Chapter 532
Chapter Title: A Sleepless Night and a Misunderstanding
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532.
Trembling eyes.
Lips pressed tight.
Fists clenched hard.
In the darkness, Eiran's face was filled with anxiety.
“When was the last time you slept properly?”
“...A week ago.”
At Eiran’s answer, Leo let out a deep sigh.
He stood up and lit the manastone lamp in the corner of the tent.
Leo grabbed a towel hanging to one side and began to dry Eiran’s wet hair.
“Ah, I can…”
“Stay still.”
Leo said indifferently, roughly drying Eiran's hair.
Once her hair was mostly dry, Leo walked over to a sleeping bag, sat down, and asked.
“Are you that worried about Berchia?”
At Leo’s question, Eiran’s head sank low.
“I know I have to stop him.”
Eiran said softly.
“But I have no idea what to say, or how to stop him.”
Eiran wrapped her arms around herself, her body trembling.
“That's why I'm so scared. Scared that he's not the Berchia I know. Scared that he'll never open his eyes again. Scared that he'll hurt you, Leo.”
For Eiran, it was only natural for her mind to be in turmoil.
The corruption of the one she had admired and aimed to be.
And the terror that a person she respected might harm another she respected.
The anxiety that filled her mind had robbed her of sleep.
For the past week, she had tried to pull herself together.
But she had failed.
That was why she had come to find Leo.
Watching her, Leo sighed deeply.
‘Of course, it's hard for her.’
For Eiran, the situation must feel utterly overwhelming.
To call her weak would be to ignore the immense pressure of her current circumstances.
Her situation was slightly different from Lunia’s and Chen Xia’s.
How would Chen Xia react if she had to strike down an undead Leo?
What if Lunia had to defeat Luna?
‘For Eiran, it must be the same kind of situation.’
It was far too great a pressure for a young girl like Eiran to bear.
Leo watched Eiran in silence.
‘What should I say to her?’
Should he tell her that he would defeat Berchia, not the other way around?
‘In this situation, no words would offer any real comfort.’
He couldn’t carelessly say that Berchia would return to his former self.
Eiran knew as well as he did that such a thing was next to impossible.
Anxiety wears down the spirit.
The silence and darkness that came with night would have made Eiran even more afraid.
And yet, she couldn't talk about this with Lunia and Chen Xia.
Though they tried not to show it for Eiran’s sake, both of them were just as anxious about the current situation.
She couldn’t burden two people who were trying so hard to keep their own composure.
Eiran had tried to overcome it on her own, but in the end, her anxious heart had led her to Leo.
The only person she could rely on in this situation.
Her body still trembling, Eiran lifted her head and looked into Leo’s red eyes.
“Is it hard?”
At Leo’s question, Eiran clenched her teeth and steeled herself.
‘I can’t rely on Leo-nim either.’
Eiran knew.
She knew Leo didn't see her as a simple hero candidate.
As long as Leo was the Great Hero.
In the future, Leo would surely face a decisive battle against Erebos and Tartaros.
And Leo had chosen Eiran as a hero to fight on that battlefield.
‘Which is why I can’t afford to act like a child.’
If she came to rely on Leo every time things got tough, she would end up as nothing but a burden.
‘I have to overcome this on my own.’
Eiran forced a smile.
“It's been hard, but I'll try my best…”
“If it's hard, you can sleep here.”
“What?”
“You don't have to force yourself to endure it.”
“B-but I can't always rely on you, Leo-nim…”
“You can't. But for now, it's okay.”
Leo said calmly.
“It's an adult's job to help when things are tough. So? Should I tell you one of those old stories you like?”
At his words, Eiran stared blankly for a moment before she let out an involuntary “Pfft!” and burst into laughter.
“Leo-nim, even so, I'm not a complete child, you know.”
“Don't want to hear it?”
“I'd still like to.”
Eiran replied, her voice a little brighter.
Seeing her like this, Leo pulled another spare sleeping bag from his sub-space.
Just as Eiran was getting into the sleeping bag.
“Hmm~ Looks like nothing special is going to happen.”
“Eek?”
Startled by the voice from behind, Eiran spun around.
There, squatting down and watching Eiran with narrowed eyes, was Chen Xia.
“Ch-Chen Xia. How long have you been here?”
“From the beginning.”
Chen Xia smiled brightly.
“You never know what might happen when a man and a woman are alone at night, right?”
“Do you see me as that kind of guy?”
As Leo clicked his tongue, Chen Xia shook her head.
“I trust Young Master Leo. It's you I don't trust, Eiran.”
At those words, Eiran’s eyes widened, and she asked with teary eyes.
“Th-that's so mean. Just because of my reading tastes, it doesn't mean I'd do anything strange! Do I look like the kind of elf who would sneak over to Leo-nim's tent late at night to seduce him?”
“Yes, you look exactly like that kind of elf.”
At the answer, delivered without a hint of hesitation, Eiran’s face fell.
“Can I sleep here too?”
“Why you?”
“It would be a disaster if Eiran were to pounce on Young Master Leo.”
“I-I’m not that kind of elf!”
Eiran whimpered, grabbing Chen Xia and shaking her frantically.
Watching the scene, Leo burst out laughing.
“This brings back memories.”
Vihar used to tease Berchia just like that.
Seeing the descendants of his disciples, Leo recalled memories of the past and began to speak.
“Should I tell you the story of when I first met Berchia and Vihar?”
At his words, Eiran and Chen Xia, who had been bickering, sat down in front of Leo.
Time passed as they listened to the stories of their ancestors.
***
Early dawn.
The snowstorm had ceased at some point.
Lunia, now awake, took a deep breath.
‘I wonder if Eiran is okay.’
As her close friend, Lunia knew that Eiran wasn't in a good state.
‘I want to cheer her up somehow.’
But even Lunia couldn't offer Eiran careless comfort.
Lunia, too, sincerely respected the ancestors of the Lundua family.
Her ancestors, who had striven to pass down the sacred flame to future generations, had always been one of her sources of pride.
What if such an ancestor were to be resurrected as an undead through the Necro King's schemes?
She couldn't dare to imagine what that would feel like.
‘If I bring it up carelessly, I might hurt her even more.’
Lunia took a deep breath and opened her sleeping bag.
*Ziiiiip—!*
After unzipping it and sitting up, Lunia wore a bewildered expression.
“Eiran? Chen Xia?”
The two of them had vanished without a trace.
Just as Lunia’s expression turned to one of confusion, she heard voices from outside the tent.
“Can't we stay a little longer?”
‘Ah.’
Lunia, who had thought something had happened during the night, let out a sigh of relief.
And the voice she heard, Eiran’s voice, sounded brighter.
As she started to get up, Lunia's ears perked up at the voices she overheard.
“No. Leo-nim needs to sleep too.”
“Can't we just sleep with Leo-nim?”
“I said no. We were with him all night. Young Master Leo couldn't sleep because of us, so we should let him get at least a little rest.”
“Leo-nim was the one keeping us awake. How could we possibly sleep when he was doing that for us?”
“Hmm… That's true. It was certainly an enjoyable time.”
At the conversation she heard from outside, Lunia froze solid.
The tent flap opened, and Eiran and Chen Xia came inside.
They found Lunia frozen stiff, her mouth agape. Eiran's eyes widened.
“Lunia, you're up early.”
“Uh, yeah… Eiran, you seem a little better?”
“Yes! I'm sorry for worrying you, Lunia.”
Seeing Eiran's apologetic expression, Lunia gave an awkward laugh.
“N-no. It's fine. By the way… were you just coming from Leo's tent?”
“Yes. It's embarrassing, but Leo-nim comforted me all night. Thanks to him, I was able to forget a lot of my worries and anxieties.”
“Though Young Master Leo couldn't sleep because of Eiran's whining,” Chen Xia added.
“You were there too, Chen Xia,” Eiran grumbled with a pout.
Listening to their conversation, Lunia’s voice began to tremble violently.
“Y-y-y-you two! Do you have any idea what you've just done?”
“Huh? Well, we were with Leo-nim all night… Ah, maybe we should have brought you with us instead of leaving you alone? I'm sorry! I didn't even think of it… We'll definitely go together next time.”
As Eiran looked apologetic, Lunia's face turned as red as her hair, and she began to have a fit.
“You two! You're students!”
“Lunia?”
“What in the world have you students been doing! And Leo! He may be an adult, but! No! Being an adult isn't the issue here! Three? Th-three? The three of you!? All night long?! And you want me to join next time?!”
“L-Lunia? What's wrong? C-calm down!”
“Calm down? What’s wrong? You two are top students from Seirun and Lumerne! You should have proper conduct! Do you think it makes sense to do something like that and then act like you don't know what the problem is?”
Seeing Lunia’s beet-red face and glaring eyes, Eiran spoke with a frightened expression.
“W-we just listened to Leo-nim tell old stories!”
“No matter how many of those books you've read… huh?!”
Lunia, who had been shouting, suddenly stopped with a look of confusion.
And a moment later.
Her face turned slightly pale as her shoulders began to tremble.
“Ahh, so that's what you were thinking.”
Chen Xia smiled brightly.
“You have such a vivid imagination, Lunia. I never dreamed you'd think of something like that.”
“N-no, I mean. I was just…”
As Lunia broke out in a cold sweat, Eiran figured out the situation and her eyes widened.
Then, she narrowed them.
“Lunia.”
“S-sorry. I just!”
“You're so lewd.”
“…”
At those words, Lunia hung her head low.
Her shoulders trembling, Lunia had another fit and lunged at Eiran.
“This is all your fault for always reading those strange things!”
“How is that my fault?! It's your mind that's strange, Lunia!”
“Aaaargh! I don't care! It's your fault! Your fault!”
As the two elves shrieked at each other, Chen Xia smiled sweetly.
“Shh, Leo-nim will hear you.”
At her words, the two instantly fell silent.
Chen Xia smiled brightly and approached Lunia.
“I'm glad the misunderstanding is cleared up.”
“R-right.”
“But I'm curious. Just how far did your imagination go?”
Lunia’s shoulders began to tremble again.
She wanted to pull at that sweetly smiling mouth.
“Tell me. Please?”
‘This girl has a mean streak.’
Watching Chen Xia tease her with a smile, Lunia could only cover her face with her hands.