Chapter 286
“They’re the ones who hurt Velkia?”
“Yes. Master Dweno mentioned he doesn’t believe they’re spies from Tartarus, but…”
The elf gave a respectful report while watching Dweno, who was frowning.
“We found Erquint among their belongings.”
Guardslone.
The last fortress standing in a world heading toward destruction.
The final legacy left behind as the gods withdrew from the surface.
A miraculous city that stood firm against countless invasions from Tartarus.
There were other refugee cities like Reisar, but none could compare to the sheer scale of Guardslone—it was a massive city that could truly be called the last bastion.
But even this city would’ve fallen if not for the Dwarven hero before them—Master Smith Dweno.
And not just Dweno.
The Dragon King Lysinas.
The Elven Archmage Luna.
The White Wolf Arron.
And even the Surviving Hero, Kyle.
Because these five legendary heroes had come together to defeat Erebos, Guardslone still stood tall to this day.
These five heroes, who had turned impossible battles into victories amid endless despair, were now symbols that protected Guardslone.
“Erquint, in their hands…”
Dweno’s expression darkened.
Erquint.
Originally a sword crafted by Dweno for Luna. But Luna had passed it on to her student, Velkia.
To Velkia, Erquint was a treasure beyond measure.
‘If it really is Erquint, then they must have taken it from Velkia.’
Dweno stroked his beard as he recalled the faces of Lunia and Driana.
‘They did intrude into a forbidden zone, but they seemed surprised to find themselves there. No… judging by their reactions, they didn’t even know it was a restricted area.’
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
‘Judging by their attire, those intruders who entered the Spirit Lake must be their companions. But Arron didn’t sense anything suspicious about them either.’
In fact, Arron had taken a liking to them.
‘That cat beastkin girl was a bit scary, but she smelled nice… they seemed like good kids.’
As a wolf beastkin, Arron’s danger sense was sharper than anyone’s.
If even Arron judged someone to be a good person, it was rarely wrong.
‘And despite being so young, they had impressive skills.’
In an era where power to fight Tartarus was more vital than ever, Guardslone would have every reason to welcome them once their identities were verified.
After a moment of thought, Dweno asked, “What did Arron say?”
“Lord Arron forbade any interrogation and left Guardslone to search for Velkia.”
The elf spoke firmly, awaiting Dweno’s judgment.
“What shall we do?”
Seeing the elf awaiting his decision, Dweno let out a deep sigh.
Lysinas, Luna, and Kyle had currently gone to support Reisar.
That left only Dweno and Arron in Guardslone to prepare for any emergencies.
Thus, the final authority over Guardslone’s security and order lay with Dweno.
“Lord Tepeser is currently preparing the interrogation.”
“I figured that hothead would step up.”
Dweno rose from his seat.
Tepeser.
A Gold Dragon who had served Lysinas since childhood, acting as his personal secretary.
He oversaw internal affairs in Guardslone and was a fervent believer in Lysinas.
Naturally, he held immense affection for Velkia, whom Lysinas had once called the hope of the future.
Upon hearing that Velkia might be in danger, he would’ve rushed out with blazing eyes.
“Stop him for now. If Velkia is safe, Arron will send word soon. Also, bring me the Erquint that was found. If it’s a fake, then it means Velkia is fine, and there’s no need to stir up trouble.”
“Understood.”
The elf bowed and soon returned to Dweno’s forge with Erquint.
Dweno took out his pipe, lit it, and placed it between his lips.
* * *
“Phew. It certainly looks real on the surface.”
He exhaled a long stream of smoke and reached toward the Erquint on the worktable.
Then, he began to examine it.
Dweno’s mana flowed into Erquint.
The elf nervously observed Dweno’s face.
Moments passed.
Dweno’s expression began to shift.
“W-What is it, Master Dweno? Don’t tell me… is it the real Erquint?”
The elf’s face turned pale.
Dweno pulled out a monocular lens and closely inspected the surface of the sword, then took out a small hammer and tapped the blade a few times.
Finally, he nodded.
“Go tell Tepeser that Velkia will be returning soon with Arron. And make sure to apologize to the child he was about to interrogate. Knowing him, he probably scared them quite a bit.”
The elf’s face lit up.
The Master Smith of Guardslone.
If anyone could say so, it was Dweno—the creator of countless legendary weapons.
“That Erquint is a fake!”
“…It’s not Velkia’s.”
“Yes, sir!”
The elf, relieved, exited the room.
Silence settled over the forge.
“Hmph.”
Dweno took a deep draw from his pipe.
The tobacco burned rapidly.
“Phew.”
As the smoke drifted and dissipated, Dweno looked at the Erquint on the workbench.
“Who made you? I don’t remember crafting you.”
Vmmm—
Erquint resonated with mana in response to Dweno’s voice.
“Yeah. You’re definitely one of mine. But…”
Dweno’s expression grew grim.
“I don’t remember making a second Erquint.”
‘Just who are those kids?’
Dweno narrowed his eyes.
‘With that level of skill at their age, word of them should’ve spread.’
But at least in Dweno’s memory, he had never heard of anyone like those two among the five.
‘And… there was something strange.’
Lunia and Driana were different from other kids.
Children born in the Age of Calamity generally had dark eyes.
They’d never seen a clear sky, and their fates were to live in a bleak era.
Even Arron’s eyes were fundamentally somber.
But Dweno had seen it.
The shining hope in Lunia and Driana’s eyes.
The bright eyes of children looking toward a radiant future—eyes they should’ve had.
But in this era, those eyes shouldn’t exist.
‘Eyes that dream of salvation… are fundamentally different from eyes that look toward the future. And also…’
Dweno looked at Erquint.
This Erquint was real.
There was no way the creator, Dweno, would fail to recognize it.
But…
‘I feel the traces of a long age.’
Boom—!
Just then, a powerful explosion shook the ground.
Dweno stood up.
‘Looks like it’s them. Escaping to rescue their friend?’
‘I’ll find out when I meet them again.’
Dweno packed up Erquint and left the forge.
—
Leo and Velkia were walking through the forest.
“Ugh… monster blood!”
Covered in monster blood, Velkia shuddered in disgust.
She sniffed her arm and gagged dramatically.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen her act like a tomboy.’
Leo recalled the Velkia who would one day become known as the leader of the elves.
Luna’s successor. A great leader who guided her people.
History portrayed Velkia as a saintly figure who gave generously with compassionate leadership.
‘Gave generously, my ass.’
Leo had never once received a side dish from her during meals.
‘Compassionate leadership? If making her peers cry during sword and magic training counts as leadership, sure.’
The Velkia Leo remembered was anything but sweet.
‘She always argued with me and talked back.’
Leo squinted at Velkia.
Sniffing the air, she suddenly turned to him.
“What?”
“That look. You’re just like Master Kyle.”
‘Tch. She picks up on everything. What is she accusing me of now?’
“What’s similar?”
“You’re like a dad.”
“……”
Leo was caught off guard by the unexpected answer.
“Master Kyle is strict, you know.”
Velkia adored Luna.
Naturally, Luna doted on Velkia.
Arron liked kids.
So he spoiled Velkia too.
Only Kyle was strict with her.
He had to be.
Velkia was talented.
And that meant she would be sent to the battlefield sooner than most.
Kyle couldn’t afford to coddle her.
The only thing he could give her was a tough education to forge a strong heart.
As someone who always received affection from Luna and Arron, Velkia likely hated Kyle’s harshness.
She had come alone to this dangerous area to train—probably because of Kyle.
So even if she was rebellious, Kyle thought it was only natural she disliked him.
But now…
“Like a dad?”
“Yeah. I’m an orphan, so I don’t really know what a dad is supposed to be like, but…”
Velkia said it plainly.
In this era, orphans were common. Saying so wasn’t even considered a sad topic.
After a moment of silence, Leo said,
“Honestly, real parent-child relationships probably don’t feel that different from what you feel.”
“Ah, really? Do you have parents?”
“Yeah. They’re great people.”
“So lucky.”
Velkia looked at Leo with admiration.
Leo gave a faint smile.
“There’s a lake that way where you can wash off. Go clean up.”
“Okay.”
She nodded and started walking in the direction Leo pointed—then suddenly stopped.
She looked back at Leo with wide eyes.
“What now?”
“This forest is confusing, but you know your way around well. And…”
“And?”
“You’re acting a little like Master Kyle again.”
Velkia curiously looked at Leo, set her belongings down, and disappeared into the bushes.
Leo chuckled softly as he magically cleaned her gear.
‘Like a dad, huh…’
He never imagined she’d see him that way.
He hadn’t had the luxury to even consider it before.
As Leo was lost in thought—
Fwoosh—!
Something brushed his senses.
‘Someone’s coming.’
Someone was rushing toward him at high speed.
Leo’s eyes twitched.
‘Arron?’
The moment he thought it—
Wham—!
Someone appeared before him.
White hair. Golden eyes.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Last year. During Azonia’s entrance exam, Leo had seen Arron.
But the wolf beastkin now in front of him was exactly as Leo remembered.
‘Arron.’
Leo hadn’t expected to meet Arron in Dweno’s world.
‘I mean, I met Velkia… so why not Arron too?’
The image of a friend who had apologized even as he died flashed through his mind.
‘Luna… remembered me.’
It had been a miracle. Luna had regained her memories from the Hero’s World.
This wasn’t Arron’s world—it was Dweno’s.
But…
‘Maybe Arron could remember the walkthrough too.’
Thinking that, Leo looked into Arron’s eyes and let out a bitter smile.
Arron was eyeing him warily.
‘Miracles don’t come easy, huh.’
—
“……”
Arron looked at the white-haired boy holding his student’s belongings and felt a strange sense of confusion.
He’d never seen this boy before.
But he felt oddly familiar.
The scent. The aura.
He couldn’t explain why, but he felt glad to see this boy.
Which surprised him—his cowardly instincts always made him wary of strangers.
Trying to hide that strange warmth, Arron spoke.
“What you’re holding belongs to my student.”
Suppressing the unfamiliar fondness, Arron questioned Leo.
“Would you care to explain why you have it?”
Looking at Arron, Leo thought,
‘Looks like he’s misunderstanding. He probably thinks I hurt Velkia.’
Arron was normally very gentle with strangers.
The fact that he was acting like this meant he was taking a hard stance.
Leo observed him for a moment, then said,
“If you want to hear the story, how about beating me in a fight first?”
“What?”
Arron looked slightly flustered.
If Leo spoke honestly, they could probably go to Guardslone without any trouble.
But now he was curious.
‘Just how well can I fight Arron now?’