LHAHS Chapter 493
Leo didn't know what to say as he looked at Luna, who was smiling while holding his hand.
Luna's attire was exactly the same as it had been 5000 years ago—a mage's robe, soaked in blood from the fatal wounds inflicted by Erebos. Fortunately, the wounds she had suffered back then were no longer there.
Her current situation was different from Aaron, but it was also different from the Luna who had previously appeared in the present.
The heroes of the Hero World, no matter how real they seemed, were ultimately just illusions. However, a lingering spirit was different.
A lingering spirit was akin to a memory imprinted in mana, a fragment of the person who had once existed. But in essence, they were that very person themselves.
That meant the one standing before him was the real Luna, the Luna who had met her end 5000 years ago.
And this body…
There was a fundamental difference between necromancy and spirit summoning. Spirit summoning involved calling forth a lingering spirit and manifesting its abilities within oneself. That was why, unlike necromancy, it couldn't recreate the physical body from when they were alive.
Yet Luna now possessed a body.
Just as Leo was bewildered, Luna also seemed confused by the situation. She examined her own body from head to toe, then spun around in place.
"Oh ho, oh ho?"
Letting out a sound of admiration, she playfully rubbed the tip of her pointed ears before breaking into a radiant smile.
Then, she raised her left hand, forming an L with her thumb and index finger, placed it against her chin, and struck a smug pose.
"This great Luna has resurrected!"
"Seeing you talk nonsense so casually, I'm now sure you're really Luna."
"What's with that dry reaction? Aren't you happy that I've come back to life?!" Luna glared at Leo, eyes wide.
Leo, looking at her, said seriously, "I am happy… that I got to see you again, even if as a lingering spirit."
Luna was taken aback by his unexpected response.
Huh? I thought Kyle would definitely act all sarcastic about it.
His straightforward and honest reaction made her feel oddly pleased.
"H-hmph! Then why don't you just show it properly?"
Crossing her arms, Luna turned her head away in an attempt to hide her flustered state.
Seeing her like that, Leo began, "The reason you're here as a lingering spirt right now…"
He clenched his fist.
"Luna, in the end, I lost Lysinas too."
"……" At those words, Luna's ears drooped.
"But I barely managed to defeat Erebos and save the world. Do you know what I felt as I died?"
"…I can't imagine."
"It was relief." Leo closed his eyes. "I didn't completely defeat Erebos either. In the end, there was a limit to what I could do alone. I had no choice but to entrust the rest to future generations, and I consoled myself with that thought."
What had terrified him most in the final battle against Erebos wasn't the all-consuming black flames. It wasn't the fear of failure. Nor was it the crushing weight of the world's fate resting in his hands.
It was the fear of being alone. The fear that he might not be able to fulfill the dreams of the friends who had gone before him.
That was why, as he fell from the sky, his strength spent, watching the sunrise and the gray sky clearing, he had felt relief.
Relief that his fallen friends could finally rest in peace.
"I didn't want any of you to leave behind any lingering regrets."
"…Kyle." Luna clenched her fists tightly.
"You became a lingering spirit because you had regrets, didn't you?"
"That seems to be the case."
"What regret was it?"
Leo met Luna's gaze with a serious expression.
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Luna took a deep breath. "My regret is…"
"Yeah?"
"I don't know."
"……" Leo was speechless.
"I feel like I have regrets, but I have no idea what they are." Smiling cheerfully, Luna patted Leo on the shoulder. "So don't act all weird and out of character by pretending to be considerate of me. It's creepy."
"Got it."
Leo grabbed Luna's cheeks and stretched them.
"Wugh! Wut are woo dooin?!"
"I feel stupid for worrying about you."
With an expressionless face, Leo continued to pull at Luna's cheeks mercilessly.
Eventually, Luna couldn't take it anymore and wrapped her hands around his neck in a chokehold.
It was a truly touching reunion that transcended life and death.
After their brief scuffle, Luna and Leo sat facing each other in the flower field.
Leo said, "Let's sum this up. After the battle against Erebos 5000 years ago, you had some kind of regret, became a lingering spirit, and now you've ended up forming a spirit contract with me. Is that right?"
"Yup."
"Then how did you recognize me as Kyle right away?"
That was something he hadn't had the chance to think about earlier, too preoccupied with the shock of Luna's existence.
The Luna from 5000 years ago shouldn't have been able to recognize him in his current form as Leo Plov.
"And also, how do you have a physical body despite being a lingering spirit?"
"Wait a sec, let me sort this out in my head too."
At Leo's question, Luna crossed her arms and fell into deep thought.
Soon, she nodded to herself and said, "I think it'd be best to explain first why I was able to have a physical body."
"Go ahead."
"The reason I have a body right now is because of Cometes."
"Cometes?"
"Yeah. That so-called Hero Weapon someone obtained after clearing my Hero World. Thanks to that Hero Weapon, I think I was able to take physical form."
Leo, through the Hero Record and divine power, could summon individuals from the Hero World into the present. He had already once brought Luna and Aaron into the real world using that power.
"So you're saying that Cometes acted as a medium, allowing you to have a body?"
"That's what it seems like. Once all the mana imbued in Cometes runs out, I think I'll no longer be able to remain in the world."
At Luna's words, Leo fell into thought. Her deduction made a lot of sense.
Deep and flexible reasoning was the hallmark of a great mage. Even with only fragmented information, Luna had accurately pieced together the current situation.
"And the reason I knew you were Kyle is also closely related to Cometes."
"How so?"
"Through Cometes, I received some memories of what happened in my Hero World."
"Some memories?"
"Yeah. I remember meeting you during my academy days and the time when Zodiac escaped outside."
"What about after we left your Hero World?"
"Nothing." Luna shook her head.
So only the memories inside her Hero World were transferred? But why?
Leo's expression grew serious. Even as the master of the Hero Record, he didn't fully understand its mechanisms.
I've only ever seen a fully intact Hero Record once, back in Rodia's World.
Even for Leo, it was difficult to grasp the full extent of the Hero Record's potential.
"It's a shame you don't have those memories."
"What? Why? What happened after I left?" Luna's eyes widened, and she leaned in close to Leo, her face almost touching his. "What did I do outside the Hero World?"
As she blinked her large eyes with an innocent expression, Leo couldn't help but feel deeply regretful.
"You, no, we…"
"W-What did we do?" Luna's face flushed slightly.
Leo replied, "We took down that damned Queen of Monsters together."
"Huh?"
"She was your nemesis. It would've been nice if you could remember striking her down yourself."
"Really?" Luna's eyes widened. "Anything else?"
"Anything else? Not really." Leo shrugged and got to his feet.
As she looked up at him, Luna's expression twisted.
This idiot! There was a tragic farewell! A tragic farewell!
In truth, Luna did remember what had happened outside, but she feigned ignorance for a simple reason.
It's embarrassing! I confessed all by myself! Kissed him on the cheek all by myself!
Her pride wouldn't allow it.
Back then, just before her death, she had worried about burdening Kyle and Lysinas with even more weight before their final battle. That was why she had never conveyed her feelings.
In the Hero World, thinking she might never see him again, she had somehow managed to get her feelings across.
And now…
Is it possible to create a time-reversal spell?
Luna genuinely wanted to go back in time and smack herself in the head. More specifically, she wanted to knock herself unconscious at that exact moment.
The reason she had never confessed while alive was because of her foolish pride—she had wanted him to figure it out himself.
And to think Lysinas also had feelings for Kyle.
Luna thought of Lysinas.
Honestly, even as a fellow woman, I have to admit she's beautiful.
Luna was confident in her own looks, but compared to Lysinas, she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.
And she's mature and intelligent, too.
There was a reason she was called the Wise Queen.
Of course, Luna was also hailed as the greatest mage in history, so she was by no means lacking in intelligence.
However, when it came to knowledge outside of magic, she couldn't compete with Lysinas.
And that aura of hers.
If Luna was a wild thug, Lysinas was a refined noble lady.
"……"
As Luna seriously pondered the matter, a question arose.
What on earth did she see in that idiot?
Lysinas was a perfect savior of the world, lacking in nothing. So why had she fallen for Kyle?
As that thought lingered, Luna's confidence began to wane.
She, who was usually overflowing with confidence and easily grew smug, was just as quick to feel dejected.
If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have thought twice about it, but since it was Lysinas, she couldn't bring herself to be completely sure of herself.
Seeing Luna's droopy ears and gloomy expression, Leo let out a deep sigh.
"Don't get too disappointed. In the end, you were the one who took her down. And… whatever the reason, we've met again, haven't we?" Leo smiled. "Forget about everything else and just enjoy this moment. There are countless sights I wanted you to see. I hope you get to see them, Luna."
At Leo's words, Luna's eyes widened. Then, she beamed brightly.
"Yeah!"
Her ears perked back up, her energy restored.
That's right! I do have something that's better than Lysinas!
Recovering her usual spirit, Luna placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.
I'm well-endowed, and she's flat! Men prefer someone with more to offer!
If Lysinas had heard that, she would have tackled Luna on the spot.
Without a second thought, Luna nodded to herself with an "Mhm!" and a satisfied grin.
Seeing Luna regain her confidence, Leo smirked. Then, with a serious expression, he approached his own grave.
"Whose grave is this?" Luna asked.
"It's mine," Leo replied.
Luna's eyes widened.
"Velkia gathered my remains and buried me beside you. Seems like they couldn't find the others' bodies."
"Ah…" Luna let out a quiet sigh of pity. "…Do you think the others might have lingering regrets too?"
"I don't know. But I'd like to think they don't."
"…That does seem more likely."
Luna herself didn't even know what regret had kept her behind, but she didn't think their other comrades would become lingering spirits like her.
She hoped they hadn't.
As she mulled over that thought, Leo reached for Bihar's dagger, which rested in front of his grave. Then, he hesitated.
…It hasn't been here long.
It wasn't an item that had been left for a long time. At most, a few days.
"……"
The reason flowers bloomed in this area despite it being autumn might be due to Luna's rebirth as a lingering spirit.
Considering that these were her favorite flowers, it wasn't impossible.
There's still the mystery of that memory I saw, whether it was from Velkia or Bihar.
Leo tightened his grip.
The fact that this dagger was placed in front of my grave means… Bihar was here.
Whooosh—!
The wind blew past.
Staring down at the dagger, Leo clenched his fists.
Bihar… Don't tell me you were revived by the Lich King's power?