Chapter 677

Book 1 Chapter 677

677.

“The blacksmith, Dienet. Apparently, he left behind a male heir.”

Chelsea passed on this information to Leo as she waited for him just outside the burial grounds, where he had just finished paying his respects at the monument.

She had learned about this from the leader of the armory workshop who had escorted them to the location.

“A child.”

“What is your plan?”

To Chelsea’s hesitant inquiry, Leo offered a composed response.

“Our priority right now must remain on our tactical plans.”

“Understood.”

At this juncture, there wasn’t much Leo could offer to Dienet’s offspring.

‘Showing my appreciation is about all I can manage.’

Yet that would be the extent of it.

Their remaining time was severely limited.

Altering the course of historical events wouldn’t guarantee their own prolonged existence here.

‘Even so, a face-to-face meeting is probably warranted.’

With his thoughts fixed on Dienet’s descendant, Leo made his way back toward the camp where their group’s shelter stood.

The sun was reaching its peak, signaling the approach of midday.

Chelsea’s gaze locked onto the area outside the tent, her expression turning to one of surprise.

“Who exactly are they dealing with?”

A confrontation was unfolding between their companions and a group of strangers.

Recognizing the feline features of the young beastkin female standing opposite Duran, Leo murmured under his breath,

“Those are the youths from yesterday.”

“Are they acquaintances of yours, Leo oppa?”

“Not acquaintances, I merely caught a glimpse of them before.”

Right before yesterday’s clash, those youngsters had vocally demanded a chance to participate, eager to throw themselves into the fray.

Naturally, lacking the necessary credentials, they had been banned from entering the war zone.

“What’s the issue here?”

As Leo stepped closer to inquire, a smirk spread across Duran’s face.

“These youths are demanding a match with us.”

Snap

Duran deliberately popped the knuckles of his hand.

“I’m quite inclined to grant them their wish.”

“You seem rather amused by this situation.”

“They claim to be apprentice combatants representing Ivaldi.”

Though practically peers in age, a chronological gulf of five millennia separated them.

The prospect of testing the combat prowess of martial students from five thousand years in the past clearly fascinated him.

His attitude bore no trace of condescension.

Duran possessed a fiercely competitive nature, but beneath that trait lay an insatiable desire to study opponent techniques and adapt them for his own growth.

Eliza, sharing a somewhat comparable temperament, was casually shaping her fingernails with an air of complete detachment.

‘Her boredom stems from the total absence of any summoners.’

In their modern era, those who mastered summoning arts were far fewer in number compared to spellcasters and swordsmen.

Back in the chaotic Age of Calamity, their numbers were scarcer still.

“You seem to be the one in charge here. Face me.”

The characteristically aggressive nature inherent to the beastkin race flared up intensely.

Hearing this challenge, Aina, who had quietly observed the gathering from the rear, advanced to the front.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Before you can challenge Senior Leo, you must first demonstrate that you are worthy.”

“And what exactly serves as proof?”

“Overcome me first.”

The young beastkin knitted her brows in irritation.

Observing this exchange, Leo placed a restraining hand softly onto Aina’s head.

“Refrain from instigating pointless conflicts.”

“It wasn’t an instigation…”

Leo gave Aina’s cheek a playful squeeze.

Aina tilted her head back to look at Leo.

Her facial features remained passive, yet her gaze radiated pure annoyance.

Letting out a soft laugh, Leo guided Aina over to where Luke was standing before stepping forward to confront the young beastkin directly.

“Why do you want to fight us?”

“You took part in the military defense yesterday, correct?”

The young beastkin dipped her head forward.

“I acknowledge that contribution. I am deeply thankful that you risked your lives for Ivaldi despite being foreigners to our land.”

Having voiced her genuine appreciation, the girl looked back up.

“Nonetheless, to those of us born here, it feels like an utter disgrace. Individuals of our own age group from another land were permitted to fight, while we were restricted from setting foot near the front lines.”

She ground her teeth tightly together.

“Because of this, I intend to demonstrate my worth to Lord Dweno.”

“To show him you possess the right to join the active forces?”

“Precisely.”

Gazing directly into the girl’s eyes, which burned with an intense martial fervor, Leo spoke plainly.

“This is not meant as an insult, but there is not a single individual in our camp who ranks below you in strength.”

Leo slightly focused his gaze.

“Deep down, you are already entirely aware of this reality, aren’t you?”

Hearing this declaration, the young beastkin clamped her teeth down onto her lower lip.

Just as he pointed out, she was fully conscious of the gap; she wouldn’t stand a chance against Aina who had confronted her moments ago, much less against Leo himself.

“The state of affairs in Ivaldi is incredibly perilous. Under normal conditions, individuals of your cohort would already be deployed. Yet Dweno explicitly forbade your participation. Surely you comprehend the reasoning behind his decree?”

The young woman, possessing feline ears and chestnut hair, lowered her gaze toward the ground.

“What meaning does a future even hold?”

The young dwarf standing alongside her suddenly erupted in anger, cutting in on behalf of his companion.

“We reside in an era where any of us could perish at any given second! Why should we care about some distant future!”

The juvenile dwarf’s eyes reflected a profound, devastating sense of desolation as he shouted.

“What truly matters to us right this instant is the current moment! The seasoned soldiers bleeding on our behalf have households depending on them! Ensuring they can return safely to their loved ones is paramount! To safeguard us! We possess the capability to assist them in that endeavor!”

Dweno harbored a deep desire to shield these youngsters so they might experience whatever future remained.

This sentiment was not unique to Dweno alone.

The older generation who remembered life preceding the Age of Calamity carried an overwhelming pity for the children brought into the world amidst the chaos of the Age of Calamity.

It was a demographic that had known nothing but loss since birth.

A cohort so profoundly steeped in hopelessness that imagining a tomorrow felt entirely impossible.

The underlying motivation for the veterans of Ivaldi, Dweno included, was to offer these youths a glimmer of hope.

Once the celestial starlight was reclaimed, that protective instinct likely intensified tenfold.

Conversely, for the youths themselves, the immediate present was far more critical and pressing than a hypothetical future they might never survive to witness.

‘Their perspective isn’t entirely flawed.’

However…

‘Barring exceptional anomalies on the level of Berkiana or Vihar… children of their caliber would provide negligible assistance in actual warfare.’

Leo gave a faint click of his tongue, his mind momentarily drifting to his own past students who shattered all ordinary metrics of capability.

“Det speaks the truth! Furthermore! What gives you the right to lecture us in such a manner? You appear to be no older than us! Do you truly believe possessing a modicum of strength grants you superior wisdom?”

The young beastkin raised a finger, thrusting it accusingly toward Leo.

“Calling Leo oppa ‘a little strong’ is a massive understatement.”

‘Besides, judging by the metrics of this specific historical period, Leo oppa qualifies as a fully grown adult.’

Chelsea gave a slow shake of her head at the girl’s ignorance.

“Incredible, truly fascinating.”

Just then, Karl, who had been observing the unfolding drama, let out an appreciative remark.

Noticing Karl’s comment, the beastkin girl’s gaze snapped to him, burning with fresh irritation.

“Look at that! Even an absolute weakling like him was permitted to join the combat yesterday! On what grounds are we being held back?!”

“Wait, are you referring to me?”

“Our desire is to march onto the field of battle! We wish to take up arms and strike down enemies! If a fragile person like him is deemed fit to fight, then we are undeniably prepared to do the same!”

“You keep tossing that ‘weakling’ label around far too freely. It’s genuinely bruising my ego.”

Karl muttered under his breath in complaint.

“Well, it isn’t exactly a false statement.”

“He really is quite pitiful.”

Chelsea and Eliza both poked fun at Karl’s expense.

“Hmph—individuals who haven’t even achieved official heroic recognition sure love to criticize others.”

Upon hearing his retort, the expressions on Chelsea and Eliza’s faces darkened menacingly.

Sensing imminent danger, Karl rapidly retreated to seek cover behind Luke’s back.

“I can certainly appreciate that fiery attitude.”

Duran’s mouth curved into an amused grin as he advanced toward the center.

“Very well. I shall be your opponent.”

Observing Duran’s intervention, Leo called out to him.

“Hold your ground for a moment, Duran.”

“Are you attempting to issue commands to me?”

“Consider it a simple appeal. To begin with, engaging in a duel with this young girl will yield absolutely no valuable experience for you.”

“What exactly are you implying?”

Duran scowled.

Leo offered Duran a brief, knowing smile before shifting his attention over to Karl.

“Karl.”

“What do you need from me?”

“You are the one who will be taking this match.”

“Me, personally?”

Karl looked completely taken aback by the directive.

Witnessing this development, the beastkin girl exploded with indignation.

“Hold on! For what reason must I waste my time testing myself against that frail mage?!”

“Karl represents the baseline of combat ability within our group. Should you prove unable to overcome him, challenging the rest of us becomes entirely meaningless. It would serve as definitive proof that you lack any readiness for an actual war zone.”

Leo let out a quiet chuckle, prompting a disdainful sneer from the beastkin girl.

“I will dispose of this fragile spellcaster in a matter of moments, and then I will come for you.”

“Such an outcome is impossible.”

“What did you say?”

“You are incapable of defeating Karl.”

“This promises to be quite the spectacle.”

In the clearing stretching out before the encampment shelter.

Enniiha arrived back just as Karl and the prospective combatants of Ivaldi were making their final arrangements for the upcoming bout.

“Enniiha-sensei…! The situation here is…”

“I see it, Det. There is no need for explanations; the context is perfectly clear to me.”

Enniiha gave a reassuring nod to the young dwarf’s frantic statement.

“Enniiha-sensei! Feast your eyes on this creation!”

At that moment, Dryana emerged from the background, her gaze twinkling with immense excitement.

Clutched firmly in Dryana’s hands was a freshly made illustration.

Catching sight of her, Chelsea remarked dryly,

“You seemed utterly exhausted to the point of collapse after yesterday’s session under Lord Dweno, yet you appear completely revitalized today.”

“That is because Enniiha-sensei instructed me in the arts of illustration today! The foolish feline and the simple-minded human have been completely bested!”

Hearing Dryana’s exclamation, Det’s expression turned uneasy.

“Enniiha-sensei. What was the meaning behind that youngster’s comment regarding instruction from Lord Dweno?”

Enniiha awkwardly rubbed her cheek upon hearing Det’s query.

“She is currently receiving instruction in the art of Smithing directly from Dweno.”

Offering a terse reply, Enniiha cast her gaze down onto Dryana’s artwork, and her features instantly twisted into a look of sheer dismay.

“It is… remarkably unique.”

“Exactly! I knew your refined eye would appreciate its brilliance!”

“That was by no means a piece of praise, you foolish dwarf.”

Chelsea interjected flatly, though Dryana completely ignored the remark.

Meanwhile, Det leaned over to inspect Dryana’s sketch, and his temper immediately flared.

“Was I not intended to be the one chosen as Lord Dweno’s true apprentice?”

“Well… your turn to study under him will arrive shortly…”

“This is utterly unacceptable! By what logic does a brat possessing such abysmal fine motor skills get designated as Lord Dweno’s apprentice ahead of me!”

Upon hearing this critique, Dryana’s cheerful expression vanished, replaced by a dark scowl.

“Hey, what words just left your mouth?”

“I explicitly said you have ‘abysmal fine motor skills’!”

“You insufferable runt!”

“You are short-stature yourself! Who do you think you are labeling an insufferable runt! You are nothing but an incompetent pint-sized creature producing atrocious doodles!”

“How dare you bring dishonor upon my artistic vision!”

“Vision? You call this monstrosity art?!”

“What is causing this absurd racket?”

As Leo walked over, knitting his brows in annoyance, Chelsea provided an explanation.

“The dwarf launched a devastating assault of harsh truths against Dryana!”

“Chelsea Rewalin!”

Dryana lunged aggressively toward Chelsea.

With her eyes blazing in pure rage, Dryana began pursuing Chelsea, who wasted no time in fleeing the area.

Observing the chaotic chase, Det turned his attention back.

“Listen, human! Permit me to engage in a formal contest against that dwarf! We shall settle who is truly fit to inherit Lord Dweno’s teachings!”

Faced with his aggressive outburst, Enniiha let out a heavy sigh before intervening.

“I strongly advise against pursuing that course of action.”

“For what reason?!”

“Because the outcome will involve far worse injuries than a couple of fractured limbs.”

Few things could provoke greater wrath in a creator than having their creative output thoroughly demeaned.

Dryana was undoubtedly prepared to unleash her full, lethal capabilities.

Having successfully pacified Det, Enniiha redirected her gaze toward Dryana’s illustration, her face clouding over with gravity.

“Are you beginning to rue your choices?”

In response to Leo’s question, Enniiha let out a strained, uneasy chuckle.

“I will guide her properly. I will make sure she learns.”

“Do not bother.”

Leo dismissed the idea flatly, casting his eyes over toward Dryana.

“Her physical coordination and aesthetic perception are fundamentally deeply flawed.”

It became immediately apparent why Dweno had strongly recommended that she abandon any artistic pursuits.

In the interim.

Karl completed his final arrangements for the impending confrontation.

Noticing this, Leo called out to his companions.

“Everyone.”

Hearing his voice, the members of his group focused their attention on him.

“Observe this match with absolute concentration.”

Leo focused his gaze intently.

“Because that young beastkin possesses a critical quality that is lacking in all of you.”

“What exactly might that be?”

When Luke inquired with a look of confusion, Leo provided the answer.

“An absolute acceptance of mortality at any given moment.”