432.
“Where is this…?”
Aron was bewildered by the sudden change in scenery.
“I was sure I was with Erebus…”
Recalling the events from just moments before, Aron looked up at the boy rising beside her.
“Who are you?”
Seeing Aron’s confusion, Leo took a breath and glanced down at his hands.
A small, burned fragment of the Hero Record remained.
It was Aron’s record.
“Lord Leo, how is Lady Aron here?”
Melina asked anxiously, to which Leo quietly replied.
“Let’s get out of here first. There are too many eyes to explain properly.”
Leo quickly gathered himself and returned with Aron and Melina to the Flove family territory.
Melina awaited Leo’s explanation.
Aron, however, couldn’t fully grasp the situation.
She simply…
“Stars?”
Stared at the countless stars in the sky, as if they were about to fall.
She gazed at the moon with her mouth slightly open.
It wasn’t the chilling red moon from before.
Aron was simply entranced by the beautiful night sky she’d never seen before.
After a short while, Aron took her gaze off the night sky and asked Leo.
“Are you Kyle?”
“Like the time with Luna.”
When the Poison King Zerdiaq appeared in Seirun and the Demon Queen Silatuna invaded, Leo used the divine power from the Polyum to take Luna outside the Hero’s World.
It was exactly the same as that time.
As proof, all the divine power that resided within Leo’s body had disappeared.
“That’s right.”
Leo nodded, meeting Aron’s eyes.
“Kyle, is that really you? Then what about Lissinas? And Luna and Dwenno?”
Aron’s confusion only deepened.
‘I’ve met Aron from the Hero’s World twice.’
The first time was last summer vacation when he entered the world of Ar and Aron.
‘The second time was early this semester while attacking Dwenno’s world.’
At that time, Dwenno realized Leo was Kyle from the future, and Aron felt the same way.
‘The fact that she doesn’t remember that means perhaps she only remembers up until the first event.’
“Aron.”
“Yes?”
“How many times have you met me in this form?”
“Only once, after meeting that strange Myojo girl.”
‘I see.’
Leo nodded.
‘Luna also mentioned that she only regained memories of meeting me from another page after we met.’
Aron was the same.
‘The reason she doesn’t remember our encounter in Dwenno’s world is because that wasn’t Aron’s world.’
Dwenno was the owner of Dwenno’s world.
‘This means memories don’t carry over from someone else’s Hero Record?’
Having organized the situation, Leo took a deep breath.
“Aron, listen carefully.”
“Okay.”
“The era we’re in now… is 5000 years after the Era of Catastrophe we lived through.”
“If this is 5000 years in the future, then what about you?”
“I was reincarnated.”
“You mean reborn?”
“That’s right.”
After Leo’s answer, Aron fell into contemplation.
‘If this is the future and Kyle has been reincarnated, then I understand the current situation.’
“So how did I end up in a future 5000 years from now?”
“In this era, there’s something called the Hero Record.”
Leo explained how Aron arrived here.
After hearing the story, Aron asked,
“Does that mean we won?”
If this was truly the future, it was a definitive proof that the Great Heroes had triumphed over primal evil.
Still, Aron wanted to hear it directly from Leo.
Seeing this, Leo smiled.
“Yes, we won.”
“Thank goodness.”
Aron let out a sigh of genuine relief and looked up at the night sky again.
“So this is the stars that Luna spoke so fondly about.”
Looking at the beautiful night sky for the first time in her life, Aron was purely in awe.
Watching Aron, Leo also looked up at the sky.
“It’s beautiful. Now I understand why Luna said she would become a star.”
In response to Aron’s murmurs, Leo burst out laughing involuntarily.
“How uncharacteristic of her, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t suit her.”
Watching the two converse, Melina also looked up at the night sky.
Having observed it countless times, the scene evoked no emotion in her.
But this commonplace night sky was an unimaginable sight 5000 years ago.
Watching the backs of the two gazing at the night sky, Melina bowed her head.
‘I may not be able to represent everyone living now… but thank you.’
Afterward, Leo briefly explained the 5000-year history to Aron.
While listening about the aftermath of the Era of Catastrophe, Aron was astonished.
“Berkiya?”
Aron appeared shocked.
“Did that person really become a respected leader of the Elves?”
“That’s right.”
“Wow, her?”
‘…What kind of Berkiya do these people remember?’
Upon hearing that Berkiya was a revered figure who rebuilt the elves, Aron showed an expression of disbelief.
Melina felt her curiosity rising at this reaction.
Berkiya of Ersar.
Renowned as the founding figure of the Star Cloud and as the disciple of the Hero, she was a respected figure in the elven race that Melina honored just as much as the Heroes of the Cataclysm.
After Erbus was vanquished, she became a hero figure in her own right, not only leading the elves to revival but also contributing to the reconstruction of the World Forest.
A figure of global recognition, beyond the elven race.
That’s why Melina had asked Leo about Berkiya upon meeting him.
‘A rather arrogant brat. Her eyes are sharp, her attitude rebellious, she’s quick to rise up.’
This was a real evaluation of Berkiya, though a highly personal one.
So Melina had filtered Leo’s words.
‘Should I inquire? No, I shouldn’t.’
Melina wanted to ask Aron more about Berkiya but restrained herself.
She didn’t want to tarnish the image of the noble elven hero in her imagination.
As Melina shook her head,
“Erbus wasn’t entirely erased?”
Aron’s expression darkened.
“I’m sorry to the Heroes of the Cataclysm, and to you. It feels terrible to have passed such burdens onto you.”
“No, no! Lady Aron, there’s no need for you to say such things!”
Melina exclaimed, flustered.
“Still, I’d like to help. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay in this time period, but is there anything I can do to help?”
“In that case…”
Melina carefully voiced her proposition.
“There are aspiring Hero Candidates in this era who wish to follow in the footsteps of the Great Heroes. There are children diligently training on this mountain. Would you consider guiding them?”
“Like Berkiya?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you so much!”
Melina beamed.
At this, Leo spoke.
“Kal and Lunia, Eiran, Driana, and Ar. It would be wise to warn them in advance.”
In this era, many physical records of Aron from the Hero’s World remain.
But it would be difficult for people of this era to recognize Aron.
‘His appearance has entirely changed.’
Leo couldn’t help but laugh when he first saw the portrait of Aron in the historical records after his rebirth.
‘Because of the features, he looks like a completely different person.’
Leo shook his head as he recalled the sharp eyes in the portrait.
The portrait from this era underwent extensive adjustments and beautifications.
The actual Aron was a mild and gentle youth.
His eyes were kind, and he often wore a gentle smile.
‘Even in battle, he occasionally displays a similar appearance to the portrait.’
However, he more frequently shows a frightened demeanor over small things.
According to Luna, he belonged to the “type you want to protect” or something like that?
‘If people of this era saw the real Aron, they’d probably think he’s someone who just resembles the Hero.’
Perhaps only those who know in the Hero’s World might recognize the real Aron.
In the present context, it’s almost impossible for the real Aron to be recognized.
However, five people who encountered the real Aron in Dwenno’s world would recognize him.
‘If the truth of Aron appearing in this era were revealed, it might cause a major headache.’
Even now, numerous elves make pilgrimages to Seirun to revere Aron.
The admiration from beastmen for Aron is also not much different from that of the elves.
‘The values of beastmen are courage and strength.’
Aron himself represents courage and strength.
An innumerable number of beastmen would flock to the Flove family’s territory.
Leo didn’t want to burden his father.
Moreover, the fact that Aron had appeared in reality might provoke Tartarus.
Listening to Leo’s words, Melina nodded in agreement.
“I look forward to meeting the children.”
Aron likes children.
The reason he wanted to save the world was to create a bright and cheerful world for the children.
“Everyone must be kind, pure, and full of passion.”
It seemed he believed all the children in this era of peace would be cheerful.
‘Not unlike Luna and Dwenno, there are many eccentric children.’
Leo didn’t want to shatter his friend’s illusions prematurely.
‘Ar will likely cause quite a stir too.’
Seeing the smiling Aron, Leo shook his head lightly.
*
The next morning.
Leo returned to the training camp where the second-year students stayed.
En, who had been acting as Leo’s substitute, came to meet him deep in the forest.
“Thank you for your efforts. Everything went smoothly, didn’t it?”
“Yes, there were no major issues. However…”
“However?”
“Guardians have been attacking all night, leaving most of the students exhausted.”
Upon hearing En’s words, Leo let out a hollow laugh.
‘Those grotesquely large stuffed dolls?’
The bizarre appearance of the guardians was disturbing even to Leo.
As he thought about all the students who had endured their attacks all night, Leo shook his head and walked away.
It seemed some people had kept watch due to the relentless attacks from the guardians, so a few of them stood around the campfire with weary faces.
“Did you take care of everything?”
Kal greeted Leo with bloodshot eyes.
“Complete hell from the very beginning. Hahaha.”
Seeing Kal’s sorrow-laden smile, Leo snickered.
“Get some rest. I’ll take over your watch until morning.”
“Would you really? Thank you, Leo!”
Kal, who would typically decline such offers, didn’t because of how exhausted he was.
Leo stared at the campfire.
‘That Aron ended up in this era.’
The divine power worked a miracle.
His instinctive reach toward Aron at that time didn’t change anything since Aron was already dead.
‘But I wanted to reassure him somehow.’
He wanted to show his friend what he had achieved.
It seemed the divine power responded to that intention and worked the miracle of bringing Aron to the present era.
‘While we don’t know how much time Aron has been granted, if we can share this era of peace for a little while, it might be good.’
After taking a deep breath, Leo looked at the students.
‘If Aron’s going to be an instructor…’
Leo muttered to himself as he gazed at the morning sky.
“Well, getting a taste of a new kind of despair wouldn’t be too bad.”
![[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")
