Chapter 659

Book 1 Chapter 659

Gerwin, the principal of Demian, was taking a drink of tea.

Seated across from him, a beast-man and a dwarf were engaged in conversation.

Knock-knock—

Moments later, the door swung open following a gentle knock.

An instructor from Demian stepped into the room and offered a greeting to Gerwin.

“Principal. The delegation from Lumerin has arrived.”

“Show them in.”

Setting down his teacup at his own words, Gerwin watched as the entrance parted to admit a group of seven.

A petite woman at the front of the party offered a greeting.

“Greetings, Lord Gerwin. I am Artian Nier, a professor from Lumerin’s Department of Summoning.”

“Welcome, Professor Artian.”

Standing up with a robust laugh, Gerwin extended a warm reception to Artian.

With the initial pleasantries finished, Gerwin’s eyes naturally drifted to the individuals standing behind Artian.

“Welcome. Leo Plov. And…”

Gerwin’s attention paused upon Kyle.

“The one who prepares for the beginning.”

“Lord Gerwin.”

“Why do you address me as the one who prepares for the beginning?”

Observing Kyle’s cautious inquiry, Artian gave a subtle smile.

“Champions are figures who command great reverence. The titles preserved within the Hero Record serve as literal representations of a champion. Because of this, addressing them by their designated moniker from the Hero Record is proper protocol in formal environments. As for Leo, he unfortunately lacks an official title, so he was addressed by his given name.”

“You weren’t even aware of that?”

Kyle gave a click of his tongue when Iliana spoke to him with a look of pity.

“When exactly would I have ever crossed paths with a hero in a formal setting?”

“Haha. Quite right, everyone finds it rather strange initially. But they will grow accustomed to it over time.”

“Grandfather, Ar doesn’t appear to find it strange in the slightest, though?”

As Driana interjected after observing the exchange, Ar folded her arms and held her tail high.

“Hee hee hee! A pupil of Azonia remains perpetually ready! And the one who inherits the will of the Brave! What an incredible resonance!”

Ar expressed her admiration, re-stating her given title.

“Does this title not complement me perfectly?!”

“There are times I genuinely covet your boundless self-assurance.”

Stepping into the shoes of a predecessor who achieved legendary status is typically an immense burden.

Regardless of one’s actions, the figure who came before naturally serves as the benchmark for evaluation.

Furthermore, Ar happens to be the successor to none other than the Great Hero, the Brave Arion.

Even looking at Driana, though she had not yet received formal recognition as the successor of Dweno in the manner Ar had, she still bore a massive amount of stress.

Naturally, she did not allow that weight to break her, but she frequently found Ar remarkable whenever she observed her brimming with such certainty.

“Is her fortitude simply that immense?”

“Driana, do you possess a fragile fortitude? Observe and take notes from your elder sister right here.”

Ahahaha! As Ar patted her head while laughing, Driana murmured with a serious expression.

“Hmm. Is her mind simply empty because she is a beast?”

“What?!”

Ar’s gaze flared instantly, though Driana paid her no attention.

“Even the Black Rabbit serves as Kyle-nim’s successor, yet he remains entirely unbothered! Therefore, it is your own fortitude that is lacking!”

Ar declared while gesturing toward Leo.

Hearing those words, Kyle and Chelsea both whispered internally.

‘Naturally, Leo Oppa is—’

‘—Kyle himself.’

“It is wonderful to witness such a vibrant environment.”

With a hearty laugh, Gerwin gestured for the Lumerin pupils to take their places.

Leo and his companions seated themselves on the couch alongside Ar and Driana.

Then, catching sight of the item resting in the center of the table, they went still.

“This… is this not Brave?”

Duran, recognizing the fractured blade, let out a cry of awe.

Gerwin offered a nod in confirmation.

“Indeed, it is the weapon passed down to the one who inherits the will of the Brave from Lord Arion.”

Gerwin spoke with an undertone of gravity.

Reacting to Gerwin’s demeanor, Leo, who had been studying the weapon intently, remarked.

“It is falling apart.”

At his observation, Ar’s ears sank down.

“That is correct, Black Rabbit.”

The current state of Brave mirrored its condition immediately following the clash with Erebus.

It remained in the exact shape it possessed just prior to Arion’s passing.

Because Arion had manifested back into the living world right before his demise, this outcome was unavoidable.

Even after inheriting the weapon, Ar had utilized Brave across multiple conflicts.

A blade whose lifetime had already reached its end.

Consequently, despite being numbered among Dweno’s greatest creations, it was impossible to prevent its gradual deterioration.

“We were evaluating whether this blade could be mended.”

Gerwin commanded the highest reputation among contemporary artifact smiths.

For this reason, Ar had approached Gerwin regarding the restoration of Brave.

To state the conclusion directly…

“It cannot be done.”

“Indeed.”

Gerwin let out a heavy sigh.

“Mending a weapon necessitates the identical components utilized during the creation of that specific artifact. The majority of the items crafted by Lord Dweno incorporate metals uniquely forged by Lord Dweno himself. Fixing it is out of the question unless that exact metal can be produced. Even if a repair were executed, it would merely mimic the exterior. It could never truly be called Brave.”

Eliza remarked, keeping her gaze on Gerwin, whose face showed deep regret.

“Kyle, does the alchemy codex of Lord Dweno that you received not contain a method for forging artifact metals?”

Following her inquiry, the hopeful eyes of everyone present instantly locked onto Kyle.

“Come to think of it, I intended to ask about that very topic myself. The one who prepares for the beginning.”

Gerwin’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Student Kyle. Does the alchemy codex of Lord Dweno happen to hold any metal production formulas?”

Artian inquired as well, her voice laced with anticipation.

“Regrettably, the sole metals detailed within Lord Dweno’s alchemy codex were those required for crafting sculptures.”

“Metals required for sculptures, you say…”

“Then it would not be the correct one.”

“Indeed. The alloys utilized for sculptures and those intended for weapons would naturally differ.”

Both Gerwin and Artian displayed disheartened expressions.

“…What sort of metal did you mention?”

However, Driana’s eyes flashed with sudden realization.

“The metal designated for creating sculptures.”

“That very well could be it!”

Driana declared, her voice rising with excitement.

“You! Have you forgotten the primary identity of Lord Dweno prior to his renown as a smith?!”

“In contrast to you, he was an exceptional artist.”

“In contrast to me! I am likewise an exceptional art—”

“That is incorrect.”

“Do not insult the arts.”

Kyle and Ar broke in simultaneously to cut off Driana’s sentence.

In response, Driana formed a pout with her lips.

“It certainly remains a distinct probability, however…”

Folding his arms, Kyle cast a subtle glance toward Leo.

Catching Kyle’s look, Leo gave a brief nod.

‘Gah! Can this actually be real?!’

If true, it represented something absolutely monumental.

‘Why did you wait until now to inform me?’

Kyle, wearing an expression of shock, quickly reconsidered the situation and understood.

‘Should this piece of information spread to the public, it would invite extreme peril.’

It aligned perfectly with Kyle’s reasoning.

Leo had examined Dweno’s alchemy codex and deduced that the specified metal was indeed the material Dweno employed for creating artifacts.

The logic behind withholding this from Kyle initially was to keep Kyle out of harm’s way.

‘Because it forms the very core of none other than Dweno’s artifact creation technique.’

Dweno’s creations, often referred to as divine artifacts.

Naturally, even if someone managed to forge items using that metal, they could not hope to replicate artifacts on par with Dweno’s level.

Nonetheless, they would still possess the ability to craft items far superior to anything manufactured today.

‘Furthermore, the factions that would pursue Kyle would not merely consist of those desiring potent weapons.’

They would not stop at attempting to abduct Kyle.

There would also be factions seeking to eliminate Kyle entirely.

‘Tartarus.’

It concerned an artifact of Dweno, of all individuals.

From the perspective of Tartarus, this was the very weapon-smithing knowledge that had brought down a deity.

They would undoubtedly seek Kyle’s demise by any available path.

Gerwin appeared to reach the same conclusion, as his face turned solemn.

“Everyone present must maintain absolute confidentiality regarding this topic for the time being.”

Following his pronouncement, those gathered within the principal’s chambers nodded in agreement.

“So? Given that you possess the formulation, are you capable of producing it?”

In response to Gerwin’s inquiry, Kyle rubbed his cheek.

“Truthfully, the manufacturing process is far from simple.”

“For what reason?”

“The component required to forge the metal is the specific fire of Lord Dweno.”

“In that case, Leo commands that power, does he not?”

Driana’s eyes shone as she directed her gaze toward Leo.

To her question, Leo answered.

“My physical form is likely incapable of enduring Dweno’s fire.”

Though he could generate the identical destructive force used when Dweno swung his hammer, his body could not tolerate that internal heat.

“Most importantly, I possess absolutely no aptitude for forge-work.”

With those words, Leo shifted his gaze to Driana.

“…? For what reason are you staring at me?”

“Would you care to attempt managing Dweno’s fire for once?”

“What? Is such a thing even achievable?!”

Driana’s eyes widened in shock.

“I believe I can function as the forge itself. Naturally, enduring and directing that flame would rest entirely on your shoulders, though.”

“I will accept! It would represent a massive privilege for a dwarf!”

“So you intend to proceed?”

“Without a doubt!”

“Excellent. In that case, we shall commence instruction this very day.”

“Yes! That works perfectly!”

Driana agreed, a radiant smile appearing on her face.

In her sheer joy, she entirely neglected to mimic Dweno’s distinctive speech style and reverted to her natural manner of talking.

“Very well, let us conclude the conversation regarding Brave’s mending at this point. Shall we enjoy a brief intermission and subsequently address the assignment?”

“Ah, under those circumstances, Student Kyle and I shall make our way back to the rest of the students.”

Artian and Kyle, who had entered the principal’s chambers to report their arrival at Demian, no longer possessed a purpose to remain.

“Haha. Partake in a cup of tea before your departure.”

“Ah, then I shall enjoy a cup of tea before I head out.”

Artian nodded in agreement with Gerwin’s offer.

With that, a brief tea gathering commenced.

“Hey, Leo.”

“What is it.”

“Your ability to deceive is growing sharper, isn’t it?”

Leo offered a soft laugh at Kyle’s remark.

“I still have a massive distance to cover before I approach the level of that deceptive reptile.”

‘Exactly how skilled in deception is Lord Licinas for Leo to make a claim like that?’

Pondering this privately, Kyle cast a glance full of sympathy toward Driana.

“By the way, the second-year pupils departed for another location via a warp gate the moment they set foot in Demian, did they not? Where did they head?”

Chelsea inquired with a look of confusion.

Given that Chelsea had completed the Smith contract at Demian Academy during the previous term, she felt inquisitive regarding the location of the second-year pupils who had relocated elsewhere immediately upon arriving.

“That?”

Kyle took a sip of his tea and let out a brief smile.

“I directed them to the excavation site.”

“Eh? The excavation site.”

“Indeed.”

“Absolutely not!”

Thud-!

“Why! In the world!”

Thud! Thud!

“Am I! A spellcaster! Subjected to this!”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Swinging a pickaxe inside a mine?!”

Thud-!

“Ooooh! Incredible!”

“Is she truly a spellcaster?”

“What brute force!”

“Who was the individual just now! The one who labeled me brutal! I will crack your skull open with this tool!”

Juen shot fierce glares and swung her pickaxe erratically toward the Demian pupils.

Observing Juen’s outburst, Luke remarked.

“It cannot be avoided, Juen. The terms state that you must personally extract the raw materials for the items to be crafted during this particular exclusive Smith contract.”

“Even taking that into account, this is absurd!”

Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!

“Observe Aina!”

“She is wielding two pickaxes at once!”

“I refuse to fall behind.”

“Hmph! Observe Habidden as well!”

“The Knights’ Department… you individuals are having an absolute field day, are you not?”

Juen wore a look of utter exhaustion.

“Juen. Cease your idling and focus on the labor.”

“No! Princess, for what reason are you so enthusiastic and exerting so much effort?!”

“I am discovering the dignity of physical labor. I believe it serves as a crucial area of study to understand the daily lives of the citizens I am destined to govern!”

“No! Does it not cross your mind why we are forced to participate in this type of grueling manual effort?”

“…? Not in the slightest.”

Juen adopted an intensely serious expression while staring at Shasha, who merely tilted her head in confusion.

‘…Am I the one who is out of touch?’