Eclipse [3]

"Now. where should I go next?"

Leon wondered, as he strolled outside the restaurant.

Eclipse was too big to explore in a single day. One needs at least three whole days to explore it completely.

From giant libraries to a castle-sized pond, this institute had it all.

'Now that I am here, and… so is the main protagonist of the game.'

Leon hadn't seen him yet.

Knowing the storyline…

'He must be in Headmaster Raizen's office, discussing the rules and stuff…'

As the main protagonist, and one who directly had the king's back, he got special treatment during the whole recruitment process.

Sure, the higher ups in the Eclipse Institute did check his skills beforehand, but on the condition to never disclose it to anyone outside.

The only one born with the Light Affinity. The only Affinity which the Primordial-ranked demons and above feared.

He was literally a national treasure at this point.

'The chosen one who wields the Light.' 

Leon grinned, thinking along the lines.

'If so then—'

—————————————————

◆ Affinity: ❄ Ice / 🔥 Fire / ✦ Light 

—————————————————

The same transparent window flashed before his vision.

'...am I also a chosen one?'

Leon didn't get the time to try it before, but now he really wanted to try his Light Affinity.

He was getting excited.

'I need a target.'

Leon looked around him.

Students, mainly the ones taking admission, and parents roamed around the campus, taking pictures using magic tools, spending time with their dear child, feeling proud…

'It's packed here.'

Unlike others who needed incantations to summon even a simple spell, Leon wouldn't need to do that anymore. But even so, he couldn't just release his Light Affinity mana in broad daylight.

"Haaah…"

He dropped the idea.

Well, using mana inside Eclipse without any reason was banned either way. One could get into serious investigation.

The whole Eclipse was under strict security, where every trace of mana got detected the moment it leaked out of the body.

Walking down the streets, and glancing at the towering buildings nearby, he paused in front of what looked like a cathedral.

But unlike most of the cathedrals back on Earth, this was pure black in color. Every stone, every sculpture, even the stairs, they were all black.

"..."

"Mortals who get treated equal to gods." He muttered to himself.

These cathedrals could be found all over the kingdom. Not just in Liora, but in the others too.

Gods didn't exist in this world. What the people believed to worship were only humans just like them, who had broken free from their [Mana Core] and built their own rules.

Only five mortals have done that so far.

And history has named them [Five Calamities]. 

Achieving immortality, they were beings capable of altering the very concept of nature.

Surely, the common people here were not aware of this fact.

There was a time, when they walked in the same land he was standing.

But now…

They were long gone. No one knew where they were or what their real names had been.

They just blindly worshipped them, hoping that they would bless them again like before.

'Like hell they would.' Leon thought.

All of the so-called Five Calamities were still alive. It was just that they were difficult to locate.

Leon knew better.

After all…

He was the one who created those so-called gods these people worshipped.

Leon walked closer towards the main gate of the cathedral.

On its left, there was a stone board, with several names written on it.

"It's strange when I think about it…" he murmured, tracing his fingers along one of the names written on it.

[Cathedral of the Blood Tower]

'Humans don't need gods. They just need someone to save them… and they'll call that salvation.'

"Heh." 

A sudden chuckle escaped his lips.

'What's this.' 

Leon traced his hand back toward his lips.

He noticed that he was… grinning.

Just then, a cold feminine voice called out from behind him.

"Hey you, cathedrals are restricted entry to students."

Leon paused, ready to turn and apologize.

"Sorr—"

The word stuck in his throat, as his gaze met the figure.

"You!" the figure pointed at him in surprise.

'Shit.' Leon inwardly cursed his luck.

First Alice, and now her.

"Lovely weather today, Princess Eula." He said, acting calm.

Eula was standing there, just outside the cathedral's gate, dressed in Eclipse's uniform. 

She held a steaming hot bean bun in one hand and pointed the other in his direction.

"Leon Valentine," Eula coldly called his name. "What do you think you are doing in Eclipse?"

Leon sighed, then walked toward where Eula was standing.

"What do you mean?" he added, staring directly at her. "I'll be studying here starting today."

Eula blinked.

"You what?"

She didn't recall seeing Leon's name in the first-year list.

"Why?" Leon tilted his head, trying to maintain his character. "You surprised?"

"Don't bluff—"

Before Eula could question him further, he took out his admission letter from his coat and displayed it right in front of her face.

Eula was a fast reader. She noticed four words written in bold letters:

[Special Admission, Research Scholar]

Below it was Headmaster Raizen's signature.

"Special admission?" She was surprised, impressed even. "...it's authentic."

Leon folded the letter back and shoved it inside his coat.

"Of course it is," he said, glancing down at the bean bun in Eula's hand.

Eula, noticing his gaze, said, "I am not giving."

"I don't want any," he quickly replied.

Ranked fifth in the overall game's character list, Eula was the fans' favorite. She was the game's only villainess in the later arc who would fight the main protagonist and die in the process.

Leaving the topic aside.

"Anyways, a princess such as you eating all alone?"

Leon already knew the reason.

"Why do you care?" she said in her usual icy tone. "And why would I even tell you?"

Of course, the reason for her loneliness was nothing but her own cold behavior toward others.

Despite being an honor student, her classmates were too scared to even approach her.

And also, she hadn't shown interest in small talks since the beginning of her academic year.

"Of course I would care," Leon whispered, grinning. "After all, you are the only one who knows my secret."

This sentence almost made Eula burst into laughter.

"Oh?" she whispered back, leaning forward, arms crossed, eyes locked on him. "Says the person who knows about my secrets."

Leon didn't hold back either.

"That's an understatement, don't you think princess?"

Leon knew that Eula wouldn't be shaken by such petty remarks. And also, she still didn't have any real idea about his true intentions.

And Leon was just that hard to read.

He continued, with his usual mocking yet confident tone.

"Second Princess of Liora, and the founder of the Twilight Order… it looks to me like you have more secrets than I do."

That didn't surprise Eula. In fact, she already knew he was aware of her identity.

Eula straightened her posture.

"Leon Valentine," she said, "you're not a fool, I can tell. So tell me this…"

She narrowed her gaze.

"...what exactly are you scheming here?"

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A/N: If you are enjoying the story so far, a few power stones and golden tickets would help me rank up.