Chapter 385
Chapter Title: The First Toast
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385.
Gardsrone.
Humanity's last fortress, where the flame of hope was first kindled.
A great, impregnable fortress, literally called the Land of Hope.
But Gardsrone wasn't always so great.
‘No, it was a mess at first.’
Leo, who had found a seat in a Gardsrone tavern, gave a bitter smile.
This Gardsrone was no different.
There was no special reason why this place had survived even as the world teetered on the brink of destruction.
‘It was simply because we were lucky.’
The fact that Tartaros's reach hadn't extended this far was, quite literally, due to sheer luck.
Though it was a land known by many glorious titles, back then, it was hardly different from the other last remaining cities.
Security was abysmal, and countless refugees had flocked here.
Resources were limited.
Crucially, a pervasive 'fear' lingered—the fear that ruin could come at any moment.
But it was still a place where people lived.
There were taverns where those who fought on the battlefield could quench their thirst and fill their stomachs.
An era where no one knew when the fortress might fall and everyone would perish.
Drinking might have seemed like a ridiculous thing to do.
‘But it was also an age where it was hard to get through each day sober without getting completely drunk.’
That's how little hope was left in this world.
Literally on the edge of a cliff.
The era Leo had entered was just such a time.
The great assault from Tartaros had ended.
Afterward, it was a time when any tavern would be bustling with people.
But the tavern-inn where Leo now sat was empty.
Leo was the only one sitting at a table.
The elf running the tavern placed two large, crude mugs on the table before returning to the counter, crossing her legs as she sat.
This place was also a regular haunt for Kyle, the Surviving Hero.
‘I came here right before the final journey, too.’
Seeing an acquaintance from the depths of his memory, Leo smiled wryly.
“Sorry, sorry.”
Just then, Lisinas came down from the second floor.
“I was just taking care of something.”
With a somewhat relieved smile, Lisinas sat down across from Leo.
‘Did he come from writing in his journal?’
Lisinas had chronicled everything about the Age of Calamity in his journals.
And today was the day he had joined the party.
Recalling that day's entry, Leo chuckled to himself.
“Today is the historic day we formed our subjugation party, so drink up. I'd buy a round for everyone if I could, but...”
Lisinas glanced around.
“It seems no one dares to come in while you and I are here together.”
“The Surviving Hero is a symbol of misfortune, and the fool is an object of avoidance for spreading useless hope.”
“That's true for now. But soon, the way people see us will change. This city will change, too.”
His voice filled with strong conviction, Lisinas raised his mug.
“Well then, before we get to the serious talk. This is the beginning.”
Lisinas grinned.
‘This is the end.’
“To our future and the hope of the world, a toast.”
‘To our future and the hope of the world, a toast.’
Five thousand years ago.
When he shared a final drink with his friends.
Leo watched Lisinas in silence as he delivered the exact same toast.
“...Kyle?”
Seeing Leo staring at him without a word, Lisinas looked puzzled.
“Cheers.”
*Clink-!*
The wooden mugs made a dull clinking sound.
‘I never imagined that after everyone died, after thousands of years, I'd return to the moment we shared our first drink.’
“Kyle?”
Lisinas, who had been sipping his drink, asked in a slightly bewildered tone.
“Did something good happen? Why are you smiling like that?”
At that question, Leo's eyes widened before he rested his chin on his hand and smiled.
“Just because. It's nice.”
Lisinas looked flustered.
‘He wasn't like this, was he?’
Lisinas knew Kyle's personality well.
He'd spent the last few weeks chasing Kyle to get him to join the party, so he'd had more than enough experience with that twisted personality of his.
‘He's called me a fool, a lizard... all sorts of rude things until now.’
He'd wanted to punch him in the face, but he had held back, trying his best to make a good impression.
But just a moment ago.
Ever since he'd defended Gardsrone and joined the party, he'd felt... different.
‘Well, whatever. It doesn't change the fact that he's a member of the subjugation party I've formed.’
Kyle, the Surviving Hero.
His strength was already world-renowned.
The demons feared him.
‘A true powerhouse who has survived countless battlefields.’
Lisinas wanted comrades like that.
After seeing Kyle in person, his resolve to have him join the subjugation party had only strengthened.
‘An unprecedented All-Class. He'll surely be a great asset in the fight against Erebos.’
With that thought, Lisinas cleared his throat. “Ahem!”
“Alright, Kyle. Let's have a more serious talk. About what comes next.”
Lisinas put down his mug and crossed his arms.
He spoke with a serious expression.
“As you know, my goal is to defeat Erebos and save this world. To do that, I need you. That's why I recruited you to the party.”
“Right.”
“But. You and I alone are not enough to save the world.”
Lisinas took a deep breath and said firmly.
“That's why we need strong companions to join us on our journey.”
“Do you have any candidates in mind?”
“Of course. First, we need a mage.”
Lisinas opened a subspace and unfolded a map.
A map of the world from 5,000 years ago.
Most of the land was colored black.
Territories that had been burned away by Erebos.
Among them, Lisinas pointed to one area that had not yet been burned.
“Here. The home forest of the southern elves. A land cursed by the Monster Queen. A genius elven archmage named 'Luna Rubinance' is there. You've at least heard her name, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I heard she's a nobler elf than any other.”
‘...Come to think of it, that ridiculous rumor was spreading back then, too.’
“If we convey our purpose, that noble elf will surely join us on our journey.”
‘What did Luna say to me when we first met?’
‘Are you a psycho? What did you eat to come up with an idea like that?’
Leo had merely conveyed Lisinas's intentions to Luna exactly as they were.
But he was the one who got called a psycho, not Lisinas.
He felt a renewed sense of injustice.
He then looked at Lisinas, who was gazing with a serious face at the region now known as the Forest of Monsters.
Until then.
No, right up until he met Luna, Lisinas had held great expectations for her.
He couldn't help it.
After all, the first member Lisinas had recruited was the twisted man that was himself.
‘He wouldn't have known back then. That Luna would be the most disobedient member of our party.’
“You have a strange look in your eyes.”
“What's wrong with my eyes?”
Lisinas continued, looking unconvinced.
“The next member we need to recruit is Agon, the 'Guardian of the Azure Sky,' in Reisar.”
Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky.
Ar-on's master, he was already renowned as a mighty hero even before the Age of Calamity.
He earned the name 'Guardian of the Azure Sky' for having long protected the blue skies.
But when Lisinas, Kyle, and Luna went to find him, his will was already broken.
In his place, Ar-on joined the party.
“The Guardian of the Azure Sky is a great hero who has stopped countless demons. He is always dignified and valiant. He'll be a reliable frontline fighter.”
‘Ar-on joined instead. In major battles, he fulfilled his role as a reliable frontline fighter just as Lisinas had hoped. But in smaller skirmishes, he was the most unreliable person there was.’
His overwhelming skill and the courage he showed in crises were undoubtedly perfect for the subjugation party's vanguard.
‘The look on Lisinas's face during their first battle was a sight to see.’
Ar-on had hidden behind Lisinas, terrified.
He possessed great power, but he was still an inexperienced boy, so it wasn't surprising.
But having already dealt with the tomboyish Luna, Lisinas's hopes for the next party member were desperate. So when he saw the terrified Ar-on, he looked like he was about to cry for the first time.
‘Luna laughed so hard when she saw that.’
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Don't look at me with pity in your eyes.”
“I wasn't.”
At Leo's words, Lisinas narrowed his eyes and continued.
“Next, we need a blacksmith who can forge powerful equipment. Of course, since we're outnumbered, he also needs to be a warrior of overwhelming skill. There's only one man who fits the bill. There are rumors he's a bit of an oddball, but they say he's an incredible person.”
‘He was more than just a bit of an oddball.’
‘Dweno, we need your strength. We ask that you join us on our journey.’
At their first meeting, Dweno, who had been staring at Lisinas as he made his request with the formal etiquette of a dragon, turned to Leo, who had come with him, and spoke.
‘You.’
‘What?’
‘Are you lovers with this dragon maiden?’
‘This human and I are not in that kind of relationship.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘Hmm.’
Dweno stroked his chin, looking at Lisinas suspiciously, before nodding.
‘I understand. But I have a condition, Black Dragon.’
‘State it, Blacksmith Dweno.’
Dweno spoke with an expression that was almost sublime.
‘Become my nude model.’
‘Did I mishear you?’
‘You heard correctly. Your beauty must be known to future generations.’
At that moment, Lisinas wore the expression of someone who had seen it all.
‘Let's go, Kyle. I don't think this guy is the one.’
Kyle picked up a sword lying discarded like trash in Dweno's workshop and said.
‘This is an incredible sword. Why is it just lying here?’
‘That's a failure. It's not beautiful.’
‘If this is a failure, he'd be a great asset, don't you think?’
‘Let's go! A twisted guy! A tomboy! A coward! That's enough! There's no way I'm letting a pervert like this join us!’
Lisinas desperately tried to stop Leo.
‘Hey, old dwarf. We have an elf in our party who's just as beautiful as this one. Want to join?’
‘Hoh? If that's the case, it might be worth following along!’
‘Kyle!’
Leaving behind a screaming Lisinas, Dweno joined the party.
Leo looked at Lisinas with pity.
“So why do you keep looking at me like that?”
“...Because saving the world isn't going to be easy.”
“Of course not. Stop thinking nonsense and tell me what you think of our prospective companions.”
“...They sound like an amazing bunch.”
“Right? They'll be different from a foul-tempered guy like you.”
Lisinas, still holding a grudge against Leo, said with a hint of emotion.
“...Yeah. They'll definitely be different from a foul-tempered guy like me.”
Later, Lisinas would confess over drinks.
That the guy whose first impression he was sure was the worst actually had the most normal one of them all.