Chapter 456

Chapter 456

The entire realm reeled from the bizarre turn of events that had unfolded within the Kingdom of Dellard.

All at once, the communication networks and spatial teleportation arrays operating throughout the western territories of the continent fell entirely dead.

Simultaneously, a shroud of ominous, pitch-black clouds rolled across the sky.

The populace was gripped by sheer terror, watching a phenomenon that seemed to mirror the catastrophic onset of the great disaster from 3000 years ago.

Once the gravity of the situation became clear, Dragonia sent out an urgent directive summoning heroes.

In response, hero guilds and hero associations spanning the globe sprang into immediate action.

An intense anxiety gripped the world as everyone kept a vigilant eye on the sudden shifts coming from Tartaros.

The heroes, realizing the stakes, remained on high alert, watching the developments with frayed nerves.

Thus, the long night, heavy with dread and hopelessness, crawled by.

When dawn finally arrived.

The unsettling anomalies vanished without a trace.

A collective wave of relief and confusion washed over the numerous heroes who had been bracing themselves for the worst.

Then, a staggering piece of news broke across the lands.

<The 3000-Year Evil! Nightmare! Primal Resurrected! The>

Headlines regarding Erebus flooded every newspaper, spreading rapidly around the world.

Right as a collective panic began to take hold.

Yet another massive update took the world by storm.

<The 5000 After Another Awakens Comet! Following Legendary Mythic Nebula Progenitor Return Warrior Wizard Years! and of the>

The global public erupted with excitement upon learning that Arion, the ancient warrior, had materialized and successfully defeated the revived Erebus.

Consequently, massive waves of pilgrimages began to form.

In the wake of this massive incident, the remaining schedule for the training camp was abruptly cut short.

While some students headed back home to enjoy their time off, others chose to stay behind at the Plov estate.

Two nights after the training camp officially concluded.

Kal, alongside Lunia, Ar, Eiran, and Driana, had congregated in one of the guest rooms, deep in conversation.

“See, a person always needs to be thoroughly prepared for the future, right?”

Beaming widely, Kal reached into a crate and began placing items onto the writing desk one after the other.

Watching this, Lunia narrowed her gaze.

“What exactly are those?”

“What do you mean? They’re figurines, obviously.”

The objects Kal was setting down were small, palm-sized figurines of Arion.

Each piece was meticulously sculpted, capturing Arion in various heroic and grand stances.

“I can see that. My question is, why on earth did you manufacture so many?”

“Isn’t it obvious? To make a profit.”

“Are you losing your mind? You’re planning to exploit a legendary savior for commercial gain? Do you want to get thrown in prison for blasphemy?”

Lunia stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

Within elven territory, attempting to generate wealth or pursue personal greed by leveraging the image of the Progenitor of the Nebula was a serious crime resulting in immediate arrest for sacrilege.

Such acts were viewed as severe offenses against the honor of a great racial icon, drawing harsh penalties.

“Sure, it’s highly illegal among elves. But the beastfolk don’t have any rules against it.”

Kal offered a sly, knowing smirk.

“Ah! So beastfolk society doesn’t have a law forbidding that?”

Eiran nodded, impressed by the loophole, but Lunia crossed her arms and let out a sharp scoff.

“Hmph! Even without an explicit law, do you honestly think the beastfolk will stand by and watch you turn Sir Arion into a commercial product?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Like I said, a professional is always fully prepared.”

Exuding absolute confidence, Kal pulled a folded document from his vest pocket and held it out for Lunia to see.

Snatching the paper, Lunia’s expression soured as she scanned the contents.

It was a formal agreement, explicitly stating that Arion himself had granted Kal the authorization to manufacture and distribute his likeness.

“When did you even manage to get him to sign this?”

“Heh, the exact moment I realized Sir Arion had crossed over into our realm from the hero’s world, I knew it! I knew a massive pilgrimage trend would explode. With Sir Arion’s official endorsement, wealthy sightseers—especially the beastfolk—will buy these up at premium prices! Bwahahaha!”

“Why are you so obsessed with accumulating funds? From what I know, you’re currently a student who already possesses a substantial amount of wealth. Besides, with your skills, you’ll easily amass a fortune after graduation.”

“I’m baffled by it too. I know you’re unapologetically money-driven, but I also know you’re fundamentally a good person. You don’t seem like someone who hoards riches just for the sake of it.”

Hearing Driana’s observation, Lunia nodded in agreement, shifting her gaze back to Kal.

Eiran looked on curiously as well, causing Kal to scratch the back of his neck in slight embarrassment.

“As you all well know, I’m not built for the front lines like a grand hero or anything.”

“True.”

“Yeah, that’s accurate.”

“N-no, that’s not true. Kal-nim, you are incredibly capable.”

Lunia and Driana agreed instantly, while a flustered Eiran quickly tried to offer some reassurance.

“Appreciate it, Eiran. Thanks for the kind words. You’re definitely a breath of fresh air compared to these cynical elves and dwarves.”

Lunia’s eyes flashed dangerously at the jab.

Paying her no mind, Kal pressed on.

“My goal is to be the ultimate supporter, and that doesn’t just mean backing you guys up in the middle of a fight.”

Kal gave a light shrug.

“Whether it’s top-tier armaments, rare crafting materials, or high-grade elixirs, I want to procure absolutely everything needed to keep you ahead. To pull that off, I’m going to need a mountain of capital.”

“Just how much are you aiming to hoard?”

“Oh, at least enough to purchase an entire sovereign nation?”

Lunia and Eiran stared at him with wide, stunned eyes, caught off guard by the profound look on his face.

“You’ve actually given this some serious thought?”

“You’re so reliable, Kal-nim!”

Both Lunia and Eiran felt a sudden wave of respect.

“Kal! You really are an incredible friend!”

Driana, absolutely thrilled by his grand ambitions, lunged forward and threw her arms around him.

Looking down at her, Kal flatly remarked,

“Just so we’re clear, I have zero intention of funding your art projects. Not even a single percent.”

Driana immediately puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

“Why must you be so incredibly stingy? A man claiming he wants to buy a country shouldn’t have such a narrow mind! If you patronize my work, as I follow the path of Lord Dweno to become a master artist, your name will be remembered for centuries!”

Observing Driana slip right back into her usual theatrical cadence, Kal countered,

“If I were to fund your art, Lord Dweno would probably descend from the heavens to choke me out himself. Honestly, it would be far more beneficial to the world if I just buried that money in the dirt.”

“How could throwing money into a hole possibly be more beneficial?!”

“Well, at the very least, innocent people wouldn’t have to suffer by looking at your horrific creations.”

“I can’t argue with that logic.”

Lunia nodded along in agreement.

In response, Driana raised an angry fist, prompting a terrified Eiran to quickly step in and hold her back.

“By the way… what is wrong with that cat?”

Inside the Plov family residence.

Over in a quiet corner of the room, Ar was silently staring down at a fractured Brave.

“He looks devastated that Sir Arion had to depart.”

As Eiran noted this with concern, Lunia and Driana exchanged a glance, nodded, and walked over to the feline.

“How long do you plan on moping around like this?”

“Exactly. Try not to dwell too much on Sir Arion’s absence.”

Attempting to console him, Ar slowly rose from his spot.

With his gaze lowered toward the floor, he began padding deeper into the room.

“Hey, Ar. There’s no need to be this downcast, I’m just saying…”

“Keep your hands off me.”

Ar spoke with an icy tone, swerving to avoid Lunia’s hand as she reached for his shoulder.

Stunned by the cold shoulder, Lunia paused, her brows knitting together.

“Hey, don’t you think you’re being a bit ungrateful?”

“How dare common hands attempt to grace my fur!”

Ar’s demeanor shifted entirely in an instant, swiftly darting away from Lunia’s reach with an arrogant smirk.

Lunia stared blankly at Ar, who was now practically beaming with smug satisfaction.

“I, Ar Tune, have been explicitly named the true successor by Sir Arion himself! My lineage and rank are entirely beyond your level now! We are not the same!”

Seeing the display, Kal leaned back against the cushions of the couch and spoke dryly.

“And here you guys thought he was actually mourning.”

Driana frowned at Kal’s remark, turning back to glare at the cat.

“So? What’s all this nonsense about being on a different level?”

“Lunia, did Lady Luna ever look you in the eye and declare you her official successor? No, right? Driana, did Lord Dweno do that for you? Nope! It’s just me. The sole individual chosen by an ancient savior!”

Ar let out a haughty laugh, closing his eyes as he gave a series of self-satisfied nods.

“Ah, ‘successor’… what a beautiful, ring to that title!”

Muttering the word to savor its flavor, Ar’s eyes suddenly snapped wide open.

“Do you honestly think a chosen successor like myself should be sharing a dinner table with commoners like you? The dawn of my supremacy has arrived!”

Lunia and Driana looked at one another, sharing a silent, synchronized nod.

Driana stepped toward the cat, whose tail was wagging triumphantly, and pinned him down so he couldn’t wiggle away.

“Are you set, Lunia?”

“Perfectly set, Driana. Keep a firm grip on him. I’m going to make this hurt.”

“Aim right for the gut.”

“Nyaaaaaak?!”

Watching the chaotic scuffle unfold, Kal turned his attention back to Eiran.

“Are you going to break that up?”

“Honestly, at this point, trying to intervene is completely pointless, isn’t it?”

“Look at you, getting wiser.”

Kal murmured with an amused sigh, observing the trio’s antics.

“Lady Luna, Sir Arion, and Lord Dweno would probably weep if they saw this display.”

“Why’s that?”

“Wouldn’t it break their hearts to see the kids carrying their legacies acting like total fools?”

“To be honest, I kind of doubt they’d care that much.”

Eiran scratched his cheek sheepishly, causing Kal to pause before nodding along.

“Yeah, you’ve got a point there.”

Both of them had already had their pristine illusions regarding the ancient heroes thoroughly shattered.

“Changing the subject, Leo-nim hasn’t stepped foot out of his quarters all evening, has he?”

“That’s true. Would you mind heading over to check on him? I’ll handle this mess.”

“M-Me? Go to Lord Leo’s room? This late at night? By myself?”

Eiran’s face flushed a deep crimson as he panicked.

Noticing the intense embarrassment, Kal rubbed his cheek and offered,

“Want me to tag along?”

“No, I’ll handle it.”

Tossing out those words, Eiran bolted from the room in a hurry.

Watching the door swing shut behind him, Kal muttered softly to himself.

“He’s definitely maturing.”

Inside his personal quarters within the grand estate.

The room was vast, easily eclipsing the size of his lodgings back in the capital city.

It was a standard luxury of noble families ruling over distant territories.

Because space was plentiful, the rooms were unnecessarily massive.

Seated on a chair positioned right by the window, Leo gazed out at the brilliant full moon, tilting his glass to drain the liquor inside.

Back in his past life as Kyle, he had frequently indulged in drinking, but since his reincarnation, he rarely touched the stuff. It wasn’t due to his current youth, nor was it out of respect for academy regulations.

‘It’s just that there hasn’t been a real reason to drink.’

The ancient champions of old used to drink constantly.

In fact, it wasn’t just the great legends.

Nearly every hero who fought through that brutal era relied heavily on alcohol.

It was the only way to temporarily drown out the crushing weight of their grim reality.

‘Then again, Luna and Dweno genuinely just loved chugging it down for fun.’

Resting his jaw against his palm, Leo let out a quiet chuckle before speaking aloud.

“You can stop pacing out there and just come in.”

He had sensed the presence lingering outside his door for a while now.

And naturally, he knew exactly who it was.

Following Leo’s prompt, the faint presence hesitated for a brief second before the door creaked open, revealing a familiar face peeking inside.

Offering a timid, self-conscious smile, she spoke up.

“Leo oppa, what are you up to?”

“Just clearing my head.”

The late-night visitor was Chelsea.

Hearing his response, Chelsea stepped fully into the room, clicked the door shut behind her, and walked toward his seat.

Her eyes widened slightly as they landed on the alcohol bottle resting on the table before him.

“You’re drinking?”

Instead of a verbal reply, Leo simply offered a calm smile.

Chelsea stood there momentarily, shifting on her feet under his gaze.

Noticing her hesitation, Leo gestured toward the empty chair directly across from him.

Chelsea quietly took her seat, her eyes locking onto him without a word.

Even with her staring, Leo remained still, his gaze drifting back out toward the night sky.

The pale, ethereal moonlight streaming through the glass caught the strands of Leo’s silver hair, making it shimmer softly.

Chelsea watched the quiet scene for a moment before taking a deep breath, steeling her resolve.

“Leo oppa.”

“Yeah.”

Fidgeting slightly as she watched him refill his glass, Chelsea finally found her voice.

“I spoke with Sir Arion. He told me everything. That you, Leo oppa… are actually Kyle-nim, the Hero of Beginnings.”