Chapter 111
The next morning.
In front of the Colosseum, crowds had gathered to watch the Azonia entrance ceremony.
People entered one after another as they were guided.
In the middle of the arena, the entrance candidates were loosening up with tense faces.
From here, the entrance candidates would move along the track inside Azrek and then head out to the Great Desert.
The reason for touring the city was to let many people see the hero candidates.
The stands of the Colosseum were packed, and the crowd was enthusiastically cheering for the candidates.
Leo stood at the most secluded spot among the entrance candidates.
He fiddled with his beret, pressing it down deeper, as if he still wasn’t used to the rabbit ears poking out from behind it.
With [Polymorph Magic], he was disguised as a beastkin and his hair color had changed, giving him a different impression than usual, but anyone who knew him could still recognize him.
‘Besides, there’s nothing good about being recognized.’
“Hey, kid! Hang in there!”
“Haha! You look relaxed! We’ll be cheering for you!”
Even so, people in the stands sent enthusiastic cheers toward Leo in the corner.
‘Wherever you go, hero candidates are always welcomed.’
The Age of Calamity had ended, and the world had found peace.
Yet the world still longed for heroes.
Was it because they were the ones who accomplished great feats?
Or because they were the people who would change the world?
‘No, people already know.’
Leo’s eyes dimmed slightly.
‘The embers of disaster haven’t been put out yet.’
Even if Erebos had been split into several fragments, he hadn’t disappeared completely.
Tartarus, which could be called Erebos’s army, was still alive and well, constantly scheming for the return of disaster.
‘True peace will only come after the age of heroes ends.’
An era when heroes are no longer needed.
That was the peace the great heroes pursued.
He was recalling a vow from long ago when—
“Black Rabbit!”
Ar strode over.
“You haven’t forgotten yesterday’s promise, have you? I’ll definitely earn your approval!”
“Yeah, yeah. But why do you have such dark circles under your eyes?”
Ar gave a meaningful smile and opened her eyes wide.
“I was so excited I didn’t sleep a wink!”
Leo clicked his tongue as Ar shouted boldly.
“You sure you’re okay?”
“Of course I’m fine! So during today’s exam, just stick with me! Got it?”
“It’s the exam. I can’t just follow you around.”
“Don’t miss even a single moment of my performance! Only look at me! Look at me, I said! Only me!”
Ar chattered away at Leo’s side, whining like a kitten.
In the meantime, other entrance candidates noticed Ar and approached.
“You’re Ar Tune, right? Nice to meet you! I’m Libed. Let’s do our best in the exam.”
“If you get in, could you recommend me to Instructor Verga?”
“Want to form a team with me at this entrance ceremony?”
“Huh? Huh?”
As the other candidates gathered around, Ar looked flustered.
Many disliked recommended candidates, but there were also many who respected them.
Besides, Ar was the heir of the prestigious hero family, Tune.
There were bound to be students who wanted to get on her good side before the entrance.
As the candidates gathered, the attention of the crowd naturally focused on them.
Sensing that, Leo slipped away.
Ar, who had been surrounded by other candidates, noticed and widened her eyes.
“Where are you going! Black Rabbit! I told you to stay next to me!”
Ar, fuming, apologized to the candidates talking to her and hurried after Leo.
Seeing that, the other candidates’ faces twisted.
‘What’s with that rabbit guy!’
‘Why does Ar Tune care about him so much? Is it just because he’s a recommended candidate?’
Unintentionally, Leo became the target of all their jealousy.
—
In the stands, Yura spoke while looking at the list of this year’s recommended Azonia candidates.
“Tune, Den, Lual, even Vega. Our kids are the best, but Azonia’s recommended candidates this year are no joke either.”
“That’s true.”
“But Kyle? I’ve never seen a kid using the name of the [Hero of the Beginning] before. And he doesn’t even have a family name? What’s up with that?”
“We’ll find out.”
Every year at Azonia’s entrance ceremony, the educators from each hero academy were invited.
Each academy accepted the invitation to observe the students who would later compete with their own first-years.
And this year, the first-year department representative professors from Lumene were attending.
Len was supposed to come as well, but he declined, saying he needed to prepare for the second semester.
“That brat! The seniors all made the trip, but he’s the only one skipping out!”
“There’s no need for all three of us to come. Besides, he’s busy preparing for classes, so you can’t blame him.”
“Professor Ain, you’re always so lenient about these things. That’s why Len keeps acting up! You should show him some dignity as his senior.”
“You’re not one to talk, you know?”
“What? Why not?”
“Professor, honestly, the one who talks back to Professor Ain the most is you.”
Carlo, sitting next to Yura, spoke carefully.
Yura glanced at her assistant professor, then chopped him in the throat with the side of her hand.
“Ugh! Ack! Ack!”
Ignoring her suffering assistant, Yura spoke.
“Anyway, Len is wasting his time. No matter how hard he prepares, Leo will choose the Summoning Department.”
“What are you talking about? Leo Plov is in the Knights Department.”
She tried to correct Yura’s smug look, but Yura wouldn’t listen.
“By the way, Professor, aren’t you friends with Azonia’s Instructor Verga? Aren’t you going to see him?”
“I’d rather not run into him this time.”
“Why?”
“He’ll pester me, comparing each of our first-years to his entrance candidates one by one.”
“That’s true.”
Nodding, Yura frowned as she looked up at the sky.
Even with shade in the stands, it was sweltering.
‘This is why I didn’t want to come.’
Yura, who hated the heat, took a sip of her drink to stay hydrated.
Then, noticing something in the arena, her eyes widened.
“Cough? Ack! Hack! Cough! Cough!”
“Did you choke again?”
Ain looked at Yura, exasperated.
Yura, coughing like crazy, suddenly grabbed Ain’s head.
“What are you—”
Crunch!
Then she twisted his neck.
At the ominous sound from Ain’s neck, Carlo’s face turned pale.
“Looks like you were right about being lenient to juniors, Yura Marnin.”
Crack—crack—
Ain flexed his fingers, ready to take revenge on Yura.
Yura, finally over her choking, shouted desperately.
“Wait! Professor! Look! Cough! Look over there! There’s Leo!”
“What nonsense…”
Ain, glaring and radiating hostility, suddenly spotted a rabbit beastkin in the crowd.
Ain, who had been silent, spoke.
“Let go.”
Ain shook off Yura’s hand and rubbed his eyes before looking at the rabbit beastkin.
Except for the hair color and being a beastkin, he looked far too much like Leo.
‘What’s he doing there?’
Ain frowned and stood up, glaring at Leo.
“I’ll go see that Verga guy for a bit.”
—
“Everyone, line up!”
At the instructor’s shout from the platform, the Azonia candidates immediately fell into formation.
As the candidates lined up, the instructor in charge spoke.
“Recommended candidates, step forward.”
At those words, five entrance candidates came forward to the platform.
“You will represent the candidates and recite the declaration. Go up in the order written on the declaration and recite it.”
The instructor handed out the declaration to the students.
While the other recommended candidates read the declaration, Leo asked,
“Do we just read it?”
“Yes, as descendants of Arron, you put your hand on [Arron’s Hero Record] with respect and recite the mindset that a hero should have.”
‘Arron’s [Hero Record]? I never thought I’d see it like this.’
Leo read the declaration in surprise.
Once the recommended candidates finished checking the declaration, the instructor glanced at the time and spoke into a microphone enchanted with [Amplification Magic].
[Before the entrance ceremony begins, the recommended candidates will now take the oath. Recommended candidates, step forward.]
With those words, the crowd’s attention focused on the five candidates.
At the instructor’s signal, another instructor brought out [Arron’s Page] placed on a silk cushion and carefully set it on the platform.
The audience murmured.
“That’s [Arron’s Hero Record].”
“Ooh…!”
Seeing the oldest hero’s page in the world, the crowd looked deeply moved, and some even began to pray.
That page was proof that the great hero had saved the world.
[Declaration recitation.]
At the solemn voice of the instructor, Leo, who was on the far left, stepped up to [Arron’s Page].
Step—
He stood in front of it and looked down at the [Hero Record].
The page, marked <Prologue>, was old and faded, with words barely legible.
But he could clearly feel the power of the gods within it.
‘It’s safe.’
Recalling the broken fragments of Kyle’s [Hero Record]—which was so damaged it could barely be called a hero’s page—Leo let out a sigh of relief.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and read.”
Prompted by the instructor, Leo placed his hand on [Arron’s Page].
“One, before the name of the great [Hero], I will never act cowardly.”
Woom—
Leo flinched at the reaction from [Arron’s Page].
‘What was that?’
Woom—!
‘This is…!’
Sensing something strange from [Arron’s Page], Leo quickly called out to Ar, who was about to place her hand on the declaration after him.
“Two, before the name of the great [Hero], I will not act shamefully—”
“Stop! Take your hand off!”
“Wha—what are you doing?”
Leo tried to push Ar away, but Ar instinctively avoided his hand.
At that moment.
Woom—!
[Arron’s Page] began to shine.
“What is this?”
The instructor looked flustered.
[Hero Record Open.]
“What?”
“W-wait!”
Ar’s eyes went wide at the message floating before her.
[Arron’s World. Chapter: Prologue—Beginning]
Woom— Fwoosh—!
A blinding light filled their vision.
Leo and Ar squeezed their eyes shut.
And when they opened them again…
The two of them were standing in the middle of a street.
“J-just now, it definitely said [Hero Record Open], right?”
While Ar panicked, Leo looked up at the sky.
Following Leo, Ar looked up as well.
And her face hardened.
“What is that? What’s wrong with the sky?”
For Ar, who had only ever known an age of peace, it was a sky she couldn’t even imagine.
But for Leo, it was a sky so familiar it was suffocating.
A bleak gray sky with not a hint of blue.
Proof that the world was heading toward destruction.
Leo’s expression turned grave.
‘The Age of Calamity.’