Book 1 Chapter 462

The second semester opening ceremony ended.

Students who finished their department schedules entered the dormitory building.

"Come back home!"

Iliana, who was the first to enter the Glory dormitory, dove onto the lounge sofa and lay down.

"I missed this lounge sofa so much~"

Iliana rolled around on the sofa as if it were her own bedroom.

The other students, as if accustomed to it, found seats in the lounge.

"Hey, how was your training camp?"

"How was it meeting the hero in person? Was he intimidating?"

"I'm jealous! I wish I could have been there!"

Students gathered around those who had participated in the training camp.

They wanted to ask about the training camp, which they couldn't properly ask about due to the opening ceremony schedule.

Among them, the classmates were most curious about Arion.

Seeing her dorm friends gathering around her, Iliana sat up straight on the sofa, straightened her back, and said majestically.

"If you're curious, offer me cookies and tea."

The moment she finished speaking, the classmates who had gathered around Iliana turned away from her and approached Chen Sia and Chloe.

"Having snacks while talking wouldn't be bad."

Chloe said with a smile, and they let out a cheer of "Ooh-!" and headed to the convenience store.

"Why does everything get prepared when Chloe says it!"

"You only asked to prepare snacks for yourself."

"That's right, you're not a pig."

"When do I look like a pig! And what kind of insult is that to a lady?!"

Iliana swung a cushion she was holding at the male students who were booing her.

"You're all so noisy."

Leo entered the dormitory lounge and said with a smile.

"Leo, we're about to talk about what happened during the training camp. Come here."

Chloe smiled and patted the space next to her sofa with her palm.

At that, the noisy atmosphere in the lounge suddenly became quiet.

Chloe and Iliana exchanged puzzled expressions at the sudden change.

"I'm going to rest early today."

"You're going to sleep very early."

Chen Sia, who was standing next to him, tilted her head. Leo said,

"I'm a bit tired from the opening ceremony."

"Indeed, as the student council president, you must be tired from the schedule. Is there anything you need? Should I bring it to your room?"

"It's okay."

After Leo went up to his room, the slightly awkward atmosphere eased a bit.

Chen Sia entered the lounge and sat in a rocking chair in the corner. Chloe asked, looking puzzled.

"Why is everyone like this?"

"Like what?"

"It feels like everyone is awkward around Leo."

Looking at Chloe asking with a bewildered face, the Glory students scratched their heads.

"You guys might not feel it as much because you were at Leo's house during the training camp and all summer break."

One of the male students from Glory scratched his cheek.

"It's a complete mess right now."

At that, Chloe and Iliana looked at each other.

"At first, the story of the primordial evil's return and Arion, who defeated it, was the only interest."

Chen Sia said.

"But as time passed and the world's leading hero guilds began to covet Lord Leo, the world's attention gradually focused on him."

It was true.

The public, who had been captivated only by the heroic tales rewritten by the great hero who saved the world, began to focus on the existence of Leo.

"After that, Leo's name was listed in the Hero Records, and countless people began to go wild for him."

The world always yearns for the birth of new heroes.

Especially if they are heroes who build heroic tales comparable to those in legends and myths.

Until now, Leo's status was still that of a hero candidate.

This world is one where only those who gain the recognition of the gods and have their names inscribed in the Hero Records are revered as true heroes.

Therefore, no matter how much he conquered the world of the great hero and achieved great feats, Leo was merely a promising hero candidate in people's eyes.

But now, he was registered in the Hero Records.

People's treatment had to change.

Until now, they were classmates, but now it was different.

"Leo has already reached the realm that we will dedicate our lives to achieving."

A male student scratched his head.

"It's like, I knew you were amazing before, but now it feels like you're unreachable."

Another female student let out a small sigh.

'Indeed, Lord Leo is now in a position that students can hardly dare to look at.'

Even I, the top student in the knight department of the second year, cannot gauge Leo's strength.

Therefore, other students will feel that he is at a height that is difficult to even look up to.

"Indeed, Leo's school life will be completely different from now on."

Chloe murmured, lost in thought.

"Those who want Leo will move even more blatantly."

Hearing that, Iliana made a slightly sulky expression.

"Yeah, the ones who were just watching will also move more overtly."

Chen Sia tilted her head at Iliana's mumbling.

"Iliana, do you dislike that?"

"Yes. That's right. I shouldn't go near Chen Sia starting tomorrow."

Chen Sia looked confused by the meaningless remark.

"But you know."

Chloe blinked her blue eyes and looked at the students.

"What is Leo's epithet, anyway?"

***

Leo was greeted by two women when he entered his room.

They were Mel and Enkinias, whom she had designated as her successor.

"Mel, I understand, but why is En here?"

"I received orders from Lord to stay here and assist Lord Leo from now on."

At that, Leo looked at Mel.

"En is a talented child, so she will be of great help to Lord Leo."

"Please think of me as Lord Leo's personal secretary."

At that, Leo chuckled.

"What can you do as a secretary?"

"To be specific, proxy class attendance, proxy assignments, proxy homework, etc…"

"Everything you're doing is a violation of school rules."

"I thought these were things students would hate the most."

"Still, you're saying such things in front of a professor."

"Lord told me that if you don't get caught, it's not a crime."

"You've taught her well."

"Thank you."

"I wasn't praising you."

Leo clicked his tongue as he looked at Mel, who had an embarrassed expression.

'How can she be so good at tricking people? Is it a dragon trait?'

Lisinas, the King of Wisdom and the Light of Hope.

Although he appeared to be a just and fair leader, he was actually a master of all sorts of tricks and deceptions.

'Well, there were also many deceptions and frauds created through truth, but either way, she really learns the bad things well.'

Leo let out a small sigh and looked at En.

'She is indeed talented.'

She had played a significant role in the previous battle with the Erebus fragment.

'Since Mel chose her as her successor, she can't help but be talented. But crucially, her unique magic will be a great help.'

En's unique magic is Mirror.

It was a magic that could perfectly imitate the appearance of others.

"Well, if you're going to help, I have no reason to stop you. Please take care of me from now on."

At that, En bowed her head.

"By the way, Mel, have you checked the Hero Records with my name on it?"

Leo had not yet checked the Hero Records with his name on it.

"Yes."

"What exactly was written?"

"Only Lord Leo's name was written."

At that, Leo fell into thought.

Leo was surprised when he heard the news that his name was written in the Hero Records.

On one hand, he worried that his identity might be revealed, but it seemed there was no need to worry.

"Why is only the name written? Are there any heroes in history who only had their names inscribed in the Hero Records?"

"There has never been such a case before. Historically, Lord Leo is the first."

Leo fell into contemplation at Mel's answer.

'My name is already written in the Hero Records.'

The first hero recorded in the Hero Records.

'Moreover, I am the owner of the Hero Records.'

In such a situation, only his name was written without any epithet or great achievement.

'You said it was written on the last page.'

"Lord Leo, this is just my opinion, but…"

"Tell me."

"Isn't it because your name was written as Lord Leo wished?"

Mel also knows that Leo is the owner of the Hero Records.

Moreover, Leo had rewritten the Hero Records several times.

He had recorded the stories of heroes who were active in the Age of Calamity, as well as the Shadow Tome.

He had even revived the record of Seirun, the comet mage, who had burned and disappeared.

Those were not the records of the gods.

They were records written by Leo Flob, the owner of the Hero Records.

"Hmm. That's a plausible story."

Leo chuckled, stroking his chin.

"A nameless hero, it's not bad."

"You have splendid epithets, aren't you tempted by them?"

"Not really."

"You are indeed Leo. Everyone covets the epithets bestowed by the gods, but…"

"I already have the epithet 'Hero of the Beginning,' which is quite decent. It would be ridiculous to covet the names given by the gods like a child."

En, who had been listening to their conversation, spoke up.

"Honestly, I think any embellishment before Lord Leo's name is meaningless."

En, standing next to him, said with a blank expression.

"Because Lord Leo is noble in his very existence. He is the greatest among all beings in this world."

"En knows what he's talking about!"

Mel said with a bright smile.

En already knew Leo's true identity from Mel.

"Oh ho."

Leo chuckled, impressed by En's words.

"Then, who is greater between me and that Lisinas fellow?"

"Of course, it's the King of Wisdom."

*Snap!*

"Why did you hit me?"

Mel, who had been hit on the head, rubbed her head and made a crying face.

"Because I failed to educate my successor. You just said I was the greatest in the world, and now you've changed your tune."

"That's because Lord Lisinas died a long time ago."

En replied with an unwavering expression.

Leo clicked his tongue as he looked at En, then asked Mel.

"Do you think I'm great, or is that Lisinas fellow great?"

"Of course, it's Lord Lisinas."

Leo mercilessly smacked Mel's head, who stubbornly held her ground even though she knew she would get hit.

After discussing the Hero Records, Leo spoke.

"Mel."

"Yes, Lord Leo."

"Dispatch dragons to the world under the authority of Lord."

"Is it to prepare for any potential Tartarus invasion?"

Leo narrowed his eyes at Mel's question.

"There probably won't be a large-scale invasion of Tartarus like you imagine."

"Huh?"

Mel looked puzzled.

"The Lord of the Dead is a more sinister being than you think."

Leo clicked his tongue.

"5,000 years ago, when Tartarus's power was incomparably stronger than it is now, the demons couldn't even cross Guard Throne, the last bastion of the world. We had fewer people and less resources than now."

"Well, that was when Lord Leo, Lord Lisinas… and the great heroes were still alive."

"We weren't strong enough to overturn the world's balance from the start."

We became stronger by crossing countless battlefields and moving forward.

"As I always say, we couldn't have saved the world with our strength alone. We weren't the only ones who didn't give up and risked everything for the world."

Leo thought of the comrades who had stood with him on the battlefield.

"The Lord of the Dead knows the potential of heroes. So, in this situation where everything is lacking, he would never choose a frontal assault. Nor would he stay idle. Now that one Erebus fragment has been subjugated, he is the one most affected."

"Then…"

"He will delve even deeper into the world's darkness. Schemes and stratagems are his specialty."

It was the Lord of the Dead's accomplishment that Tartarus had plundered the lands of countless powerful races.

The Lord of the Dead offered the plundered lands as fuel to Erebus.

"Even now, with his power weakened by Erebus's seal, his authority is threatening."

The Lord of the Dead's authority to control the dead.

"We don't know how he has developed his authority over the past 5,000 years. Moreover."

Leo clicked his tongue.

"The fact that one Erebus fragment has revived means that it's not strange for other fragments to revive at any time."

It took 2,000 years for the first fragment to revive, and another 3,000 years for another fragment to revive.

The revival of the next fragment might take thousands of years.

But…

"It might be that not much time is left. If such a situation occurs, we must subjugate him before Tartarus, unlike this time."

"Yes, I understand."

"And one more thing."

Leo looked down at his palm and said.

"We need to find their pages."

Mel immediately knew what pages Leo was referring to.

"Of course, we are already looking for them. But I want you to put more effort into it. Preferably the pages of the final chapter."

"If Tartarus finds out, won't they move even more overtly?"

"Then we welcome it."

Leo clenched his fist.

"If they move on a large scale, they will leave traces. Where they stir things up, we will concentrate our forces there. They will also go all out for that."

The appearance of the great hero who disappeared 5,000 years ago in the present world is a complete disaster for Tartarus.

"Now that my identity is revealed and our hand is shown, there is no need to be cautious anymore."

Leo's red eyes gleamed.

"From now on, we will embark on the hunt for the Lord of the Dead in earnest."