LHAHS Chapter 459
Leo unfolded the letter from the Emperor of the Lordren Empire.
As he read through the handwritten message, everyone watched with tense expressions.
"What is it? What did His Majesty say to you?" Celia, sitting beside him, hurriedly asked.
"Why are you the one making a fuss?" Leo replied indifferently.
Celia was left speechless. "Because you're acting oddly calm about it."
Lumene students were respected and treated well wherever they went. However, a personal handwritten letter from the Emperor of Lordren was a completely different matter.
The Emperor of Lordren was an absolute ruler of the western continent, incomparable to an ordinary king.
While the Xian Empire possessed similar national power, it was known as the nation of Shadows—operating discreetly, rarely engaging in external affairs.
In contrast, the Lordren Empire did not conceal its power but wielded it openly and aggressively. Its influence extended beyond the western continent and reached the entire world.
"So? What does it say?" Abad asked.
Leo placed the letter back into its envelope and replied, "It's an invitation to join Lordren's hero guild, Imperium."
"What?"
"That's really what it was about?"
Shocked reactions erupted from all around.
Reina, however, simply nodded as if she had expected this.
Carl let out a whistle of amazement. "Wow, this is huge. Even if you're the youngest-ever student council president, you're still just a student. But they're already offering you a spot? And from Imperium, no less?"
The Imperium Guild was a hero guild directly under the Lordren royal family, and essentially the only hero guild in the western continent. Having accumulated countless achievements on the frontlines against Tartaros, its power and influence ranked second only to Lumene's Twilight—the strongest human hero guild.
"This is quite the unprecedented move. Imperium has never altered its entry requirements before," Chloe spoke in disbelief.
Imperium only allowed entry to those whose names were recorded in the Hero Record. It was the only guild in the world where every single member held the title of hero.
Even Zeiss Zerdinger and Rozes Lewellin, who occupied prestigious positions within the empire, were unable to join because they had not earned the hero title.
"Wow~ Even Imperium is going out of its way to recruit Leo while he's still a hero candidate? But why would they go this far? Wouldn't he naturally join Imperium after graduating anyway, since he's part of the Zerdinger Family?"
"There must be a reason Imperium felt the need to move quickly. But isn't it impossible for students to join a hero guild?"
Eliana raised a valid concern, and Nella let out a small sigh.
Bang!
A loud commotion erupted outside.
"How long do you plan to keep blocking my way?"
"We are delivering a letter from His Majesty, the great Emperor of Lordren. Please refrain from causing a disturbance."
"Do you think the authority of a mere human emperor holds any sway over me?"
A voice filled with arrogance rang out from outside, rising above the noise.
A moment later, the door swung open roughly, revealing a strikingly handsome elf.
The students' eyes widened in shock. Eiran looked troubled, while Lunia's expression hardened slightly.
"Wow, a real pain just walked in," Lunia muttered.
"Is he famous?" Aru asked curiously.
Carl, standing nearby, swallowed hard. "Isn't that the Crescent Moon Sword, Amadeus Gleis?"
"The Crescent Moon Sword?"
"The hero from Stellar Illumino?"
The Crescent Moon Sword, Amadeus Gleis was a hero belonging to the elven hero guild, Stellar Illumino. Three years ago, his name had been recorded in the Hero Record, marking him as a rising hero of the new generation. Among the elven heroes of his generation, he was the most famous.
The reason? He was a fanatical devotee of Luna and Seiren, blindly worshipping their teachings and exalting their achievements. Because of this, he was notorious for his extreme racism.
"If he comes here and says something stupid like I refuse to acknowledge you, we're going to have a problem," Lunia furrowed her brows.
It was already widely known that Leo had received Seiren's staff and was officially recognized as Seiren's successor. However, in elven society, there were still those who refused to accept this fact and insisted it was a mistake. And every single one of them was an extreme racial nationalist.
Considering that… if the infamous Amadeus was here, there was a high chance he would say something along those lines.
If a hero openly denies Leo's status as Seiren's successor, despite it being officially recognized, that would cause a huge issue.
Lunia rose from her seat, prepared to intervene. Eiran, looking restless, stood up as well.
If the Crescent Moon Sword disrespects Leo, things will go south quickly.
As someone who knew that Leo was the Hero of the Beginning, Eiran was anxious to the point of distress. If Amadeus tried anything foolish, she was ready to stop him by any means necessary.
As tension filled the air, Amadeus strode toward Leo.
Zeiss blocked his path, his displeasure evident. "Shouldn't you wait your turn if you have business with Leo Plov?"
Amadeus scoffed, pushing past Zeiss to stand before Leo.
Just as Zeiss was about to explode in anger…
Thunk—!
Everyone stared in bewilderment as Amadeus knelt down on one knee and greeted Leo with utmost respect.
"It is an honor to meet you. I am the Crescent Moon Sword, Amadeus Gleis. Leo Plov, it is a great privilege to finally be in your presence."
His actions were not those of an elder addressing a younger person, even though Leo was still a hero candidate, while Amadeus was already a hero. Both by age and official standing, Amadeus was Leo's superior. On top of that, Leo was human.
And yet, Amadeus treated Leo with complete formality.
Taken aback, Leo asked, "I'm glad to meet you as well. But why are you speaking so formally to me?"
"Leo, you are the rightful successor of the esteemed Seiren. As an elf, it is only natural for me to show you the utmost respect. Please, speak to me comfortably."
Amadeus gazed up at Leo with unwavering eyes, his posture perfectly composed.
What's with this guy's eyes?
Leo clicked his tongue as he took in the elf's gleaming, almost fervent stare.
He knew all too well. Elves like this rarely responded to logic or reason. So he just decided to go along with it.
"Alright, then I'll speak comfortably," Leo nodded.
Amadeus smiled.
"So, why are you here to see me?"
"I have come to deliver this letter to you."
Amadeus pulled out an envelope from his coat and handed it to Leo. It bore the official seal of Stellar Illumino.
Zeiss and Rozes narrowed their eyes.
"I knew it. Stellar Illumino wishes for Leo to join them," Zeiss muttered.
Amadeus's gaze sharpened. "Stellar Illumino is the hero guild founded by Seiren! It is the guild that best suits you, Leo!"
"So that's why Imperium moved first."
"Even Stellar Illumino is trying to recruit him? This is huge."
"Considering that Leo is Seiren's successor, it's not surprising… but it's still shocking."
Stellar Illumino, the most prestigious of the elf hero guilds. Unlike Imperium, not all of its guild members were heroes, but in some ways, it was the most difficult hero guild to join. Only elves could enter, and even among them, only a chosen few were accepted.
The fact that they were willing to break that tradition just to recruit Leo was certainly shocking.
"Leo is a man of the Lordren Empire. It is only natural that he should join Imperium, the empire's guild. How could he possibly enter an elf guild?"
When Zeiss stepped forward and spoke, Amadeus, who had risen from his seat, curled his lips into a smirk. Unlike when he had bowed his head to Leo, he now wore an utterly arrogant smile.
"Wouldn't it be far more natural for Leo, the rightful heir of Seiren, to join Stellar Illumino?"
A tense atmosphere spread between the two men.
From the moment Amadeus had barged in uninvited, the mood had already been poor. Now, with the dispute over Leo's hero guild membership added to the mix, the tension was about to explode at any moment.
Everyone wore anxious expressions.
Then, just as the conflict was about to escalate, Leo, who had been sealing his letter back in its envelope, spoke.
"I don't really plan on joining Imperium or Stellar Illumino."
At those words, everyone's eyes widened.
He had just turned down invitations from the most prestigious guilds—guilds that anyone would dream of joining.
"Hey, don't tell me… are you planning to join Twilight?"
"No."
"Then which guild are you joining?"
As everyone looked at him with curiosity, Leo opened his mouth.
"I was thinking of making one."
"What?"
Everyone was completely taken aback.
"Sounds like a good time to start one, don't you think?" Leo chuckled, as if he were casually forming a club.
Chloe, stunned by his nonchalance, replied, "Hero guilds aren't something you can just make on a whim. You need qualifications to even start one."
"You mean the requirement of obtaining the title of hero?"
"Yeah."
At Leo's question, Chloe nodded. Of course, Leo was already aware of that requirement.
But…
That's something I can just get Melina to change.
Leo's name was already recorded in the Hero Record as the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle. On the very first page, no less. There was no way his name would be recorded again.
For Leo, the problem wasn't about fulfilling the qualifications…
Should I just have someone else be the founder? Well, in the end, the one who authorizes hero guilds is Dragonia, right?
And the supreme ruler of Dragonia was none other than the Dragon Queen, Melina.
For others, altering the guild requirements would be unthinkable.
But for me, nothing is impossible. If it doesn't work, I'll just make it work.
Leo was the kind of person who could pull off the impossible.
Of course, the best option would be for me to earn the title of hero myself… but that's the hard part.
Deep within Lumene, at the heart of the Forbidden Archives, where countless relics and records of heroes were stored, lay the Human Hero Record.
Whenever a new human hero was born, their name would be inscribed in this very place. Only those personally appointed by the Dragon Queen could serve as librarians here.
The current Librarian of Lumene, Desitian, stood with an impassive face, guarding the entrance to the Forbidden Archives.
Rustle—!
Suddenly, the Hero Record, which had been shut, flipped open.
Upon witnessing this, Desitian immediately dropped to one knee.
Having served as the archive's librarian for so long, he understood what this meant.
This was the decree of the gods.
The moment a noble hero, recognized by the gods, achieved a great feat, their name would be written into the Hero Record.
Rustle, rustle—!
The pages flipped rapidly.
Thud—!
At last, the final page lay open.
Fwoooosh—!
With a brilliant light, a name began to appear.
Witnessing this sacred moment, Desitian trembled with awe. Moments later, the light faded.
Maintaining a reverent posture, Desitian, who had remained motionless as the name was inscribed, cautiously approached the Hero Record.
Then, his eyes widened.
Ordinarily, the Hero Record contained numerous details. It recorded not only the hero's name but also the title bestowed upon them by the gods, as well as the great achievements they had accomplished. Thus, every page was usually densely packed with writing.
But now, it was completely blank.
No title granted by the gods.
No recorded feats of glory.
There was only one thing written.
[Leo Plov.]