LHAHS Chapter 506
"This is ridiculous! All this because of a perverted old man's potion?!" Luna shrieked, agitated.
Both she and Leo sat with their backs pressed against each other, butt naked. Luna's face was burning red all the way to her ears as she tried to mask her embarrassment by shouting.
"You're the one who first asked him to make it," Leo said bluntly.
Luna was at a loss for words. She curled up, hugging her knees, and lowered her head, but the warmth of Leo's back against hers made her face feel as if it were on fire.
This is way too much stimulation!
Every time Leo moved, their bare skin brushed together, sending shivers down her spine.
Luna desperately suppressed the strangled noises that kept trying to escape her throat. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt broken.
They had fought countless battles side by side, endured the longest war together, and saved the world in the end. But this—this had never happened before.
The true culprit behind it all was none other than Dweno. No matter his personality, there was no denying that both Luna and Lysinas possessed a beauty so breathtaking even goddesses would weep, and Dweno had always wanted to use them as models for his art.
Of course, by models, he had meant nude models. Dweno was, in every sense of the word, a mad pervert. Because of him, Lysinas and Luna had always been on high alert whenever they bathed outdoors or changed their clothes.
Despite her rough manner of speech and behavior, Luna had been raised with the etiquette of a high elf and had dedicated her life to magic.
Yet now, here she was—naked and pressed against the person she liked. It was unbearably embarrassing.
"Don't turn around. If you do, I swear I won't let you off."
"I won't," Leo replied indifferently.
"Hmph!" Luna scoffed.
"I've got a question."
"What," Luna replied curtly.
"Why did you hide your feelings from me? Lysinas, sure—she might've kept them to herself for the greater good. But you? That doesn't sound like you."
"Haa…" Luna sighed in frustration and leaned back against Leo.
By now, the sun had fully set, and the night had grown deep. Lunia, Eiran, Chen Xia, and Carl had gone out to continue enjoying the festival.
Leo and Luna had managed to use the excuse that they had something to discuss to send the kids away.
The curtains were drawn tightly shut, the faint glow of mana-powered lamps casting their shadows against the walls.
Luna glanced at the silhouettes—two figures sitting back to back. Leo was staring silently ahead.
As she watched him, gathering her thoughts, Luna let out a soft laugh. "I even proposed to you once, you know?"
Surprised, Leo instinctively turned around. "What? When?"
Without hesitation, Luna drove her elbow into his face. "I told you not to look."
"Khk!" Leo groaned and clutched his nose.
Smirking, Luna pursed her lips and continued, "I'll be your future. If you can't picture a future, then I'll be your unwavering dream. So that your life may continue through mine."
"That was… a proposal?"
"Yes, you idiot. It was a proposal. Remember how that perverted old man always called you a fool? Yeah. He was right."
"When did you start having feelings for me?"
"Right before I proposed."
Leo let out a soft, exasperated chuckle. So she proposed right after realizing her feelings? That's so Luna.
Meanwhile, Luna gritted her teeth. "That's when I swore to myself that I'd never say I liked you again. I'd never show it. I'd make you fall for me instead."
"But you confessed when we took down Zodiac and Sillatna."
"That was a special circumstance, so it doesn't count," Luna muttered through clenched teeth.
Leo chuckled again and gazed up at the ceiling. The inn was well-maintained but old, its walls carrying the traces of time.
A quiet night. A dimly flickering mana lamp.
Luna's scent, clear and distinct, was right beside him. He could feel her body tense, the slight flinching of her every movement.
A moment of silence passed.
"Hey, when you first realized you had reincarnated, how did it feel?" Luna suddenly asked.
"I was confused. I woke up from a long sleep and found myself in a child's body."
"And after that?"
"I was relieved to see that the world was still at peace after 5000 years. And then, I decided that this time, I would see my mission through to the end." Leo lowered his gaze to his hands. "Because it was an incomplete peace."
"…Did you never think about just letting go and enjoying life?"
"It's not that I didn't, but I knew you and the others wouldn't."
Luna tightened her grip around her knees. "Really? Honestly, if I had been born in this era, I probably would've ignored the world's dangers… because this world is like a dream."
This era was the wonderful paradise Luna had always dreamed of. She was revered as the greatest mage in history, and the magical theories she had planted had grown into countless schools of thought, expanding in directions she had never even imagined.
For a mage, was there any time more worth living in than this?
"I think Aaron would've done the same," she added.
With Aaron's timid nature, he would've chosen a peaceful life.
"Dweno, too."
Despite being a divine blacksmith with a heart of steel, Dweno would have devoted himself to making the world more beautiful.
"And Lysinas…" Luna paused, then chuckled to herself. "Nah, Lysinas would've tried to wipe out Erebos completely."
"Yeah, that sounds like her." Leo nodded in agreement, then added, "But… I'm sure you all still would've eventually ended up fighting against Erebos, just like me."
Luna, Aaron, and Dweno. The world they had once protected, the peace their friends had given everything for. In the end, they would've fought to protect it again.
"If you guys were the type to say, 'Someone else will take care of it, I've done enough,' then you never would've set out on that long, painful journey 5000 years ago."
"…Is that so?" Luna chuckled. "It really was a hard road, huh."
"Yeah."
"Hey, do you remember? That time Lysinas and Aaron…"
They reminisced about times long past. Stories that had now become nothing more than memories.
As they spoke, their tension slowly faded.
"Ah… this is nice." Luna leaned back even more, staring at the ceiling. "Now that I think about it, do you still have no idea what you want to do after saving the world?"
"I want to bring about the future you all dreamed of."
"Huh?"
"I want to find people who will carry on your wills, so that the future all of you wished for will continue."
Leo smiled gently. "I want my future to be a continuation of yours. I want your story to live on through my life."
Luna bit her lip.
Ah… seriously, this guy.
His personality was so irritating, and yet, he was always so selfless.
No wonder Lysinas fell for him.
Understanding her old friend's heart, Luna said, "Close your eyes."
Leo obeyed without hesitation.
Luna stood up, moved in front of him, and leaned her back against his chest. "If you try anything, I swear I won't let you off."
"Well, this makes it pretty hard to try anything," Leo replied, sounding troubled.
Luna pressed her back more firmly against his chest and muttered, "Let's just stay like this tonight."
Her voice trembled as she closed her eyes. Her heart was racing, and the embarrassment was unbearable, but even so, she wanted to feel Leo's warmth just a little longer.
The night grew deeper.
The strange time granted by the potion quietly passed.
The next day, Leo and Luna went out into the streets.
Walking alongside them, Lunia crossed her arms and asked, "I'm surprised that you're skipping school today."
Leo replied, "I'm too tired to go to class."
"You?" Lunia narrowed her eyes in suspicion and gave him a doubtful look.
Leo simply smiled at her.
After staring at him for a moment, Lunia said, "Can I ask you for some advice?"
"About what?"
"Lady Luna."
Leo glanced at Luna, who was off by herself, happily enjoying the festival. "What about her?" he asked.
"The other day, those Pureblood Society bastards were rude to Lady Luna." Lunia hesitated, clearly still troubled by the memory. "I keep worrying that it might have made her disappointed in this era."
Leo let out a quiet chuckle. "I don't think so."
"Huh?"
"You saw it yourself, didn't you? The kind of environment Luna grew up in."
"Mm…"
"She wouldn't be disappointed over something like the Pureblood Society at this point. If anything, she'd focus on the brighter aspects instead."
"That's true. I'm glad I talked to you about it." Lunia sighed, as if letting go of her worries, and smiled.
Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes. "By the way… you talk like you understand Lady Luna even better than I do."
"Is that a problem?"
"Not really, but Lady Luna personally acknowledged me as her successor." Lunia puffed out her chest with a proud expression. "So I should be the one who understands her best."
"And I was acknowledged by Lady Seiren."
"Ugh. That's different."
Leo grinned. Lunia clearly wanted to understand Luna on a deeper level.
Well, she is someone she admires.
"You're a human and an All-Class, so why don't you just be Sir Kyle's successor?" Luna complained.
I am Kyle, damn it. Leo scoffed quietly at Lunia's words.
Just then, Luna crossed her arms and sighed in disappointment, "Mm! I feel like this plaza would look really amazing if it were filled with flowers!"
"Should I buy all the flowers in the city?" Lunia immediately replied.
As the heir of the prestigious Lunda family, Lunia had immense wealth at her disposal. If she wanted to, she could buy up every single flower in the city.
"But then there wouldn't be any left elsewhere." Luna chuckled and turned her gaze toward Leo.
With a nonchalant expression, Leo raised a hand.
A faint ripple of mana spread outward, and flowers began to bloom all across the plaza.
Gasps of admiration echoed throughout the streets.
Lunia's mouth fell open, while Luna beamed and approached Leo.
Leo smirked and plucked a flower, gently placing it in Luna's hair.
"Does it make me look pretty?" Luna asked.
"It makes you look like some weird woman," Leo replied with a hint of amusement.
Scowling, Luna threw a punch at Leo, and Leo effortlessly dodged her strike as if it were second nature.
Watching their back-and-forth, Lunia was slightly surprised.
Even in the Hero World… they acted like they were best friends.
She found herself envious of their bond.
As Lunia watched them with admiration, a gust of wind swept through the plaza.
Leo and Luna both froze, their expressions hardening as they simultaneously turned their heads.
They saw a strange woman. Her hair and eyes were transparent, devoid of color. Even though she emitted no presence whatsoever, for some reason, the ground beneath her feet began to wither, draining the life from the vibrant flowers around her.
"It has been a long time, noble heroes," she greeted emotionlessly.
"Mirror Queen Kineshi." Leo's face twisted into a scowl, and killing intent radiated from his body at the sight of the legion commander they had defeated 5000 years ago.
Kineshi smiled. "Shall we settle the score we left unfinished 5000 years ago, Surviving Hero Kyle?"