Chloe, considered the top student in the Magic Department, and Carr, whose creativity and ingenuity in alchemy were extraordinary.
And Chen Xia, a Shadow who had been consistently trained in handling poisons since childhood.
The combination of these three was perfectly optimized for the request commissioned by the Northern Magic Tower.
Thanks to that, they were able to complete the request much earlier than the other students.
After completing the task, Chloe and Carr, both from the Magic Department, decided to stay at the Northern Magic Tower for a few more days.
Classes at Lumene were not being held during the remaining period of the request anyway.
For students who finished their tasks early, it was essentially free time.
As such, Chloe and Carr decided to remain at the Northern Magic Tower to conduct various magic experiments.
Unlike those two, Chen Xia returned to Lumene immediately.
Being in the Knights Department, she had nothing to do at the Magic Tower, but hearing the news about Leo from the Shadows was the deciding factor.
‘To think such a major event occurred and I wasn’t there to help Leo-nim.’
Reproaching herself, Chen Xia thought she should help Leo rest, as he would likely be alone in the dormitory.
Of course, there was also a somewhat calculated motive behind it.
‘It’s also an opportunity for us to be alone together.’
Since life at Lumene was a group environment, time alone with Leo was rare.
Not that she was complaining.
In fact, school life was extremely enjoyable.
‘It’s all thanks to Leo-nim.’
Until her first year, Chen Xia hadn’t been able to fully enjoy life at Lumene.
At that time, she wanted to be a hero but believed she lacked the qualifications, so it was natural for her heart to feel heavy.
Now that she had been validated by Leo and had cast off that burden, simply hanging out with friends was a joy.
It was practically the first time in her life she was having a good time with peers her own age.
But on the other hand, her desire to spend more intimate time with Leo was also great.
Arriving at Lumene in the early dawn, Chen Xia straightened her uniform in front of the dormitory and stepped inside.
Thinking Leo might be sleeping, she naturally suppressed her presence.
‘Hm?’
Feeling a presence near the lounge, she headed that way.
The moment she opened the door.
She froze at the sight of an elf girl hugging Leo, who was lying on the sofa.
“What is this?”
“I-I’m sorry! Ack?!”
The elf girl, Eiran, who was trying to get up in a panic, ended up collapsing right back down on top of the reclining Leo.
Watching this, Chen Xia fell into thought to grasp the situation.
‘Why is Eiran-ssi at Lumene?’
It was questionable why Eiran, the runner-up of the second year at Seiren, was in the Lumene second-year dormitory.
Chen Xia glanced toward the lounge table.
Empty liquor bottles and the sharp scent of alcohol hitting her nose.
Add to that Eiran mounted on top of Leo.
‘Yeah, I have no idea what’s going on.’
In the end, Chen Xia failed to make sense of the situation.
“I’m sorry! Leo-nim! I’m sorry!”
Watching Eiran apologize in a state of panic, Leo sat up.
“Gasp?!”
As their faces became close enough to feel each other’s breath, Eiran gasped.
Leo placed his hands under Eiran’s armpits as she sat on him.
He then lightly lifted her and set her down on the floor.
Rising to his feet, Leo asked Chen Xia,
“You’re back early. Where are Chloe and Carr?”
“The two of them decided to stay at the Northern Magic Tower a bit longer. Anyway, why is Eiran-ssi here? And... exactly what were you two doing?”
When Chen Xia spoke with a hint of suspicion, Eiran hurriedly made an excuse.
“Ah, I’ve decided to study at Lumene as an exchange student for the time being.”
“An exchange student?”
“Yes.”
“Then what about the situation just now?”
“Ah! That was—I harassed Leo-nim all night so he couldn’t sleep, and I was just trying to cover him with a blanket!”
“Pardon? You did what all night?”
Chen Xia’s eyes flickered for a moment.
Looking at Eiran, who had brilliantly made the situation even more complicated, Leo sighed and spoke.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just telling her some stories about the old heroes all night.”
“Oh.”
“What on earth were you imagining?”
“The posture you two were in was so scandalous, I couldn’t help but wonder.”
At Chen Xia’s words, Eiran’s ears turned red as she bowed her head deeply.
Looking at Eiran, Chen Xia covered her mouth and laughed.
“Welcome to Lumene, Eiran-ssi.”
===
“Did Lunia-ssi not come as an exchange student?”
That morning.
The three of them arrived at a cafe in the restaurant district in the center of the Tower of Heroes to have breakfast.
While waiting for the food they ordered, Chen Xia asked with a curious expression.
“No. Lunia-ssi became the Student Council President this time. She’s very busy with the handover process.”
“Lunia-ssi is quite diligent. Leo-nim dumped all the practical work onto his sunbaes.”
“Isn’t it strange for me, a second-year, to run the school when there are capable sunbaes around?”
Leo spoke nonchalantly.
“Anyway, I think I’m lucky. I was able to come to Lumene as an exchange student just in time for the Twilight Festival.”
Eiran said this with a bright smile.
“Come to think of it, the Twilight Festival is coming up soon, isn’t it?”
Leo said indifferently, resting his chin on his hand.
The Twilight Festival.
It was a festival held every five years in Lumeria City to honor the Twilight Knight, Lumene.
The reason for the five-year cycle was that it took five years for Lumeria City and Lumene Academy to be completed.
During this festival period, the regulation that students could only leave on weekends was lifted unless there was something special, allowing students to move freely in and out of Lumeria City.
As such, it was one of the festivals Lumene students looked forward to the most.
Some students even went as far as booking accommodation in Lumeria City just to play to their hearts’ content while commuting to school.
After all, classes still took place during the festival.
“There are many students who cause trouble. Professors say they get quite a headache during the festival because of that. Many students actually get caught and disciplined.”
It was while Chen Xia and Eiran were talking about the Twilight Festival.
“Oh my, Student Leo, Student Chen Xia. And... you’re Student Eiran, right?”
Someone called out to the three of them with a beaming smile.
When Leo turned his head, Melina was standing there.
“Hello, Professor Mel.”
“Ah, hello!”
As Chen Xia stood up and bowed her head in greeting, Eiran also stood up and hurriedly bowed.
Melina, who waved lightly at the two of them, looked at Leo and said,
“Student Leo, before you eat, can we talk for a moment?”
“Yes.”
Leo nodded and stood up from his seat.
“I’ll be right back.”
With that, Leo followed Melina to a quiet spot.
===
Left alone, an awkward silence hung between Eiran and Chen Xia.
The two were acquainted, but they weren’t particularly close.
Chen Xia rested her chin on her hand, waiting for the food and Leo.
Eiran kept glancing at Chen Xia sideways.
Noticing this, Chen Xia asked curiously,
“Is there something on my face?”
“What?! Oh, no! It’s not that...”
Eiran flustered, then soon spoke with a shy smile.
“It’s just that you’re as pretty as a doll, Chen Xia-ssi. Like a princess doll I received as a gift when I was a child. Of course, you are a real princess.”
“Thank you. But I think you look more like a doll than I do, Eiran-ssi.”
Chen Xia burst into laughter as she replied.
At that, Eiran spoke cautiously.
“Chen Xia-ssi. Would you like to be friends with me?”
“I’d love to.”
“Wow!”
Eiran rejoiced with a radiant smile.
At that innocent sight, Chen Xia found herself smiling unconsciously.
“Anyway, you seem to follow Leo-nim quite a lot, Eiran-ssi.”
“Yes. I lost my heart to him from the first moment I saw him. Leo-nim was like a hero straight out of a fairy tale.”
Eiran smiled, recalling when she first met Leo.
“The same as me.”
“So you like Leo-nim a lot too, Chen Xia-ssi?”
“Yes. I like him very much.”
“As I thought, we are quite alike, Chen Xia-ssi.”
Eiran was purely delighted.
“Alike?”
Chen Xia, who had thought she and the other girl were quite different types of people, felt puzzled by Eiran’s words.
“Yes, both in liking Leo-nim... and the fact that both our ancestors were disciples of the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.”
“......I never mentioned that my ancestor was a disciple of Kyle-nim?”
Chen Xia tilted her head.
Then Eiran looked slightly flustered and spoke hurriedly.
“L-Leo-nim told me. He said he saw stories about Vihar-nim recorded in The Shadow Codex! That Vihar-nim, like Velkia-nim, was also a disciple of Kyle-nim!”
“Aha, I see.”
Chen Xia nodded with a smile.
‘Certainly, Eiran-ssi and I have a deep connection.’
Chen Xia nodded.
It wasn’t an ordinary connection.
5,000 years had passed.
They were the bloodlines of those associated with the only Great Heroes remaining in this world.
But...
‘Leo-nim isn’t the type of person to carelessly tell someone else’s personal history.’
The Leo that Chen Xia knew was not someone who would talk to others about her personal history without even asking her, for whatever reason.
No matter how special the connection or how deep the relationship.
After contemplating, Chen Xia soon reached a conclusion.
‘Eiran-ssi knows Leo-nim more deeply than I do.’
Chen Xia was able to sharply deduce the relationship between Leo and Eiran.
‘It seems she knows some important secret of Leo-nim that I don’t.’
===
“What is it? Did something happen?”
“No, it’s not that anything serious has occurred. However...”
Melina hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously.
“Some strange things are happening in the eastern part of the continent.”
“Strange things?”
Leo wore a puzzled expression.
“Yes. Sudden climate anomalies have occurred. Even though it’s late autumn, there are places where bitter cold has arrived and heavy snow has fallen.”
At those words, Leo narrowed his eyes.
“Also, reports are coming in that trees and grass throughout entire forests have withered away.”
“Is it the Death King?”
“They say it’s not. No trace of the unique energy of death emitted by the Death King and his subordinates has been found. They say the plants simply withered away as if they suddenly lost their life force.”
Melina spoke with a serious expression.
“Finally... they say there’s a place where an entire forest has bloomed with flowers, as if spring had arrived.”
“Flowers?”
At the word “flowers,” Leo looked bewildered.
‘Flowers? Did someone use Magic that Blooms Flower?’
Leo had restored the spell formula for Magic that Blooms Flower, which Luna had created.
‘But there shouldn’t be anyone capable of using that magic properly right now?’
Looking puzzled, Leo suddenly asked,
“You said the East?”
“Yes.”
“Do you happen to have a world map right now?”
At Leo’s request, Melina took a world map out of her Subspace and spread it out.
“Where is the forest where those flowers bloomed?”
“It is here.”
Melina pointed her finger to the center of the eastern part of the continent.
It was one of the territories of the Shan Empire.
A complete wilderness with no cities nearby.
Leo gazed intently at the area.
‘...It would be roughly here.’
5,000 years ago.
Before the Great Heroes set out on their final expedition to subjugate Erebos.
A map was not necessary.
In a world on the brink of destruction, a pillar of black fire that seemed to pierce the sky was rising.
The pillar of fire, which had begun to be visible from every region of the world, was literally a symbol of ruin.
The Great Heroes set out on their final journey toward that pillar of fire.
As such, Leo could not know exactly where his comrades’ graves were.
He only knew the approximate locations by predicting the travel routes and time.
‘After 5,000 years, it’s highly unlikely their graves would still remain.’
Even for Leo, it was impossible to find a 5,000-year-old grave with only an approximate location.
However, the fact that anomalies were occurring at those locations, and that one of them involved “flowers,” bothered him.
The place where the anomaly was currently occurring in the East.
‘Luna drew her last breath near here.’
(T/N: Is it Luna's turn this time?
***
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