Chapter 416

Central Lumene.

The Hero’s Tower.

A lavish party was currently underway in the grand plaza before it.

It was an event to welcome the external guests who had come to Lumene, so student attendance was mandatory.

Of course, since it was a gathering of renowned heroes and powerful figures who moved the world, most students attended without much complaint.

The influential people who had gathered from all over showed a deep interest in Lumene’s most promising students.

Among them, the ones drawing the most attention were, as expected, the second-years, known as Lumene’s golden generation.

“Hoh, so you are Miss Chloe Mueller. Your thesis is currently garnering a great deal of attention in the world of magic.”

“Prince Duran. The kingdoms of the central continent have high hopes for you!”

“You’re Walden? You certainly have the makings of someone who could form a contract with a Great Spirit.”

Watching the scene, Chelsea smiled faintly.

“Everyone’s so popular~”

“And you guys aren’t?”

Carr, who had brought a plate piled high with buffet food and was enjoying the feast, spoke teasingly. Chelsea replied.

“We’re people of the Lordren Empire.”

“True. No matter how promising you are, they wouldn’t try to recruit someone affiliated with the Lordren Empire. By the way, sunbaes, you’re not fighting today.”

Carr tilted his head as he looked at Niel and Machel.

Among the second-years, the relationship between Celia and Chelsea was famous.

But there was a relationship even more intense than theirs, and that was between Niel and Machel, the heirs to their respective family’s vassal houses.

Despite the one-year age gap between them, the two created an explosive chemical reaction whenever they met.

But for some reason, those two were quiet today.

“Celia and Chelsea are being well-behaved today, too.”

At Carr’s words, Celia swept her hair back.

“Do you think I growl at Chelsea whenever I see her, regardless of the time or place?”

“Yes.”

At Carr’s unhesitating reply, the expression vanished from Celia’s face.

“Anyway, is there a reason?”

Sensing danger, Carr quickly changed the subject. Chelsea answered.

“To keep the flies from swarming.”

“Flies? Ahh.”

Carr, who had tilted his head at Chelsea’s words, nodded as if he understood.

His gaze then turned to Leo, who was sitting alone with a relaxed expression.

“Leo isn’t from the Lordren Empire, is he?”

Leo’s main family was the Plov family, and his affiliation was the Delard Kingdom.

Although he was recognized as a direct descendant of Zerdinger, it was through his maternal line.

As such, there were countless parties after Leo.

The youngest student council president in Lumene Academy’s history.

On top of that, an All-Class, just like the Hero of Beggining.

He had even already accomplished incredible feats at a young age.

Any influential figure would inevitably covet a being like Leo.

Even now, many were furtively glancing Leo’s way, wanting to approach him.

But with Celia and Chelsea glaring daggers, they couldn’t carelessly draw near.

Even if they were just students, no one would dare make a move on Leo in front of the direct descendants of Zerdinger and Lewellin.

‘They’re on dedicated guard duty.’

Carr understood and continued to enjoy the feast.

‘It’s nice and convenient.’

Leo chuckled and let the two of them be.

He had actually thought this party would be exhausting, but it seemed he had nothing to worry about.

‘My position in this era is no longer low.’

Being in Lumene, he had become desensitized to the gazes of outsiders.

But this event made him realize it for certain.

Leo’s existence was already deeply engraved upon the world.

Everyone knew of Leo and praised the feats he had accomplished.

Thinking that far, Leo recalled someone.

‘Death King Hell Kaiser.’

The supreme commander leading Tartarus.

And a great Demon with power and charisma to match.

‘His most terrifying trait is his insight.’

In the early days of the Era of Calamity.

The fact that Tartarus had defeated the countless powerful nations and heroes of that time and vastly expanded its territory was only possible because of the Death King’s command.

‘Even after we gained enough power to subjugate the Legion Commanders, that bastard drove us into crisis time and time again.’

That was how fearsome a being Death King Hell Kaiser was.

The Era of Calamity came to an end.

As people once again rebuilt the world and the Age of Heroes began, the reason Tartarus was never ultimately destroyed…

It was all likely possible because the Death King was there.

‘What does the Death King think of me now?’

Countless incidents had occurred since Leo enrolled in Lumene.

Each and every one of them was enough to startle the world.

The Death King must be baffled.

A young human who appeared out of nowhere was making the impossible possible as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The Death King had already experienced a similar situation 5000 years ago.

‘The appearance of Lysinas and me, and Luna, Arron, and Dweno.’

The great heroes who had prevented the world’s destruction, which had already been a foregone conclusion, and ultimately saved the world.

From the world’s perspective, they were a miraculous hope, but from the Death King’s perspective, they must have been a disaster.

‘With his insight…’

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

‘He might have already vaguely figured me out.’

Leo clenched and unclenched his fist.

‘From now on, it would be best to operate under the assumption that he knows my true identity.’

Leo’s eyes narrowed to slits.

‘A 5000-year-long ill-fated relationship. It’s time to put a period on it.’

—

“Leo-sunbae!”

With her hands clasped, Lea was about to let out a shriek and rush at Leo.

Lunia clutched her head and grabbed the back of Lea’s neck.

“Lea, you’re the top first-year at Seiren, you know? You’re the face of the school. This is a gathering of countless heroes and influential figures from all over the world. Shouldn’t you refrain from disgraceful behavior that would tarnish the school’s honor?”

At Lunia’s words, Lea’s eyes narrowed.

“Sunbae, don’t you think your conscience should prickle a little, you talking to me about Seiren’s honor?”

Lunia had already folded up her pretense and thrown it to the heavens.

Even so, it wasn’t like she threw a fit anytime, anywhere.

“I at least pick my time and place.”

“You do?”

At her hubae’s blatant display of disbelief, Lunia choked Lea without hesitation.

Squeeze-!

“Fine, I won’t pick my time and place, just like you want.”

“Gack! I, I surrender! Surrender!”

“You’re being informal?”

“I, I surrender, sunbae-nim!”

Lea struggled, tapping Lunia’s arm again and again.

“Hmph hmph! You’ve got a hubae who’s just like you!”

Just then, a voice that sounded smug for some reason was heard.

Standing there was Ar, dressed neatly in her Azonia uniform with her arms crossed.

“Ohoho! Lunia! Ar! Have you been well!”

Driana, wearing a Damienne uniform, also spotted the two and greeted them cheerfully.

Seeing them, Lea’s eyes widened.

Early this year.

The three who had conquered Dweno’s world and were hailed as the hero candidates who would lead the next generation were all gathered.

‘The pressure they’re giving off is no joke.’

Shedding her lighthearted mood, Lea also looked at the three with tense eyes.

Amidst this, Driana spoke up.

“You still have that weird way of talking?”

Lunia said with her arms crossed, and Driana burst out laughing.

“I am always striving to act like the esteemed Dweno-nim.”

“You’re not like him at all.”

Ar said coolly, but Driana didn’t listen.

“Anyway, since we’ve met like this, it’s a good occasion for me to ask a favor.”

Seeing Driana speak with a serious expression, Lea’s face tensed slightly.

A favor from a hero candidate who would lead the next generation?

‘What is it? Is she talking about needing to procure materials to create some incredible Artifact? Or has a huge problem arisen within Damienne?’

Just as Lea’s eyes darted around in suspense.

“If you’re going to ask me to be a nude model again, the answer is no. You perverted dwarf.”

Ar said bitingly.

At those words, Lea couldn’t believe her ears.

“It is for the sake of art.”

“Didn’t Dweno-nim tell you to quit art?”

This time, Lunia spoke coolly.

“The important thing is a heart that does not give up. Dweno-nim surely said so as well.”

“That same Dweno-nim would probably tell you to please give up on art.”

“If Dweno-nim were here, he would have told you it’s okay to give up.”

Despite Ar and Lunia’s merciless words, Driana didn’t even bat an eye.

Then she spotted Lea and spoke.

“Hoh, a beautiful young lady. You. Have you any thoughts of being a nude model?”

“No.”

Answering in a reluctant voice, Lea asked Lunia seriously.

“The content of this conversation is just too high-level for me to understand, right?”

“It’s because her words are too low-class for you to understand.”

Lunia sighed.

Just as the three students, hailed as the future of their respective races, were having this pathetic conversation.

“Hello, everyone.”

Someone spoke to them.

The four of them turned their heads and were startled.

Standing there was none other than the Dragon Lord, Melina.

“I-It is an honor to meet you, great Lord.”

As Lunia hurriedly paid her respects, Melina put a hand under her veil and let out a low “heh heh” laugh.

“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

Smiling faintly, Melina looked at Lea and said.

“Miss Lea Tingel.”

“Ye-Yes!”

“How about you go talk with the first-years from Lumene? I’m sure it will be of great help to you.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Lea answered with a sharp nod and stepped back.

She wanted to talk more, but she didn’t dare question the words of the Dragon Lord.

‘Still, it should be okay to eavesdrop on their conversation from a distance, right?’

Overcome with strong curiosity, Lea glanced at the four of them.

And then she let out a baffled, “Huh?”

The four people who had been there just a moment ago were gone.

‘What?’

She looked around in bewilderment.

Despite being an incredibly conspicuous group, they were nowhere to be seen.

‘Come to think of it, people were quiet even though the Dragon Lord appeared.’

Normally, the mere appearance of the Dragon Lord in the middle of a party should have caused a huge commotion.

But the party’s atmosphere remained unchanged.

‘Don’t tell me, perception-distorting magic? Wow, amazing. To think I didn’t notice at all.’

Lea couldn’t help but marvel at the incredibly elaborate and subtle magic.

—

Standing before Melina, the three students stood at attention with tense faces.

Seeing them, Melina burst out laughing.

“Don’t be so nervous. I just came because I wanted to talk with you all.”

“I-It is an honor.”

Lunia replied in a trembling voice.

“But why would you want to talk with us…”

When Ar asked with a slightly puzzled face, Melina smiled faintly.

“Because you are the hero candidates chosen by this era.”

At those words, Driana’s eyes widened.

“Lord, have you chosen us?”

Dragons had, for generations, chosen the heroes who would bear the burden of an era.

Among them, the hero chosen by the Dragon Lord was special.

That was why Melina’s mention of ‘heroes chosen by the era’ was enough to startle the three of them.

At their reaction, Melina smiled faintly.

“Rather than me choosing… he was the one who chose.”

“He?”

At Melina’s honorific, the three of them wore expressions of shock.

The Dragon Lord.

The head of Dragonia and the king of all dragons.

In a sense, she could be called the highest person in the world.

For her to use an honorific for someone…

‘Who in the world could it be?’

While everyone was surprised.

Melina glanced at ‘him’—at Leo.

And then, she flinched for a moment.

‘What is that?’

Melina’s eyes sensed a foreign power from Leo.

An incredibly faint power.

‘It’s a power I’ve felt somewhere before.’

Tilting her head slightly, Melina soon realized the identity of the power Leo was emitting.

‘It’s similar to the power of the Hero Record.’