Book 1 Chapter 111

The next morning.

The front of the Colosseum was bustling with people who had come to watch the Azonia entrance ceremony.

People were being guided and entering in order.

In the center of the arena, the entrance candidates were warming up with tense expressions.

The entrance candidates who start here will proceed along the track within Azrek and then enter the Great Desert.

The reason for touring the city was to show many people the appearance of the hero candidates.

The crowd filling the Colosseum stands sent enthusiastic cheers to the candidates.

Leo stood in the most secluded spot among the entrance candidates.

Leo, who had been fiddling with his rabbit ears that stuck out from behind his beret as if he wasn't used to them, pulled his beret down deeper.

He was disguised as a beastman with polymorph magic, and his hair color had also changed, making him look different from his usual self, but anyone who knew him would recognize him.

'Besides, there's no good in my face being known.'

"Hey, boy! Cheer up!"

"Haha! You're so relaxed! I'll cheer for you!"

However, the people in the stands cheered enthusiastically even for Leo in the corner.

'Hero candidates are welcomed wherever they go.'

The disaster era had ended, and the world had entered an era of peace.

Despite this, the world still yearned for heroes.

Was it because they were beings who had accomplished great feats?

Or were they great figures who would transform the world?

'No, people know.'

Leo's eyes slightly dimmed.

'That the embers of disaster have not yet been extinguished.'

Even though Erebus had been split into many pieces, it had not completely disappeared.

Tartarus, which could be called Erebus's army, was still intact, and they were plotting, constantly wishing for the return of the disaster.

'True peace will come after the era of heroes ends.'

An era where many heroes are no longer needed.

That was the peace the great heroes had pursued.

It was when he was recalling an old vow.

"Black rabbit!"

Arga strode over.

"You haven't forgotten our promise from yesterday, have you? I will definitely get your recognition!"

"Yes. Yes. But why do you have such dark circles under your eyes?"

Arga smiled meaningfully and glared.

"I couldn't sleep a wink from anticipation!"

Seeing Arga declare proudly, Leo clicked his tongue.

"Will you be okay?"

"Of course, I'll be fine! So, don't go anywhere during today's test, just follow me! Got it?"

"It's a test, I can't just follow you."

"Don't miss even a moment of my performance! Just watch me! Only watch me! Only me!"

Arga chattered beside Leo like a kitten whining.

Meanwhile, other entrance candidates spotted Arga and approached.

"You're Arga Tune, right? Nice to meet you! I'm Libed, and I look forward to working with you in this test."

"If you get in, can you recommend me to Instructor Berga?"

"Do you want to team up with me for this entrance ceremony?"

"Huh? Huh?"

As the other entrance candidates swarmed him, Arga looked flustered.

While many looked down on recommended candidates with disdain, many also acknowledged them.

Moreover, Arga was the successor of the heroic Tune family.

It was natural that many students would try to get on his good side before entering.

As the entrance candidates gathered in one place, the eyes of the audience naturally turned to them.

Sensing this, Leo moved away.

Arga, who was surrounded by other entrance candidates, spotted this and his eyes widened.

"Where are you going! Black rabbit! I told you to stay by my side!"

Arga, who was furious, apologized to the candidates who were speaking to him and then, dash! He chased after Leo.

The faces of the entrance candidates who saw this contorted.

'What the heck is that rabbit?'

'Why is Arga Tune taking such care of him! Does being a recommended candidate mean everything?'

Unintentionally, Leo drew a wave of jealousy.

***

Yura, sitting in the stands, looked at the list of Azonia's recommended candidates and said,

"Tune, Den, Rual, and even Vega. Our kids are legendary, but this year's Azonia recommended candidates are also impressive."

"Indeed."

"But Kyle? I've never seen someone use the name 'Hero of the Beginning' before. And they don't even have a family name! What kind of person are they?"

"We'll find out."

Every year, educators from each hero academy are invited to Azonia's entrance ceremony.

To check the students they will compete against in their first year, each hero academy also accepted the invitation.

And this year, professors representing the first-year departments from Lumern came.

Originally, Ren was supposed to come, but he refused, citing preparations for his second-semester classes.

"That arrogant fellow! While the seniors are all coming on business trips, he's the only one who's skipping out!"

"There's no need for all three of us to come. And we can't really blame him for being busy with class preparations."

"Senior Ain is surprisingly lenient in these matters. That's why that rascal Ren is getting so bold! Show some dignity as a senior."

"I don't think that's something you should be saying?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Professor, to be honest, you're the junior professor who talks back to Professor Ain the most."

Carlo, sitting next to Yura, said cautiously.

After looking at his associate professor for a moment, Yura struck Carlo's Adam's apple with the edge of her hand.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Ignoring his struggling associate professor, Yura said,

"Anyway, that rascal Ren is doing something completely useless. Whether he prepares for his classes diligently or not, Leo will choose the Department of Summoning,"

"What are you talking about? Leo Flov is in the Knight Department."

He corrected her with a smug expression, but Yura didn't listen.

"By the way, Senior. Aren't you on friendly terms with Instructor Berga at Azonia? Aren't you going to meet him?"

"I don't really want to run into him this time."

"Why?"

"He'll probably compare my first-year students with his entrance candidates one by one and be bothersome."

"That's possible."

Yura nodded and looked up at the sky, frowning.

It was very hot even though there was shade in the stands.

'This is why I didn't want to come.'

Yura, who detested heat, brought her drink to her lips for hydration.

Then, she spotted something in the arena and her eyes widened.

"Gasp? Hack! Gulp! Cough! Cough!"

"Did you choke again?"

Ain looked at Yura as if she were pathetic.

Yura, who was coughing madly, grabbed Ain's head.

"What is this…?"

Crack!

And she twisted his neck.

Carlo's face turned pale at the unusual sound from Ain's neck.

"It seems your words about being lenient with your juniors were right, Yura Marnin."

Creak- Creak-

Ain cracked his knuckles and was about to punish Yura.

Yura, whose choking had subsided, shouted urgently,

"Ugh! Cough! Senior! That! Hack! Look! Cough! Cough! Leo is there!"

"What nonsense are you talking about…"

Ain, who had been scowling with murderous intent, suddenly saw a rabbit beastman.

Ain, who had been silent, said,

"Let go for now."

Shaking Yura's hand off, Ain rubbed his eyes a few times and looked at the rabbit beastman.

Apart from the hair color and the fact that he was a beastman, he looked remarkably like Leo.

'What is that guy doing there?'

Ain glared at Leo with a contorted face, got up from his seat, and said,

"I'll go see Berga for a moment."

***

"Everyone, line up!"

The Azonia instructor standing on the platform shouted, and the entrance candidates stood in perfect order.

As the candidates lined up, the conducting instructor said,

"Recommended candidates, step forward."

At those words, five entrance candidates stepped forward to the platform.

"You will read the declaration on behalf of the candidates. You will step forward and read in the order written on the declaration."

The conducting instructor handed the declaration to the students.

While the other recommended candidates were reading the declaration, Leo asked,

"Do I just need to read it?"

"Yes, we, as descendants of Arleon, will place our hands on Arleon's Hero Record with respect and read the mindset that a hero should have."

'Arleon's Hero Record? To see it like this.'

Leo was surprised inwardly and read the declaration.

After the recommended candidates finished confirming the contents of the declaration, the conducting instructor checked the time and spoke into the microphone with amplification magic.

[Before the commencement of the entrance ceremony, there will be an oath by the recommended candidates. Recommended candidates, step forward.]

With those words, the eyes of the audience focused on the five candidates.

At the conducting instructor's nod, a waiting instructor brought Arleon's page, placed on a silk cushion, and carefully placed it on the platform.

The audience murmured as they saw it.

"That's Arleon's Hero Record."

"Ooh…!"

The audience, who had seen the oldest page of a hero in the world, had expressions of deep emotion, and some even offered prayers.

This hero's page was the proof that the great hero had saved the world.

[Declaration Reading.]

At the conducting instructor's solemn voice, Leo, on the far left, stepped forward to Arleon's page.

Stomp-

Standing in front, he looked down at the Hero Record.

The page of Arleon, labeled '<Prologue>', was old and faded, and the letters were barely visible.

However, he could clearly feel that it was imbued with divine power.

'It's intact.'

Recalling the fragmented pieces of Kyle's page, which were so damaged that they were barely worthy of being called a hero's page, Leo breathed a sigh of relief.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you reading it quickly?"

As the conducting instructor urged him, Leo placed his hand on Arleon's page.

"One, I will not commit cowardly acts in the name of the great hero."

Rumble-

At the reaction from Arleon's page, Leo paused.

'What is it?'

Rumble-!

'This is…!'

Sensing the change in Arleon's page, Leo urgently told Arga, who was placing his hand on the declaration after him,

"Two, I will not act shamefully in the name of the great hero…"

"Stop! Take your hand off."

"Ugh? What, what are you doing?"

Leo tried to push Arga away, but Arga instinctively dodged his touch.

At that moment.

Rumble-!

Arleon's page shone.

"What is this?"

When the conducting instructor looked flustered.

[Hero Record Open.]

"What?"

"Wait, just a moment!"

Arga showed a shocked expression at the message that appeared before his eyes.

[Arleon's World. Chapter: Prologue - Beginning]

Rumble- Whoosh-!

A powerful light blinded his vision.

Leo and Arga squeezed their eyes shut.

And when they opened their eyes…

The two were standing on the street.

"B-but he just said Hero Record Open, right?"

While Arga was flustered.

Leo looked up at the sky.

Following Leo's gaze, Arga also turned his eyes to the sky.

And his face stiffened.

"What on earth is that? Why is the sky like that?"

It was a strange sky that Arga, who had lived in an era of peace, could not even imagine.

Conversely, it was a sky that Leo was all too familiar with.

A gloomy, ashen sky with no trace of blue.

Evidence that the world was heading for destruction.

Leo's expression turned grim.

'The era of disaster.'