Book 1 Chapter 138

138.

"Zera. Are you yelling at me right now? Are you out of your mind?"

Hirkyan asked with an incredulous expression.

The short, seemingly possessed male student, believed to be inhabited by Hardin, retorted with a cold expression.

"Are *you* out of your mind? Who do you think you are to insult Lady Luna?"

"Ha, that's absurd. A nobody like you is getting angry at me? For insulting that lowly girl? Are you crazy?"

The surrounding students wore bewildered expressions.

"What's wrong with that guy?"

"Is his head screwed on right?"

The Besron family was a powerful house that controlled Barharloon.

As the heir of such a family, Zera normally wouldn't even make eye contact with Hirkyan, living in fear.

So, when Zera suddenly flew into a rage and yelled at Hirkyan, the students couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

Moreover, Hirkyan was one of the most skilled students in the class, while Zera was the worst performing student.

"This is ridiculous. I want to teach you a lesson right now, but school rules prohibit duels between students without a teacher's permission. Be grateful that the teacher for this class is Mr. Akint…"

"I permit the duel."

"What?"

Hirkyan looked surprised at Leo's words.

"It seems that person also wants to duel you, so there's no reason not to allow it."

"You're not acting like yourself today, Mr. Akint. To so readily permit a duel."

Hirkyan smiled with satisfaction and, as if he had nothing to lose, walked to the center of the training ground.

"Stand before me, Zera. I will show you what combat is."

At his words, Zera stood before Hirkyan.

"He's really intent on dying today."

"Hirkyan! Get him expelled this time!"

The students who sided with Hirkyan shouted and cackled.

A duel between the class's top talent and the class's bottom.

The outcome was obvious to everyone.

"How should I deal with you?"

Hirkyan smiled coldly and unleashed his magic.

Gooooo-!

A faint green mana flickered, clearly visible to others.

Seeing it, Zera's face showed tension.

'Immense mana.'

But Leo wore a nonchalant expression.

'A waste of mana.'

To Hirkyan, Zera—or rather, Hardin—was an unknown opponent, but Leo didn't see him as a major threat.

Although Hirkyan would later be infamous, he was merely a novice at this time.

'Let's see the skill of Seirun's 3rd-year representative.'

Hardin, having experienced countless battles as the representative of Seirun's 3rd year.

'Such a skilled individual wouldn't possibly fail to defeat a mere hothouse flower.'

The students of the Hero Academy were more talented than the heroes of this era.

It wasn't for nothing that the students of the Hero Academy were called geniuses in their respective fields.

'It's even before the Age of Calamity.'

The High Elves, who valued nobility and honor, fell due to being too accustomed to peace for too long.

'Stagnation breeds corruption.'

Even the Age of Heroes, after the Age of Calamity, is called an age of peace, but it's not perfect peace.

Tartarus still exists, and the war with them has lasted for 5000 years.

Moreover, there's the constant fear of when the calamity might return.

Compared to the Age of Heroes, the Age of Gods was a peaceful era with no threats.

'At most, there are only wars between races and nations.'

While those are significant events, they didn't feel particularly threatening to Leo, who had experienced the calamity.

While Leo was lost in thought, Hirkyan began chanting a spell.

Upon hearing the chant, Zera, or rather Hardin's, eyes twitched.

'A spell I've never heard before? What is he trying to do with that immense mana?'

As Leo predicted, Hardin had no knowledge of this time.

Therefore, he couldn't help but feel wary of the unknown spell he heard for the first time.

As Hardin tensed up.

Wheeeesh-!

As the spell was completed, a powerful wind blew.

Seeing it, Hardin's expression became tense.

Kwahahahaha-!

Seeing the wind magic that generated a powerful wind, Hardin took a deep breath and unleashed his aura.

Woong-!

Seeing it, the surrounding students' eyes widened.

"Oh, Aura?"

"Zera! When did he learn Aura?!"

Gasps of astonishment erupted from everywhere.

Seeing it, Leo stroked his chin.

'It seems this Zera guy doesn't usually use Aura. After all, judging by his attire, he's a mage.'

The Seirun students, claiming to be Luna's successor, were required to learn Star Magic.

'No. All elves try to learn Star Magic.'

Star Magic was a source of pride for elves.

That's why elves are called the race of magic.

However, elves were only called the race of magic after Luna, the 'Progenitor of the Constellations.'

At this time, magic was not mandatory for elves.

Naturally, they weren't called the race of magic.

'Dueling classes were extremely rare to begin with.'

Kwahahahaha-!

A storm erupted from Hardin's sword.

Kugagagagag!

"Hah!"

Hardin's storm-like sword strike cleaved Hirkyan's magic.

Seeing it, not only Hirkyan but also the surrounding students' eyes widened.

"Wh, what the!"

Seeing Hirkyan's shocked expression, Hardin scowled.

"Your mana is immense, but you're nothing special."

At his words, Hirkyan's face turned red.

"Wh, what did you say! For you to insult the Progenitor with such crude skill! Can you even call yourself an elf? How absurd."

"What the hell are you spouting? Luna that woman is the Progenitor? Did you eat something wrong today?"

"It seems you need to be punished."

Hardin pointed his sword at Hirkyan.

"Prepare yourself."

"Ju-just a momen- *cough*!"

Hardin's one-sided beating began.

To the one who insulted Luna, the pride of their race, Hardin unleashed his cold fury.

As Hardin was about to turn Hirkyan into a near-comatose state.

Fwwoosh-!

Leo quickly intervened between the two.

And he grabbed Hardin's wrist with his hand.

Thump-!

At his words, Hardin's cold gaze turned to Leo.

"Do not stop me."

"I'd like to let you beat him up more, but…"

Leo said quietly, just loud enough for Hardin to hear.

"If you continue beating him, it might hinder our strategy for conquering the Heroic World."

At his words, Hardin's eyes widened.

"Are you Leo Flob?"

"Yes. For now, I will explain the information I've gathered, so please follow my lead."

At his words, Hardin nodded.

Leo released Hardin's wrist and said,

"I permitted a duel, but you went too far, Zera."

"I apologize."

Zera bowed his head deeply at Leo's angry voice.

Seeing it, the surrounding students thought.

'He's going to be expelled now.'

Even though it was a legitimate duel, to have someone from the Besron family in such a state.

It was clear that expulsion was unavoidable.

"The class is dismissed. You all take Hirkyan to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir."

"Zera. You will follow me."

Leo, acting as an authoritative teacher, commanded Hardin, and Hardin followed Leo's words.

The class dispersed.

Leo spoke to the elf who seemed to be an assistant and had brought him to class.

"There."

"Yes!"

"Let's go to my room."

"Room… do you mean Professor Akint's private study?"

'A private study? That would be nice.'

Leo quickly assessed the situation and nodded.

"Yes."

The male assistant stood beside Leo.

"You lead the way?"

"What?"

"I will be admonishing student Zera."

"Ah, I understand."

It was a slightly strange conversation, but the assistant didn't suspect anything.

Given Zera's actions, it was perfectly understandable that he would be lectured by the teachers.

The assistant trembled at Leo's sharp voice coming from behind him.

Meanwhile, other students helped Hirkyan.

Among them, a female student stared intently at Hardin's back.

Then, the female student flicked her tongue.

'It seems a rat has entered.'

The female student disappeared into the crowd with a sneer.

***

Guided by the assistant, Leo and Hardin entered Akint's study and finally took a moment to breathe.

Upon entering the study, the two exchanged glances and thoroughly searched the interior.

This was to allow for a comfortable conversation.

Once they determined there was nothing that could leak their conversation, they sat down comfortably.

Amidst this, Hardin showed a murderous intent.

"I can't understand! Who is he to dare insult Lady Luna like that! He's a disgrace to elves!"

Unlike the usually calm Hardin, his demeanor was highly emotional.

He had insulted Luna, the Progenitor of the Constellations.

For elves, Luna was a special being, enough to evoke immense anger for that insult alone.

Furthermore, he didn't know exactly what era they were in.

Seeing Hardin like that, Leo said,

"Please understand. It's because of the era."

"What do you mean?"

"Listen carefully. The world we are in now is a world before the Age of Calamity."

At Leo's words, Hardin momentarily showed a look of incomprehension.

"What are you talking about? A world before the Age of Calamity? There are no records of the heroes before the Age of Calamity in the Hero Records."

Kyle, Lisinas, Luna, Dwenno, Arion.

The reason these five are called the Heroes of the Beginning is not simply because they opened a new era.

They are called the Heroes of the Beginning because they are the first heroes recorded in the Hero Records.

But before the Age of Calamity?

Seeing Hardin, who looked utterly clueless, Leo said seriously,

"Yes. But there are heroes recorded in the Hero Records who lived before the Age of Calamity, aren't there?"

Hearing this, Hardin's face hardened.

"Wait. So what you're saying is… this world is the world of the Great Heroes?"

"Yes."

"No way…"

"Yes. This is Luna's world."

Hardin's body trembled.

"Th-the proof that this is the Progenitor's world?"

"We just met her moments ago."

"What? You met the Progenitor in person!"

Hardin's eyes widened, and he lunged at Leo.

"What does the Progenitor look like! Is she like a blooming flower as described in texts? Is she immensely benevolent, as expected! And does she radiate an aura so beautiful that even the stars bow their heads? Ah! To think I would be able to meet Lady Luna in person! What an honor!"

Hardin, whose cool demeanor had completely vanished, had an expression filled with emotion.

Seeing him, Leo thought,

'He'll probably sob if he sees her real appearance.'

Of course, those tears would be from the shattering of his illusions, not joy.

"Wasn't she more cute than beautiful?"

"What?"

"Because what I saw was Luna in her childhood."

"…!"

Hardin's body stiffened.

"Y-you mean… childhood…? How young, specifically?"

"About the same age as Lunia, or even younger."

"To be able to behold the Progenitor in her maiden days…!"

Seeing Hardin tremble with ecstasy, Leo thought to himself,

'Is this elf a pervert?'

Luna might kick him away, calling him disgusting if she saw him.

Leo shook his head.

"No wonder our conversation was so off."

Hardin recalled his earlier conversation with Hirkyan.

"But who is that guy to insult the young Luna like that?"

"There must be a reason."

Leo knew the reason.

The elves attending Barharloon were all from good families.

But as far as Leo knew, Luna was an orphan.

Despite that, she entered Barharloon, where one could become a High Elf purely based on talent.

Therefore, her abilities surpassed those of other elves even in her school days.

'That's why she was targeted by other students.'

"At any rate, that's all the information I have for now. First, this is Luna's world. Second, it's before the Age of Calamity, so Tartarus doesn't exist yet."

Hearing this, Hardin fell into thought.

"Then what exactly is the objective of conquering this world? It must be a great feat, fitting for the Progenitor's achievement."

At his words, Leo fell into thought.

'Luna's great feat…'

"There are too many to predict."

"Indeed, the Progenitor of the Constellations is so great that her very existence is like a feat."

Mm-hmm-! Hardin nodded and said,

"For now, we'll just have to figure out the conquest objective slowly. Meeting up with Lunia and Elena is also important. And in the Age of Calamity…"

Hardin looked down at his palm.

"It's probably best to refrain from using Star Magic. Since it's a magic system that doesn't exist yet, it will cause great confusion."

With a 5000-year gap, the magic of this era and the magic of the current era are different.

However, it is still magic passed down through generations.

No matter how much it has changed, there are bound to be similarities.

So, while it could be brushed off as slightly special magic, Star Magic is not.

'Since Luna created it out of nothing, it's bound to cause a stir if it becomes known.'

What is natural to the elves of the current era was astonishing to everyone when Luna first used Star Magic.

As Hardin said, using Star Magic carelessly could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Certainly, as a dungeon conqueror of Seirun, he showed expertise in such matters.

'Wait. Star Magic?'

Leo, pondering Star Magic, recalled something.

'Luna started researching Star Magic from her student days.'

It felt like a clue was about to surface.

Just as he thought that.

Knock- knock-

Someone knocked on the study door.

Leo opened the door.

There stood knights with cold expressions.

"Professor Akint. The Principal wishes to see you."

"Why would the Principal want to see me?"

"It's because of what happened in class a little while ago."

The elf knights, saying this, glared at Hardin inside the study.

"Furthermore, the upper echelons of Barharloon have issued an order to detain student Zera."

At that, Leo glanced at Hardin.

Hardin let out a deep sigh and gave a nod, indicating he would comply for now.

"Take him away."

Hardin was taken away by the knights, detained.

'Everything's going wrong.'

Leo clicked his tongue and followed the knights to meet the Principal.

'Who was the Principal of Barharloon again?'

Leo tried to recall his past memories.

But even for Kyle, it was a long time ago, and his memory was hazy.

Leaving the courtyard, Leo was led by the knights towards the outskirts of Barharloon.

And as he stopped before a tower, Leo paused.

Leo had never been to Barharloon even as Kyle.

But the architectural style of this tower was familiar.

A tall tower that seemed to pierce the sky.

An architectural style created to praise great beings.

'The Tower of God.'

"Please enter."

The knights, unable to enter the tower, waited at the entrance.

As Leo approached the tower entrance, the door slid open.

Kuuung-!

As he entered, the door closed with a heavy sound.

Leo surveyed the interior of the tower.

Portraits of various elves adorned the walls.

And in the center, a certain staff was displayed.

Leo approached the staff.

A staff shaped like a smooth tree trunk.

A large, leaf-shaped, light blue gem was attached to the tip.

'Folium.'

Luna's symbol.

No, it was the symbol of elves before the Age of Calamity.

And it was a treasure of the elves, made from the primordial world tree that crumbled with Luna's death.

It was a magic staff imbued with immense mana that only the chosen could wield.

The moment Leo stood before it.

Woong-

The magic staff resonated for a moment.

At that, Leo was surprised.

"How curious."

Leo looked up at the voice from above.

"The Folium, which even the Elf Kings have ignored for a long time, has reacted to you."

Seeing the man's eyes, which looked at Leo with a benevolent voice, Leo narrowed his eyes.

The man's eyes were different from human eyes.

Pupils in a ring shape.

Wise eyes that pierced through everything.

'Right… it's before the Age of Calamity now.'

Leo understood, looking at the transcendent eyes he could never get used to, despite meeting them many times.

'It wouldn't be strange if there were gods.'