Chapter 494
Chapter Title: Luna Goes to School
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494.
Chen Xia took a deep breath.
Countless monster carcasses were piled up around her.
The endless stream of monsters had ceased at some point.
Sensing that the presence of monsters in the vicinity had vanished, Chen Xia spoke.
“Eiran, are you alright?”
“Yes. I'm fine! How about you, Chen Xia?”
Chen Xia smiled brightly at Eiran's energetic reply.
“I'm fine too.”
After replying, Chen Xia looked down at her palm.
‘The training I received from Ar-on is definitely paying off.’
Her movements had become much sharper.
She could also react more swiftly to the enemy's movements.
Impressed by the results of her training, Chen Xia said,
“Come on, let's hurry and catch up to Young Master Leo.”
“Yes!”
Eiran followed behind Chen Xia.
As they followed the tracks Leo left behind, Chen Xia asked,
“By the way, Eiran. A little while ago, you said that Luna was sleeping in this land, right?”
“Huh?”
Eiran was startled.
Chen Xia smiled gently at Eiran's reaction.
“The resting places of the Great Heroes have never been revealed. You and Young Master Leo were talking as if you knew Luna was sleeping here. How did you know that Luna was sleeping here?”
“W-well, that's… um…”
“You share another secret with Young Master Leo, don't you?”
Just as Eiran was at a loss for what to do in the face of Chen Xia's sharp question delivered with a smile,
“You're safe.”
Leo's voice came from ahead.
“Ah! Leo! You're safe too… huh?”
Eiran, who had looked toward Leo with a bright expression, froze.
Chen Xia also stiffened upon seeing the woman standing next to Leo.
A very familiar person was standing there.
Eiran and Chen Xia's mouths gaped open.
“Luna…?”
“Hm? You know me?”
As Chen Xia asked cautiously, Luna tilted her head.
Thud-
Eiran was so shocked she collapsed to the ground.
Seeing her, Luna's eyes widened.
“Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Luna approached Eiran, crouched down, and asked with a tilt of her head.
Looking at Luna, Chen Xia urgently asked Leo,
“Y-Young Master Leo! Why is Lady Luna here in the present day?”
“Well, it's the same situation as with Ar-on before.”
As Chen Xia gaped at Leo's calm words,
“La-Lady Luna.”
Seeing Eiran look at her with an emotional expression, Luna said to Leo,
“Kyle, what's with her?”
Unaware of her own status in the current world, Luna asked as if she didn't understand.
“Kyle?”
Chen Xia's face was once again filled with confusion.
Sighing at the sight, Leo said,
“Let's head back to the village first. It'd be better to sort things out there.”
***
“Why did Lady Luna call you Kyle, Young Master Leo? She's definitely talking about the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, right?”
Chen Xia asked with a serious expression.
Leo, who was staring at Chen Xia, let out a small sigh.
“I don't think this is a situation I can hide anymore.”
At Leo's words, Chen Xia's expression grew slightly tense.
“I am Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.”
“What?”
“I was reincarnated.”
Chen Xia wore a blank expression.
After a moment of confusion, as if she couldn't comprehend, Chen Xia shot up from her seat with a look of astonishment.
“Young Master Leo, you're the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle?!”
When Leo nodded, Chen Xia collapsed back into her seat.
Then she was lost in thought.
Recalling Leo's actions, Chen Xia let out a hollow laugh.
“Somehow, I knew you were extraordinary ever since you enrolled.”
His continuous involvement with the Great Heroes and his unbelievable growth rate.
It was an incredible story, but if he was Kyle, the 'Hero of the Beginning', then it all made sense.
‘And his overly mature side.’
Shaking her head, Chen Xia soon wore a slightly hurt expression.
“Besides me, who else knows about your identity, Young Master Leo?”
“Dragon Lord Melina, Chelsea, and Eiran, I suppose.”
‘Though the Emperor of Shan seems to have a faint suspicion.’
Leo narrowed his eyes, thinking of Emperor Shau of Shan.
“I can understand Dragon Lord Melina… but to tell Chelsea and Eiran and not me. I'm a little disappointed.”
“Aside from Melina, I never intended to tell anyone.”
Leo sighed.
“That fool Ar-on told Chelsea the secret first. Eiran overheard Chelsea and me talking.”
“Hmm. I see.”
Squinting, Chen Xia sat down.
Luna, who had been watching them intently, clapped her hands.
“If that's all sorted out, let's have some introductions. My name is Luna Rubinance.”
Seeing Luna introduce herself with a bright smile, Chen Xia said,
“My name is Chen Xia.”
“Okay, nice to meet you. And you?”
“My name is Eiran Ersar.”
“Ersar?”
Luna paused.
Looking at Luna, Eiran smiled shyly and said,
“I'm a descendant of Berkia.”
“Oh my!”
Luna beamed.
“So Berkia got married? I was a little worried because of his strange taste in books!”
Luna walked up to Eiran, held her face, and examined it from all angles.
“Now that I look closely, you do resemble Berkia!”
“Not at all. He was arrogant, and she's cute.”
Leo said dismissively.
“And this one here is a descendant of Bihar.”
“Oh my! Really?”
Luna looked pleased.
“Yes. So they left descendants in a peaceful world. What a relief.”
Luna's relieved smile was incredibly beautiful.
Eiran and Chen Xia stared at her, slightly mesmerized.
“Right. Eiran, was it? Berkia was like a daughter to me. So don't be so formal, just treat me like an older sister.”
“Older sister? More like grandmother.”
At Leo's sarcastic remark, Luna's eyes widened and she kicked out at him.
Leo dodged her attack as if he were used to it.
Chen Xia burst into laughter at their comfortable, unguarded interaction.
“So this is what the Great Heroes were like. It's strange, they don't seem much different from us.”
It reminded her of classmates bickering.
‘This is the first time I've seen Young Master Leo be so unreserved.’
Resting her chin on her hand, Chen Xia watched Leo and Luna.
‘Then again, Young Master Leo is the Hero of the Beginning. A comrade who fought alongside her 5,000 years ago, with the fate of this world on the line.’
In a sense, one of the four people who could stand as Leo's equal.
Watching the two of them bicker, Chen Xia spoke.
“Anyway, what's the plan now?”
Chen Xia tilted her head.
“It's great that Lady Luna has returned to the present day like Ar-on… but what should we do now?”
“There's something I want to do.”
“What is it?”
As Luna raised her hand and spoke, Leo looked puzzled.
“I want to go to that place called Lumerne Academy.”
***
The week-long mission practicum came to an end.
And right on schedule, the second-year students began returning to Lumerne Academy one by one.
Of course, among them were students who hadn't finished their missions yet due to them being long-term assignments.
The corresponding supplementary class schedules were all set to proceed without a hitch.
“I'm back!”
Slam-!
Iliana burst through the dormitory door, ran straight into the common room, and threw herself onto the sofa.
Thump-!
“The common room sofa is the best! Mmm~ this comfort!”
Basking in the sofa's comfort, Iliana stretched luxuriously.
“You're back, Iliana.”
“Hey! Xia!”
Iliana, who had been waving and smiling brightly at Chen Xia's greeting, suddenly noticed something and her eyes widened.
“Eiran? You're Eiran from Seirun!”
Iliana shot up from her seat with a surprised look.
“Why are you wearing our school uniform?”
“I'll be studying at Lumerne for a while as an exchange student.”
“Aha! I see!”
Iliana nodded and then looked to the side.
“And this person is…?”
It was an elf, also wearing a Lumerne uniform.
“I'm Lu. I'm also here as an exchange student. Nice to meet you.”
“Ah. Lu? But I've never heard that name before.”
Even though they were from a different school, she had interacted with Seirun's second-years a few times, so she knew the names of the prominent students of her generation.
She had never heard the name Lu before.
“Lu… I think it's because she's in a lower-ranked class.”
“Oh, I see. A lower-ranked class.”
Hmm-! Iliana crossed her arms and nodded.
Then she grinned.
“My name is Iliana Laden! Let's get along during our short time together!”
“You too.”
“By the way, your face is really familiar.”
Stroking her chin, Iliana studied Lu with narrowed eyes.
“I get told I have a friendly face a lot.”
“Ah, I see!”
Iliana was convinced by Lu's casual remark.
Lu, or rather Luna, smiled gently at Iliana.
The reason Iliana didn't recognize Luna was simple.
It was because she was using a perception-inhibiting spell.
Under the spell's influence, Iliana couldn't properly perceive Luna, which is why she just thought she had a 'familiar face'.
‘Only Luna could pull this off.’
A mage equal to or greater than the caster would be able to see through this perception-inhibiting spell.
But in this world, there is no mage greater than Luna.
‘Melina had a tough time for a few days.’
After hearing about Luna, Melina had been busy for days creating a fake identity.
The result was the birth of a Seirun second-year student named Lu, whom even Seirun itself didn't know about.
There was no reason for Lumerne to check with Seirun about it now.
While the two academies did interact, they didn't share such trivial information.
Just as Leo let out a small laugh watching Luna chat and laugh happily with the Glory students,
“Leo.”
“You're back, Chloe.”
“Yeah. I heard something about exchange students.”
Leo pointed toward Luna and Eiran for the puzzled Chloe.
“So it's Eiran. And the other person is…”
Chloe gasped in admiration.
“She's so beautiful. Was there a student like that at Seirun?”
“She's in a lower-ranked class, apparently.”
“I see.”
Chloe was also convinced.
Meanwhile, Luna continued to chat and laugh cheerfully with the Glory students.
“She's very friendly.”
Chen Xia said in admiration, and Leo chuckled.
“She's always been good at getting along with people.”
Looking at Luna, Leo muttered to himself,
‘I hope she has a good time.’
***
That afternoon.
The second-year classes resumed.
The very first class was for the Magic Department.
The second-year Magic Department students filed into the large lecture hall.
And they were left speechless at the sight of the magical formulas that filled the massive blackboard.
“What in the world is that?”
“Is that some alien language?”
“No, is that even a magical formula in the first place?”
The Magic Department students began to murmur.
Chloe's eyes sparkled as she looked at the bizarre magical formula.
Her blue eyes scanned the formula rapidly.
“Heheheh, welcome, everyone.”
Ren grinned smugly at the seated students.
“While you were all away on your mission practicum, I came up with a fun idea. So I turned it into a formula. Is there any student who can look at this and get a rough idea of what kind of magic it's for?”
At his words, everyone's gaze turned to Chloe.
Abad and Chelsea had not yet returned from their mission practicums.
And even if those two had been there, the students would still have looked at Chloe.
It was common knowledge among the second-year Magic Department students that when it came to magic theory, it was Chloe, and when it came to Chloe, it was magic theory.
Under everyone's gaze, Chloe spoke.
“I think it's a magical formula related to time.”
“Excellent! Wonderful! Just as I'd expect from you, Student Chloe!”
Ren clapped his hands, smiling with satisfaction.
“Now! To explain this magic in detail…”
“I think there's a miscalculation in the formula, Professor.”
Just then, someone raised their hand and interrupted Ren.
Ren's eyes flashed as he looked toward the source of the voice.
There, with her eyes sparkling, sat Luna with her hand raised.