The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

The dungeon door opened.

“Leo-nim.”

Mel, who had been waiting, immediately rushed over.

“Are you all right?”

“Did you think I’d be taken down by some green Hubae?”

“Well, no, but…”

Mel shook her head as she watched Leo give a short laugh.

She knew Leo had not yet fully regained the power of his past life.

She also knew that, in terms of pure power, the Genesis Heroes held the advantage.

However…

'His experience is on another level.'

The Genesis Heroes were also those who had prevented the world’s destruction.

They were heroes among heroes who had set the swaying world right, defeated Fragments of Erebos, and driven back Tartarus.

But Leo was a Great Hero who had saved a world on the brink of total annihilation.

He had lived through an era far more desperate than that of the Genesis Heroes and had overcome endless battlefields.

It was not that the Genesis Heroes lacked experience.

It was simply that Leo’s achievements were so immense they were hard to even imagine.

Because of that, she felt that even if there was a clear difference in power, the current Leo could more than compensate for it.

“Well, if it had been the real thing, I would’ve struggled. But against dolls like that…”

Mel looked at him in admiration.

She knew Leo was Kyle, but even so, it was still impressive.

“By the way, what kind of Hero Dungeon was it to have dolls imitating the Genesis Heroes?”

Mel’s expression became incredibly serious.

Because Leo was there, they were able to stop it without much damage. Without him, the casualties would have been catastrophic.

Looking at her, Leo thought to himself.

'What kind of face would she make if I told her a God made dolls to test me, and those dolls went berserk and came outside?'

“What exactly was inside?”

He recalled Rian, who had been weeping sorrowfully while clutching Leo’s pant leg even as they were kicked away.

“A madman—no, a fanatic was inside.”

“Pardon?”

Even the Dragon Lord, descendant of the Wise King, Lysinas, could not understand those words.

Seeing Mel’s bewildered expression, Leo spoke.

“I’ll tell you more about what happened inside later.”

Leo took a deep breath.

“I think I need to personally move to find Velkia.”

“Ah…”

Mel’s eyes widened at Leo’s words.

===

“Class Rep, the atmosphere has been strange since yesterday.”

The next day.

During Hero Studies class.

With all the second-year students gathered, Eliana crept up and whispered while glancing at Leo.

Eliana was not the only one watching him.

Not only the students from the same dormitory but the entire second-year class were staring at Leo, whose face was devoid of expression.

“He seems to be in a bad mood. Chloe, Xia. Do you know anything?”

Eliana asked Chloe and Chen Xia, the representatives of Leo’s dormitory.

The two girls looked at each other and shook their heads.

'Did something happen yesterday?'

Chen Xia looked at Leo with a grave face.

The Leo she knew was someone who never lost his composure.

'As a Great Hero, it’s only natural he wouldn’t bat an eye at most things.'

Even a trial that Chen Xia might perceive as a typhoon would be nothing more than a breeze to Leo.

That was why Leo’s heavily suppressed aura weighed so heavily on Chen Xia’s heart.

'It must be something related to Velkia, right?'

She could not think of anything else that would make Leo react this way.

Chen Xia clenched her fists.

'I’m still not good enough.'

Currently, the Shadows of Shan were tracking Velkia’s movements.

Of course, the fact that Velkia might have been resurrected as an Undead was being kept strictly confidential.

Even for the Empire of Shadows, it was no easy task.

'I need to be of help.'

Chen Xia bit her lip.

It was not just Chen Xia.

Chloe, Celia, and Abad were also looking at Leo with concern.

Even Duran, Eliza, and Walden were glancing at him sideways, clearly affected by his presence.

The atmosphere was heavy.

It had to be.

Everyone knew.

Leo was someone who remained unshaken before any hardship or trial.

Such a heavy mood from him was enough to weigh down the entire second year.

No matter what anyone said, Leo was their leader.

Just as Lysinas had been 5,000 years ago.

That was when Chelsea sat down next to Leo.

“Leo Oppa?”

Chelsea called out to him softly.

However, lost in deep thought, Leo did not hear her.

The events of the early morning were vividly playing in Leo’s mind.

The disciple who had ultimately been consumed by darkness.

'It wasn’t Tartarus that made Velkia that way.'

It was true that the Monster Queen was the one who took the lives of those Velkia loved.

But in the end, the root cause was the malice of people steeped in greed.

Velkia had wanted the world bequeathed by her predecessors to be bright and beautiful.

She had dedicated her entire life to that goal.

She believed that if people repented for their wrongs, things could be set right.

But what she got in return was betrayal, and eventually, she lost her reason and went on a rampage.

So, she tried to judge everyone who had committed a sin.

Leo also had no intention of showing mercy to those who trampled on others for their own greed.

But even so, one could not judge everyone who had committed a ‘sin.’

'Because that, too, is a part of the world.'

A Velkia who had lost her reason tried to judge everyone who committed a sin, no matter how great or small.

She tried to create a world where only those worthy of the sacrifices made during the Era of Calamity could live.

'That was clearly wrong.'

The world’s interests are complex.

If someone had asked Kyle whether the world before the Era of Calamity was bright…

Kyle would have answered without hesitation.

No.

It was the same now.

The current world was also rotting in various places.

But if all the rotten parts were cut out, nothing of the world would remain.

'I’m not exactly a perfect person myself.'

Good people do evil things.

Evil people do good things.

Because the world is entangled in complex interests, it cannot be simply divided into good and evil.

'Velkia can’t not know that.'

She had simply become unable to see right from wrong because of the hatred and anger filling her heart.

'The Gods said the Era of Calamity began because their era was too bright.'

To benefit the world, the Gods had driven the Primordial Evil, Erebos, to the far side of darkness.

Thanks to that, the world did not face a being of destruction for a long time.

But that brought about the calamity that turned the entire world into ashes.

It was the same for Velkia.

The more she wanted to lead the world into the light…

The shadows grew deeper in response.

But was that a fault?

'No.'

Leo gritted his teeth.

That was why it was difficult.

He did not know what to say to Velkia, who had looked into an abyss deeper than anything after knowing nothing but light.

He wondered if his words would even reach her now that she had closed her ears.

And…

'Will I be able to stop Velkia’s rampage, which even took Vihar’s life?'

He had no intention of giving up on Velkia.

He wanted to make her come to her senses no matter what it took.

However…

'In the worst-case scenario, I might have to grant her eternal rest.'

Even for Leo, that thought was terrifying.

He had spoken confidently to Rian, but he was inevitably afraid that he might fail to raise up his disciple who had fallen into the darkness.

'What if I can’t save Velkia?'

It was as Leo bit his lip.

Snap!

Someone forcefully pulled Leo.

Leo’s vision was filled with sky-blue eyes.

Students around them covered their mouths or let out surprised gasps.

Leo also looked at the person who had grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him in, his own eyes wide with surprise.

Meeting Leo’s gaze, Chelsea blinked her large eyes several times.

They were close enough to feel each other’s breath.

Their gazes remained locked at point-blank range for a few moments.

Chelsea slowly let go.

Leo, forced into eye contact with Chelsea, massaged his neck.

“My neck kind of hurts.”

“That’s because you didn’t answer even though I called you several times.”

Chelsea pouted and grumbled.

It was somewhat childish behavior.

But it perfectly suited a child of that age.

Chelsea glared and scanned the surroundings.

“What are you looking at? Is there a show going on?!”

With that, the gazes that had momentarily gathered on them scattered in all directions.

The only people Chelsea was ever docile with were Leo and her brother, Abad.

She was a little angel in front of them, but a little devil in front of everyone else.

'Even being docile with me is different from just being obedient.'

Fundamentally, Chelsea had a temper.

There were several times during her training with Leo when she had attacked him with pure spite.

'And then she’d smile again as if nothing happened.'

She was like a fickle wind.

“What are you thinking about for so long?”

Chelsea tilted her head.

Celia, Chloe, Duran, Abad, Eliza, Walden, and the others.

Those who did not know Leo’s identity had very serious expressions after seeing his mood today.

Chen Xia and Carr, who knew his identity, looked even more grave.

But Chelsea did not care.

She simply approached like a breeze and asked why.

That actually made him feel more at ease.

'Come to think of it, Chelsea is the only one whose attitude hasn’t changed at all even after learning my identity.'

Lunia, Eiran, Chen Xia.

Even the easygoing Carr had slightly changed the way he treated him.

They were still as close and informal as before.

'But how should I put it… yeah, I guess you could say they respect me.'

He could not help those kinds of gazes.

But not Chelsea.

She was consistent.

Whether Leo was a Great Hero or not.

Whether he had saved the world or not.

She simply looked at him as an object of admiration.

She viewed him as someone to follow and someone to one day stand beside.

Chelsea swung her legs rhythmically and muttered to herself.

'I’m just doing what I want to do.'

'Kyle took on too many burdens. He will never try to share those burdens. So please. As a little sister, be Leo’s… be his strength. Provide a space where Leo can laugh comfortably.'

Chelsea recalled the words Arron had left before he departed.

She wanted to share the burdens Leo carried as much as possible.

But if he would not share them…

'I want to hold onto him so he doesn’t fall.'

Sometimes, she could support his back.

They could not be equals.

The years they had accumulated were different, and the paths they had walked were too distinct.

He was someone she would follow with a gaze of admiration for a lifetime.

She would be in Leo’s shadow forever.

Because he was the Hero of Beginnings, the start of all heroes.

But precisely because of that.

'I can support him.'

Did being in his shadow mean only being protected?

She could stand with him so he would not collapse when the fierce winds blew.

If anyone else heard this, they might have found it absurd, wondering what help she could possibly be to a Great Hero.

But Chelsea did not care.

Chelsea smiled brightly and looked up at Leo.

'Because Leo Oppa is Leo Oppa.'

The first hero she had ever come to admire.

That innocent smile somehow reminded him of Velkia.

Leo reached out and stroked her sky-blue hair.

“Ehehehe—”

Chelsea gave a cat-like smile as if she enjoyed the touch.

“Chelsea, if you ever went down the wrong path, what do you think I should do to make you listen to me?”

“Huh?”

At Leo’s question, Chelsea’s eyes went wide.

She rolled her eyes around a few times as she thought, then finally spoke.

“Am I in a state where I can’t be reasoned with?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm! That’s hard!”

Chelsea crossed her arms and frowned, deep in thought.

“Well, first, if it’s Leo Oppa, you’d probably give me a good smack on the head, right?”

“Right.”

“And you’d kick me in the butt too, wouldn’t you?”

“Naturally.”

“Stop harassing my butt.”

“When did I ever harass you?”

“During the entrance exam, you tried to burn my butt in front of all those people. I’m ruined for marriage now, so take responsibility.”

“Then you should’ve behaved back then.”

That was the time when Chelsea was full of rebellion toward Leo.

Seeing Leo acting so nonchalant and annoying, Chelsea pouted and fell back into thought.

“Even so, if I still can’t snap out of it, it’s scary.”

“Hmm?”

“Because even if I come to my senses, you’re going to do something harsh to me.”

“You know me well.”

“I think I’d snap out of it just because I don’t want that to happen.”

Leo rested his chin on his hand and laughed at Chelsea’s words.

“Is that so?”

His heart felt much lighter.

'Yeah, I just have to not leave her alone until she snaps out of it.'

Why had he been overthinking it?

Leo, who had been laughing, soon settled into a soft smile.

'I should probably worry about that damn disciple resisting because she’s stronger than me.'

The power of Velkia he had seen in the Akasha Record was so immense that it was hard for the current Leo to handle.

'Right. This wasn’t the time to worry about how to persuade her, but how to beat some sense into her.'

It was as Leo stroked his chin.

Bang!

The classroom door burst open, and Eiran walked in.

The second-year students all looked puzzled by her appearance.

As an exchange student, she was an incredibly diligent top student.

Being in class early was a basic rule for her.

And yet, she arrived just as class was about to start?

Moreover, all her close friends were already in the classroom.

As everyone wondered what was going on, Eiran approached Leo with a pale face.

And then, with an expression that looked ready to burst into tears, she cried out.

“Leo-nim! Grandfather… Grandfather!”

At Eiran’s appearance, Leo’s face hardened.

***

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