LHAHS Chapter 458
It was the evening of the tenth day after Erebos's fragment had been annihilated when a visitor arrived at the Plov estate.
"Eat up, everyone. I put in a bit of effort today," Reina said warmly as she served dinner to her son's friends.
"Wow! Thank you!"
"It looks delicious!"
Chelsea and Eiran cheered at the feast laid out before them.
"Aunt Reina, your cooking skills are excellent," Celia added with admiration.
Reina covered her mouth and laughed. "Hohoho!"
Watching the scene, Carl muttered, "Yeah, well, most of the people here are hopeless in the kitchen."
The girls' eyes gleamed ominously. Carl quickly hid behind Leo.
"Mother only made the soup. The rest was all done by the chef," Leo clarified.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to make soup?" Reina shamelessly brushed off the comment.
The lively atmosphere continued. Even though the training camp had ended, a significant number of students were spending their vacation at the Plov estate. Reina seemed to enjoy the bustling energy and treated her son's friends with great kindness.
"Now then, shall we continue our discussion?"
Abad, sitting next to Chelsea, momentarily paused his meal, took a sip of water, and resumed speaking.
"Regarding the global situation after the extermination of Erebos's fragment."
Eliana stabbed her fork into a salad and spoke. "Wouldn't Tartaros's forces shrink while our side continues to rise?"
"True, the whole world is in a festive mood right now," Tade nodded in agreement.
At that, Celia shook her head. "I see things a little differently."
"What do you think?"
"There might be a large-scale counterattack from Tartaros," Celia said, her expression grave.
"From Tartaros's perspective, it's just like 3,000 years ago when another Erebos fragment was exterminated. It's a catastrophic loss for them."
"I see. Since they've been driven into a corner, we can't predict what desperate measures they might take?" Chloe nodded in understanding.
Listening to the discussion, Leo fell into thought.
Hell Kaiser wouldn't recklessly charge in just because one of Erebos's fragments was destroyed.
As Celia said, it was indeed a devastating blow to Tartaros. However, knowing Hell Kaiser's nature, he wouldn't act impulsively just because the Queen of Monsters had been slain and the Giant King was unable to move.
In a situation where the balance of power had shifted, the chances of a reckless move were low.
Of course, that doesn't mean he'll just sit back and do nothing.
Leo let out a deep sigh.
Whatever happens, he will make a move.
Meanwhile, Reina smiled as she listened to the students' discussion.
Impressive. While the world is caught up in celebrations, they're seriously debating the future geopolitical landscape.
They were certainly worthy of being called hero candidates.
"Leo, what do you think?" Lunia, who had been part of the discussion, turned to Leo for his opinion.
"I…"
Just as Leo opened his mouth to speak, the dining room door opened, and a maid approached Reina, whispering something to her. Reina's eyes widened, and she rose from her seat.
A brief commotion ensued outside the dining hall. As the students looked up in curiosity, the doors opened again, and several people entered.
Celia and Chelsea's eyes widened.
"Uncle Zeiss?"
"Sir Rozes, what brings you here?"
Zeiss Zerdinger and Rozes Lewellin had arrived at the Plov estate.
Seeing them, the other students also wore surprised expressions.
Both men were graduates of Lumene. Moreover, they were highly renowned figures even in the Lordren Empire.
Although their names were not recorded in the Hero Record, their skills were on par with heroes. Within the Lordren Empire, their status and influence were as great as those of any hero.
With such distinguished individuals suddenly appearing, it was only natural for everyone to be shocked.
"I heard there was a great ordeal. You overcame it well. Impressive."
Gis approached his nephew, Leo, and Celia, patting their shoulders.
"What brings you here?"
"I came to deliver a personal letter from His Majesty."
"His Majesty the Emperor?"
Celia, Chelsea, and Abad's faces lit up with astonishment.
The Emperor of Lordren was the absolute pinnacle of power in the western continent. A personal letter from him?
"Sir Rozes," Zeiss said.
Rozes nodded and stepped toward Leo. "Leo Plov of the Zerdinger Family, receive the Emperor's letter."
Leo stepped forward with a puzzled expression.
Wearing a solemn look, Rozes retrieved a luxurious box containing the letter from his spatial magic.
Befofe Leo could take the letter, though, another commotion erupted outside.
"What's going on?" Carl, looking confused, peeked outside the door. "Gah?!"
He let out a startled yelp.
"What's wrong?" Chloe frowned, puzzled.
"The drawing room is full of people from every race!"
"What?"
"And they're all big shots!"
Carl was right. Beyond the dining room, the hallway was filled with figures whose faces frequently appeared in global newspapers.
"I think I have a rough idea of what's happening." Reina, arms crossed, narrowed her eyes. As a Lumene graduate, she quickly grasped the situation.
"What's going on, Aunt Reina?"
"Everyone visiting our estate right now is affiliated with hero guilds."
"Huh? Why would people from the hero guilds come to the Plov estate?"
"They must be trying to recruit Leo."
At that revelation, everyone's eyes widened in shock.
"The hero guilds… What the hell are they up to?" Rina muttered irritably inside the Lumene headmaster's office.
Hero guilds were organizations where those who walked the path of heroes belonged, led by heroes whose names were recorded in the Hero Record.
There were many hero guilds across the world. Some were founded by nations to support heroes, while others were established through alliances of renowned hero families. Some were even created by graduates of hero academies.
Among them, the hero guilds affiliated with hero academies boasted long-standing traditions. The founders of these guilds had all been disciples of the Heroes of Dawn. With 3,000 years of history and deep ties to those legendary figures, they wielded significant influence and attracted many aspiring heroes.
But that also made entry incredibly difficult.
"Since they all graduated from this school, they should know the rules well, shouldn't they?" Rina said, her voice sharp.
"The guild alliance submitted a request to the board. In reality, multiple hero guilds have already begun taking action," Harrid replied, his expression serious.
Hero guild members were deployed to the frontlines in battles against Tartaros. The activities of hero guilds came with extreme danger. Thus, students were strictly prohibited from joining them.
Yet now, the hero guilds were requesting a revision of that rule.
Rina immediately saw through their intentions. "Is it to recruit Leo Plov?"
The reason the hero guilds were going so far as to request a rule change at Lumene was to secure Leo.
An all-class talent like the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle.
The youngest student council president in Lumene's history, an unprecedented case.
Even with just that, he was already someone any hero guild would want.
But Leo Plov's value goes far beyond that.
Rina narrowed her eyes. A boy of just sixteen. An age brimming with boundless potential. Yet, he was already assessed as not only the strongest in Lumene but possibly possessing power comparable to a hero, or even surpassing them.
And in the recent resurrection of Erebos's fragment, Leo had fought at the forefront alongside the Brave Hero Aaron and the Dragon Queen.
Most people had focused on the return of the Brave Hero and the emergence of the Silent Dragon, but the hero guilds had set their sights on Leo—who was still just a student.
"He didn't just prove he had strength comparable to a hero, he demonstrated that his power exceeded that of most heroes. What exactly is your student?"
"Calling him my student doesn't seem quite right. I didn't teach him much," Harrid said with a dry chuckle.
He had spent many years as a teacher at Lumene, yet he had never encountered a student with less need for instruction than Leo.
"Skill, personality, disposition, goals… he was practically born a hero."
At Harrid's words, Rina nodded. It was no surprise that the hero guilds wanted him.
"But there should be a limit," she muttered, frowning as she glanced down at the documents before her.
The hero guilds' goal wasn't just to recruit Leo. Beyond that, they also sought to bring the highly promising Golden Generation under their command.
"In a time when no one knows what catastrophe may come upon the world, they see this as an opportunity."
Just as Rina was wary of Tartaros's movements, the hero guilds were also on high alert. And some saw the current situation as a chance.
"The public always talks about how heroes are noble beings," Rina said, narrowing her eyes.
Great figures became heroes only after overcoming immense trials. Since they were recognized by the gods, it was true that they appeared noble. And indeed, noble heroes did exist.
However…
"Where there is light, there is also darkness."
The gods did not concern themselves much with a hero's personality or ideology. As long as one accomplished great deeds worthy of praise, their name could be recorded in the Hero Record.
"There's a reason so many heroes have twisted personalities," Harrid remarked.
"If being eccentric were the worst of it, that would be fine," Rina scoffed. "The real problem is the lunatics who never once question their own sense of justice."
Heroes were not as noble and great as people thought. Some committed ruthless acts in the name of justice without hesitation. Some did not hesitate to sacrifice the few for the many. And countless heroes held their own ambitions.
Heroes led the world, so many became intoxicated with the idea that they were chosen by the gods.
Rina rested her chin on her hand.
This is probably one of the reasons why Tartaros has not been eradicated for 5,000 years.
After the Age of Calamity ended, Tartaros's forces had drastically weakened. With the start of the Age of Heroes, the power of heroes had grown exponentially.
Of course, Tartaros still had its three catastrophic generals.
But even so, it should have been impossible for them to rebuild their declining forces to the level of the Age of Calamity. In fact, their power should have diminished even further.
Yet, despite countless large-scale wars over the past 5,000 years, Tartaros had only grown stronger.
The reason was simple.
Because everyone wants different things.
There were countless heroes, each with their own ideals and sense of justice.
Thus, while their goals might align, the process was never smooth. The world had always been filled with as much competition and obstruction as it had been with cooperation.
In contrast, Tartaros had always moved toward a single goal.
That was the biggest reason the current global situation was what it was.
And even now, it was no different.
The hero guilds' desire to recruit Leo Plov and the most promising hero candidates…
It is all for the sake of realizing their own versions of justice…and that justice is not necessarily right.
"Leo Plov is no longer just a student," Rina sighed deeply. "He is at the center of a new era."