Chapter 500

"Velkia?" Leo asked.

Luna nodded. "Yeah. It seems like my lingering attachment is Velkia." She looked down at her palm, concern flickering in her eyes. "I worried about her a lot."

"You were worried she might end up carrying too much on her own?" Leo asked.

Luna smiled softly and shook her head. "I wasn't just worried that Velkia would take on too much or struggle because of it. I believed in her potential more than anyone."

Velkia had never been able to use Stellar Magic, but Luna had already expected that. The potential Luna saw in Velkia wasn't about Stellar Magic, it was about her potential as a hero.

"Velkia must have grown even stronger. She had the ability to overcome hardships… and to rebuild the broken world. I never doubted that she would protect the world we saved."

And indeed, she had.

After Erebos was sealed away, Tartaros had tried to destroy the world to fulfill its master's final wish.

Standing at the frontlines against that onslaught was none other than Velkia. She had followed in the footsteps of the Great Heroes and carried an entire era on her shoulders.

"What I worried about was Velkia's nature."

"Her personality?"

"Yeah." Luna gave a bittersweet smile.

Velkia had been born in the darkest of times. She had never even seen the sun that had once burned so brightly.

"When I first saw Velkia, I felt like I was looking at the sun."

A child who could shine brightly even in an age of darkness, and that wasn't just because Velkia was naturally talented.

"She was someone who could genuinely smile, even in a world swallowed by despair."

"That's true."

Velkia had always been arrogant, blunt, and rebellious, yet among those born in the Age of Calamity, she was the only one who could truly laugh.

"I wasn't worried while everything around her was dark, but once the world brightens, shadows are bound to form too." Luna muttered to herself before letting out a small chuckle. "Still, I'm not too worried."

"If you're not that worried, can it really be called lingering attachment?" Leo asked curiously.

Luna scoffed. "Not being able to see what kind of life Velkia lived is more than enough to be called lingering attachment, don't you think?"

That was certainly true.

"Well, I'm sure Velkia did just fine."

Luna's trust in her disciple was unwavering.

"No matter what anyone says, she's my student."

Luna grinned and hummed as she walked ahead.

"In that case, I should focus on the present."

Leo watched her for a moment before pulling a dagger from his pocket.

Bihar's dagger.

Silently staring at the weapon, Leo then followed after Luna.

sep

Luna's school tour continued. During her exploration, what caught her attention was a joint practice session between the music and theater clubs.

"A musical? Or is it just a play?"

"It's a little different. They sing while acting," Eiran kindly explained.

"Ohh!" Luna's eyes sparkled at a cultural performance that hadn't existed 5,000 years ago. "Let's see. What kind of play is it?"

With an excited expression, she entered the practice room.

"Oh?! Eiran!"

A bright voice rang out as Chelsea came running over and clung to Eiran's back.

"I heard you came as an exchange student, but I didn't think I'd run into you here!"

"Chelsea, it's good to see you!" Eiran beamed as she patted Chelsea's head.

"Leo and Xia are here too?"

Chen Xia tilted her head. "Come to think of it, Chelsea, you're in the music club, right?"

"Yup! I'm the ace of the music club." Chelsea folded her arms and grinned proudly. "I got the lead role in this musical."

"The lead role?"

"Yup."

Nodding, Chelsea pointed at her ears. Unlike usual, her ears were pointed. It seemed she was dressed as an elf. Her costume also seemed to be a traditional elven mage's outfit.

"That's why I came straight to practice as soon as I got back from my mission."

"You look great!" Eiran smiled warmly.

"What's this? What's this? Who's this?" Luna's eyes sparkled as she leaned in toward Chelsea.

Chelsea's face stiffened. "Huh?"

"Leo! What is this adorable creature?!" Luna exclaimed, her voice full of excitement as if she had just found a doll she wanted to take home.

Chelsea looked horrified. "L-Lady Luna?!"

"Oh?" Luna raised an eyebrow when she realized her recognition-dampening spell hadn't worked.

That spell was a type of suggestion magic, and she had set a simple keyword to prevent people from recognizing her identity.

Anyone who knew Leo's identity would be able to see through it.

The simpler the keyword, the stronger the recognition-dampening effect, and Leo's identity was a simple yet incredibly powerful keyword.

"That means… you know who Leo really is?"

"Ah!" Chelsea's mouth fell open in shock. "No way! You're really Lady Luna?! Did you come from the Hero World like Sir Aaron?"

"It's a bit different from Aaron's case, but yeah. I'm the Nebula Pioneer Lady Luna."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. How, how…"

Chelsea shifted from disbelief to full-on panic. She was a huge hero enthusiast, and as a mage, meeting the very Luna she admired so much—what could possibly be a greater honor?

"C-Could I shake your hand?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Luna smiled and took Chelsea's hand, then suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"Ah."

"You're adorable! How about calling me unnie?"

"L-Luna-unnie?"

"I've always wanted a little sister like this!"

Luna rubbed her cheek against Chelsea's head, causing Chelsea's face to melt into a blissful expression.

"Chelsea, it's time for practice!"

"Huh? The student council president is here."

The senior members of the music and theater clubs called out to Chelsea, so Luna let go of her.

Chelsea pouted in disappointment but reluctantly made her way to the stage. She had a mountain of questions she wanted to ask, but skipping practice wasn't an option.

At that moment, members of both clubs approached Leo.

"President, are you just observing?"

"I'm just looking around."

"I see. Here's a pamphlet for our upcoming performance."

"What's it about?"

"It's the story of the unfulfilled love between the Nebula Pioneer and the Brave Hero."

"Puha—?! Cough! Cough!"

At the theater club member's words, Luna, who had just taken a sip of the drink handed to her by the stage crew, spat it out.

All eyes in the room turned to her in confusion. She waved her hands, trying to calm her coughing fit.

Meanwhile, Leo barely held back his laughter, his shoulders shaking. "Sounds interesting."

"Right? So, about our budget…"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to cut budgets."

For some reason, every club member he met kept bringing up funding.

At Leo's response, the music and theater club members left with relieved expressions.

"Sir Leo has completely become a figure of terror," Chen Xia giggled.

"An unfulfilled love story between me and Aaron?! Where the hell did they come up with that nonsense, and why are they making it into a play?!" Luna shouted at Leo, her face flushed red.

Leo shrugged. "Complaining to me won't change anything."

Eiran explained on his behalf, "The stories of the Great Heroes are so well-known that many in later generations assumed some of them must have been in love."

Luna squinted her eyes. "So, people think there might have been something between Aaron and me?"

"Yes. Along with the love story of Lady Lysinas and Sir Aaron, it's quite a popular tale."

"And what about Kyle?"

At that, Eiran hesitated and glanced at Leo. "Up until recently, the Hero of the Beginning was considered a fictional figure, so…"

"Hmm~" Luna narrowed her eyes at Leo. "Are there stories about me and Dweno too?"

"It seems like that story was also a strong candidate for a performance, according to the pamphlet. But since they couldn't find anyone suitable to play Dweno, they chose to go with Aaron instead."

An elf or beastman could be mimicked with makeup, but a person's height couldn't be easily adjusted to match a dwarf's.

Hearing that, Luna's expression brightened. "Thank goodness they didn't go with that one."

"Huh? Why is that?"

Luna's expression turned completely blank. "If they had, I would've burned this whole place to the ground."

Seeing the genuine fury on her face, Eiran shuddered.

A little while later, the rehearsal began.

As the lead actress, Chelsea was playing the role of Luna, while Aaron's role was being played by a fourth-year theater student.

"Wow, Chelsea must be playing someone really gorgeous to look that stunning," Luna shamelessly commented.

Ignoring her, the others focused on the performance as the music began.

Luna, who had been making jokes just moments ago, suddenly froze and stared at Chelsea.

"That's a beautiful song." Eiran clasped her hands together in admiration.

And indeed, it was. Chelsea's voice carried a deep emotion that moved everyone who heard it.

After the rehearsal ended, Luna turned to Leo. "Leo."

"What?"

"Why does this school have so many gems?" Luna's eyes sparkled. "I'm overflowing with inspiration for magic."

Leo smirked at her words.

As they left the rehearsal hall, Luna spoke excitedly. "Chloe, Eliana, and now Chelsea! There are so many kids with incredible talent in this era!"

"There's also the one who perfected Flame Emperor."

"Right! I can't wait to meet Lunia, the heir you handpicked for me!" Luna beamed. "This is amazing! This era is brimming with potential!"

Luna looked down at her hands. "And… I can still grow stronger."

The accumulation and advancement of magic over the past 5,000 years was stimulating her. The countless talents of this era were offering her new ideas and inspiration she had never even considered before.

Because of that, a new path was opening up before her.

Before and after the Age of Calamity, Luna was still regarded as the greatest mage in history, yet even she had not reached her full potential. Now, however, with the knowledge and theories that had been developed over five millennia, she felt the soil was finally rich enough for her to cultivate new magic.

In this era… I might be able to see the end of magic.

As a mage and a scholar, Luna's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Oh! Leo!" A familiar voice called out.

It was none other than Carl.

"Chloe got here a while ago, but you're just arriving now?" Chen Xia asked curiously.

Carl grinned. "Yeah, I had a lot to learn at the Northern Magic Tower, and skipping classes is a bonus."

Chuckling, Carl waved at Eiran, when suddenly, his gaze fell on Luna, and his expression stiffened in shock.

"Huh?" Carl's eyes widened.

Luna tilted her head at his startled reaction.

"…?!?" Carl's face turned pale.

Leo narrowed his eyes.

Chen Xia also seemed taken aback, clearly not expecting this reaction.