Chapter 600

Chapter 600

Deep into the night.

“Reina? Are you genuinely alright?”

“I am, Deid. There is no need for concern. A warm soak will have me feeling rejuvenated in no time.”

Deid directed an anxious glance toward Leo as Reina’s cheerful voice drifted through the door of the attached bathroom.

“It is simply the strain of manipulating mana using a physique that has lost its Aura. Once she relaxes her muscles in the heated water, she will recover completely.”

Leo offered a wry grin.

“My apologies for summoning you so abruptly in the dead of night.”

“I ought to be the one apologizing for failing to oversee matters properly while I was present by your side.”

Reina, overhearing their exchange from within the bath, lowered herself until the water rose past her lips.

‘I must exercise greater caution moving forward.’

A profound chill had permeated her entire frame, a consequence of the recoil from summoning her momentum back in the Elder’s corridor.

Her sudden state had caused Deid to panic and rouse Leo from his sleep.

Reina gently pressed her palm against the right side of her chest.

The remnant scar from the day her Aura was pierced so long ago remained completely discernable.

Blub-blub-blub—

A collection of bubbles drifted upward as she released a soft breath.

Click.

“I was certain you were pushing yourself too hard.”

Returning to the chamber, Leo let out a quiet breath of his own.

As he prepared to settle into bed, his gaze instinctively drifted toward the glass doors leading to the attached terrace.

Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh—!

Though hidden by heavy drapes, a fierce tempest was howling beyond the glass.

After observing the balcony for a brief moment, Leo stepped closer and pulled the fabric aside.

Swish—!

A thick blanket of white had accumulated on the balcony floor from the blizzard that had started after nightfall.

Directly outside the threshold, a figure was resting on her knees.

The blue-haired woman, completely unfazed by the freezing temperature, remained entirely motionless with her palms pressed together and her lids lowered in a deeply spiritual stance.

Her demeanor strongly mirrored that of the ancient clerics from the Age of Gods.

Beholding her behaving like a pious and dedicated ascetic, Leo could not suppress another heavy sigh.

‘She is repeating this behavior.’

The individual freezing outside was Anyas, the offspring of the Northern Magic Tower Lord and the designated successor to the Elf Shadow Lord, a half-elf.

Leo pushed the terrace door open.

Fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh-fwoosh—!

The icy gale rushed into the room.

“What exactly are you doing out here?”

“I was offering my devotions to the supreme deity.”

“I am quite certain I commanded you not to establish any cults.”

“I have by no means founded a religion.”

“Then for what reason are you directing your prayers toward me?”

“Because I have simply aligned myself with an existing sacred order.”

“Excuse me?”

Anyas reached into her clothing and presented Leo with a meticulously folded sheet of paper.

Unfolding the document, Leo felt a sharp ache begin to throb behind his temples.

The parchment was nothing other than a club advertisement from Lumen Academy.

Join the Kyle Sect.

Club Designation: Kyle Sect.

Club Pursuit: Investigating the legendary exploits of Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.

President: Iliana Raden.

Vice President: Chen Sia.

Treasurer: Kal Thomas.

‘These individuals are truly unbelievable.’

During the chaotic events of the Hero’s Festival, he had rescued Iliana while manifesting the appearance of Kyle.

He was well aware that she had developed an obsessive fascination with the Hero of Beginnings from that moment onward.

‘Granted, Iliana possesses a highly eccentric personality, so her involvement makes sense. But what could the other two possibly be planning?’

Establishing an official club within Lumen demanded a roster of at least three individuals.

Chen Sia had likely agreed to participate simply because it sounded entertaining, while Kal must have signed up under the impression that it could yield some financial profit.

Regardless of their motives, they almost certainly had not pondered the consequences deeply.

Yet, how had such a controversial title received official sanction?

Leo reflected on the matter and immediately deduced the identity of the culprit.

‘Elena must have granted her signature simply because she found the concept amusing.’

Though masquerading as an academic endeavor focused on studying Kyle’s historical achievements, with Iliana at the helm, it was fundamentally a glorified fan club.

“The pupils of Lumen are truly magnificent. To conceptualize such a splendid association is remarkable. Princess Sia herself informed me of its creation, you see?”

Anyas continued to laud the institution of Lumen without pausing for breath.

“If this sort of enterprise were truly magnificent, civilization would have collapsed an eternity ago. Furthermore, I am not Kyle. Why then are you offering worship to me?”

“Lord Leo is the recognized heir to the Hero of Beginnings, validated by the heavens! Consequently, Lord Leo is naturally included among the divine figures the Kyle Sect is meant to revere!”

“In the first place, you are not even an enrolled student at Lumen.”

“What relevance does one’s societal standing have when it comes to true devotion?”

‘Reasoning with her is utterly futile.’

Leo clicked his tongue silently, observing Anyas, whose gaze had taken on an entirely fanatical luster.

Ever since arriving at Lumen Academy, Leo had witnessed countless individuals drawing motivation by invoking the names of historical champions.

‘Out of everyone from our era, only Luna would actually take pleasure in such an awkward display.’

Setting aside Luna, who historically took pride in being revered across generations, none of the legendary champions appreciated being idealized in such a manner.

Arion would have undoubtedly cried out in sheer mortification had he witnessed this spectacle.

‘I would prefer to avoid encountering such an embarrassing display entirely.’

Exhaling another breath, Leo muttered to himself.

‘I am already enduring a great deal of irritation because of how Lyan is acting.’

Shaking his head at the thought of the zealots dedicated to singing his praises, Leo spoke aloud.

“For the time being, step inside the room.”

“Ah! How could an unworthy being like myself occupy the very same chamber as Lord Leo!”

“Are you suggesting I should remain standing out here in the middle of a snowstorm instead?”

“H-H-Heavens! To think I was guilty of such insolence! I was completely oblivious!”

As Anyas bowed frantically before him, Leo spoke with a tone of utter resignation.

“It matters not. Just step indoors.”

“Ah, I am entirely overwhelmed by Lord Leo’s boundless clemency. Yet, to receive such effortless absolution for an offense so grave is unacceptable! I cannot permit myself to escape unpunished! Therefore, I shall exact retribution upon myself on Lord Leo’s behalf!”

With her gaze fixed in a state of absolute mania, Anyas cast aside her heavy outerwear.

Beneath the thick winter garment, she wore nothing but a fragile white gown.

Anyas produced a compact scourge from the folds of her discarded cloak, gripped the handle firmly, shifted her stance, and prepared to lash her own shoulders.

Leo swiftly snatched the weapon away from her grasp, a singular thought crossing his mind.

‘The moment the academic term resumes, I will see to it that this wretched club is disbanded immediately.’

“I cannot comprehend the source of such a massive disturbance at this hour of the morning.”

Clink-clink—

Elsie, who had entered carrying a tray of warm tea, commented with an amused yet weary expression.

“Haa… Haa… Observe this implement. Is it not magnificent? If I were to be disciplined with this by my superior…”

Over in the corner of the room, Arti was affectionately pressing her face against the implement Leo had just confiscated.

Beholding this sight, Leo’s expression turned remarkably grim.

“Why do you wear such a somber countenance?”

When Kyrran inquired with an expression of mild bewilderment, Leo replied,

“I am merely contemplating why my surroundings are perpetually populated by such bizarre entities.”

It had held true during his previous incarnation, and it remained true in his present life.

Inexplicably, only peculiar anomalies seemed to gather around him.

“That is because Leo himself is an anomaly.”

Chirp. Chirp.

Fiora, currently manifesting as a small phoenix, fluttered her plumage in total concurrence with Kyrran’s statement.

The two of them appeared to be in perfect harmony.

Leo stared down at the two mystical entities with an expression of profound pity.

‘Evidently, neither of them considers themselves to be part of that peculiar collection.’

A Fairy Princess who had been exiled to the mortal realm with her mystical capabilities sealed away as punishment for her mischief.

And Fiora, who had previously degenerated into an overweight avian that produced nothing but chick-like vocalizations.

It was entirely self-evident that neither of these two could be classified as conventional.

‘Even during my past life, my inner circle consisted of a deceptive reptile, a hostile elf, a depraved dwarf, and a faint-hearted beastman.’

Leo clicked his tongue as the memories of his former allies surfaced.

‘I suppose this is simply my cross to bear.’

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Leo redirected the conversation.

“At any rate, what is the purpose of your visit?”

Anyas had not arrived through official channels as an invited guest of the Zerdinger estate; rather, she had navigated the defenses covertly to secure an audience with Leo.

Furthermore, this location—the absolute center of the Zerdinger territory—was heavily fortified by an immense number of elite warriors.

Even for someone bearing the specialized training of the Shadow Lord’s successor, executing a stealthy infiltration was an incredibly daunting task.

To venture here under such hazardous circumstances implied she possessed intelligence of critical importance to convey.

In response to Leo’s inquiry, Anyas lifted her porcelain cup, took a measured sip to moisten her throat, and began to speak.

“I have arrived to deliver a full account regarding the anomalies I uncovered concerning the Hero Dungeon destabilization that transpired over the course of the recent Hero’s Festival.”

“That was resolved remarkably fast.”

“Because I succeeded in securing the perpetrator without delay.”

The catastrophic disturbance during the festival had involved Lumen’s Hero Record manifesting an unstable state right in the center of Lumen Academy.

The collateral damage from that event had triggered an immense crisis—the manifestation of Erebus’s localized flame within the very heart of Lumen.

‘Lyan previously mentioned that the specific page of Lumen that collapsed into instability could not be utilized by Erebus as a gateway, correct?’

A fragment of the text that Erebus was incapable of corrupting, meaning it could never serve as a threshold for his entry.

Unless an outside agent had surreptitiously introduced it into the perimeter, it should have been completely impossible for an isolated Lumen page to exist inside the grounds of Lumen Academy.

‘There is only a singular faction that would exploit the chaotic environment of the Hero’s Festival, with its massive influx of outside dignitaries, to orchestrate such a scheme.’

Tartarus.

Leo had been convinced that certain individuals among the external guests invited to the celebration were operating in collusion with Tartarus. Consequently, he had instructed Mel to track down whoever had smuggled the dangerous Lumen page into the academy.

Regardless of how elusive the culprit might be, evading capture was impossible when the individual tracking them was a veritable Dragon Lord.

Ultimately, Mel had intercepted the operative and delivered him directly to Leo.

The individual in question turned out to be a member of the royal bloodline from a minor principality situated on the Northern Continent.

‘What are your instructions?’

‘Transfer custody to the Northern Magic Tower Lord. The perpetrator himself is almost certainly not in direct communication with the upper echelons of Tartarus.’

Just as the Elf Pureblood Society maintained clandestine operations with Tartarus, it was entirely predictable that influential human aristocrats were similarly entangled with Tartarus.

For an individual like Leo, who had navigated the darkest corners of the world since the Age of Disaster, breaking a captive through interrogation was second nature.

‘However, the intelligence gathered from a single low-level asset is inherently restricted.’

It was vastly more productive to deploy the networks aligned with the Elf Shadow Lord, who effectively dictated the operations of the criminal underworld across the entirety of the Northern Continent.

“And what came of it? Did you trace the affiliated network?”

“I was unable to map out the broader network of conspirators. However, I achieved success in identifying the specific entity who provided the fragment of Lord Lumen’s page to the royal asset.”

“Identify them.”

“It was the Hero Slayer.”

Leo froze instantly upon hearing Anyas’s revelation.

The Hero Slayer.

The infamous turncoat responsible for the slaughter of countless legendary champions half a millennium ago.

He was an entity synonymous with absolute malice, having once cast the entire world into an era of unyielding terror.

“Now that I recall, you previously mentioned discovering indicators that the Hero Slayer had established contact with the Elf Pureblood Society a while back, and you were actively hunting him, correct?”

At that particular juncture, it had raised significant doubts as to how a historical menace who vanished 500 years ago could suddenly re-emerge, but the current paradigm clarified the mystery.

We are currently living in an era where even ancient champions are being reanimated as thralls through the dark arts of the Lich King.

Thus, it was hardly beyond the realm of possibility for the legendary betrayer who once terrorized the mortal realm to be reanimated as an undead asset.

“By what means did you establish his connection to that particular principality?”

“The preserved remains of several champions who mysteriously vanished over the last several decades were uncovered within the subterranean vaults of the royal palace.”

Anyas’s expression grew intensely frigid.

“Every single one of them bore the distinct hallmarks of the Hero Slayer.”

“If that is the case, does it imply that this Hero Slayer has not merely resurfaced recently, but has been actively hunting for multiple decades?”

“That appears to be the undeniable reality.”

Absorbing Anyas’s confirmation, Leo thoughtfully rubbed his jawline.

“Yet, how did you verify with such certainty that they were the handiwork of the Hero Slayer?”

A sudden curiosity struck him.

It was typically an immense challenge to deduce the specific methodology of a historical villain from half a millennium ago based solely on decaying remains.

In response to Leo’s question, Anyas raised her hand and pointed directly toward the right side of her own chest.

“The Hero Slayer pierces his bare digits directly into the right chest of every champion he executes.”

“A psychotic killer with highly distinct eccentricities.”

“He is far more than a simple madman. There is a specific utility behind his ritual.”

“A utility?”

“Indeed. The capability to usurp the inherent talents of others. That is the fundamental nature of the Hero Slayer’s power.”