Chapter 415

Book 1 Chapter 415

415.

The unexpected arrival of the Shan delegation caused ripples through the gathered crowd.

It affected more than just the academy pupils of Lumerne.

A similar wave of tension washed over the global dignitaries and legendary figures assembled for the international council.

Confronted with this sudden development, every eye gravitated toward the middle-aged figure standing at the absolute vanguard of the Shan Empire.

He was clad in traditional robes of the East, bearing a strangely indifferent expression on his face.

The pressure radiating from his form was extraordinary.

It felt as though one would be sliced to pieces merely by stepping too close.

Such was the lethal intensity the man possessed.

Though none had previously glimpsed his countenance, his true identity was instantly unmistakable to everyone present.

The audience collectively caught their breath.

The supreme sovereign of the dark, who had historically remained hidden from the world’s sight.

The lineage recognized across generations as the ultimate phantoms.

‘The Emperor of Shan.’

His sheer presence dominated the entire assembly, even within a hall packed with established legends and the continent’s most promising talents.

Thud— Thud—

Flanked by the royal attendants, Shau advanced until he stood directly before Liina, the headmistress of Lumerne.

“A great deal of time has passed.”

Hearing Shau’s greeting, Liina offered a subtle curve of her lips.

“Indeed it has, Baroness Liina. Or perhaps, it is more fitting to address you as Headmistress Liina of Lumerne now.”

Where brightness exists, darkness must inevitably follow.

Naturally, clandestine networks operated within Lumerne as well.

In her role overseeing the covert forces of Lumerne, Liina had prior occasion to cross paths with Shau.

“Your personal attendance was unexpected.”

“The current state of the world is shifting drastically, is it not?”

Shau lightly stroked his facial hair, speaking with absolute composure.

“It appears the time has come for Shan to participate openly.”

“You are most welcome. The presence of Shan at this council will undoubtedly provide immense strength.”

It was, in the most literal sense, a monumental occasion in history.

Disregarding the intense scrutiny of the crowd, Shau directed his gaze toward Leo as he made his way to the section reserved for Shan.

As Shau offered a subtle smile and a visual greeting, Leo returned the gesture with a quiet nod of his own.

Despite the commotion sparked by the arrival of the Shan Empire, global dignitaries continued to materialize through the teleportation structures.

Before long, starting with the representatives from Damian, followed by Azonia, and then Seirun, emissaries from the various prominent knight academies began arriving in sequence.

Flash—!

The delegation from Seirun, maintaining their penchant for dramatic entrances, drew a significant amount of attention from the crowd.

Spanning from the prior year into the early months of this one.

The internal affairs of Seirun had been plunged into turmoil by a succession of catastrophic events.

The return of Luna, the ancient source of the astral magic, alongside Seirun, the celebrated comet mage, initially seemed like a blessing for the elven realm, but the reality proved far more complicated.

There was the assault by the Monster Queen Shilatuuna, a crisis averted only through the combined intervention of the Hero of Beginnings and the Progenitor of the Nebula.

Furthermore, they had to contend with the machinations of the Necromancer King, which had been facilitated internally by Rhagen, the prominent figurehead of the Pureblood Council.

While the material destruction left by the Monster Queen’s forces was severe, the grandest betrayal was the revelation that the Pureblood Council had actively conspired with Tartaros.

The elven race had always maintained an incredibly isolated existence relative to other cultures.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, they rarely departed their ancestral woods, and outsiders were strictly prohibited from crossing into elven territory without explicit backing.

The discovery of such deep-seated treason within this highly insular society sent shockwaves through the neighboring nations.

As a result, even with the monumental return of Luna and Seirun to the living world, the elven populace remained entirely consumed by the task of restoring order to their fractured society.

It fell upon Rune Ersar to step into the role of interim leader of Seirun to navigate the institution through this period of unrest.

As a respected patriarch of the elven people who had consistently avoided the radical politics of the Pureblood Council, he was deemed the ideal stabilizing force by the Elf Council.

Once the students of Seirun, under the guidance of Rune, finished exchanging formal greetings with Liina, they proceeded toward their designated pavilion.

As they walked past, Leo’s gaze locked with a couple of recognizable faces.

They were Lunia and Eiran, both currently in their second year of study.

Catching sight of Leo, Lunia offered a somewhat aloof, tight-lipped nod, whereas Eiran offered a radiant grin while enthusiastically gesturing with her hand.

Leo let out a soft laugh and returned the wave.

With their arrival, the leaders of every sovereign state and major training academy were finally assembled.

Nevertheless, the Lumerne administrators orchestrating the event hesitated, debating whether they should proceed with wrapping up the introductory ceremony.

“The delegation from Dragonia is still missing.”

“Will they merely dispatch a political proxy once the actual debates commence, just like previous summits?”

“It appears the Dragon Lord has no intention of making a personal appearance.”

The observing Lumerne students began trading quiet whispers.

A gathering of this scale technically required the implicit consent of the Dragon Lord to take place.

Consequently, while Dragonia always participated in the proceedings, the sovereign ruler of the dragons was not obligated to show up in person.

Particularly, the reigning Dragon Lord, Melina, known widely as the Silent Dragon, was an exceptionally reclusive figure.

Though many across the continent harbored curiosity regarding whether the Silent Dragon would break her isolation, the general consensus was that she would utilize an intermediary once more.

Even so, a few attendees clung to a shred of optimism, though the gateway for Dragonia remained completely dormant.

Just as the master of ceremonies prepared to speak.

Flash—!

The teleportation array erupted with a brilliant radiance once more.

The eyes of every spectator widened in unison the moment the gateway flared to life.

A group of five stepped into view.

Positioned at the absolute center was a young woman donning a sheer fabric that completely masked her features.

Her cascading silver locks, which nearly brushed the ground beneath her, were interspersed with dark streaks.

Even with her countenance obscured by the cloth, she projected an incredibly majestic aura.

Acting as a protective vanguard for the maiden.

Four distinct individuals flanked her, positioning themselves at each cardinal direction.

The maiden advanced, the fabric of her attire rustling softly.

The entire assembly watched their movements with bated breath.

In the meantime, Melina, arriving before the headmistress of Lumerne, Liina, allowed a gentle smile to touch her lips, placed her hand against the left side of her chest three times, lowered her head, and executed a subtle curtsy.

Caught off guard by this unfamiliar display of deference, Liina clumsily attempted to replicate the motions.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Headmistress of Lumerne. I am Melina, the Dragon Lord.”

“The privilege is entirely mine. I am Liina Flix, Headmistress of Lumerne.”

Melina gave a soft smile in response to Liina’s formal greeting and inquired,

“If the introductory remarks for this gathering have not yet concluded, would it be permissible for me to provide them?”

“It would be an extraordinary privilege if you would do so.”

Receiving Liina’s affirmation, Melina smiled pleasantly and walked toward the elevated speaker’s platform.

As she moved forward, Melina cast a glance toward Leo from beneath the fabric covering her face.

A faint curve of her lips became visible through the sheer material.

In truth, the ancient draconic greeting she had just performed was never intended for Liina; it was directed entirely at Leo, who stood positioned right next to the headmistress.

From Melina’s perspective, this marked her inaugural public appearance as the Dragon Lord after an incredibly vast stretch of time.

Furthermore, though the rest of the world remained oblivious, this council was being attended by the Hero of Beginnings himself.

Melina deemed it absolutely paramount to exhibit proper reverence and protocol toward Leo in such a venue, prompting her to resurrect a long-forgotten greeting from antiquity.

“Leo, did the Dragon Lord just direct a smile your way?”

“Is that so?”

Leo acted completely oblivious.

The underlying message of that look was almost certainly, ‘I handled that beautifully, didn’t I?’

‘Your execution of the protocol was flawed.’

Naturally, Leo’s internal thoughts were running along an entirely different track.

‘Rodia committed the exact same error.’

The protocol dictated striking the right side of the chest, not the left.

While Leo quietly debated whether he ought to pull Melina aside later to correct her form.

Melina stepped up to the podium.

The entire crowd went completely silent, training their absolute focus on Melina.

The Silent Dragon began to speak.

“Greetings to the esteemed Heroes and Shadows gathered here. And to the aspiring champions who follow in their footsteps.”

Every individual in the hall hung on Melina’s every word.

“Our current epoch is standing on the precipice of a monumental shift. It is entirely possible that within the span of our current lifetimes, we may finally bring a permanent conclusion to an age-old conflict.”

Upon hearing those words, a low murmur rippled through the audience.

Statements originating from the Dragon Lord, above all others, carried immense weight and could never be dismissed lightly.

“Because of this, I view this particular council as a matter of supreme consequence. My sincere hope is that this gathering serves as a constructive period to deliberate on all phenomena, anomalous occurrences, and miraculous events manifest across our lands, as well as the trials that await us. That concludes my remarks.”

The moment Melina finished her address, a deafening wave of applause resonated from every corner of the venue.

With that, the international council officially commenced.

That location was, in the most literal sense, the dominion of the departed.

A territory where no living soul could hope to survive.

The sanctuary belonging to the supreme commander of Tartaros, the Necromancer King Hel Kaiser.

“The Silent Dragon has broken her isolation?”

The Necromancer King, resting upon his throne constructed of expiration, narrowed his gaze as the intelligence was delivered.

Standing before him, Atkan, the Grand Duke of Funeral, bowed deeply.

“That is correct.”

Hearing his subordinate’s confirmation, the Necromancer King’s crimson eyes flared with irritation.

The monarch of the unliving, a skeletal entity outfitted in massive armor formed from calcified remains, found the current trajectory of events deeply unsettling.

Observing the irritated state of the Necromancer King, a female voice broke the silence.

“What is it that fills you with such anxiety?”

The Necromancer King shifted his attention toward the woman.

“Could it be that you harbor genuine trepidation toward a decrepit reptile who stripped herself of authority eons ago?”

The Necromancer King, observing the mocking smile playing upon the woman’s face, simply lifted his skeletal fingers.

“Gag—! Cough— Keho—!”

“The fallen Queen, despite her volatile and simplistic nature, possessed a modicum of intellect. Witch.”

A profound irritation simmered within the Necromancer King’s gaze.

The individual addressed as a witch, her windpipe currently compressed by the invisible grip of the Necromancer King’s malevolent energy, began to flail about violently.

“If you intended to seize a vacant commander’s seat purely through opportunistic vacancy, lacking the true merit, shouldn’t you at least possess the capacity for critical thought?”

“M-Mercy… Grant me mercy…! If I am destroyed, who remains competent to command the hordes of beasts…!”

“Surrogates are easily acquired.”

The Necromancer King offered a chilling smile and turned his face away.

Thump—!

Following his gesture, the witch’s form collapsed lifelessly.

Thud—

The newly appointed commander, the witch, now a broken heap upon the ground, was violently absorbed into the surrounding skeletal structures.

The remaining commanders, witnessing the display, maintained an absolute, terrified silence.

Every entity present was well aware that she had lacked the refinement required of a commander.

Yet, despite her shortcomings, she remained a premier demon whose power justified the title of commander.

To extinguish such a potent fiend as though crushing an insignificant bug.

It demonstrated, plain and simple, a tier of power that defied comparison.

“The Monster Queen has been eradicated, and the Giant King has entered an indefinite dormancy. Now, the Silent Dragon, who maintained a passive stance for ages, has mobilized.”

The Necromancer King scanned the faces of his surviving generals.

“Do any of you comprehend the gravity of these developments?”

“It implies that a singular entity capable of manipulating these variables has surfaced.”

“You, at the very least, possess some utility. King of Blood.”

The Necromancer King’s lips contorted into a grim smile.

The King of Blood.

He stood as the most formidable general within their ranks, second only to the Necromancer King and the slumbering Giant King.

“Positioned at the absolute epicenter of these events is this specific individual.”

As the Necromancer King manipulated his residual dark energies, an illusion manifested in the empty space before them.

It depicted a youth characterized by pale hair and crimson eyes.

“Leo Flobe. Instantly, my attention was drawn to his status as an All-Class.”

The Necromancer King’s eyes narrowed to slits.

“However, his current trajectory has entirely broken past the boundaries of merely sharing the unique traits of the Hero of Beginnings.”

The feats he had managed to secure within a mere twelve months of stepping into the spotlight were nothing short of baffling.

“The demise of the Monster Queen, the subjugation of the Giant King. This singular youth was physically present across every single one of those catastrophes.”

“Are you suggesting that Leo Flobe poses a level of danger equivalent to the Hero of Beginnings?”

“It would be a relief if he were merely as troublesome as that loathsome Hero of Beginnings. The reality may be far more severe.”

“What are you implying…?”

The gathered commanders exchanged perplexed glances.

In the meantime, Hel Kaiser simply kept his malevolent gaze locked onto the image of Leo.

‘This particular child has consistently stood at the epicenter of entirely implausible phenomena.’

His existence could no longer be rationalized away simply by pointing to his status as an All-Class.

Regardless of his talents, he was merely a youth who had barely reached the middle of his teenage years.

‘Yet, what if my suspicions are correct.’

An intense hatred burned within Hel Kaiser’s eyes.

‘If he is, in fact, that detestable Hero of Beginnings himself, then every single one of these anomalies becomes perfectly logical.’