Book 1 Chapter 155

155

The place they arrived at, following Liven, was the top of the clock tower in the center of Rumeria City.

‘I never knew there was something like this inside the clock tower.’

He climbed the stairs with a surprised expression.

‘Is it some kind of watchtower?’

The countless magic spells covering the clock tower made Leo's eyes dizzy.

‘It's all made of Dragon Tongue magic. If mages saw this, their eyes would pop out, wouldn't they?’

Leo examined the magical formulas that made up the clock tower with interest.

Leo had encountered and become familiar with various magical formulas of the current era, but there was a magic system he had not yet encountered.

That was Dragon Tongue magic.

Dragon Tongue magic can only be used by dragons.

In that other races couldn't use it, it was similar to Star Magic.

But there was a fundamental difference between the two.

Star Magic is a magic system optimized for elves.

If one possesses the magical sense to convert elven formulas into a human format, it can be used regardless of race, but Dragon Tongue magic was not like that.

‘Formulas made of Dragon Tongue are difficult to interpret properly. And even if interpreted, there's the biggest problem.’

That was magic power.

To activate Dragon Tongue magic, the magic power emitted by a Dragon Heart was needed.

Only with the unique magic power characteristics possessed by dragons could formulas made of Dragon Tongue be activated.

Therefore, it was no exaggeration to say that Dragon Tongue magic was the exclusive property of dragons.

As it was something rarely encountered normally, every mage yearned to research Dragon Tongue magic.

Thump- Thump-

Liven, who was walking ahead up the stairs, stopped.

There was a small door ahead.

Creak-

Liven opened the door and stepped inside.

“Come in.”

At Liven's words, Leo entered the room.

Inside the room, another space unfolded.

‘Is it spatial transfer magic?’

Leo surveyed the interior of the room.

What unfolded before his eyes was a desolate-looking room.

The spotless crystal floor and walls caught his eye.

Other elements typically found in a room, such as furniture or decorations, were nowhere to be seen.

Leo's eyes widened as he looked up at the ceiling.

A dragon mural filled the entire ceiling.

“Lysinas.”

“The true form of the King of Wisdom wouldn't be famous among other races. You recognized it right away?”

Leo turned his head.

There was a throne.

A single, colossal throne in the vast space.

And sitting on it was a girl of about ten years old.

The girl's appearance was peculiar.

Her long hair, reaching the floor, was disheveled, and scattered black strands among the silver hair caught the eye.

She had a delicate face, but her closed left eye and the prominent veins around it created an eerie atmosphere.

Leo easily realized that the girl before him was a dragon.

‘Not just any dragon. A very high-ranking dragon.’

It was when Leo was surprised, feeling the magic power emanating from her.

Liven, who had shown respect to the girl, said to Leo.

“She is the Lord.”

At those words, Leo made a surprised expression.

He knew Liven was a dragon, but he never expected him to lead him to the Dragon Lord.

But his surprise was short-lived.

Leo tapped his right chest three times towards the Dragon Lord, then bowed his head respectfully and bent his knee.

It was the dragons' greeting etiquette.

The reason Leo was well-versed in dragon etiquette was simple.

It was because there was someone who had taught him until he was sick of it.

‘Why do you tap your right chest three times?’

‘Because the Dragon Heart is located in the right chest. It means showing the sound of the Dragon Heart's pulsation.’

‘Oh, really? But why do *I* have to learn dragon etiquette?’

‘Because you'll have a lot of use for it after subjugating Erebus.’

‘I don't think I'll ever need it? And even if I did, why should *I* follow dragon etiquette? And if that's the case, shouldn't those slacking off and sleeping over there learn it too?’

Kyle, who was learning dragon etiquette he never wanted, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, said irritably.

At Leo's reaction, Lysinas made a sullen face.

‘You're in the next position after me in the subjugation party, aren't you? Of course, you should prioritize etiquette, shouldn't you? You'll have many occasions to see me and other dragons later, won't you!’

‘Why are you being annoying?’

‘Shut up. Stop complaining and just learn properly! Bend your knees more! The angle is weird, isn't it?’

‘Please! Let me sleep! Just sleep!’

He remembered Lysinas, who had forcefully held him down against his will and tormented him under the pretense of teaching him etiquette.

Of course, he never had to use it throughout his life.

‘And I get to use it in my next life.’

Leo's posture was perfect, as much as Lysinas had nagged him.

And seeing that, the Lord and Liven widened their eyes.

At their reaction, Leo made an awkward expression.

‘What? Did the etiquette change during the past 5000 years?’

If so, what became of the days he suffered every night at Lysinas's hands, unable to sleep?

“Pffft!”

At that, the Lord covered her mouth with both hands and burst out laughing.

“Hee hee hee! Ha ha! Giggles-!”

“Leo Flob. Where did you learn that greeting?”

“I learned it from a book, is it wrong?”

“No, it's not. On the contrary, it's perfect. But…”

“Hee hee hee! It's like the old geezers! Ahahahahahahaha!”

Unable to hold back any longer, the Lord clutched her stomach and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“It's an old, ancient etiquette. A greeting often used by our deceased predecessors. It's rarely used these days, so it's fascinating that you use it.”

Seeing Liven's amazed expression, Leo relaxed his posture.

‘In the end, what was all my effort for?’

Seeing Leo let out a deep sigh, the Lord cleared her throat with an 'Ahem!'

“Nice to meet you, Leo Flob. My name is Mellina.”

“What is the reason the Dragon Lord wanted to see me?”

“I wanted to meet you.”

The playful demeanor from a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.

Although she appeared as a small girl, the one before him was the pinnacle of dragons, the Lord.

Mellina gazed at Leo.

“Indeed… just as Sir Liven said.”

Mellina nodded and glanced at Liven.

“You are different from other heroes.”

Having said that, Mellina gestured to Liven with her eyes.

At that, Liven left the room.

Creak-! Thump-!

Only Leo and Mellina remained in the room.

“Leo Flob.”

“Yes.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Leo Flob, a hero candidate of Rumerne.”

“Hee hee - I asked the wrong question.”

Mellina covered her mouth and smiled.

“When I first heard your story, I was very surprised.”

“Because of All-Class?”

“Yes. Unprecedented. Because it was the same ability as Sir Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, who only exists in legends.”

Mellina stared intently at Leo.

“You have a great interest in the Hero of Beginnings.”

“I can't help it.”

Until now, Kyle was treated as a fictional character.

As such, it was rare to see someone attach an honorific to Kyle, even if they did for other great heroes.

Mellina rose from the throne.

Step- Step-

Mellina, who had walked barefoot to stand before Leo, looked up at the ceiling.

“I am the Dragon Lord. The one who carries on the will of Lysinas, the great King of Wisdom. Therefore, I am a being who yearns for the knowledge and wisdom of the world.”

Lysinas, who once explored all the wisdom and knowledge of the world.

Leo knew why Lysinas had so eagerly sought knowledge and wisdom.

‘It was a struggle.’

To find a way to subjugate Erebus, no matter what.

Ancient knowledge.

Divine knowledge.

He explored everything without discrimination.

But the answer he obtained was despair.

Yet, he did not give up.

‘And what he found was you guys.’

Mellina said to Leo, who was remembering Lysinas.

“As a result of my yearning for knowledge and wisdom, I became convinced that the Hero of Beginnings truly existed. However, I could never find any physical evidence. Stories remained, but proof of Sir Kyle's existence vanished from this world.”

Mellina, who had been looking at the ceiling, lowered her gaze slightly.

Her wise silver eyes met Leo's red eyes.

Mellina's lips curved into a smile.

“Just then, Leo Flob. You appeared. And you presented evidence to this world that Sir Kyle was not a fictional character.”

“It's a coincidence.”

“That's right. Everything can be explained by coincidence. Being born with the All-Class ability is a coincidence. Achieving deeds worthy of praise is a coincidence. Constantly being involved with the world of great heroes is a coincidence. And finding evidence that the Hero of Beginnings existed can all be explained as coincidence.”

Mellina spread her arms wide and smiled brightly.

Her tone implied that such coincidences existing were perfectly normal.

“But how will you explain this?”

Mellina lowered her hands and took a step back.

And then she carefully opened her closed left eye.

Leo's complexion changed as his eyes met hers.

As if unable to control its power, that eye, unlike her normal human-like right eye, had a vertically slit pupil characteristic of dragons.

But that wasn't what surprised Leo.

As soon as her eye opened, the magic power Mellina possessed also changed.

It was as if opening her eye was a signal for her magic power to change.

‘Lysinas's magic power?’

“A long time ago, I successfully conquered Sir Lysinas's world and recovered its pages. As a reward for that conquest, I was able to inherit a portion of Sir Lysinas's magic power.”

Mellina's voice had, by then, changed to a polite tone.

“It has been a great honor to wield Sir Lysinas's magic power for a long time. But now, that power doesn't obey me. As if it has met its true owner.”

Kyle, as the last survivor of the subjugation party, carried everything of his comrades.

Among them was the Dragon Heart left by Lysinas.

For dragons, inheriting a Dragon Heart also means being a 'successor'.

Mellina smiled gently and pulled something out from a subspace.

It was a very old fairy tale book.

“This is 'The Heroes of Beginnings' fairy tale book from thousands of years ago. It's probably the last fairy tale book from that era remaining in this world.”

Flutter-

Mellina turned the pages and showed the latter part.

The content was different from the current fairy tale books.

Current fairy tale books end with the five great heroes joining forces to defeat Erebus.

The fairy tale book from thousands of years ago was identical to actual history.

It had to be.

As it was a book from the time when the Hero Records were intact, it would naturally contain actual history.

What Mellina showed was none other than the moment just before Lysinas closed his eyes.

“According to this book, Sir Kyle inherited Sir Lysinas's Dragon Heart.”

Mellina carefully closed the book and looked up at Leo.

“I will ask you again.”

Mellina's solemn eyes held expectation, longing, and respect.

“Who are you?”

Leo looked down at the Dragon Lord, who had inherited Lysinas's power.

Her wise, sparkling eyes somehow reminded him of a close friend.

Leo, who had been silently watching her, scratched his head.

“Well, aren't you a sharp kid.”

At Leo's words, Mellina's eyes widened.

“Just as you guessed.”

Leo chuckled.