Chapter 419

“Lumene has so many nice shops.”

“It’s true. Every single cake here is delicious!”

At Lunia’s words, Eiran—fork between her lips—cupped her cheeks and beamed.

Watching the two of them, Luka smiled brightly.

“I wish our school could be like this.”

“Right? Right?”

Despite being one of the top three most skilled students in his year, Luka had been stripped of his position as second-year representative starting from the first semester due to the Pureblood Society’s policies.

But with Seiren returning to normal, he had been reinstated.

The three of them, known as the inseparable trio since their first year, were currently exploring Lumene together.

It was while they were enjoying themselves in Lumene—

“Hey, hey.”

Carr came running over, out of breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“That first-year hubae of yours! Lea Tingel.”

“What about Lea?”

As Eiran tilted her head, Carr spoke urgently.

“She got caught by Professor Harrid and was dragged off to his research lab!”

“Professor Harrid?”

“Harrid… isn’t he one of the most famous professors at Lumene?”

Harrid and Sedgen.

The two renowned professors of Lumene were, of course, also highly respected among the other races.

So naturally, Lunia and Eiran knew of them.

“Why would Lea get caught by him?”

As Lunia set down her teacup, Carr replied.

“How should I know? She must’ve been causing a ruckus in the first-year classroom building hallway or something!”

“Ah~ She’s definitely capable of that. She goes on these inexplicable rampages sometimes.”

“Lea certainly has a quirky side to her.”

“The other day, she wrote Leo’s mentee’s name over and over in red letters. Said it was a curse or something.”

“Huhu. It seems she considers that boy, Luke, her rival.”

As Lunia spoke, Eiran covered her mouth and giggled, while Luka only shook his head.

“That’s too scary to be considered a simple rivalry.”

Seeing the Seiren representatives chatting so peacefully, Carr scratched his head in frustration.

“You guys don’t understand the gravity of the situation at all. You don’t know what kind of person Professor Harrid is, do you?”

“What kind of person is he?”

“He’s called the Wailing Wall of Lumene. He’s the scariest professor at our school!”

At Carr’s explanation, Lunia propped her chin on her hand.

“Seiren has scary teachers too.”

“It’s a different league! A different league! Not just the third, fourth, and fifth-year sunbaes, but even the professors at Lumene! Even sunbaes who graduated and made it into the Hero Record walk on eggshells around Professor Harrid!”

The reason Harrid was so terrifying wasn’t just his nickname.

Before being the professor who expelled the most students at Lumene, Harrid was, simply put, terrifying in his own right.

Eiran spoke up urgently.

“B-but Lea is a Seiren student, isn’t she? Even someone that scary would be lenient with students from other schools…”

“Lenient? That’s a word that doesn’t suit Professor Harrid at all.”

Carr muttered seriously when—

“What’s going on?”

Eliana, who happened to be passing by, asked with a curious expression.

“Ah, the only one here with firsthand experience.”

As a first-year, Eliana had been dragged to Harrid’s office once for breaking a school rule.

Carr, too, had broken rules plenty of times, but he always managed to stay just within the line with his characteristic cunning.

Eliana, however, had crossed it.

“Hey, I heard a Seiren first-year got dragged to Professor Harrid’s office?”

“Ah.”

Eliana let out a small gasp.

Then she smiled brightly and said,

“If it were me, I’d choose to smash my face into a plate and die rather than get dragged to Professor Harrid’s office.”

‘Just what in the world happens in there?’

Lunia’s expression turned serious.

“Wh-what should we do?”

Eiran asked urgently.

“For now, all we can do is pray for her safe return.”

Watching Carr speak so seriously with his arms crossed, Lunia let out a deep sigh.

“Can you at least guide us to him?”

At her words, Carr and Eliana feigned ignorance.

“Are you scared to even go there? And you call yourselves hero candidates?”

“I’m not one.”

“I can’t help it if it’s scary.”

Seeing the unabashed Carr and Eliana, Lunia grabbed Carr by the scruff of his neck.

“Guide us.”

“Why me?!”

Carr screamed as if he’d been wronged, but Lunia wasn’t listening.

—

The Summit Hall.

A place known as the Hall of Twilight, located in the upper levels of Lumene’s Hero’s Tower.

For generations, the summit meetings held in Lumene had taken place here.

On the wall in the center of the hall hung five portraits.

They were none other than the portraits of the Great Heroes.

And below them stood statues.

Arron holding a sword.

Dweno holding an axe.

Luna holding a staff.

Lysinas holding a book.

And finally, Kyle.

They were statues of the Great Heroes, who had ended the Era of Calamity and gifted the world a future.

The kings and heroes entering the Hall of Twilight paid their respects to the portraits and statues of the Great Heroes before taking their seats.

Next to Leo, who was attending the summit as student council president, sat the student council presidents from other schools.

As everyone took their seats, all eyes turned to the seat of honor.

The vacant seat of the council chairman.

Clack— Clack—

A moment later, Dragon Lord Melina appeared in the Hall of Twilight.

Melina still wore her veil, appearing as a small girl.

Though she exuded a gentle aura, her mere presence overwhelmed the assembly.

Standing before the portraits and statues, Melina clasped her hands and paid her respects for a moment.

Then she sat in the seat of honor and looked around.

“I extend my gratitude to all of you who have gathered here for the sake of the world, despite your busy official duties.”

Everyone’s attention fixed on Melina.

“The reason we have gathered here is simple. It is to discuss the recent, unsettling movements of Tartarus. Is there anyone who wishes to speak on this matter?”

The moment Melina finished speaking, a dwarf with dark skin raised his hand.

“King of Neberoum. You may speak.”

“First, may infinite blessings be upon the great Dragon Lord.”

The King of Neberoum, having been given the floor, paid his respects to Melina before speaking.

“I have a question for Zephia, the headmistress of Azonia.”

“What is it?”

“Recently, a large number of Hero Hunters of beastman origin have begun to appear in my kingdom. We, the Kingdom of Neberoum, attempted to execute those vile traitors.”

The King of Neberoum’s face turned fierce.

“But the detestable traitors were strong, and there was no sign of them being subjugated. So I dispatched the proud warriors of our kingdom. The Iron Fist 4th Division.”

At the King of Neberoum’s words, a murmur spread through the hall.

Neberoum, being a nation of dwarves, was a country rich in mines.

As such, it could produce high-quality Artifacts, and on that foundation, it had become one of the five dwarf kingdoms that represented their race.

The warrior corps that represented such a nation was the Iron Fist.

“The 4th Division was annihilated.”

Gasps of shock erupted from all around.

The King of Neberoum’s eyes flashed.

“And just before attending this meeting, we received testimony from a survivor who had barely regained consciousness. He said there were beastmen who used Beast Transformation even though it was not the night of a full moon!”

He glared at Zephia with wide eyes.

“Tell me, Zephia. I heard Azonia knew of this fact long ago! Then why! Why did you not make it public, leading the young talents of our kingdom to their deaths!”

At the King of Neberoum’s cry, Zephia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“I apologize for not disclosing that information, Your Majesty. However, Azonia also needed to properly grasp the facts.”

“Properly grasp the facts?! Did you not conceal it for the sake of Azonia’s honor! Because mere traitors accomplished what the beastmen could not for 5,000 years! Is it not because you were ashamed of that fact!”

“Watch your words! King of Neberoum!”

The king of another beastman kingdom raised his voice.

“The King of Neberoum speaks the truth! By what right do you tell him to hold his tongue!”

“The truth? Is it not because you were weak that you were hunted! Do you dare tarnish the honor of us, the descendants of the Hero, with that!”

“What did you say!”

Heated shouts were exchanged between the agitated beastmen and dwarves.

It was a sensitive issue.

For the beastmen, the prestige and honor of their entire race were at stake.

For the dwarves, the promising talents of their race had been killed.

The fire, once lit, grew uncontrollably.

“Shh—!”

Then, a small voice was heard.

It was very quiet, but that single word carried undeniable authority.

The beastmen and dwarves, who had stopped their argument, looked at Melina.

“We did not gather here to fight, or to assign blame.”

Melina looked toward the beastmen.

“Azonia Academy’s decision not to announce the fact despite being aware of it is certainly regrettable. But on the other hand… I understand that the resulting chaos could have shaken the entire beastman race… and that it was a matter concerning the honor of the beastmen… It is not that I do not understand.”

Next, she looked at the dwarves.

“The deaths of the promising members of the Iron Fist are a deeply tragic affair. I offer my condolences. But there is one unfortunate point. Hero Hunters are beings who hunt heroes, or those of equivalent stature. Countless powerful heroes have lost their lives to the cunning traps of those detestable traitors.”

A note of sorrow entered Melina’s voice.

“But we have those who can hunt those Hero Hunters.”

Melina looked to one side of the hall.

At the one and only unique existence in this place.

The one who most needed to be here, yet was also the most out of place.

It was Shau, the Emperor of the Shan Empire, the nation of shadows.

“The reason the young Iron Fists lost their lives… I believe it was due to a lack of communication. It is an unavoidable thing.”

Melina looked around the assembly.

“We are entangled by our own interests, and the information we need from each other can also be our own shame.”

A few people cleared their throats and avoided Melina’s gaze.

“But now is the time to forget such things and cooperate.”

Melina said forcefully.

“King of Neberoum. Why did you not request help from the Shan Empire?”

“…We solve our own problems. That is our pride.”

“That pride… I find it admirable. But is that truly all there is to it?”

At Melina’s words, the King of Neberoum lowered his head and remained silent.

“I am aware that many consider receiving the help of the Shadows to be shameful in itself. That should not be the case. The Shadows are beings equal to heroes.”

At those words, someone from the human side raised their hand.

“King of Ruckit. You may speak.”

The king of Ruckit, a human kingdom located in the northern part of the continent, spoke.

“I understand what the Lord is saying. The Shadows are certainly specialized in hunting Hero Hunters. But they are also beings who work in the darkness and commit many atrocities that one cannot dare to speak of. They are a necessary evil.”

“The Shadows are not evil.”

“I have misspoken. But whatever the case, receiving the help of the Shadows is a shameful thing for a hero.”

The King of Ruckit narrowed his eyes.

“They are beings who thoroughly assist heroes. They can never be equal to heroes.”

“And your reason for thinking so is?”

“Because they can never have their names recorded in the Hero Record. They are never acknowledged by the gods.”

At the King of Ruckit’s statement, everyone held their breath and looked at Shau.

Amidst the silence, Shau rose from his seat.

“This is perfect timing. I have something to show all of you regarding the Hero Record.”

“What is it?”

Shau looked at Melina.

When Melina nodded, Shau took a small box from his robes and approached the center of the Hall of Twilight.

He placed the box on the orichalcum display table in the center and opened it.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on it.

In that moment—

“The Hero Record?”

Someone muttered in a bewildered voice.

“Impossible! Not even the Hero Records stored at each Hero Academy are in such a perfect state!”

“Is it a fake?”

“But this power is definitely…!”

As everyone reeled in shock, Melina opened her mouth.

“Emperor Shau, what is that?”

“The Hero Record, The Shadow Codex.”