Chapter 500
Chapter Title: The Hero's Legacy
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“Verkia?”
Luna nodded at Leo’s question.
“Yes. I think my lingering attachment is to Verkia.”
Luna looked down at her palm.
“I was so worried about her.”
Worry filled Luna’s eyes.
“Were you worried she’d carry too much on her own?”
Luna shook her head at Leo’s question.
“I wasn't simply worried that Verkia would carry a heavy burden. Or that she would struggle because of it.”
Luna smiled faintly.
“After all, I believed in her potential more than anyone.”
Verkia couldn't wield star magic, but Luna had already anticipated that her student might not be able to use it.
The potential Luna believed in was her potential as a hero.
“She must have grown even stronger. She had the potential to overcome harsh trials… and raise up the fallen world. I never doubted for a second that she would protect the world we saved.”
And she truly had.
After Erebos was sealed.
Tartaros tried to destroy the world to fulfill its master's long-held wish.
The one who held the front lines against that onslaught was Verkia.
She was a tremendous hero, more than capable of shouldering the responsibility for an entire era, following in the footsteps of the Great Heroes.
“What I was worried about was her disposition.”
“His personality?”
“Yes.”
Luna wore a bitter smile.
Verkia was born in the darkest of ages.
Born in an era where the brightly burning sun had vanished, she didn't know what it was.
“But when I first saw Verkia, it was like looking at the sun.”
A child who could shine brilliantly even in a dark era.
It wasn't simply because Verkia was born with incredible talent.
“She's the kind of child who can laugh with genuine brightness, even in a dark era.”
“That’s true.”
She was always insolent, gruff, and rebelliously cynical, but she was the only person born in the age of calamity who could laugh so brightly.
“I wasn't worried when everything around her was dark. But when things brighten up, shadows are bound to appear.”
Luna muttered softly, then let out a small laugh.
“Still, I’m not that worried.”
“If you’re not that worried, can you really call it a lingering attachment?”
Luna scoffed at Leo, who asked the question with a puzzled look.
“Not being able to see what kind of life Verkia lived is more than enough of a lingering attachment for me, you know?”
That was certainly true.
“Well, I’m sure Verkia did just fine.”
Luna showed her unwavering faith.
“No matter what anyone says, she’s my student.”
With a grin, Luna started humming as she walked away.
“With that in mind, shall I focus on the present?”
Leo watched her back for a moment before pulling a dagger from his coat.
Bihar’s Dagger.
After staring at the dagger in silence, Leo followed after Luna.
***
Luna's school tour continued.
What caught her eye next was a joint practice session for the Music Club and the Drama Club.
“A musical? Is that a type of play?”
“Yes. The slight difference is that they act while singing.”
Eiran kindly explained from the side.
“Ooh!”
Luna’s eyes sparkled at this cultural novelty, non-existent 5,000 years ago.
“Let's see. I wonder what kind of play it is?”
She entered the practice room with an intrigued expression.
And then…
“Ah?! Eiran!”
A bright voice called out.
At the same time, Chelsea ran over and clung to Eiran’s back.
“I heard you came as an exchange student, but I can't believe we're meeting here!”
“Miss Chelsea, it's nice to see you!”
Eiran smiled brightly and patted Chelsea’s head.
“Leo and Xia are here too?”
“Come to think of it, Miss Chelsea, you’re in the Music Club, right?”
Chen Xia nodded.
“Yep, I'm the ace of the Music Club.”
Chelsea said proudly, crossing her arms with a triumphant smile.
“I’m playing the lead in the musical this time.”
“The lead?”
“Yep.”
Nodding, Chelsea showed them her ears.
Unlike usual, Chelsea’s ears were pointed.
It seemed she was dressed as an elf.
“Because of this, I came straight to practice as soon as I got back from my commission.”
“It suits you so well!”
Eiran said with a radiant smile.
Indeed, her costume was that of a traditional elven mage.
It was then.
“What’s this? What’s this? Who is this?”
Luna leaned in close to Chelsea, her eyes twinkling.
Chelsea’s face stiffened as she looked at Luna.
“Huh?”
She let out a bewildered sound.
“Leo! What is this adorable creature?”
Leo replied to Luna, who was staring at Chelsea with an excited face.
“That’s Chelsea Llewellyn.”
“She’s so cute! I want her!”
Watching Luna speak like a little girl who had found a doll she liked, Chelsea’s expression was one of pure shock.
“L-Lady Luna?!”
“Oh my?”
Luna looked surprised that her perception-distorting magic hadn't worked.
Perception-distorting magic was a type of suggestion magic.
Luna had set a simple keyword to prevent people from recognizing her true identity.
Anyone who knew Leo’s true identity could recognize her.
The simpler the keyword, the stronger the perception-distorting magic.
And Leo’s identity was a keyword that was both simple and capable of casting a very powerful suggestion.
“So that means. You know Leo’s true identity?”
“Gasp!”
Chelsea’s jaw dropped as her suspicion was confirmed.
“My goodness! Lady Luna! Did you come from the World of Heroes like Sir Ar-on?”
“It’s a little different from Ar-on’s case. But anyway, I am Lady Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.”
“Oh my, oh my. How, how.”
Chelsea fidgeted, not knowing what to do with herself.
She was a huge fan of heroic tales.
Moreover, as a mage, to meet the very Luna she admired so much!
What greater honor could there be?
“C-Could I please shake your hand?”
“Sure. No reason I can’t.”
Luna smiled sweetly and took Chelsea’s hand, then suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.
“Ah.”
“So cute! Won’t you call me Sister Luna?”
“S-Sister Luna?”
“I want a little sister like this!”
Chelsea’s face melted into a blissful expression as Luna rubbed her cheek against her head.
“Chelsea, it’s time to practice!”
“Oh? It’s the student council president.”
The upperclassmen from the Music and Drama Clubs called for Chelsea.
Luna let her go.
Chelsea headed to the stage with a disappointed look.
She had a mountain of questions she wanted to ask.
But she couldn't postpone practice.
Just then, members of the Music and Drama Clubs approached Leo.
“President. Are you here to observe?”
“I’m just looking around.”
“I see. Here’s the pamphlet for our upcoming performance.”
“What’s it about?”
“The story of the unfulfilled love between the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Brave Hero.”
“Pfft?!”
At the drama club member’s words, Luna, who had been sipping a drink given to her by a stagehand, spat it all out.
“Cough! Cough!”
For a moment, puzzled glances fell on Luna.
Luna waved her hands dismissively as she calmed her coughing.
Leo, on the other hand, was silently stifling his laughter.
“Sounds interesting.”
“Right? So, about the budget…”
“I’m not here to touch your budget.”
It seemed every club member he met brought up the budget.
At Leo’s words, the Music and Drama Club members left with bright expressions.
“Young Master Leo has become an object of absolute terror.”
Chen Xia giggled.
“An unfulfilled love between me and that Ar-on fellow! Where in the world did such a ridiculous story come from, and why are they performing it!”
Luna shouted at Leo, her face flushed.
“No point complaining to me.”
Leo shrugged.
In his place, Eiran spoke up.
“The stories of the Great Heroes are so famous that many people in later generations speculated that they must have been in love.”
At those words, Luna’s eyes narrowed.
“So? Are there rumors that Ar-on and I might have been a thing?”
“Yes. Along with the love story of Sir Lisinas and Sir Ar-on, it’s an incredibly popular tale.”
“Don’t they pair me with Kyle?”
At that, Eiran cautiously glanced at Leo.
“Until recently, the Hero of the Beginning was treated as a fictional character who never existed, so…”
“Hmm~”
Luna squinted, looking at Leo.
“And isn't the love story between you and that Dweno fellow quite famous too?”
“Ah~ There’s a story like that?”
“According to the pamphlet, a performance based on that story was a strong contender. It seems they chose the one about you and Ar-on because they couldn't find a suitable actor for the role of Dweno.”
Elves and beastkin can be done with makeup and costumes, but you can't shorten an actor's height for a dwarf.
Hearing Leo’s words, Luna’s face brightened.
“It’s a good thing they’re not performing that one.”
“Huh? Why is it a good thing?”
“If they had performed that story, I would have destroyed this entire place.”
All expression vanished from Luna’s face.
Seeing Luna display genuine anger, Eiran looked frightened.
A moment later, the practice began.
Chelsea, the protagonist, was playing the role of Luna.
The part of Ar-on was played by a fourth-year student from the Drama Club.
“My goodness, who is Chelsea supposed to be playing that she looks so beautiful?”
Luna said shamelessly.
Ignoring her comment, the song began.
Seeing it, Luna paused and stared intently at Chelsea.
“What a beautiful song.”
Eiran clasped her hands in admiration.
She was right.
Chelsea’s singing was so moving it startled the listeners.
A short while later.
As practice concluded, Luna spoke to Leo.
“Leo.”
“What?”
“Why are there so many jewels in this school?”
Luna said, her eyes sparkling.
“Inspiration for magic is just flooding my mind.”
Leo smirked at her words.
As they left the practice room, Luna spoke with an excited expression.
“Chloe, Iliana, and now Chelsea! This era is truly filled with children of shining talent!”
“There’s also the one who perfected the art of the Flame Emperor.”
“Right! I want to meet Lunia soon, too! The successor you've chosen for me!”
Luna smiled brightly.
“This is the best! This era is overflowing with potential!”
Luna looked down at her hands.
“I can grow even stronger.”
The magic accumulated and advanced over 5,000 years was stimulating Luna.
Countless talents were giving her new ideas and inspirations she had never even considered.
Based on that, she could see a new path.
Before the age of calamity.
And after the age of calamity, Luna was still considered the strongest mage in the history of magic.
But Luna’s talent had yet to fully bloom.
The new era, with its newly forged magical theories, provided nourishment for her unblossomed talent.
Luna was confident that she could cultivate a new tree from the soil of 5,000 years of magical history.
‘In this era… I might even be able to see the very limits of magic.’
As Luna, the mage and the seeker of knowledge, let her eyes shine, a voice called out.
“Yo! Leo!”
A cheerful voice was heard.
Standing there was none other than Karl.
“Miss Chloe arrived a while ago, but you're only just getting here, Karl?”
Chen Xia asked with a curious look, and Karl grinned.
“Yeah. There was a lot to learn at the Northern Magic Tower. Plus, it lets me skip class, you know?”
Karl, chuckling, waved cheerfully at Eiran as well.
Then, his gaze fell on Luna, and his expression turned to bewilderment.
“Huh?”
Karl’s eyes went wide.
Seeing Karl’s shocked reaction, Luna looked up with a puzzled expression.
“Gasp?!”
Karl was startled.
Leo narrowed his eyes at the reaction.
Chen Xia, not expecting this either, looked at Karl with some bewilderment.
Karl asked in a voice filled with shock.
“L-Lady Luna?”