Chapter 286
Chapter Title: A Familiar Stranger
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286
“Those kids… and Berquia?”
“Yes. Lord Dweno, you mentioned you didn’t think they were spies from Tartaros, but…”
Watching Dweno narrow his brow, the elf reported respectfully.
“Erquint was found among their belongings.”
Gardsrone.
The last fortress in a world hurtling toward ruin.
The final legacy left by the gods as they departed the mortal plane.
It was a city of miracles that had stood firm against countless invasions from Tartaros.
While refugee cities like Reysar existed, Gardsrone’s scale was incomparably vast, a metropolis so massive it was no exaggeration to call it the final bastion.
But even this city would not have escaped destruction were it not for the dwarven hero before them, Master Smith Dweno.
And it wasn’t just Dweno.
Dragon King Lisinas.
The genius mage Luna.
The white wolf, Ar-on.
And Kyle, the hero who survives.
It was because of these five strongest heroes, united to subjugate Erebos, that Gardsrone had been able to maintain its formidable presence to this day.
These five heroes, who had led impossible battles to victory amidst endless despair, were now the symbols of Gardsrone’s protection.
“Those kids had Erquint.”
Dweno’s expression turned grave.
Erquint.
It was a sword Dweno had originally crafted for Luna, but she had given it to her disciple, Berquia.
To Berquia, Erquint was a treasure she wouldn't trade for anything.
‘If it’s truly Erquint, the only explanation is that they took it from Berquia by force.’
Dweno stroked his beard, recalling the images of Lunia and Driana.
‘They did trespass into a restricted area, but they seemed genuinely puzzled to find themselves there. No, it looked like they didn't even know it was a restricted area in the first place.’
Dweno’s eyes narrowed.
‘Judging by their attire, the intruders who entered the Spirit Lake must be part of their group. But Ar-on said he didn’t sense anything suspicious about them either.’
In fact, Ar-on had a rather positive impression of the intruders.
‘The cat-girl was a bit scary, but… they smelled good. They seemed like good kids.’
As a wolf beastman, Ar-on’s danger sense was sharper than anyone’s.
If he judged someone to be a good person, he was almost never wrong.
‘Besides, they possessed extraordinary skills for their young age.’
In the current era, military strength to fight Tartaros was more crucial than ever.
Once their investigation was complete and their identities confirmed, Gardsrone could not have hoped for a more welcome addition.
After a moment of thought, Dweno spoke.
“What did Ar-on say?”
“Lord Ar-on forbade their interrogation for now and left Gardsrone to search for Berquia.”
The elf spoke to Dweno with a firm tone.
“What are your orders?”
Watching the elf await his decision, Dweno let out a deep sigh.
Lisinas, Luna, and Kyle were currently away, providing aid to Reysar.
Only Dweno and Ar-on remained in Gardsrone to prepare for any contingencies.
Thus, the final authority on Gardsrone’s security and defense rested with Dweno.
“Lord Tepeser is preparing for an interrogation as we speak.”
“I figured that hot-headed friend of ours would get involved.”
Dweno rose from his seat.
Tepeser.
A gold dragon who had served Lisinas since he was young, he was like Lisinas’s personal secretary.
As the one in charge of Gardsrone’s internal affairs, he was a fervent devotee of Lisinas.
Consequently, he held Berquia, whom Lisinas had deemed a hope for the future, in very high regard.
Hearing that she might be in danger, he would have rushed over with his eyes blazing.
“Stop him for now. If Berquia is safe, Ar-on will send word soon. And bring me the Erquint they found among their belongings. If it’s a fake, it means Berquia is also safe, so there’s no reason to cause a commotion.”
“Understood.”
The elf bowed his head and, a short while later, brought Erquint to Dweno’s workshop.
Dweno took out his pipe, placed it in his mouth, and lit it.
“Hoo. The exterior certainly looks real.”
Exhaling a long plume of smoke, Dweno reached for the Erquint lying on the workbench.
He then began to examine it.
Dweno’s mana flowed into the sword.
The elf watched Dweno’s face with a tense expression.
A moment later.
Dweno’s expression began to grow serious.
“W-What is it, Lord Dweno? Don’t tell me it’s the real Erquint?”
The elf’s face turned pale.
Dweno took out a monocle to inspect the sword’s surface more closely, then produced a small hammer and tapped the blade a few times.
He then nodded his head.
“Go to Tepeser and tell him Berquia will be returning with Ar-on soon. And tell him not to forget to apologize politely to the child he was about to interrogate. Knowing his temper, who knows how much he scared them?”
The elf’s face brightened.
These were the words of Gardsrone’s Master Smith.
The creator of countless legendary weapons.
“So that Erquint is a fake!”
“...It is not Berquia’s.”
“Yes, sir!”
The elf, relieved, exited the room.
A heavy silence descended upon the workshop.
“Hahh.”
Dweno took a long drag from his pipe.
The tobacco leaves burned away quickly.
“Hoo.”
His gaze shifting from the dissipating smoke, Dweno looked at the Erquint on his workbench and said.
“Who made you? I don’t remember doing so.”
*Vwoom—*
As if resonating with Dweno’s words, Erquint emitted a pulse of mana.
“Yes. You are certainly a weapon I forged. But.”
Dweno’s expression grew grave.
“I have no memory of making two Erquints.”
‘Just who are those children?’
Dweno’s eyes narrowed.
‘To have such skill at that young age, they should surely be known to some extent.’
But as far as Dweno could remember, he had never heard rumors of five individuals who fit their description.
‘And… they were strangely different.’
The Lunia and Driana that Dweno had seen were different from their peers.
Children born in this age of calamity inherently had a darkness in their eyes.
It was a fate shared by all who had never seen a clear sky and were forced to live through dark times.
Even Ar-on’s eyes were fundamentally dark.
But Dweno had seen it.
The eyes of Lunia and Driana, sparkling with hope.
Bright eyes that seemed to gaze upon a radiant future—something every young boy and girl should naturally have.
But they were eyes that no one in this era could possess.
‘The eyes that dream of salvation… and the eyes that gaze upon the future are fundamentally different. Besides.’
Dweno looked at Erquint.
This Erquint was real.
There was no way its creator, Dweno, wouldn't recognize it.
However…
‘I can feel the passage of a great many years from it.’
*CRASH—!*
Just then, a powerful explosion sounded, and the ground trembled.
Dweno stood up.
‘It seems it’s those kids. Did they break out to save their friend?’
‘I suppose I’ll find out when I meet them again.’
Taking Erquint with him, Dweno left his workshop.
***
Leo and Berquia were walking through the forest.
“Ugh… monster blood!”
Covered in the gore, Berquia shuddered in disgust.
She then brought her forearm to her nose, sniffed, and stuck out her tongue. “Blech—”
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen that tomboyish side of her.’
Leo thought of the Berquia known to later generations—the leader of the elves.
As Luna’s successor, she was a great leader who guided the elves.
History painted Berquia as a benevolent saint, a leader who knew how to share what she had with others.
‘Share what she had? My ass.’
Leo couldn't remember a single time she had offered him a side dish when they ate together.
‘Benevolent leadership? I guess you could call making her peers cry during sword and magic practice "leadership".’
The Berquia Leo remembered had not a single cute bone in her body.
‘She was always talking back or defying me.’
Leo squinted at Berquia.
*Sniff, sniff.* Berquia, who had been smelling herself, suddenly whipped her head around to look at Leo.
“What?”
“That look in your eyes. It’s like Master Kyle’s.”
‘She’s always been perceptive. What complaints do you have about him now?’
“How is it similar?”
“You seem like a father.”
“…”
Leo was surprised by the unexpected answer.
“Master Kyle is strict, you see.”
Berquia was fundamentally very attached to Luna.
And so, Luna doted on her.
Ar-on loved children.
So he took very good care of Berquia.
Only Kyle was strict with her.
He had to be.
Berquia had talent.
Which meant she would have to step onto the battlefield soon.
He couldn't just indulge her.
All Kyle could do was teach her sternly so she would develop a hardened heart.
Since Berquia was used to being showered with affection by Luna and Ar-on, he had assumed she must have hated his strict tutelage.
The fact that she was out here training alone in this dangerous area was ultimately because of him.
That was why he’d thought she was impertinent, but also believed he couldn’t blame her for disliking him.
And yet…
“Like a father?”
“Yeah. Of course, I’m an orphan, so I don’t really know what a real father is like.”
Berquia said it matter-of-factly.
Orphans were common in this era, so revealing she was one wasn't exactly a dark confession.
After watching Berquia for a moment, Leo spoke.
“A real father-daughter relationship probably isn’t too different from what you’re feeling.”
“Oh, really? Do you have parents?”
“I do. They’re good people.”
“I’m jealous.”
Berquia looked at Leo with admiration.
Watching her, Leo let out a small smile and said.
“If you go that way, there should be a lake where you can wash up. Go get cleaned.”
“Okay.”
Nodding, Berquia was about to head in the direction Leo pointed but then paused.
Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him.
“What is it?”
“This forest is complex, but you know the geography so well. And…”
“And?”
“Just now, you sounded a little like Master Kyle.”
Looking at Leo as if he were a curiosity, Berquia set down her pack and disappeared into the undergrowth.
Leo picked up her pack, cleaned it with magic, and smiled wryly.
‘Like a father, huh…’
He never would have imagined that was how she saw him.
He hadn't had the luxury to think about such things back then.
Just as Leo was reminiscing about Berquia…
*Fwoosh—!*
Something registered in Leo’s senses.
‘Something’s coming.’
He could feel someone approaching him at an incredible speed.
Leo’s eyes twitched.
‘Ar-on?’
The thought had barely formed when…
*Thud—!*
Someone appeared before Leo.
White hair and golden eyes.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Last year, during the Azonia entrance exam, the image of Ar-on had been a hazy one from a distant memory.
But the wolf beastman before him now was exactly as Leo remembered.
‘Ar-on.’
Never having expected to meet Ar-on in Dweno’s world, Leo felt a stir in his heart.
‘Well, I did meet Berquia… I suppose there’s no reason I couldn’t meet Ar-on too.’
The image of his friend apologizing even as he lay dying flashed through his mind.
‘Luna… remembered me.’
Miraculously, Luna had recalled her memories from the World of Heroes.
This was Dweno’s world, not Ar-on’s.
But…
‘Maybe Ar-on can also recall his memories of the previous run?’
Thinking this, Leo looked into Ar-on’s eyes and soon smiled bitterly.
Ar-on was looking at him with suspicion.
‘Miracles… don’t happen so easily.’
***
“…”
Ar-on felt a sense of bewilderment as he looked at the white-haired boy holding his student’s belongings.
He had never seen the boy before.
And yet, he looked incredibly familiar.
A vaguely familiar scent.
And his aura.
It was bewildering to feel a sense of gladness toward a boy he was seeing for the first time.
His cowardly instincts always made him wary of strangers.
After a moment of confusion, Ar-on spoke.
“What you’re holding belongs to my student.”
Forcibly suppressing the inexplicable feeling of familiarity, Ar-on questioned Leo.
“Would you mind explaining why you have it?”
Looking at Ar-on, Leo thought.
‘It seems he’s misunderstanding something. Does he think I harmed Berquia?’
Ar-on was typically very gentle with strangers.
For him to adopt such a tone meant he was being extremely stern.
After a moment of watching Ar-on, Leo spoke.
“If you want an explanation, why don’t you try to win it from me?”
“What?”
Ar-on looked slightly taken aback.
If he told the truth, he could probably go to Gardsrone without any major trouble.
But a sudden curiosity sparked within him.
‘I wonder how well I can fight against Ar-on as I am now.’