Chapter 494

Chapter 494

Chen Xia exhaled deeply.

Rounds of dead magical beasts lay scattered and piled high all around her.

At some point, the relentless waves of these creatures had finally come to an end.

Sensing that the area was finally clear of any hostile magical beasts, Chen Xia called out.

“Miss Eiran, are you unhurt?”

“Yes, I am completely fine! What about you, Miss Chen Xia?”

A faint smile touched Chen Xia’s lips upon hearing Eiran’s spirited response.

“I am unhurt as well.”

Answering her companion, Chen Xia cast a glance down at her own hand.

‘The instruction I received under Lord Arion has undoubtedly borne fruit.’

Her execution had grown significantly more precise.

Her capacity to read and react to an opponent’s movements had sharpened as well.

Appreciating the progress from her training, Chen Xia prompted.

“Come, let us move quickly to catch up with Young Master Leo.”

“Understood!”

Eiran fell into step behind Chen Xia.

Following the path and signs that Leo had left behind, Chen Xia inquired.

“By the way, Miss Eiran, a moment ago you mentioned that Lady Luna was resting eternally within these lands, did you not?”

“Ah?”

Eiran gave a start.

Chen Xia offered Eiran a gentle, knowing smile.

“The final resting places of the Great Heroes have remained a mystery to the world. Yet, Young Master Leo and you, Miss Eiran, spoke with absolute certainty regarding Lady Luna sleeping here. How did you come by such knowledge?”

“That… well, it is…”

“You are keeping another confidence with Young Master Leo, aren’t you?”

Just as Eiran found herself cornered by Chen Xia’s perceptive questioning and pleasant demeanor, a savior arrived.

“You both made it safely.”

Leo’s voice drifted over from ahead of them.

“Ah! Lord Leo! You are unharmed as well… wait?”

Eiran’s face lit up with relief as she turned toward Leo, only to suddenly freeze in place.

Chen Xia’s expression similarly stiffened the moment her eyes fell upon the woman standing beside Leo.

A highly recognizable figure stood right there.

Both Eiran and Chen Xia could only stare with their mouths open.

“Lady Luna…?”

“Oh? You recognize me?”

As Chen Xia spoke the name with utmost caution, Luna merely tilted her head in curiosity.

Thump—

Overcome by sheer astonishment, Eiran’s legs gave out, and she sank directly onto the ground.

Luna’s eyes widened slightly as she looked down at the fallen girl.

“My goodness, are you alright? Are you injured somewhere?”

Luna stepped closer, crouching down beside Eiran while tilting her head inquisitively.

Staring at the sight, Chen Xia urgently questioned Leo.

“Yo–Young Master Leo! Why is Lady Luna present in this era?”

“It is the exact same circumstance as with Arion previously.”

Chen Xia stood utterly dumbfounded by Leo’s remarkably casual explanation.

“La–Lady Luna.”

Luna observed Eiran, who was gazing up at her with an intensely emotional expression, before turning her eyes back to Leo.

“Kyle, what is the matter with her?”

Unaware of her own legendary status in this modern era, Luna asked as though she were completely baffled.

“Kyle?”

Confusion once again gripped Chen Xia’s face.

Witnessing her bewilderment, Leo let out a soft sigh.

“Let us return to the village first. It will be far easier to clarify everything once we are settled.”

“Why did Lady Luna address Young Master Leo as ‘Kyle’? She was undeniably speaking of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, was she not?”

Chen Xia demanded answers, her expression grave.

Leo fixed his gaze on Chen Xia for a moment before offering a quiet sigh.

“It appears there is no longer any way to conceal it.”

At his words, Chen Xia’s posture grew noticeably rigid.

“I am indeed Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.”

“What?”

“I have undergone reincarnation.”

Chen Xia’s mind went entirely blank.

For a brief period, her face twisted in utter disbelief as if trying to process a foreign language, before she suddenly bolted upright in sheer shock.

“Young Master Leo is truly Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings?!”

As Leo offered a firm nod, Chen Xia sank right back into her seat.

She immediately plunged into deep reflection.

Reviewing everything Leo had achieved up until now, Chen Xia let out a breathless, incredulous laugh.

“No wonder. I always sensed he was a completely abnormal individual ever since our academy enrollment.”

His constant interactions with the Great Heroes and his incomprehensible pace of development.

It was an unbelievable tale, but if his true identity was ‘Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings,’ then every single anomaly aligned perfectly.

‘Even that strangely mature demeanor of his.’

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Chen Xia soon wore a slightly slighted expression.

“Aside from myself, who else is privy to Young Master Leo’s true identity?”

“The Dragon Lord Melina, Chelsea, and Eiran, I believe.”

‘As for Emperor Shan, it seems he harbors a vague inkling.’

Leo narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling Shan’s Emperor Shaou.

“The Dragon Lord Melina is understandable, but… you shared this with Miss Chelsea and Miss Eiran while leaving me in the dark. I feel a bit left out.”

“With the exception of Melina, I had no intentions of revealing it to anyone from the start.”

Leo let out another sigh.

“Arion was the one who carelessly leaked the secret to Chelsea first. Then Eiran happened to overhear a conversation between Chelsea and me.”

“Ah. I understand.”

Chen Xia’s gaze softened as she settled back into her place.

Luna, who had been observing the exchange in silence, clapped her hands together lightly.

“Now that the explanations are out of the way, let us introduce ourselves properly. I am Luna Rubinus.”

As Luna offered her name with a gentle, warm smile, Chen Xia responded.

“My name is Chen Xia.”

“Understood, a pleasure to meet you. And what about you?”

“I am called Eiran Ersar.”

“Ersar?”

Luna paused mid-sentence.

Noticing her reaction, Eiran gave a timid smile and clarified.

“I am a direct descendant of Lord Berkhia.”

“Oh, my goodness!”

Luna’s face brightened instantly.

“Berkhia actually wedded someone? I used to worry so much because her preferences in literature were so peculiar!”

Luna moved closer to Eiran, cupping the young girl’s face in her hands and inspecting her features from side to side.

“Now that I look closely, you truly do share a resemblance with Berkhia!”

“Not in the slightest. That woman was incredibly haughty, whereas this girl is quite endearing.”

Leo chimed in with a deadpan expression.

“Furthermore, this one over here is a descendant of Biharn.”

“My word! Is that true?”

Luna appeared deeply touched.

“Indeed. Those companions left behind lineages in a world finally at peace. It brings me immense comfort.”

Luna’s expression, filled with genuine relief and joy, possessed a breathtaking beauty.

Both Eiran and Chen Xia found themselves momentarily entranced as they stared at her.

“Yes. Your name is Eiran, correct? Berkhia was very much like a daughter to me. Therefore, do not be stiff around me; simply regard me as an elder sister.”

“Elder sister, what nonsense. You are a grandmother.”

Luna snapped her eyes toward Leo at his mockery and swiftly aimed a kick at him.

Leo evaded the strike effortlessly, clearly accustomed to such antics.

Chen Xia couldn’t help but chuckle at their casual, unrefined dynamic.

“So this is how the legendary Great Heroes interact. It is quite fascinating to see that they are not so different from ordinary people.”

The scene reminded her of her own peers bickering back at school.

‘This is truly the first time I have witnessed Young Master Leo acting so completely unburdened.’

Resting her chin in her palm, Chen Xia quietly observed the two ancient figures.

‘Then again, Young Master Leo is the Hero of Beginnings. They are comrades who stood side by side fighting for the survival of the world five millennia ago.’

In essence, she was one of the mere four individuals who could ever claim to stand on equal footing with him.

As the two continued their playful arguing, Chen Xia spoke up.

“By the by, what shall be our next course of action?”

Chen Xia tilted her head expectantly.

“It is marvelous that Lady Luna has returned to the living world just like Lord Arion… but where do we go from here?”

“There is actually a place I wish to visit.”

“Where might that be?”

Luna lifted her hand as she spoke, leaving Leo looking thoroughly perplexed.

“I wish to enroll in the place known as Lumerne Academy.”

The week-long practical field assignment reached its conclusion.

Right on schedule, the second-year pupils began filtering back into Lumerne Academy one after another.

Naturally, a handful of students handling extended operations had not yet finished their duties.

The academic schedule for those individuals was arranged to be handled via supplementary sessions down the line without any issues.

“I have returned!”

Slam—!

Illiana burst through the dormitory entrance, sprinting straight toward the common area before throwing herself onto the couch.

Thud—!

“Nothing compares to the common room sofa after a grueling mission! Ah~ this is absolute bliss!”

Illiana elongated her limbs, savoring the sheer comfort of the cushions.

“Welcome back, Miss Illiana.”

“Greetings, Xia!”

Illiana, who had been beaming and waving back at Chen Xia’s greeting, suddenly blinked as her eyes locked onto another figure.

“Eiran? You are Eiran of Seirun!”

Illiana bolted upright, her face painted with astonishment.

“Why are you dressed in our academy’s uniform?”

“I will be attending Lumerne for the time being as part of an exchange program.”

“Ah! That explains it!”

Illiana nodded in understanding, then shifted her gaze sideways.

“And who might this be…?”

Standing there was an elf likewise clad in the Lumerne attire.

“I am called Ru. I have also arrived through the exchange system. It is a pleasure.”

“Oh, Ru? I don’t recall ever hearing that name before.”

Even though they belonged to rival institutions, there had been numerous joint events with Seirun’s second-year cohort, allowing her to recognize the prominent names of their peer group.

The moniker Ru had never crossed her ears.

“Ru–Miss Ru likely hails from one of the lower-tier classes, which is why you wouldn’t know her.”

“Ah, that makes sense. A lower-tier class.”

Ahem! Illiana crossed her arms and nodded knowingly.

Then, a vibrant smile broke across her face.

“I am Illiana Raden! Let us get along well during your stay!”

“I look forward to our time together as well.”

“Still, you look incredibly familiar for some reason?”

Illiana rubbed her chin, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Ru intently.

“I am frequently told that my countenance possesses a very approachable, common look.”

“Ah, I see!”

Illiana easily accepted Ru’s composed explanation.

Ru—who was actually Luna—offered a subtle smile toward Illiana.

The reason Illiana failed to identify Luna was incredibly basic. It was entirely due to the perception-altering enchantment she had woven around herself.

Under the sway of this magic, people could not accurately discern Luna’s true features, leading them to merely think she looked vaguely familiar.

‘Only someone of Luna’s caliber could pull off such an enchantment.’

To pierce through this specific concealment magic, a caster would need to possess arcane mastery equal to or greater than the one who deployed it.

Yet, in this current world, no mage existed who could surpass Luna.

‘Melina certainly had a grueling few days.’

Upon learning of Luna’s revival, Melina had spent several frantic days constructing a flawless counterfeit background.

Thanks to those efforts, a second-year student named Ru from Seirun—whose existence even Seirun itself was unaware of—was successfully created.

There was zero incentive for Lumerne to verify the details with Seirun directly.

While the two academies maintained open relations, they did not waste time cross-referencing such insignificant data.

At that moment, Leo let out a quiet chuckle as he watched Luna merrily conversing and bonding with the members of Glory.

“Leo.”

“You have returned, Chloe?”

“Yes. But I heard mention of incoming exchange students.”

Chloe tilted her head in curiosity, prompting Leo to gesture toward Luna and Eiran.

“That one is Eiran. And the person beside her is…”

Chloe let out a soft exclamation.

“She is breathtakingly beautiful. I had no idea Seirun possessed such a student.”

“They mention she comes from the lower-tier classes.”

“Ah, I understand.”

Chloe accepted the explanation without further thought.

In the meantime, Luna continued to share cheerful laughter while mingling effortlessly with the Glory students.

“She possesses incredible social grace.”

As Chen Xia murmured in admiration, Leo could only smirk.

“She has always been exceptionally gifted at endearing herself to others.”

Leo whispered under his breath, keeping his eyes fixed on Luna.

‘I truly hope she finds enjoyment here.’

Later that same afternoon.

The curriculum for the second-year students resumed.

The inaugural period happened to be none other than Magic Studies.

As the second-year Magic Studies pupils filed into the grand auditorium, they found themselves utterly speechless.

The massive blackboard at the front was completely blanketed in intricate, unfamiliar magic arrays.

“What in the world is that supposed to be?”

“Is that some sort of ancient script?”

“Wait, is that even a proper magic circle to begin with?”

Whispers and murmurs immediately rippled through the classroom.

Chloe’s eyes gleamed with fascination as she studied the peculiar and complex arcane structures.

Her deep blue eyes swiftly mapped out the patterns of the magic arrays.

“Hohoho, welcome back, my beloved pupils.”

Ren chuckled with immense self-satisfaction, looking out over the seated assembly.

“While you all were away executing your field assignments, a brilliant concept struck me. I managed to convert that inspiration into a structured spell. Is there any student among you who can discern the core purpose of this magic simply by examining the formula?”

Following his prompt, every head in the room turned uniformly toward Chloe.

Abad and Chelsea had yet to return from their respective missions.

Even if they had been present, the class would have still looked to Chloe regardless.

It was already an established truth among the second-year Magic Studies cohort that magic theory was synonymous with Chloe, and Chloe was synonymous with magic theory.

Finding herself the center of attention, Chloe spoke up.

“It appears to be an intricate magic array designed to manipulate time.”

“Splendid! Utterly magnificent! Exactly what I anticipated from student Chloe!”

Ren clapped his hands enthusiastically, wearing a proud grin.

“Very well! To break down the finer mechanisms of this spell…”

“I believe your foundational calculations are flawed, Professor.”

Right at that moment, someone cut off Ren’s lecture, raising a hand as they spoke out.

Ren’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned toward the source of the interruption.

There sat Luna, her eyes shining with intellect, holding her hand firmly in the air.