Chapter 142
Elena approached the elf girl writhing on the floor.
A slave girl who had been kicked in the stomach. Blood was flowing from Merin’s mouth.
Elena summoned her [Mana].
Woom—!
With a gentle light, Merin’s face immediately looked more at ease.
“E-En. You can use magic?”
Merin couldn’t hide her surprise at seeing her childhood friend use magic.
“I’m not En right now, Merin.”
“What?”
Elena beamed at the confused Merin.
“I borrowed your friend’s body to punish the bad people.”
As Elena gently stroked her hair, Merin grew even more bewildered.
She didn’t really understand what her friend was saying.
But the girl was still far too young to know the ways of the world, and somehow she believed Elena’s words.
“A-are you an angel?”
“Oh my, how sweet.”
Elena grinned and stroked Merin’s hair.
Squelch—!
Just then, a wet, sticky sound echoed.
Hearing it, Elena smiled radiantly.
“Merin. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, all right?”
“Y-yes.”
Merin squeezed her eyes shut.
Elena stood up and turned around.
She looked at Sarman, who was trying to get up even though his upper body had been blown off.
“Why don’t you just stay down? It’ll hurt less that way.”
“You damn wretch!”
Half of his face was regenerating, forming a vicious grin.
Gone was the clean appearance from a moment ago—he now looked hideous.
Most people would have screamed or gagged at the sight, but Elena was unfazed.
“You’re awfully rude, you know.”
Elena smiled slightly.
“Do you want to die painfully?”
Her eyes began to emit a deep pink glow.
Sarman flinched at the sight.
The pink glow in Elena’s eyes grew deeper, soon turning red.
Seeing this, Haddin gave a bitter smile.
‘She’s gotten… even stronger?’
Up until her first year, Haddin was a typical Seiren student.
He took pride in being a Seiren student and believed without a doubt that he was one of the chosen elves.
An elf supremacist mindset.
When he became a first-year representative in Seiren’s top class, he was certain he was among the chosen few.
‘I dreamed of becoming a hero.’
For any Seiren student.
No, for any student at the Hero Academy, that was the natural goal.
Up until his first year, Haddin’s goal was to become a hero.
And then, in the school competition between Lumene and Seiren, he met a girl his age.
Elves are all beautiful by nature.
But even among elves, this girl possessed a nobility and beauty that could captivate anyone.
In the prideful match between schools, Haddin was utterly defeated.
‘I couldn’t do anything. She was just on another level.’
It was the first time in his life Haddin had experienced such a ‘gap.’
From that point on, Haddin’s goal became Elena.
Not the excellent upperclassmen of Seiren.
Not the countless heroes whose names went down in history, but a first-year girl just like himself.
‘It wasn’t admiration.’
From the first moment he met her, Haddin knew there was something twisted about Elena.
A warped cruelty hidden behind her beautiful appearance.
Not someone to be admired.
Even so, Haddin couldn’t stop making her his goal.
The more he tried, the more he realized it.
‘There’s just no way to stand on the same level.’
There are many chances for students from the hero academies to cross paths, aside from department competitions.
Especially if they’re in the same year, their activities overlap even more.
No matter how much he chased after her.
Every time they met, the gap between them only grew.
He didn’t even feel despair about it anymore.
All he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
That’s how different she was from birth.
Because he made her his goal, he saw it even more clearly.
The girl before him, praised and envied as a genius, couldn’t simply be called a genius.
She was just born that way.
‘Someone born to become a hero.’
He could never catch up.
Even knowing that, Haddin never gave up.
“Y-you…”
“That’s why.”
At some point, her eyes had turned crimson, radiating an overwhelming murderous aura.
But despite the terrifying aura, Elena’s face was calm.
With a lovely smile, she pressed her finger to her lips.
“I told you to watch your mouth.”
Flash—! Crackle-crackle-crack!
A magic circle appeared in the air and chains of light rained down.
A thousand years ago.
This magic was the signature of the elf hero Tiar, known as the Iron-blooded Mage.
Eisen Unblut.
This was the [Hero Skill] version of that magic.
A spell that pulverized the bones and flesh of its target—though left behind by an elf hero, it was considered heretical even among elves.
Tiar did become a hero using this spell, but it was simply too cruel.
Even then, and now, she was denounced for having tainted the [Star Magic] the Founder created.
Naturally, learning her magic is forbidden among elves.
But in terms of power, it’s undeniable.
‘A spell crafted solely for hunting [Tartarus] monsters.’
Elena’s magic mercilessly ravaged Sarman.
Squelch—!
Elena clapped her hands, grinning at the sight of Sarman reduced to blood and flesh.
Despite the gruesome spectacle, her expression was utterly innocent.
“Still alive? You’re a fun little toy. It seems you have a [Nullify] curse. Let’s see… [Nullify] it is.”
Elena instantly grasped Sarman’s ability and looked bored.
“But that’s all there is to see.”
The interest faded from Elena’s face.
Once the queen lost interest, a toy was worthless.
That meant only one end.
Whoosh—!
A crimson flame bloomed at Elena’s fingertip.
Sarman, whose face was still regenerating, turned pale.
“Still, meeting you was interesting.”
With a sweet, pretty smile, Elena incinerated Sarman.
“H-how…”
Left with only a head, Sarman stared up at Elena with terrified eyes.
Elena looked down at him, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair.
“If you want to beat me, bring at least a lieutenant of a legion commander. A petty demon like you isn’t worth my time. Goodbye.”
With a faint smile, Elena stomped Sarman’s head.
Even the head was burned away, leaving not a trace of ash.
Elena turned around, her steps light, as if she hadn’t just displayed such cruelty, and walked up to Haddin.
With an amused look, she spoke.
“You really are interesting, Haddin.”
“What do you mean?”
Elena snapped her fingers.
Crackle—!
The magical restraint binding Haddin was effortlessly destroyed.
“People who know my true nature do one of two things. They either fear me or despise me.”
Elena clasped her hands behind her back with a playful air.
“But you’re the same as when we first met.”
Spinning around, Elena skipped over to Merin.
“You’re chasing after me—even knowing you can’t catch up.”
“Do you think that’s foolish?”
“No. I think that’s what makes you charming. And interesting.”
Elena smiled softly.
“You’ll definitely become a wonderful hero.”
Having watched many heroes since childhood, Elena was sure of it.
Haddin looked at her and asked,
“Do you still not want to become a hero?”
Elena idly twirled a strand of her hair at the question.
Then she chuckled.
“I do admire heroes.”
There was no lie in that.
“But I have such a nasty personality. The gods probably wouldn’t recognize me as a hero.”
Elena shrugged.
“Most of all… I don’t really want to be a hero.”
She could lead others as much as she wanted.
But being a hero wasn’t just about leading people.
‘You have to be willing to sacrifice for someone else.’
Elena admired heroes.
But at the same time, she hated them.
No—she resented them.
‘Because they took away what was precious to me.’
So even if she admired heroes, she could never envy their lives.
“Let’s get out of here. Oh, and take Merin with us.”
Elena pointed at Merin.
“Why?”
“If we leave her here, she’ll get into real trouble. You’ve noticed, haven’t you? There are no noble elves left in this era.”
Haddin let out a deep sigh at Elena’s teasing tone.
“All right.”
“So, how did you end up in prison? Actually, let me guess. You lost your temper and did something stupid again, right?”
“I have nothing to say.”
“You admit it so easily. Boring.”
Elena pouted.
“Anyway, Haddin, you know how serious things are right now, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Elena took Merin’s hand.
Merin’s eyes widened.
Elena smiled radiantly at the girl.
Thanks to magic, Merin couldn’t hear their conversation right now.
“Tartarus has entered the [Hero’s World] just like us. This is an unprecedented event.”
“That’s right.”
Elena’s eyes narrowed.
“This could change the entire world.”
—
Luna entered Akint’s laboratory.
“You’re offering advice? That’s not like you, Professor Akint.”
“I didn’t think our relationship was that bad, did you?”
“…True. Professor Akint isn’t just a teacher—he’s more like my magic mentor. And…”
“And?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Luna smiled awkwardly.
Leo could tell what she didn’t say.
‘Someone like a father.’
Yet there was still a subtle distance between Luna and Akint.
Leo understood what that meant.
‘History has been completely twisted.’
Even Luna’s bonds with people she cared about had grown distant.
Akint was still a steadfast support for Luna.
But after what happened in class earlier, it was clear he was under pressure in Barharloon because of it.
That must have been hard on Luna.
‘So she isolated herself.’
Luna was the top student under the Elf King’s patronage.
It made no sense for her to be doing magic research in a storage room, or searching for materials alone.
No matter how rotten the elves of this era were, they weren’t brainless.
The moment they first saw Luna, they all must have realized it.
That the greatest mage in elf history had been born.
Even if, by their standards, she was lowborn, Luna was an object of awe to the elves of this era.
Luna was already famous before the Age of Calamity.
And yet, she was being treated like this.
She’d lost her confidence—her shoulders and ears drooped.
‘It’s certain. The Tartarus scum have come here and altered history. But why?’
They were plotting something in the [Hero’s World].
‘It must be related to what happened to my page. Are they trying to hinder our progress? But wait, hinder our progress?’
Leo paused his thoughts.
To those on the surface, conquering the [Hero’s World] meant overcoming the trials.
But if the conditions were the same, what about Tartarus?
‘For them, heroes are the greatest threat. Overcoming the hero’s trials and helping them isn’t their role.’
Tartarus’s purpose must be to hinder the heroes.
‘Don’t tell me… they’re conquering the [Hero’s World] in their own way?’
Luna, even as a child, was still a powerful mage. Unless you were a legion commander-level demon or their lieutenant, fighting her was suicide.
Killing Luna wasn’t an option.
So it made sense for them to do whatever they could to hinder the hero’s achievements.
And the goal of this world was to help complete [Star Magic].
If Tartarus’s goal was to prevent the completion of [Star Magic], their actions made sense.
With that, Leo clenched his teeth.
‘How dare they defile Luna’s world?’
“I’ve been struggling a lot lately.”
Luna hung her head, fiddling with her fingers—a habit whenever she was conflicted.
“…I wonder if I really belong in Barharloon.”
Luna’s eyes trembled.
“Is the magic I pursue truly worthwhile?”
Seeing Luna’s loss of confidence, Leo realized she was broken.
Tartarus’s plan was almost complete.
But Leo sneered at them.
‘Do they think it’ll end just because she’s fallen once?’
“Luna.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll promise you this.”
Leo knew better than anyone.
There was nothing special about being a great hero.
Great heroes faltered, despaired, and lost heart.
In fact, great heroes had fallen more often and more deeply than anyone else.
Yet, they managed to defeat Erebos.
For a simple reason.
They just got up every time.
And Leo knew the magic words that could help Luna rise again.
Words only a companion who survived those days could say.
He knew it well.
‘It was like a catchphrase.’
“Barharloon has existed to nurture an elf like you.”
Luna’s eyes widened.
“You’ll become the most respected elf in history. You know why?”
Looking at Luna, whose eyes were round as a rabbit’s, Leo promised her.
“Because one day, you’ll shine as brightly as the stars in the night sky.”