Book 1 Chapter 458
458.
It was ten evenings after the fragment of Erebus disappeared that guests visited the Flobe family mansion.
“Everyone, eat deliciously. I put some effort into it today.”
Reina smiled gently and warmly served dinner to her son's friends.
“Wow! Thank you!”
“It looks so delicious!”
Chelsea and Eiran cheered at the feast laid out before them.
“Auntie, your cooking skills are excellent.”
Celia admired.
At Celia’s admiration, Reina covered her mouth and laughed, "Hohoho!"
Watching the scene, Carl muttered.
“Indeed. Most of the people here are at a desperate level.”
The girls’ eyes gleamed ominously.
Carl quickly hid behind Leo.
“Mom only made the soup; the chef did everything else.”
“Making soup is hard, you know.”
Reina said brazenly.
Thus, a boisterous atmosphere unfolded.
Even though the training camp was over, quite a few students were spending their vacation at the Flobe family home.
Perhaps enjoying the lively atmosphere, Reina was also very kind to her son's friends.
“Shall we continue the conversation we were having earlier?”
Abbad, sitting next to Chelsea, paused his meal, wet his throat with water, and continued speaking.
“Regarding the world situation after the subjugation of the Erebus fragment.”
As Abbad started, Iliana picked up a piece of salad with her fork and said,
“Tartarus’s forces will shrink, and our forces will prosper, won’t they?”
“Indeed, the whole world is in a festive mood right now.”
Tade also nodded, agreeing with Iliana.
At his words, Celia shook her head.
“My thoughts are a little different.”
“What do you think?”
“There might be a massive attack from Tartarus.”
Celia said with a serious face.
“From Tartarus’s perspective, the Erebus fragment was subjugated again, just like 3000 years ago. From their point of view, they’ve suffered a catastrophic blow.”
“Indeed, they might do anything since they’re pushed into a corner, right?”
Chloe nodded as if she understood.
Listening to the conversation, Leo fell into thought.
‘Hell Kaiser wouldn’t rashly attack just because one fragment of Erebus disappeared.’
As Celia said, it was true that Tartarus had suffered catastrophic damage.
However, given Hell Kaiser's personality, with the Monster Queen subjugated and the Giant King unable to move, now is not the time for rash actions.
The probability of impulsive action is not high in a situation where the balance of power has been broken.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll just stand by.’
Leo let out a deep sigh.
‘Whatever happens, he will move.’
Meanwhile, Reina smiled softly as she listened to the students' discussion.
‘Excellent. Even when everyone is in a festive mood, they are having such a serious discussion about the future world situation.’
She thought it was indeed typical of hero candidates.
“Leo, what do you think?”
Lunia, who was participating in the conversation, asked, seeking Leo’s opinion.
“I…”
The moment Leo was about to open his mouth.
The dining room door opened, and a maid approached Reina, speaking softly.
At her words, Reina’s eyes widened, and she stood up from her seat.
A moment later, there was a slight commotion outside the dining room.
As all the students who were eating widened their eyes.
The door opened, and several people entered.
Celia’s and Chelsea’s eyes widened.
“Uncle Zis?”
“Lord Roses, how did you get here?”
Zis Zerdinger and Roses Lerwalin visited the Flobe family.
At the two people’s reactions, the other students also looked surprised.
Zis Zerdinger and Roses Lerwalin.
Both of them were graduates of Lumerne.
In addition, they were highly renowned skilled individuals in the Lordren Empire.
Although their names were not listed in the Hero Record, they possessed skills equivalent to heroes, and their status and prestige within the Lordren Empire were not an exaggeration to call them heroes.
It was only natural to be surprised when such prominent figures suddenly appeared.
“I heard something big happened. To overcome the trial. You are magnificent.”
Zis approached his niece and nephew, Leo and Celia, and patted their shoulders.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to deliver His Majesty’s personal letter.”
“The Emperor?”
Celia, Chelsea, and Abbad looked startled.
The pinnacle of power in the western continent.
A personal letter from the Emperor of Lordren?
“Lord Roses.”
At Zis’s words, Roses nodded and approached Leo.
“Leo Flobe of the Zerdinger family, receive the Emperor’s letter.”
At that, Leo looked puzzled and stood before Roses.
It was when Roses, with a serious expression, was about to take out an ornate box containing a letter from subspace.
Another commotion arose outside.
“What on earth is going on?”
Carl, with a puzzled expression, slightly poked his head out the door.
“Gasp?!”
And he let out a startled scream.
“What’s wrong?”
Chloe asked with a curious face, and Carl said,
“There are all sorts of races in the living room!”
“What?”
“And they’re all prominent figures!”
It was just as Carl said.
Outside the dining room, many prominent figures whose faces appeared in world newspapers were gathered.
“I can roughly guess what’s going on.”
Reina, with her arms crossed, narrowed her eyes.
As a Lumerne graduate, Reina quickly grasped the situation.
“What’s going on, Auntie?”
“Everyone visiting our family right now belongs to a Hero Guild.”
“What? Why is the Hero Guild visiting the Flobe family?”
“To recruit Leo, presumably.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes widened.
***
“Those Hero Guild guys. What exactly are their intentions?”
Riina said in an irritable voice from the principal’s office at Lumerne.
Hero Guild.
It is a group to which those who walk the path of heroes belong, led by heroes whose names are listed in the Hero Record.
Many Hero Guilds exist in the world.
And the affiliated factions are diverse.
Sometimes, nations take the initiative to establish guilds to support heroes, or renowned hero families unite to create guilds.
They are also sometimes founded by graduates of hero academies.
In particular, the Hero Guilds of hero academies have a long history.
In the case of Hero Guilds affiliated with hero academies, their founders were all individuals who received teachings from the Heroes of the Genesis.
They possess powerful influence due to their 3000-year history and deep connection with the Heroes of the Genesis, and many wish to join.
However, joining itself is equally difficult.
“Since they are from this school, they should all know the school rules well, shouldn’t they?”
“The Guild Alliance has submitted a proposal to the board. In fact, numerous Hero Guilds are currently making moves.”
The news Harland conveyed to Riina was none other than that the Hero Guilds were trying to offer membership to students.
Hero Guild members are dispatched to the front lines in battles against Tartarus.
Hero Guild activities are excessively dangerous.
Therefore, student membership in Hero Guilds is prohibited.
However, the Hero Guilds are now proposing to lift that school rule.
Riina saw through the reason why the Hero Guilds made such a move.
“Is it to recruit Leo Flobe?”
The reason the Hero Guilds proposed even changing Lumerne's school rules was to recruit Leo.
An all-class like Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.
Furthermore, the youngest student council president in Lumerne’s history, an unprecedented feat.
Even up to that point, he was a talent that any Hero Guild would covet.
‘But Leo Flobe’s value surpassed that.’
Riina narrowed her eyes.
Still a 16-year-old boy.
An age holding immense potential.
Nevertheless, he was already being evaluated as possibly possessing power comparable to a hero, beyond even Lumerne’s strongest.
However, in the recent revival of the Erebus fragment, Leo was active on the front lines alongside the Hero Arion and the Dragon Lord.
Most people focused on the exploits of the revived hero and the ‘Silent Dragon’ who broke its silence, but the Hero Guild focused on Leo, who was still just a student.
“He proved that he possesses power that surpasses not just that comparable to a hero, but even most heroes. What exactly is your student’s true identity?”
“It’s hard to call him a student. I haven’t taught him much.”
Harland had been a Lumerne teacher for a long time, in charge of many students, but Leo was the first student he had so little to teach.
“Skill, personality, disposition, goals. It’s no exaggeration to say that he was literally born a hero.”
Riina nodded at Harland’s words.
It wasn't strange for the Hero Guilds to covet him.
“Still, there’s a limit.”
Riina frowned, looking down at the documents.
The Hero Guilds’ objective was to recruit Leo.
In addition, it was to recruit the promising Golden Generation, who were evaluated as having a bright future, under their guild.
“It’s a situation where we don’t know what disaster might strike the world, yet they’re acting as if it’s an opportunity.”
Just as Riina was greatly wary of Tartarus’s movements.
The Hero Guilds were also wary of Tartarus.
And there were also those who saw the current situation as an opportunity.
“Usually, the public proclaims that heroes are noble beings.”
Riina narrowed her eyes.
A hero is a great being who can only become one by overcoming trials.
And it is also true that they appear noble as they receive the gods’ recognition.
Indeed, noble heroes exist.
But…
“Where there is light, there is also shadow.”
The gods have little interest in the personality or ideology of those who achieve great deeds.
One can be listed in the Hero Record merely by achieving a feat praised as great.
“That’s why there are many heroes with eccentric personalities.”
Riina clicked her tongue at Harland’s words.
“It would be fortunate if they were just eccentric. The problem is that there are also madmen who don’t doubt their own sense of justice even a little.”
Heroes are not as noble and great as people think.
Among them are those who commit cruel acts without hesitation for their own justice.
And those who do not hesitate to sacrifice the small for the sake of the big.
And there are countless heroes with their own ambitions.
Heroes are beings who lead the world.
There are also plenty of those who are intoxicated by the fact that they are chosen by a god.
Riina rested her chin on her hand.
‘The fact that Tartarus hasn’t been subjugated for 5000 years is probably due to this reason.’
After the Age of Calamity ended.
Tartarus’s forces rapidly dwindled.
The Age of Heroes began, and the heroes’ power rapidly grew.
Of course, Tartarus had the three disastrous legion commanders.
But even so, it was difficult to raise Tartarus’s declining military might back to the level of the Age of Calamity.
It was a situation where it wouldn't be strange if their power had decreased instead.
However, despite countless large-scale wars over the past 5000 years, Tartarus’s power only grew stronger.
The reason was simple.
‘Because everyone wants different things.’
Numerous heroes exist, and with them, various ideals and definitions of justice.
Therefore, even if the goals are the same, the process is not smooth.
The world has engaged in more checks and balances than cooperation, according to their respective interests.
In contrast, Tartarus has moved for only one goal.
That was the biggest reason why the current world order was established.
It is the same now.
Wanting Leo Flobe and excellent hero candidates is to realize their own justice.
‘And that justice cannot always be said to be right.’
“Indeed, Leo Flobe is no longer simply a student.”
Riina sighed.
“He is at the center of the era.”