600.
Late in the morning.
“Reina? Are you really all right?”
“Yeah, Deid. I’m fine, so don’t worry. I’ll feel much better after taking a hot bath.”
As Reina’s cheerful voice came from behind the bathroom door attached to the room, Deid worriedly glanced at Leo.
“It’s because you used mana with a body that has lost its aura. You’ll be fine once you relax your body in hot water.”
Leo gave a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry for calling you at such an odd hour.”
“No, I should be the one apologizing for not paying attention to you back then.”
While listening to the conversation from inside the bathroom, Reina submerged her mouth underwater.
‘I need to be more restrained going forward.’
The backlash from unleashing her power in the Elder’s hallway a moment ago had caused a chill to spread over her entire body.
Deid had panicked and woken Leo.
Reina suddenly caressed the right side of her chest.
The scar left from when her aura was stolen long ago was still clearly visible.
Bubble bubble—
She let out a small sigh, creating air bubbles.
Clink.
“He seems to be pushing himself too hard.”
As Leo returned to the room, he let out a small sigh.
While getting into bed, Leo suddenly stared at the entrance to the terrace attached to the room.
Although the curtain blocked the view, outside a snowstorm was howling.
As Leo gazed at the terrace for a moment, he walked over and pulled back the curtain.
Shwoosh!
Snow swept into the room from the terrace.
Ever since it started snowing last night, the terrace was covered with a fine layer of snow.
Right in front of the terrace door, someone was sitting on their knees.
The icy-haired woman with seemingly no sense of cold held her hands together in prayer with her eyes closed, maintaining a devout posture without a single movement.
Her appearance reminded one of the clerics during the time of the gods.
The sight of her devout and fervent devotee figure made it impossible to hold back a sigh.
‘This one’s at it again.’
The identity of this woman was none other than Anyas, the daughter of the Northern Mage Tower’s master and the heir to the Elf Shadow Lord, a Half-Elf.
Leo opened the terrace door.
Whoosh!
The snowstorm blew in once more.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I am praying to the Great God.”
“I thought I told you not to create anything religious-related?”
“I have not created any religion.”
“Then why are you praying to me?”
“Because I’ve joined an established sect.”
“What?”
Anyas handed Leo a neatly folded piece of paper from her robes.
When Leo unfolded it, he felt a headache coming on.
It was a club promotional poster from Lumeran Academy.
“Join the Kyle Sect.”
Club Name: Kyle Sect.
Club Activities: Researching the deeds of the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.
President: Iliana Laden.
Vice President: Chen Sia.
Account Manager: Kal Thomas.
‘They’re all real.’
He recalled saving Iliana in the form of Kyle during the Hero’s Festival incident, which sparked her strong interest in the Hero of Beginning.
‘Yeah, Iliana does have her eccentricities, but what are these guys thinking?’
To form a club at Lumeran, a minimum of three people were needed.
Chen Sia probably agreed to collaborate, thinking it would be fine, and Kal joined in, probably seeing potential for profit.
Whatever the case, it doesn’t seem they gave it much serious thought.
How did the name get approved?
While pondering this, Leo quickly guessed the culprit.
‘Of course, Elena must have approved it, thinking it would be entertaining.’
Though the club name mentions researching Kyle’s history, given that Iliana is the president, it essentially operates as a fan club.
“Indeed, the students of Lumeran are excellent. To think they had the idea of creating such a wonderful organization. Princess Sia informed me of this opportunity, you see.”
Anyas was busy praising Lumeran, drying her mouth.
“If this is considered excellent, then the world would have perished long ago, no? And I am not Kyle. Why are you praying to me then?”
“Lord Leo is the acknowledged successor of the Hero of Beginning! Hence, you are included in what the Kyle Sect reveres!”
“You aren’t a Lumeran student to begin with.”
“What does background matter when it comes to faith?”
‘This is impossible to reason with.’
Leaning over the already-addled Anyas, Leo shook his head.
Since entering Lumeran,
Leo had seen many people shouting the names of Great Heroes to draw strength.
‘I thought the only one among us who actually likes that embarrassing stuff is Luna.’
Apart from Luna, who boasted that generations would revere them, none of the Great Heroes enjoyed such attention.
If Aron had seen this, perhaps she would have screamed in embarrassment.
‘Showing such an embarrassing sight? That’s a no for me.’
Leo sighed as such fanatics reminded him of Rian’s troubles.
Thinking about the crazies glorifying him, Leo shook his head again.
“Come inside first.”
“Ah! How could I share the same space as Lord Leo!”
“Then do you want me to keep standing and braving the snowstorm?”
“Ah! How could I commit such rudeness! I didn’t know!”
Seeing Anyas bowing towards him, Leo dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
“It’s fine. Come in.”
“Ah, overwhelmed by Lord Leo’s merciful forgiveness! But, the punishment is too lenient compared to my crime! I cannot accept it! Let me punish myself on your behalf!”
Blinded Anyas took off her robe.
Underneath the thick robe was a thin, white dress.
Anyas pulled out a short whip from the robe, positioned herself, and was about to strike her back.
As Leo snatched the whip, he thought.
‘I’ll disband that damned club as soon as school starts.’
“I don’t know what this ruckus is about in the morning.”
Click-click!
Elshi arrived with tea and spoke with a bewildered smile.
“Haa… Haa… Look at this whip. Isn’t it wonderful? If Master gets struck with this …”
In the corner, Arti was rubbing her cheek against the whip Leo had confiscated.
Seeing this, Leo took on a grave expression.
“Why such a serious face?”
Kiran looked curiously as Leo spoke.
“I keep wondering why there are always such strange beings around me.”
It was the same in his previous life and is still the same in his current one.
Somehow, he always seems to attract strange beings.
“Leo’s strange, hence why.”
Piyak. Piyak.
At Kiran’s words, Fiarra, who looked like a phoenix, flapped her wings in agreement.
They seem to get along quite well for some reason.
Looking at these two familiars, Leo wore an expression of disdain.
‘They don’t even realize they’re included in that strangeness.’
A fairy princess exiled after having her powers sealed for playing around.
Fiarra, who once turned into a fat phoenix and made chick sounds.
It’s needless to say that these two aren’t normal at all.
‘And in my past life, supposed comrades – a fraudulent dragon, a rude elf, a perverted dwarf, a cowardly beastman.’
Recalling his comrades, Leo clicked his tongue.
‘Guess I just have to accept it.’
Shaking his head, Leo spoke.
“So, what’s the matter that brought you here?”
Anyas, not officially invited as a guest of Zerdinger but sneaked in to meet Leo,
And this place, the heart of Zerdinger, was guarded by countless outstanding knights.
Even as the Shadow Lord’s successor, sneaking in was quite challenging.
Her being here despite such risk implied she had important matters to discuss with Leo.
As Anyas lifted her teacup to sip, in response to Leo’s question, she said,
“I’ve come to report to Lord Leo about the Hero Dungeon runaway incident that occurred during the Hero’s Festival.”
“You’re quick.”
“I took over the case immediately.”
The Hero Dungeon went berserk in the middle of Lumeran Academy during the Hero’s Festival.
The incident caused a massive catastrophe with Erebus’ flames erupting in the center of Lumeran.
‘Rian said that the page that got out of control in Lumeran at the time could not be used as an exit point by Erebus.’
A page that Erebus cannot invade and use as an entry point.
Without someone smuggling it in, a Lumeran page being inside Lumeran Academy was impossible.
‘The Hero’s Festival, notorious for its influx of outsiders, was the perfect target for someone planning to do this.’
Tartarus.
Leo thought that among those invited to the Hero’s Festival, there must be individuals connected to Tartarus, and he ordered Mel to track down whoever brought the Lumeran page.
No matter how skilled the criminal was, being chased by a Dragon Lord meant there was no escape.
And Mel brought the criminal before Leo.
He was a member of the royal family of a small kingdom situated in the northern continent.
‘So what to do now?’
‘Send him to the Northern Mage Tower. The criminal is unlikely to be directly connected to Tartarus.’
Just like how the Elf Pureblood Society connects to Tartarus,
It was obvious that some humans of high status were linked to Tartarus since the Era of Catastrophe.
For someone who had delved into the dark side from the Era of Catastrophe, interrogating people was no big deal.
‘But the information obtainable from interrogating one person is limited.’
Pursuing forces connected to the Shadow Lord Elves who rule the underworld of the northern continent would be far more efficient.
“So? Did you find the connected forces?”
“I couldn’t uncover the connected forces, but I succeeded in finding out who gave the criminal the Lumeran page.”
“Who?”
“The Hero Slayer.”
Anyas’ statement made Leo flinch.
Hero Slayer.
The betrayer who killed countless heroes five hundred years ago.
An embodiment of evil that plunged the world into fear.
“Now that I think about it, you mentioned that Hero Slayer was in contact with the Elf Pureblood Society and you were chasing him, right?”
At the time, it was puzzling that a figure who disappeared five hundred years ago had resurfaced, but now things made sense.
In the Era when even heroes could return as undead thanks to the Demon King’s power,
The resurrection of the past’s most fearsome traitor is not surprising.
“How did you figure out he’s connected to that kingdom?”
“Inside the royal palace’s underground chambers, the bodies of several heroes who had gone missing for decades were discovered.”
Anyas’ gaze grew cold.
“All of them were killed by the Hero Slayer.”
“So this Hero Slayer has been active for decades, not recently?”
“It seems like that.”
After hearing Anyas’ response, Leo stroked his chin.
“How did you figure out they were killed by the Hero Slayer?”
Leo suddenly felt puzzled.
It’s not easy to determine that a corpse was the victim of a villain from five hundred years ago, just by looking at the body.
In response to Leo’s question, Anyas pointed to her right chest with her finger.
“The Hero Slayer pierces the right chest of the heroes he murders.”
“He’s a crazy guy with peculiar tastes.”
“It’s not just craziness. There is a reason.”
“Reason?”
“Yes. The power to steal others’ abilities. That is the power of the Hero Slayer.”
![[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")
