KakaoPage Originals
The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student
[Original — Yerona]
[TL — MiT7]
[PR — Spades]
[QC — Lumi]
Chapter 2 — Shadows of Legends
——————
The border kingdom of Delrad, its capital, Delran.
"Everyone! We are living in the Age of Heroes!"
'This story again?'
Leo, now fifteen, let out a weary sigh.
"Five thousand years have passed since the Hero Record appeared in the world! In that time, the mortal realm has undergone countless upheavals. And at the heart of every change stood those called heroes!"
Jayden, the Heroics teacher at Delran Royal Academy, raised his voice with fervor.
"Who can define what a hero is?"
Several students raised their hands.
Professor Jayden pointed to one.
"Galivan, your answer."
"A hero is someone whose name is etched in the Hero Record. Only those who achieve feats acknowledged by the gods are permitted to be recorded."
"Exactly! Well done, Galivan."
Galivan sat down with a smug grin.
"And next… Leo?"
Called out despite not raising his hand, Leo stood.
"Remember last week's homework? What rites were required to be called a hero five thousand years ago?"
"Basically, if you made a name for yourself, people would hail you as one."
"You did your homework half-heartedly again!"
Professor Jayden frowned.
"Delran Royal Academy is the kingdom's most prestigious institution! Haven't I stressed the importance of upholding its dignity? Especially this year, when our school has been chosen as a testing site for the Lumern entrance exams!"
Jayden's eyes narrowed.
"Talents from across the world will visit us! As a Delran student, you should set an example, not display such an attitude!"
Still displeased, he turned to Galivan again.
"Galivan, care to answer this one?"
"In ancient times, there were no means to gain divine recognition! So, sacred rites were held to select heroes! The Blood Rite is a prime example!"
"Yes, exactly!"
Leo's expression soured.
'Back then, meeting gods was as easy as breathing. No means of recognition? Please.'
Five thousand years ago, gods freely descended to the mortal realm.
'Sacred rites? Were there ever such things?'
Clicking his tongue, Leo glanced at his textbook.
'Hero Record.'
Its origin traced back to the great calamity five thousand years ago.
The primordial evil, Erebos, who drove the world to the brink of destruction.
And the five heroes who stood against him.
[The Nebula's Progenitor] Elf Luna.
[The Divine Blacksmith] Dwarf Dweno.
[The Brave] Arion.
[The King of Wisdom] Lisinas.
And finally, [The Hero of Beginnings] Kyle.
A divine miracle gifted to the mortal realm to eternally honor them.
'So why am I the only one treated like I never existed?'
His comrades' records remained, proving their existence and their salvation of the world.
Yet Kyle's record was nowhere to be found!
What kind of injustice was this?
As Leo wallowed in his grievances, a bell rang.
Ding—Ding—
Signaling the end of class, Professor Jayden closed his textbook.
"One week from now, preparations for the Lumern entrance exams will be complete. Talents from around the world will visit our school."
He scanned the students.
"Engage with them and aim higher. That's all."
---
After class, Leo headed straight home.
The Flove family.
A marquess house with a storied history in Delrad.
"Young master, the lady awaits you at the training grounds."
"Ugh, again?"
Leo grimaced.
"I'm not going."
"The lady said if you skip swordsmanship lessons one more time, she'll cut off your allowance…"
"Ugh, fine!"
Sighing deeply at the steward's words, Leo changed out of his uniform and headed to the training grounds.
Normally, this was the time for knights to sweat through their drills.
But standing on the grounds was a striking woman.
Reina Flove.
The lady of the house.
"Mother, I'm back from school."
"Welcome home, my dear. But tell me, why do you always call me 'Mother' so formally?"
Reina narrowed her red eyes, identical to Leo's.
"Other noble kids just say 'Mom.' It makes me sad, you know, feeling this distance from my own son."
Picking up a wooden sword and stepping onto the grounds, Leo replied.
"I'm keeping some distance on purpose."
"Oh? Why? Puberty?"
Reina's face filled with mock sorrow.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, her body shot toward her son with terrifying speed.
Thwack—!
"And this is why."
What kind of mother swings a wooden sword at her son without warning?
Who wouldn't want to keep their distance?
Reina grinned at his words.
"You don't understand your mother's heart… Guess we'll have to train extra hard today."
Her wooden sword danced with dizzying speed.
Leo countered her ever-changing swordsmanship with precision.
The watching knights erupted in awe.
"As expected of the lady! Truly worthy of the heroic Zerdinger family!"
"But the young master is incredible too!"
In most noble houses, knights handled swordsmanship lessons for the heirs.
But in the Flove family, Reina took charge herself.
No one objected.
The neighboring empire of Rodren was home to the heroic Zerdinger family.
And Reina was none other than a Zerdinger.
Thwack—! Thud-thud—! Crack—!
As she watched her son parry her attacks, Reina's eyes gleamed.
'Leo's a genius.'
Though retired, Reina had once been a formidable knight.
Even now, she wore bracelets enchanted with weight magic and refrained from using aura.
Yet this spar was no equal match.
The gap in skill was immense.
But Leo was holding his own against her swordsmanship.
'He's learning my techniques faster with every spar.'
As a parent, she couldn't help but feel pride in her son's growth.
The back-and-forth continued for ten minutes.
Reina lost herself in the spar.
Instinctively, she twisted her wrist, reacting to Leo's ability to read and counter her moves.
'Oh no!'
She panicked.
An irregular technique, used without thinking!
It was far too advanced for her son to handle.
Reina hurriedly tried to retract her sword.
'Too late—'
Thwack—!
"!"
Reina's eyes widened.
Leo deflected the strike aimed at his neck and darted into her guard.
The tip of his wooden sword stopped at her throat.
Reina stared, stunned.
Withdrawing his sword, Leo sighed.
"Wasn't that a bit much for your own son?"
"You say that, but you handled it perfectly."
Though she smiled, Reina felt chills.
'This boy… he's surpassed what I can handle.'
That irregular technique, if wielded with a real blade, could have felled even seasoned knights.
It wasn't something mere talent could counter.
Yet Leo had managed it flawlessly.
True, she'd pulled back mid-strike.
But that didn't diminish his feat.
'Maybe I should've just taken the hit.'
Noticing his mother's gleaming eyes, Leo sighed again.
He wasn't an ordinary fifteen-year-old.
In his past life, he was a great hero who saved the world.
An irregular technique was hardly a challenge.
Scratching his head, Leo glanced at Reina as she spoke.
"Leo, are you still set on going to Lumern?"
"Yes."
Lumern Academy.
One of only four hero academies in the world.
And the place where the Hero Record was kept.
'I need to find out what happened after I died.'
After defeating Erebos, Kyle had perished, his strength spent.
But Erebos was an immortal being.
The heroes had succeeded in subduing him but failed to destroy him completely.
Moreover, Erebos's army, Tartaros, remained intact.
Five thousand years had passed since then.
An unfathomable span of time, with those events now mere legends. What happened after Kyle's death was poorly documented.
Accessing the Hero Record might reveal the truth.
That was why Leo aimed to enter Lumern Academy, the world's most prestigious institution.
"I see."
Reina smiled.
"Alright, leave it to me. I'll pull some strings."
"For what?"
"Tomorrow, members of the Zerdinger family will visit Delran and stay at our estate."
"My mother's family?"
The heroic Zerdinger family was Leo's maternal lineage.
But he'd never had contact with them.
Reina had cut ties with her family when she married.
'She said it wasn't a bad parting, and it seems she was right.'
Most would be thrilled to learn their mother's family was a heroic lineage.
But Leo didn't care about any heroic family.
'No one in this world is greater than me.'
"Your uncle, Zis Zerdinger, is leading them. I'll ask him for a favor."
Reina's tone grew serious.
"I'll request that you be allowed to inherit the Zerdinger Aura Art. If you do, you'll grow strong enough to enter Lumern next year."
Reina had taught Leo swordsmanship but never an aura art.
The Zerdinger Aura Art couldn't be taught to outsiders without the family's permission.
Learning a heroic family's aura art!
A dream for any aspiring knight!
But Leo remained unimpressed.
'Finally, I can learn an aura art.'
Reina had delayed teaching him an aura art, hoping he'd learn a high-level one.
Leo could have mastered one long ago.
But he'd chosen to follow his mother's lessons.
Frustrating as it was, training with her was enjoyable.
Now that Reina had made up her mind, that frustration would end today.
Leo didn't particularly care if it was the Zerdinger's art or not.
Any aura art would do.
'Mother's thinking next year.'
Leo smirked.
'I'm aiming to enroll this year.'