131.
Alby muttered under his breath as he watched Leo effortlessly dispel the attack from his mirror clone.
“Monster.”
Three students had already defeated mirror forces before Leo: Chelsea, Chloe, and Abad. The reason they achieved victory was extremely simple.
“It’s because they understand themselves better than anyone else.”
The reason they were able to win was because they had a perfect understanding of themselves.
But Leo surpassed even that level.
“Hearing that his magic proficiency has reached its peak… and he’s only fifteen.”
This wasn’t a matter of simple talent.
“Ren seems to think Leo Flove is just an incredible genius, but… I’m not so sure.”
Alby couldn’t figure out how to classify the first-year student in front of him.
Meanwhile, Leo began to cast a spell.
A large number of Fire Balls formed around Leo.
Alby immediately recognized these were no ordinary Fire Balls.
“They’re covered with amplification runes.”
The Fire Balls had been modified to be more powerful than even high-tier flame magic. Alby looked on with a puzzled expression.
“But still, Fire Balls. He must know better than anyone that these wouldn’t work.”
Mirror Force replicas have the exact same stats as the original.
Just as Alby expected, the mirror Leo easily dispelled the Fire Balls.
Whoosh!
But the Fire Balls weren’t targeting the replica at all.
“Ah!”
A gasp of surprise erupted from the students.
The Fire Balls were heading straight for Alby.
“So it’s not a duel with the clone. This is a spar between Professor and me?”
That was right.
The object of the students’ duel was Alby himself.
Leo’s words brought a laugh from Alby.
He quickly dispelled the Fire Balls heading toward him.
The moment the Fire Balls vanished was brief, but it was all Leo needed.
Leo closed in on the distance between himself and the replica.
Whoosh!
The replica created a massive wall of flames.
Seeing this, Leo quickly began weaving his own spell.
“Flame Explosion.”
Whoosh!
A ball of flame formed in Leo’s left hand.
“Wind Storm.”
The ball of flame was caught in a vortex of wind.
As Leo completed his spell, the wall of flames created by the replica engulfed him.
Seeing this, Leo released his spell.
Boom! Whoosh!
The compressed fireball boasted incredible destructive power, dispersing the wall of flames entirely.
Gasps of astonishment erupted from all around upon witnessing this.
Magic combinations aren’t difficult for Lumeran students.
However, controlling the boosted power resulting from magic combinations is quite challenging.
Especially at such a high level of power, controlling the magic can be very tricky.
But Leo handled it with ease.
Seeing this, Ren’s face showed a hint of confusion.
‘Dispeled far more complex magic without any trouble, so why go through the trouble of countering something as simple as a Fire Wall with magic?’
Just as this thought crossed his mind:
Leo extended his hand toward the mirror image.
Alby’s eyes widened upon seeing this.
Leo had initiated a dispel magic in his hand.
Alby attempted to alter the rune structure to counter Leo’s dispel.
But Leo’s hand reached the Mirror Force clone faster.
The brief moment Leo created with the Fire Balls was a setup for this very moment.
Ren’s eyes widened in surprise and Anna’s expression showed shock.
The moment the clone touched Leo’s hand, it was instantly dispelled.
“The clone’s been defeated.”
“What kind of magic was that?”
The students murmured among themselves in confusion.
With the Mirror Force gone, Alby withdrew his mana.
The moment the clone was defeated, the duel was over.
“Are you familiar with fairy magic?”
“Yes.”
“I knew you were exceptional in interpreting spells, something Ren never stops praising.”
Alby glanced at Ren, who was visibly moved.
‘If he already knew fairy magic, dispelling my spell shouldn’t be too difficult. And yet, to so meticulously manipulate the board to dispel my magic is…’
“The other professors seem to regard you as simply a genius.”
Alby narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve had my suspicions about you since the entrance exam. Leo Flove, what exactly are you?”
No matter how great someone’s talent, there are limits to what talent alone can achieve.
There was something about Leo’s abilities that couldn’t be explained by talent alone.
“What do you mean?”
Looking at Leo’s joking reply to this sharp question, Alby shook his head.
“I misspoke. Forget my previous question. My role in this class is finished. Go on to Ren’s lesson.”
“Understood.”
Following Alby’s words, Leo headed toward where Ren was.
Looking at Leo’s retreating back, Alby reflected.
‘I thought you had the makings of a hero… but you’re an enigma.”
Even if someone shows potential to be a hero, not everyone actually becomes one.
“Even the most brilliant students often fail to reach the status of hero.”
The position is truly reserved for a select few.
But looking at Leo right now…
“It’s as if he was born to become a hero.”
The distinctive charisma possessed by those who become heroes.
Leo had it.
“Perhaps… he might surpass me even before he graduates.”
“What are you looking at?”
At the very top of the Hero’s Tower in Lumeran Academy,
Kalyan, sitting in the principal’s office, asked his old friend.
Watching the freshman courtyard below, Riven replied.
“The first years.”
Their forms were clearly visible to Riven’s eyes.
“So, what do you think of the first years?”
At Kalyan’s inquiry, Riven responded.
“The freshmen are quite exceptional. Among all the generations I’ve encountered during my time in Lumeran, they’re among the best.”
“What did I tell you? I said they were remarkable.”
Riven tossed a note from his robes toward Kalyan.
The paper unfolded by magic and floated over to Kalyan.
“What’s this?”
“These are the clues about the Hero Dungeon I gathered during my four years of traveling the world.”
Hearing this, Kalyan’s face showed surprise.
The headmasters of Lumeran have always been dragons.
Not just Lumeran – the principal position at hero academies of all races have traditionally been held by dragons since the Era of Catastrophe, when King of Wisdom Lissinas gathered the Great Heroes to defeat Erebus.
Hero academies have maintained close ties with the dragons since their establishment.
Dragons appointed by Dragon Lord serve as academy principals, assisting in the development of new heroes.
While Riven had seemed to have stepped back from this duty over time, he had actually been continuously researching for Lumeran’s sake over the past four years.
“Even if the Hero Dungeon’s existence isn’t certain, dispatching students wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“You’re right. Thank you, Riven.”
Kalyan smiled at his friend.
Looking at this, Riven said:
“Kalyan.”
“Yeah?”
“I know you didn’t call me just to talk about the freshmen.”
“There’s unusual movement from Tartarus.”
There’s a traitor within Lumeran.
Actually, not just Lumeran.
There’s been a traitor within Seirun as well.
Tartarus’s influence likely extends to all hero academies.
“Tartarus views hero academies as their biggest obstacles, after all.”
The long-lasting peace is beginning to waver.
The fact that Tartarus is openly revealing itself after lying low is evidence of this.
“I’m getting old too.”
The veteran hero Kalyan let out a deep sigh.
“I must ask you, who carries the burden of this era”:
The dragon who chose the path of the young swordsman 80 years ago seriously inquired:
“Are you prepared to pass on this era to the next generation?”
There may be many heroes.
But if asked whether there’s anyone with the same level of influence as Kalyan, none would dare to answer.
The reason he’s considered the greatest hero is because his mere existence compelled Tartarus to cease its external activities for such a long time.
His presence alone served as a powerful deterrent against Tartarus.
This restraining power of the Sword Saint is beginning to weaken.
Tartarus knows the era of the Sword Saint is coming to an end.
That’s why the dragon who chose him as a great hero is asking:
Are you prepared to conclude your era?
“Though not on your level, I too have observed the students over a long time as principal of Lumeran.”
Kalyan smiled faintly.
“I have always been prepared.”
“Alright then, I’ll follow your lead.”
The heroic dragon who once revolutionized the world exchanged meaningful smiles.
One week after the start of the second semester, after classes.
Halind said:
“We’ll begin mission training today.”
At this announcement, the students in Class 5 began to chatter.
“Mission training?”
“Yeah.”
Halind continued with a bland expression.
“Mission notices will be posted on the first floor bulletin board of the classroom building.”
Heroes are also problem solvers around the world.
Because of this, those in need request assistance from Lumeran Academy.
Lumeran’s upper administration evaluates incoming requests from around the world and dispatches students to places deemed in need of help.
In these cases, no commission is charged and the academy covers the students’ mission expenses.
However, if a private individual requests a favor, they need to put up a commission to request student dispatch.
While it costs money, the advantage is that Lumeran students will be dispatched quickly.
Students see mission training as a matter of life or d*ath – they gain experience, earn money, and even receive credit.
Since midterm and final exam results can turn on what kind of mission training was undertaken, the training is just as important as exams.
With such stakes, the announcement of mission training drew inevitable attention from the freshmen.
Looking at the excited students, Halind said:
“Commissions are graded. Naturally, you should take ones suitable to your abilities. Though I say this, there are always students every year who overreach. Remember, mission training is different from other school activities. This is real combat.”
Halind’s cold gaze swept across the students.
“You could lose your life.”
At this, the students shuddered.
The excited atmosphere immediately cooled.
Having warned the students once, Halind continued:
“That’s all for today’s announcements. Go check the commission notices.”
With that, the Class 5 students exited the classroom.
Heading toward the central hallway on the first floor of the classroom building.
Since Halind tends to dismiss students early, the Class 5 students were able to be the first to check the notices.
“Whoa! This way, we might get the good commissions! Professor Halind really has good sense in this regard!”
Kal smiled satisfactorily.
“Let’s see… Ooh! There’s one we can do in Rumelia City?”
At these words, someone quickly reached out.
“Hey! Ilian! I was looking at that first!”
“So what? Quick hands win.”
Watching the squabbling Ilian and Kal, Teid showed an expression of disdain.
“Does location matter? Content does.”
While the students were arguing over the commission notices,
Leo reached for one no one was paying attention to.
Seeing this, Chelsea looked puzzled.
“Leo-oppa. That place is such a complete backwater, and you’re going there? The commission is just bandit eradication, so it looks like you’ll just suffer.”
Bandit eradication.
A commission so unappealing that no student would likely take it, certainly not Leo who was the top of their year.
At Chelsea’s question, Leo smiled.
“I’ve wanted to visit this area since a long time ago.”
“Huh? It’s just a neutral area in the southwestern part of the continent. Why do you want to visit here?”
Despite Kal’s curious question as he stopped arguing with Ilian, Leo just smiled.
The place Leo wanted to visit.
In the history books, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly, but there’s said to be a legendary city that once existed here.
5000 years ago, a city that was here.
A land that could be called the beginning.
“Guardstron.”
The land where Kyle and Lissinas met.
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
