Chapter 156
“Did you call me just to check if I’m actually Kyle?”
“I only started to suspect that you might be the Hero of the Beginning a few minutes ago. It was when I first met you.”
Melina answered politely.
“The moment I faced you, Lysinas’s magic power slipped out of my control.”
“I see.”
The Dragon Lord.
Despite being called the queen of dragons, her manner was very courteous.
Though she looked like a fifteen-year-old hero cadet, Leo had once saved the world as a great hero.
He was the last hero, the one who single-handedly defeated Erebos.
No matter how impressive the Dragon Lord was, she couldn’t be compared to Kyle.
“I still can’t believe it. I never thought I’d be able to talk to the great hero in reality, not the Hero’s World.”
With a voice full of emotion, Melina asked Leo many questions.
Most were about the great hero.
As a dragon who thirsted for knowledge, Melina focused on Leo’s every word.
“Ah, I wish I could just listen to your stories forever.”
Melina let out a regretful sigh.
She wanted to keep talking with Leo.
To hear directly from a legend of the distant past, not just from the records?
‘Is there any greater joy for a seeker of knowledge than this?’
But she couldn’t keep Leo for too long.
Today’s meeting had happened truly by chance.
‘I can’t trouble Leo just because of my own selfishness.’
With a wry smile, Melina spoke.
“I’ll explain why I brought you here.”
“Alright.”
“As you probably know, there are agents of Tartarus infiltrating the Human Hero Academy right now. Among them, there are traitors.”
Melina let out a deep sigh.
“We are tracking them, but it’s not easy.”
‘Of course.’
Ever since Leo sensed the presence of Tartarus in Lumene, he had kept a close eye on everyone.
But the agents had blended in perfectly.
‘Not even a hint of suspicion, let alone anything actually suspicious.’
Since his days as Kyle, Leo had defeated countless demons of Tartarus, so he was more sensitive to their presence than anyone.
But even Leo couldn’t find a clue.
It’s not strange that he couldn’t catch the traitor in Lumene.
“But at least Tartarus’s goal is clear.”
“To cut down the sprouts of those with the potential to become heroes.”
“Yes. That’s why I wanted to ask you to act as bait to root out the traitors.”
To Tartarus, Leo was surely a thorn in their side.
An All-Class just like Kyle.
On top of that, his actions continued to draw attention.
He was a dangerous variable they would do anything to eliminate.
“Bait, huh? Not a bad idea.”
As Leo chuckled, Melina looked at him with an apologetic expression.
“Is it alright for me to make such a request of you?”
“It’s fine. To be honest, I wanted to find them too, but being a student puts a lot of limits on what I can do.”
Leo let out a short laugh.
As a student, he couldn’t act freely in many ways.
He also had to hide the fact that he was Kyle reincarnated.
There were plenty of powerful people in Lumene.
If Leo alone managed to find the traitors that none of them could, it would only draw suspicion.
‘I don’t want to be treated as a spy who infiltrated Lumene.’
And now, the Dragon Lord Melina had approached him.
Lieven probably set up this meeting because he judged Leo to be “trustworthy.”
‘Thanks to that, my true identity got exposed, though.’
Leo glanced at Melina.
When their eyes met, Melina smiled softly.
“I’ll be the bait. But I have one request.”
“You don’t want me to tell anyone about your identity, right?”
“That’s right.”
Melina also understood why Leo had kept his identity secret.
‘The more people know a secret, the worse it is.’
No matter how trustworthy, Leo’s secret was one nobody could bear.
‘This man is still fighting.’
There were plenty of easy paths.
After all, it was an age of peace.
Nobody would blame him if he turned a blind eye and just enjoyed life.
But the reincarnated great hero still chose to fight.
Melina touched her left eye.
Long ago, she had fought Erebos.
‘It wasn’t the real one, just a fake.’
The Hero’s World, undefeated for thousands of years.
‘The return of the Great Calamity.’
Having inherited Lysinas’s power, Melina had boldly challenged the calamity’s return with her comrades.
And she failed.
Most of the comrades once hailed as great died or became crippled.
Melina, who was in relatively better shape, barely managed to recover, but after that, she couldn’t bring herself to try again.
Her comrades were gone.
She was left alone, with nobody to recognize her efforts.
Even so, Leo was prepared to fight alone.
‘This is what makes him a great hero.’
The man chosen by the Wise King.
“Leo.”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t use the word ‘request.’ I’m someone who lives in the era of peace you created. I might not have known if I didn’t know who you were, but now that I do, I will serve you.”
Melina bowed her head respectfully.
“As the Dragon Lord, as the successor to the Wise King’s will. I’m always ready to give my life. So please, command me whenever you need. That is my destiny.”
Melina spoke solemnly.
“Destiny and all that is a bit much for me.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t save the world for some grand reason. I was just dragged into it by Lysinas.”
Leo chuckled.
“So even now, it’s not some great reason that makes me fight. I fight because I want to.”
Leo lightly tapped Melina on the forehead.
“So you should live as you want, too. That’s enough.”
Melina looked up at Leo with wide eyes.
Then she smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll do as I please.”
“Good.”
The great heroes he’d just met were different from what she imagined.
‘But he’s still a great man.’
It was someone like him who could save the world.
So the Dragon Lord made a vow.
‘Let me lighten his burden, even just a little.’
—
After Leo returned to Lumeria, Melina sat on her throne again.
“Lord, what did you think of Leo Plov?”
“He is an extraordinary boy. Just as you said, he is truly worthy of being called a great hero.”
Lieven had first introduced Leo to Melina as someone with the potential to be a great hero.
‘She looks pleased.’
Watching the Lord dangle her legs and hum, Lieven smiled quietly.
“Sir Lieven.”
“Yes.”
“Take care of the first-year students at Lumene.”
“…….”
“They will surely become incredible heroes.”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve already made up my mind.”
Lieven smiled.
“I’ll stake my future on them. I’ll do everything I can.”
Watching the old dragon’s passionate grin, Melina smiled bitterly.
“Please take care of them, Sir Lieven.”
—
Leaving the clock tower, Leo entered Kuraje, the main street of Lumeria City.
Kuraje felt a little different than usual.
There were kids his age everywhere.
‘Students from other academies.’
Leo looked interested as he watched students in uniforms touring the city.
As he did, students from the three major academies began to whisper among themselves.
“Is that a Lumene uniform?”
“Is he a student from Lumene Academy? He doesn’t look that impressive.”
“What’s his class? Knight? Mage? Or Summoner?”
“Right. I heard Lumene students wear an emblem.”
Curious eyes landed on Leo.
‘There’s still some time before the assembly.’
Checking the time, Leo stroked his chin.
‘Where is everyone else?’
“Hey! You’re from Lumene Academy, right?”
Someone spoke to him.
Turning, he saw girls wearing white, frilly, short-sleeved blouses, black skirts, cloaks, and wizard hats.
Their outfits were practically advertising, “I’m a mage.” They were students from the Magic Academy, Emeral.
“By the way.”
“Do you take classes in the Magic Department?”
“I do.”
“Great! I knew I was right! You totally give off that mage vibe!”
One girl clapped her hands and beamed.
“My name is Silla. I’m a first year at Emeral.”
“My name is…….”
“Skip the introductions! Come here for a second, will you?”
Cutting Leo off, Silla wore a bright, friendly smile as she led him into a nearby cafe.
Leo stopped short as he entered.
The entire cafe was filled with students from Emeral Academy.
“Our academy’s students are a little too passionate about their studies. Once a debate starts, they just can’t leave until it’s settled.”
Silla shrugged and smiled, pointing to a portable whiteboard in one corner of the cafe.
“We were just debating a magic formula. And what do you know? You, a Lumene student, walked by! So I wanted to get your opinion, even if it was a bit much to ask! Sorry. Sorry.”
Laughing, Silla asked Leo,
“What do you think of this formula? It’s really popular at our school right now.”
Leo looked at the formula.
‘It’s incomplete.’
He could tell at a glance it wouldn’t activate.
It was also unnecessarily complicated.
‘This is just… It’s like they made it complicated just to give people a headache.’
Glancing at Silla, Leo looked around at the Emeral students in the cafe.
They all wore serious expressions, but he could tell they were sneaking glances at his face.
Silla was the same.
Leo easily figured out the situation.
‘They’re trying to embarrass me.’
The students of the three great academies admired Lumene, but also envied and resented its students. That was common knowledge.
‘Should I just play along?’
He sighed softly and was about to speak when someone entered the cafe.
Looking over, he saw Yura and Len at the entrance.
‘They came because they’re supervising.’
The Emeral students hadn’t noticed them yet.
Yura also looked inside, sighed quietly, and started to come in.
But Len stopped her.
Len smiled at Leo, pointed at the Emeral students, made a throat-cutting gesture, and then left with Yura.
‘He wants me to crush them?’
Letting out a small laugh, Leo decided to follow Len’s order.
“That’s an interesting spell. If you change a couple of things, it might work.”
“Really?”
Silla’s eyes sparkled.
She looked at him like a snake eyeing prey.
“Yeah.”
Nodding nonchalantly, Leo walked over to the whiteboard.
Watching him, the Emeral students held their breath and laughed quietly.
‘Ridiculous. That spell can never work.’
‘You’d have to completely rewrite it from scratch.’
‘To fall for such a simple mistake… So much for the Lumene kids.’
Spinning the whiteboard, Leo said,
“This is how I’d interpret it.”
—
“Hey! You’re supposed to stop things like that! Emeral Academy is your responsibility, isn’t it?”
Yura punched Len in the back.
“Go stop them! Why are you trying to break the other kids before the joint class?”
“Yes, I am trying to break their spirits.”
‘This idiot. He was just talking about taking care of the Emeral kids, and now this?’
“Why?”
“Fufufu. Yura, how can you be so slow?”
“I don’t know about that, but I do know you must have a death wish.”
Yura grabbed Len by the neck, veins bulging on her forehead.
Len blocked her hand and said,
“Emeral students need to know. Leo is on a whole different level than them!”
Len let out a fufufu laugh.
“And as mages, they need to experience Leo’s greatness firsthand! Once they see his genius, they’ll admire and praise him! I’m not trying to crush them—I’m broadening their horizons! You know the saying, you have to break the shell before you can hatch out of the egg?”
“…….”
Yura blinked.
She tried to make sense of Len’s words.
But it was impossible for her.
“What are you even saying, you lunatic.”
“Fufu. As expected, the narrow-minded Yura can’t understand my grand vision. Let me put it in simple terms so you can understand.”
“So you really do want to die? If that’s your wish, I’ll grant it.”
Yura pulled out a whip and started strangling Len.
Even as she choked him, Len kept raving about Leo’s genius.
As she squeezed Len’s neck, Yura thought,
‘Why would the Emeral kids mess with Leo of all people? And their supervising professor is this guy. I feel bad for them.’
She looked sympathetic thinking of the Emeral students.
Meanwhile, as Len was being strangled, he thought,
‘The Scaun kids are unlucky too. Their supervising professor is the musclehead Yura.’
Both professors were thinking the same thing.