417.
Lunia, Ar, and Driana wore tense expressions.
All three of them were representatives of the Hero Academy.
Even though they were only second years, they had overcome numerous crises as hero candidates and possessed skills befitting their experiences.
Thanks to their unique personalities, they rarely became nervous over trivial matters.
But there was no avoiding apprehension when standing before the Dragon Lord, the highest entity in the world.
Especially since Melina had called them “heroes chosen by the era.”
Heroes are special individuals in their own right.
They are figures who leave a mark on their times—those chosen to rise to unparalleled heights.
But even among them, heroes said to have carried an entire era on their shoulders are exceedingly rare.
The most representative example being the Sword Saint.
Before the Sword Saint, the conquerors of the Cataclysm, led by Melina, were hailed as heroes who supported an entire era.
But more pressing than that historical fact…
“Who exactly is this person Lord mentioned?”
Lunia asked in a tense voice.
5000 years ago, when the Era of Heroes began, the Dragon Lord had been tasked with selecting heroes generation after generation, upholding the legacy of the King of Wisdom.
Only dragons of incomparable wisdom and power could ascend to the position of Dragon Lord.
Thus, the Dragon Lord has always reigned supreme in every era.
That such a Dragon Lord claims there exists an even higher figure…
It’s only natural to be amazed.
In response to Lunia’s query, Mel smiled enigmatically from beneath her veil.
Her cryptic demeanor as an adult deepened Lunia’s confusion.
“Surely, there can’t possibly be someone of higher standing than Lord Dragon in Draconia, can there?”
Driana echoed the question with a solemn voice.
“You seem quite curious about this person,” Melina said with a chuckle, covering her mouth.
“I believe it’s not the right time for you all to know who this person is. Suffice to say, the expectations this person has for you all, including myself, are immense.”
Upon Melina’s words, Lunia and Driana exchanged looks of growing confusion.
“This is the first time anyone’s heard tales about this person, so let’s keep it a secret.”
As Melina pressed a finger to her lips with a mischievous grin, Lunia instinctively felt they had stumbled upon some monumental secret.
At that moment,
Ar, who had been folding her arms and muttering “hmm!” while listening to Melina’s story, suddenly opened her eyes wide.
Her tail stood bolt upright, and with glittering eyes, she declared:
“I’ve got it! The person Lord mentioned must be none other than the Great Hero! Or perhaps the Hero of the Cataclysm!”
Melina, Lunia, and Driana all turned their gazes toward Ar.
“Think about it! Someone with higher standing than Lord Dragon! And they said they chose us, remember? You might not know this, but at the very least, I have been chosen by Lady Aron! So, isn’t that the only possible answer?”
Ar smirked confidently and snorted, “Hmph!”
“Certainly! Remember, both Lady Luna and Lord Seirun have already appeared in this world! Surely, that’s proof enough!”
“You’re spouting nonsense again, stupid cat.”
“Idiotic drivel. Please keep it to yourself, foolish creature.”
“And how in the world did you receive the favor of Lady Aron?”
“Hah, you annoying, grumpy furball—don’t you know that Lady Aron shyly flees whenever she sees you?”
“Actually, she’s just modest.”
“Pfft!”
“Besides, the appearance of Lady Luna and Lord Seirun occurred thanks to the Miracle of the Hero Record, didn’t it?”
“Is it really plausible for the Great Hero or the Hero of the Cataclysm to permanently reside in the present world? If it were, there’d be no need for secrecy—surely, the War of Tartarus would end instantly with their presence!”
“Uuuh…?!”
Faced with the logical rebuttals, Ar hesitated and took a step back.
“Even simpletons have their limits. Aren’t you just dumb?”
“Looks like you’re nothing more than a wild beast with a pretty appearance!”
“Take that back!”
Eyes blazing, Ar lunged, but the two weren’t about to budge.
Meanwhile, Melina, whose face was still hidden under her veil, chuckled softly, her eyes widening in amusement.
‘That’s impressively sharp. Could this be what they mean by feral instincts?’
Whether the guess was a random stab or a well-reasoned conclusion, it hit the mark.
As the three girls continued to argue, Melina cleared her throat.
They quickly composed themselves, fixing their disheveled clothes and hair and standing tall.
“It’s good to see such lively spirits.”
Melina smiled at the trio and continued, “So, what kind of hero do you all wish to become?”
“I want to be as free as Lady Luna.”
“I desire to possess courage like Lady Aron!”
“I wish to become a great artist who follows in the footsteps of Lord Dwenno.”
“Do you know what you must do to become such heroes?”
At Melina’s question, the three exchanged glances, then Lunia responded on behalf of the group.
“I believe we must honor the legacy of the Great Heroes.”
Melina closed her eyes solemnly, then took a deep breath.
“Excellent.”
To carry on the legacy of the Great Heroes.
It has but one implication.
The complete extermination of Erebus.
An event from the 5000-year history that none dared to casually speak of.
“You truly are heroes chosen by the era.”
At Melina’s affirmation, Ar queried,
“Does being chosen by the era mean we’re heroes destined to bear the next generation?”
“No. It means an arduous trial, far surpassing bearing an entire era, awaits you.”
Upon hearing Melina’s words, the three gulped audibly.
“However… seeing you all today has reassured me that there’s no need to worry.”
Melina smiled warmly at them.
“But as things stand now, you are still lacking. You’ll need to put in much more effort.”
The three nodded their heads.
Coming from the Dragon Lord’s mouth, the word “insufficient” rang true.
“I will wait, for the day you truly become worthy heroes. And the day we stand on the same stage.”
With those words, Melina vanished in the blink of an eye.
“What could Lord’s previous words mean?”
After Melina disappeared, Lunia mulled over her parting remark.
“To endure a trial greater than bearing an era… surely, Dragon Lord also aims for the complete extermination of Erebus, doesn’t he?”
“Could this indicate how highly they see our potential?”
Tension hung thick in the air between Lunia and Ar.
It’s already a monumental task, one that exceeds the capability of ordinary people, to bear a generation.
Yet, Melina was looking even higher.
“Drina, what do you think?”
Lunia asked, meeting Drina who wore a similar serious expression.
“Hmm… how beautiful must the Dragon Lord be?”
Drina’s totally irrelevant response left Ar exasperated.
“Should I slap you?”
“I’ll hit you first.”
With fierce glances, they both kicked Drina.
The welcoming party ended well past midnight, reaching the early hours of morning.
Subsequently, external guests were escorted to their accommodations with VIP treatment.
The students from the Hero Academy, meanwhile, decided to stay at their respective dormitories according to their grade levels.
Since it was rare for Hero Academy students to gather in one place, the purpose of this opportunity was to foster interaction amongst them.
“Ohho! Indeed, as the story goes, the second years of Lumeran manage everything so meticulously!”
“Is all of this decor really your work?”
“Not bad.”
Students from each school claimed their spots in the dormitories they preferred.
Thanks to previous acquaintanceships formed during the Smith Exclusive Contract, there was no awkwardness among the second-year students as they settled into their accommodations.
While some chose rooms based on pre-existing friendships, others selected dorms according to their respective schools’ preferences.
Azonia favored Glory. Damian leaned towards Harmony.
Finally, Seirun collectively gravitated towards Noble.
“Having you here in Noble feels a bit surprising.”
Sitting cross-legged on a chair in the Noble lounge, Lunia glanced at Kal.
“You also find this surprising? And I don’t even understand why I’m here near the end of the semester.”
Kal ranted as he poured tea.
“Still, your hospitality is excellent.”
The other Seirun students appreciated Kal’s offering.
Even though it was the early hours, it was a high-quality tea set.
The dormitory head, Abad, observing this stated,
“Mind you, that’s not part of our dormitory’s service. That’s Kal’s personal service.”
“Hmm, thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Despite gratitude expressed by the students, Kal remained firm.
“Thanks? What thanks. Lunia, does this mean you’re Seirun’s second-year representative here?”
Kal smiled and asked. Lunia nodded.
With that, Kal handed Lunia a palm-sized leather tablet.
“Here you go, Lady Lunia El Rundah.”
“Where did this come from? And what is it?”
“It’s the bill.”
Lunia’s face wrinkled in distress.
Kal pointed with a finger toward a section of the lounge.
[Carl Service: Paid]
It turned out that within the Noble dorms, Kal was providing services for a fee.
“Also, given it’s morning, there’s a surcharge applied.”
“This is coercive sales!”
“Excuse me? Coercive sales?! I handed out a complete welcome pamphlet when you entered our dorm!”
Though outraged, Lunia couldn’t shake Kal’s resolve.
Students from Azonia and Damian, who had connections with Noble students escaped a scolding, but wore expressions of astonishment nonetheless.
In the meantime, at Harmony, Celia approached Drina.
“Are you Driana?”
“Hmm, judging by appearances, you must be Celia Zerdinger.”
“I know you well.”
“Famous, isn’t she?”
Driana smiled at Celia’s approach.
“So, what’s the reason for talking to me?”
“You’re the conqueror of Dwenno’s realm, aren’t you? As a blacksmith, meeting the God’s Blacksmith is naturally intriguing, right?”
“Not a blacksmith.”
“What?”
“An artist.”
Celia wrinkled her nose at that answer.
“Ever considered being a n*de model?”
Celia immediately decided never to get involved with this dwarf again.
“Here’s the room of Leo-sama.”
On a different note, Eiran was nervously waiting in Leo’s room, having chosen to stay in Glory dormitory.
“Any suspicious books?”
“I… suspicious books?”
“Perfect chance to expose the Black Rabbit’s weaknesses.”
Ar, with half-lidded eyes, searched every corner of Leo’s room.
As Leo was briefly out of the room,
Ar found a compartment in Leo’s shelf slightly ajar and extended a hand.
Eiran hastily tried to stop her.
“B, breaking into a locker isn’t right! It’s bad behavior!”
“I’m just planning to close it. Although, if my hand accidentally slips and it opens… Oh! It slipped!”
With a deceptively smooth motion, Ar opened the door.
Creak—
Fiora, who was sleeping inside, revealed her annoyed expression, fluttering her wings irritably.
Whooosh!
“Aaaaghh!”
Ar rolled around the floor, her face now aflame.
Eiran helped to extinguish the flames.
“So? How were they, meeting them directly?”
Leo began speaking on a bench in the shared garden of the dormitory.
“I now understand why you chose them, Leo-sama.”
“It’s not just them I’ve chosen.”
At Melina’s words, Leo chuckled.
“Still, Leo-sama, I sense a power in you different from before. Have you obtained some power I don’t know about?”
Melina stated matter-of-factly.
“A power different from before?”
“Yes. I didn’t feel it when I was Mel, but I definitely sense it now.”
Mel, as she was now, wasn’t exactly Melina herself.
Melina’s true form had never left Draconia.
Mel was a magical construct, a kind of puppet.
Until now, Melina had been controlling Mel remotely, as if asleep in Draconia.
With Melina’s words, Leo lowered his palm to inspect it.
“Nothing significant has changed… could it be a foreign power?”
“No. I merely faintly sense the power of the Hero Record about you. Could you possibly possess a shard of the Hero Record?”
“No, I’ve already handed over all the Hero Record pieces I had to you.”
As Leo focused his spirit on himself, he hesitated.
“This is….”
Though faint, there was undoubtedly some kind of power.
It wasn’t Aron’s aura, nor Luna’s magical power.
Certainly not Dwenno’s flame or Lissinas’ mana.
The power Leo felt within himself did not exist in this world.
To be precise, it was an essence that had disappeared 5000 years ago.
“Divine 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")
