Chapter 138
Chapter Title: The Progenitor's World
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138.
“Jera. Did you just shout at me? Are you out of your mind?”
Hirukian asked, a look of disbelief on his face.
In response, the slightly-built male student, presumably possessed by Hadin, shot back with a cold expression.
“Are *you* the one who’s out of his mind? Who the hell do you think you are, insulting Lady Luna?”
“Ha, how absurd. Some worthless nobody is getting angry at me? And all because I insulted that lowborn wench? Are you insane?”
The surrounding students wore dumbfounded expressions.
“What’s with that guy?”
“Did he lose his mind or something?”
The Vesron family was a massive clan that held sway over all of Barharun.
As the heir to such a family, Jera was someone who normally couldn't even meet Hirukian’s gaze and lived his life holding his breath.
For that same Jera to suddenly explode in anger and shout at Hirukian was, to the other students, utterly baffling.
Moreover, Hirukian was one of the most skilled students in the class, whereas Jera had the worst grades.
“Unbelievable. I’d love to teach you a lesson right now, but school rules forbid duels between students without a teacher's permission. You should be grateful that Professor Akint is in charge of this class…”
“I permit the duel.”
“Pardon?”
Hirukian stared at Leo, surprised by his words.
“It seems that student over there also wishes to duel you. If that’s the case, I see no reason not to permit it.”
“You’re not acting like your usual self today, Professor Akint. To so readily permit a duel, I mean.”
Smiling with satisfaction, Hirukian walked to the center of the training grounds as if he had nothing to fear.
“Stand before me, Jera. I’ll show you your place.”
At his words, Jera stood before Hirukian.
“That guy is really determined to die today.”
“Hirukian! Use this chance to get him expelled!”
The students siding with Hirukian shouted and snickered.
A duel between the class’s most skilled student and its worst.
The outcome was obvious to anyone.
“How should I deal with you?”
Hirukian smirked coldly as he summoned his mana.
*Fwoooosh—!*
A shimmering, light-green mana became clearly visible to all.
Seeing it, Jera’s face tensed.
‘Such immense magical power.’
But Leo wore an indifferent expression.
‘A waste of mana.’
To Jera… or rather, to Hadin, Hirukian was an unknown opponent, but to Leo, he didn’t seem like much of a threat.
Though Hirukian would become infamous in the future, right now, he was just a brat.
‘Let’s see the skills of Seirun’s third-year representative.’
As the third-year representative of Seirun, Hadin had been through countless trials.
‘There’s no way a skilled person like him would lose to a hothouse flower who’s only been pampered.’
Many students at the Hero Academies were more skilled than the heroes of this era.
There was a reason they were all called geniuses in their respective fields.
‘And this is before the Age of Calamity.’
The reason the noble and honor-bound High Elves had fallen into corruption was that they had been steeped in peace for far too long.
‘Stagnation breeds corruption.’
Although the Age of Heroes that followed the Age of Calamity was also called an era of peace, it wasn’t perfect.
Tartaros still stood strong, and the war against them had been ongoing for 5,000 years.
On top of that, there was the fear that the Calamity could re-emerge at any moment.
Compared to the Age of Heroes, the Age of Gods was an era of absolute tranquility, with no threats to speak of.
‘The only conflicts were wars between races and nations.’
While those were significant events in their own right, to Leo, who had experienced the Calamity, they didn't feel particularly threatening.
While Leo was lost in thought, Hirukian began to chant an incantation.
Hearing the spell, Jera—Hadin—twitched.
‘I’ve never heard this incantation before. What is he planning to do with all that mana?’
As Leo had predicted, Hadin knew nothing about the current time period.
Therefore, he couldn't help but feel wary of this unknown spell.
Just as Hadin tensed up…
*Whoosh—!*
As the spell completed, a powerful gust of wind erupted.
Seeing it, Hadin’s expression grew tense.
*Kra-ga-ga-ga-gak—!*
Witnessing the wind magic that stirred up a fierce gale, Hadin took a deep breath and summoned his Aura.
*Vwoom—!*
The eyes of the surrounding students widened.
“A-Aura?”
“Jera! When the hell did you learn to use Aura?!”
Gasps of astonishment erupted from all around.
Seeing this, Leo stroked his chin.
‘It seems this Jera fellow didn’t originally use Aura. Makes sense. Judging by his attire, he’s a mage.’
Students of Seirun, who considered themselves Luna’s successors, were required to learn Star Magic.
‘No, all elves try to learn Star Magic.’
To the elves, Star Magic was a matter of pride.
It was why elves were known as the race of magic.
However, the elves were only called the race of magic after Luna, the ‘Progenitor of the Nebula.’
In this era, magic wasn't essential for elves.
Naturally, they weren't called the race of magic either.
‘In the first place, dual classes were extremely rare.’
*Kra-ga-ga-ga-gak—!*
A storm erupted from Hadin’s sword.
*Ku-ga-ga-ga-gak!*
“Hah!”
Hadin’s stormy sword strike tore Hirukian’s magic apart.
Hirukian and the surrounding students stared, their eyes wide with shock.
“Wh-What the!”
Watching the astonished Hirukian, Hadin furrowed his brow.
“Your mana is immense, but that’s all there is to it.”
At those words, Hirukian’s face turned red with anger.
“Wh-What did you say!”
“You dare mock the Progenitor with such shoddy skills? Can you even call yourself an elf after that? How absurd.”
“What the hell are you blathering about? That wench Luna is the Progenitor? Did you eat something rotten today?”
“It seems you are in need of punishment.”
Hadin pointed the tip of his sword at Hirukian.
“Brace yourself.”
“W-Wait… Gack!”
Hadin’s one-sided beatdown began.
He unleashed a cold fury upon the one who had insulted Luna, the very pride of his race.
Just as Hadin was about to beat Hirukian into a coma…
*Fwoosh—!*
Leo swiftly intervened between the two.
He grabbed Hadin’s wrist with his hand.
*Grip—!*
At that, Hadin’s icy gaze turned to Leo.
“Do not interfere.”
“I’d like to let you beat him some more myself.”
Leo spoke softly, just loud enough for Hadin to hear.
“But if you keep this up, it might cause problems for our conquest of the World of Heroes.”
Hadin’s eyes widened at those words.
“Are you Leo Flove?”
“Yes. For now, please follow my lead. I’ll explain the information I’ve gathered.”
At that, Hadin nodded.
Letting go of Hadin’s wrist, Leo spoke.
“I permitted a duel, but your methods were excessive, Jera.”
“I apologize.”
At Leo’s furious tone, Jera hung his head low.
The surrounding students thought to themselves.
‘That guy is getting expelled for sure.’
Even if it was a legitimate duel, to beat a member of the Vesron family into such a state…
Anyone could see that expulsion was unavoidable.
“Class is dismissed. The rest of you, take Hirukian to the infirmary.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
“Jera. You will follow me.”
Leo, playing the part of an authoritative teacher, commanded Hadin, and Hadin obeyed his words.
The class was dismissed.
Leo turned to the elf who looked like a teaching assistant, the one who had brought him to class earlier.
“You there.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Let’s go to my room.”
“Room… do you mean Professor Akint’s personal research lab?”
‘A personal research lab? That would be useful.’
Leo quickly assessed the situation and nodded.
“Yes.”
The male assistant stood beside Leo.
“You lead the way.”
“Pardon?”
“I will be reprimanding student Jera.”
“Ah, I understand.”
The conversation was a little strange, but the assistant didn't seem to suspect anything.
After all, Jera’s actions certainly warranted a scolding from a teacher.
The assistant shivered as he heard Leo’s sharp voice from behind.
Meanwhile, the other students helped Hirukian up.
Among them, a female student stared intently at Hadin’s back.
Soon, she licked her lips.
‘Looks like a rat has snuck in.’
The female student let out a sneer and disappeared into the crowd of students.
***
Guided by the assistant, Leo and Hadin entered Akint’s research lab and were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Once inside, the two exchanged glances and began to thoroughly search the lab.
They needed to ensure they could speak freely.
After determining there was nothing that could leak their conversation, they both sat down comfortably.
At that moment, Hadin let his killing intent show.
“I can’t understand it! Who the hell does that bastard think he is, insulting Lady Luna in such a way! He’s a disgrace to all elves!”
It was a very emotional display, unlike the typically cool-headed Hadin.
He had insulted Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula.
That alone was enough to provoke immense rage, as Luna held a special place in the hearts of elves.
Moreover, he didn't even know what era he was currently in.
Looking at Hadin, Leo spoke.
“Try to understand. It’s because of the era.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Listen carefully. The world we are in is the world before the Age of Calamity.”
For a moment, Hadin looked at Leo with an uncomprehending expression.
“What are you talking about? The era before the Age of Calamity? There are no records in the Hero Record about heroes from before the Age of Calamity.”
Kyle, Lisinas, Luna, Dweno, Ar-on.
The five of them were called the Heroes of the Beginning not simply because they had ushered in a new era.
They were called that because they were the first heroes recorded in the Hero Record.
But before the Age of Calamity?
Seeing Hadin’s confused expression, Leo spoke seriously.
“Yes. But there are heroes recorded in the Hero Record who lived from before the Age of Calamity, aren’t there?”
Hearing that, Hadin’s face hardened.
“Wait. So what you’re saying is… this is the world of a Great Hero?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“That’s right. This is Luna’s world.”
Hadin’s body trembled.
“Wh-What proof do you have that this is the Progenitor’s world?”
“Because I just met her in person.”
“What? You met the Progenitor in person?!”
Hadin’s eyes shot open as he rushed toward Leo.
“What did she look like! Was she like a delicate flower, just as the texts describe? Of course, she must be incredibly benevolent! And did she emanate a beautiful aura that would make even the stars bow their heads? Ah! To think the day would come when I could meet Lady Luna in person! What an honor!”
His cool-headed image completely vanished as Hadin wore a look of sheer bliss.
Watching him, Leo thought to himself.
‘He’d probably break down and cry if he saw what she’s really like.’
Of course, those tears wouldn’t be tears of joy, but tears from having his fantasy brutally shattered.
“She was more cute than beautiful, I’d say.”
“What?”
“The one I saw was Luna in her childhood.”
“...!”
Hadin’s body went rigid.
“Ch-Childhood, you say…? Specifically, how young?”
“Around Lunia’s age, or maybe even younger.”
“To think I might be able to witness the Progenitor in her girlhood…!”
Seeing Hadin tremble with ecstasy, Leo thought to himself.
‘Was this elf always a pervert?’
If Luna saw him now, she’d probably kick him away in disgust.
Leo shook his head.
“So that’s why our conversation was so mismatched.”
Hadin recalled his earlier exchange with Hirukian.
“But who the hell is that guy to be insulting Lady Luna in her childhood?”
“He must have his reasons.”
Leo knew the reason.
The elves attending Barharun were all from good families.
But as far as Leo knew, Luna was an orphan.
Despite that, she had entered Barharun—a place where one could become a High Elf on talent alone.
As such, her abilities had overwhelmed the other elves even in her school days.
‘That’s why she was targeted by the other students.’
“Anyway, that’s all the information I have for now. First, this is Luna’s world. Second, it’s before the Age of Calamity, so Tartaros doesn’t exist yet.”
Hearing this, Hadin fell into deep thought.
“Then what is the conquest objective of this world? It must be an extraordinary feat, given that it was established by the Progenitor.”
At those words, Leo also began to ponder.
‘Luna’s great feat…’
“There are too many to even guess.”
“True. The Progenitor of the Nebula is a great feat in and of herself.”
Nodding in agreement, Hadin spoke.
“For now, we’ll have to slowly figure out the conquest objective. It’s also important to rendezvous with Lunia and Elena. And if this is the Age of Calamity…”
Hadin looked down at his palm.
“I should probably refrain from using Star Magic. Since it’s a magic system that doesn’t exist in this era, it would cause a great deal of chaos.”
With a 5,000-year gap, the magic of this era and the magic of the present were different.
But it was still magic that had been passed down from generation to generation.
No matter how much it had changed, there were bound to be many similarities.
So while he could pass off other spells as something special, Star Magic was different.
‘Since it’s a magic system that Luna created as if from nothing, it would cause an uproar if it became known.’
While it was commonplace for the elves of the current era, when Luna first used Star Magic, everyone was astonished.
Just as Hadin said, there was no telling what kind of repercussions would follow if he carelessly used Star Magic.
He was certainly showing his experience as a dungeon conqueror from Seirun.
‘Wait. Star Magic?’
As Leo mulled over Star Magic, he remembered something.
‘Luna began researching Star Magic during her student days.’
He felt like he was on the verge of finding a clue.
Just as he thought that…
*Knock— Knock—*
Someone knocked on the research lab door.
Leo opened the door.
Standing there were knights with cold expressions.
“Professor Akint. The headmaster has summoned you.”
“Why does the headmaster wish to see me?”
“He is calling you because of what happened in class just now.”
The elven knights then glared at Hadin inside the lab and said.
“Furthermore, an order has been issued from the Barharun high command to detain student Jera.”
At that, Leo glanced at Hadin.
Hadin let out a deep sigh and gave a look that said, ‘I’ll comply for now.’
“Take him away.”
Hadin was detained by the knights and dragged away.
‘Things are getting complicated.’
Leo clicked his tongue and followed the knights to meet the headmaster.
‘Who was the headmaster of Barharun again?’
Leo tried to recall his past memories.
But even for Kyle, it had been a long time, and his memory was hazy.
Leaving the school building, Leo was guided by the knights toward the outskirts of Barharun.
He then stopped in front of a certain tower.
Leo, even as Kyle, had never been to Barharun.
But the architectural style of this tower was familiar.
A tall tower, as if reaching for the heavens.
An architectural style created to praise great beings.
‘A Tower of God.’
“Please enter.”
The knights waited at the entrance, as if they were not permitted to go inside the tower.
As Leo approached the tower entrance, the door slid open.
*Kuuung—!*
Once he was inside, the door closed with a heavy sound.
Leo surveyed the tower's interior.
Portraits of various elves hung on the walls.
And in the very center, a certain staff was on display.
Leo approached the staff.
A staff shaped like a smooth tree branch.
At its tip hung a large, leaf-shaped, pale blue gem.
‘Polium.’
Luna’s symbol.
No, it was a symbol of the elves from before the Age of Calamity.
It was a treasure of the elves, made from the primordial World Tree that had crumbled to dust along with Luna when she lost her life.
A magus staff that held immense magical power, usable only by the chosen one.
The moment Leo stood before it…
*Vwoom—*
The magus staff suddenly resonated.
As Leo looked on in surprise…
“How curious.”
Hearing a voice from above, Leo lifted his head.
“Polium, which has shunned even the Elven Kings for so long, has reacted to you.”
Leo narrowed his eyes as he met the gaze of the man looking down at him with a benevolent voice.
The man’s eyes were different from a human’s.
Ring-shaped pupils.
Wise eyes that seemed to see through everything.
‘Right… this is before the Age of Calamity.’
He had met them several times, but he could never get used to the eyes of a transcendent being. Leo came to an understanding.
‘It wouldn’t be strange for a god to be here.’