Book 1 Chapter 155

The place they arrived at following Riben was the top of the clock tower in the center of Rumelia City.

"I didn't know there was something like this inside the clock tower."

With a surprised expression, he climbed the stairs.

"Is it some kind of watchtower?"

The countless spells covering the clock tower blurred Leo's vision.

"It's all made of dragon language magic. Mages would go crazy if they saw this!"

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

Although Leo had encountered and become familiar with various magical formations of the current era, there was still a magical system he hadn't encountered.

That was dragon language magic.

Only dragons could use dragon language magic.

In the sense that other races couldn't use it, it was similar to star magic.

However, there was a fundamental difference between the two.

Star magic was a magical system optimized for elves.

While it could be used regardless of race by elves who possessed the magical sense to convert elven-tailored formations into human format, dragon language magic was not the case.

"It's hard to even properly interpret formations made of dragon language. And even if I could interpret it, there's the biggest problem."

That was mana.

To activate dragon language magic, the mana emitted by the dragon heart was required.

Only with the unique mana characteristics possessed by dragons could formations made of dragon language be activated.

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

Naturally, any mage would yearn to research dragon language magic, as it was something they would rarely encounter.

Tuk-tuk-

Riben, who was climbing the stairs ahead, stopped.

There was a small door in front of them.

Creeak-

Riben opened the door and stepped inside.

"Come in."

At Riben's words, Leo entered the room.

Inside the room, another space unfolded.

"Space magic, perhaps?"

Leo surveyed the inside of the room.

What unfolded before his eyes was a desolate room.

The crystal floor and walls, utterly spotless, caught his eye.

Elements that would normally be 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 mural of a dragon covered the entire ceiling.

"Risinas."

"It's not common knowledge among other races what the King of Wisdom's true form is. You recognize her right away?"

Leo turned his head.

There was a throne.

A massive throne, the only one in the vast space.

And sitting on it was a girl no older than ten.

The girl's appearance was peculiar.

Her long hair, which cascaded to the floor, was disheveled, with black strands interspersed sparsely among the silver.

She had a beautiful face, but her closed left eye and the bulging veins around it gave her a strange aura.

Leo could easily tell that the girl before him was a dragon.

"She's not just any dragon. She's a remarkably high-ranking dragon."

As Leo was marveling at the mana he felt from her.

Riben, who had paid his respects to the girl, spoke to Leo.

"She is the Lord."

At those words, Leo's expression turned to surprise.

He knew Riben was a dragon, but he never imagined he would guide him to a Dragon Lord.

However, the surprise was fleeting.

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

It was the proper greeting of a dragon.

The reason Leo knew the dragon's etiquette so well was simple.

Someone had taught him until he was sick of it.

'Why tap the right chest three times?'

'Because the dragon heart is located in the right chest. It signifies letting them hear the heartbeat of the dragon heart.'

'Ah, really? But why do I have to learn dragon etiquette?'

'Because you'll have a lot of use for it after we conquer Erebus.'

'I don't think there will be any use at all? And even if there is, why should I follow dragon etiquette? And if that's the case, shouldn't those ones sleeping over there learn it too?'

Kyle grumbled, learning dragon etiquette against his will late at night when he couldn't sleep.

Risinas gave Leo an indifferent look at his reaction.

'You're the second highest in command in the subjugation party, aren't you? Of course, you should attach more importance to etiquette! You'll be seeing me and the dragons a lot later!'

'Why are you annoyed?'

'Be quiet. Stop complaining and learn properly! Lower your knees more! The angle is wrong!'

'Please! Let me sleep! Just let me sleep!'

He remembered Risinas, who had forcibly kept him there and tormented him by teaching him etiquette, despite his protests.

Of course, he never had to use it in his lifetime.

'I get to use it in my next life.'

Leo's posture was perfect, thanks to Risinas's incessant nagging.

And seeing it, the Lord and Riben's eyes widened.

Leo gave an awkward smile at their reaction.

'What? Did the etiquette change in 5,000 years?'

If so, what was the point of his sleepless nights and suffering under Risinas every night?

"Pffft!"

At that moment, the Lord covered her mouth with both hands and burst into laughter.

"Heehee! Hah! Giggle-!"

"Leo Floob. Where did you learn that greeting?"

"I learned it from a book. Is it wrong?"

"No, it's not. It's perfect, actually. But…"

"Heehee! It's like those old geezers! Ahahahaha!"

Finally, unable to hold back, the Lord clutched her stomach and laughed uncontrollably.

"It's an ancient etiquette. It's a greeting frequently used by the late elders who have passed away. It's rarely used these days, so it's interesting that you use it."

Seeing Riben's surprised expression, Leo relaxed his posture.

'In the end, what was the point of my effort?'

Seeing Leo sigh deeply, the Lord cleared her throat with an "Ahem!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Leo Floob. My name is Melina."

"Why did the Dragon Lord want to see me?"

"I wanted to meet you."

The playful demeanor from just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

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

Melina looked at Leo.

"Indeed… just as Sir Riben said."

Melina nodded and glanced at Riben.

"You are different from other heroes."

Saying so, Melina gestured to Riben.

Riben then left the room.

Creeak! Thump!

Only Leo and Melina remained in the room.

"Leo Floob."

"Yes."

"Who are you?"

"I am Leo Floob, a candidate hero of Lumern."

"Heh- I asked the wrong question."

Melina covered her mouth and smiled.

"I was surprised when I first heard your story."

"Because you're an all-class?"

"Yes. It was unprecedented. You had the same abilities as the legendary hero Kyle, who exists only in legends."

Melina stared intently at Leo.

"You seem to be very interested in the Hero of Beginnings."

"I can't help it."

Up until now, Kyle had been treated as a fictional character.

Therefore, it was rare to hear anyone use honorifics for Kyle, let alone other great heroes.

Melina rose from her throne.

Tap- tap-

Melina, barefoot, walked up to Leo and looked up at the ceiling.

"I am the Dragon Lord, the successor to the will of the great King of Wisdom, Risinas. Therefore, I am a being who craves the knowledge and wisdom of the world."

Risinas, who had once explored all the knowledge and wisdom in the world.

Leo knew why Risinas had sought knowledge and wisdom so fervently.

'It was a struggle.'

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

Ancient knowledge.

Divine knowledge.

He explored everything without discrimination.

But the answer he found was despair.

Yet, he did not give up.

'And that's how I found you all.'

As Leo recalled Risinas, Melina spoke.

"As a result of my craving for knowledge and wisdom, I became convinced that the Hero of Beginnings truly existed. However, I could find no material evidence. The stories remained, but the proof of Kyle's existence had vanished from this world."

Melina, who had been gazing at the ceiling, slightly lowered her gaze.

Their eyes met: Leo's red eyes and Melina's wise silver eyes.

Melina's lips curved into a smile.

"Then, Leo Floob, you appeared. And you presented evidence to this world that Kyle was not a fictional character."

"It's a coincidence."

"Yes. Everything can be explained by coincidence. It's a coincidence that you were born with all-class abilities, a coincidence that you achieved commendable feats, a coincidence that you are constantly connected to the world of great heroes, and a coincidence that you found proof of the Hero of Beginnings' existence. All of this can be explained by the word 'coincidence'."

Melina spread her arms wide and smiled brightly.

Her tone suggested that it was not strange for such coincidences to exist.

"But how do you explain this?"

Melina lowered her hands and took a step back.

Then, she carefully opened her left eye, which had been closed.

Leo's complexion changed as he met her gaze.

As if she couldn't control her power, that eye possessed a pupil that was vertically slit, characteristic of dragons, unlike her right eye, which was that of a normal human.

But that wasn't what surprised Leo.

As soon as her eye opened, the mana radiating from Melina also changed.

It was as if her opening her eye was a signal for the mana to change.

'Risinas's mana?'

"Long ago, I succeeded in conquering Risinas's world and recovering the pages. As a reward for that conquest, I was able to inherit a portion of Risinas's mana."

By now, Melina's voice had become respectful.

"It is a great honor that I have handled Risinas's mana for a long time. But now, that power does not obey me. It's as if it has met its true master."

Kyle, as the last survivor of the subjugation party, bore the burden of all his comrades.

Among them was the dragon heart left by Risinas.

For dragons, inheriting a dragon heart meant being a 'successor'.

Melina smiled and took something out of the subspace.

It was a very old fairy tale book.

"This is a fairy tale book from the 'Heroes of Beginnings' thousands of years ago. It is probably the last fairy tale book from that era left in this world."

Rustle- rustle-

Melina turned the pages and showed the latter half.

The content was different from current fairy tale books.

The current fairy tale books end with the five great heroes defeating Erebus together.

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 must have contained actual history.

What Melina showed was none other than Risinas just before she closed her eyes.

"According to this book, Kyle inherited Risinas's dragon heart."

Melina carefully closed the book and looked up at Leo.

"I will ask you one more time."

In Melina's solemn eyes, there was anticipation, admiration, and respect.

"Who are you?"

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

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

Leo stared silently at her, scratching his head.

"My, you're quite the sharp kid."

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

"It's just as you guessed."

Leo chuckled.