Book 1 Chapter 255
255
“Everyone, take out your Heroics textbooks.”
At Mel’s words, the students took out two books.
They were titled <Heroics Discourse> and <The Lives and Deaths of Heroes>.
Normally, the second-year Heroics textbook was just Heroics Discourse.
But this year, <The Lives and Deaths of Heroes> was also added to the semester's required materials.
‘Was <The Lives and Deaths of Heroes> a common purchase for all grades?’
When purchasing textbooks in Rumeria City, Leo just put the books the bookstore clerk gave him into his subspace.
So, this was the first time he was properly looking at the books.
Leo paused when he saw the book about the lives and deaths of heroes.
Author: Melina
Leo raised his head and looked at Mel.
Mel, whose eyes met Leo’s, smiled brightly and waved her hand.
“This book,”
Chloe, who thoroughly prepared and reviewed her lessons like the school’s top honor student she was, said as she placed the book she had already read several times on her desk.
“It’s strange that the author has the same name as the current Dragon Lord?”
At that, Leo looked at Mel and said.
“Wasn’t it written by the Dragon Lord?”
“No way. This book was published this year, wasn’t it? It must just be someone with the same name.”
‘But it really was written by me.’
However, no one could even imagine that the Dragon Lord would directly take a professorship at this school, teach classes, and even publish a book for that purpose.
‘Because it’s illogical.’
Leo glanced at Mel, muttered to himself, and turned the page.
“Although it was published this year, the content of the book is excellent. Especially the parts about the Heroes of Genesis are truly remarkable.”
Chloe, who had already read the book several times like a diligent honor student, her eyes sparkled.
‘Heroes of Genesis.’
Leo opened the page about the Heroes of Genesis and rested his chin on his hand.
Heroes who first conquered the world of heroes and ushered in a new era.
‘Many people see these guys as our successors.’
They not only discovered the world of heroes for the first time but also conquered the Hero Records of the Great Heroes for the first time and inherited their power.
‘The subjugation of Tartarus’s seven legion commanders. And by sealing the fragments of Erebus, they also prevented the return of disaster.’
The return of disaster.
If viewed only through records, it was almost similar to the early days of the Age of Disaster.
A period when countless nations fell and Tartarus’s legion commanders ran rampant.
But because of the Five Heroes, the Age of Disaster was prevented from coming again.
As Mel wiggled her finger, the chalk on the blackboard floated into the air by itself.
And it drew the figure of a person on the blackboard as if dancing.
[Twilight Knight, Lumern.]
He was praised as the strongest knight who single-handedly subjugated a Tartarus legion commander and his legion.
“There are many materials and anecdotes remaining about the Heroes of Genesis.”
Mel said, looking at the second-year students.
“However, for the past 3000 years, attempts to conquer the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis have been rare. Does any student know the reason?”
Immediately after the question, several students raised their hands simultaneously.
“Illiana Raden student.”
“Azat!!”
Illiana, who stood up from her seat, clenching her fists, answered.
“All Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis are managed in Dragonia, and the dragons only permit their conquest to chosen heroes!”
“That’s right.”
Mel smiled brightly and clapped her hands once.
“As a reward, for Illiana student…”
“You’re giving me presentation points, right!?”
“I will give you a cookie.”
“Eh?!”
Illiana made a flustered expression.
“Do you expect presentation points for answering such an easy question?”
“Don’t try to get something for nothing!”
Jeers erupted from various places.
“Be quiet!”
Illiana, her face flushed, shouted and then timidly went forward to Mel.
Actually, she was too embarrassed to ask for presentation points after answering a question that wasn't difficult at all, and she didn't want to go forward.
‘Ugh! What the heck! The cookie looks delicious too.’
However, it was hard to refuse the professor's goodwill from the first class, so she decided to put on a brave face and go.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Illiana smiled, took the cookie, returned to her seat, and took a bite.
“Mmm~!”
Illiana’s eyes widened, and her body trembled.
And she held her cheeks, making a happy expression.
“Delicious~”
Illiana, humming a tune and munching on the cookie, paused and then put her finger in her mouth.
“What is this?”
[Well done. 5 points]
On a small piece of paper with a cute rabbit illustration was her presentation score.
“How many points is it?”
“5 points.”
Illiana answered Mel’s question.
“Illiana student, you get an additional 5 points.”
“Ohhh!”
Illiana's face brightened.
Mel smiled and looked at the students.
“I will give cookies to students with good class attitudes. And inside the cookies, there are random attitude scores.”
“Random?”
“Yes. Eat cookies. Get points. We all study happily together.”
All the students looked dumbfounded at the never-before-seen lottery-style attitude points.
But they didn’t complain.
The class policy of Rumeron is set by the professor.
Complaining about it was tantamount to challenging the professor’s authority.
And so, the class proceeded.
The class delved into researching and analyzing the Twilight Knight, starting with stories of his childhood, his values, his psychology, and his goals.
Mel’s class felt less like a Heroics class and more like a thorough academic study of the Twilight Knight as a subject.
The second-year students began to understand the Twilight Knight, whom they had only encountered through data and anecdotes.
Ding-dong-daeng-dong-!
The sound of the class ending rang out.
“Class is over.”
Mel smiled subtly and closed her textbook.
“I will give you one homework assignment. Lumern’s very first achievement is the anecdote of him defeating the Orc King who ruled the area at the age of 13. If you were Lumern, submit a report on what Lumern’s feelings were before going to subjugate the Orc King. Are there any questions?”
Mel tidied up the cookie jar.
Chelsea raised her hand, looking at Mel.
“Yes, Chelsea Rwalin student.”
“Professor Mel. The class was very interesting. It was also a time to understand the first dean more deeply. However, there is something I don’t quite understand. Until now, in the first year, we studied and researched how to conquer various hero worlds. Professor Mel’s class…”
“You mean, why the focus is on understanding ‘heroes’ rather than conquest methods?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a good question.”
Mel smiled subtly.
“As Illiana Raden student presented earlier, the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis are managed in Dragonia. Is there anyone who knows the reason for that?”
At those words, the second-year students fell silent.
No student knew the reason.
The smile vanished from Mel’s face.
“It’s because it’s dangerous.”
“Isn’t it natural for conquering a hero’s world to be dangerous?”
“Yes. However, the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis are currently unconquerable. Over the past 3000 years, numerous attempts at conquest have been made, but not a single one has succeeded. Those who attempted the conquest were praised as the greatest heroes of their time, but most of them tragically lost their lives.”
Mel moved the chalk eraser with magic, erasing the blackboard, and said.
“The class methods for conquering the world of heroes, as you learned in your first year, will be taught to you by other professors. However, the reason for conducting these special classes is simple.”
Mel looked around at the students.
“It’s not just you. In Seirun, Azonia, and Demian, the same classes are being conducted as yours.”
The students’ eyes widened.
This was certainly surprising.
“The methods you have learned so far for conquering the world of heroes are ways to conquer an unspecified hero’s world.”
Analyzing and researching the hero’s world.
Or methods for quickly figuring out tasks and objectives.
That was what Rumeron students had learned in their Heroics classes until now.
“But the method I will teach you will be a class focused on perfectly understanding the Heroes of Genesis. And this too is one of the methods for conquering a hero’s world. Is there any student who would like to share their thoughts on why this is one of the conquest methods?”
At those words, the students were glancing at each other.
Then, someone raised their hand.
“Leo Plov student.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Leo.
“It’s to achieve what even that hero couldn’t.”
Mel smiled brightly.
“That’s the correct answer.”
Mel did not give Leo a cookie.
Leo also sat down without taking a cookie.
“The method I will teach you is the foundation for [overachieving] in the world of heroes.”
The students began to murmur.
“Why is understanding that hero the foundation for [overachieving]?”
This time, Celia raised her hand and asked.
“Conquering a hero’s world means following in the footsteps of previous heroes’ achievements. So, those who conquer a hero’s world mostly know what their goal should be and what they need to do to achieve it.”
The students nodded.
“However, overachievement is an unknown territory. To accomplish a feat that even that hero found impossible, simply following existing methods isn't enough. You must achieve what that hero missed, what that hero couldn't do. To do that, you first need to perfectly understand what kind of person that hero was.”
At those words, the students nodded.
“And the reason for choosing the Heroes of Genesis as the subject is simple.”
Mel made a serious expression.
“Dragonia has sent requests to each hero academy.”
“D-Dragonia?”
“Suddenly?”
“My goodness. Isn’t this the first time in almost a thousand years?”
While the students were surprised, Waraden crossed his arms.
“What’s the content?”
At that question, Mel smiled subtly.
“It was a request for your generation to conquer the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis.”
The students’ eyes widened.
* * *
“Aren’t I getting extra points?”
After class.
Leo visited Mel’s professor’s office during the break.
At Leo’s grumbling, Mel let out a deep sigh.
“How could I possibly dare to give you a cookie and talk about extra points, Lord Leo? And it wasn’t a difficult question for you, was it?”
“That’s discrimination.”
Leo grumbled but still sat in front of Mel.
“So. What’s the reason why this generation needs to conquer the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis?”
“The biggest reason is that this generation has extremely great potential.”
“That’s because of me, though.”
“Yes.”
Mel nodded.
Because it wasn’t wrong.
“But the biggest reason is probably that they can only hold on for about 100 years at most.”
“They?”
Leo made a puzzled expression.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you when you visited Dragonia then.”
Mel’s face hardened.
“The reason Dragonia hasn’t released the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis isn’t simply because they are ‘unconquerable.’”
“Is there another reason?”
“Yes. In the process of sealing Erebus in their Hero Records, most of the Hero Records of the Heroes of Genesis were burned, but significant records still remain. For example, records related to the subjugation of the legion commanders.”
“If it’s a Hero Record containing the records of a legion commander, it shouldn’t be unconquerable.”
“Yes. The problem is that even if you conquer the world of the Heroes of Genesis, no conquest reward is given.”
“Why?”
“Because the Hero Records do not yet recognize them as dead heroes.”
Although numerous records remain of the Heroes of Genesis, little is known about their final actions.
There are stories that they established the academy, retired, and lived a comfortable old age, and also that they went into seclusion and vanished from the public eye.
What is clear is that nothing is known about their end.
“No way…”
Leo’s face hardened.
“Yes.”
Mel made a firm expression.
“The Five Heroes are still fighting the fragments of Erebus they sealed within their own hero worlds.”