Chapter 126

The first-year students made their way to the Academy using their own methods.

The Knights Department students used [Aura Step].

The Magic Department students used [Fly Magic] or [Wing Magic].

The Summoning Department students used flying summoned beasts and spirits.

If it had been the start of the semester, many students would have struggled to cross the vast Lumeria Lake, but now, there wasn’t a single first-year at Lumene who couldn’t make it across.

‘That just means everyone has grown that much.’

Leo thought to himself as he flew through the sky using [Fly Magic].

He occasionally saw the aquatic monsters living in Lumeria Lake attacking students, but everyone responded with ease.

“At this rate, I think we could even take on a Kraken and win.”

“Don’t say stuff like that, even as a joke.”

Leo smiled as he listened to his classmates chatting.

‘But why are we being told to go all the way to the Academy?’

It was obvious they were trying to test the students’ abilities.

But for a test, the difficulty was too low.

Leo, who already knew Lieven’s true identity as a dragon, expected a much tougher challenge awaited them. (T/N: Changing it from Riven to Lieven)

‘There’s no way this ends here.’

Just as Leo was convinced of this, a thick fog suddenly settled before his eyes.

Other students didn’t think much of it, since fog was common over Lumeria Lake.

But the moment he entered the mist, Leo’s expression hardened.

‘This is…!’

Leo’s eyes widened.

‘[Dragon Speech Magic]?’

Whoosh—!

The moment he recognized [Dragon Speech Magic], Leo’s vision changed.

‘This is a bit much.’

It was a spell Leo knew.

Long ago, it was developed by Lysinas, the Wise King.

‘Strictly speaking, it’s a curse.’

Lysinas created this [Dragon Curse] to counter the powerful curses of Tartarus.

‘[Nightmare].’

Whoosh—!

The scenery changed completely.

Leo took a deep breath as he saw it.

He knew the characteristics of this curse well.

‘A curse where you have to fight the person you least want to fight among those you know.’

Leo turned his head at that thought.

And seeing the woman in front of him, he muttered, ‘Just as I thought.’

Standing before him was a beautiful woman.

It was none other than Lysinas.

—

Within Lumene Academy, the professors in charge of the first-year students watched the magical screen with grave faces.

They could see the students heading for Lumene collapse and lose consciousness.

“Ah…”

“Oh, dear…”

Sighs of regret spread among the professors.

The students who passed out and fell into the water were swallowed by their own shadows.

The swallowed students were transported to the infirmary.

Among the professors, Vice Principal Lieven was only known as someone skilled with powerful illusion magic.

Knowing how strong his magic was, the professors initially strongly objected when Lieven said he wanted to test the first-years.

‘This is impossible!’

‘Maybe if they were upperclassmen, but no first-year could pass this!’

That’s how notorious Lieven’s magic was among the professors.

Not a single professor wanted to break the first-years’ spirits with such a ridiculous test.

‘It’s not a graded test. It’s literally just Vice Principal Lieven wanting to gauge the students’ abilities with a simple test.’

Persuaded by Kalian, the first-year professors entrusted their students to Lieven on the first day of the semester.

This was the result.

Watching the students collapse one after another, the professors let out deep sighs.

Even Sedgen, who would normally be cheering on his students with energy, simply watched the screen with his arms crossed and an expressionless face.

Several students from Class 1 also appeared on the screen.

“How inelegant.”

Frowning, Sedgen muttered to Professor Harrid.

“What do you think?”

“I’m sure the vice principal has his reasons. He’s been a professor at Lumene much longer than we have.”

Both Harrid and Sedgen knew Lieven’s true identity.

And they knew why he was at Lumene.

“But I still don’t like it.”

If Lieven, a dragon, directly guided the first-years, there would be nothing better. But he didn’t seem motivated to teach them.

Lumene’s goal was to raise candidates who could overcome any ordeal to become heroes.

But that didn’t mean forcing students through impossible trials.

Lieven had prepared this test as a way to refuse to guide the first-years.

The professors at Lumene always did their best for their students.

They had no doubt those students would one day change the world.

Sedgen, in particular, held that philosophy strongly.

That’s why he didn’t like Lieven’s approach of turning his back on the students’ potential.

Even Harrid, who valued efficiency, felt the same.

“Maybe it’s just a difference in perspective from looking at things on a bigger scale than we do.”

Harrid spoke as he looked at the students, and Sedgen let out a deep sigh.

—

“Kyle.”

Lysinas, who had blocked Leo’s path, smiled and stepped aside.

Then she pointed to the path she’d been blocking and spoke.

“Go on.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Leo smiled.

If his opponent was Lysinas, there was no way they’d fight.

Their meeting was the very first step toward saving the world.

They had more trust in each other than anyone else.

Leo knew better than anyone that a companion built from unwavering trust would never attack him.

That’s why things turned out this way.

It was the same for the other companions as well.

‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if we fight.’

Leo looked down at his hand.

It wasn’t the hand of a young boy, but the scarred hand of an adult who had crossed countless battlefields.

His field of vision had changed too.

[Nightmare] was a curse that showed illusions.

In the end, it was a fake.

If Leo recognized Lysinas as the person he least wanted to fight, then the illusion would also see Leo not as Leo, but as Kyle.

Leo scratched his gray hair as he walked past Lysinas.

Looking up at Kyle, Lysinas smiled softly.

“Good luck.”

With those words, Lysinas disappeared.

The scenery changed, leaving only darkness.

“Good luck… huh…”

Leo, now back in his original form, gave a bitter smile and drew his sword.

“I guess I should do my best.”

Whoosh—!

[Aura] erupted like an explosion.

Leo’s eyes shone.

Unlike rune-based magic, [Dragon Speech Magic] was created by combining dragon words.

Other races couldn’t even use or interpret it.

But as the one who inherited Lysinas’s will, Leo understood the magic ritual without difficulty.

‘Though I can’t use it in my current state.’

Understanding it wasn’t difficult.

Besides, this [Dragon Speech Magic] was created by Lysinas.

Crunch—!

He pointed his sword at the mass of magic.

Crackle—!

Cracks spread across the space, and soon the darkness shattered and faded away.

Flash—!

Leo’s eyes snapped open as [Fly Magic] was dispelled and he began to fall.

Splash—!

Using [Aura Step], Leo avoided falling into the water and narrowed his eyes.

He saw the surrounding students being swallowed by shadows.

‘Looks like there’s no intention to harm them.’

Since this was a curse-type magic created by a dragon, there was no way first-years could break through it.

Clench—!

Leo braced his legs.

Boom—!

The [Aura] gathered in his legs exploded out.

Leo raced toward Lumene at incredible speed.

Vice Principal Lieven, who was already waiting at the Lumene dock where the first-years would arrive, muttered to himself.

‘Was [Nightmare] too harsh after all?’

With a listless expression, Lieven shook his head and turned away from Lumeria Lake.

Splash, splash, splash—!

He heard the sound of someone running across the water.

When he turned his head, someone landed in front of him.

Lieven’s eyes widened.

Leo looked up at Lieven and spoke.

“I’m here.”

Lieven stared in disbelief at Leo, who spoke with a slightly cheeky tone.

“How did you break free of the magic?”

“I just did.”

“Huh.”

Lieven let out a hollow laugh at Leo’s reply.

Leo looked at Lieven and asked,

“But isn’t it unusual to give an impossible test?”

At the pointed question, Lieven let out a deep sigh.

He trudged over and slumped down in a chair on the dock.

“I’ve served as vice principal of Lumene for a long time. I’ve seen many students become heroes.”

Lieven smiled bitterly.

“But not one of them ever dreamed of anything beyond being a hero.”

In history, the last one chosen by a dragon was Sword Star Kalian.

That’s also why he’s called the greatest hero of this era.

“I’ve been watching this world stagnate for so long that I’ve lost motivation. I didn’t even want to see your potential.”

Lieven bowed his head deeply.

Dragons, being the mightiest of all races, rarely bow their heads to anyone.

Knowing this, Leo accepted Lieven’s heartfelt apology.

“So. What’s your dream?”

Lieven wanted to know what kind of dream this student—who achieved what he thought was impossible—had.

It had been ages since a student had caught his interest.

Leo answered as if it was nothing.

“The complete destruction of Erebos.”

Lieven’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t even imagined such an answer.

Just mentioning the name Erebos was difficult, yet this first-year declared he would destroy Erebos.

If it were anyone else, Lieven would have called it foolish.

An absurd, laughable goal. But Lieven didn’t laugh.

Instead, he felt his heart tremble.

“It’s understandable for a teacher who’s been at Lumene for a long time to become disappointed in students.”

Leo looked straight into Lieven’s eyes and spoke.

“But do you know something?”

“What?”

“The Wise King saved the world because she never gave up.”

At Leo’s words, Lieven’s eyes widened.

“Even after thousands of failures and disappointments, she said that was no reason to give up.”

Leo continued, recalling the leader who always stood at the front, leading the subjugation force.

“If you’re the successor of the Wise King, isn’t it only right to never give up, no matter what?”

“You… you know who I am…?”

Lieven instantly realized Leo had seen through his identity.

“I look forward to working with you, Vice Principal.”

With that, Leo left the dock and headed toward Lumene’s main gate.

Lieven watched his back and looked up at the sky.

‘Great Wise King… Who exactly is this boy who reminds me of your will?’

Lysinas was a being whom all dragons respected without reservation.

Remembering Lysinas, he took out the student roster from his subspace.

He flipped through the pages.

On the very first page, he saw Leo’s photo.

‘So that boy was Leo Plov.’

He hadn’t even realized he could have known the truth just by turning the first page.

Lieven realized how complacent he’d become and berated himself.

‘Even if ignoring another’s potential because of my own foolishness can be excused… just who is this boy…?’

Closing the student roster, Lieven looked up at the sky.

This was no mere golden generation.

‘Perhaps the stagnant world itself is about to be shaken.’

Having watched many heroes up close over the years, Lieven realized something instinctively.

Leo was not just a boy with the qualities of a hero.

Nor was he simply destined to become a greater hero.

One word floated through Lieven’s mind.

‘A Great Hero.’