Chapter 549
Chapter Title: King of the World
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549.
“Hero of the Beginning, what are your plans after saving the Fairy Knight?”
“What do you think? I’ll crush that Necro King bastard who did that to Verkia, and then ultimately wipe out all the fragments of Erebos.”
Inside the Akashic Records Library.
After viewing all of Verkia’s records, Leo answered Rian’s question calmly.
“Come to think of it, when I met the god Pivua in Luna’s world, he was quite surprised to hear I was fighting Erebos.”
“He had every reason to be.”
Rian said as he poured tea into Leo’s cup.
“Because the gods are the ones who best understand what it means to fight against the primordial evil.”
Leo sipped his tea nonchalantly.
Rian spoke to him.
“It was agonizing, wasn't it?”
Rian’s eyes were filled with sympathy.
The sorrow of losing comrades who were like family, and the terror of having to face Erebos alone.
Countless things must have driven him to despair.
But what must have tormented Leo more than anything was the black flame that had burned his body.
The flame of calamity that had blazed since the very moment this world came into existence.
The flame of Erebos, the incarnation of evil, inflicts a pain that feels as if it would destroy the very soul.
Any god who witnessed a mere mortal preparing to once again face that flame, a flame that terrified even the gods themselves, would be moved.
Even if that mortal possessed the power of Erebos’s natural enemy.
Leo didn't answer, simply sipping his tea.
He wasn’t the only one who had felt such terrible pain.
‘Ar-on, Dweno, Luna, and Lisinas. They all died that way.’
Leo smiled as he recalled the deaths of his friends.
Seeing this, Rian looked puzzled.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because those fools all smiled, even though it must have been agonizing.”
“The meaning of that smile… do you not know it?”
“I do now.”
It was a sign of their absolute trust in the one who remained.
An unwavering faith that, though they themselves could not achieve it, Kyle would without a doubt see it through.
That must have been why they could smile even in the midst of the excruciating pain that crushed their souls.
“Well, in the end, I was the only one left.”
Leo rested his chin on his hand, gently swirling the teacup.
“It would have been nice if they could have enjoyed this peace, too.”
He remembered what had happened with Luna not long ago.
The memory of her happy smile left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Rian silently watched the somewhat lonely-looking Leo before creating two mirrors in his hands and speaking.
“Hero of the Beginning, are you aware of the many-worlds interpretation?”
“The many-worlds interpretation?”
“If you place two mirrors facing each other like this.”
Rian placed the mirrors parallel to each other.
“An infinite space unfolds within.”
“Are you talking about parallel worlds?”
“Yes. It’s the same concept as the theory used in magic. To be precise, it’s a slightly more advanced concept.”
Rian brought the mirrors together.
A small tree then sprouted in his hand.
“In the many-worlds interpretation, the world has countless points of divergence. In the case of a tree, these points are its branches.”
Rian pointed to the branches growing in various directions as he continued his explanation.
“When an event occurs and creates a divergence point, a world where that event happened and a world where it did not are created. This is the many-worlds interpretation theory.”
“So you’re saying that if parallel worlds exist, there could be a world where my friends survived?”
“Yes.”
Rian smiled faintly and flicked his hand, making the tree disappear.
“So you need not blame yourself so much for it. Somewhere in another world we cannot reach, the other Great Heroes may have been revived and are living their lives in that world.”
“Do these parallel worlds actually exist?”
“Even I, who was once a god, do not know. It exists only as a possibility.”
“I hope they do.”
“Ah, as expected of the Hero of the Beginning, you are so kind. Would you deign to bestow your warm grace upon this humble servant as well?”
“That’s creepy.”
At his words, Rian’s shoulders slumped.
“In any case, thanks to you, Hero of the Beginning, this world has evolved to a point where it no longer needs the care of the gods.”
Rian stood up with a grunt.
“The reason the gods gave you the title of ‘Beginning’ isn’t simply because it’s the start of a new era. The fate of the world itself has left the hands of the gods, who were its administrators, and has been passed into the hands of the inhabitants of the mortal realm. In a way, it is a true beginning.”
That must have been why Pivua was so surprised.
‘It must have been clearly visible to a god’s eyes. The nobility and conviction of this man’s soul.’
How could one not be astonished upon seeing a great hero willing to repeat the world’s most horrific agony for the sake of his friends?
“Before the complete subjugation of Erebos is achieved, there are surely things that must be done.”
“Right.”
“In that sense, would your humble servant dare to offer a word of advice?”
“I’ll pass on a title like that.”
“Then, your little lamb.”
Leo gave up on having a proper conversation with the god before him.
“Do as you please. What kind of advice are you thinking of giving?”
“Goodness! How could the likes of me ever offer you advice!”
“Stop with the nonsense and get to the point.”
As Leo let out a low growl, Rian spoke.
“First, the truth about the Heroes of the Dawn must be revealed to the world. Until now, the Dragon Lords have kept this fact a secret for generations, fearing it would cause great chaos in the world, but…”
“The Heroes of the Dawn are at their limit now?”
Rian nodded.
If there was a bomb that could go off at any moment, it was better to inform people so they could prepare.
Especially in a time like this, when the world was in conflict.
“Next, your existence, Leo, must be made known to the world.”
“I’m already pretty famous.”
“That is not enough.”
Rian said seriously.
“5,000 years ago, the world collapsed in vain because it had no central figure. Then, the King of Wisdom appeared and united the world with a single purpose. You must know this as well, Leo. The King of Wisdom did not simply lead the heroes.”
What Lisinas led was the world itself.
“I know that you, in your new life, are taking on the role of Lisinas.”
He was raising hero candidates in preparation for the battle against Erebos.
He was making allies and preparing a response.
“But that alone is not enough.”
Rian looked at Leo and said firmly.
“Just as she did, you, the Hero of the Beginning, must become the King of the World.”
The King of the World.
A king who reigns over the entire world, acknowledged by the gods.
And in the long history of the mortal realm…
The only one acknowledged as king by the gods was Lisinas.
“Only when a single, absolute leader unites the will of the world can the world exert its true power.”
“That won’t be easy.”
During the Age of Calamity, the world could unite because it faced the desperate situation of its own destruction, but things were different now.
It was far too complex, with countless interests intertwined.
“That is why the special quality of being a one-of-a-kind existence in this world is necessary.”
Rian smiled brightly.
“As is the sense of crisis that the calamity has not yet ended. Therefore, I will help you.”
Rian placed a hand on his chest.
“Though I am no longer a god… I can imitate one.”
“Why are you going this far?”
Leo asked, narrowing his eyes.
No matter what, the favor of a god-like being was burdensome.
“Because I want to write it.”
Rian spread his hands.
“With these hands… the new legend you will create.”
Rian said, his expression ecstatic.
“The world needs a king now. So, Hero of the Beginning.”
Looking up at Leo, Rian’s eyes shone as he spoke.
“Please become the King of the World.”
Recalling their earlier conversation, Leo let out a small, internal sigh.
He hadn’t revealed that he was Kyle.
The reason was simple.
‘If I reveal that I’m Kyle, the world will continue to rely on the past.’
The moment Leo revealed he was Kyle…
The world would start to lean on Kyle one-sidedly.
To put it bluntly, the story of the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, ended 5,000 years ago.
What if a precedent was set where a being from the past was resurrected in the present to save the world again?
‘That would be a ghost of the past saving the world. That can’t happen.’
That was why people needed to know.
That the only ones who could solve the problems of this era were the people living in it.
‘Perhaps the name Leo Flove was attached to the Hero Record simply because I haven't yet achieved any great deeds while living in this era.’
After the special class ended, students poured out of the main lecture hall.
“Oh, it’s the student council president.”
“Ah.”
At someone’s murmur, the crowd parted wide.
Chelsea, who was walking beside Leo, looked slightly flustered.
She hadn't expected this kind of reaction.
For the two of them, who knew Leo's identity, Rian's words about him saving the world were nothing new.
But it was different for the others.
Rian was still an unknown entity, but it was clear he was no ordinary being.
And this unknown being had declared Leo to be ‘the one and only savior who will save this world.’
Even before this, Leo’s actions had been extraordinary.
The unprecedented All-Class.
The youngest student council president in the first year.
An unimaginable growth speed that surpassed countless others.
When they witnessed such things, they had simply thought he was a talent of a generation.
But the moment they heard he was born with a special power to defeat Erebos, his past achievements became even more prominent.
‘Perhaps, right now, we are…’
‘Looking at the hero who will fulfill the world’s destiny.’
The world reveres great beings it cannot comprehend.
But at the same time, it also shuns them.
Because what cannot be understood is frightening.
The vast majority of the student body couldn’t figure out how to treat Leo.
All eyes were on him, and everyone kept their distance.
But Leo remained unperturbed.
‘I’m used to this.’
He had grown accustomed to this kind of treatment during his time as Kyle.
A hero who survived was reliable, but also an unsettling presence people didn't want to get too close to.
Just as Leo was about to take a stoic step forward…
“Oh? Looks like we can get through easily.”
“You’re right! Thanks to Leo, we can walk comfortably!”
Lunia and Eiran approached Leo’s side.
“From now on, if we go to the dining hall with Young Master Leo, we won’t have to wait in line, right?”
“Yes. I think you’re right.”
Celia agreed with Chen Xia’s words.
With that as a start, the second-year students gathered around Leo.
The surroundings grew lively again.
To them, it didn't really matter what kind of being Leo was.
He was simply the goal they had to keep chasing.
“How does it feel, being the savior of the world?”
Duran asked in his characteristically sarcastic tone, and Leo smirked.
“I just hope you can keep up.”
Duran scoffed at his words.
‘The King of the World, huh.’
Leo looked up at the sky.
‘It’s not like you particularly wanted to be king either, was it? Right?’
She had only become one because she stubbornly pursued her foolish conviction.
He thought of his friend, who had carried the collapsing world on her slender shoulders.
Leo had never shouldered it.
He had merely saved it.
But he had realized that wasn't enough.
‘Thinking about it again…’
Leo placed a hand on his shoulder.
‘It’s heavy.’
Just as Leo gave a wry smile…
“If it’s heavy, want some help?”
Chelsea, standing beside him, asked with a bright smile.
Leo looked at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“When you’ve grown a bit more.”
“Okay.”
Chelsea nodded.
“We’ll definitely help you.”
Leo smiled as he watched Chelsea walk forward without hesitation after her reply.
‘Maybe you felt this way, too.’
Understanding Lisinas, Leo walked ahead.
Together with his future comrades who would one day stand against the calamity.