Chapter 562

“All I can say is that it’s magnificent.”

Driana exclaimed in admiration as she sketched the view of Dragonia’s central citadel spread out before her.

The Hero Academy representatives had gathered in a tall tower at the very heart of the citadel.

Known as the Tower of Wisdom, it overlooked all of Dragonia.

Lunia watched Driana lose herself in the beautiful scenery and focus intently on her sketch.

“Would that even serve any purpose?”

“What do you mean?”

When Leo looked puzzled, Lunia explained.

“I know how extraordinary Driana is as a Smith. Every piece of equipment she’s made for me since we signed our exclusive Smith contract has been outstanding.”

Equipment was inevitably expendable.

That applied even to weapons and armor crafted by the finest Smiths.

Even the legendary armaments once wielded by heroes would quickly lose their functionality if they were not properly maintained.

No matter how meticulously they were cared for, they would eventually break as long as they continued to be used.

That was why most heirlooms belonging to Heroic Houses with long histories were kept in storage rather than used.

They remained powerful armaments containing immense power, but if they were wielded recklessly, none of those heirlooms would survive.

What made Dweno, the Divine Blacksmith and creator of the Divine Artifacts that still existed in the present day, so extraordinary was that he had transcended such common sense.

As long as Dweno’s armaments were maintained, they could quickly be restored to a state as good as new.

Provided they were not completely destroyed, even chipped and tattered armaments could soon regain their original form.

Of course, that did not make them indestructible.

Blacksmiths capable of maintaining Divine Artifacts were exceedingly rare, and replicas obtained as Conquest Rewards from Hero Records did not possess the same restorative properties as the originals.

That was why Lunia, Eiran, and Ar could not use the Divine Artifacts they had obtained as Conquest Rewards from Dweno’s World carelessly.

They were weapons of last resort, reserved for decisive battles.

The same was true for everyone else.

'Without the Unbreakable Damienne, the armaments Dweno left behind would be far rarer today.'

Damienne had restored many of Dweno’s armaments to like-new condition before passing them down to later generations.

It was thanks to him that so many Divine Artifacts remained to this day.

Even the wielders of Divine Artifacts faced such difficulties.

That was why Hero Academy students formed contracts and maintained relationships with the Smiths of Damienne.

For a Hero Candidate, whether they met an excellent Smith could determine the course of their entire life.

In that sense, Driana was someone to be grateful for.

She supplied them with all the equipment they required, and everything she made performed magnificently.

Whatever else might be said about her, Driana was a genius as a Smith.

However—

“She’s hopeless as an artist.”

“I never thought I would be the one saying this, but it has to be said. Don’t call her an artist. That’s an insult to art.”

Dweno might have flown into a rage if he had heard them.

'Art? Did you just call that garbage art? Come here. Place your head on this anvil. I’ll smash it open with my hammer and fix whatever is inside it.'

Leo could vividly picture Dweno glaring and wildly brandishing his hammer.

Dweno was the party’s dependable shield, its eldest member, and its adviser.

He was always calm, but when it came to art, he became impossible to reason with.

After all, he proclaimed himself the greatest artist and a worshiper of beauty.

'Well, he certainly was an incredible artist.'

Leo knew little about art.

In his previous life, he had lived far removed from such things. Even after being reincarnated as a noble, he had never taken much interest in it.

Still, he could tell that Dweno had been an extraordinary artist.

Leo and Arron often teased him by calling him a pervert, but even they found Dweno’s creations undeniably beautiful.

Lysinas and Luna felt the same.

Even in the present age, with its rich and highly developed cultures, Leo had never seen anything as beautiful as the works Dweno had created back then.

'It really is a shame.'

What Dweno had truly wished to leave to future generations was not armaments that took lives, but beautiful works of art.

'Armaments matter more than anything else in this age. We must fight our enemies, and it is also true that we need powerful equipment to protect ourselves.'

The image of Dweno carving stone by striking a chisel with his hammer surfaced in Leo’s mind.

'But if we reclaim the world, the armaments I leave behind will one day become deadly weapons turned against us. I do not intend to lament that. Such is the fate of an armament. That is why I want future generations to know that beauty existed even in this age of despair. Wouldn’t it be too bleak if, in our desperation to survive this dark age, we left behind nothing but weapons? I believe telling future generations that beauty existed has far greater value.'

Among the Great Heroes, Dweno was probably the one who would be most disappointed by the present age.

Lysinas had guided the world toward salvation.

Luna had used her magic to turn countless desperate situations into hope.

Arron had performed innumerable miracles through his immense courage.

Kyle, the final survivor, had proclaimed the dawn of a new age.

And Dweno—

He was known only as the creator of the Divine Artifacts that had made all of those achievements possible.

The present world was beautiful enough.

Yet no one knew Dweno as an artist who had devoted himself to that beauty.

As Leo smiled bitterly, Ar, who had been listening to their conversation, sprang to her feet.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m curious what kind of horrible picture she’s drawing.”

Ar gave a mischievous smile and crept toward Driana like a cat.

“Driana, can I see your drawing?”

“Oh, Ar. Have you taken an interest in art?”

Driana gave her a cheerful smile.

“Well, it’s only a sketch, so there is nothing particularly special about it. Still, taking an interest in beautiful things is always worthwhile.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Driana nodded and showed Ar her sketchbook.

Ar’s mouth fell open when she saw it.

“What is this?!”

At her exclamation, Lunia and Chelsea approached with curious expressions.

Just how horrible could it be for Ar to react like that?

“Let’s see, let’s see. Huh?”

“What? Why is it so good?”

Lunia and Chelsea were just as stunned.

Driana’s sketch beautifully captured Dragonia’s majestic scenery.

Driana clicked her tongue at the three shocked girls.

“It is a pathetic drawing without even the tiniest trace of originality. But if I use it as a foundation, add my own aesthetic sense, and reconstruct it... Heh heh. A magnificent work of art will be born!”

The three girls had the same serious thought.

'Maybe she really should give up on art.'

As the three marveled at Driana’s drawing skills, Haddin adjusted his glasses.

“I believe it is about time we discussed why we were invited here.”

Haddin, Seiren’s Vice President, glanced at Leo before looking toward Doberman and Marigold.

“While the exact reason we were suddenly invited to Dragonia remains unclear, I am sure everyone has some idea, do they not?”

Leo was one thing, but Doberman and Marigold were both a year above Haddin, even if they attended different academies.

Moreover, they were Student Council Presidents.

That was why Haddin addressed them with exceptional courtesy.

Doberman chuckled at his words.

“It must be because of the inter-academy competition.”

It was an event unprecedented in the history of the Hero Academies.

Lumeiren alone attracted the attention of the entire world.

But now all four Hero Academies would compete against one another.

They would literally be fighting to determine which Hero Academy was the greatest.

The pride of all four races was at stake.

Of course, Leo was widely regarded as the greatest student among all the Hero Academies.

He had become Student Council President in his first year and reached the rank of hero in his second.

He was a powerhouse who had already transcended the level of a student.

However, there was a limit to how much one individual could accomplish in a competition between Hero Academies, each of which possessed the military strength of a nation.

Possessing the greatest student and being the greatest academy were entirely different matters.

That was why the inter-academy competition proposed by Lumene had attracted unprecedented attention.

“Azonia will participate. Strife is one of our academy’s virtues, so we have no reason to refuse.”

Doberman folded his arms.

From the moment the proposal emerged, a clamor had erupted throughout Azonia demanding that they participate at all costs.

“That is exactly what I expected from Azonia.”

“Seiren will naturally participate as well, won’t it?”

Haddin adjusted his glasses at Doberman’s question.

“Regrettably, while it would be one thing if this were Lumeiren, Seiren intends not to participate in a competition involving all four academies.”

“What?”

Doberman looked startled by the unexpected answer.

“To be perfectly honest, Seiren currently lacks the resources to hold such a major public event.”

Of the four Hero Academies, Seiren had undoubtedly weathered the greatest upheaval recently.

Last winter, it had suffered a massive invasion by the Monster Queen.

Then, at the beginning of this year, the Pureblood Society had seized control of the academy.

The historic return of the Founder of the Nebula and the Comet Mage had indeed occurred, but their return had been brought about by major crises that had thrown Seiren into chaos.

On top of that, after the Comet Mage declared that the academy should no longer admit only students who had learned Star Magic, Seiren was undergoing a sweeping overhaul of its operating policies.

Its internal situation was far from stable.

Lumeiren was held every year, and since Lumene was hosting it this time, Seiren could still participate.

However, an inter-academy competition on an even greater scale than Lumeiren was another matter entirely.

“Seiren is not in its best condition, so participation would be difficult.”

“Tsk. You refuse to fight at a disadvantage?”

“Please consider it a rational decision.”

Haddin replied calmly as Doberman clicked his tongue in displeasure.

Doberman did not argue further.

As Azonia’s Student Council President, he would have made the same choice if his academy were in Seiren’s position.

'It is simply regrettable that such an opportunity only appeared after I reached my fifth year.'

“Damienne will not participate either. We have our departmental schedules to consider. I know it would be an entertaining and worthwhile event, but the proposal was far too sudden.”

Marigold smiled regretfully.

Chelsea let out a quiet sigh.

'It isn’t unexpected.'

The Hero Academies were forces that represented their respective races.

Regardless of their status as educational institutions, they were organizations requiring administration on a national scale. Participating in a major event at such short notice would be difficult.

It might not cause as much chaos as Lumene’s sudden decision to host the competition, but tremendous disruption was inevitable.

That was why there were so many skeptical voices even within Lumene.

They could do it if ordered.

The problem was how difficult the process would be.

'Truthfully, we’d welcome it if the competition never happened.'

Chelsea sighed deeply.

'But Leo Oppa is the one who proposed it.'

Chelsea knew Leo better than that.

If something was impossible, Leo made it possible.

Chelsea glanced at him, saw him smiling, and looked up at the ceiling.

Lunia also checked Leo’s expression before shaking her head.

'He’s definitely going to force it through.'

With a soft swish, the door opened smoothly, and someone entered.

It was a small girl.

Her beautiful silver hair, interwoven with strands of black, cascaded all the way to the floor like a cloak.

Despite dragging along the ground, her hair remained as pristine as a flawless jewel.

Her face was as beautiful as a sculpture.

Her eyes were closed.

Two dragons stood behind her, one on either side.

Everyone present knew the identity of the dragon who had taken the form of a little girl.

'Dragon Lord Melina.'

They had seen her before at the World Summit.

However, meeting her directly in the same room gave her presence an entirely different weight.

Even Lunia, Ar, and Driana, whom Melina had personally named as heroes destined to lead the age, could not conceal their tension.

“Thank you all for accepting my invitation despite your busy schedules.”

Melina clasped her hands together and smiled brightly.

She then walked to the seat at the head of the table and sat down.

“You may return to your duties.”

“Yes, Lord.”

The dragons accompanying Melina bowed and left the room.

The students tensed at the sight.

“Now then, let us get down to business.”

Melina spoke seriously, her eyes still closed.

Just as the students swallowed dryly at her solemn demeanor—

“Shall we have tea?”

“Pardon?”

For once, Haddin responded in a dazed voice wholly unlike him.

He did not even think to push his slipping glasses back into place.

“Haddin-gun, do you prefer black tea? Coffee? Or perhaps herbal tea? Could you tell me what you like?”

===

“This is nice. Having tea together like this, I mean.”

Melina smiled as she took a sip of black tea.

“I invited you because I wanted to arrange a meeting where we could coordinate when to hold the inter-academy competition. So, have you finished discussing it?”

Marigold answered her question.

“There is something we must tell you regarding that matter.”

“What is it?”

“It would undoubtedly be a meaningful and worthwhile event. However, the proposal was so sudden that Seiren and Damienne will likely find it difficult to participate.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. There would be little point if only Lumene and Azonia participated. Therefore, we intended to discuss scheduling the competition for a later date rather than holding it this year.”

“I see.”

Melina nodded before smiling gently.

“Let us hold it this year.”

“Pardon?”

Marigold looked flustered by Melina’s response.

“The world is currently in turmoil. Fragments of Erebos continue to resurrect, and Tartarus’s movements remain troubling. A god has even appeared and shown us the path we must follow.”

Melina set down her teacup.

“The truth about the World of Genesis is also a secret that the Dragon Lords have concealed for thousands of years.”

Melina’s eyes slowly opened.

“For a very long time, the Dragon Lords secretly gathered heroes to challenge the World of Genesis in hopes of preventing chaos throughout the world. And they failed.”

The students focused intently on Melina’s words.

“The founders created the Hero Academies because they hoped that we, their descendants, would carry on their will. The inter-academy competition proposed by Lumene is not merely about determining which academy is superior. It will be an opportunity to measure one another’s abilities and compete in good faith. I believe it will become a gathering of unity where we follow the will of each academy’s founder and lay the groundwork necessary to conquer the World of Genesis. I hope this occasion will encourage even greater exchange between the four academies and eventually become a festival for the entire world.”

Consciously or otherwise, the world had built walls between its races.

No one present was unaware of that fact.

“Still, I understand that each academy has its reasons for finding participation difficult. So I will tell you this.”

Melina smiled brightly.

“If any academy refuses to participate, I will personally scold them.”

Her tone resembled that of a teacher gently admonishing young students.

However, when those words came from someone who stood at the pinnacle of the world’s power and was officially recognized as its strongest being, they could only inspire terror.

Leo took a sip of coffee at Melina’s words.

“It seems the discussion is settled, so let’s start coordinating the schedule.”

Leo smiled shamelessly.

“So, what date should we choose?”

(T/N: THAT'S CHEATING!!!! hahaha)

***