Leo unfolded the letter from the Emperor of the Lordren Empire.
Everyone watched with tense expressions as Leo read the handwritten letter.
“What is it? What did His Majesty say?”
Celia, standing beside him, asked hurriedly.
“Why are you making a bigger deal out of this than I am?”
Celia looked dumbfounded at Leo’s indifferent tone.
“You’re the one who’s being strangely calm, you know?”
Lumene students were respected and treated well wherever they went.
Even so, for the Emperor of Lordren to send a personal handwritten letter was a different matter entirely.
The Emperor of Lordren was the absolute ruler of the western continent, a figure beyond comparison with the kings of most other nations.
Unlike the Shan Empire, which possessed similar national power but was known as the Nation of Shadows and moved covertly with little external activity, the Lordren Empire openly wielded its power.
Its influence extended beyond the western continent and affected the entire world.
“So? What does it say?”
At Abad’s question, Leo slipped the letter back into its envelope and answered,
“It’s an invitation to join Imperium, Lordren’s Hero Guild.”
“What?”
“That’s what it was about?”
Shocked voices rang out from all sides.
Reina nodded with an expression that said, ‘I knew it.’
“Wow, isn’t that huge? Even if you’re the youngest student council president, you’re still just a student, and they’re already trying to recruit you? And from Imperium, no less?”
Carr exclaimed in admiration.
Imperium.
As the Hero Guild under the Lordren Imperial family, it was effectively the only Hero Guild in the western continent.
Its power and influence were second only to Twilight, Lumene’s guild, which was considered the strongest Hero Guild among humans. It was a guild that had built up countless achievements on the front lines against Tartarus.
“That’s definitely unconventional. For Imperium, it’s an unprecedented case, one that even changes the guild’s admission requirements.”
Chloe said with a surprised look.
Imperium only allowed those whose names were recorded in the Hero Record to join.
It was the only guild in the world where every single member had attained the status of a Hero.
Even Gis Zerdinger and Rozes Lewellin, who had come as the Emperor’s envoys, held important positions within the empire, but because they had not yet attained Hero status, they were not members of Imperium.
“Damn~ So even Imperium wants Leo, who’s still just a Hero Candidate? But why go this far? The class rep is part of the Zerdinger family anyway, so wouldn’t he naturally join Imperium after graduation?”
“There must be a reason Imperium felt the need to move this quickly. By the way, shouldn’t it be impossible for a student to join a Hero Guild?”
Just as Eliana voiced her question, Nella let out a small sigh.
“How long are you going to block our way?”
“We are in the middle of delivering a letter from the great Emperor of Lordren. Please refrain from causing a disturbance.”
“Do you think the authority of a human emperor means anything to me?”
An arrogant voice, raised with irritation, came from outside.
A moment later, as the commotion outside grew louder, the door was flung open violently, and a handsome elf walked in.
The students who saw him widened their eyes.
Eiran looked troubled, while Lunia frowned slightly.
“What a massive pain.”
“Is he famous?”
Ar asked at Lunia’s mutter.
At that, Carr, who was beside her, swallowed hard.
“Isn’t that Amedius, the Crescent Moon Sword?”
“Crescent Moon Sword?”
“That Hero from Stella Illumino?”
The students looked utterly shocked.
Amedius Glyce, the Crescent Moon Sword.
A Hero of the elven Hero Guild Stella Illumino, he was a new-generation Hero whose name had been inscribed in the Hero Record three years ago.
Among the new generation of elven Heroes, he was the most famous.
The reason was that he was a man with a fanatical streak, one who absolutely revered the teachings of Luna and Seiren and endlessly praised the great deeds they had left behind.
Because of that, he was notorious for being an extreme racial supremacist.
“This is going to be a problem if he starts saying nonsense like, ‘I can’t acknowledge you,’ to Leo.”
Lunia furrowed her brow.
The story that Leo had received a staff from Seiren and become his official successor was already widely known.
Even so, there were still elves in elven society who refused to accept it and insisted it was wrong.
And considering that every last one of them was an extreme racial supremacist...
there was a very real chance the infamous Amedius would say something like that.
‘If someone who has actually attained the rank of Hero starts making that kind of claim in a situation where it’s already officially known that Leo is Seiren-nim’s successor, it’ll become a huge problem.’
Lunia rose from her seat to stop Amedius.
Eiran also stood up, fidgeting nervously.
‘The Crescent Moon Sword must not show Leo-nim any discourtesy.’
For Eiran, who knew that Leo was the Hero of Beginning, it was an agonizing situation.
Just as Eiran steeled herself, determined to stop Amedius no matter what if he tried anything foolish...
amid everyone’s tension, Amedius walked straight toward Leo with heavy steps.
“If you have business with Leo Plov, then wait your turn.”
Gis blocked his path with an openly displeased expression.
But Amedius merely snorted, brushed Gis aside, and stopped in front of Leo.
Just as Gis was about to explode with anger at that action...
Thud-!
Everyone stared blankly at the scene unfolding before their eyes.
“It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Amedius Glyce, the Crescent Moon Sword. Leo-nim, it is an immeasurable honor to meet you.”
Amedius knelt on one knee and greeted Leo with the utmost courtesy.
Moreover, it was not the kind of gesture an elder would make to someone younger.
On top of that, Leo was still a Hero Candidate, whereas Amedius was a Hero.
In terms of age and public standing, Amedius outranked him.
And yet Amedius was treating Leo with the highest possible respect.
And Leo was human.
“It’s nice to meet you too. But why are you speaking to me so formally?”
“Leo-nim is Seiren-nim’s official successor. As an elf, it is only natural for me to show you such respect. Please speak comfortably.”
Amedius raised his head and looked at Leo without wavering.
‘What’s with this guy’s eyes?’
Leo stared for a moment at the elf whose eyes were shining so brightly they were practically glowing, then clicked his tongue.
People like this among the elves were usually impossible to reason with.
And Leo knew that better than anyone.
“I’ll speak comfortably, then.”
At Leo’s words, Amedius smiled brightly.
“So, why did you come looking for me?”
“I came to deliver this letter to you, Leo-nim.”
Amedius pulled a sealed letter from inside his coat and held it out to Leo.
It bore the guild insignia of Stella Illumino.
Seeing it, Gis’s and Rozes’s eyes narrowed.
“Stella Illumino wishes for you to come, Leo-nim.”
Amedius’s eyes flashed.
“Stella Illumino is the Hero Guild founded by Seiren-nim! Without question, Stella Illumino is the most fitting Hero Guild for you, Leo-nim!”
“So that’s why Imperium made its move.”
“For Stella Illumino to start trying to recruit the class rep too, this is a huge incident.”
“Considering that Leo is Seiren-nim’s successor, it’s not that strange, but... it’s still shocking.”
Stella Illumino.
It was the most prestigious of all the elven Hero Guilds.
Though not every one of its members was a Hero like Imperium, in some ways it was the hardest Hero Guild of all to enter.
Only elves could join, and even among elves, only a select few were admitted.
For them to break that tradition to recruit Leo was certainly a shocking turn of events.
“Leo is a subject of the Lordren Empire. It is only natural for him to join Imperium, a guild of the empire. How could he possibly enter an elven guild?”
As Gis stepped forward and spoke, Amedius, now back on his feet, curled one corner of his lip upward.
Unlike when he had bowed before Leo, he now wore an arrogant and insolent smile.
“Wouldn’t it be far more natural for Leo-nim, Seiren-nim’s successor, to join Stella Illumino?”
An unusual tension began to fill the room between the two men.
The atmosphere had already been bad from the moment Amedius had barged in so forcefully.
Now, with the issue of Leo joining a Hero Guild added on top of that, the tension had grown so sharp it felt like it could explode at any moment.
Everyone looked on with strained expressions.
And in the middle of it all, Leo, after resealing the letter, spoke.
“I don’t really have any intention of joining either Imperium or Stella Illumino.”
At Leo’s words, everyone’s eyes widened.
He had just received invitations to join guilds people would only dream of entering, and he had no intention of accepting either of them?
“Hey, are you planning to join Twilight?”
“No.”
“Then which one are you going to join?”
As everyone stared at him with puzzled expressions, Leo opened his mouth.
“I was planning to make one.”
“What?”
Everyone looked utterly stunned.
“That works out nicely. Should we establish one on this occasion?”
Chloe said it as she watched Leo speak as casually as if he were talking about starting a school club.
“You can’t just make a Hero Guild because you feel like it. To begin with, you need to meet the qualifications to establish one.”
“The qualification of attaining Hero status?”
“That’s right.”
Chloe nodded at Leo’s question.
Of course, Leo knew that requirement as well.
But...
‘I can just tell Melina to change the pact.’
To begin with, Leo’s name was already recorded in the Hero Record as Kyle, the Hero of Beginning.
And it was on the very first page, no less.
There was no way for Leo’s name to be added a second time.
Which meant it was uncertain whether Leo could even meet the qualification at all.
‘I was thinking of making someone else the founder, but in the end, Dragonia is the one that approves the establishment of Hero Guilds anyway.’
And the supreme authority of Dragonia was none other than Dragon Lord Melina.
To anyone else, changing the pact just to create a guild would have sounded absurd.
‘Is there anything in this world that’s truly impossible? If something can’t be done, then you just make it possible.’
Leo was a man capable of that kind of absurdity.
‘Of course, the best-case scenario would be for me to attain the status of Hero myself, but since that’s difficult...’
===
In the deepest part of Lumene, at the very center of the Forbidden Library, where countless relics and records of heroes slumbered, lay the human Hero Record.
Whenever a new human Hero was born, their name was inscribed there.
Only those specially appointed by the Dragon Lord could become the librarian of this place.
The Librarian of Lumene.
Just as Desitian was guarding the entrance to the Forbidden Library with a blank expression,
Flutter-!
the closed Hero Record suddenly opened.
The moment he saw that, Desitian knelt.
Having served as the librarian of the Forbidden Library for a long time, he knew what this meant.
This was a divine revelation.
It was the moment when the name of a noble Hero, one who had accomplished a feat acknowledged by the gods, was inscribed in the Hero Record.
Flutter-flutter-flutter-!
Countless pages turned.
Thud-!
At last, the final page was revealed.
Whoooosh-!
A brilliant light burst forth, and a name began to emerge.
Watching that glorious moment that heralded the birth of a new Hero, Desitian trembled.
A moment later, the light faded.
Desitian, who had remained kneeling before the Hero Record in reverence without moving a single muscle while the name was being inscribed, slowly approached it.
And his eyes widened.
Normally, many things were written in the Hero Record.
Not only the Hero’s name, but also the Epithet bestowed upon them by the gods.
And the great deed they had accomplished would be recorded there as well.
That was why the Hero Record was usually filled densely with text.
But this time, it was literally a blank page.
There was no Epithet bestowed by the gods, nor was there any record of a great deed.
The only thing written there was a single name.
[Leo Plov.]
(T/N: What a cheat. hahaha.)
***
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