Vol 7 Chapter 36

'Though I couldn't test it with 7th circle, it should be certain since I succeeded with lower circle magic.'

Free type could be easily modified into either unidirectional or area type, while area type, perhaps because they were large-scale magic that swept through surroundings, was very difficult to modify in either direction.

Though Superior mostly slept while Kapros trained, he occasionally woke up to offer brief advice. He was the one who had helped when experimenting with things like compatibility between magic types.

"Are you not going to practice more today?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it seems I've done everything I can do here."

"Haha. Well, experience gained in actual combat is most important anyway. How's the 7th circle? I was quite nervous watching, feeling like I'd given a famous sword to a child."

Feeling like giving a famous sword to a child... Though it stung a bit, that was probably the right description from his perspective, so Kapros had nothing more to say. The 7th circle magic often behaved fiercely as if it would devour not just the entire land but him too if he let his guard down even slightly, given its tremendous inherent power. The common sense that magic didn't greatly affect its caster didn't seem to apply at all with these spells.

"Whew..."

After roughly clearing away the blackened or frozen white grass with his foot and sitting down, Superior, who was sitting nearby, grinned while lying down with his arm as a pillow.

Though invisible, Superior must have put up some kind of shield as the area within one meter of him remained clean, completely unaffected by Kapros's magic. While slowly watching the destroyed grass and trees regenerate, Kapros opened his mouth.

"It's been over two weeks already."

In this mental world, of course.

The smile faded slightly from Superior's eyes. The clever one probably already knew what Kapros wanted to say.

"Yes. That's right."

"There's not much time left until the promised day with Ilumine."

"..."

Superior silently looked up at the sky. The sky that was always clear without any weather changes didn't have a single cloud. Though Kapros wanted to ask if he was actually thinking, seeing him like that made further words seem superfluous, so he just flopped back as well.

A gentle breeze brushed past his ears. As he quietly closed his eyes feeling the sense of achievement after finishing intense practice, Superior suddenly let out a laugh like air escaping.

"Haha. Since you hadn't said anything all this time, I thought you had become completely absorbed in magic and forgotten everything else, but that wasn't the case."

"I left you alone to think for yourself."

When Kapros replied curtly, Superior turned his body completely to look at him.

"Do you really want me to see the rest of those memories?"

"...Do you need my answer again?"

Though Kapros had brought it up thinking Superior had had enough time to think, it seemed he still hadn't reached an answer. At Kapros's question, Superior smiled and shook his head.

"...No. You said from experience that regretting after knowing was better than regretting without knowing."

Yes. That had been his answer.

"I hadn't thought about it then, but I'm suddenly curious."

"About what?"

"About that experience you mentioned."

Kapros closed his mouth. Jeong Seung-jo, the protagonist of that experience he had vaguely mentioned to Superior, was never a subject to be spoken of lightly anywhere, anytime.

Looking at Kapros's slightly stiffened expression, Superior shrugged and turned his head away.

"No, if it's difficult to talk about, you don't have to answer."

"...Right."

Though he felt somewhat sorry toward Superior, Seung-jo was still someone he couldn't easily talk about to anyone. Even if that person was just a character existing in the game.

But there was one thing he wanted to tell him.

"But once you reach a conclusion, it gets better. Easier."

"I know that too."

After a while, Superior muttered in an incredibly tired voice something unexpected.

"Can you tell me that legend story you said you heard, one more time?"

"Legend?"

Wondering what he meant, Kapros soon realized Superior wanted to hear the story of the seven heroes.

'Why this?'

"Long ago, in ancient times, the world was in great chaos. A demon god descended upon the world killing people indiscriminately, and people groaned in pain while praying for heroes to descend... Is this the one you mean?"

"Yes... that one. Keep going."

Hearing his voice drained of energy like an elderly person too weary from living too long, Kapros looked at Superior for a moment before beginning to recite that legend from his memory once more.

"...therefore, the peace they brought to this world must never be lost again."

"..."

"It's over."

When Kapros turned his head toward the silent Superior, he saw an expressionless face staring into space, seemingly lost in deep thought. Though Kapros wanted to call out once more to ask if he had actually listened since it was over, somehow it felt like he shouldn't speak carelessly.

"When I first heard that."

After a long while, Superior finally spoke again.

"Though I didn't say it, I actually felt really strange. It was fascinating that it was a story about me and people I knew... and it made me think the world hadn't changed at all even while I didn't know about it. Actually, it was kind of funny when I first left Rezul too, since nothing had changed, not the buildings or anything."

"..."

"But it still feels strange hearing it again. Though there are many things that aren't true..."

A long sigh scattered and flowed away in the wind.

"Me, a hero... What exactly is a hero?"

Kapros felt momentarily at a loss for words, bewildered by Superior's question when in his perception Superior had so naturally worn the name of hero. Perhaps Superior hadn't been asking for Kapros's answer, as he continued muttering.

"What kind of action is heroic? They say I no longer have a body or power, and my memories have long since disappeared, but should I still do something? Did my past self want me to? Can't I just watch from beside you as I originally intended, occasionally giving advice? ...I just have such thoughts. Is that not allowed?"