403.
“What? Ar is receiving special training with the Student Council President of Lumeran?!”
Borman, the tiger beastman, shouted excitedly.
“We’re all playing around, and he’s going off to special training by himself?! That’s so cheap…!”
As Borman clenched his fists and grew indignant, Ruwen, who had been sitting down grooming her tail, spoke up.
“Well, it might be called ‘special training,’ but it doesn’t really look like training to me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It looked more like she was being tortured.”
“Is she undergoing training so harsh that it looks like torture? That’s impressive, Ar.”
As Borman interpreted the situation to suit his own liking, Ruwen shook her head.
We’re just not getting through to him.
Meanwhile, Ruwen approached the Azonia girls who were gathered and observing the students of Lumeran.
“What are you all staring at?”
“Ruwen, Ruwen, look over there.”
The wolf beastman girl pointed towards where Abad and Duran were lounging in sunbeds under a parasol.
Abad was reading a magic book with his usual calm expression, and Duran was also engrossed in a book.
“What’s going on? Do you suddenly feel like challenging these two again? Unfortunately, you’ll have to hold back.”
The students of Azonia generally have a strong sense of competition and a desire to challenge the strong. Therefore, Ruwen assumed that her classmates wanted to duel with Abad and Duran, who were among the strongest students in Lumeran’s Department of Knights and Department of Magic.
“No, not at all.”
“We just want to hang out with them.”
“They have a different kind of charm from us muscle-heads.”
At those words, Ruwen glanced at Abad and Duran.
Indeed, they were a type of student that didn’t exist in Azonia.
Shortly after, some of the Azonia girls approached Abad and Duran to start a conversation.
Furthermore, there were quite a few students from Lumeran and Azonia mingling and having fun together.
Among them were some first-year students from Lumeran asking questions to the students from Azonia.
‘As expected, the Lumeran students have a great thirst for knowledge.’
Ruwen nodded her head approvingly as her eyes fluttered open.
‘In contrast, these fools.’
“Are they using those toys for underwater training?”
“Hmm, it doesn’t seem like proper training to me.”
As Ruwen shook her head upon seeing the Lumeran students playing in the water with toys bought from Kal, some of the Azonia students mistook it for combat training.
Whoosh!
Just then, a geyser of water erupted from a distance.
All the students turned their gaze towards the source.
“Why are you attacking us all of a sudden?!”
“Yeah! Besides, that’s cheating!”
Moments ago, Celia and Chelsea had been chasing after each other, only to now turn their attention towards Eliza, who was wielding Kal’s custom-made water cannon and was aggressively chasing them with terrifying intent.
“Shut up! I’m going to sink you both today!”
Eliza growled as she relentlessly sprayed water from her cannon at the two of them.
“Yikes!”
“Dodge!”
“Bubbles!”
The ones caught up in the three girls’ chase were left looking pitiful.
Seeing this, Borman clenched his fists tightly.
“Even the strongest students of Lumeran treat their playtime like training!”
Borman, inspired by what he witnessed, became enthusiastic.
“I’m going to join the fight too!”
As Borman chased after them with his own conclusions, Ruwen clicked her tongue in disapproval.
‘This is chaos.’
“The second years are doing a better job as mentors than I thought.”
One of the professors who came to Elehem to supervise the first years, Mel, organized the reports written and submitted by the second years and remarked.
“If they couldn’t do even this, we wouldn’t have assigned them as mentors,” Halind, the professor overseeing the first years, replied nonchalantly, though there was trust in his tone for the second years.
Mel, noticing this, simply smiled faintly.
“Professor Halind, who was the student you paid the most attention to when they were first-years?”
Mel casually asked a light-hearted question.
Surprisingly, Halind gave an unexpected answer.
“Kal Thomas. For good and bad reasons alike.”
Halind’s answer made Mel widen her eyes in surprise.
“Surprising, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I thought you would’ve mentioned Leo,” Mel replied.
“Under normal circumstances, yes.”
Halind glanced at the documents and replied indifferently.
“But personally, I’m a little skeptical whether Leo Flove should even be classified as a regular student. No matter how extraordinary and talented he is, it’s simply impossible for someone to grow that way.”
Halind narrowed his eyes.
“One of the conclusions I reached while being Kal’s homeroom teacher for a year was that perhaps he wasn’t growing but rather recovering his strength.”
‘How astute.’
Mel inwardly smiled faintly.
“Still, Kal as a student is surprising, isn’t it? Even with Chelsea in the same class. Among the second-year cohort, widely hailed as a golden generation, Kal, who was close to failing, seems unusual that he was the one you focused on.”
“I mentioned this before, didn’t I? In both good and bad senses.”
Halind sighed.
“In the negative sense, Kal is a guy with clearly defined limits. He will never stand on the same stage as a hero. Kal himself doesn’t even consider becoming a hero— not even a speck of such ambition. In that sense, he’s definitely unfit as a hero candidate.”
“Indeed.”
“But nonetheless, he’s still managed to survive. While others superior to him have been expelled, he’s made it through. And upon entering the second year, he’s even managed to take on the challenge of ‘God’s Blacksmith’s World.'”
Halind narrowed his eyes again.
“Kal is undoubtedly a different type of student compared to the usual Lumeran students. There are hardly any applicants for the supporter role since they enter Lumeran.”
“He seems to have a very accurate self-assessment.”
“Yes. Although Kal doesn’t lack talent upon entering Lumeran, he is undeniably below the average compared to others. However, despite this, many students of various types still rely on Kal Thomas in one way or another. This mission was no exception.”
Not only did Kal support the first-year students, but he also took command in the battle against an unknown enemy wielding Incantation Magic.
It was the same during the mid-term exams.
“Kal plays a role in helping the students behind the scenes to exceed their limits on the battlefield. That is a rather special ability.”
“Is he a leader?”
“He can’t be a leader. But…”
Halind raised a corner of his mouth.
“He can be the pillar that supports leaders.”
With that word from Halind, Mel recalled something Leo had said.
‘Even the greatest of heroes cannot achieve anything alone. You understand, don’t you? Heroes too have their tough and painful moments. Kal is the kind of person who can provide strength to heroes when they are in distress.’
Mel nodded while reminiscing over Leo’s words and then asked,
“Among this year’s first-year students, who do you pay the most attention to?”
“There are two. In both positive and negative senses.”
“Of course, one would naturally be Aina Beidna?”
Halind nodded.
The current first-year group isn’t weak, especially when compared to the second-year cohort, often called one of the best in Lumeran history.
This year’s harvest is no less remarkable, as Aina leads the pack along with Harviden from Knight Department, Juen from the Department of Magic, and Shasha from the Department of Summoning.
Such a lineup of talents in a single grade hasn’t been seen in a long time.
This year’s graduating class, which included Lis, Toluah, Ulta, and Jamua, was equally strong.
Among them, Aina stands out as the granddaughter of Sword Saint Kalyan Beidan, showcasing tremendous talent and growth.
‘A completely different league from her contemporaries.’
However, there’s a significant issue.
“Aina’s goal isn’t to be a hero but to seek revenge.”
Sword Saint Kalyan Beidan.
Mel knows Kalyan well too.
If Mel had again challenged the Hero Record of the Dawn Break, Kalyan would have been her top priority for recruitment; a great hero who was fully capable of shouldering an era.
But his family life was anything but happy.
Kalyan’s entire family fought against Tartarus, following in his footsteps.
From his son and great-grandson to his granddaughter-in-law, they were all Lumeran graduates who lived lives worthy of the “Sword Saint” name.
But tragically, all died in battle against Tartarus.
Eventually, Kalyan himself also met his end in that final battle.
In Aina’s position, it is as if she’s lost all her bl**d relatives to Tartarus.
Of course, such cases are common in the long history of fighting Tartarus.
The problem lies in her talent.
Her swordsmanship talent, known as the legacy of the Sword Saint, grants her the power to confront Tartarus.
Thus, she has been sharpening her blade for revenge.
“By the way, her obsession with Leo may also be linked to this desire for revenge.”
It’s still a closely guarded secret that in order to receive Leo’s recognition, Aina must inherit the entirety of the Sword Saint’s legacy.
When Mel conveyed this, Halind added,
“Only driven by vengeance, she will soon hit her limits in this school.”
“Yes, so who’s the other one?”
“Luke Eldar.”
“Luke. Indeed, he’s a diligent student, kind-hearted, and has a strong curiosity for learning. Though his grades don’t quite match his other qualities.”
Mel smiled faintly.
“True, but there’s a reason for that.”
Halind understands why Luke hasn’t grown much yet and also has a rough idea of his latent potential. Mel shares the same understanding.
‘Even though everyone around him is advancing rapidly, the fact that Luke continues without giving up speaks volumes.’
It’s no ordinary level of mental strength.
“Is there any other reason for monitoring Luke aside from his academic performance?”
“The kid belongs to a rather dangerous category of people.”
Halind clicked his tongue.
“He’s the type who would throw himself into any limit without hesitation for the sake of his beliefs. Chloe mentioned that he did something reckless again during this time. Of course, that’s what drives his growth, and in a sense, it’s a virtue of heroes…”
Halind deliberately left the rest of the sentence unsaid.
One of the virtues of heroes.
But one small mistake in this could also lead to d*ath.
They are also a type of student Halind particularly dislikes.
“Still, regardless of anything, he will grow significantly. The results of this final exam will surely be worth watching.”
As Halind said this, Mel nodded.
“Absolutely. It will be a good stimulus for Aina.”
Mel’s remark brought a slight smirk to Halind’s lips.
“The existence of Luke Eldar has always been a ‘stimulating’ factor for Aina Beidna.”
‘From the moment Leo accepted Luke as a mentor, or perhaps even from the entrance exam, it seems clear.’
“Despite her efforts to ignore it, based on this incident, Luke will continue to be Aina’s stimulant.”
That evening.
A party was held at the dormitory where the Lumeran students were staying.
It was a celebratory party for the successful conclusion of their mission training before returning to school.
Students from Azonia were also invited to join the party.
Leaning against the wall slightly away from the bustling party, Leo observed the students happily conversing.
“Are you just standing here alone in a place like this?”
Approaching Leo, Professor Mel asked.
“Just reminiscing a bit.”
Leo smiled faintly in reply.
“I didn’t know you could reminisce about the past, Leo.”
“I can’t avoid it now. I just met with Lissinas.”
It was the first time Mel heard about this, who had been preoccupied with teaching duties.
“You met with Lissinas?”
“I also saw Rodia.”
“What exactly happened?”
With astonishment on her face, Mel listened as Leo narrated the events.
“To enter another realm of the Hero’s World within the Hero’s World itself…”
Mel, who looked stunned, prompted Leo, who smiled again and turned his gaze back to the party.
“In those days, we often held feasts after a major event, to cleanse everything and move forward.”
“Whose idea was that?”
“The idea of Lissinas.”
At Mel hearing this from Leo, she nodded.
Then with a curious look, she asked,
“What was the day when you and Lissinas met like?”
“Like what?”
Leo, recalling the past, smiled wistfully.
“After that meeting, he and I held many feasts. It was a new beginning too.”
*
After the Great Assault of Tartarus,
In the tavern managed by the elf Tila,
two people, Kyle and Lissinas, took a seat there.
Upstairs, finishing some writing, Lissinas closed the book and stood up. Taking a deep breath, he stood in front of the mirror, tidying himself up.
‘This is the beginning.’
His first companion,
Despite being a rather eccentric individual, it was still the start of everything.
Walking out of the room and descended the stairs,
in the empty tavern,
Lissinas sat down at a table with two large beer glasses.
“Sorry, sorry, I was busy with something for a moment,”
Lissinas said. Kyle’s reaction was indifferent.
“Today is the historic day we formed our party, so let’s have a blast. I’d like to treat all the customers, but with you two around, this place doesn’t get any visitors.”
“One who survives as a hero is a symbol of misfortune, and the imprudent spreads useless hope. Naturally, we are avoided.”
“Now it is so. But soon, people’s perceptions of us will change. This city will change too.”
With a strong sense of determination, Lissinas raised his drink.
“Let’s cheers, before we get down to serious talks. This is the beginning. To our future and the hope of this world.”
Kyle sighed deeply but reluctantly clinked his beer glass and took a sip.
During this, Lissinas didn’t stop gazing intently at Kyle.
Kyle felt uncomfortable under the unrelenting stare of this dragon before him.
Though he found absurd his own participation in such an unbelievable journey and was overwhelmed by the uncertainty of what was to come, what made him uneasy the most was Lissinas’s unwavering stare at him.
“What is it?”
“What?”
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
When Kyle asked brusquely, Lissinas, sipping his drink, shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Kyle thought the uncomfortable gazes would finally diminish.
But Lissinas kept his eyes on Kyle.
“Seriously, why won’t you stop staring?”
Finally unable to hold back, Kyle asked again, and Lissinas propped his chin.
“Just.”
And then, with a subtle and almost imperceptible smile,
“Because I like you.”
![[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")
