiar gesture.
And he ruffled Luna's hair, saying.
“Good job. That was amazing.”
At Leo's praise, Luna's face brightened, and she puffed out her chest and nodded.
Then she paused and flared up.
“Hey! You're younger than me, right? But you're treating your big sister like a little kid!?”
“You're the one who was childishly fishing for a compliment.”
“Ugh! H-how did you...? A-anyway, I'm the older sister! I don't need praise from someone younger than me! In fact, I'll be the one giving praise!”
Luna rushed at Leo and started messing up his hair.
Leo chuckled and accepted Luna's actions.
Watching them, Lunia felt a strange emotion.
*How did Leo know exactly what Lady Luna wanted?*
Leo and Luna walking ahead.
For some reason, the two of them looked incredibly close.
*Like they're old friends.*
How could he act so familiar with a Great Hero?
She found it strange.
On the other hand, seeing Leo and Luna's casual closeness, which seemed even greater than her own with Luna, made her feel odd.
Just as Lunia was watching the two with a complicated expression.
“Lunia.”
“Hm?”
“That new spell was impressive. You've been working hard, haven't you?”
Leo chuckled and patted her on the head.
At Leo's action, Lunia frowned.
“Hey, I'm older than you, you know?”
“Really? Should I treat you like an old lady then?”
“You little brat! You wanna die?!”
Her eyes flashing, Lunia lunged at Leo.
Watching his old companion and his current one grab him and shake him wildly, Leo burst out laughing.
Then he glared deeper into the castle.
*How much further do we have to go?*