Chapter 357
Chapter Title: The Will of Seirun
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Fwoosh-!
A pure white flame raged.
Lunia’s flame drove back the flame of Erebos.
At the sight, everyone gasped in awe.
“Is that the rumored flame of the Phoenix King?”
“The flame that was said to have vanished 5,000 years ago.”
The eyes of the mages who had come to attend the conference filled with wonder.
5,000 years ago.
The flame passed down by the Phoenix Kings, a line severed by Erebos.
The very flame, said to exist only in the legends of a distant past, was now materializing in Lunia’s hands.
Moreover, the creator of this magic was none other than Luna.
It was only natural for the mages to feel a sense of awe at this miraculous magic, displayed after a long 5,000 years.
*It’s not enough.*
But Lunia narrowed her eyes, as if unsatisfied.
Fwoosh-!
The white flame enveloping her entire body grew in intensity.
*Still… not enough.*
The reason Luna created this magic.
The reason Katariu passed down the Flame of Purification in Dweno’s world.
The fact that this flame, which even Luna couldn’t perfect, was now burning in her hands could not be a simple coincidence.
A miracle born from the convergence of fate.
Lunia looked at Dweno’s staff, which she had named the Flame Emperor.
*It must mean that we are to end this completely in our generation.*
Luna, who shone brilliantly even in the endless darkness.
Dweno, who stood firm even before an unforeseeable disaster.
Ar-on, who was braver than anyone in the face of deep despair.
Lunia recalled the images of the Great Heroes she had met and experienced firsthand.
Fwoosh-!
The Flame of Purification burned even more fiercely.
A dangerous flame, like a double-edged sword that could incinerate even herself if mishandled.
It was a power far too immense for the still-inexperienced her to handle.
But Lunia did not hesitate.
Because she remembered the sight of Leo charging without hesitation into the heart of Erebos’s flame.
*Trying to act all cool by yourself?*
Lunia smiled faintly as she thought of the boy who had suddenly appeared a year ago and greatly influenced her life.
Leo Flove.
An All-Class, just like Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
For some reason, Lunia thought Leo resembled Kyle.
Of course, she didn’t know much about Kyle.
It had only recently been revealed that he was a real historical figure.
There were almost no records related to his Hero Record, and the anecdotes about him remained only as fairy tales.
Why he was called the Hero of the Beginning.
What deeds he had accomplished.
Future generations had no way of knowing.
And yet, Lunia couldn’t shake the feeling that Leo and Kyle were similar.
*Sir Kyle is called the Hero of the Beginning… probably because he was the beginning of something. Just like that, Leo is also the beginning of this great current.*
Fwoooosh-!
Lunia’s flame blazed even more intensely.
Everyone stared at Lunia.
Lunia gripped the Flame Emperor with both hands.
A magic formula was woven.
“Flame Emperor.”
As the magic was completed, a massive, pure white flame appeared above the black flames of Erebos.
A brilliance like that of a great sun.
While everyone watched with their mouths agape, the pure white sun swallowed the black flames.
Whoosh-!
In an instant, the black flames were purified.
The pure white flames scattering in all directions held a gentle warmth.
Shards of the pure white flame incinerated all the rampaging undead.
The catastrophic black flames.
The undead exuding an aura of death. All vanished without a trace.
A gentle air, as if spring had arrived, enveloped the area.
At its overwhelming power, everyone stared at Lunia with astonished faces.
“Miss Lunia!”
Eiran rushed over to Lunia, whose body was covered in burns.
“I’m fine.”
Lunia smiled.
“It was said to burn away all that is impure…”
“It is literally purification.”
As everyone watched Lunia in admiration.
Seirun’s Hero Record fluttered down from the sky.
Lunia reached out and caught the Hero Record.
The source of this whole incident.
But for some reason, the Hero Record containing Seirun’s history was in perfect condition.
As if it had been newly written.
*Strange, it was almost completely burned away just a moment ago.*
Lunia wore a bewildered expression.
Had a burned and broken Hero Record ever restored itself to its original state before?
As far as Lunia knew, such a thing had never happened.
Just as Lunia was looking surprised.
Flash-!
The Hero Record emitted a bright light, and soon, Leo appeared.
“Huh?”
Lunia was startled.
Leo’s face, now visible, was right in front of hers.
So close she could feel his breath.
Remembering how Leo had held her chin just moments ago, Lunia’s face flushed red.
*That moment… the atmosphere was incredibly suggestive.*
Eiran's words came to mind for no reason, making her face burn even hotter.
Leo gave Lunia a mature smile, then reached out, took her hand, and pulled.
*Hey, what’s with him all of a sudden?! Why is he pulling my hand in front of everyone?*
Just as Lunia’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
“Could you let go?”
“Oh… okay… Eek?”
Lunia made a strange sound.
Only then did she realize that Leo was pulling on Seirun’s Hero Record, which she held in her hand.
Flustered, she let go, and Leo took a step back.
As Lunia, who had let her imagination run wild for nothing, blushed to the tips of her ears.
“Miss Lunia, are you alright?”
“I’m fine… but wasn’t the mood just now a little strange?”
“The mood? What mood?”
Seeing Eiran’s clueless expression, Lunia let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s nothing.”
“Miss Lunia, what kind of weird things were you imagining?”
Eiran squinted, and Lunia bristled.
“It’s your fault! It’s all your fault!”
“What? That’s not fair!”
Eiran protested with a tearful face.
“Student Leo.”
Just then, a Seirun instructor who knew Leo, Herdium, approached him.
“Is that… truly Lady Seirun’s Hero Record?”
“Yes.”
“Then why on earth would the flame of disaster emerge from Lady Seirun’s Hero Record…?”
“You’ll know if you hear it from her directly.”
“What…?”
As Herdium looked puzzled by Leo’s words.
Flash-!
As if a door opened in mid-air.
An oval, pure white entrance appeared.
As an instructor at Seirun, Herdium knew exactly what it was.
It was the gate to the World of Heroes.
Just as everyone realized this and their eyes widened.
Leo reached his hand into the entrance.
A moment later, a beautiful hand was led out by his.
Upon seeing the elf who emerged with it, Herdium unknowingly dropped the staff he was holding.
“Ah… ahh…”
Herdium’s voice trembled.
It wasn’t just Herdium.
Everyone stared at the elf who had appeared before them with expressions of disbelief.
“Lady… Seirun?”
An event that was hard to believe.
However, this past winter, Seirun had already experienced the return of the Progenitor of the Stars.
That was why they had no choice but to acknowledge the Seirun who appeared before their eyes.
At the miracle wrought by the Hero Record, the elves all bent their knees in unison.
It wasn't just the elves.
The mages who had visited Seirun to attend the conference did the same.
The Mage of the Comet, praised as the greatest in history after Luna.
There was no way they wouldn't bow their heads at the appearance of the Hero of Revelation, who had once saved a world in crisis.
Amidst this, even Lunia and Eiran, who had been bickering, were shocked into bowing their heads.
Seirun’s eyes trembled.
Her gaze fell upon the students wearing the Seirun uniform.
Starting with Lunia and Eiran, the sight of many students entered Seirun’s eyes.
“These are the sprouts that have grown from the seeds you sowed.”
Leo spoke quietly, so that only Seirun could hear.
“Many hero candidates have followed the path you pioneered, chasing after you. They reached out to touch us. As a result, countless heroes were born.”
The Age of Heroes.
The era that began after the Great Heroes subjugated Erebos and the gods gifted the Hero Records to the mortal world.
An age spanning from 5,000 years ago to the present.
But it was after the Heroes of Revelation that countless heroes truly began to emerge in an explosion of numbers.
“Did you do well?”
While everyone had their heads bowed.
Leo reached out and ruffled Seirun’s hair.
“So much so that I’m incredibly grateful. What you’ve achieved is what Lisinas so desperately wished for. So stop blaming yourselves. And make sure to tell the others.”
“…Yes.”
Seirun nodded.
And then she spoke with conviction.
“Everyone, raise your heads.”
At her words, everyone raised their heads.
Seirun turned her head.
She saw the Hall of Comets, which had collapsed into a pile of ash.
Seeing it, Seirun extended her hand.
Vwoom-!
From within the ashes, a bright light shot out like a comet and was caught in Seirun’s hand.
Her symbolic staff, Kometes.
Ziiing-!
Magical power surged from the tip of Kometes.
Simultaneously, the collapsed Hall of Comets was instantly restored to its original form.
Everyone who saw this wore expressions of shock.
It was as if time had been reversed.
*No, she actually reversed time!*
A grand magic that even mages who had reached the rank of Hero wouldn’t dare attempt.
She had performed such magic with ease.
“Everyone.”
Seirun said, looking at the students.
“To you, I may be nothing more than a figure of the past… but as the founder of this academy, I am overjoyed to see you all.”
At Seirun’s words, the students of Seirun looked deeply moved.
“So, I would like to take this opportunity to ask a favor of you.”
Seirun’s eyes grew somber.
“Long ago, I made a fatal mistake. It was the rule that only those who had mastered the ‘Magic of the Stars’ could enroll in this academy.”
Everyone was shocked to hear that Seirun Academy’s 3000-year tradition was a fatal mistake.
Seirun glanced at Leo.
She had already heard about Seirun Academy’s problems from Leo before coming out into the world.
“As the founder of this academy, I hereby abolish that rule, effective today.”
Everyone’s eyes flew open.
A few, in particular, gasped as if they were having a seizure.
They were none other than the Pureblood Society.
“And… Leo Flove.”
Seirun smiled brightly at Leo.
“The ‘Magic to Make Flowers Bloom,’ which I was unable to solve for so long. Thank you so much for recovering Lady Luna’s legacy. I believe you are a mage more suited for this staff than even I.”
At her sudden words, Leo let out a dry laugh.
However, all the elves wore expressions of utter astonishment.
Seirun was handing Kometes to Leo.
A mage giving their staff to another mage.
It was an act of acknowledging that mage as their successor.
Everyone looked back and forth between Leo and Seirun with eyes full of disbelief.
Leo accepted Kometes with a reluctant expression.
At that, Kometes shone brightly.
With that, as if her time was up, Seirun’s body also began to glow brightly.
Everyone present squeezed their eyes shut without realizing it.
Only Leo could see Seirun’s form clearly.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Sir Kyle.”
Leo spoke as he watched Seirun smile playfully with the tip of her tongue sticking out.
“You know, even Luna couldn’t do this to me. This is really something.”
In the distant past.
He remembered ignoring Luna when she tried to force her staff upon him, insisting he call her Master since she had taught him magic.
At Leo’s words, Seirun lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied elegantly.
“It is an infinite honor.”
Having paid her respects, Seirun smiled sweetly.
“But now, those foolish children will no longer be able to act rudely toward you, Sir Kyle.”
“That’s the only reason I’m letting this slide.”
“Huhu.”
Seirun covered her mouth and giggled.
Looking at her, Leo said.
“Just hang in there a little longer. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best!”
Seirun gave a bright farewell and vanished.
When the bright light faded, Seirun was gone, and only Leo remained.
Everyone stared at Leo with dumbfounded faces.
“It can’t… be.”
Orlen said in a trembling voice.
“A human… for a human to be acknowledged by Lady Seirun! I cannot accept it!”
Leo scoffed at Orlen, who was screaming as if having a fit.
Then, he shook Kometes in his hand.
“But I received this from Lady Seirun, didn’t I?”
Seirun had personally handed Kometes to Leo right before their eyes.
It was undeniable.
Seirun was the founder of the academy.
No matter how much a figure of the past she was, they could never go against her will.
The shoulders of the Pureblood Society members trembled.
As the Seirun instructors, students, and conference attendees all wore confused expressions at the sudden turn of events.
“Now, then…”
Leo said, adjusting his grip on Kometes.
“Why the flame of Erebos flowed out of the Hero Record… why the undead appeared in the middle of Seirun.”
Leo’s expression turned cold.
“Shall we get to the bottom of it?”
The faces of the Pureblood Society members turned deathly pale.
***
*Unacceptable! This is a clear betrayal! That damn Necro King!*
Lehagen cursed inwardly.
From the moment the black flame erupted from the Hero Record and the undead appeared atop the Hall of Comets, Lehagen had a premonition that he was finished.
*I never should have made a deal with those filthy demons! I’ll make him pay! I’ll take Lady Seirun’s remains and with my necromancy…*
Thump-
“Where do you think you’re going? Acting Headmaster of Seirun.”
Lehagen’s movements froze at the voice from behind him.
Thump- Thump-
Behind him, Leo, who had followed Lehagen, stood with cold eyes.