Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 385

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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385.

 

Gardstron.

 

Humanity’s last fortress and where the flame of hope first began.

 

A truly impregnable great fortress called the land of hope.

 

But even that Gardstron wasn’t a great place from the beginning.

 

‘No, it was a mess at first.’

 

Leo, who had settled in a restaurant in Gardstron, smiled bitterly.

 

This Gardstron was no different.

 

Even though it had reached the brink of destruction, the reason this place could remain wasn’t because there was anything particularly special about it.

 

‘It was simply because they were lucky.’

 

The fact that Tartaros’s footsteps didn’t reach here until the very end was literally because everything was fortunate.

 

Though it’s a land called by many glorious titles, up until this time it wasn’t much different from other last cities.

 

Public safety was at its worst and countless refugees had poured in.

 

Resources were limited.

 

Most critically, there was ‘fear’ settled in about not knowing when they might rush toward destruction.

 

But even so, it was a place where people lived.

 

There were restaurants where those who fought on the battlefield could quench their thirst and fill their stomachs.

 

An era when no one knew when the fortress would collapse and everyone would perish.

 

Drinking alcohol might have seemed like an absurd thing to do.

 

‘But it was also an era when it was hard to endure each day with a sound mind unless you got thoroughly drunk on alcohol.’

 

That’s how much not even a bit of hope remained in this world.

 

Literally the edge of a cliff.

 

The era Leo had entered was such an era.

 

Tartaros’s great assault had ended.

 

After that, it was a time when any restaurant would be bustling with people.

 

But in the restaurant-inn where Leo was now, there was no one.

 

At the table, only Leo was sitting.

 

The elf running the restaurant set down two large, crude drinking cups on the table and went to the counter to sit with crossed legs.

 

This place was also the regular restaurant of the surviving hero, Kail.

 

‘I was indebted to this place right before the last journey too.’

 

Looking at an acquaintance from the depths of memory, Leo smiled bitterly.

 

“Sorry, sorry.”

 

Then Risinass came down from the second floor.

 

“I was doing something for a moment.”

 

With a somehow relieved smile, Risinass sat in front of Leo.

 

‘Did he come after writing in his journal?’

 

Risinass had left everything about the Age of Calamity in his journal.

 

And today was the day he joined the party.

 

Recalling that day’s journal entry, Leo burst into laughter inwardly.

 

“Today is the historic day we established the expedition party, so drink to your heart’s content. I’d like to buy drinks for all the customers if I could.”

 

Risinass looked around.

 

“But since you and I are together, not a single customer comes near this restaurant.”

 

“The surviving hero is a symbol of misfortune and the foolish one is avoided for spreading useless hope.”

 

“That’s how it is now. But soon the way people look at us will change. This city will change too.”

 

Risinass, speaking with a voice filled with strong will, picked up his drinking cup.

 

“Now then, before we have a serious conversation. This is the beginning.”

 

Risinass grinned.

 

‘This is the end now.’

 

“Cheers to bless our future and the world’s hope.”

 

‘Cheers to bless our future and the world’s hope.’

 

5000 years ago.

 

When he shared the last drink with his friends.

 

Leo silently watched Risinass giving the exact same toast as back then.

 

“…Kail?”

 

Seeing Leo watching him silently, Risinass made a puzzled expression.

 

“Cheers.”

 

Thunk-!

 

The wooden drinking cups made a crude sound.

 

‘I never imagined that after everyone died and thousands of years passed, I’d return to sharing the first drink again.’

 

“Kail?”

 

Risinass, who was sipping his drink, asked in a somewhat bewildered voice.

 

“Did something good happen? Why are you smiling like that?”

 

At that question, Leo’s eyes widened and then he propped his chin and smiled.

 

“Just, because I’m happy.”

 

Risinass made a flustered expression.

 

‘He wasn’t this kind of guy?’

 

Risinass knew Kail’s personality well too.

 

Having chased after Kail for the past few weeks to bring him into the party, he had experienced that thoroughly twisted personality to the point of being sick of it.

 

‘Until now he’s said all sorts of rude things to me like calling me foolish or a lizard.’

 

He wanted to punch him in the face, but had endured it all to somehow leave a good impression.

 

But a little while ago.

 

After blocking Gardstron’s siege and joining the party, he felt unfamiliar.

 

‘Well, whatever. No matter what, the fact that this guy is a member of the expedition I formed doesn’t change.’

 

The surviving hero Kail.

 

His strength was already famous worldwide.

 

The demons felt fear from him.

 

‘A true expert who survived breaking through countless battlefields.’

 

Risinass wanted such companions.

 

After seeing Kail directly, his thought that he must join the expedition became even more firm.

 

‘An unprecedented All-Class. He’ll definitely be a great help in the battle against Erebos.’

 

Thinking so, Risinass cleared his throat with “Ahem!”

 

“Good, Kail. Then shall we have a somewhat serious conversation? About future matters.”

 

Risinass, who had put down his drinking cup, crossed his arms.

 

Making a serious expression, Risinass said.

 

“As you know, my goal is to subjugate Erebos and save this world. To do that, I absolutely need you. That’s why I recruited you to the party.”

 

“Right.”

 

“But. You and I alone aren’t enough to save the world.”

 

Risinass took a deep breath and said firmly.

 

“So we need strong companions to journey with us.”

 

“Do you have any candidates in mind?”

 

“Of course, first we need a mage.”

 

Risinass opened an extradimensional space and spread out a map.

 

A world map from 5000 years ago.

 

Most of the land was painted pitch black.

 

Areas that had burned and disappeared due to Erebos.

 

Among them, Risinass pointed to one area that hadn’t burned yet.

 

“This place. The Southern Elven Homeland Forest. Land cursed by the Monster Queen. Here there’s an elven genius mage called ‘Luna Rubinance’. You’ve at least heard the name, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I heard she’s a more noble elf than anyone else.”

 

‘…Come to think of it, such false rumors were spreading around that time too.’

 

“If we convey our intentions, that noble woman will surely accompany us on our journey.”

 

‘What did that girl say to me when I first met Luna?’

 

‘Are you perhaps crazy? What did you eat wrong to think such thoughts?’

 

Leo had simply conveyed Risinass’s intentions to Luna exactly as they were.

 

But it wasn’t Risinass who got called crazy—it was himself.

 

He felt wronged all over again.

 

And he looked at Risinass, who was now gazing with a serious expression at the terrain now called the Monster Forest.

 

Until this point.

 

No, until just before meeting Luna, Risinass had held tremendous expectations for Luna.

 

He had no choice but to.

 

The first member Risinass had recruited to the party was himself, who was twisted beyond repair.

 

‘He wouldn’t have known then. That Luna would be the most disobedient member of our party.’

 

“Your eyes look strange?”

 

“What’s wrong with my eyes?”

 

Risinass continued speaking with a dubious expression.

 

“The next member we need to recruit for the party is Agon, the ‘Guardian of the Starry Skies’ in Reissar.”

 

Agon, Guardian of the Starry Skies.

 

Arron’s master, he had already been renowned as a mighty hero even before the Age of Calamity.

 

The name ‘Guardian of the Starry Skies’ was earned by protecting the blue sky for so long.

 

But when Risinass, Kail, and Luna went to find him, his will had already been broken.

 

Arron joined the party in Agon’s place.

 

“The Guardian of the Starry Skies is a great hero who has stopped countless demons. He’s always dignified and brave. He’ll be a reliable vanguard.”

 

‘Instead, Arron came in. In major battles, he fulfilled the role of reliable vanguard as Risinass hoped. But in small battles, he was the most unreliable guy of all.’

 

His overwhelming skill and the courage he showed in crisis situations were certainly perfect for the expedition force’s vanguard.

 

‘Risinass’s face during the first battle was worth seeing.’

 

Arron had cowered in fear behind Risinass.

 

At that time, he possessed great power but was still an inexperienced boy, so it wasn’t strange.

 

But Risinass, whose expectations for the next party member had become even more desperate after seeing the troublesome Luna, showed an expression like he might cry for the first time when he saw the terrified Arron.

 

‘Luna laughed so hard when she saw that.’

 

“Why do you keep looking at me with those eyes?”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t look at me with pitying eyes.”

 

“I never looked at you that way.”

 

At Leo’s words, Risinass furrowed his brow and said.

 

“Next, we need a blacksmith who can make powerful weapons. Of course, since we’re outnumbered, he should also be a warrior with overwhelming skill. There’s exactly one man who fits that description. There are rumors he’s a bit eccentric, but they say he’s an amazing person.”

 

‘He wasn’t just a bit eccentric.’

 

‘Dweno, we need your strength. We hope you’ll accompany us on our journey.’

 

Dweno, who had been staring intently at Risinass as he bowed with draconic courtesy during their first meeting, looked at Leo who had come with him and said.

 

‘You there.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Are you lovers with this dragon lady?’

 

‘This human and I are not in that kind of relationship.’

 

‘Really?’

 

‘Absolutely not.’

 

‘Hmm.’

 

Dweno stroked his chin while looking at Risinass suspiciously, then nodded.

 

‘Alright. But I have a condition, Black Dragon.’

 

‘Speak, blacksmith Dweno.’

 

Dweno spoke with an almost sublime expression.

 

‘Be my nude model.’

 

‘Did I mishear?’

 

‘You heard correctly. Your beauty needs to be known for generations to come.’

 

At that moment, Risinass definitely made an expression like he wanted to burn down the world.

 

‘Let’s go, Kail. This guy won’t work.’

 

Kail picked up a sword rolling around like trash in Dweno’s workshop and said.

 

‘This is an amazing sword, why is it thrown around like this?’

 

‘That’s a failure. It’s not beautiful.’

 

‘If a failure is this good, it would be a great help, wouldn’t it?’

 

‘Let’s go! A twisted personality! A troublemaker! A coward is enough! We absolutely cannot have this pervert join too!’

 

Risinass desperately tried to dissuade Leo.

 

‘Hey, dwarf old man. We have an elf as beautiful as this guy in our party, want to join?’

 

‘Oh? If she’s that level, it would be worth following!’

 

‘Kail!’

 

With Risinass crying out in anguish behind them, Dweno joined the party.

 

Leo looked at Risinass with pitying eyes.

 

“So why do you keep looking at me with those eyes?”

 

“…I was thinking that saving the world won’t be easy.”

 

“Of course not. Don’t think useless thoughts and tell me what you think about the potential companions we’ll be with.”

 

“…They seem like they’ll be amazing people.”

 

“Right? They’ll be different from a guy with a nasty personality like you.”

 

Risinass, who had been wronged by Leo, spoke with slight emotion.

 

“…Yeah. They’ll definitely be different from a guy with a nasty personality like me.”

 

Later, Risinass confessed while drinking.

 

That the first impression of the guy he was most certain had the worst first impression was actually the most decent of them all.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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