Editor : Amethyst00



“Leo Plov?”

“Yeah.”

“But Leo Plov is a student, just like you, isn’t he? Of course, he did become a hero before you did. Still, how can someone equal to you have the qualifications to evaluate your potential?”

“He absolutely has the qualifications. And who said we’re equal?”

From the very first time Aru saw him, she had felt a strong competitive spirit toward Leo.

The instinct to fight the strong is something completely natural for beastkin.

In her life, Aru had only met one beastkin who lacked that instinct.

‘Ironically, that was Lord Aaron.’

Aaron—the strongest warrior revered by all beastkin.

He was unbelievably cowardly, and that’s precisely why he possessed greater courage than anyone else. He was Aru’s idol.

And Aru had another person she looked up to now.

‘Just thinking about the Black Rabbit makes my heart race.’

It was a strange feeling—similar to how she felt about Aaron, yet subtly different.

Her fierce desire to challenge Leo still remained.

But she didn’t see him as a rival.

‘I did feel that way at first.’

But Aru wasn’t a fool.

She already sensed the gap between herself and Leo.

If she saw Leo as someone she had to defeat, she would never be able to move forward.

‘The one I need to surpass… is her.’

Aru stole a glance at the red-haired elf standing beside her.

Lunia El Lunda.

She was the rival Aru had to overcome.

To Aru, Leo wasn’t a competitor.

He was a goal.

‘As a hero… and as a warrior, he’s the goal I must catch up to. Just like…’

A figure appeared in Aru’s mind—someone’s back, firm and unwavering.

Just seeing it gave her courage and made her heart tremble.

‘Lord Aaron.’

She didn’t know why.

But her instincts were telling her—

‘To me, the Black Rabbit is on the same level as Lord Aaron.’

One day, they would stand shoulder to shoulder.

Until then—and even when that day came—Leo would remain the only leader Aru had ever truly acknowledged.

Ryden was shocked by her words.

‘Just what kind of person is Leo Plov?’

From what he could see, Lunia and Aru were already extraordinary.

Lunia had earned the title [Chaser of the Star], making her the official successor of Poet of the Star.

‘And Aru Tune is the same. She hasn’t received an official hero title yet… but she inherited the Brave from the descended hero not long ago.’

It was only a matter of time before she earned the title that proved her as the hero’s successor.

‘Yet they both acknowledge Leo Plov as their leader…’

Amazed, Ryden’s eyes lit up.

“I absolutely have to meet Leo Plov!”

“What for?”

“I want to become his Guide.”

“…What?”

“Of course, I still want to be your Guide as well.”

Ryden gave a gentle smile.

“Throughout history, the great heroes who accomplished incredible feats always had a dragon by their side as their partner. I may still be lacking right now—but I’ll give my all to become someone worthy of being your partner.”

At those words, Lunia gave a baffled expression.

‘He wants to be Leo’s Guide?’

Even Melina, the current Dragon Queen, and Rodia, the Dawn Dragon, couldn’t become Leo’s Guide.

Leo’s Guide was none other than the Wise Queen—Lysinas.

And yet—

‘What kind of face would Leo make if he heard this?’

“This guy’s a pain. What should we do?” Aru whispered softly into Lunia’s ear.

“He says his wish is to meet Leo. So… let’s make that happen.” Lunia replied with a flat tone.

“He’ll probably give up once they meet.”

bl

Dragon Queen’s Audience Chamber.

Melina gazed up at the ceiling, where a beautiful black dragon was depicted.

The pride and honor of all dragons.

The Great Dragon Hero, the Wise Queen—Lysinas.

Closing her eyes, Melina brought her hands together in prayer.

‘O great Wise Queen… Your dear friend, the First Hero who once saved the world at your side, is about to walk a perilous path once again. Please, as his Guide, watch over his way. And please, lend your strength to me, though I am lacking, so that I may assist him in any way I can.’

Melina knew well that this prayer was meaningless.

No prayer could reach Lysinas, who had already passed.

Even if it did, it wouldn’t grant her any strength.

This was merely a habit she had kept for a hundred years to steady her own heart.

Her hands trembled faintly as she thought about what was to come.

‘Soon, a great battle that will determine the survival of the world will begin. And in that battle, we will not be able to avoid a final clash with Erebos.’

Melina bit her lip without realizing.

A hundred years ago, she had challenged the Final Chapter of the Dawn World alongside the heroes she had chosen—and the result had been devastating.

Only one returned alive.

And even that one passed away not long after.

Those who fell in the Final Chapter couldn’t even leave proper last words.

The fact that Melina returned unscathed was nothing short of a miracle.

‘I’m sorry, Melina. Because we were lacking, we left such a heavy burden on your shoulders. But… we believe in you. That you will try again. That you will defeat that great evil.’

Those were the last words of Rudve, the elf magic swordsman who returned with her.

Melina clenched her hands tightly.

‘Rudve, Harlock, Damen, Tiel… It wasn’t you who were lacking. It was me—foolish, arrogant me.’

An elf magic swordsman, a dwarf warrior, a beastkin mage and a human spirit wielder.

They were the heroes who shone in their era—some of the few truly great ones born after the Return of Calamity.

But they died before they could fully bloom.

‘Because of me…’

From a young age, Melina had been special.

She was so talented, they called her the Reincarnation of Rodia, the Dawn Dragon.

But her talent made her arrogant, and in the end, that arrogance caused the loss of her dearest friends.

That failure turned her into what they called the “Silent Dragon.”

It was not her original title.

Rather, it was a derogatory name for someone who had done nothing as Dragon Queen for a hundred years.

Melina accepted that name willingly, if only to ensure no one else would share the same fate as her friends—whose potential was buried because of her.

The defeat from a hundred years ago still haunted her, still stirred fear of Erebos within her.

Last time, they had successfully defeated the 3rd fragment of the resurrected Erebos—but that wasn’t her achievement.

‘I merely relied on Lord Leo… and Lord Aaron.’

Erebos still filled Melina with fear.

‘But I can’t stay trapped in failure forever.’

She clenched her trembling hands and grit her teeth.

‘It’s a promise I made—to all of them.’

For the sake of those friends who died because of her…

‘I will give everything I have to defeat Erebos.’

Knock knock—

A soft knock broke her train of thought.

Melina instantly returned to her role as Queen and took her seat.

“Come in.”

The girl who entered had golden hair and golden eyes.

Enkinas—her successor, and the dragon who had been assisting Leo since summer break.

She had temporarily returned with Leo’s visit to Dragonia.

“En, what brings you here at this hour?” Melina asked with a gentle smile.

En lowered her head and answered.

“It seems the students of Wisdom have contacted the hero candidates visiting Dragonia.”

Wisdom.

After the Age of Calamity ended, dragons created this educational institution to carry on the will of the Wise Queen, Lysinas.

Just as most world-renowned heroes were trained in hero academies, the dragons who guided those heroes almost all came from Wisdom.

Even the great Dawn Dragon, and Melina herself, had studied there.

“For the Wisdom students, this must be a great opportunity. It’s rare for them to meet hero candidates while still students.”

Guides are those who lead heroes to great deeds.

They support and guide heroes as their partners.

For Wisdom students, this encounter would be invaluable.

Melina smiled, but tilted her head slightly at the subtle concern on Enkinas’s face.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Ah, yes. The Wisdom students who went to meet the hero cadets are very capable—but because of that, they’re also very proud. And emotionally… still immature.”

“Ahh. I see what you're worried about.”

Dragons are the strongest of all races.

With that comes strong pride.

‘Said nicely, it’s self-respect. Said bluntly—it’s arrogance. Just like I once was.’

“You were like that too, weren’t you, En?” Melina chuckled. Enkinas flushed red.

“T-that’s a memory I’d rather forget.”

“It’s okay. I was like that too. Children are meant to be immature, and everyone has memories they’d rather forget.”

“I can’t even imagine that, honestly.”

“Everyone says that. Dragons who know nothing of the world are always arrogant. But that also means they become humble once they understand the world.” Melina knew.

That humility was the greatest virtue of Lysinas.

“In the Age of Gods… dragons were even more noble and proud than now.”

Their title as agents of the gods.

It made dragons arrogant.

There was even a country that was destroyed simply for insulting a dragon.

“Back then, we were beyond pride—we were haughty and overbearing. We saw it as natural to rule above other races. We were clearly twisted.”

But Lysinas was different from other dragons.

Even in a world that mocked and scorned her as a fool, Lysinas humbled herself and continued to speak of hope.

She never stopped smiling—even in front of the first hero who ridiculed her—and always reached out a hand.

That virtue was what saved the world.

“A Guide isn’t just someone who leads heroes.”

Melina’s voice was firm.

“Yes, a Guide sometimes must stand in front and give commands.”

Like Lysinas and Rodia, who led the great heroes and the Heroes of Dawn.

“But they must never always stand above. They must know how to serve heroes from the lowest place—sometimes leading from the front, other times following behind. And always, they must be there to support the hero if they stumble.”

“That sounds incredibly difficult.”

“It is. Very hard and painful. But remember—during the Age of Gods, our ancestors brought the world to the brink because they simply ruled as protectors.”

They believed only in their own strength and dismissed the potential of other races.

They merely ruled and gave orders.

It was the world’s own arrogance and division that brought about the Age of Calamity.

“Lysinas said we dragons are born with great power because we have a duty to the world.”

She made that belief and pride the foundation of the dragon race.

‘Thanks to Lysinas… I didn’t give up until the very end.’

Recalling Leo’s words, Melina gave a faint smile.

“Remember it. That’s what it means to be a leader.”

“Yes. But… even so, is it really okay to let the Wisdom students behave rudely to Lord Leo?”

“It’ll be a good experience for them. They might have a rough time, though.”

Knowing Leo’s identity through Melina, Enkinas sighed and changed the subject.

“By the way… it’s kind of strange, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“Lysinas gave orders to Lord Kyle, served her, led her, followed her, and supported her, right?”

“Yes. And I’m sure Lord Kyle treated her the same way.”

“It’s an ideal relationship of trust… almost like a married couple.”

“I’ve never thought of it like that—but it’s true, isn’t it? Of course, that could never actually happen, though.”

Melina looked a little regretful, and Enkinas nodded.

“Because Lord Kyle had Lady Luna.”

The tales of the Great Heroes were the most famous and beloved stories in the world.

Even after thousands of years, new fairy tales and novels about them continued to be published.

Across time and race, their popularity endured.

And the story the world was most interested in right now was the relationship between Kyle and Luna.

The day the Poet of the Star appeared in the present world and declared her love for Kyle for all to hear—that unprecedented moment had sparked an explosion of romantic stories.

“Lysinas and Lord Kyle really did seem perfect together… but he’s in love with Luna…”

“Have you ever asked him about it?”

“I thought it might be painful for him… so I never did.” Melina smiled bitterly.

The world now took it as fact that they were lovers.

It was understandable—someone like Luna, the Poet of the Star, had descended and boldly declared it.

Even Melina, who had heard neither Leo’s thoughts on Lysinas nor Luna, believed it to be true.

“Would you ask him for me sometime? About Lady Luna?”

Melina paused, then nodded at Enkinas, who looked up with sparkling eyes.

“I’ll ask him gently. But for now… shall we go meet the Wisdom students?”

“You said it would be a good experience for them. Are you planning to mediate?”

“Yes. Experience is good—but not if it leaves behind trauma.”

“Ah…”

Enkinas nodded and followed behind Melina.