LHAHS Chapter 491
"Lich King, why have you come to such ruins?" A woman standing beside the Lich King, Hell Kaiser, lowered her head and asked.
She was the Blood Queen, Elzenie, one of Tartaros' legion commanders.
"This place is the grave of the legion commander once called the Mirror Queen, Kineshi."
The one who answered Elzenie's question was none other than the Archduke of Mourning, Artkan.
Elzenie glared at Artkan. Even if he was a high demon who had lived for 5000 years, Artkan was merely a confidant of a legion commander. As a demon, Elzenie outranked him.
Nevertheless, Elzenie felt a great sense of threat from Artkan, and she wasn't alone. All the legion commanders of Tartaros were wary of him.
Even among legion commanders, there was no true equality. The three who had survived since the Age of Calamity—the Lich King, the Queen of Monsters, and the Giant King—were on an entirely different level.
Elzenie had been the confidant of the Queen of Monsters, Sillatna. Back when she was promoted to legion commander under Sillatna's command, she had no major concerns.
After Sillatna fell, however, Elzenie's position in Tartaros began to shake.
No legion commander was unaware of the fact that the Lich King, the de facto ruler of Tartaros, was not fond of the newer legion commanders.
A commander deemed incompetent could be expelled at any moment. And if that happens, the one most likely to take our place is that man.
Had Artkan been anything less than excessively capable, he might have already risen to the position of a legion commander.
Elzenie bit her lip.
"The Mirror Queen, Kineshi, was slain here 5000 years ago by Luna," the Lich King murmured emotionlessly. "I will need soil from the grave of her most resented enemy."
"I shall retrieve it from the Nebula Pioneer's grave," Artkan said.
"No, I will go, Lich King." Elzenie stepped forward and knelt. "Please command me."
"If that is your wish, then you shall go, Blood Queen."
"Yes, I will not disappoint you."
What the hell was that just now?
Having wiped away the fresh bloodstains, Leo wore a grim expression. The pain had been vivid, and the scent of blood undeniable—this was neither an illusion nor a mere delusion.
Is it connected to the dream?
He recalled the dream he had moments ago. It was not something he could ever forget.
Because it wasn't just a dream.
It was a memory from 5000 years ago, something that had truly happened here.
Three of the Great Heroes, having already lost Aaron and Dweno, had fought their final battle against Erebos in this very place.
And… we lost.
In the end, it hadn't been a complete defeat. Just as the Great Heroes had failed to slay Erebos, Erebos had also failed to annihilate the Great Heroes.
If anything, Erebos had sustained severe injuries and had been forced to retreat. The same had been true when Aaron fell, and when Dweno fell.
Even with immortality, it didn't mean it was invincible. The wounds Aaron and Dweno had inflicted on Erebos with their lives had undeniably carved a path forward for those who remained.
The five battles of the final journey. Each one had been a crucial step toward the eradication of Erebos.
And yet, Leo regarded the first four battles as losses. Because he had lost his comrades.
Leo took a deep breath.
The dream's perspective wasn't mine, it was Luna's.
Leo recalled the third battle. Inheriting Aaron's aura and Dweno's flames, Leo had been the one to stand alone at the front and hold off Erebos.
Closing his eyes, Leo recalled the events from 5000 years ago.
We buried Dweno and continued east. And then…
It was during a period of rest before the third battle.
"…We have to win. We have to win and survive."
Luna had declared, as if making a vow.
"The three of us will fulfill Aaron and Dweno's dreams. We'll live for their share too."
When Aaron closed his eyes, Luna had wept until she fainted. When Dweno passed, Luna had not shed a single tear. She had suppressed her emotions, burning only with murderous intent toward Erebos.
Before the final expedition, we all had different thoughts.
Aaron had feared the deaths of his friends. Dweno had resolved to sacrifice himself in their stead. Lysinas had vowed to save the world, no matter the cost.
I had already accepted failure.
Leo's eyes darkened.
While everyone else was prepared for sacrifice, Luna had been the only one who truly believed that none of them would die.
Her optimistic personality played a part, but more than that, Luna simply couldn't imagine it.
The five of us being apart.
Even though they were of different races, they were family. Losing even one of them was something she couldn't accept.
"We'll create the happy world that Aaron dreamed of… and the world full of beauty that Dweno wanted. So… let's be happy."
Those were the words Dweno had left for Luna in his final moments.
To Lysinas, he had said, "I trust you."
To Kyle, he had said, "Keep moving forward."
And to Luna, he had said, "Be happy."
Luna and Dweno had bickered the most in the party. Their races were natural enemies, their personalities clashed, and their aspirations differed. Yet, they had been each other's closest drinking companions.
Almost like an uncle and a niece.
That was why Dweno had truly worried about Luna, who hadn't been prepared to say goodbye to anyone.
Luna, who had smiled as she told Lysinas and him to be happy. That had been the last genuine smile she had ever worn.
Then the third battle began.
Erebos' form was different from before. The once massive primordial evil had taken on a humanoid shape and stood before the three of them.
His sudden transformation. They immediately realized who he had chosen to counter.
He feared Luna's magic the most.
At that time, Luna's magic was lethal even to a divine being like Erebos.
Though she hadn't possessed the pure mana trait that could kill an immortal entity, if Erebos had taken a direct hit from Luna's magic and then fought Leo, it would have been finished, so it had reduced its size to minimize its target area.
As soon as the battle began, Erebos relentlessly targeted Luna.
But Luna was far more of a genius than Erebos had expected.
During battle, she had adapted and modified the spell formula of Extinction into a single-target magic attack.
As a result, while Erebos succeeded in dealing a fatal wound to Luna, it had also suffered a grievous wound from her magic.
Afterward, when Erebos reverted to its original form, Leo had stepped forward alone to face it.
We should have finished it there.
Leo's face twisted as he recalled that moment.
He had failed to hold off Erebos alone. Instead, he had suffered severe injuries.
With two of them wounded, Lysinas had taken up the fight alone.
And then, Luna had turned to him with a smile, as if trying to reassure him.
But that expression. That barely held-together, almost-crying face had made him realize.
Luna had made up her mind to leave them, too.
"Hey…!"
"Kyle…"
"Don't do it."
"If only one of us can survive… you know it has to be you, the one carrying Aaron and Dweno's burden."
"I said don't! You damned woman!"
"This is the best choice. If it were you, you'd do the same."
"No…! No, I wouldn't!"
"I'm sorry… for leaving it all to you."
Lost in old memories, Leo looked down at his hands.
Could these dreams be connected to my powers?
Lysinas had once told him there were times when one could dream of what a spirit had experienced.
Sometimes, dreams feel as real as reality.
But that didn't mean wounds suffered in dreams would manifest in reality.
Besides… is it even possible for Luna's spirit to remain?
Leo's expression hardened.
That had been 5000 years ago.
Spirits were beings tethered to the world by unresolved regrets, and Leo didn't believe his fallen comrades had any lingering attachments to this world.
Even though they had closed their eyes before witnessing the world's salvation, they had believed that their friends who remained would save it in their stead.
And in the end, the world had been saved. That alone should have fulfilled their greatest wish.
But if that dream was magical in nature… did Luna have another lingering regret?
Leo's expression grew more serious.
Knock, knock—creak—
"Sir Leo, are you awake?"
With a careful knock, the door opened slightly, and Chen Xia peeked inside.
"I'm up."
"Please come eat."
"Alright."
Although he had awakened at dawn, morning had already arrived.
"What do you plan to do today?" Chen Xia asked, walking beside him.
Leo responded indifferently, "There's something I have to find."
"Something you have to find?"
"Yeah."
"What are you looking for?"
At her curious question, Leo answered briefly, "A grave."
After breakfast, Leo headed straight into the depths of the forest.
"Sir Leo, Xia said earlier that you were looking for a grave. Whose grave are you searching for?"
"Luna's."
"Ah, Lady Luna… wait, what?"
Eiran, who had been nodding in understanding, suddenly widened her eyes in shock.
Her lips moved wordlessly.
"Lady Luna?!"
"Yeah. This is where Luna died."
"My goodness!" Eiran's eyes grew even wider.
Seeing her reaction, Leo raised a finger to his lips. Eiran quickly clamped a hand over her own mouth.
Chen Xia approached with a curious expression. "What's this secret conversation that looks so entertaining?"
"It's nothing."
Leo couldn't exactly explain Luna's grave to Chen Xia, who was still unaware of his true identity.
And so, the three of them began searching for the grave in the forest.
"Do you know its exact location?"
"Not exactly."
Leo's answer was blunt.
There's a high chance the grave doesn't even exist anymore.
By the time the sun had risen high in the sky, Leo, deep in thought about Luna's grave, suddenly twitched.
"Sir Leo?"
Noticing the abrupt shift in atmosphere, Chen Xia looked at him questioningly.
"Are you hero candidates? What are fresh little cubs doing in a place like this?" a mocking voice rang out.
Rustle—rustle—
With the sound of footsteps crushing the undergrowth, a woman with red hair and crimson eyes emerged from the foliage.
"A demon?" Chen Xia frowned at the aura radiating from her.
"I'm no mere demon, human girl." The Blood Queen, Elzenie, curled her lips into a smirk. "I am the legion commander of the great Tartaros, the Blood Queen, Elzenie."
The sudden appearance of such a powerful enemy made both Chen Xia and Eiran flinch.
"What brings a legion commander here?" Leo asked, his face unreadable.
"There's no reason for me to tell you, but… hmm. Let's just say I came under the Lich King's orders."
Elzenie sneered. She had deliberately mentioned the Lich King's name as the mere mention of that name had the power to instill fear in others.
The hero candidates before her were already trembling in terror at her presence. By invoking the Lich King's name, she would push them even deeper into despair before killing them.
"The Lich King, huh?" Leo's lips curved into a smirk. "If that bastard sent a demon as high-ranked as a legion commander all the way here… then you must be looking for Luna's grave."
"How do you know that?!" Elzenie's expression contorted in shock.
In that instant, a sharp glint flashed through Leo's eyes. The sheer bloodlust radiating from his body sent the very air trembling.
Chen Xia's face turned deathly pale. As a water elemental contractor, she could feel the elementals around her fleeing in terror.
Eiran's lips quivered uncontrollably.
It was a pure, primal killing intent.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it vanished.
Leo grinned. "I wasn't planning on letting you off easily the moment I saw a demon here. But if your goal is Luna's grave, then I'll have to make sure to be extra thorough."
What the hell is this human?
Elzenie's face twisted in terror.
It wasn't just fear or unease. As the Blood Queen, she was a legion commander who controlled the power of blood, yet the moment her red eyes met Leo's crimson gaze, she felt suffocated by the overwhelming scent of blood.
That's… the smell of demon blood.
Just from locking eyes with him, she was completely overwhelmed.
Her instincts screamed at her, telling her that this man had massacred more demons than she could possibly fathom.
Leo's gaze, like that of a butcher eyeing livestock, sent a chill down Elzenie's spine.
Her body reacted before her mind had even caught up. She had to run.
Swish—!
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
However, before she could even take a step, Leo's blade was already slicing through her neck.