LHAHS Chapter 444
"Wow! Wow!" Aaron muttered in admiration, clutching a book. "This novel is really interesting."
Seeing Aaron's sparkling eyes, Leo rested his chin on his hand. "That's a history book."
What Aaron was reading was none other than a historical record of the Great Heroes. Of course, many parts of the Great Heroes' deeds had been fictionalized by the present era.
Still, since the book was written by renowned scholars, it was essentially a textbook on their history.
Well, I also thought it was a novel the first time I read it.
Aaron grinned. "My favorite character in this book is the beastman."
"Hey." Leo narrowed his eyes.
At the same time, Chelsea, sitting nearby, was lost in thought.
Now that I think about it, there have always been a lot of strange things about Leo.
From the entrance exam, he had stood out. The first time they met, he had easily overpowered Chelsea without even using aura, but that wasn't all.
At the time, Celia and Abad had barely managed to defend against a monster together, yet Leo had stalled it alone. Of course, he hadn't been able to take it down without help from Celia's aura and Abad's magic.
But even then, his strength was overwhelmingly beyond his peers.
It had been like watching a hero straight out of a fairy tale, and Chelsea had been deeply moved by his battles.
Even after enrolling, Leo remained the center of attention.
The biggest reason was, of course, his unprecedented All-Class status.
An All-Class like the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle.
It had long been believed that All-Class warriors didn't truly exist, but Leo had proven otherwise. Moreover, he didn't just possess all three powers, he excelled in every field.
A seasoned knight, an overwhelming mage, an exceptional summoner.
If he had only stood out in the knight class, it would have made sense. His maternal lineage was from Zerdinger, and his mother, Reina, had been a famous knight in her youth. However, his mastery of magic and summoning was so refined that it held the polish of a veteran.
Already by that point, he had surpassed the realm of mere talent.
And now, one year after his enrollment, he had gained power so immense that no one in his grade could even compare to him.
Chelsea's mind raced.
Until now, I just thought he was an extraordinary person, nearly on par with a Great Hero, but the more I think about it, the stranger it all seems.
As her doubts surfaced, things she had taken for granted began linking together one by one.
Leo has cleared an unusual number of Hero Worlds. He was even the first to reveal that the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, actually existed.
Chelsea stared intently at Leo's face.
Even before that revelation, Leo was deeply interested in Kyle. He even tried to start a club dedicated to researching him.
Back then, she had assumed it was because he was an All-Class himself and wanted to learn about the only other All-Class recorded in history. But now, looking back, it felt… strange.
Leo must have some kind of secret related to Kyle. He couldn't be… a descendant or successor, right…? Wait. No way, is he… Kyle himself?!
Her eyes widened at the thought. If that were true, then everything suddenly made sense.
No way, seriously?!
As Chelsea reeled in disbelief, Aaron suddenly appeared behind her.
"Chelsea, let's go," he said.
"Y-Yes!" Chelsea jumped to her feet, responding loudly.
Every head in the library turned toward them.
Aaron bowed his head apologetically, while Chelsea hurriedly bowed to the other patrons in embarrassment.
"You're acting strange. What's wrong?" Leo asked, frowning.
Chelsea forced an awkward smile. "Ah, it's nothing."
She fell into step behind him but kept staring at his back.
Aaron, watching her, tilted his head slightly.
That evening, after their sightseeing, Leo settled into an inn in Dellan. Gathered there were students who knew Aaron's true identity, specifically those who had previously cleared Dweno's Hero World.
"Why are you here instead of going home?" Lunia asked, puzzled.
Since the Plov family had an estate in Dellan, she had assumed he would be staying there.
Leo sighed. "The training camp isn't over yet, and if I go home, my mother will definitely make a huge fuss."
"So even you act like a proper son in front of your parents?" Lunia smirked.
"By the way, where are Sir Aaron and that dumb cat?"
A small hotel had been rented entirely for Aaron's use, yet neither Aaron nor Aru were in sight.
"They went to the bathhouse together," Drianna answered while devouring an entire cream cake.
"Ha, together in the bath?!" Eiran yelped and blushed slightly.
Drianna squinted at her. "What are you imagining? They just needed a place with water for Howling training."
Eiran flinched. "R-Right! I totally thought the same thing!"
Drianna frowned. "Eiran, do you always view every situation through such an indecent lens?"
"I-In… Indecent?! I've never thought that way!"
"Why do you refuse to be my nude model, even though your head is so full of lewd thoughts?"
"I've never had such thoughts!" Eiran wailed as she grabbed Drianna by the collar and shook her.
Watching Drianna get shaken around, Carl muttered, "It's okay, Eiran. Puberty is—Guhk!"
"I did not!"
Eyes brimming with tears, Eiran clamped down on Carl's throat and shook him violently.
"S-Stop…! Guhk! Kghk!" Carl flailed, but an emotional Eiran was in no state to care.
Seeing this, Drianna mumbled, "Carl, that was oddly brave of you."
"Isn't it because you're so nonchalant about being strangled?"
"I'm just sturdy, aren't I?"
Eiran's hands may have seemed delicate, but her grip was terrifyingly strong.
As Carl foamed at the mouth and went limp, Eiran let out a horrified scream.
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble—! Puhwa!
Aru, who had been Howling in the bath, hurriedly lifted her head, panting heavily.
Aaron, watching her progress, nodded. "Yeah, it's gotten a lot better. It still doesn't seem like you've awakened the power to transform other beastmen yet, but… shall we stop here for today?"
At first glance, it looked like mere water torture, but under Aaron's special training, Aru's Howling had undeniably improved. With Aaron explaining things to her step by step, her skills had advanced noticeably.
"Chelsea, you did well too."
Chelsea, who had been using wind magic to prevent the sound of Howling from leaking outside, shook her head. "It's nothing. It was just something I had to do."
Even as she spoke, she stole glances at Aaron.
Seeing this, he smiled softly. "Is there something you want to ask me?"
"N-No, not at all! I'll head out first!"
Shaking her head hastily, Chelsea quickly left the bath.
Should I ask Sir Aaron or Leo about it? No, this is just my speculation. The idea that Leo might actually be Sir Kyle himself is absurd. Besides, even if my guess were correct, this would be something to keep secret. It'd be weird to act like I know something when I'm not even sure.
As Chelsea struggled internally, Aaron watched her retreating figure.
Seeing this, Aru's ears and tail drooped. "Aaron, you think Chelsea is cuter than me, don't you?"
"Hm?" Aaron looked at Aru, who lowered her head slightly.
"You're really kind to Chelsea. Of course, you're kind to me too… but you take the most care of Chelsea," she murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Of course, just being able to meet you, talk to you, and receive guidance on Howling is already more than I could ever wish for. But I wanted to be more helpful to you, to be praised by you. I guess… I'm still lacking."
The fact that Chelsea had been assigned as Aaron's guide instead of herself had been a huge shock to Aru.
Seeing her dejected expression, Aaron scratched his cheek. "You and Chelsea are different. Of course, I think of you both like younger siblings, but Chelsea brings me a lot of comfort."
"I don't?"
"With you, it's not about comfort—I have expectations."
"Huh?" Aru's eyes widened.
Aaron patted her head gently. "Whether you wanted it or not, whether you wished for it or not… Aru, you've inherited a lot from me." His smile turned slightly bitter. "You've received even more than what I passed on to Velkia."
Withdrawing his hand, Aaron crouched down so that he was eye level with her.
"I never wanted kids to go to war. I wished for children like you and Chelsea to live lives completely unrelated to battle. I pushed myself to be brave for that reason alone."
"Aaron…"
"But because I wasn't enough, we failed to end everything… and in the end, we left behind the embers of calamity for future generations."
Aru flared up and shot to her feet. "Aaron, you were never lacking!"
Aaron chuckled. "Thanks for saying that, but either way, the black flames still remain in this world." He paused for a moment, then continued, "That might be why I'm strict with you."
Strict? That wasn't strict at all, Aru mumbled internally, but she was perceptive enough to notice.
Feeling the warmth of Aaron's hand patting her head, she smiled like a pleased cat. If she said anything unnecessary, he might stop.
Whether Aaron realized Aru's ulterior motives or not, he said sadly, "Someday, you'll stand on the battlefield in my place. You must not become like me."
"But I want to be like you, Aaron."
Aaron shook his head. "If you become a coward like me, you'll just be a burden again."
"Aaron, you are not a coward! And you're not a burden! You're the Great Hero who saved the world!"
Aaron didn't respond to that. He simply smiled.
"I hope you truly become the Brave Hero, Aru. I hope you create a world where future children can laugh without worry. You are my successor."
Aru's eyes widened at the word "successor". Then, lowering her head, she began trembling.
"Are you feeling sick?" Aaron asked, looking startled.
Aru lifted her head. "Nyaaaaaak!"
"Uwaaaaagh?!"
"Successor! Successor! Successoooooor!"
"Hiiiiik! S-Somebody help!"
With her eyes rolling back, Aru let out a crazed scream and lunged at Aaron, who shrieked and bolted from the bathhouse.
Kugugugugugugu—!
"An earthquake?"
In the Plov estate's territory, deep within the mountains, a small tremor shook the ground, making Luke frown.
Juen, sitting beside him, continued speaking. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Yeah."
"Like I'm saying! Why aren't we getting any free time?" Grumbling, Juen roasted meat over the campfire, skewered on a stick.
"They said the seniors went through a lot, didn't they? Maybe that's why," Luke chuckled.
Juen pouted. "But we've suffered plenty too!"
"After seeing the state the seniors were in yesterday, you can still say that?" Aina remarked.
Juen snapped back, "I wasn't asking you."
"I thought you two made up?" Luke asked awkwardly, smiling.
Aina nodded. "Yeah."
"Who said anything about making up? And we never fought in the first place!" Juen huffed.
As she narrowed her eyes… Luke reached for the skewer of meat.
Swish—!
Something snatched it from his hand at lightning speed.
A short distance away, munching on the stolen meat while shooting him a defiant look, was none other than Seiren's 1st-year representative, Lea.
Seeing her, Luke smiled brightly. "Lea, would you like some more?"
At his words, Lea frowned slightly, clicked her tongue, and walked away.
"Luke Eldar."
"Yes, Haviden?"
Haviden widened his eyes and shouted, "What do you mean, 'Would you like some more?' She was picking a fight with you! As Lumene's 1st-year representative, don't act so spineless!"
"Eek?" Luke yelped.
Watching this, Sasha covered her mouth with her sleeve and narrowed her eyes. "Seiren's 2nd-year, Lunia El Lunda, is already terrifying, but their 1st-year representative picking fights with Luke like that? She's basically a thug."
"Why does that elf seem so desperate to pick a fight with Luke?" Betty tilted her head, confused.
At that moment…
Kooooooh—!
A faint but distinct killing intent spread through the air.
The 1st-years, who had been gathered around the bonfire in front of their lodgings, lifted their heads.
"That presence… it's a monster," Haviden muttered, biting into his skewer of meat.
"A surprise attack prepared by the training camp, huh?"
"I thought things were too peaceful," Juen scoffed.
Students from the other schools reacted similarly. Even as 1st-years, they were hero candidates. Situations like these were all too familiar.
"Well then, shall we take a little stroll to help digest dinner?" Sasha smiled.
High atop the Plov estate's mountains, Melina's eyes snapped open, breaking her peaceful rest.
"…A monster?"
Her face tensed slightly at the unexpected situation.