Chapter 521

"So you're Leo Plov?" Kaodin smirked as he looked at Leo. "Are you running your mouth because you know I was classmates with your mother?"

"And if you were? How does that give you a free pass to act like a degenerate?"

"Reina really failed at raising her kid. If she retired without accomplishing anything, the least she could've done was raise you properly. Looks like you need some discipline."

"Yeah, I do want to teach you a lesson, but you're too far below my level for it to be worth my time." Leo scoffed at Kaodin's provocation.

Kaodin's expression immediately darkened, and he looked ready to pounce on Leo at any moment.

"Oops." Chen Xia, who had been knocked down by Kaodin's attack, got up effortlessly. "My brand-new uniform just got ruined."

Her casual demeanor made Kaodin's eyes twitch.

She's not hurt at all?

Kaodin may have been a knight department graduate, but he was an archer class. Compared to knights specialized in close combat, his melee attacks were significantly weaker, but that was only by hero standards. His attack had been more than powerful enough to incapacitate a student.

And yet, Chen Xia was calmly walking forward.

"I'll handle this one. The two of you have nothing to do with this, right?"

"What do you mean, 'nothing to do with this'? This bastard insulted my cousin and my aunt. No way am I letting that slide. Duran, you stay out of it."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"You brats really don't know your place. Just because people call you the Golden Generation, you think you can do whatever you want?"

Crackle—!

Scarlet lightning surged around Kaodin's body as he released his aura.

KRRRRRRRSHHH—!

Chen Xia and Celia swiftly retreated out of Kaodin's attack range.

"One of you didn't get away in time. That's why you should think before you…"

Crackle—!

"Is this all the aura of a so-called hero amounts to?"

A longsword crackling with golden lightning gleamed.

SWOOSH—!

With a flash of golden light, Duran's sword aimed straight for Kaodin's throat.

Kaodin's eyes widened in shock, and he hastily used an aura step to dodge Duran's attack.

At that moment, Chen Xia, having closed the distance in an instant, smiled as she drove her foot into Kaodin's stomach.

"I'll pay you back."

BOOM—!

"Gah!"

Despite her gentle tone, the force of her kick was anything but.

As his body bent into a 'ㄱ' shape and his head plummeted toward the ground, a rapier, still in its sheath, shot toward Kaodin's face.

CRACK—!

"Guh?!"

He had used his aura armor to shield himself as much as possible, but Celia's thrust had pierced straight through his aura armor. Though the attack had lost some of its power, his nose bridge was crushed, and he was sent flying.

"You bastards!"

KRRRRRRRRSHHH—!

Kaodin, eyes bloodshot, released an aura storm far stronger than before. However, before the storm could reach them, the three had already pulled back.

"You sons of bitches!" Kaodin clutched his shattered, bleeding nose, radiating pure killing intent.

Watching the scene, Eliana gaped. "Even with those three, is it really possible to overwhelm a knight-class hero like that?"

"It is," Claria answered flatly. "Those three are already at a level that even most heroes can't take lightly. Kaodin let his guard down against knights of that caliber. It's not surprising that he's getting pushed back."

The three continued pressing Kaodin with sharp, relentless attacks.

"When you're outnumbered, once you lose control of the fight, it's hard to take it back. Plus…"

"Not all knight-class heroes are the same," Leo interjected. "Just looking at the women he keeps around, it's pretty obvious how he fights in a real battle."

Leo's gaze flicked toward Kaodin's knights, who were staring in alarm. "That's his private order of knights, isn't it?"

"Correct, Leo. They're the Valkyries, a knight order specialized in defense. You figured that out fast."

"It was obvious."

"What do you mean, obvious? Explain, Class Prez," Eliana asked, looking clueless.

Leo sighed, "Eliana, if you just paid more attention to your opponents and thought about how to counter them, you'd get stronger much faster."

"Ugh."

"If a frontliner shields a powerful mage hero but they still get attacked at close range, what happens?"

"They'd be done for, obviously."

"It's the same thing. That guy may be a knight class, but he's always fought like a mage. That's why he has no idea how to handle a chaotic melee fight."

"Oh!" Eliana nodded in understanding. "A guy like that actually got the title of hero?"

Leo furrowed his brows. Guess the gods have some real trashy taste too.

"Valkyries! What are you doing?! Protect me!" Kaodin suddenly shouted.

The Valkyries hurriedly moved to shield him.

"You bastards…! I won't let this go!"

Thunk—!

Kaodin opened a subspace and pulled out a powerful, mana-infused bow.

Duran narrowed his eyes. "If even trash like this can become a hero… maybe the gods really don't have an eye for talent."

"For once, I agree. I'm starting to question what it means to be a hero," Celia sighed quietly.

"You insolent brats! Do you even know who I am?! How dare you humiliate me! Your families won't be safe either…"

"I don't like bringing up my family, but Zerdinger is kind of… a lot bigger than whatever you've got going on. You sure about that?" Celia quipped with a bored look before glancing at Duran.

Duran smirked. "Sounds fun. You planning to go to war with the Moira Kingdom?"

"I don't want to blow this out of proportion, but if you insist, I could show you just how strong the Xian Empire really is," Chen Xia quipped.

Faced with their combined threats, Kaodin clamped his mouth shut.

Leo stepped forward, standing behind the three. "That coordination was pretty smooth. You guys bicker all the time, but friends are still friends, huh?"

"Who are you calling a friend, Leo Plov?"

"I've never been friends with someone this insufferable, Leo."

"Come on now, friends should get along."

As Duran and Celia bristled, Chen Xia chuckled, trying to mediate.

"Yeah, sure." Leo smirked.

Duran clicked his tongue, sheathed his sword, and crossed his arms.

Celia and Chen Xia also withdrew their aura.

Swoosh—

"You looked great getting beat up by your juniors," Leo remarked sarcastically.

"You arrogant little—!" Kaodin, his fury reignited by Leo's taunt, yanked back his bowstring.

Crackle—!

"Die!"

With a roar, he loosed the arrow.

Thwack—!

Leo caught it midair.

Crackle—!

"…!" Kaodin's eyes widened in shock at how effortlessly his attack had been blocked.

Crunch—!

Leo tightened his grip, and the aura arrow dissipated as if it had never existed.

Everyone watching widened their eyes as Leo slowly stepped toward Kaodin.

"Stop him! Stop that bastard!" Kaodin screamed at his Valkyries.

Leo raised a hand.

Shuuuu—! Crash—!

"Kugh!"

"W-What is this…?!"

Shadow bindings surged from the ground as he unleashed Lysinas' magic, restraining the Valkyries.

"Ugh, using magic… how cowardly…!"

"You're hardly in a position to complain about cowardice when all you do is hide in safety and shoot arrows," Leo sneered as he approached.

Kaodin, frantic, pulled his bowstring once more.

Whoooooo—!

Leo's killing intent erupted.

Thunk—!

The moment it hit Kaodin, his hands trembled, and he dropped his bow.

Click-click-click—

His jaw quivered uncontrollably, his face drained of color.

Leo narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the sky. "You all think this counts as a hero?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I am a hero, rightfully chosen by the gods! You have no right to question my…"

"Kneel."

Crunch—!

"Gaaaahhh!"

Leo kicked Kaodin's shin. His shinbone shattered, and Kaodin collapsed.

"You're right. Maybe I don't have the right to judge who deserves to be a hero." Leo pressed his foot onto Kaodin's head. "But one thing's for sure. You don't deserve to be a hero."

Squelch—!

"AAAAAAGH!" Kaodin shrieked, his skull feeling like it was about to crack under the pressure.

A few of the second-years watching sucked in their breath.

Leo had known he had the authority to erase records, but he hadn't intended to abuse it. Now, though…

"I was willing to just sit back and watch. Getting involved would only make things messier. However, if people like you are being called heroes, then what does that mean for the ones who actually dedicated their lives to this world?"

"Ghh—! Ghk—!"

The denser Leo's killing intent became, the harder it was for Kaodin to breathe.

His body trembled violently, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

I'm going to die! He's really going to kill me!

Kaodin was drowning in terror.

"F-Forgive me… f-forgive…!"

"If you want forgiveness, ask Chen Xia. She's the one you insulted, and she's worth a thousand of you."

"P-Please… ghk—!" Kaodin's eyes rolled back, and his body went limp.

Leo's expression remained blank as he turned to the Valkyries. "Take him away."

The Valkyries hurriedly carried Kaodin off.

Chen Xia quietly approached Leo.

"Sorry, I was going to make him apologize to you," he said.

Chen Xia smiled. "It's fine. I wouldn't have felt any better getting an apology from someone like that."

Then, Duran, who had been silently watching, finally said, "Leo Plov. I have a question."

"You, asking me a question? That's rare."

"What is your idea of an ideal hero?"

"…?" Leo blinked in surprise. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Everyone has their own reason for wanting to be a hero. And just as everyone's reasons are different, so are their ideals."

Duran had longed for strength, so he sought to be a hero.

Celia wanted to elevate her family's honor.

Chen Xia wished to help as many people as possible.

Each person had their own motivation and their own path.

"But from the start, you never seemed interested in being a hero."

"Did it look that way?"

"Yeah. And yet… you're more of a hero than anyone else."

At Duran's words, everyone, including Leo, was taken aback.

Duran was a prideful man. For him to acknowledge Leo so sincerely was a first.

"You had the power to turn the impossible into reality. You were honorable as a hero and never hesitated to help others. It was as if you were born to be a hero." Duran stared directly into Leo's eyes. "And today, you were more furious than anyone at a so-called hero who wasn't worthy of the title. That's why I want to ask—what do you consider to be an ideal hero?"

"I've never really thought about it, so it's a tough question."

Leo thought of Aaron, Dweno, Lysinas, and Luna. After a pause, he finally said, "Someone who can muster courage for the sake of others. Someone willing to become another person's shield. Someone who can shine no matter the circumstances. Someone who can turn despair into hope. That's my idea of an ideal hero."

"Wow, that's exactly who you are, Sir Leo."

"Not at all."

"Why not? It describes you perfectly."

"I just didn't give up because of people like that."

"That's what makes it amazing." Chen Xia pouted in dissatisfaction.

"So? Why did you ask?" Leo asked Duran.

"I simply wanted to follow a different path as a hero than yours," Duran replied.

Duran had never given up on surpassing Leo. Maybe, no, he knew he might never reach him, even if he spent his entire life chasing after him, but that didn't mean he would stop trying.

Still, I have no desire to become the kind of hero he envisions.

It was a strange sense of rebellion—he didn't want to completely follow in someone else's footsteps.

"To me, a hero is someone who never gives up."

He recalled his very first conversation with Leo.

Yeah. Never giving up. That's not a bad goal to strive for.

Duran looked down at his hands before raising his head to face Leo again. "I will never give up on surpassing you, Leo Plov."

Leo's eyes widened slightly at the declaration.

"Why are you so shocked?" Duran asked.

"I don't know. You just remind me of someone."

"Who?"

Leo paused. If I say that he's like me, he might throw a fit…

In the end, he said, "The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle."

Chen Xia's eyes went wide as she looked back and forth between Leo and Duran.

Duran only scoffed, pretending not to notice her reaction. "You say that like you actually knew the Hero of the Beginning."

"I heard about him from Lady Luna," Leo lied smoothly.

Duran frowned slightly.

"Alright, alright, let's get back to class." Claria stepped in to settle the situation.

Duran approached Chen Xia. "You didn't get hurt from just that level of attack, did you?"

The arrogant tone aside, it was his way of showing concern.

Chen Xia glanced up at him with an oddly sullen expression.

Duran blinked in confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Must be nice, getting told by Sir Leo that you resemble the Hero of the Beginning."

"Are you jealous? I don't see why this would be something to be jealous about."

"Hmph!" Chen Xia huffed and abruptly turned away.

Duran could only stare after her, completely baffled.