LHAHS Chapter 503
Thud—!
Lunia abruptly woke up, blinking a few times before hurriedly sitting up and looking around.
Last night, overwhelmed by shock, she had fainted at some point and ended up falling asleep.
"Ugh…" Letting out a groan as she got up, Lunia spotted a note on the side of the room. It was a memo from Eiran, saying she had gone to attend classes at Lumene.
Leo, Carl… and that girl, Chen Xia, must have gone to Lumene too.
That meant the only one left here was…
Lady Luna!
Feeling a mix of emotions, Lunia stepped out of the room and headed downstairs. Unlike last night, the inn's first floor was quiet, perhaps because it was still morning.
Creak, creak—
As she descended, the old stairs let out their characteristic groaning sounds.
And the moment she reached the first floor, Lunia unconsciously let out a gasp. "Ah…"
Several guests were having breakfast in the tavern, but what caught her attention was an elf sitting by the window.
Silvery hair that shimmered under the morning sun and golden eyes gleaming with intelligence.
It was the exact appearance of the Nebula Pioneer, Luna, that Lunia knew.
So yesterday really was just a hallucination!
Lunia sighed in relief and approached Luna.
At that moment, Luna glanced at the contents of her cup and muttered, "Ugh… As expected, wine is just expensive and not to my taste. What did Lysinas and Dweno even like about this stuff?"
Grumbling with the expression of a tired laborer, Luna took another sip.
Seeing this, Lunia's ankle twisted, and she tripped.
Crash—!
The sight of a striking red-haired elf toppling over by herself in the early morning made several guests whisper amongst themselves.
"Look at that elf."
"She's still not sober, is she?"
"An elf drinking in the morning, and now this… My illusions about elves are shattered."
Raising her head, Lunia glared around at the murmuring guests. Feeling the intensity of her gaze, they quickly averted their eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Lunia got up and walked over to Luna. Standing before her, she straightened her clothes, cleared her throat, and began introducing herself, "It is an honor to meet you. My name is…"
"Yeah, I know. You're Lunia, right?" Without looking up, Luna replied while writing with a quill.
"…Excuse me?"
"We met twice in the Hero World. No, wait, just once?"
"You remember that?"
Luna lifted her gaze from the book and smiled. "Yeah. We fought Erebos together, didn't we?"
Lunia's expression filled with shock. The fact that Luna had appeared in the present world was already astonishing, but the fact that she remembered the events of the Hero World was even more so!
As Lunia stared in bewilderment, Luna propped her chin on her hand. "So? You're my successor, huh?"
"Huh? W-What do you mean?" Lunia's face turned red.
"Leo told me everything." Luna chuckled playfully.
Lunia didn't know what to do. It was true that she wished to follow in Luna's footsteps, but being called Luna's successor when Luna herself had never acknowledged it— the situation was incredibly embarrassing.
Ugh! Why did he say that!
Lunia fidgeted, cursing Leo in her mind.
Luna smiled. "That's reassuring. Having a successor like you."
Lunia's eyes widened. "You don't mind me being your successor?"
"Hm? Why would I mind?"
"But you don't know much about me."
"Yeah, I don't know you well." Luna smiled. "But I can tell what kind of elf you are."
"…Excuse me?"
One could understand a person's nature by looking at their mana, and to Luna's eyes, Lunia was a pure white flame.
"You're a righteous and talented child. That's why you were able to complete Flame Emperor."
That alone is enough, Luna thought to herself.
"It wasn't something I achieved alone. Her Majesty Katariou's help was significant."
"That damned chicken-head?"
"C-Chicken-head?" Lunia's face twisted in shock at Luna's blunt way of referring to the Phoenix Queen.
Clicking her tongue, Luna shook her head. "I should've roasted her at some point."
Lunia, staring blankly at her, suddenly let out a snort, then burst into laughter.
"Hm? What's so funny?"
"N-No, it's just… pfft. How should I put it? Between yesterday and today… You're so different from what I imagined."
"What do you mean? What kind of image do people have of me these days?"
"You're seen as graceful, compassionate, and pure. The epitome of a perfect elf."
"What? That's totally me, though," Luna said with complete sincerity.
Lunia hesitated, wondering how she should respond. She had a feeling that disagreeing would earn her a smack.
Is this how Aru felt?
Lunia thought of her beastman friend, Aru. The timid Aaron was nothing like the Brave Hero people imagined him to be, but even so, Aru never wavered in her admiration.
After how I lost it yesterday, I feel embarrassed now.
Taking a deep breath, Lunia looked at Luna with newfound clarity. "But… Lady Luna, what are you doing so early in the morning?"
"Creating magic."
"Magic?"
"Yeah! This era is amazing!" Luna exclaimed, excited. "Magic has advanced so much in the last 5,000 years! It's pure potential!"
Officially, Luna was an exchange student at Lumene, so she was supposed to attend classes, but today, she had chosen to stay behind and research magic instead.
Lunia perked up and listened attentively. Before she knew it, she and Luna were deep in conversation about magic.
Enjoying Lunia's enthusiasm, Luna eagerly continued their discussion. As their passionate exchange continued, the time had long passed noon.
As they ordered lunch, Luna leaned back in her chair, laughing. "Lunia, you… You have some incredible ideas about magic!"
"It makes me so happy to be praised by you."
"Velkia never liked studying, so it wasn't easy to have discussions like this with her." Humming in contentment, Luna glanced at Lunia, who smiled bashfully. "You, Eiran, Chelsea, Chloe, Abad… Even that girl Eliana. Seeing all of you is such a joy. You'll all become incredible mages. Ah, though that Eliana girl is a bit like Velkia."
Luna recalled the promising mages she had met in this era. She had already spoken with Lumene's top second-year students at length, and now, meeting Lunia only added to her happiness.
If Leo had deemed Lunia worthy of being her successor, it meant she held limitless potential. Just watching her gave Luna bursts of magical inspiration.
"Ah~ I don't want to leave."
Hearing that, Lunia flinched. Then, hesitantly, she said, "Lady Luna."
"Hm?"
"Can't you stay in this world?"
Luna's eyes widened.
"I know this is a bold request, but… Sir Aaron saved the world once more."
Erebos's fragment had been vanquished.
With that great feat that the world had longed for, the world had taken one step closer to complete salvation.
As she spoke with Luna, Lunia became certain.
If Lady Luna remains in this world… the history of magic will change once more.
Lunia quickly realized that the magic Luna was creating was unique magic. The combination of Luna's magical knowledge and modern magical advancements sent chills down Lunia's spine.
She could feel it instinctively. Luna's presence in this era would bring about a tremendous leap in magical progress.
Also… I want to talk with Lady Luna more.
Lunia felt a deep sense of pity for Luna. Even as they spoke, Luna would glance out the window at the peaceful scenery and smile brightly.
The sight of countless people bustling through the streets, going about their ordinary lives— to Luna, this mundane, everyday scene was something truly special.
Seeing this, Lunia realized.
She… never got to enjoy anything.
She had sacrificed everything to save the world, yet she had never been able to enjoy any of it.
It was something Lunia had never realized before, having only known the noble figure from history and legends.
Before being a Great Hero, Luna was a person.
"It's strange." Luna smiled. "Everyone who learns my identity always looks at me with reverence. You're the first to look at me with pity."
"I-I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for. It just means you understand me well." Luna reached out and patted Lunia's red hair.
Luna's gentle touch made Lunia's face flush. "Thank you."
"I'm curious to see what kind of hero you'll become."
"I want to be like you, Lady Luna."
"Of course you do!" Luna laughed and got to her feet. "Alright then, let's go out together."
"Go out?"
"Yeah. Shouldn't we enjoy the festival?" Luna grabbed Lunia's wrist, pulled her up, and strode confidently out the door.
As Lunia followed her, she couldn't help but laugh.
However, just as they stepped out of the tavern and took a few steps into the alley, a group of elves blocked their path.
"Stop right there."
Luna tilted her head in curiosity.
Lunia scowled. "The Pureblood Society," she growled.
Luna cocked her head. "The Pureblood Society? What's that?"
"They're elf supremacists."
"Elf supremacists, huh…" Luna furrowed her brow. "So, like High Elves?"
"All of our affiliated Pureblood Society elves have been wiped out," the Archduke of Mourning, Artkan reported.
The Lich King propped his chin on his hand and sighed. "So, Velkia finally made her move. Well, it's true that she's been searching for a while."
Previously, due to Leo's actions, most of the elves connected to the Lich King had either been killed or lost their positions, but that didn't mean all ties had been severed.
"Elves truly never change. It makes them easy to manipulate."
Five thousand years ago, during the Age of Calamity, it was also the Lich King's schemes that had led to the downfall of a major elven power.
Elves consumed by racial supremacy were often rigid in their thinking. Their arrogance, born from the belief that they were superior, made them convinced that they could control everything.
Even when the power they sought to wield was that of Tartaros—the force that would tighten the noose around their own necks.
Despite all the Pureblood Society elves connected to him now dead, though, the Lich King felt nothing in particular. He knew that sooner or later, new elves would come seeking contact with him.
The Archduke of Mourning bowed his head to the Lich King. "I still do not understand why you chose to revive the Fairy Knight."
The Fairy Knight Velkia was the most powerful hero that the Lich King, Hell Kaiser, had resurrected through his authority. Yet, despite having served the Lich King as a close aide for ages, even the Archduke of Mourning found his intentions unclear this time.
Even if Erebos's power had enhanced the Lich King's authority, it still had its limits. Resurrecting Velkia as an undead had consumed an immense amount of power.
If that wasn't bad enough, the resurrected Velkia had almost instantly broken free from the Lich King's control.
"If that power had been used to awaken the other generals instead…"
"Had I revived my old comrades, it might have brought us immediate benefits." The Lich King spoke leisurely. "But unfortunately, Tartaros was once defeated by the Great Heroes."
During the Age of Calamity, Tartaros's forces had suffered a devastating blow at the hands of the Great Heroes.
"Even if they were revived, they'd likely just become fodder for the young ones raised by the Surviving Hero."
"But the Fairy Knight is a monster even stronger than the Heroes of Dawn. If she, uncontrollable as she is, were to turn her blade against Tartaros…"
"If that were to happen, we wouldn't be able to stop her, but Velkia will never turn her sword against Tartaros."
"Why do you believe that? Please enlighten this ignorant servant."
"Because we are not the ones who drove her into hatred." The Lich King smirked. "She will never forgive this world."
In some ways, this world was even more twisted and vile than it had been five thousand years ago.
Velkia would never accept it.
In her rampage, countless factions would be annihilated.
"But if she were to meet the Surviving Hero…"
"His voice will never reach her. The sins she has committed will deafen her ears."
Even though the Lich King had resurrected Velkia, even he could not control her.
However, the same was true for his enemies.
The current Velkia was, quite literally, destruction personified.
"I wonder… What kind of reaction the Surviving Hero will have when he sees his fallen disciple?" The corners of the Lich King's lips curled up. "…And how he'll look when he learns that his own disciples have turned their blades against each other."