Chapter 487

Following a summons from the academy’s principal, Rina, Leo made his way toward the Tower of Heroes.

“Wait, look! It’s the council president!”

“Senior Leo!”

A group of first-year students walking between their lecture halls caught sight of him, their faces lighting up with astonishment.

“Make sure you aren’t late for your classes,” Leo replied, offering a casual gesture of acknowledgment toward the younger students.

Even a brief, casual greeting like that was enough to send the underclassmen into a state of visible excitement. It made perfect sense, considering Leo had already been an object of intense fascination and respect during their very first term. However, before the subsequent semester had even commenced, his status had ascended to that of a genuine hero, transforming what was once mere schoolyard admiration into a profound, almost overwhelming reverence from the student body.

Leaving behind the starstruck underclassmen, Leo arrived at his destination and proceeded directly up to the principal’s office located at the apex of the Tower of Heroes.

He rapped his knuckles gently against the wood.

“Enter.”

Pushing the door open, Leo stepped inside the office to find a student clad in a pristine white academic uniform engaged in conversation with Rina.

“Airan?”

“Lord Leo!” Airan exclaimed, her features instantly brightening with joy at his arrival.

Rina shifted her gaze toward him, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Welcome, student council president. Word of your remarkable exploits in the Northeast region has already reached my ears.” The principal, who had been conducting an interview with the young girl, let out a soft laugh before continuing, “That concludes everything I needed to discuss with you. Leo Flobe here will show you around the residential quarters and the rest of the campus grounds.”

“Understood!” Airan replied with a cheerful nod.

Curious about the situation, Leo inquired, “What brings Airan all the way here?”

“Airan Eisar has joined us as part of our exchange program,” Rina explained. “It functions exactly like your stint at Seirun during the previous term. This time around, Seirun has sent one of their own students to experience Lumern.”

“Ah, that clarifies things.” Leo recalled that Airan had harbored a strong desire to study at Lumern as an exchange student since the previous year. Given that he had represented Lumern during his temporary transfer to Seirun, it was only natural that Seirun would reciprocate by sending her now.

As Leo signaled his understanding, Rina propped her chin upon her laced fingers and spoke up once more. “Student Airan, your tailored academy attire has already been commissioned at ‘Bless Rigger,’ the specialized uniform boutique located on Kuraju Street down in Lumeria City.”

“Yes, ma’clock!”

“Leo Flobe, as a second-year student, your schedule is entirely clear of lectures today, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“Then I would like you to dedicate your open schedule to acting as her personal guide for the day.”

“I will do so.”

Agreeing to the task, Leo moved closer to Airan and took hold of the substantial travel bag resting beside her seat. “We should get moving.”

“Oh! Lord Leo, please let me handle that myself.”

“Do not worry about it.” Leo gently brushed off her frantic attempts to reclaim the heavy luggage and led the way out of the principal’s private office.

“I trust you will find your time here highly rewarding, Student Airan,” Rina called out warmly behind them.

“Thank you so much! Take care, Principal!” Airan offered a respectful bow before quickly following after Leo’s retreating figure. Leo gave Rina a polite, parting nod of his own before drawing the heavy door shut.

The moment they stepped out of the Tower of Heroes into the open air, a multitude of curious glances locked onto the pair.

“Wait, is that a student from Seirun?”

“The guy walking with her is our student council president, right?”

“What business does someone from Seirun have here at Lumern?”

Several of the more senior students watched them pass with expressions full of bewilderment.

“Hey Leo, what’s the story with the guest from Seirun?” an upperclassman from the Knight Department asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

“She is staying here as an exchange student,” Leo responded evenly without breaking his stride. The surrounding crowd murmured in astonishment at his calm revelation, their inquisitive stares remaining glued to Airan as the duo continued their trek.

Eventually, they made their way into the residential sector designated for the second-year students. The area felt remarkably serene and quiet, largely because the majority of the residents were currently away executing various official missions.

“Now that I think about it, which specific residential hall did the principal assign to you?” Leo inquired.

“The Glory building,” she answered. “It turns out I am assigned to the very same hall as you, Lord Leo.”

With a silent nod, Leo directed his steps toward their shared living quarters. “Go on in.”

“Please excuse the intrusion,” Airan murmured, stepping into the interior of the Glory dormitory with an air of cautious reverence. It did not take long for her to look around in sheer awe. “The layout here is vastly different from what we have back at Seirun.”

The entire interior of the building felt uniquely customized for the students’ comfort. This was particularly true for the second-year housing, which was split into three distinct facilities: Harmony, Glory, and Noble. The assignment to these separate halls depended largely on the compatible temperaments and traits of the students, meaning that the shared recreational spaces as well as individual quarters were deeply reflective of the residents’ collective preferences. Compared to the rigid regulations enforced within the housing sectors of Seirun, the environment here felt incredibly liberated.

Amused by her wide-eyed fascination, Leo let out a quiet chuckle as he set her luggage down securely in a vacant corner of the common room. “Come along, let us make our way down to the docks.”

“Right behind you!” Airan responded enthusiastically.

Boarding a vessel, Leo and Airan traversed the waters to enter the bustling heart of Lumeria City. As they walked along the vibrant thoroughfares, Airan noted something with surprise. “The local citizens do not seem particularly bothered or distracted by our appearance.”

“The populace of Lumeria City is entirely accustomed to the daily presence of Lumern academics,” Leo clarified. “Furthermore, because this urban center frequently hosts visitors from various other institutions around the world, the sight of a Seirun uniform isn’t going to cause a massive scene or public disruption.”

“That makes sense. I recall hearing that many of our seniors travel down to Lumeria City quite often, whether to fulfill official requests or to attend to personal affairs.”

Positioned right at the structural center of the known world, Lumeria City served as an incredibly vital strategic crossroads. Its direct geographic connection to Lumern also cemented its status as an exceptionally prominent destination for travelers. Naturally, wherever massive crowds of people congregated, commerce followed in equal measure, transforming Lumeria City into a renowned marketplace overflowing with all manner of exceedingly rare enchanted implements and magical artifacts.

Before long, Leo and Airan turned onto Kuraju Street. Demonstrating a practiced familiarity with the layout, he guided her through the entrance of ‘Bless Rigger,’ the premier outfitter responsible for Lumern’s academic attire.

“Welcome to our shop… Oh, my goodness. Lord Leo Flobe!” The directress of the establishment blinked in mild astonishment before offering a warm, gracious smile and inclining her head respectfully. “It feels as though a significant amount of time has passed since your last visit. We are deeply honored by your presence. How may we assist you on this fine day?”

“The principal informed me that an order was placed here for a newly arrived exchange student’s attire.”

“Ah, yes! You must be referring to the garments commissioned for Miss Airan Eisar, our visiting scholar from Seirun. We have already laid the groundwork for the project.” Shifting her pleasant expression toward the young lady standing at Leo’s side, the directress offered a polite greeting. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Airan Eisar. We appreciate you taking the time to visit our establishment.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Airan replied politely.

“Per the direct instructions of Lumern’s administration, the structural frameworks for your summer academic attire are completely prepared. We only require your physical dimensions to begin the actual assembly process. If you would be so kind as to step into the fitting area over here?”

Nodding in agreement, Airan followed her into the designated section of the shop. A group of female tailors immediately gathered around her, unfurling cloth measuring tapes to precisely record her proportions.

“If I may ask, I understand that Lumern utilizes separate sets of attire corresponding to the shifting seasons?”

“Indeed, that is correct,” the shop owner confirmed.

“In that case, would it be feasible to commission copies of those seasonal variants for me as well?”

“Certainly, we can accommodate that,” the directress replied with an accommodating nod, refraining from prying into the reasoning behind the additional request.

Curious, Leo interjected, “Why are you requesting the spring and autumn garments?”

“Well, since I have this rare opportunity to be here, I thought it would be wonderful to possess them as meaningful keepsakes of my time,” Airan explained, offering Leo a slightly self-conscious, endearing smile.

Once the process of recording her measurements concluded, the shop owner addressed them saying, “The completed garments will be ready for collection if you return to our establishment in roughly two hours.”

“In that case, why don’t we find a place to unwind and enjoy ourselves for the next couple of hours? Airan, do you have a particular destination in mind?”

“Let me see. More than anything, I really want to dine at one of the highly recommended culinary establishments here in Lumeria City.” Airan fished a small piece of parchment from her pocket, displaying a carefully compiled list of local dining spots for Leo to see. “Some of my peers back at Seirun insisted that the local cuisine here is absolutely phenomenal!”

“Did you come across the sea to pursue your academic exchange, or did you simply mean to embark on a sightseeing vacation?” Leo teased lightheartedly.

“Oh, goodness, no! I fully intend to dedicate myself to my studies! This list is simply… well, oh dear!” Visibly flustered by his teasing words, Airan buried her face within her palms, her voice dropping to an incredibly bashful murmur. “I am deeply mortified. It seems I spent far too much time fantasizing about recreation rather than focusing on my educational duties.”

“There is absolutely no reason to feel guilty about it,” Leo reassured her with a gentle tone. “It is perfectly normal for someone of your youth to seek out enjoyment and fun.”

“I still feel incredibly foolish,” she admitted. Leo couldn’t help but chuckle softly as he noticed her shoulders tense up with bashfulness, her ears virtually drooping from the sheer weight of her embarrassment.

“You really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. If you want to talk about skipping out on responsibilities, Berkyya used to spend practically every waking moment looking for any possible excuse to abandon his rigorous training routines and slip away unnoticed.”

“Lord Berkyya did that?” Airan’s eyes grew wide with sudden fascination as she stared up at him.

“What is it? Are you truly that eager to hear tales concerning Berkyya?”

“Absolutely!”

Observing the intense, brilliant spark of curiosity shining within her gaze, Leo remarked with a knowing smile, “I ought to warn you that the pristine image you hold of him in your mind might suffer quite a blow.”

“But I have already witnessed the authentic character of my forebear during our time within Lord Dweno’s realm, haven’t I? If anything, seeing that side of him only made me hold Lord Berkyya in even greater esteem.”

“I suppose that is true,” Leo conceded, his thoughts drifting back to the version of Berkyya he had encountered within the domain constructed by Dweno. “Which particular memory would you like to discover first?”

“The chronicle of your very first encounter!” she chimed in.

“Our first meeting, is it? Perhaps we can delve into that narrative while we enjoy our midday meal.”

“Then let us make haste! Come along, quickly!” Airan, completely swept up in her boundless enthusiasm, clamped both of her hands tightly around Leo’s arm and began dragging him forward with urgent excitement.

The sight of her actions sent a sudden wave of familiarity washing through Leo’s mind, mirroring events from a lifetime ago.

“Just out of curiosity, do you actually know the path to the restaurant?”

“Oh!” Airan froze instantly, her excited momentum halting as his question caught her entirely off guard.

Leo watched her sudden realization and let out a warm, affectionate laugh. “The resemblance is truly uncanny.” Though their physical features and core temperaments differed in many ways, looking at Airan allowed him to vividly catch glimpses of the student he had guided long ago.

“What do you mean by that?”

Reaching out to gently pat the head of the thoroughly bewildered girl, Leo murmured softly, “It is simply that there is no denying you are a true bloodline descendant of Berkyya.”

By the time Airan returned to the Glory residence, her newly crafted Lumern attire safely in hand from their trip to Lumeria City, she was cheerfully humming a bright melody to herself.

“What has you in such an incredibly joyful mood?” Leo inquired, glancing over at her.

“Lord Leo gave me his word that he would share ancient chronicles with me throughout the evening until I can no longer keep my eyes open! You had best prepare yourself, Lord Leo, because I do not intend to let you sleep a wink until my curiosity is entirely satisfied tonight!”

“You truly need to stop filling your head with those bizarre literary romances,” Leo countered playfully. “At this rate, I am beginning to think your antics are far more exhausting than anything Berkyya ever managed.”

“Pardon? Whatever do you mean by that?” Airan tilted her head to the side, her large eyes blinking in utter confusion as though the comparison flew entirely over her head. Leo could only sigh and shake his head with an amused grin at her perfectly oblivious expression.

As night fell, they gathered in the central lounge of the residential hall to share a dinner composed of the various delicacies they had brought back from Lumeria City. Once they finished eating, Leo escorted Airan to one of the unoccupied private chambers situated within the female wing of the building. By the time they had both completed their evening routines and prepared for the night, the early hours of darkness had firmly set in.

When Leo stepped back out into the common area, he found Airan already waiting there in her nighttime attire, carefully resting a uniquely crafted container of spirits upon the surface of the table.

“What is the meaning behind the spirits?” Leo questioned, gesturing toward the bottle.

“This is a special brew crafted from an ancient culinary formula preserved and handed down through the generations of the Eisar family, originally formulated by Lord Berkyya himself. I carried it all this way to present to you as a token of my appreciation.”

“If Berkyya was the one who preserved the methods for this particular vintage, then it must originally belong to Luna’s personal collection,” Leo mused aloud.

“Wait, really?” Airan’s features locked in surprise. Leo knew all too well that Luna possessed an immense passion for spirits and took great pride in fermenting her own custom batches. Pouring a small measure of the liquid into a glass, Leo took a sampling and murmured as the familiar flavors hit his palate, “There is no mistake; this is undeniably Luna’s craft.”

“Is that truly the case?” Airan asked, her eyes opening wide with wonder.

“Yes, it is,” Leo confirmed with a nostalgic smile.

Hearing that the drink was connected to the legendary figure Luna, Airan—who normally possessed zero inclination toward consuming alcohol—found her curiosity piqued enough to take a tentative sip from her glass.

“Ack—!” Her face contorted into an immediate grimace as the intensely volatile, fiery liquid scorched its way down her throat. It was exactly what one would expect from a legendary consumer of spirits like Luna; any beverage she engineered was bound to possess an incredibly potent concentration.

Leo found himself deeply immersed in the sensations of the past as he slowly emptied the vintage Airan had provided, his mind drifting through long-lost eras. True to his promise, he began weaving detailed narratives of the ancient world for the young girl.

As one of his chronicles reached a particularly gripping juncture, Airan looked up with an inquisitive gaze and asked, “Did you guide any other pupils during that era besides Lord Berkyya, Lord Leo?”

“Indeed, I did,” Leo answered softly. “The individual who went on to establish the foundation of the Shan Empire was another of my personal disciples.”

“How incredible! Now that I think about it, isn’t Princess Chen Xia a direct royal descendant of that very same Shan Empire?”

“That is correct.”

“Then it seems all of us share a remarkably profound and intricate web of destiny,” Airan noted, her face lighting up with a radiant smile. She remained completely captivated by his words, her eyes shimmering with unbridled fascination as she drank in every piece of history he shared.

Time slipped away unnoticed until the soft, rhythmic chirping of early morning birds began to echo through the air.

Suddenly, Airan jarred herself awake, sitting up abruptly on the cushioned surface of the sofa. ‘Goodness, at what point did I completely lose consciousness?’ Looking around, she realized the sky was in that dim, twilight state just prior to the actual rising of the sun. It appeared she had unintentionally drifted off to sleep in the middle of their conversation, having listened to his accounts straight through the midnight hours until the approach of dawn.

She quickly noticed that a warm, comfortable blanket had been carefully draped over her form while she slept. ‘I ended up losing the battle with sleep before he did,’ she thought to herself, a wave of apologetic embarrassment washing over her as she rose from her position.

Turning her gaze toward the opposite end of the couch, she spotted Leo deeply asleep. Having single-handedly finished off the potent bottle of spirits while keeping her entertained with historical accounts all through the night, a distinct, heavy aroma of alcohol lingered in the space around him.

Airan paused mid-motion as she picked up the blanket she had been using, carefully leaning over to spread it across Leo’s sleeping form to keep him warm. ‘The weight that Lord Leo carries upon his shoulders must be unimaginable,’ she reflected silently.

As the legendary Hero of Beginnings, his existence had been defined by an agonizing, five-thousand-year conflict against the forces of Tartarus. Even after breaking through the cycle of mortality to achieve reincarnation in this era, he was still forced to shoulder the burden of that endless war. The sweeping historical tales Leo had spent the entire night recounting were filled with the grand deeds of legendary champions and icons. Only now did she realize, with a pang of sorrow, that Leo had consumed the heavy spirits with much greater frequency whenever his narratives touched upon the close companions and allies he had lost along the way.

‘I am truly sorry, Lord Leo,’ Airan thought, silently conveying her remorse for being so oblivious to his hidden pain. ‘And I am profoundly grateful to you.’ It was a quiet, earnest expression of appreciation, the best a youth belonging to this peaceful, modern era could offer to a guardian of the past.

Slam—!

“Eek?!”

Without warning, the heavy entrance to the common lounge was thrown open with a resounding crash.

Despite her exceptional capabilities as an accomplished magic swordsman, the sudden intrusion completely bypassed Airan’s heightened perceptions, startling her so violently that her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Losing her footing entirely in her panicked state, her balance gave way, and she tumbled directly forward onto the sleeping Leo.

The sudden physical impact naturally jolted Leo awake in an instant. “What in the world…?”

Finding herself abruptly pressed against Leo’s chest as he lay beneath her, a frantic gasp escaped Airan’s lips, and she scrambled desperately to untangle herself and sit upright. “I am so incredibly sorry! Ah—!”

In her extreme state of panic and disorientation, her rapid movements became completely ensnared by the folds of the heavy blanket she was holding. Instead of freeing herself, the clumsy maneuver resulted in her awkwardly straddling Leo’s lap.

“Please forgive me! Lord Leo! I truly didn’t mean to—!”

“…Would someone mind explaining the exact nature of what is taking place here?” a detached, completely flat voice interrupted.

Chen Xia stood frozen in the open doorway of the lounge, staring blankly at the highly compromising and bizarre spectacle of Leo and Airan tangled together on the furniture.