Chapter 432

Chapter 432: A Shared Morning

“What is this place…?”

Arion blinked, completely disoriented by the abrupt transformation of his surroundings.

“Just a moment ago, I was standing right beside Erebus and…”

As the memory of those final seconds rushed back, Arion shifted his gaze upward, watching a youth pick himself up off the ground nearby.

“Who might you be?”

Noticing how utterly bewildered Arion looked, Leo let out a soft sigh and cast his eyes down at his own palm.

Resting there was a shredded, charred fragment of a Hero Record, scarred by flames.

It was the chronicle belonging to Arion.

“Leo. By what miracle is Lord Arion standing here?”

Melina’s voice trembled with shock as she posed the question. Leo answered her in a hushed, measured tone.

“We need to relocate immediately. There are far too many onlookers in this area to delve into a proper explanation.”

Moving swiftly to manage the situation, Leo guided Arion and Melina away, retreating back into the safety of the Plove family territory.

Melina remained completely silent, anxiously waiting for Leo to clarify what had just transpired.

Meanwhile, Arion was entirely unable to comprehend his new reality.

His attention was captured by something else entirely.

“…The stars?”

He stood frozen, transfixed by the innumerable stellar lights dotting the firmament, looking as though they might cascade downward at any second.

His jaw dropped slightly as his gaze drifted toward the moon.

It bore no trace of that ominous, blood-red crimson glow.

He was thoroughly captivated by the sheer, unblemished splendor of a night sky he had never once laid eyes upon during his lifetime.

After a long pause, Arion finally tore his gaze away from the heavens and focused on Leo.

“You’re actually Kyle, aren’t you?”

‘This is precisely what occurred with Luna.’

Leo remembered when the former Legion Commander, Poison King Zerdiaq, had manifested in Seirun, and the Demon Queen Silatuna had launched her assault on the region.

Back then, Leo had tapped into the latent divine power within the Folium to pull Luna right out of the hero’s world.

The mechanics of this event were identical.

As absolute proof, every single shred of divine power that had been circulating through Leo’s veins had completely vanished.

“I am,” Leo confirmed, locking eyes with Arion and giving a firm nod.

“If you truly are Kyle, then what became of Lysinas? What about Luna and Dweno?”

Arion’s mind spun with even greater bewilderment.

‘I have encountered Arion twice before within the hero’s world.’

Their initial meeting had taken place over the previous summer break, back when Leo had crossed over into the realm shared by Aru and Arion.

‘Our second crossing happened at the start of this current school term, right when we were conquering Dweno’s world.’

During that specific venture, Dweno had deduced that Leo was the future reincarnation of Kyle, and Arion had grasped that truth as well.

‘Given that he lacks any recollection of that encounter… does he only retain memories from our very first meeting?’

“Arion.”

“Yes?”

“How many times have you encountered me looking like this?”

“This would be the second time, counting the period after I crossed paths with that bizarre beastman youngster.”

‘Just as I thought.’

Leo gave a quiet nod of understanding.

‘Luna mentioned a similar phenomenon—she remembered seeing me on an entirely different page after our initial encounter.’

Arion was bound by the exact same rules.

‘Is his inability to recall the events of Dweno’s world stemming from the fact that it wasn’t his own domain?’

The ultimate architect and master of that specific realm was, after all, Dweno.

‘Consequently, memories forged within a Hero Record belonging to someone else simply do not transfer over.’

Having mentally mapped out the mechanics of the situation, Leo inhaled deeply.

“Arion, I need you to listen to me very carefully.”

“Go ahead.”

“The period we are currently living in… is precisely 5,000 years after the Age of Calamity we once endured.”

“If we are truly five millennia in the future, then what does that make you?”

“I have been reincarnated into this life.”

“You were granted a second birth?”

“That is correct.”

Arion lapsed into a pensive silence, carefully weighing Leo’s words.

‘If this truly is the far future and Kyle has been reborn, then this bizarre scenario begins to make sense.’

“But how is it possible that I have been transported 5,000 years into the future?”

“In this modern era, there exists an artifact known as the Hero Record.”

Leo proceeded to lay out the entire sequence of events that had culminated in Arion’s sudden manifestation.

Once the explanation drew to a close, Arion looked at him intently.

“So, in the end… we claimed victory, didn’t we?”

If this era truly represented the future, that fact alone served as undeniable proof that the Great Heroes had ultimately triumphed over the ancient, primordial malice.

Even so, Arion yearned to hear the explicit confirmation from Leo’s own lips.

Observing his old comrade, Leo let a warm smile grace his features.

“Yes. We won the war.”

“What an immense relief.”

Arion let out a smile of profound, genuine solace, looking as though a crushing weight had been lifted from his spirit.

Once more, his eyes drifted back up toward the vast canopy of the night.

“So these are the very stars Luna used to speak of.”

Arion was filled with absolute wonder, gazing at the pristine evening sky that he was experiencing for the very first time.

Watching his friend’s quiet awe, Leo also tilted his head back toward the cosmos.

“It really is breathtaking. I finally comprehend why Luna always expressed a desire to transform into a star.”

Leo couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle at Arion’s soft remark.

“Doesn’t that concept feel entirely out of character for someone like her?”

“Completely. It doesn’t fit her personality at all.”

Melina, who had been quietly observing the interplay between the two, followed their gaze up into the star-strewn sky.

To her, having spent her entire life under these heavens, the sight was entirely ordinary—a standard fixture of the night.

Yet, this exact ordinary view must have been an utterly unattainable dream half a millennium ago.

As she watched the two figures silhouetted against the starlight, Melina lowered her head in a silent gesture of reverence.

‘Though I possess no right to speak on behalf of every soul drawing breath in this age… thank you from the bottom of my heart.’

In the hours that followed, Leo provided Arion with a condensed summary of the five thousand years of history that had unfolded.

Arion listened in sheer amazement as the chronicled events following the conclusion of the Age of Calamity were laid bare before him.

“Berkhia?”

Arion’s features twisted into an expression of pure shock.

“You’re telling me she assumed the leadership of the elves and is universally revered?”

“That’s right.”

“Good heavens. Her?”

‘…Just what sort of individual do the people of this era believe Berkhia to be?’

Arion simply could not bring himself to credit the claim that Berkhia was celebrated as a legendary savior who had salvaged the elven race from ruin.

Witnessing his utter disbelief, Melina felt a spark of intense curiosity flare within her.

Berkhia Ersar.

The legendary matriarch of the elven civilization, immortalized as the progenitor of the nebula and the direct pupil of the brave hero, was a figure Melina held in the absolute highest esteem, comparable to the heroes of creation themselves.

Following the definitive downfall of Erebus, she was celebrated as the monumental leader who championed her people and orchestrated the grand renaissance of their kind. Even prior to those events, she was famed for her tireless dedication to restoring the sacred World Forest.

Her legacy extended far beyond the borders of her own kin; she was a historical titan revered across the entire globe.

It was precisely because of this grand reputation that Melina had previously pried into Berkhia’s history during her earlier conversations with Leo.

‘She was an incredibly insolent brat. Her perspective was warped, her demeanor was atrocious, and she’d try to walk all over you the absolute second you gave her an inch.’

That had been the evaluation from an individual who had personally interacted with Berkhia—though it was undeniably a highly subjective, biased critique.

For that reason, Melina had taken Leo’s historical anecdotes with a healthy dose of skepticism.

‘Should I press for more details? No, better not.’

Though she felt a strong urge to interrogate Arion regarding the true nature of Berkhia, she ultimately held her tongue.

She simply couldn’t bear to shatter the flawless, majestic image of the virtuous elven savior that she had cultivated in her own mind.

As Melina silently wrestled with her thoughts, Arion’s countenance took a sudden, somber turn.

“So, Erebus was not thoroughly wiped from existence.”

He looked down, his voice laced with gravity.

“I feel a deep sense of sorrow for those who bear the title of the heroes of creation. And I owe you an apology as well. In the end, our generation simply passed our unresolved, grueling burdens down to all of you.”

“Please, do not say that! Lord Arion, you have absolutely no reason to apologize!”

Melina waved her hands frantically, desperate to dismiss his guilty sentiments.

“Even so, I wish to lend my strength. I have no inkling of how much time I am permitted to spend in this era, but is there any task I can take on to be of assistance?”

“If that is truly how you feel…”

Melina spoke up, her tone laced with careful hesitation.

“In this current age, we have countless hero trainees who aspire to walk the same path as the legendary figures of old. A group of those very children are presently undergoing rigorous training up on this mountain. Would you be open to offering them your guidance?”

“In the same manner Berkhia did?”

“Precisely.”

“Very well, I will do it.”

“Thank you so very much!”

A radiant smile broke across Melina’s face.

Amused by her enthusiasm, Leo interjected.

“It would be wise to send advance word to Kyle, Lunia, and Eiran. The same goes for Dryana and Aru.”

In this modern day, numerous authentic accounts of Arion’s historical exploits exist, preserved through the medium of the hero’s world.

Even so, the general populace of this era would face an incredibly steep challenge if they tried to identify Arion on sight.

‘His actual disposition is night and day compared to the legends.’

When Leo had first been reincarnated and caught sight of Arion’s official portrait within a historical text detailing the achievements of the great heroes, he had literally snorted with laughter.

‘The artistic depiction makes him look like an entirely different human being.’

Remembering the piercing, razor-sharp gaze immortalized in those history books, Leo gave a quiet shake of his head.

In those drawings, his expressions were invariably rigid, and he projected an incredibly fierce, menacing presence.

He was painted as the textbook definition of a battle-hardened vanguard who had marched through the deepest pits of adversity.

The illustrations made him look like a literal deity of warfare.

The portraits of Arion that survived into the contemporary era were the historical equivalents of heavily altered, idealized propaganda.

Contrary to popular belief, the genuine Arion was an incredibly mild-mannered, gentle young man.

His eyes possessed a soft warmth, and his face was almost always adorned with a gentle, reassuring grin.

‘Granted, once the chaos of actual combat begins, he does occasionally manifest a demeanor that mirrors those stern portraits.’

Under normal circumstances, however, it was far more common to witness him getting easily startled by trivial matters.

If one were to go by Luna’s personal commentary, he fell squarely into the category of the ‘darling you instinctively feel compelled to shield from the world,’ or something along those lines.

‘If ordinary citizens of this age were to encounter the genuine Arion, they would likely dismiss him as a mere lookalike who happens to share a resemblance with the legendary hero.’

Unless the interaction occurred directly within the parameters of the hero’s world where Arion’s identity was fixed, it would be a different story.

At this current point in time, considering he was viewed as a mythical entity from a bygone epoch, identifying the real Arion would be an immense hurdle for anyone who crossed his path.

However, the five individuals who had personally gazed upon Arion’s true countenance back in Dweno’s world would easily pierce the disguise.

‘Should word get out that Arion has physically manifested in the waking world, it will spark an absolute circus on multiple fronts.’

Take the elves, for instance; immense throngs of them were still embarking on holy pilgrimages to Seirun to this very day.

The beastmen’s reverence toward Arion was equally fanatical, matching the zeal of the elven race.

‘After all, the core tenets of beastman culture revolve entirely around valor and martial might.’

And Arion, who practically served as the living embodiment of pure valor and unparalleled might, was treated as an object of literal worship.

An endless tide of beastmen would inevitably descend upon the Plove family territory.

Leo had zero desire to bring that brand of chaotic upheaval down upon his father’s shoulders.

Furthermore, any whispers regarding Arion’s physical resurrection would undoubtedly draw the hostile attention of Tartarus.

Melina nodded along in complete agreement as she absorbed Leo’s reasoning.

“I am truly eager to discover what sort of youths are awaiting us up there.”

Arion possessed a deep affection for children.

In truth, his core motivation for preserving the world in the past was rooted entirely in his desire to forge a future where the younger generation could laugh without a care in the world.

“I imagine they are all incredibly gentle, earnest, and driven souls, aren’t they?”

It was evident he held an idyllic image of the trainees, assuming they would all be radiant, wholesome youths raised in an era untouched by conflict.

‘In reality, that group contains plenty of eccentric oddballs who could easily rival Luna or Dweno in terms of sheer volatility.’

Leo decided against prematurely bursting his old comrade’s optimistic bubble.

‘He’s bound to be utterly terrified by Aru all over again.’

Suppressing a smirk, Leo gave a subtle shake of his head as he observed Arion’s bright, expectant smile.

The following morning, just as the first rays of dawn were breaking.

Leo made his way back to the encampment where the second-year pupils were currently quartered.

En, who had been successfully covering for Leo’s absence, stepped out from the dense cover of the isolated woods to receive him.

“Welcome back, you’ve done excellent work. Did everything proceed smoothly on your end?”

“Yes. No major complications arose. Still…”

“Still?”

“The Lord’s designated sentinels kept up a relentless assault throughout the entire night, meaning the vast majority of the pupils are currently grappling with severe exhaustion.”

Amused by En’s report, Leo couldn’t suppress a dry, wry laugh.

‘He’s referring to those grotesque, oversized stuffed caricatures?’

The utterly bizarre and unsettling design of those sentinels was creepy enough to send a shiver down even Leo’s spine.

Picturing the poor students who had been systematically tormented by those entities all night long, Leo shook his head and strode back into the main camp area.

Likely due to the constant threat of the sentinels forcing them to establish night patrols, a handful of individuals were huddled around the dying embers of the fire, their faces pale with fatigue.

“Have you concluded your personal business?”

Kyle gave Leo a weary greeting, his eyes completely hollow from sleep deprivation.

“It’s been an absolute living nightmare since day one. Haha…”

Leo offered a soft, sympathetic chuckle in response to Kyle’s dejected laughter.

“Go close your eyes and get some rest. I’ll take over the watch duties for you until the morning fully breaks.”

“Are you certain? Man, you’re a lifesaver, Leo!”

Under normal circumstances, Kyle’s pride would have driven him to turn down the assistance, but his current state of utter depletion left him with no energy to argue against Leo’s generous offer.

Leo settled down, his gaze dropping to the flickering flames of the campfire.

‘Arion has actually crossed over into this timeline.’

The sheer force of divine power had successfully engineered a genuine miracle.

His sudden impulse to extend his hand toward Arion in that critical juncture had been driven by raw, unthinking instinct.

Even if he managed to extract Arion at that exact moment, the ultimate reality remained unaltered.

The historical Arion was long gone from the world of the living.

‘Even so… I desperately wanted to grant him a sense of peace, even if only a fraction.’

He had yearned to display the fruits of their ancient sacrifices to his old companion.

It appeared that the lingering divine power had directly mirrored that fervent desire, manifesting the impossible feat of pulling Arion forward into the contemporary era.

‘While I remain entirely in the dark regarding how much time Arion has been granted in this world, now that he is here, it would be wonderful if he could savor this peaceful era alongside us for a time.’

Taking a slow, deep breath, Leo let his eyes drift across the sleeping forms of the scattered trainees.

‘Arion stepping into the role of an instructor.’

Staring up at the pale dawn sky, Leo muttered a quiet thought to himself.

“Well… allowing them to experience an entirely unprecedented flavor of despair might actually prove highly educational.”