Book 1 Chapter 419
419.
“Lumerne has many good shops.”
“That’s right. Every single one of the cakes is delicious!”
At Luniar’s words, Eiran, who had a fork in her mouth, covered her cheeks with her hands and made a happy expression.
Watching the two, Luca, another representative of Seyrun’s second year, smiled faintly.
“I wish our school could be like this too.”
“Right. Right.”
Despite being one of the top three most skilled students in the second year, Luca had his class representative position revoked from the first semester of his second year due to the Pureblood Council’s policies.
However, as Seyrun normalized, he was reinstated as a representative.
Having been called the ‘close-knit trio’ since their first year, the three were currently sightseeing in Lumerne together.
It was while the three of them were enjoying Lumerne for a while.
“Hey, hey.”
Cal came running, out of breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your first-year junior! Leah Tingle, you know her.”
“What about Leah?”
When Eiran asked, tilting her head, Cal urgently said.
“She’s been caught by Professor Halind and dragged to his lab!”
“Professor Halind?”
“Halind is one of the most famous professors in Lumerne, isn’t he?”
Halind and Sedjen.
The two, renowned as famous professors of Lumerne, were naturally highly respected even among other races.
Therefore, Luniar and Eiran naturally knew them too.
“Why was Leah caught by him?”
Cal said, watching Luniar put down her teacup and ask.
“How would I know? Maybe she caused a disturbance in the first-year classroom building’s hallway!”
“Ah~ That’s just like her. She sometimes goes on inexplicable rampages.”
“Leah certainly has an eccentric side.”
“Before, she wrote Leo’s mentee’s name all over the place in red letters. She called it a curse or something.”
“Hehe. It seems she considers that child, Luke, her rival.”
At Luniar’s words, Eiran covered her mouth and laughed, while Luca shook his head.
“It’s scary to think of it as just a rivalry.”
Cal scratched his head, watching the Seyrun representatives casually chatting.
“It seems you don’t understand the seriousness of the situation at all. You don’t know what kind of person Professor Halind is, do you?”
“What kind of person is he?”
“He’s the one called the ‘Wailing Wall of Lumerne.’ He’s the scariest professor in our school!”
At Cal’s explanation, Luniar rested her chin on her hand.
“There are scary teachers in Seyrun too.”
“The level is different! The level! Not only seniors in 3rd, 4th, and 5th years, and professors from Lumerne! Even seniors who have graduated and made a name in the Hero Record crawl before Professor Halind!”
The reason Halind is scary.
It’s not just because he’s called the Wailing Wall of Lumerne.
Before being the professor who causes the most expulsions in Lumerne, Halind was simply a terrifying person himself.
Eiran said urgently.
“B-but Leah is a Seyrun student, isn’t she? Even such a terrifying person would be lenient with students from other schools…”
“Lenient? That’s a word that doesn’t suit Professor Halind at all.”
It was when Cal was muttering seriously.
“What’s going on?”
Illiana, who happened to be passing by, asked with a puzzled expression.
“We have the only experienced person here.”
Illiana had been dragged to Halind’s office only once in her first year for violating school rules.
Cal had also violated school rules several times, but he had narrowly stayed within bounds with his unique cunning.
However, Illiana was not like that, and she had crossed the line just once.
“Hey, I heard a Seyrun first-year was dragged to Professor Halind’s office?”
“Ah.”
Illiana let out a gasp.
Then she smiled faintly and said.
“If it were me, I’d rather choose to bury my face in a plate and die than be dragged to Professor Halind’s office.”
‘What on earth is she going through?’
Luniar made a serious expression.
“W-what should we do?”
Eiran said urgently.
“For now, there’s nothing we can do but pray she returns safely.”
Watching Cal speak seriously with his arms crossed, Luniar let out a deep sigh.
“Can you at least guide me to him?”
At those words, Cal and Illiana looked away.
“Are you scared to go there too? Are you really hero candidates?”
“I’m not.”
“What can I do about being scared?”
Watching the defiant Cal and Illiana, Luniar grabbed Cal by the nape of his neck and pulled him.
“Guide me.”
“Why me?!”
Cal screamed as if wronged, but Luniar didn’t listen.
***
Summit meeting hall.
A place called the Twilight Hall, located in the upper part of Lumerne’s Hero Tower.
Summit meetings held in Lumerne for generations took place here.
On the wall in the center of the meeting hall, five portraits hung.
They were none other than the portraits of the Heroes of Creation.
And below them, statues were erected.
Arion holding a sword.
Dweno holding an axe.
Luna holding a staff.
Lisinus holding a book.
And finally, Kail.
They were statues of the greatest Grand Heroes who ended the Age of Disaster and brought a future to the world.
Kings and heroes entering the Twilight Hall paid their respects to the portraits of the Heroes of Creation and the statues of the Grand Heroes, respectively, and then took their seats.
Next to Leo, who attended the summit as the student council president, sat student council presidents from other schools.
With everyone seated.
The highest seat.
They looked at the vacant seat of the Council Chairman.
Thump- thump-
A moment later, Mellina appeared in the Twilight Hall.
Mellina was still wearing a veil, appearing as a small girl.
Although she exuded a gentle aura, Mellina’s mere presence overwhelmed the assembly.
Standing before the portraits of the Heroes of Creation and the statues of the Grand Heroes, Mellina clasped her hands and bowed for a moment.
Then she sat in the highest seat and looked around.
“I extend my gratitude to all of you who, despite your busy duties, have gathered here for the sake of the world.”
Everyone focused on Mellina.
“The reason we are gathered here is simple. We are here to discuss the recent unusual movements in Tartarus. Is there anyone who wishes to speak on this matter?”
As soon as Mellina finished speaking, a dark-skinned dwarf raised his hand.
“King of Neveroom. Please speak.”
“First, may infinite blessings be upon the great Dragon Lord.”
The King of Neveroom, having gained the right to speak, bowed to Mellina and then opened his mouth.
“I have a question for Headmaster Zephia of Azonia.”
“What is it?”
“Recently, numerous beast-kin Hero Hunters have started appearing in my kingdom. Our Kingdom of Neveroom attempted to eliminate these wicked traitors.”
The King of Neveroom’s face turned fierce.
“However, these detestable traitors were strong, and showed no signs of being subdued. So, I dispatched our kingdom’s proud warriors, the 4th Iron Fist Regiment.”
At the King of Neveroom’s words, the meeting hall began to murmur.
Neveroom, being a dwarf nation, is rich in mines.
As such, they could produce high-quality weapons and armor, and based on that, they held one of the five dwarf kingdoms representing their race.
The warrior corps representing such Neveroom was precisely the ‘Iron Fist’.
“The 4th Regiment was annihilated.”
Gasps of shock erupted from all over.
The King of Neveroom’s eyes flashed.
“And just before attending this meeting, there was a testimony from a survivor who barely regained consciousness. They said there were beast-kin using sign language even though it wasn’t a night of the full moon!”
He glared at Zephia with wide eyes.
“Tell me, Headmaster Zephia. I heard Azonia knew this fact long ago! But why! Why did you not announce this fact and lead the young talents of our kingdom to their deaths!”
At the King of Neveroom’s shout, Zephia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I apologize for not informing you of that fact, Your Majesty. However, Azonia also needed to properly ascertain the facts.”
“Properly ascertain the facts?! You concealed it because of Azonia’s honor, didn’t you?! Because mere traitors accomplished what the beast-kin couldn’t do for 5000 years! You were ashamed of that fact, weren’t you?!”
“Watch your words! King of Neveroom!”
The king of another beast-kin kingdom raised his voice.
“The King of Neveroom is speaking the truth! By what right do you tell him to hold his tongue!”
“Truth? Weren’t you hunted because you were weak?! Do you dare try to tarnish the honor of us, descendants of heroes, with that?!”
“What did you say?!”
Loud voices went back and forth between the agitated beast-kin and dwarves.
It was a sensitive issue.
For the beast-kin, the prestige and honor of their entire race were at stake.
Conversely, for the dwarves, the promising talents of their race had been killed.
Once ignited, the fire grew uncontrollably.
“Shh-!”
Then a small voice was heard.
The voice was very soft, but in that single word, an undeniable dignity was felt.
The beast-kin and dwarves, having stopped their argument, looked at Mellina.
“We are not gathered here to fight. To argue about right and wrong.”
Mellina looked towards the beast-kin side.
“Azonia Academy’s action of not announcing the fact despite being aware of it is certainly regrettable. However, on the other hand, the entire beast-kin race could have been shaken by the resulting confusion… And it was a matter related to the honor of the beast-kin… so it’s not entirely incomprehensible.”
Next, she looked at the dwarves.
“The deaths of the promising Iron Fists are a deeply sorrowful event. I offer my condolences. However, there is also one regrettable point. Hero Hunters are beings who hunt heroes, or those equivalent to them. Countless powerful heroes have fallen into the cunning traps of those detestable traitors and lost their lives.”
A touch of regret filled Mellina’s voice.
“But we have those who can hunt these Hero Hunters.”
Mellina looked towards one part of the meeting hall.
The unique presence at this gathering.
The one who should be there most, yet also the most alien one.
It was Shau, the Emperor of the Shadow Empire, Shan Empire.
“The reason the young Iron Fists lost their lives… I believe it’s due to a lack of communication. It’s an unavoidable matter.”
Mellina looked around at the assembly.
“Because we are intertwined by interests, and the information needed by each other could also become each other’s vulnerabilities.”
Some coughed lightly and avoided Mellina’s gaze.
“But I believe now is the time to forget such things and cooperate.”
Mellina spoke with strength.
“King of Neveroom. Why did you not request help from the Shan Empire?”
“…….We handle our own affairs. That is our pride.”
“That pride… I think it’s admirable. But is that truly all there is to it?”
At Mellina’s words, the King of Neveroom bowed his head and remained silent.
“I know many people consider it shameful to receive help from the Shadows. That shouldn’t be the case. The Shadows are beings equal to heroes.”
At those words, one person from the human side raised a hand.
“King of Ruckitt. Please speak.”
He, the King of Ruckitt, a human kingdom located in the northern part of the continent, spoke.
“I understand what the Lord says. The Shadows are indeed specialized in hunting Hero Hunters. But they are also those who work in the darkness and commit many unspeakable atrocities. They are like a necessary evil.”
“The Shadows are not evil.”
“I misspoke. But regardless, receiving help from the Shadows is a shameful act for a hero.”
The King of Ruckitt narrowed his eyes.
“They are thoroughly those who assist heroes. They can never be equal to heroes.”
“What is your reason for thinking so?”
“It’s because they can never have their names recorded in the Hero Record. They are never acknowledged by the gods.”
At the King of Ruckitt’s remark, everyone held their breath and looked at Shau.
Amidst this, Shau rose from his seat.
“It’s good timing. I have something to show you all regarding the Hero Record.”
“What is it?”
Shau looked at Mellina.
As Mellina nodded, Shau took a small box from his pocket and approached the center of the Twilight Hall.
Then he placed the box on a display table made of orichalcum in the center and opened it.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards it.
At that moment.
“The Hero Record?”
Someone murmured in a perplexed voice.
“Impossible! Even the Hero Records kept at each hero academy are not in such pristine condition!”
“Is it a fake?”
“But this power is definitely…!”
Amidst everyone’s astonishment, Mellina opened her mouth.
“Emperor Shan, what is that?”
“It is the Hero Record, the Book of Shadows.”