Chapter 562

562.

“Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Driana sighed in admiration while sketching the breathtaking landscape of the Dragonia Palace stretching before her eyes.

The representatives from the Hero Academy were gathered in the central tower of Dragonia Palace, known as the Tower of Wisdom, where the entire panorama of Dragonia lay sprawled beneath them.

As she absorbed herself in sketching the beautiful scenery, Lunia observed Driana with quiet curiosity.

“Does this have some hidden meaning?”

“What do you mean?”

At Leo’s puzzled question, Lunia responded.

“Even as a smith, Driana is remarkable, which I fully understand. Since signing the exclusive smith contract with her, every piece of equipment we received from her was nothing short of extraordinary.”

Equipment, regardless of how superior, inevitably degrades over time.

Even the legendary weapons used by heroes can lose their functionality if not properly maintained.

No matter how meticulous the upkeep, as long as the equipment is used, it will eventually break.

Because of this, many heirlooms of renowned hero families are often just preserved in storage rather than actively used, preserving their great power for critical times.

The greatness of Dwenno, known as God’s Blacksmith and creator of many wondrous modern artifacts, lay in his ability to transcend such common wisdom.

Dwenno’s weapons could return to a pristine condition if maintained properly.

Even if they were heavily damaged—teeth missing and tattered—they could be quickly restored to their original state, provided they weren’t completely destroyed.

Of course, they weren’t invincible. Moreover, very few smiths could maintain divine artifacts. The replicas obtained as dungeon rewards weren’t as resilient as the originals.

For this reason, even though Lunia, Eiran, and Ar had obtained Dwenno’s artifacts from dungeon rewards within the world of Dwenno, they couldn’t use them carelessly. For them, these were reserved as decisive weapons for critical battles.

This was the same for the others.

‘Had it not been for Unyielding Demian, Dwenno’s weapons would have been even rarer than they are now.’

Demian had restored numerous of Dwenno’s weapons to pristine condition, passing them down to future generations.

The sheer number of powerful divine artifacts that still existed today was thanks to him.

Even the users of such powerful items found themselves in this dilemma.

This was why students from Hero Academy maintained contracts with smiths in Demian, forging long-term relationships with them.

A hero candidate’s life could be heavily influenced by whether or not they encountered a skilled smith during their time at the academy.

In that sense, Driana was quite invaluable.

She had been providing top-quality gear, so how could she not be appreciated?

There was no denying that, as a smith, Driana was a prodigy.

But then…

“Her artistic side is a disaster.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but it’s necessary. Let’s not call her an artist. That would be an insult to art.”

Such a comment might have driven Dwenno into a frenzy, had he heard it.

‘Art? You’re calling this monstrosity art? Get over here. Place your head on the anvil, and I’ll personally smash it for you. Then I’ll fix whatever’s inside for you.’

The image of him swinging his hammer wildly, eyes bulging, came vividly to mind.

Strong and dependable, the eldest and advisor of their group, Dwenno was usually calm. But when it came to art, there was no reasoning with him.

He referred to himself as the greatest artist and a reverent admirer of beauty.

‘Well, he was certainly extraordinary as an artist, too.’

Leo knew little about art.

In his previous life, he had lived far from it, and after reincarnation, even as a noble, he hadn’t shown much interest.

Nevertheless, he understood that Dwenno was indeed amazing as an artist.

Even though they teased him for being eccentric, both Leo and Aron admired the undeniable beauty in Dwenno’s creations.

Rissinas and Luna felt the same way.

In this advanced and prosperous era, no works as beautiful as Dwenno’s could be found, even now.

‘Certainly regrettable.’

What Dwenno truly wanted to leave behind for the future weren’t weapons, which took lives, but beautiful works of art.

‘Right now, weapons are the priority. We need to fight against the enemy to protect ourselves. Strong weapons are indispensable for that purpose.’

Leo recalled Dwenno, his hammer crafting jewelry or carving stones.

‘However, if we reclaim the world, the weapons I’ve forged might soon become instruments of harm. Lamenting this fact is unnecessary; it is the fate of all weapons. Still, I wish to convey through this era of despair that beauty existed too. Struggling to survive in a dark era leaves us too focused on weapons. Isn’t it too harsh not to document that beauty once existed? Passing down the knowledge that beauty existed is a far more meaningful act.’

Among the Great Heroes, Dwenno might be the one who feels the most regret in this era.

Lissinas, who led the world to salvation.

Luna, who turned countless desperate situations into hope through magic.

Aron, whose immense courage brought about numerous miracles.

And Kyle, who became the last of the old heroes and heralded a new age.

Yet, Dwenno is only known as the creator of the divine artifacts that made all of this possible.

The world is undeniably beautiful now.

But those who recognize Dwenno as an artist, who gave himself to create that beauty, are nonexistent.

As Leo faintly smiled, Arga, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly stood up.

“What is it?”

“I’m curious what kind of horrifying artwork she’s creating.”

Arga approached Driana, grinning like a playful cat.

“Driana, can I see your sketches?”

“Oh, Arga? Suddenly interested in art?”

Driana smiled brightly.

“Well, it’s just a simple sketch. Nothing special, but I appreciate the interest in beauty.”

Happily nodding, Driana showed her sketchbook.

Arga’s eyes widened in shock as she saw it.

“What is this thing?”

That reaction made Lunia and Chelsea curious, causing them to gather around her.

What could be so horrifying to make her react like that?

“Where? Let me see!”

“What is it? Why is it so well-drawn?”

Lunia and Chelsea also were taken aback upon seeing the sketch.

Driana’s work masterfully captured the grandeur of Dragonia’s landscape.

Witnessing the trio’s astonished faces, Driana clicked her tongue.

“Lacking any trace of originality, it’s a pitiful attempt at art. With the right aesthetic input, I could transform it into something truly remarkable… Hmph. Then, we’d have an extraordinary masterpiece!”

The three girls couldn’t help but ponder.

‘Should this person really quit their pursuit of art?’

As they contemplated Driana’s artistic skills, Hardin adjusted his glasses.

“Shall we discuss the reason we’ve been invited here?”

As the vice-president of the Student Council from Seirun, Hardin glanced at Leo before turning his attention to Dorveman and Marigold.

“The rationale for our sudden invitation to Dragonia remains unclear. However, I believe we all have a sense of what’s to come, don’t we?”

Perhaps Leo might be uncertain, but Dorveman and Marigold being one year seniors and experienced student council presidents, understood Hardin’s deference.

For this reason, the tone of Hardin’s voice was polite and deliberate.

Dorveman smirked in response.

“It’s because of the school competition, isn’t it?”

An unprecedented event in the history of Hero Academies.

Even the Ruse Tournament, an event watched by the entire world, couldn’t compare.

What could possibly top a duel among all four Hero Academies?

A battle to determine the finest Hero Academy.

Pride for all four races was on the line.

Of course, Leo, excelling as both a first-year and the newly appointed student council president, breaking records and becoming a hero in his second year, was exceptional.

But in this inter-academy competition involving schools with national-level power, the influence of an individual had its limitations.

Being home to the greatest student is different from being the greatest school.

Hence, the school competition proposed by Lumeran had become an unprecedented point of interest.

“Azonia will certainly participate. Struggle is a core tenet of our school, there’s simply no reason not to be a part of it.”

Dorveman crossed his arms.

Indeed, the moment the proposal was mentioned, cries for participation rose fervently across Azonia.

“I figured Azonia would.”

“Of course Seirun will too, right?”

At Dorveman’s words, Hardin adjusted his glasses.

“Unfortunately, as much as I regret this, Seirun will not participate in the inter-school competition.”

“Huh?”

Surprisingly, Dorveman showed a look of bafflement.

“To be honest, Seirun is currently incapable of hosting a major event.”

Recently, among the four hero academies, Seirun had endured the most significant challenges.

Last winter, the grand invasion by the Demon Queen. And earlier this year, the school falling under the control of the Pureblood Society.

Though events arose—such as the rebirth of the founder of the Star Cloud and the reincarnation of the Comet Wizard—they came about due to significant internal turmoil within the school.

And now, in light of their recent decision to no longer accept students who specialized exclusively in the Magic of the Stars, they faced a drastic shift in their school policies.

Internally, the situation wasn’t ideal.

Participating in the Ruse Tournament, an annual event being held this year in Lumeran, was manageable only due to tradition.

However, organizing a massive event surpassing the Ruse Tournament—a hero school competition—was a different matter entirely.

“We cannot properly prepare for the event, so our participation is uncertain.”

“Ts, so you’ll dodge any disadvantageous fights?”

“Please consider it a rational decision.”

Watching Dorveman make a dissatisfied clicking sound with his tongue, Hardin said calmly.

Still, Dorveman refrained from further comment.

Even as a student council president, if Azonia found itself in Seirun’s situation, he would have made the same choice.

‘Too bad this came up in my fifth year.’

“We too will forego participation. Despite wanting to, our curriculum and scheduling simply do not align for such a short notice.”

Marigold sighed regretfully.

“Though it sounds interesting and beneficial, given the suddenness, we can’t prepare properly.”

‘This wasn’t entirely unexpected.’

Hero Academies represent their respective races and function as organizations requiring considerable administrative support akin to a state-level organization. Hence, participating in suddenly proposed large-scale events like this is difficult.

Even if a smaller number of academies were involved, it would undoubtedly lead to immense chaos.

Unsurprisingly, Lumeran also had many doubters over the proposal for a competition.

It was not impossible to organize.

The issue was simply the challenge of the process.

‘In fact, it’s welcome that it might not happen.’

Chelsea sighed deeply.

‘But the person who proposed this competition was Leo.’

Chelsea knew Leo’s style of making impossible things happen, glancing at him as he smiled, she looked at the ceiling.

Lunia, catching Leo’s look, shook her head.

‘He’ll definitely push this through.’

The door opened softly and someone appeared.

A small girl stepped into the room, with long silver hair that touched the floor, mixed with strands of black, shining like pure jewels despite dragging against the floor. Her face was perfectly sculpted, and her eyes remained closed.

On her flanks stood dragons.

Everyone in the room immediately recognized the young-looking Dragon Lord.

“Dragon Lord Melina.”

The face they had seen before at the peak summit meeting was unmistakable. Meeting her directly in the same room was another matter entirely, her presence was imposing.

Melina, appointed by the era to lead heroes, found even Lunia, Ar, and Driana displaying tense expressions.

“Thank you all for taking the time out of your schedules to attend.”

Melina clasped her hands together and smiled radiantly before sitting at the head of the table.

“Everyone, you’re free to return to your duties.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

The dragons escorting Melina bowed and left the room.

Their departure heightened the tension among the students.

“Shall we proceed?”

Even with her eyes still closed, Melina’s tone remained serious.

Tension filled the room as students swallowed hard, waiting for Melina to continue.

“Should we take a tea break?”

“Huh?”

Hardin’s response, unusually bewildered for him, came as a surprise.

Without giving him time to adjust his slipping glasses, Melina asked,

“Do you prefer black tea, coffee, or perhaps herbal tea? Tell me your preference, Hardin?”

*

“Perfect. Taking time for tea will also be delightful.”

Savoring her sip of tea, Melina smiled gently.

“I invited you all here to discuss and coordinate the timing of the Hero Academy Competition. So… have we reached an agreement?”

Responding to Melina’s question, Marigold stated:

“I have some remarks regarding the event.”

“What is it?”

“Undoubtedly, it’s a meaningful and significant event. However, with such short notice, Seirun and Demian are unlikely to participate.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If only Lumeran and Azonia participate, it loses its significance. Hence, we propose rescheduling to a more appropriate time in the future.”

“I see.”

Melina nodded thoughtfully before smiling.

“Let’s hold it this year.”

“Excuse me?”

Marigold blinked, startled by Melina’s unexpected response.

“The world is currently in turmoil. With the reawakening of the Erebus fragment and the significant movements within Tartarus, not to mention the appearance of gods guiding us about our path…”

Melina set her teacup down.

“The truth about the Breakthrough World has been a guarded secret among Dragon Lords for millennia.”

Melina’s eyes opened slowly.

“For a long time, Dragon Lords have gathered heroes secretly to challenge the Breakthrough World and prevent the world’s chaos. All these attempts failed.”

The students listened intently to Melina.

“Our founders established the Hero Academies with the hope that future generations would carry on their legacy. The competition proposed by Lumeran is not merely about determining which academy is superior. It is a platform to assess each other’s skills through friendly rivalry. It is an opportunity for collaboration to continue the founders’ legacy and prepare ourselves for conquering the Breakthrough World. I believe that through this, the four academies can strengthen their ties and make it a global celebration.”

Unknowingly, over the years, the races have established barriers between each other.

No one in the room was unaware of this fact.

“Of course, I understand there are valid reasons for your hesitations. Let me clarify one thing.”

Melina smiled warmly.

“For schools that decide not to participate, I will personally reprimand them.”

Though phrased like a teacher chastising unruly students, coming from the peak of world power—officially the strongest existence—it carried a chilling undertone of authority.

With that, Leo, sipping his coffee nonchalantly, commented,

“Since the discussion seems finished, let’s finalize the schedule.”

He grinned confidently,

“So when should we set the date?”