LHAHS Chapter 504
Luna crossed her arms and eyed the elves blocking their path with a haughty gaze.
Seeing Luna's slightly tilted, delinquent-like posture, Lunia flinched.
Now that I think about it, Lady Luna…
She recalled her time in Luna's world. In Balharun, the city of the High Elves, she had played the role of an elven princess while working through the scenario.
The attitude of the High Elves back then wasn't all that different from the Pureblood Society.
Moreover, she still vividly remembered how the High Elves had treated Luna.
Later, when she had entered Dweno's world, Lunia had the opportunity to read historical records about how the elves had collapsed during the Age of Calamity. That was why she understood Luna's current reaction.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lunia stepped forward and stared at the Pureblood Society members.
Her characteristic red eyes gleamed coldly. Even in modern elven society, the reputation of the Pureblood Society was poor.
Lunia had never thought highly of them, and her expression reflected that sentiment. At the same time, she was aware that there were still many elves trapped in their obsession with pure bloodlines, which meant she could already guess why they had blocked their path.
"Lunia El Lunda. You are the future of Seiren and a candidate for student council president. Have you forgotten that you must always maintain your dignity?"
Of course, they're here to spout nonsense.
"Hmph!" Lunia let out an irritated sigh.
"Again with that arrogant attitude."
"I understand better than anyone that I'm a candidate for Seiren's student council president, so I haven't done anything disgraceful."
"The mere fact that you are wandering these filthy alleys alone tarnishes the prestige of the elves."
Lunia looked up at the sky and muttered, "Wow. You guys are fucking insane."
The leading elf of the Pureblood Society frowned as he glanced at Luna. "Do not use such vulgar language. More importantly, why are you associating with such a lowly elf? There are rumors spreading that an elf is drunkenly wandering the streets, bringing shame to our race."
"Who could that possibly be?" Luna mumbled curiously, arms still crossed.
The Pureblood Society elves scowled.
"You, of course!"
"Did I do that?" Luna smirked.
"You are a disgrace to elvenkind. As for you, Lunia El Lunda. Associating with an elf like this… You should be ashamed. Are you not embarrassed to stain the name of our great ancestor?"
Lunia's expression twisted in disbelief. Are they seriously insulting the Nebula Pioneer right now? Right in front of the person herself, no less!?
She anxiously glanced at Luna. However, Luna, rather than angry, looked entertained, almost as if she found the situation refreshing.
"What's wrong with Lunia? The Nebula Pioneer would actually adore her even more." Luna chuckled and pulled Lunia into her embrace.
"Mmph?!" Lunia's eyes widened as her face was suddenly buried in Luna's chest.
She glanced up at Luna in surprise. Luna met her gaze and playfully winked.
Awkwardly nestled in Luna's arms, Lunia took a deep breath.
It's like being held by my mother.
A sense of warmth and comfort washed over her, and she relaxed slightly.
Huh. She's… unexpectedly well-endowed.
The thought naturally crossed her mind.
"What gives you the right to speak on behalf of our ancestors?"
"This is surprisingly fun," Luna laughed as she watched the elf counter her words by invoking their ancestors each time.
"Lunia El Lunda. Ever since you befriended a mere human like Leo Plov, your relationships have been deteriorating."
At that statement, Luna's previously bright, smiling face instantly darkened.
Lunia, still in her arms, felt the shift in atmosphere and stiffened in response.
"What about Leo?" Luna suddenly demanded.
Step—
Releasing Lunia from her embrace, she took a step forward.
"He is a thief who has stolen an elven treasure."
"He acts as if he was chosen by our ancestors, strutting around like he's special."
"A lowly human who exaggerated his achievements to gain fame."
The Pureblood Society spat out their insults without a second thought. There wasn't even a moment's hesitation in how they tore Leo down.
Luna's lips curled into a smirk.
People like them don't care about the truth. They only care about what they want to believe.
She had seen their type more times than she could count, but just because she was used to them didn't mean she wasn't angry.
Especially when they dare insult Kyle.
"You dare spout such nonsense—!"
Lunia, face contorted with rage, prepared to charge at the Pureblood Society, but then she saw Luna's expression.
Her face, which had remained calm while being insulted earlier, had now turned ice-cold.
Lunia froze as Luna raised her hand.
Grip—!
"Guh?!" The lead elf clutched his throat.
His body lifted into the air and was dragged toward Luna.
"Keghk!"
"What are you doing?!"
"How dare you attack us?!"
The elves shouted in anger and began channeling their magic.
At that moment, Luna simply flicked her fingers.
Snap—! Whoosh—!
A small breeze stirred.
"No way…!"
"W-what is this?!"
"My magic… won't activate?"
The Pureblood Society elves stared in horror. They couldn't use Stellar Magic. This wasn't a simple disruption of casting. The very mana of the stars, which was necessary to wield Stellar Magic, had vanished entirely.
"You will never use Stellar Magic again," Luna stated as if it were nothing.
"How absurd!" The elf caught in Luna's grip screamed.
"With normal magic, that would be impossible. But with Stellar Magic? It is."
Stellar Magic, as it existed today, was based on the knowledge Seiren had passed down to later generations. Of course, even in its current form, it was an incredibly powerful magic. But it had a fatal flaw, because Stellar Magic was Luna's unique magic, what Seiren had handed down was an imperfect imitation at best, and it had never been fully completed.
Had Seiren had more time, she might have perfected it, but unfortunately, the Comet Mage had no such luxury.
"You know that magic leaves invisible traces on the body when used, right? It's the path mana flows through. I just broke that path."
"That's… impossible…!"
"Yeah, normally, it would be. But I can do it."
"W-What?!"
Luna grinned. "Because I'm the creator of this magic."
The other Pureblood Society elves shouted in confusion, but the elf in Luna's grasp turned deathly pale.
Twisted ideology aside, he wasn't stupid. He had finally realized what was happening. "The creator…?"
As Luna dispelled her perception-dampening magic, she flashed a cruel smile. "I'm not as kind or benevolent as the stories make me out to be. If something pisses me off, I have to deal with it myself to feel better."
With an expressionless face, Luna shoved the Pureblood Society elf away.
"Keghk!"
The elf tumbled to the ground, then hurriedly bowed his head. "O-Oh, Lady Nebula Pioneer! Please forgive me for my blasphemous words!"
Seeing him tremble in terror, the other Pureblood Society members finally realized something was very wrong.
"I didn't create this magic so elves like you could learn it, and I never told anyone to use it to divide elves into different classes," Luna said in a chilling tone. "Most of all, I will never tolerate anyone insulting him."
Luna's eyes flashed. "You lot will never be able to use Stellar Magic again."
"A-A-Ancestor!"
Luna scoffed and snapped her fingers once more.
In an instant, they all froze.
Lunia hurried over to Luna's side. "What… What did you do to them?"
"I erased their memory of the last few moments," Luna answered as if it was nothing.
Lunia turned around in surprise. Sure enough, the Pureblood Society members who had been provoking Luna just moments ago were now looking around in confusion, unaware of what had just transpired.
Moreover, despite all the commotion, the surroundings remained undisturbed. Luna had also manipulated the space with magic.
"Amazing."
"Lysinas or Dweno would have scolded me if they were here, but, well, they're not." Luna smiled bitterly.
Lunia's expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry for showing you something so disgraceful."
"This has nothing to do with you. I know full well that's just how elves are." Luna shrugged as if she didn't care. "Alright, that was annoying. Let's go do something fun."
"Yes! Where should we go first?"
"Nothing beats shopping to lift your mood."
Luna and Lunia headed to Courage Street.
As expected of the Twilight Festival, Courage Street was thriving with activity. All over the street, small-scale auctions were being held. Tourists, caught up in the festival excitement, eagerly participated in the bidding, hoping to get a memorable souvenir.
However, it wasn't just commerce and auctions—street performances were in full swing as well.
As usual, Luna grabbed some liquor from a street vendor. Holding a drink in one hand, she strolled through the bustling road until she arrived at a street filled with storytellers. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of their tales revolved around the Great Heroes.
"Now! Tell me, who was the man the Nebula Pioneer Luna loved?!"
At the sudden question, Lunia perked up.
"It was none other than the Divine Blacksmith, Dweno!"
Hearing that, Lunia chuckled and glanced at Luna, only to find that Luna's face had darkened murderously.
Lunia quickly covered her mouth. "Sir Dweno… how was he?"
"You met him in the Hero World, right?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did he ask you to be a nude model?"
"…Yes."
"And you think I'd be in love with that pervert?!" Luna scowled.
Lunia scratch her cheek awkwardly. "Then… were there any couples among the Great Heroes?"
"Nope. There weren't any couples. But there were people with feelings for someone."
"R-Really?" Lunia's eyes widened.
"Of course."
Lunia swallowed nervously. "W-Who liked who?"
Luna stared at her for a moment, then drained her cup before grinning. "Kyle loved me."
"…Pardon?"
"He was madly in love with me."
If Leo had been here, he would've kicked her.
Luna sighed dramatically, as if the memory pained her. "He pined for me with such burning passion. He always gazed at me with such longing eyes."
Lunia recalled the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, whom she had briefly encountered in Dweno's world.
"…When I met him, he seemed so cold. This is surprising," she remarked, remembering Kyle as being somewhat dry and expressionless.
Seeing Lunia's doubtful expression, Luna said, "Yeah, he was that kind of guy. But it's true—Kyle loved me. And listen, this is absolutely a secret. Especially from Leo."
"Ah, yes. But why specifically Leo…?"
"Because it's a secret." Luna playfully pressed a finger against her lips and smiled mischievously.
Lunia, caught off guard by that smile, instinctively nodded.
Then, the very next moment, Luna grabbed a random passerby and declared at the top of her lungs, "Did you know?! The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle, was in love with the Nebula Pioneer, Luna!"
Lunia looked at her with a serious expression.
You call this keeping a secret…?
"Now, ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to introduce a mystical potion! The legendary Elixir of Love!"
A familiar-sounding product name echoed from a street auction.
Luna narrowed her eyes, while Lunia gave an exasperated look. Anyone with proper magical knowledge knew just how ridiculous the concept of a love potion was.
As expected, jeers erupted from the crowd. Still, the auctioneer pressed on shamelessly.
"I can't disclose the exact origin of this potion, but why not take a chance? You never know, it just might make your love come true!"
To be fair, absurd items like this often appeared in festival auctions. After all, it was a celebration, and novelty items were part of the fun.
The so-called love potion was contained in a beautifully crafted bottle. Its golden liquid shimmered, making it seem valuable as a decorative item, at the very least.
Several young couples, caught up in the festival mood, showed interest and placed bids.
"This is ridiculous." Lunia chuckled in disbelief. "That potion…."
"Yes?"
"It looks a lot like something a certain pervert once made. Let's buy one and check it out."
"A-Ah, okay."
Still confused, Lunia joined the bidding.
Even as she stared at the so-called Elixir of Love, Luna scoffed.
There's no way… right?