Chapter 630

Book 1 Chapter 630

630.

Early morning.

Knock- Knock-knock-

Awakened by a soft rapping against his glass window, Kal rose from where he sat.

“Huuuuaaaaah!”

Yawning widely with a messy appearance, Kal scratched his midsection and stepped away from his bedsheets.

When Kal unlatched and pushed open his bedroom window, a freezing winter breeze rushed inside.

“Brr~ It’s freezing again today. Truly freezing.”

The Moira Kingdom, where Kal grew up, was situated in the central region of the landmass, touching the northern borders.

With his drowsiness completely banished by the icy gales sweeping down from the northern continent, Kal pulled his garments tightly around himself, trembling.

Screeech- Screeech-

Perched on the windowsill, a hawk bearing a pair of small leather bags fastened to its legs stared intently at Kal.

A Wind Hawk.

It was a lower-tier magical beast possessing the element of wind.

Its primary purpose was transporting messages and small packages.

Kal retrieved a daily gazette from the Wind Hawk’s leather carrier and dropped a glittering gold coin into its payment pouch.

Clink~ The chime rang out brightly.

“I’ve truly moved up in the world, haven’t I? Buying such a costly news subscription.”

Even a lower-tier Wind Hawk was categorized as a magical beast.

Naturally, this meant its delivery rates were quite steep.

If someone skipped out on the subscription fee or attempted to steal from its coin carrier due to the high price, they would find themselves in a terrible predicament.

“I wonder if I should launch a delivery network like this back in Lumern too?”

Sniffling slightly, he formulated a fresh commercial concept before shutting out the cold.

Tucking the gazette underneath his arm, Kal stepped out of his quarters and headed downstairs.

“Mom~ I’m hungry~”

Yawning widely, Kal made his way down to the first-floor kitchen, only to freeze mid-stride the moment his eyes took in the scene at the dining table.

“Prince Duran, Princess Helan, this represents the finest vintage tea our household possesses.”

“The fragrance is quite exceptional.”

“It brings me immense joy that it pleases your palate. Ohhohoho.”

Kiria Thomas, Kal’s elder sister, was gracefully pouring a beverage for a fair-haired young woman seated at the side of the table.

To be precise, that particular blend was a top-tier elven tea Kal had previously secured.

“I can only hope the breakfast satisfies your tastes, Prince Duran.”

“It is exceptionally fine.”

“Knowing you enjoy it makes all the preparation entirely worthwhile.”

Karen, Kal’s mother, was setting down plates before a striking, blond-haired young man who was rapidly developing adult features.

His visage remained unreadable to the point of appearing chilly, yet his speech was polite.

The attractive youth, Duran, patted his lips with a napkin and cast a critical glance at Kal, who was currently slouching by the entrance.

“You are tardy.”

“Why are you sitting around so comfortably eating breakfast inside my family’s house?”

Kal, who managed to straighten himself up, ran a hand through his hair while questioning him.

Duran, taking a slow sip of his tea to wet his throat, kept his gaze on Kal and replied.

“Did I not make it perfectly clear to you before the term ended? That we would be engaging in combat exercises together during this break.”

“You were actually being serious about that plan?”

“Hmph. Are you intending to rely on special dispensations to leapfrog into the fourth and fifth grades once more?”

Granted, he had successfully jumped ahead to the third grade recently by virtue of being hailed as a hero, but that arrangement was an isolated exception granted by the leadership council.

While he had successfully navigated the written evaluations, Kal had utterly failed the practical martial test.

The core reason behind Kal’s failure came down to a singular flaw.

His proficiency in individual martial combat was severely lacking.

To be fair, Kal’s fighting capabilities were not entirely dreadful.

“I don’t think I’m weak enough to just get trounced anywhere I go.”

“Is there even a single person among our peers you can reliably beat?”

“Well, if you put it that way, I have no retort.”

“I am not demanding that you crush every adversary. However, you must at least possess the capability to hold your ground in any crisis without being instantly overwhelmed.”

‘He makes an undeniably valid point.’

Kal, finding himself unable to formulate a counterargument, stayed silent as his mother spoke up.

“Your Highness, for you to expend so much care and attention on our boy.”

Karen’s expression was filled with deep appreciation.

Helan beamed warmly as she looked toward Karen.

“Sir Kal is an incredibly vital asset to the Moira Kingdom. Beyond his status as a newly minted hero, he stands as one of my brother’s rarest and most cherished companions.”

“Pfft. Just as I thought, your social circle was practically nonexistent… Aaaaargh! I yield! I yield!”

Kal cried out in pain as his wrist was sharply wrenched back for his teasing remark.

Observing this display, Helan pressed her hands together in delight.

“Ah. Seeing my brother interact so unreservedly like that. It truly warms my heart that my brother has found an equal relationship where he can be himself among peers.”

Hearing Helan’s sentiment, Duran clicked his tongue softly and let go of Kal’s arm.

Rubbing his sore wrist, Kal watched him while whispering under his breath.

‘Seriously, back when we first enrolled, he was a total lone wolf who treated everyone else like dirt as a matter of course. Initially, I just chalked it up to royal arrogance.’

Though the prince was driven by an intense sense of rivalry and martial drive, he possessed the capacity to respect the strengths of others.

His distant demeanor during their first year was likely due to the simple fact that there was no one around who could stand on his level.

‘He has truly transformed.’

During their first term, it would have been utterly unthinkable for a royal like him to enter a commoner’s residence and share a meal.

‘Then again, regardless of what anyone thinks, he is a man who earned Leo’s respect.’

“Acting as a companion to the prince himself. You’ve really climbed the social ladder.”

“Tell me about it.”

As Kiria let out a soft laugh, Kal could only offer a weary sigh.

Kal took a seat right beside Duran.

Unfolding his news gazette, he took a sip of water and scanned the headlines.

“Pfft?!”

The moment his eyes caught the leading story on the front page, he accidentally sprayed his drink across the table.

Duran, who caught the brunt of the spray, instantly lunged forward and seized Kal by his shirt.

“Cough! Ack-! Whoa, whoa! Just calm down for a second and read this!”

Choking back his coughs, Kal pointed frantically toward the paper to show Duran.

Duran’s pupils contracted sharply—a rare display of shock—as he processed the written words.

“Leo Flobe…!”

His features darkened slightly with intense focus.

<A Brought Down. Hero Infamous Is Past! Slayer Terror The from the>

Those Responsible: Leo Flobe, Liss Jerdinger, Ulta Regdition, Lee Jamua, Abard Rwalin, Celia Jerdinger, Chelsea Rwalin.

<A Blood Jerdinger! Storm in of>

<Leo Flobe Named Successor Throne True Tungkun! of the to>

Kal drew a sharp breath as he watched Duran stare fixedly at the text, his gaze burning with an inner fire.

“Leo is certainly having an eventful winter recess, isn’t he? And what’s this about being a royal heir?”

“Kal, breakfast is ready.”

“Oh!”

Kal, who had been shaking his head in disbelief, brightened up immediately upon seeing the plates of warm bread, crispy bacon, and fresh greens being laid out.

The absolute second his fingers wrapped around his fork to dig in—

Snatch-!

“Huh?”

“There is no time for leisure, Kal Thomas. Our training begins now.”

“At least let me eat my breakfast first!”

“Meals come after we complete our drills.”

“No way! Go do them by yourself!”

Kal protested loudly, but Duran, entirely fueled by a sudden surge of competitive energy, completely ignored his complaints.

“To watch my brother stride forward into tomorrow alongside his closest companion. I find it deeply moving.”

Gazing at the visibly touched Helan, Kal offered a silent, desperate cry in his mind.

‘Does this look like a close companion to you?! Is this what friendship looks like?!’

Flap-!

Elena, who was comfortably scanning the morning paper with her legs crossed in a relaxed posture, let out a subtle, Knowing smile.

“You’re certainly making waves, Leo.”

Hearing her comment, Alby remarked.

“This news is bound to cause an uproar.”

“A massive uproar, indeed.”

The general populace would naturally fixate on the sudden return of the dreaded Hero Slayer, an entity believed to have been destroyed long ago, and the group led by Leo that managed to eliminate him.

However, the specific detail that commanded Elena’s focus was Leo’s claim to the leadership of Tungkun.

To the average observer, this might appear as nothing more than an individual claiming a long-lost ancestral birthright.

‘But knowing the kind of person Leo is… no. Knowing the Hero of Beginnings.’

Elena, who had intuitively grasped Leo’s true identity during the events of the recent Hero’s Festival, could easily foresee the trajectory of Leo’s upcoming maneuvers.

‘He is going to assemble a grand coalition to challenge Tartarus.’

The sheer capability of a handful of disparate heroes would never suffice to withstand the might of Tartarus.

To wage war against Tartarus required an overwhelming, centralized force.

A single, consolidated power.

‘That explains why Leo’s original intent was to establish an association.’

An alliance formed by heroes who shared a singular vision.

Such an entity would represent a formidable power in its own right.

Yet, when Leo first made his ambitions of establishing a hero guild known, numerous factions grew defensive and sought to obstruct his path far more aggressively than anticipated.

The rationale behind their resistance was straightforward.

Should an individual as unprecedented as Leo establish a unified front of heroes and elevate his renown further, the existing geopolitical equilibrium would shatter.

Leo’s primary objective remained the absolute eradication of Erebus.

While that goal aligned with the ultimate salvation of the world, very few ruling elites desired to see such a monumental shift occur within their own lifetimes.

‘Yet our current era may very well face the devastating reality of a total conflict with Erebus.’

The current of history was moving inexorably in that direction.

The protracted era of tranquility was beginning to fracture.

A select few perceived these warning signs clearly, while the vast majority remained willfully blind.

‘Because acknowledging the approaching storm means they would have to surrender a massive portion of the privileges they currently enjoy.’

Elena’s lips curled into a cold, cynical smile.

Consequently, many factions would attempt to suppress Leo’s growing influence due to their own self-serving motives.

But now, out of nowhere, Leo had secured the lineage of the Tungkun Kingdom.

Granted, when measured against the major powers of the continent, its immediate administrative reach was minor.

And yet…

‘The reality that a substantial organization dedicated entirely to Leo’s cause has materialized is a monumental development.’

It provided him with a foundational base to rapidly scale up his forces using the Tungkun Kingdom as a springboard.

‘Even if he doesn’t assume total governance immediately, he has effectively anchored himself to a reliable base of power.’

Elena allowed a soft grin to surface.

“Things are about to become highly entertaining from here on out.”

“Our boy has achieved something incredible. Ascending to the rank of a sovereign ruler, no less.”

Rayna offered a gentle, affectionate smile.

Fixing his eyes on Rayna, Leo inquired.

“How is your physical condition feeling at the moment?”

“Mm. I am feeling quite alright now.”

“And what about the internal embers?”

“Provided I refrain from pushing past my limits, it appears the flames will no longer consume my vitality.”

The dangerous Hero Slayer had met his definitive end beneath Leo’s blade, allowing Rayna to reclaim her elemental flames.

This restoration extended beyond just Rayna.

Torua had likewise recovered her lost magical reserves.

Historically, following the initial disappearance of the Hero Slayer,

none of the surviving individuals who had fallen prey to Zorua were ever reported to have regained their lost capabilities.

‘It likely stems from the fact that his revival was enacted through the power of the Necromancer King.’

Zorua existed as a deceased manifestation that had no rightful place in the living world.

Such a creature had been dragged back into existence, violating the fundamental laws of nature.

Furthermore, that precise manifestation of Zorua had been entirely wiped from existence by Leo’s unadulterated spiritual energy.

‘Due to that complete erasure, the plundered energies may have naturally gravitated back to their rightful hosts.’

Though the precise mechanics remained a mystery, it was an incredibly fortunate turn of events for Torua.

As for Rayna’s situation…

“Do you feel any sense of regret?”

“None at all. My long-standing resentment has finally been laid to rest.”

Though her elemental embers had returned, the sheer intensity of her participation in the clash against Zorua had inflicted severe wear on her physical frame.

It would not impede her day-to-day life.

However, commanding her restored spiritual energy was a different matter entirely.

Should she attempt to unleash her full flames, her physical vessel would break down.

“It was a magnificent engagement, a perfect sequence to serve as my final battle. Tell me, how did I look? Did your mother not look absolutely magnificent out there?”

“…You truly did.”

“Receiving praise from my own son is quite the privilege, isn’t it?”

Rayna chuckled softly.

“Leo.”

“Yes.”

“Regardless of what the future holds or what others say, you remain my boy. That reality remains unshakable.”

“…Understood.”

“Haha~! My wonderful son.”

Rayna gently stroked Leo’s hair.

Then, a sudden thought seemed to strike her, and her expression turned curious.

“Now that I think about it, you mentioned earlier that you intended to alter the title of the domain you are set to inherit, correct?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Is the historical title not to your liking?”

“It isn’t a matter of dislike. It’s simply that there is a specific designation I am determined to bestow upon it.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“Arhi.”

“Arhi?”

“It is an ancient draconic term that signifies ‘the origin’ or ‘the beginning’.”

“Hmm? That carries a beautiful sentiment.”

“Does it not?”

Leo let a soft smile trace his lips.

Arhi.

That very term had served as the name of the ancient expedition formed to eliminate Erebus, commanded by Lysinas in the distant past.