597.
The evening when Leo’s family visited the Zerdinger mansion, a celebration party was held at Zerdinger.
It was a bit different from the usual noble houses’ parties where many aristocrats were invited.
Only the families affiliated with Zerdinger were invited to this particular party.
Leo looked at the guests in the party hall and muttered softly.
“Quite grand.”
“Huh? What do you mean? With the rebellion causing turmoil in the country, we can’t really go all out. This is a modest celebration.”
“Yeah. Sometimes I forget that you’re actually the young lady of a prestigious family.”
“You too, aren’t you the young master of a prestigious family? And what exactly do you mean?”
“It means that the concept of modesty is quite different from the norm.”
“Are you mocking me for being naive about worldly matters?”
Celia opened her sleepy eyes.
At that moment, as Leo waved his hand lightly at Celia, five young boys and girls approached Leo.
Led by Martina, followed by Austin, Valerie, Julian, and Carin.
They were the first-year students of the Department of Knights at Lumeran Academy and Leo’s knights.
Leo greeted them and said:
“Everyone succeeded in advancing to the second year, I hear?”
“Yes, all thanks to you, Master Leo.”
Martina smiled.
Seeing Martina, Leo chuckled.
“What have I done, really? Celia, as your senior, took better care of you all than I did in my role as a Zerdinger knight.”
And it was true.
Before being junior students in the Department of Knights, the five were the knights of Zerdinger, and it was Celia who looked after them the most as their senior in school.
“Miss Celia’s help was also quite substantial! Thank you!”
As Carin stepped forward and smiled broadly while expressing her gratitude, Celia brushed her hair aside.
“You don’t need to thank me. As the head of the Zerdinger direct line, it was my duty to do what I did.”
Celia smiled.
“You’re knights under Leo, but before that, you’re knights under Zerdinger. Don’t forget that fact. You’ve worked tirelessly for the honor of Zerdinger. Take pride in your own achievements. This party is not only Leo’s; it’s your party too.”
At that, Martina scratched her cheek and laughed awkwardly.
‘In reality, I just worked hard because I wanted to live.’
While Celia took good care of the five, the one who pushed them to their limits was Leo.
It was the end of the second semester, and preparations for the Hero’s Festival were underway.
Leo called the five together and greeted them with a smile.
“Everyone is diligently focusing on school life. How’s it been recently?”
Hearing that, Valerie, Julian, and Carin eagerly responded.
“Thanks to Master Leo, we have been able to do well!”
“Miss Celia and Senior Niel have been taking great care of us too!”
“It might be our last chance, but we’re trying our hardest!”
Martina was a diligent top student, and Austin had solid upper-middle-class grades. However, in contrast to them, the other three, while not in the bottom tier, were slightly at risk for their second-year promotion.
Even top students at Lumeran sometimes fail their promotion exams. Therefore, Valerie, Julian, and Carin were focusing on doing their best and leaving no regrets.
Hearing their words, Leo grinned.
“Last chance?”
The three of them felt a chill run down their spines at that grin.
“Isn’t it strange? The exam hasn’t even happened yet, so why are you talking about it being ‘the last chance’?”
“W-well, because we might fail our promotion exams…”
“We’re not being weak-minded or anything! We will give our all and leave no regrets! Right? Hahaha…”
“Y-yeah! Master Leo! We’ve worked hard, but if it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing we can do, right?”
Watching them frantically patch things up, Leo spoke.
“Thinking about the possibility of failure itself shows weakness of spirit. And there’s a saying, isn’t there? If something isn’t working out, force it to work.”
At Leo’s words, their faces turned pale.
“If you fail your promotion, the training you endured before the entrance exam will look like a mere game compared to what awaits.”
“Hiiiiieeeek?!”
The three let out fearful screams, and Martina and Austin sent them sympathetic glances.
“All five of you!”
“A moment! Master Leo! Why us?”
“Are you saying we’ll also have to undergo training if these three fail the promotion?”
As Martina and Austin urgently questioned, Leo responded.
“Isn’t there such a thing as ‘collective responsibility’? All of you are from the same knight squadron, so it’s only natural to share the same highs and lows, isn’t it?”
At that, Martina and Austin placed their hands firmly on the shoulders of the other three.
“Starting today, stop pondering.”
“It’s intensive training.”
Seeing the serious expressions of the two, Leo chuckled.
“The camaraderie looks quite nice.”
‘Does this look like camaraderie to you?’
The five screamed in their minds but didn’t voice it outright.
Recalling that incident, Martina made a slightly awkward expression and glanced at Celia. Feeling the proud gaze of Celia upon them, an inexplicable sense of guilt gradually crept in.
“Celia Miss, Leo Master. And our adorable juniors!”
At that moment, Niel approached with a smile.
Seeing the Lumeran students gathered, the invited trainee knights and apprentice knights gazed at them with envy.
‘Wow, I envy them.’
‘I also want to talk with Master Leo at least once.’
‘It’s kind of embarrassing to approach them when they’re together like that.’
Among the young knights, Leo was already a legendary figure.
And the five who became part of Leo’s knight squad last year were currently the objects of envy.
“Seeing young knights who are the future of our family chatting, my heart feels naturally gratified.”
At that moment, an old knight approached them.
“Hello, Elder Eggerson.”
Celia greeted Elder Eggerson.
Looking at Eggerson, Leo whispered to Martina.
“Who’s that?”
“Lord Eggerson Zerdinger. He’s an Elder Knight from the Elder Council.”
Elder Knight.
A knight who has earned the title of Elder.
Although he had red eyes, the streaks of brown in his otherwise white hair indicated he was from a collateral branch of the family.
‘Ah, it’s the man who yelled at me earlier during the conversation with Regas.’
Leo recognized him as the elder who had berated him during a prior talk with Regas.
“It’s our first time exchanging greetings, isn’t it, Leo Frove?”
“My name is Leo Frove.”
Leo shook the hand that Eggerson extended.
“To the famous nameless hero, I should’ve been the one to greet first.”
Eggerson chuckled, causing Celia to furrow her brow.
Nameless hero.
It was one of the countless sobriquets Leo was known by in the world.
Leo was the only hero in the Hero Record without any sobriquet.
Thus, he was referred to by various names in public.
All Master.
The One Who Inherits the Beginning.
And so on.
There were many sobriquets Leo disliked due to embarrassment.
But among them, “Nameless Hero” was a derogatory term used to belittle him.
At Eggerson’s remark, even Martina and others, including Niel, showed disapproving expressions.
Regardless of being a vassal of Zerdinger, from the perspective of Lumeran students, Leo evoked respect.
During preparations for the Hero’s Festival, Leo’s demeanor as the student council president left a deep impression, making his status as a hero someone to admire.
In a place like Lumeran, filled with prodigious talents, Leo was universally acknowledged as a leader, a source of pride for the students.
It was hard to tolerate someone trying to belittle such a person, even if this was from a respected elder of the family.
Just as Celia was about to say something,
“This is quite fortunate since we’ve finally had the chance to greet each other. I apologize for being late in paying respects to the Elders.”
“Haha! You’re even well-mannered! It’s hard to believe you’re the son of that loudmouth! I was worried when that woman married the scoundrel, but look at the exceptional son she’s produced! Our Zerdinger bloodline truly is remarkable!”
‘Look at that? Crossing the line again? So what? Because you’re in your own living room?’
It seemed Eggerson was holding a grudge from when Leo had adopted an indifferent attitude before and continued to say unnecessary things.
‘Earlier, he was rambling like a thunderstorm. But with many people watching here, he wouldn’t dare to speak carelessly like before, right?’
Eggerson had already attained strong influence and speaking rights within the family as an Elder Knight.
On the other hand, Leo was just an outsider who had recently joined.
Even if someone else criticized an already influential elder like himself and got into trouble, they’d face severe consequences. For Leo, who didn’t have such influence yet within the family, it would be different.
‘Moreover, young people who have gained renown become overly concerned with their reputation.’
Eggerson smirked inwardly and took pleasure in letting out his pent-up frustration.
Unfortunately for him, Leo wasn’t the type to be concerned with such things.
Leo smiled gently, making Celia feel uneasy.
‘What on earth is he smiling like that for while preparing to say?’
“Fortunately, we finally got the chance to greet each other. Otherwise, we might have never met.”
“What? What do you mean by…?”
“In the same era, how regretful would it be if someone were to miss the heir of the Great Hero and pass away?”
The moment Eggerson realized what Leo was implying, his face turned red and blue in distress.
At this, Celia’s mouth hung open.
‘Even if that’s true, how could you treat an elder, whose lifespan is uncertain, like this?’
Niel and Martina also took a deep breath, exchanging wary glances.
“And Zerdinger isn’t great.”
“What?!”
“I am.”
Eggerson’s jaw dropped.
Leo addressed him, “What? Have you never seen someone great before?”
Leo looked at Eggerson with disdain and muttered internally.
‘I’m still better than Luna, anyway.’
‘Ah? Are you looking for trouble? Let me send you back to nature before you d*e a natural d*ath?’
If Luna were here, she would have bluntly told him off without any hesitation.
“Arrgh! You show no respect for the elderly!”
“I know what respect for the elderly is.”
“You! Overconfident brat! Your few minor achievements have gone to your head, haven’t they? You need to realize how vast the world is!”
With eyes full of rage, Eggerson shouted, drawing everyone’s attention to Leo.
Taking in the gazes, Leo remained composed and responded.
“Is stopping the ‘Rebirth of Catastrophe’ alongside the hero and battling Erebus considered a minor achievement? Have you ever fought Erebus yourself?”
“A-aargh!”
Eggerson realized that continuing this conversation would only lead to his own disadvantage and stormed out of the party hall, suppressing his anger.
Among the murmuring crowd, Celia covered her face.
“You… No matter what, that was too much. The Elder Council will now definitely turn against you and do everything to harm you.”
“Even if I had been obediently deferential, it probably wouldn’t have been much different, right?”
Leo smirked.
“What will you do tomorrow?”
“My mother only trusted herself, didn’t she?”
“Your aunt?”
Hearing Leo’s words, Celia turned her head and looked at Reina, who was smiling at them from afar.
‘This is even more unsettling.’
The next day,
Leo and Reina were called to the Elder’s corridor.
The reason for the summons was to decide the territory Leo would inherit.
The meeting began with Reina mentioning the land she was previously meant to inherit.
“Do you think that is reasonable? How long ago do you think this matter is?”
Eggerson frowned and said.
“What exactly has your son done for Zerdinger? Though acknowledged as a direct lineage, his surname isn’t even Zerdinger, and he spouts arrogant nonsense about being better than the family. How can we give the same treatment to such a person, even if he’s recognized as direct kin?”
“Isn’t it allowed?”
“Of course not!”
Eggerson raised his voice, and the other elders nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Reina adopted an expression of boredom.
At this, Regas smiled awkwardly.
‘What is she planning to do now?’
Though they hadn’t met in a long time, being her father, he knew this expression well. Reina was likely about to do something unexpected.
Full of grievances, Reina looked at the elders and got up.
“Leo, get up.”
“Why?”
“Pack your bags. Let’s go.”
Surprised at Reina’s sudden words, Leo stood up, looking perplexed.
Her abrupt attitude startled the elders too.
“What is this about? Where are you going?”
“To LeWalyn.”
At those words, the Elder Knights of the Council gaped.
“Why would you go to LeWalyn?!”
“Go there and ask to be recognized as direct lineage. With someone like Leo, for sure, even a direct-line grandfather would accept him.”
“What?! What did you say!”
Reina’s completely unexpected explosive remark turned the Elder Council upside down.
“You were once a proud knight of Zerdinger, weren’t you? Yet, you want to betray our family and side with those mere magicians?!”
“I’ve already cut ties with Zerdinger, anyway.”
“Leo Frove isn’t a knight, is he!”
“What kind of knight is Leo? He’s an All-Class.”
Reina placed her hands on Leo’s shoulders and smiled.
“While being the youngest student council president and inheriting the position of the Hero of the Beginning Kyle, if Leo goes to LeWalyn, they’d surely welcome him with open arms, wouldn’t they?”
“How could they possibly accept someone with Zerdinger bl**d?”
“Hmm? Is that so? Leo, how about marrying Chelsea? It seems like my family can’t give you anything meaningful anyway. But LeWalyn would make a difference.”
At Reina’s explosive statement concerning Leo’s marriage, the Elder Council erupted in chaos.
Accepting him into LeWalyn, of all places, was absolutely intolerable.
Watching the commotion in the Elder Council, Leo asked Reina.
“Is it okay to go this far?”
“Son, do you know the basic principle of negotiation?”
“Blackmail.”
“Right answer. And if you blackmail, you should aim for the method your opponent hates the most.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
Reina smiled.
“Then it turns into a game of chicken.”
“You’re so irresponsible.”
“My wedding, not yours, right?”
‘Now I understand why she was called the Witch.’
Leo let out a hollow laugh.
![[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")
