Chapter 415
Chapter Title: The World Summit
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The sudden appearance of the Shan Empire sent a stir through the crowd.
It wasn't just the Lumerne students.
The heads of state and heroes who had gathered for the summit were equally taken aback.
Amid the commotion, all eyes were drawn to the handsome, middle-aged man at the very front of the Shan Empire's delegation.
A man dressed in the traditional attire of the East, wearing a somewhat bored expression.
The aura he exuded was anything but ordinary.
As if approaching him would mean getting cut down.
He was a man who carried such a sharp edge.
Though his face was unknown to all, they instantly knew who he was.
Everyone swallowed nervously.
The emperor of shadows, who had never before revealed himself in the light.
Those who had been called the strongest of shadows for generations.
‘The Emperor of Shan.’
Despite the presence of countless heroes and hero candidates, he overwhelmed the entire assembly.
*Step— Step—*
Shau, leading the empire's retainers, stopped before Lumerne's headmaster, Riina.
“It’s been a while.”
At Riina’s words, Shau smiled faintly.
“It has been a long time, Sir Riina. No, I suppose I should call you Headmaster Riina of Lumerne now.”
Wherever light shines, shadows are cast.
Naturally, Lumerne also had its shadows.
As the former head of Lumerne's shadows, Riina had occasion to meet with Shau.
“I didn’t expect you to attend in person.”
“The world is in upheaval.”
Shau said calmly, stroking his beard.
“It seems it is time for Shan to make its move as well.”
“You are welcome. Shan’s participation in the summit will be a great help.”
It was, quite literally, a historic moment.
As he walked toward the Shan delegation’s designated seats, leaving the crowd’s gazes behind him, his eyes met Leo’s.
Shau smiled and gave a nod of acknowledgment, and Leo nodded in return.
***
Even as the hall buzzed with the arrival of the Shan Empire, more world leaders continued to arrive through the warp gate.
Soon, representatives from the other hero academies appeared one by one, starting with Demian, followed by Azonia and Seirun.
*Flash—!*
Seirun, ever the showstopper with their grand entrances, drew a great deal of attention.
From last year to the beginning of this one.
A series of major incidents had left Seirun in a state of internal turmoil.
The second coming of Luna, the Progenitor of the Nebula, and Seirun, the Comet Sorcerer, might have seemed like a boon for Seirun at first glance, but the reality was different.
The invasion of the Demon Queen Silatuna, which had been resolved thanks to the efforts of the Hero of the Beginning and the Progenitor of the Nebula.
And then there was the Undead King’s scheme, carried out by Rhagen, the leader of the Pureblood Society.
The physical damage from the Demon Queen’s invasion was one thing, but the greatest shock was the revelation that the Pureblood Society had colluded with Tartaros.
Elves are a reclusive race compared to others.
They rarely ventured outside their own territory unless absolutely necessary, and other races were not permitted to enter the elves’ domain lightly.
The fact that such collusion had occurred among the insular elves was enough to astonish the other races.
Thus, despite the major news of Luna and Seirun’s return to the mortal world, elven society was preoccupied with resolving its internal affairs.
The one who stepped up to manage the chaos as Seirun’s acting headmaster was none other than Run Ersar.
As an elder of elven society who had always kept his distance from the troublesome Pureblood Society, he was chosen by the Elven Council as the most suitable candidate.
After exchanging greetings with Riina, the Seirun students led by Run walked to their seats.
On their way, Leo’s eyes met with some familiar faces.
They were the second-years, Lunia and Eiran.
Upon seeing Leo, Lunia gave a slightly prim nod, while Eiran waved with a bright smile.
Leo chuckled and waved back in response.
And so, the leaders of each nation and all the hero academies had gathered.
However, the Lumerne officials in charge of hosting the summit were debating whether to conclude the welcoming ceremony.
“Dragonia hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Are they just going to send a representative in the middle of the meeting again?”
“It seems the Dragon Lord has no intention of coming.”
The Lumerne students began to murmur amongst themselves.
The summit could only be held with the Dragon Lord’s permission.
As such, Dragonia always participated in the summit, but the Dragon Lord’s attendance was not guaranteed.
The current Dragon Lord, Melina the Dragon of Silence, was an especially mysterious figure.
Many people were watching to see if the Dragon of Silence would participate, but the prevailing expectation was that she would send another representative this time as well.
Though some still held out hope, there was no sign of Dragonia’s arrival.
Just as the master of ceremonies was about to speak.
*Flash—!*
The warp gate shone once more.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they stared at the gate.
Five figures emerged.
At the very center was a girl wearing a veil that concealed her face.
Her long, silver hair, which nearly touched the floor, was interspersed with streaks of black.
Although her face was hidden by the veil, she radiated an incredibly noble aura.
As if to guard the girl.
Four people stood around her, covering all four directions.
The girl moved forward with a soft rustle.
Everyone stared at them with wide eyes.
Reaching Lumerne’s headmaster, Riina, Melina smiled faintly, tapped her left breast three times, bowed her head, and bent her knee slightly.
Riina, slightly flustered by the unfamiliar greeting, awkwardly mimicked the gesture.
“A pleasure to meet you, Headmaster of Lumerne. I am Melina, the Dragon Lord.”
“The honor is all mine. I am Riina Flix, Headmaster of Lumerne.”
Melina smiled faintly at Riina’s polite response and spoke.
“If the opening address for the summit has not yet concluded, may I have the honor?”
“It would be our immense honor if you would.”
With a gentle smile at Riina’s words, Melina headed for the highest platform.
As she walked, Melina glanced at Leo from behind her veil.
A slight smile formed on her lips, partially visible.
In truth, the draconic etiquette she had just displayed was not for Riina, but for Leo, who stood beside her.
From Melina’s perspective, this was her first official appearance as the Dragon Lord in a very long time.
Moreover, though others were unaware, it was a summit attended by the Hero of the Beginning.
Melina had decided it was necessary to show respect and courtesy to Leo on such an occasion, and so she had greeted him with a long-forgotten, ancient etiquette.
“Leo, didn’t it seem like the Dragon Lord smiled at you?”
“Did she?”
Leo played dumb.
The smile probably meant, ‘I did a good job, didn’t I?’
‘You got the etiquette wrong.’
Of course, Leo was thinking something completely different.
‘That Rodia fellow did the same thing.’
You’re supposed to tap the right side of the chest, not the left.
While Leo was debating whether he should correct Melina’s etiquette.
Melina ascended the platform.
As everyone held their breath and focused on Melina.
The Dragon of Silence opened her mouth to speak.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, heroes and shadows. And to all the hero candidates who follow in their footsteps.”
All eyes were on Melina.
“This era is facing a great transformation. It may be that in this very age we live in, we can finally bring an end to this long battle.”
At her words, the crowd began to murmur.
Words from the Dragon Lord, of all people, were never to be taken lightly.
“Therefore, I believe this summit is of the utmost importance. I hope it will be a meaningful time where we can discuss the unusual incidents and miracles occurring in each region, and everything concerning the future. That is all.”
When Melina finished speaking, applause erupted from all around.
And so, the World Summit began.
***
The place was, quite literally, a domain of death.
A realm that no living being could ever approach.
The abode of Tartaros’s commander, the Undead King, Hel Kaiser.
“The Dragon of Silence has made a move?”
The Undead King, seated on the throne of death, narrowed his eyes at the report.
In response, the Grand Duke of Funerals, Artkan, bowed his head low.
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
At his confidant’s reply, the Undead King’s dark red eyes narrowed further.
The king of the dead, a skeleton clad in massive bone armor, felt extremely displeased with the current situation.
Seeing the Undead King, a woman spoke up.
“What is it that troubles you so?”
The Undead King’s gaze shifted to the woman.
“Are you perhaps feeling fear toward an old dragon that lost its strength long ago?”
The Undead King looked at the woman, whose lips were curling into a smirk, and raised a skeletal hand.
“Ghk? G-gack?”
“The Queen, for all her belligerence and simplicity, at least had a mind of her own. Witch.”
Annoyance flickered in the Undead King’s eyes.
The one called the Witch, choked by the Undead King’s power, began to struggle frantically.
“If you’re going to snatch the position of Legion Commander simply because it was vacant, without any qualifications, shouldn’t you at least know how to use your head?”
“F-forgive me… Forgive me…! Without me, there is no Legion Commander to lead the demons…!”
“There are plenty of replacements.”
The Undead King smirked coldly and averted his gaze.
*Crack—!*
With that, the Witch’s body went limp.
*Thud—*
The new Legion Commander, the Witch, collapsed to the floor and was absorbed into his bones.
The other Legion Commanders who witnessed this remained silent.
Everyone present knew she was not fit to be a Legion Commander.
But even so, she was a high-ranking demon, worthy of the title of Legion Commander.
To kill such a high-ranking demon as if swatting a fly.
It was, quite literally, a strength on a completely different level.
“The Demon Queen was vanquished, and the Giant King has fallen into slumber. And now, the Dragon of Silence, who has been dormant for so long, has made a move.”
The Undead King looked at the other Legion Commanders.
“Do you know what this means?”
“It means that something—or someone—is orchestrating these events.”
“You, at least, are better than the rest. King of Blood.”
The Undead King’s lips curled into a smirk.
The King of Blood.
The most powerful Legion Commander aside from the Undead King and the Giant King.
“At the center of it all is this one.”
The Undead King conjured his dark magic, and a figure appeared in the air.
A boy with white hair and red eyes.
“Leo Flove. At first, I paid attention to him because he was an All-Class.”
The Undead King narrowed his eyes.
“But now, he has moved beyond the simple category of someone who shares the same traits as the Hero of the Beginning.”
The achievements he has made in the mere year since he first distinguished himself are nothing short of astonishing.
“The death of the Demon Queen, the defeat of the Giant King. This one was present for all of it.”
“Are you saying that Leo Flove is as threatening as the Hero of the Beginning?”
“It would be fortunate if he were merely as threatening as that detestable Hero of the Beginning. But he may be something more.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
The Legion Commanders looked puzzled.
Amid their confusion, Hel Kaiser merely glared at the image of Leo.
‘This brat has always been at the center of impossible miracles.’
It cannot be explained away by him simply having the traits of an All-Class.
No matter how you look at it, he’s just a brat in his mid-teens.
‘But, but what if.’
Hatred filled Hel Kaiser’s eyes.
‘If he is that detestable Hero of the Beginning himself, then none of this would be impossible.’