Book 1 Chapter 365
365
Mission practice.
At the mention of exploring a Hero Dungeon, all the first-year students couldn't hide their excitement.
“Wow! It’s only the first semester, and it’s already mission practice!”
“And didn’t Professor Halrind just say Hero Dungeon exploration?”
“Can we get conquest rewards?”
“This is totally the best!”
The first-year students showed enthusiastic reactions.
Unlike the first-year students, the second-year students felt puzzled.
‘Hundreds of people exploring a Hero Dungeon?’
It was impossible.
A Hero Dungeon refers to the world of heroes created by the runaway Hero Record.
The number of Hero Dungeons is small, as the Hero Academy immediately takes on their conquest whenever one is discovered.
It was impossible for first- and second-year students to explore such a Hero Dungeon together.
Of course, there are also Hero Dungeons that require hundreds of people to conquer simultaneously.
But such Hero Dungeons are not ones that first- and second-year students of the Hero Academy can handle.
While all the second-year students were feeling confused,
even among the first-year students, a few felt something was strange.
One of them raised a hand.
“Professor Halrind! I have a question!”
Chloe’s mentee, Betty Marste, raised her hand high.
Betty was an honor student, ranking second in the magic department after Juen.
“What is it, Betty Marste.”
“What exactly does ‘Hero Dungeon exploration’ mean? It’s hard to imagine all the first-year students and second-year seniors conquering a Hero Dungeon!”
Seeing Betty ask clearly, the excited first-year students paused.
Upon hearing Betty's words, it certainly seemed so.
The students looked at Halrind.
“Not a bad question, Betty Marste. I’ll give you 5 points.”
Halrind highly praised Betty for calmly analyzing the situation and asking a question, unlike the other excited students.
“Most of you just thought it was a Hero Dungeon conquest without much thought. Disappointing.”
At Halrind's cold voice, the first-year students flinched.
As the atmosphere tightened overall, Halrind opened his mouth.
“This dungeon exploration is not about conquering a Hero Dungeon, but about finding a Hero Dungeon.”
Duran raised his hand.
“Speak, Duran Moira.”
“Is this a mission with a client?”
“No.”
“Then does that mean there’s a force concealing the existence of a Hero Dungeon somewhere?”
“Yes.”
At Duran’s words, the first-year students started murmuring in surprise.
Juen, who was at the very front because of Kyle, tilted her head curiously and quietly asked.
“Why doesn’t senior Duran get presentation points?”
“Hey. Answering at that level is for first-years to get points. If a second-year answers like that and gets points from Professor Halrind, you should be ashamed.”
At Kyle’s groaning reply, with his head down, Juen narrowed her eyes.
“Then wouldn’t it be good if senior Kyle answered? Professors like questions, whether they give points or not.”
“Why would I want to draw Professor Halrind’s attention for something that doesn’t even give points?”
“You only answer questions for points, don’t you? Kyle Thomas.”
“Hee-eek!?”
Kyle shrieked at the cold voice from above.
Halrind imposed an even harsher punishment on his student.
“Juen Torvina.”
“Yes! Professor Halrind!”
“It must be uncomfortable standing, so sit on that idiot.”
“Understood!”
Juen quickly sat on Kyle’s waist.
“Ughhhhh!”
“Am I as light as a feather?”
Juen asked with a bright smile, and Kyle shouted.
“You’re super heavy!”
At that, Juen, feeling provoked, bounced up and down.
Kyle’s screams grew louder.
“Hero Dungeons are very dangerous phenomena.”
Halrind walked step by step to stand in front of the students.
“An abnormal hero world created by the runaway of an unstable Hero Record. Escape is impossible mid-way from a Hero Dungeon. If you make a mistake and fail to conquer it, you will surely face death. In fact, countless of your seniors have lost their lives that way.”
At Halrind’s words, the excited first-year students paused.
Looking at the first-year students, Halrind said in a cold voice.
“Those who spoke of conquest rewards earlier, know your place. If you’re going to live your school life with such complacent thinking and die a dog’s death, quit Lumern right now.”
At Halrind’s words, most of the first-year students lowered their heads.
Lumern students begin serious mission assignments in their second year.
Up to the second year, the requests are of relatively low risk.
However, from the third year, they begin to take on genuinely dangerous missions.
And among them, there are cases of getting caught up in Hero Dungeons.
Lumern also has specialized Hero Dungeon conquest parties composed of outstanding students.
But even those selected students meet their deaths in Hero Dungeons.
Indeed, every year, not only at Lumern but many Hero Academy students lose their lives failing to conquer Hero Dungeons.
It was also a topic that should never be mentioned lightly.
Following Halrind, who had spoken sternly to the first-year students, Mel spoke.
“Hero Dungeons are dangerous not just because of the high risk during conquest. As you know, if a Hero Dungeon is left unattended for too long, it will erode reality.”
Mel, who usually had a gentle impression and was popular among students, was solemn today.
The records of the Hero Record are stories of heroes overcoming trials.
Among the various crises that befall a hero, only dangers that can never be taken lightly are named ‘trials.’
Neglecting a Hero Dungeon meant that a crisis that had once threatened the world would once again manifest in reality.
Yet, despite this, many nations conceal the discovery of a Hero Dungeon.
The reason is simple.
If a Hero Dungeon is conquered, the Hero Record is attributed to the Hero Academy.
If it’s a human hero, to Lumern.
If it’s an elf hero, to Seirun.
If it’s a beast-human or dwarf hero, to Azonia and Damian.
If it’s a dragon’s, it’s retrieved by Dragonia.
3000 years ago.
The Covenant of Genesis, formed by the Heroes of Genesis.
The Hero Academy and Dragonia manage the Hero Record, but they never monopolize it.
The Hero Record is used solely for the purpose of nurturing heroes for the world.
Otherwise, the world might have fallen into chaos long ago.
The Hero Record was an item that could dominate the world to any extent if used for selfish desires.
Therefore, Hero Dungeons were also a powerful force that could rapidly change the political situation between factions.
If one succeeded in obtaining powerful conquest rewards, it was by no means impossible for a weak nation to instantly attain the status of a great power.
Or one could obtain immense power.
There are countless forces that would monopolize and conceal Hero Dungeons to fulfill such greed.
Because of this, there have been innumerable histories of nations perishing and, furthermore, past crises reappearing in the world.
But such mistakes continue to be repeated.
“Preventing that is also the mission of the Hero Academy.”
At Mel’s words, Celia raised her hand.
“Are you sure they are concealing a Hero Dungeon?”
“We can’t be certain. However, it’s definite that a series of suspicious abnormal incidents are occurring in that country. Your mission practice this time is to go to the country suspected of concealing a Hero Dungeon, find the Hero Dungeon, and report it to Lumern.”
The students’ eyes widened.
“Where is that country?”
At Celia’s question, Halrind said with an unexpressive face.
“A country in the central south of the continent. Alleham.”
***
Alleham.
It was a country in the middle of a vast desert stretching across the southern continent.
The country’s history was 2000 years.
It was a country proud of its considerably long history, and its territory was also vast.
In the past, it was a great power that ruled much of the southern lands.
But now, it had fallen into the status of a poor nation in the southern continent.
Most of its vast land was useless desert, and its population was small.
“It has a history of 2000 years, but it declined 500 years ago and became an incredibly poor country.”
Chloe said.
“You know that so well?”
Kyle said with admiration, and Chloe smiled brightly.
“I read it in a book once.”
The books Chloe devoured were not just grimoires.
Chloe was fundamentally a girl with a very strong thirst for knowledge.
“Alleham has three peculiarities.”
Chloe continued.
“The first is that the territory of Alleham includes a monster forest.”
“A monster forest, what memories~”
Chelsea said with a bright smile.
The monster forest.
It was also the entrance exam assignment for second-year students from the western continent, including Leo, Celia, Chelsea, and Abbad.
“I heard senior Leo’s performance was exceptional even at the entrance ceremony.”
Juen’s eyes sparkled.
“How was it?”
“How was it! It was the best!”
Chelsea crossed her arms and chuckled.
“He stopped a monster that Abbad oppa and Celia barely managed to defeat together, all by himself without even using Aura!”
“Without even using Aura?”
Luke’s eyes widened.
Aina, sitting next to Celia as her mentee, also twitched her eyes.
Martina, also Celia’s mentee, replied with admiration.
“I’ve also heard much about young master’s exploits from Lady Celia, so I know well. That’s why I’m very curious about the detailed story.”
“I’ll tell you that story later, for now, focus on the meeting.”
At Leo’s words, the students focused on Chloe again.
Currently, Leo was in a private study room attached to the central library.
This place was well soundproofed for group study or important meetings.
Inside the room were second-year students Leo, Chloe, Celia, Chelsea, Kyle.
And their mentees Luke, Betty, Aina, Martina, Juen.
A total of ten people.
They came together at Leo’s suggestion to discuss mission practice while having dinner after class.
“The second is that it’s a country where no heroes are born. It’s been 500 years already.”
Heroes are very rare beings.
Even if one graduates successfully from the Hero Academy, not everyone becomes a hero.
There are many cases where an entire year group fails to have their names recorded in the Hero Record.
It only seems like a lot because countless hero names have accumulated in the Hero Record over an immensely long period.
They were very rare beings.
But Alleham’s peculiar point wasn’t simply that heroes didn’t emerge.
“They say there hasn’t even been a single Lumern entrant for 500 years.”
Because not even hero candidates were born.
Everyone was shaking their heads in disbelief.
“The third peculiarity is.”
Chloe blinked.
“It’s where the Dragon of Genesis, Lord Rodia, was born.”
Rodia, the Dragon of Genesis.
3000 years ago, as the Dragon Lord, 5000 years ago.
It was the name of the great Dragon Lord who, like King Risinas of Wisdom, gathered the Heroes of Genesis to confront the return of disaster.
“That’s all the peculiarities I know.”
At Chloe’s words, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Is there anything special related to the Dragon of Genesis?”
“Not really. Oh, there’s a legend that there might be a secret archive left by Lord Rodia.”
“Hmm.”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘That guy wouldn’t have left something strange related to me and Risinas, would he?’
Given his past experience with Seirun, Leo was sufficiently suspicious of Rodia as well.
At that moment, Kyle chuckled and said.
“I know something about Alleham too.”
At Kyle’s words, everyone’s gaze fixed on Kyle.
“What is it?”
Chloe asked with interest, and Kyle grinned.
“The land of pleasure.”