Chapter 275
At the highest level of the central citadel, where all of Damienne Academy and the vast Drakin Mountains could be seen at a glance—
“This view never fails to overwhelm.”
Gazing out at the breathtaking scenery, Zephia, Principal of Azonia, crossed her arms and smirked.
Gerwin, Principal of Damienne, looked at her with a gentle smile.
“For us dwarves, the Drakin Mountains are a point of pride. No matter what anyone says, this is the land where Master Dweno was born and raised.”
The Drakin Mountains—long revered as sacred ground, rich in ancient ore deposits—were the heart of dwarven territory.
And Dweno, too, hailed from here.
At Gerwin’s words, Zephia sighed wistfully.
“It’s a shame we don’t know exactly where Arron was from.”
“The only Great Heroes whose hometowns are precisely recorded are the Wise King and the Divine Blacksmith.”
Leena, Principal of Lumene, spoke matter-of-factly.
She was right.
Lysinas was from Dragonia.
Before the Era of Calamity—during the divine age—it went by a different name, but Dragonia had always been the sanctuary of dragons.
All dragons were born in Dragonia, and Lysinas was no exception.
As for the Founder of the Nebula, Luna, her birthplace remained a mystery. There were several candidates, but none had been confirmed.
“I doubt you called us here to talk about history.”
A mocking voice cut in.
Acting Principal of Seiren, Luhagen, sat with his arms crossed.
“Gerwin. Please explain why you convened this meeting.”
“Impatient as ever, I see.”
Gerwin stroked his beard and clicked his tongue.
Though Luhagen was arrogant and supremacist, even he had to tread carefully around Gerwin.
Leena of Lumene, Zephia of Azonia, and Luhagen of Seiren—these were the active generation’s leadership.
But Gerwin was different.
He was a hero of the previous generation.
A dwarven hero who fought alongside the Sword Saint.
His accomplishments as a hero were undeniable, and the weapons he forged became the stuff of legend.
The greatest blacksmith of the current era—that was Gerwin.
Even Luhagen used weapons forged by Gerwin and couldn’t speak lightly of him.
It wasn’t just Luhagen.
Zephia and even the elusive Leena also used weapons crafted by Gerwin.
‘Well, that’s not the only reason he’s respected.’
Leena dipped her head slightly as Gerwin offered her a seat.
‘He might be kindly now, but back in the day, he used to go challenge students from other Hero Academies just to test his weapons.’
He’d created countless anecdotes in the process.
To students now, he was a gentle legend, but in Leena’s generation, he was notorious for being eccentric and strict.
There were even stories of heroes being punched unconscious just for asking him to make a weapon.
‘With that elf’s personality, he might’ve been one of the ones who got decked.’
Shaking her head, Leena took her seat.
“I called you here because a letter arrived from Dragonia.”
The other principals showed visible surprise at Gerwin’s words.
A letter from Dragonia meant only one thing.
“Don’t tell me… the Silent Dragon has moved?”
The Silent Dragon—Dragon Lord Melina.
Long ago, she attempted to conquer the Genesis World, the world humanity had long dreamed of reclaiming.
A dragon powerful enough to be compared to the Legion Commanders of Tartarus: the Necromancer King, the Giant King, and the Monster Queen.
But after failing in the conquest, she had never shown herself again.
Even when the Sword Saint took down the Cursed King, one of the Legion Commanders, she hadn’t moved.
Hence, the world called her the Silent Dragon.
Gerwin nodded at Luhagen’s question.
“Yes.”
At his reply, all the Hero Academy principals tensed.
They weren’t just school leaders; they were powerhouses within their respective races.
For even them to react like this meant that Melina’s reappearance was no trivial matter.
‘The Monster Queen was defeated—she had no choice but to act now.’
‘She may have been silent until now, but her influence as Dragon Lord is overwhelming.’
‘Calling the principals directly instead of using vice-principals… What is she planning?’
Though Melina had remained silent, she was revered among dragons as the Great Sage.
A single word from her could change the direction of the Hero Academies.
“A new Hero Record was discovered in the Shan Empire. Through Dragonia, Shan secretly requested cooperation from each Hero Academy.”
Gerwin’s words made Luhagen scoff.
“That’s all?”
“That’s all? If the Dragon Lord herself is involved, it’s clearly not trivial.”
Leena looked at him coldly.
Luhagen smirked at her.
“Hero Records are discovered all the time. There’s nothing special about it. And if Shan requested help via Dragonia instead of official channels, it’s obvious—they discovered a Hero Dungeon they can’t conquer.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Shadows, who do nothing but clean up after heroes, could never properly conquer a Hero World.”
“If it weren’t for those shadows, you’d be dead several times over.”
“Isn’t it natural for shadows to protect heroes?”
Leena muttered to herself as she glared at him.
‘Now I see why the elven shadows call him the “most regrettable hero to have saved.”’
She wanted to knock his teeth in.
But this was an official meeting.
As a shadow-born principal herself, she’d expected this kind of treatment.
And disdain toward shadows wasn’t unique to elves.
It existed in every race.
‘If I were acting on instinct, I’d have beaten him to a pulp already.’
As Leena ground her teeth—
“Let’s refrain from disparaging shadows, Luhagen. They are those who sacrifice themselves in the dark to save the world. They are equals to heroes.”
“But they haven’t received divine recognition. How can shadows and heroes be equals? Ridiculous.”
Luhagen sneered.
“That may have been true in the past.”
Gerwin smiled.
“The Hero Record found in Shan is completely new—unlike anything before.”
“What?”
“It’s called the ‘Tome of Shadows,’ a fully formed record where only the names of shadows are listed.”
“That’s impossible! In 5,000 years of Hero Record history, not once has a shadow’s name been recorded!”
Luhagen jumped from his seat and shouted.
Gerwin smiled calmly.
“Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. A Hero Record made entirely for shadows exists, and a Hero World has opened around it. It’s a joyous occasion.”
Even with Gerwin’s words, the other principals looked like they couldn’t believe it.
Even Leena, a shadow herself, struggled to accept the situation.
It was that unbelievable.
“So what exactly is Shan requesting?”
“They asked for historical records of shadows. They want to document their stories in the new Hero Record.”
“Without divine recognition, that should be impossible.”
“That part is still unclear to me.”
Gerwin narrowed his eyes.
“Maybe they’ve found a way to earn divine recognition.”
“The gods vanished after the Era of Calamity. That’s impossible.”
Zephia shook her head.
“Indeed. But Shan offered no explanation. They merely sent the request. They must have their own way. And one more thing…”
Gerwin rested his chin in his hand.
“They also asked that the Hero Academies allow shadow candidates to study alongside hero candidates…”
“That’s unacceptable! Hero candidates and shadow candidates in the same space?!”
Luhagen exploded from his seat, face twisted with rage.
Discrimination against shadows.
It existed in all races—but was most extreme among elves.
It had to be.
Seiren’s admission condition: the ability to learn Star Magic.
But not every elf was born with magical talent.
Those who couldn’t use magic became shadows.
Elven society had long discriminated against them.
For centuries, only elves who could use magic had been recorded in the Hero Record.
And now, a Hero Record for shadows had suddenly appeared.
And Shan was asking to let shadow candidates learn alongside hero candidates?
To Luhagen, a staunch racial supremacist, this was unthinkable.
Zephia looked at him and said,
“I don’t agree with Seiren’s acting principal, but I must admit—it’s difficult for Azonia too. Heroes and shadows have always worked in separate domains. Trying to mix them suddenly could create chaos.”
She glanced at Leena.
“Wasn’t Lumene planning to have shadow candidates study as hero candidates this year?”
This year, a few shadow candidates had entered Lumene.
But they weren’t studying as shadows—they were treated as hero candidates.
“True. I just gave them the option. I never thought about teaching them together.”
Leena had admitted them to give them a choice: to live in the light or in the dark.
“I also believe it’s important to shift perception gradually, not through sudden change. This request came from Shan, not Dragonia.”
At that, Luhagen finally sat down.
If it came from Dragonia, even Seiren couldn’t ignore it.
But if it was Shan’s request—
‘Then I’ll just ignore it.’
Luhagen’s face grew cold.
“So this meeting was called to share information about the new Hero Record and discuss the path forward?”
“Yes. But before that, there’s one more thing.”
Gerwin pulled out a wooden box from his coat.
“This morning, a second letter arrived from Dragonia.”
“A second one?!”
Zephia’s eyes widened.
“Yes. And… this time it’s handwritten by the Dragon Lord herself.”
At the mention of a personal letter, the principals all tensed again.
A handwritten letter? What could be so important?
“I’ll open it.”
‘Click—’
Inside the wooden box was a single envelope.
Written in elegant script:
[To Master Gerwin, from Dragon Lord Melina.]
Even these battle-hardened principals focused sharply on the letter.
Gerwin took a breath, opened it, and read.
And as he did, his expression twisted strangely.
The others braced for something serious.
Gerwin blinked and re-read it.
Then pulled out a magnifying glass and read it again.
A moment later, he passed the letter to the others.
Zephia’s face twisted just like Gerwin’s after reading it.
Luhagen’s turned unreadable.
And when Leena finally read it, she was speechless.
[Dear Master Gerwin, Dragonia will take over custody of Master Dweno’s legacy currently held at Damienne.
—Dragon Lord Melina.]
‘Forget the content—what the hell is with this bear?!’
Leena’s expression turned odd as she stared at the cute bear drawing at the bottom corner of the letter.