416.
Central Lumeran.
Hero’s Tower.
In front of it, a grand plaza was currently hosting a splendid party.
This event was to welcome the external guests visiting Lumeran, so all students were required to participate without exception.
Of course, with many renowned heroes and world-moving power figures gathered, most students attended without much complaint.
Influential figures from all regions showed deep interest in the promising students of Lumeran.
Among them, the second-year students, known as the “Golden Generation” of Lumeran, naturally drew the most attention.
“Ho, so you’re Miss Chloe Mueller. Your thesis is getting a lot of attention in the magical community right now.”
“Duran Prince, the central continent kingdoms are counting on you greatly!”
“Are you Warden? Indeed, you are the type who could make a contract with the Great Spirit.”
Watching this unfold, Chelsea smiled faintly.
“Everyone’s quite popular~”
“You guys aren’t?”
As Kal arrived with his plate loaded with buffet food, enjoying his extravagant feast, he teased, and Chelsea replied.
“We’re from the Rodren Empire.”
“Hmm, even if you’re considered promising, they wouldn’t try to court someone affiliated with the Rodren Empire. Anyway, seniors, you aren’t fighting today, huh?”
Kal glanced curiously at Niel and Marchel.
The relationship between Celia and Chelsea in the second year was well-known.
But there was even a more intense relationship between these two – Niel and Marchel, the heirs of vassal families within two prominent houses.
Despite their one-year seniority gap, whenever they met, they generated enormous tension.
However, today, surprisingly, the two remained quiet.
“And Chelsea and Celia are also being good today.”
As Kal mentioned this, Celia flicked her hair aside.
“Don’t you assume I start growling at Chelsea every time we meet, regardless of time and place?”
“Uh-huh.”
Kal’s straightforward response wiped the expression off Celia’s face.
“Anyway, is there a reason?”
Sensing a crisis, Kal quickly changed the subject as he said this, and Chelsea replied.
“To avoid the nuisance of flies.”
“Flies? Oh, I see.”
As Kal tilted his head at Chelsea’s words, realization dawned on him, and he nodded.
His gaze then drifted toward Leo, who sat relaxed and unhurried.
“Leo isn’t from the Rodren Empire, right?”
Leo’s main family is the Flove Family, and his affiliation belongs to the Delrad Kingdom.
Although he is accepted as a direct descendant of the Zerdinger bloodline, at the moment, his maternal side is more relevant.
Because of this, there are countless places vying for Leo.
Youngest Student Council President of Rumearn Academy.
Belongs to the same class as the Hero of the Beginning.
Moreover, he already achieved an incredible feat at a tender age.
For influential figures, Leo is someone they would desperately seek.
Even now, there are many who keep glancing at Leo, wanting to approach him.
But with Celia and Chelsea keeping a sharp eye out, no one dares to approach carelessly.
No one, regardless of being a student graduate or not, would dare to scheme against Leo in front of the direct descendants of the Zerdinger and LeWalyn families.
‘Entirely occupied by dedicated guards.’
Kal understood and enjoyed the feast.
‘Sure is convenient.’
Watching this, Leo simply allowed a slight smile, letting the two handle it.
Had he thought he’d be tired at this party, but such concerns seemed unnecessary.
‘At this point, my position in this era isn’t low.’
Being in Lumeran, he had grown numb to the gaze of outsiders.
But through this event, it became clear to him.
Leo’s existence has already been deeply etched into the world.
Everyone knows of Leo and celebrates his achievements.
Thinking this far, Leo recalled someone.
‘Commander Hel Kaiser.’
The supreme commander leading Tartarus.
A Great Demon with a force and charisma worthy of that title.
‘The scariest thing about this guy is his insight.’
Early in the Era of Catastrophe.
The reason numerous strong nations and heroes were defeated, and the Tartarus territory expanded so immensely, was all due to the Commander’s leadership.
‘Even after we acquired the power to defeat Legion Commanders, the guy kept putting us in danger.’
Because of this, Commander Hel Kaiser remains a terrifying presence.
With the conclusion of the Era of Catastrophe,
and people beginning to reconstruct the world once more, as the Era of Heroes began, Tartarus somehow didn’t fall.
This must all be due to the Commander’s presence.
‘I wonder how the current Commander views me?’
Since Leo enrolled in Lumeran, countless remarkable events have unfolded.
Each of these events has astonished the world.
Naturally, as the Commander, this must seem strange.
Suddenly, a young human emerges, accomplishing the impossible as if it’s the most natural thing.
The Commander must have experienced a similar situation 5000 years ago.
‘Lissinas and me, Luona and Aron, as well as Dwenno’s appearance.’
The Great Heroes who prevented the already predetermined doom of the world and ultimately saved it.
To the world, it was a miraculous hope, but to the Commander, it must have been a calamity.
‘With his insight…’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Maybe he has a vague inkling about me.’
Leo fidgeted with his hands.
‘It’d be wise to move forward assuming he knows something about my identity.’
Narrowing his eyes further,
‘5000 years of karmic connection. It’s time to put an end to it.’
“Master Flove!”
Clasping her hands together and screaming, Lea lunged at Leo.
Lunia grabbed her head and caught the back of Lea’s neck.
“Lea, remember, you’re the top student of Seirun’s first-year class. You’re the face of the school. There are numerous heroes and influential individuals gathered here from around the world. You must avoid any behavior that might tarnish the school’s reputation.”
After Lunia’s words, Lea slowly opened her eyes.
“Do you not feel a twinge of conscience talking about Seirun’s honor to me?”
Lunia already tossed aside pretense long ago, sending it sailing into the skies.
Not that she loses her temper without reason or place.
“I at least observe the time and place.”
“What?”
In response to her disciple’s open disbelief, Lunia strangled Lea without hesitation.
“Gaahk!”
“Ah, you want me to ignore time and place as you do?”
“Ch-ch-ch-! Surrender! Surrender!”
“Too wordy?”
“Ha, surrender!”
Lea flailed and slapped Lunia’s arm with a tat-tat-tat.
“Hmm hmm! It seems I have a disciple who’s just like me!”
At that moment, a somewhat smug voice echoed.
There stood Arga, wearing an Azonian uniform immaculately, arms crossed.
“Oh! Lunia! Ar! Haven’t you two been well?”
In a Demian uniform, Driana also noticed the two and waved to them cheerfully.
At their sight, Lea’s eyes widened in surprise.
Earlier this year,
the three individuals assessed as the next generation’s leaders who had even conquered Dwenno’s realm had all gathered together.
‘They sure project an oppressive presence.’
Shaking off the lighthearted atmosphere, Lea now watched the trio with a tense gaze.
Meanwhile, Driana spoke up.
“That peculiar way of speaking is still unchanged, I see.”
As Lunia crossed her arms and spoke, Driana laughed.
“I’m always striving to act like the esteemed Lord Dwenno.”
“Yet we’re nothing alike.”
Despite Arg’s cold response, Driana paid no heed.
“Anyway, it’s a memorable moment meeting like this, so let me ask a favor.”
Seeing Driana’s serious expression, Lea tightened up slightly.
A request from a candidate heralded to lead the next generation?
‘What is it? Could it be they need materials for creating an incredible artifact? Or is there a huge problem within Demian?’
As Lea’s eyes darted around, worriedly pondering, Driana spoke up.
“If you ask me to be a n*de model again, I’ll decline. You perverted dwarf.”
Arga shot back without hesitation.
“For the sake of art.”
“Dwenno told you to stop caring about art.”
Again, it was Lunia who gave a cold response.
“The important thing is never to give up. Dwenno surely would have said that.”
“Even Dwenno would have told you to give up.”
“Lord Dwenno was here, he would’ve said it’s okay for you to abandon your pursuits.”
Despite Arg and Lunia’s relentless comments, Driana remained unfazed.
Then he noticed Lea and said,
“Ho, you’re a beautiful girl. Would you consider modeling n*de?”
“No.”
As Lea hesitatedly responded, she seriously asked Lunia,
“Is our conversation too abstract for me to understand?”
“That’s because his language is way too lowbrow for you.”
Lunia sighed.
Just as these three students, considered the hope of their respective races, were having a rather disheartening conversation,
“Hello, everyone.”
Someone spoke up.
The four turned their heads and were surprised.
Standing there was none other than Dragon Lord, Melina.
“O-oh, what an honor to meet you, Great Lord.”
Lunia hastily bowed deeply, and Melina smirked faintly from beneath her veil.
“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”
Smiling, Melina looked at Lea and continued.
“Miss Lea Tinggel.”
“Yes, yes!”
“How about talking with the first-year students of Lumeran? It will surely be greatly beneficial for you.”
“Yes, yes!”
Lea responded decisively and stepped back.
Though she wished to continue the conversation, she dared not oppose the words of the Dragon Lord.
‘Do I at least get to eavesdrop from a distance?’
Driven by strong curiosity, Lea glanced over at the four.
And then, she let out an alarmed gasp.
The four who were there just a moment ago were nowhere to be seen.
‘What is this?’
Startled, she looked around.
Despite being a conspicuously conspicuous combination, they had vanished.
‘Now that I think about it, when the Dragon Lord appeared, the people were quiet.’
Normally, the sudden appearance of the Dragon Lord right in the heart of the party would have caused a huge commotion.
But the atmosphere in the party remained unchanged.
‘Could it be an awareness-dampening magic? Wow, incredible. I couldn’t even detect it.’
At such a precise and discreet spell, Lea could only burst into admiration.
The three standing before Melina assumed a tense posture and stood at attention.
Seeing this, Melina laughed.
“Don’t be so tense. I just wanted to have a conversation with you guys.”
“It’s an honor.”
Lunia replied with a trembling voice.
“But why us…?”
As Arga asked, looking curious, Melina smiled.
“Because all of you are the hero candidates chosen by the era.”
At this, Driana widened his eyes.
“Lord, are you saying you’ve chosen us?”
Dragons have historically chosen the heroes destined to carry each era.
And among those, the ones chosen by the Dragon Lord were special.
Thus, Melina’s mention of “heroes chosen by the era” was enough to surprise the three.
As the three reacted in astonishment, Melina smiled again.
“It wasn’t me who chose you as much as it was… Him.”
“Him?”
At Melina’s respectful tone, all three looked shocked.
The Dragon Lord.
The chief of Dragonia and King of all Dragons.
In a sense, arguably the highest being in the world.
And she was showing respect to someone.
‘Who could this person be?’
While everyone was stunned,
Melina glanced briefly at Leo.
And for a moment, she hesitated.
‘What is this?’
Melina could feel an alien force emanating from Leo.
A very faint force.
‘I’ve felt this energy somewhere before.’
As she tilted her head slightly in thought,
Melina suddenly realized the true identity of the force Leo was emitting.
‘This energy resembles the Hero Record’s power.’
![[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")
