Book 1 Chapter 417

417.

Lunia, Ar, and Driana had tense expressions.

All three were students representing the Hero Academy.

Although only second-year students, they had overcome numerous crises as hero candidates and possessed commensurate skills.

Thanks to their unique personalities, they weren't easily flustered by ordinary matters.

However, in the presence of the Dragon Lord, the highest being in the world, they couldn't help but feel tense.

Especially since Melina had called them 'Heroes chosen by the era.'

Heroes were special beings.

They were figures who dominated their respective eras.

Literally, a position only the chosen could attain.

However, among them, heroes who carried an era on their shoulders were exceedingly rare.

The Sword Saint was a prime example.

Before the Sword Saint, the Conquerors of the Great Opening, led by Melina, were considered heroes who carried their era.

But now, something else weighed on their minds even more than that fact.

"Who exactly is the person the Lord mentioned?"

Lunia asked in a strained voice.

5,000 years ago.

The Dragon Lord was the one who began the Era of Heroes and had been selecting heroes generation after generation, inheriting the will of the King of Wisdom.

Only a Dragon possessing such wisdom and power could hold the position of Dragon Lord.

Therefore, the Dragon Lord reigned as the supreme being in every era.

Yet, there was someone whom such a Dragon Lord referred to as 'that person.'

It was naturally surprising.

In response to Lunia's question, Mel smiled faintly from beneath her veil.

Lunia felt even more confused by the adult's enigmatic demeanor, as if she were posing a riddle.

"Could it be that there is someone in Dragonia with a higher status than the Lord?"

Driana also asked in a serious tone.

"You seem curious about that person."

Melina said, covering her mouth with a chuckle.

"I don't think you're at the stage to know who that person is yet. However, it is certain that they have great expectations for you. I do as well."

At Melina's words, Lunia and Driana exchanged glances, their expressions growing more perplexed.

"You are the first to discuss them, so please keep this a secret."

Seeing Melina playfully bring her index finger to her lips, Lunia instinctively felt she had stumbled upon an immense secret.

At that moment.

Ar, who had been listening to Melina with his arms crossed and pondering with a 'Hmm!' suddenly opened his eyes wide.

With his tail stiffly erect, Ar exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

"I get it! The person the Lord mentioned must be the Great Hero! Or perhaps a Hero of the Great Opening!"

Melina, Lunia, and Driana turned their gaze to Ar.

"Think about it! Higher status than the Lord! And they said they chose us! Even if you don't know, at least I was chosen by Arion. So, who else could it be?"

Ar puffed out his chest with a proud expression.

"Luna and Seirun have already shown themselves in the current world! It's definitely them!"

"What nonsense are you spouting, you foolish cat."

"Even foolish talk has its limits."

"And why would you be chosen by Arion?"

"The ill-tempered elf here is right. Didn't Arion flee in terror whenever he saw you?"

"That's because Arion is shy."

"As if!"

"Besides, didn't Luna and Seirun appearing in the current world happen as a miracle caused by the Hero Record?"

"Do you think it's possible for Great Heroes or Heroes of the Great Opening to stay in the current world permanently? If it were possible, there would be no reason to hide them. If they were here, the war with Tartaros would end immediately!"

"Ugh?!"

Ar flinched and retreated at their logical words.

"Even simpletons have their limits. Are you an idiot?"

"They're wild beasts, aren't they? Useless except for their beautiful appearances."

"You brats!"

Ar glared and lunged, but the other two were not ones to passively accept it.

Meanwhile, Melina, who had been watching with wide eyes from beneath her veil, smiled faintly.

'How sharp. Is that the instinct of the wild?'

Whether it was a mere guess or wishful thinking, Ar's prediction was accurate.

Watching the three girls bicker, Melina cleared her throat.

The three hastily tidied their disheveled clothes and hair and stood up straight.

"Your energetic demeanor is pleasant to see."

Melina said with a smile to the three.

"So? What kind of heroes do you wish to become?"

"I want to be free like Luna."

"I want to have the courage of Arion!"

"I want to become a great artist, following in the footsteps of Dweno."

"Do you know what you must do to become such heroes?"

At Melina's question, the three exchanged glances.

Then, Lunia replied on behalf of the group.

"I believe we must carry on the will of the Great Heroes."

At that solemn answer, Melina closed her eyes.

And took a deep breath.

"Excellent."

To carry on the will of the Great Heroes.

It meant only one thing.

The complete subjugation of Erebus.

Something that, in 5,000 years of history, no one had dared to utter lightly.

"You truly are heroes chosen by the era."

At Melina's words, Ar asked.

"Does the era choosing us mean we are the heroes who will carry the next generation?"

"No. It means a more arduous trial awaits, one that is incomparable even to carrying an era."

At Melina's words, the three swallowed dryly.

"But… seeing your demeanor today, I don't think I need to worry."

Melina smiled faintly.

"However, what you have now is insufficient. You will have to put in much more effort than you are now."

The three nodded.

The words came from the Dragon Lord herself, not anyone else.

The word "insufficient" felt very real.

"I will be waiting for the day you become proper heroes. The day we can stand on the same stage as soon as possible."

With those words, Melina disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"What could the Lord have meant by that?"

After Melina vanished, Lunia pondered her parting words.

"The fact that a more arduous trial awaits than carrying an era… perhaps the Dragon Lord is also aiming for the complete subjugation of Erebus?"

"Are they seeing our potential to that extent?"

Tension flickered across Lunia and Ar's faces.

Simply carrying an era was a monumental task that ordinary people would find difficult to bear.

But Melina was looking even higher than that.

"What do you think, Driana?"

Lunia asked Driana, who wore a serious expression like her own.

"Hmm. How beautiful must the Dragon Lord be."

Seeing Driana speak of something completely unrelated, Ar said.

"Shall I hit you?"

"I'll hit her first."

With fierce expressions, the two proceeded to kick Driana.

***

The welcoming party ended around midnight, in the early hours of the morning.

Afterward, the external guests were treated as honored guests and guided to their accommodations.

Students from other Hero Academies were to stay in their respective year-group dormitories.

It was a rare occasion for students from the Hero Academy to gather, and the purpose was to hold an exchange event.

"Oh ho! As expected, the second-year students of Rumern are indeed having a dormitory-wide event, just as I heard!"

"Did you all orchestrate this?"

"This is nice."

The second-year students from each academy chose dormitories to their liking.

Due to their prior acquaintance from the exclusive contract with Smith, the second-year students settled into their accommodations without awkwardness.

Some chose dormitories where they had friends, while others chose based on their respective academies' tendencies.

Azonia preferred Glory, and Demian chose Harmony.

Lastly, Seirun students generally gathered in Noble.

"It's a bit surprising that you're in Noble."

Sitting with her legs crossed in the Noble lounge, Lunia glanced at Kal.

Kal brought her tea and said.

"You think so too? Even though the semester is ending, I don't know why I'm here."

Kal, with a hint of complaint in his voice, served tea.

"Still, the hospitality is excellent."

The other Seirun students were satisfied with the tea and snacks Kal had prepared.

Despite being dawn, the spread was of high quality.

Abad, who was watching the scene as the dormitory representative, said.

"For your information, that's not our dormitory's service. It's Kal's personal service."

"Oh, thank you."

"Thank you."

The Seirun students expressed their gratitude.

"It's nothing. Lunia, can I consider you the representative of Seirun's second-year students here as well?"

Kal asked Lunia with a smile, and Lunia nodded.

Kal then handed Lunia a leather plate the size of his palm.

"Here you are, Lady Lunia El Lund."

"Why the formal address all of a sudden? And what is this?"

"A bill."

"……"

Lunia's face contorted.

Kal pointed to a spot in the lounge with his finger.

[Kal's Service: Paid]

Within Noble, Kal provided services within the dormitory.

And naturally, they were paid.

"For your information, there's a surcharge because it's dawn."

"This is a forced sale!"

"Hoo! A forced sale? I handed out pamphlets when you entered our dormitory!"

Lunia retorted indignantly, but Kal was firm.

Students from Azonia and Demian, who had friendships with Noble students, also wore expressions of disbelief.

Meanwhile, in Harmony, Celia approached Driana.

"You are Driana?"

"Hmm. Seeing you, you must be Celia Zerdinger."

"You know me well."

"You're famous."

Driana smiled faintly as she looked at Celia, who had approached her.

"So, why did you approach me?"

"You're a conqueror from Lord Dweno's world. As a knight, it's natural for me to be interested in a blacksmith who met a divine blacksmith who wields weapons, isn't it?"

"I am not a blacksmith."

"What?"

"I am an artist."

Celia's expression was one of mild disappointment.

To such Celia, Driana said.

"Would you be interested in being a nude model?"

Celia decided she should absolutely avoid getting involved with this dwarf.

"This is Lord Leo's room."

Meanwhile, Eiran, who had chosen the Glory dormitory, stood in Leo's room with a tense expression.

"Any strange books?"

Ar rummaged through every corner of Leo's room with half-closed eyes.

"S-strange books?"

"It's a perfect opportunity to get leverage on the black rabbit."

Ar said with a knowing smile.

Leo was currently out of the room for a moment.

Searching the corners, Ar noticed a locker in Leo's bookshelf was slightly ajar and reached for it.

Eiran urgently intervened.

"Y-you can't open the locker! That's a bad thing to do!"

"I'm just trying to close it. Of course, it might accidentally slip and I might open it. Oops, my hand slipped?"

Ar opened the door with feigned innocence.

*Cheep*

Fiora, who was sleeping inside, reacted with annoyance and nervously flapped her wings.

*Whoosh-!*

"Yikes!"

Ar, whose face caught fire, rolled on the floor.

Eiran helped him put out the flames.

***

"How was it? Meeting them in person."

Leo said, sitting on a bench in the dormitory's common garden.

"I understand why you chose them, Lord Leo."

"It's not like I only chose them."

At Melina's words, Leo chuckled.

"By the way, I sense a different power in you than before. Have you obtained a power I'm not aware of?"

Melina said calmly.

"A different power than before?"

"Yes. I didn't feel it when you were Mel, but I definitely feel it now."

Mel was Melina, but not Melina herself.

Melina's true body had never left Dragonia.

Mel was a doll created by magic.

Melina had been controlling Mel while she slept in Dragonia.

At Melina's words, Leo looked down at his palm.

"Not really. Hasn't changed much, has it? An alien power?"

"No. It's just that I faintly sense the power of the Hero Record within you. Do you happen to have a fragment of the Hero Record?"

"No. I handed over all the Hero Records I obtained previously to you."

Leo, who had been concentrating on himself, paused.

"This is…"

A faint but clear power could be felt.

It was not Arion's aura, nor Luna's magic.

It was certainly not Dweno's flame, nor Lisinas's mana.

The power Leo felt from himself was a power that did not exist in this world.

More precisely, it was a power that had vanished 5,000 years ago.

"Divine power?"