Chapter 48
Alia watched Leo talking from afar and thought,
‘He’s just like my brother.’
Their personalities and aura were different, but the impression he gave off was very similar.
“Doesn’t it seem a bit strange?”
The boy holding a spear, Thead, furrowed his brow.
“What do you mean?”
“They said they’re the rescue team, right? But there are only two of them?”
“That is a little odd.”
“Could this be some kind of trap from Tartarus?”
Party members Dina the Magic Swordsman and Lewis the Summoner agreed with Thead.
But Velak from the knight class shook his head.
“If they were enemies, there’s no way they’d fight demons together with us.”
“Yeah, they’re not enemies.”
When Alia spoke with certainty, Thead asked with a sour look,
“How are you so sure?”
“Don’t they feel kind of familiar? And besides…”
“Besides?”
“They’re kind of cool.”
Thead was flustered seeing Alia’s cheeks turn a little red.
“Cool? Hey! Hey! Alia! Get a grip! You’ve never even looked at a guy since you enrolled!”
“As if there’s anyone in our class who’s good enough for Alia. Plus, she’s Albi’s younger sister, so her standards are probably high.”
“Still, what’s so cool about someone like that?!”
“They really are cool, though.”
“Dina? You too?!”
Thead grabbed his head.
As they bickered, Leo finished talking with Chloe and approached.
“Pretty lively group.”
“Ah! Sorry! We’re just a bit excited, even in a crisis like this!”
“I’m not criticizing. It’s just that first-years are always noisy, no matter the year.”
“No matter the year? Are you from our school?”
It was Chloe who answered Alia’s question with sparkling eyes.
“Yes. Not anymore, though.”
“Oh!”
Alia misunderstood, thinking the two of them were seniors who’d withdrawn, and got flustered.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to say anything unnecessary…”
“It’s fine.”
“I’ll explain the situation first.”
“Is an explanation necessary? There are demons in the forest, aren’t there?”
Thead answered Leo bluntly.
“If it were just ordinary demons, I wouldn’t need to explain. But there’s a demon in this forest you can’t handle.”
“How strong are we talking for you to make such a fuss?”
“Level 3.”
“What!”
“L-Level 3?”
“There’s no way first-years can deal with that level!” Dina asked urgently.
“What about the others? Are the other parties safe?”
“They’re fine. You just need to get out of this forest. From now on, I’d like you to follow my instructions.”
Dina sighed in relief, but Thead asked,
“Do you have the power to defeat a level 3 demon?”
A level 3 demon.
A threat powerful enough to wipe out an entire company.
“I can’t guarantee I can defeat a level 3 demon with my power just yet.”
“Then why should we follow your lead?”
“Because I can guarantee I’ll get you out safely.”
“What kind of baseless confidence is that…?”
“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.”
“Hey, Alia!”
Thead looked taken aback.
“You saw him fight earlier, right? And he understands the situation way better than we do.”
Alia persuaded her party members.
“A level 3 demon is way out of our league right now. So as the party leader, I think it’s better to follow the experienced rescue team rather than act rashly.”
As Alia convinced them, the party members looked at each other and nodded.
“If Alia says so.”
“Nothing bad’s ever happened from listening to you.”
“Ha! Seriously!”
Thead scratched his head and glared at Leo.
“But! If you seem even a little unreliable, we’re not following your orders, got it?”
“I’ll meet your expectations, so don’t worry.”
—
“Find any precedent for Hero Record pages turning into Hero Dungeons!”
At the Tower of Heroes, which handled Lumene Academy’s administrative affairs, professors and assistants were busily moving.
After the recent monster outbreak during the Summoning Practical Exam, everyone was on edge.
And now, with the unprecedented situation of a Hero Record turning into a Hero Dungeon, Lumene was in a state of emergency.
At the very top of the Hero Tower, Principal Kalian pressed his temples as if he had a headache.
The Hero Record was open in front of him.
“Should we take it as a good sign that we still can’t enter?”
“Yes.”
Albi replied as he looked down at his own Hero Record, which was running wild.
You can’t enter a Hero Dungeon if someone is already inside.
In other words, Leo and Chloe were still alive.
“It’s already been three hours since those two entered the Hero Dungeon. It must be night in the Heroic World by now. Albi, when did you defeat Chubarn thirty years ago?”
“Around midnight.”
“So all we can do is leave everything to your past self.”
Kalian let out a deep sigh.
Just then, Kalian’s secretary, Erena, entered the principal’s office.
“Principal, we’ve found who sold the monster summoning catalyst to student Ryu.”
“Who was it?”
Albi’s eyes flashed.
Erena’s face, there to make the report, turned pale.
Bloodshot veins appeared in her left eye, and a strange magic circle floated in her pupil.
It was fairy magic.
Thirty years ago.
Having lost his younger sibling to the demons, Albi harbored a deeper hatred for Tartarus than anyone.
“Calm down, Albi.”
At Kalian’s words, Albi’s eyes returned to normal.
“I’ll go cool my head.”
Leaving those words behind, he left the principal’s office.
“Albi is always a dangerous man.”
“Albi climbed to the seat of hero out of hatred.”
Thirty years ago.
Unable to even recover his sibling’s remains or mementos, he left Lumene that very day and devoted himself to hunting demons, eventually becoming a hero recognized by the gods.
But because he ruthlessly destroyed anything related to Tartarus, the collateral damage around him was considerable.
That’s why Albi was feared by the public, not revered.
“I still can’t believe Albi accepted a professor position.”
“Well, at least he listens to me.”
Kalian gave a bitter smile, but his expression suddenly changed.
“So, who was it?”
“He’s a fence who set up shop in a back alley of Lumeria City this year. Not famous among upperclassmen, but apparently quite well known among the first-years. Several first-years bought items from this merchant, and one of those items included a monster summoning catalyst.”
“A Tartarus agent infiltrated Lumeria City?”
“We investigated, but he wasn’t related to Tartarus. Still, it’s clear that Tartarus leaked some items to him.”
“…I don’t understand. Why would they do that?”
“I couldn’t tell you the reason. This is the merchant’s transaction ledger.”
Kalian took the ledger and flipped through the pages.
Flip—! Flip—!
Kalian’s hand paused as he turned the ledger.
‘Chloe Mueller: Black Grimoire.’
Staring at that entry, Kalian spoke.
“Miss Erena. Please call Professor Sedgen and Professor Len to the principal’s office right away. Tell them I have something to ask about student Chloe.”
“Did you find something?”
“No. But I have a hunch.”
“A hunch? Are you saying you’re going to act on a hunch?”
Erena looked flustered, but Kalian smiled gently.
“Erena, I’m an old man. The title of Sword Saint is nothing more than a hollow glory now. But—”
The old Sword Saint’s eyes flashed.
“I still trust the instincts I’ve honed surviving countless life-or-death situations.”
—
The sun had set completely, and darkness had fallen.
After finishing the recent battle, the group was all catching their breath.
“Let’s take a short break.”
At Leo’s words, groans erupted here and there.
‘Everyone’s almost at their limit. Has it been about three hours since we entered the Heroic World?’
Considering other teams cleared it in about an hour, it had taken them three times as long.
But it couldn’t be helped.
The other teams fulfilled the clear condition just by rescuing parties in danger, but Leo and Chloe were different.
Chloe expected that the [Safety Guarantee] condition for Alia’s party meant escaping Chubarn’s threat completely.
That’s why they were heading for the shortest route out of the forest.
Unlike when Leo and Chloe used their mobility to avoid battle, they now had no choice but to fight frequently.
‘Still, we’re almost there.’
Leo sighed, feeling a throbbing headache and his vision blur.
‘Damn, did I overuse Hyper Sense?’
Hyper Sense was a technique that pushed the brain to process more than twice the usual sensory information.
As a result, mental fatigue accumulated rapidly.
‘Just a little more.’
Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Seeing this, Alia’s party clicked their tongues.
“How is he not showing a hint of exhaustion?”
“He must really be skilled.”
“Pfft! Thead, you actually asked someone like that ‘Why should we follow your instructions?’ I don’t think I could even show my face after that!”
“Shut up!”
Thead shouted, his face turning bright red as his party teased him.
Meanwhile, Chloe, sitting under a tree, took out the black grimoire and looked down at it.
That’s when Alia approached.
“Chloe, can we talk?”
“About what?”
“About Leo.”
Alia sat down beside Chloe with a gentle smile.
“What’s your relationship with Leo?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you two a couple?”
“No, we’re not!”
Chloe shook her head desperately, flustered.
“Judging by your reaction, I guess not!”
Chloe let out an awkward laugh.
‘Even a senior who enrolled thirty years ago is still just a first-year at heart.’
It really felt like talking with girls from her own class.
Most of the girls in class were interested in romance.
“Why do you ask? Are you interested in Leo?”
“I am. My heart pounds when I see him.”
“So it was love at first sight.”
Chloe thought to herself that even a top student from thirty years ago was no exception.
“I don’t know if it’s love. My heart does race, but… it’s because he reminds me so much of someone else.”
“Who?”
“My brother.”
“You mean Albi Zeron?”
“Yes. Of course, if you compare Leo and my brother, Leo is much cooler. My brother is clumsy and makes a lot of mistakes.”
For a moment, Chloe couldn’t believe her ears.
‘Clumsy and makes mistakes? Who? The Mage of the Evil Eye?’
That description didn’t suit the one hero feared by the public, the Mage of the Evil Eye.
“But he’s like a fairytale hero. He never hesitates to take on things that seem impossible, and he always accomplishes them. That’s why I admire him.”
“Someone who never hesitates to take on the impossible… Leo really is similar to him.”
Chloe’s gaze dropped.
“Leo is amazing. He always leads everyone well. He’s got good grades and pulls off things that seem impossible, just like a perfect person. You’re right, Alia. Leo is like a hero.”
Chloe let out a bitter laugh.
“What’s my relationship with Leo? At first, I thought we were friends and rivals. But now…”
“Now?”
“I’m jealous.”
