Chapter 417
Chapter Title: The Era's Chosen
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417.
Lunia, Ar, and Driana wore tense expressions.
All three were students who represented the hero academies.
Though only second-years, they had overcome numerous crises as hero candidates and possessed skills to match.
Thanks to their unique personalities, they were not easily fazed.
But before the Dragon Lord, the highest being in the world, they couldn't help but be tense.
Especially since Melina had called them the ‘heroes chosen by the era.’
Every hero is a special being.
Beings who define their era.
A position that, quite literally, only the chosen could attain.
However, among them, heroes considered to have shouldered an entire era were exceedingly rare.
The Sword Saint was a prime example.
Before the Sword Saint, it was Melina and the other Heroes of the Beginning who were regarded as the heroes who shouldered the era.
But something else was more pressing than that fact now.
“Who exactly is ‘that person’ you mentioned, my lord?”
Lunia asked in a tense voice.
5,000 years ago. The Age of Heroes began, and it was the Dragon Lord who inherited the will of the King of Wisdom and selected heroes for generations.
The position of Dragon Lord was one only a dragon with such wisdom and power could hold.
Therefore, the Dragon Lord reigned as the strongest being in any era.
For such a Dragon Lord to refer to someone as ‘that person’…
It was nothing short of astonishing.
At Lunia's question, Mel smiled gently beneath her veil.
The adult's riddle-like demeanor only confused Lunia further.
“Don't tell me there is someone in Dragonia with a higher status than you, my lord?”
Driana also asked in a serious tone.
“It seems you're curious about that person.”
Melina said, covering her mouth with a chuckle.
“I don't think you're at the stage to know who that person is yet. However, it's certain that they have high expectations for you all. As do I.”
At Melina's words, Lunia and Driana looked at each other, their expressions even more bewildered.
“You are the first I've spoken to about this person, so please keep it a secret.”
Seeing Melina playfully bring a finger to her lips, Lunia had a feeling she had just learned a tremendous secret.
At that moment.
Ar, who had been listening to Melina with her arms crossed, lost in thought with a 'Hmm!', suddenly shot her eyes open.
Her tail standing ramrod straight, Ar's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed.
“I know! The one you're talking about, my lord! It must be the Great Hero! Or one of the Heroes of the Beginning!”
Melina, Lunia, and Driana's gazes turned to Ar.
“Think about it! Someone with a higher status than the Lord! And she said they chose us! You guys might not know, but at least I was chosen by Lord Ar-on. So what else could it be?”
With a smug look, Ar snorted, “Hmph!”
“Lady Luna and Lord Seirun have already appeared in our time! I'm sure of it!”
“What nonsense are you spouting, you stupid cat.”
“There's a limit to how much nonsense one can speak.”
“And why would Lord Ar-on choose you?”
“The nasty-eared elf is right. Didn't Lord Ar-on run away screaming whenever he saw you?”
“That's just because Lord Ar-on is shy.”
“Yeah, right!”
“Besides, wasn't Lady Luna and Lord Seirun's appearance in our time a miracle caused by the Hero Record?”
“Do you think it's possible for the Great Hero or the Heroes of the Beginning to remain in our world permanently? If it were, there'd be no reason to hide it. With them here, the war with Tartaros would end in an instant!”
“Ugh?!”
Faced with their logical arguments, Ar flinched and backed away.
“There's a limit to being simple-minded. Are you an idiot?”
“A wild beast, isn't she? Useless, aside from her pretty face.”
“You little…!”
Ar glared and lunged, but the other two were not about to take it lying down.
Meanwhile, Melina, who had been watching with wide eyes from behind her veil, smiled.
‘She's surprisingly sharp. Is that what they call wild instinct?’
Whether it was a simple guess or just wishful thinking, Ar's prediction was spot on.
Watching the three bickering girls, Melina cleared her throat.
The three hastily straightened their disheveled clothes and hair, then stood at attention.
“It's good to see you so energetic.”
Melina smiled at the three of them and spoke.
“So? What kind of heroes do you want to become?”
“I want to be free, like Lady Luna.”
“I want to have courage like Lord Ar-on!”
“I wish to become a great artist who follows in the footsteps of Lord Dweno.”
“And do you know what you must do to become such heroes?”
At Melina's question, the three looked at one another.
Then, Lunia answered on their behalf.
“We believe we must carry on the will of the Great Heroes.”
At that solemn answer, Melina closed her eyes.
And took a deep breath.
“Excellent.”
To carry on the will of the Great Heroes.
That meant only one thing.
The complete subjugation of Erebos.
Something no one in the last 5,000 years of history had dared to speak of so lightly.
“Just as expected of the heroes chosen by the era.”
At Melina's words, Ar asked.
“Does being chosen by the era mean we're the heroes who will shoulder the next generation?”
“No. It means a trial awaits you, one so arduous it cannot be compared to shouldering a generation.”
The three swallowed nervously at Melina's words.
“But… seeing you today, I don't think I need to worry.”
Melina gave them a gentle smile.
“However, you are not enough as you are now. You will have to work much harder.”
The three nodded.
These were the words of none other than the Dragon Lord.
Her statement that they were lacking felt real.
“I will be waiting for the day you become full-fledged heroes. For the day we can stand on the same stage together.”
With those words, Melina vanished in the blink of an eye.
“What do you think the Lord meant by that?”
After Melina disappeared, Lunia mulled over her parting words.
“A trial greater than that of a hero who shoulders an era. Perhaps the Dragon Lord is also aiming for the complete subjugation of Erebos?”
“She sees our potential as being that great?”
Tension filled the faces of Lunia and Ar.
Simply shouldering an era was a monumental task that most people could not handle.
But Melina was aiming for something even higher.
“Driana, what do you think?”
Lunia asked Driana, who wore a similarly serious expression.
“Hmm. I wonder just how beautiful the Dragon Lord is.”
Seeing Driana say something completely unrelated, Ar spoke.
“Should I punch her?”
“I'll hit her first.”
With fierce expressions, the two of them kicked Driana.
***
The welcome party ended in the early hours of the morning, well past midnight.
Afterward, the external guests were treated as VIPs and guided to their accommodations.
As for the students from the other hero academies, it was decided they would stay in the dormitories for each grade level.
Since it was a rare occasion for students from all the hero academies to gather in one place, the goal was to use this opportunity for an exchange.
“Oho! So it's true. I'd heard about it, but the Lumerne second-years really do have dorm battles?”
“Did you guys decorate all this?”
“Not bad.”
The second-year students from each academy settled into the dormitories they preferred.
Having become acquainted during the incident with Smith's exclusive contract, the second-years chose their lodgings without any awkwardness.
Some chose dorms where they had friends, while others selected them based on their own academy's disposition.
Azonia preferred Glory, and Demian, Harmony.
Finally, Seirun mostly gathered in Noble.
“You being in Noble is a bit surprising.”
Lunia, sitting with her legs crossed in the Noble lounge, glanced at Karl.
In response, Karl brought over some tea and spoke.
“You think so too? The semester is almost over, and I still don't know why I'm here.”
Karl served the tea with a grumble.
“Still, the hospitality is excellent.”
The other Seirun students were pleased with the refreshments Karl had brought.
Despite the early hour, the spread was of remarkably high quality.
Abad, watching as the dorm representative, spoke up.
“For the record, that's not our dorm's service. It's Karl's personal service.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Thank you.”
The Seirun students expressed their gratitude.
“Don't mention it. Lunia, am I right to assume you're the Seirun second-year representative here?”
Karl asked Lunia with a smile, and she nodded.
Karl then handed Lunia a palm-sized leather slate.
“Here you are, Lady Lunia El Lundua.”
“What's with the sudden formality? And what is this?”
“The bill.”
“…”
Lunia's face crumpled.
Karl pointed a finger toward a corner of the lounge.
[Karl's Service: Paid]
Within Noble, Karl was providing services inside the dorm.
And, of course, they were paid.
“By the way, there's a surcharge since it's so early in the morning.”
“This is a ripoff!”
“Ahem! A ripoff, you say! I handed you all an informational pamphlet when you entered our dorm!”
Lunia fumed, but Karl was firm.
Even the Azonia and Demian students, who had avoided the charge thanks to their friendships with the Noble students, looked on in disbelief.
Meanwhile, in Harmony, Celia approached Driana.
“You're Driana?”
“Hmm. You must be Celia Jerdinger.”
“You know your stuff.”
“You're famous.”
Driana grinned at Celia as she approached.
“So, why did you approach me?”
“You're a conqueror of Lord Dweno's world, aren't you? As a blacksmith, it's only natural I'd be interested in someone who met the divine smith of armaments.”
“I am no blacksmith.”
“What?”
“I am an artist.”
Celia looked unconvinced.
Driana then said to her.
“Say, have you ever considered becoming a nude model?”
Celia decided she should never get involved with this dwarf.
“This is Sir Leo's room.”
Meanwhile, Eiran, who had chosen the Glory dormitory, stood nervously in Leo's room.
“Any weird books?”
Ar squinted, searching every nook and cranny of Leo's room.
“W-Weird books?”
“This is the perfect chance to find some dirt on the Black Rabbit.”
Ar said with a meaningful smile.
Leo was currently out of the room.
While searching the room, Ar noticed a locker on Leo's bookshelf was slightly ajar and reached for it.
Eiran quickly tried to stop her.
“Y-You can't open his locker! That's wrong!”
“I'm just trying to close it. Of course, my hand might slip and open it by mistake. Whoops, my hand slipped.”
Ar nonchalantly opened the door.
Chirp-
Piora, who had been sleeping inside, reacted with annoyance and irritably flapped its wings.
Fwoosh-!
“Gah!”
With her face on fire, Ar rolled around on the floor.
Eiran helped put out the flames.
***
“So, what did you think? After meeting them in person.”
Leo, sitting on a bench in the dormitory's common garden, spoke.
“I understand why you chose them, Sir Leo.”
“It's not like I only chose them.”
Leo chuckled at Melina's words.
“By the way, Sir Leo, I sense a different power from you than before. Have you obtained a power I'm unaware of?”
Melina said calmly.
“A different power?”
“Yes. I couldn't feel it when I was Mel, but I can feel it clearly now.”
Mel was an extension of Melina, but not her true body.
Melina's true body had never left Dragonia.
Mel was a kind of doll created by magic.
All this time, Melina had been controlling Mel from Dragonia while she slept.
At Melina's words, Leo looked down at his palm.
“Not really. Nothing's changed much. Is it a foreign power?”
“No. I just faintly sense the power of the Hero Record from you, Sir Leo. By any chance, are you holding a piece of the Hero Record?”
“No. I gave you all the Hero Record pieces I obtained before.”
Leo, focusing his senses on himself, paused.
“This is…”
It was faint, but he could definitely feel a certain power.
It wasn't Ar-on's aura or Luna's magical power.
It certainly wasn't Dweno's flame, nor was it Lisinas's mana.
The power Leo felt coming from himself was a power that did not exist in this world.
To be precise, it was a power that had vanished 5,000 years ago.
“Divine power?”