Reflections of Master Leon
"Well, back to what we were talking about earlier. This might not be something I say as a teacher anymore, but…"
"Yes…"
"'Those who turn their backs on their mistakes are doomed to repeat them.' That's my belief. The path we walk doesn't disappear.
What happened, what remains after — only we ourselves can look back and give it meaning."
As we walked through the city in search of usable materials, we arrived at a plaza I recognized from before.
The place bore the scars of the horror that had once been unleashed there — utter devastation.
No buildings remained, no shelters — only rubble. From the city center, the horizon stretched unbroken in every direction.
"I think this is something we need to see… if we're to face the future,"
Master Leon said, pausing to gaze at that distant line on the horizon.
It was the same direction we had always looked, the same path we had followed.
"What happened here? What's going on in the world now?" I asked.
I thought I already knew the answer — but I wanted to hear it.
I didn't want to remain a student who merely thought he understood.
I wanted to face the truth with my own eyes — to become someone who truly stood on the same ground.
So I waited for Master Leon's words.
"Let's keep moving," he said. "I'd rather show you than explain it.
Let me show you a glimpse… of the 'end."
The destination of our field expedition was now close at hand.
And soon, we would uncover the true meaning behind this "adventure."
A surge of emotion erupted on the former battlefield.
"We've captured the enemy flag!"
"Yeah!"
"We did it, Luke!"
Cheers rang out from the students in a place that had once been the site of a clash between boys.
We were in the ruins of the old Shreem Castle.
More than six months ago, this very spot had been the battleground for a War Game between the Hestia Familia and the Apollo Familia.
It had also served as the improvised arena for the second round of the city's sports festival—the Orariopiad.
"Yesss! Even if the Seventh Squad beat us to the punch, we still won, and that's what matters!"
"We really pulled it off. We actually made a difference."
"With Nina and Rapi, we would've been MVPs for sure! I want them to see how awesome I was—even more than the 'Hero Braver' himself!"
The "Third Squad," infamously known as the worst team in history, had held their own against the elite units.
Iglin, Legi, and Chris basked in the students' shared excitement, their combat uniforms a little torn but their spirits overflowing with pride.
"Still… they were weak. Honestly."
"Totally! Their coordination was awful compared to ours. My commands were flawless!"
"When exactly did you give any orders? Seriously… Though I suppose it's true—the familias in Orario don't exactly get along."
Switching to his "princely mode," Iglin let out a sigh as he looked over the ruined enemy camp.
The adventurers from Orario lay scattered around in pitiful poses, completely worn out.
Even through the broadcast on the Divine Mirror, the viewers back in Orario were in uproar.
The commentator Ebri was shouting in excitement, while the god Ganesha struck a ridiculous pose. Hermes, the host of the event, clapped with genuine admiration for the victors.
Meanwhile, the spectators in the Colosseum—both citizens and adventurers alike—held nothing back:
"Losing to a bunch of brats? Shameful!"
"You blew two illegal bets in a row, you moron!"
"What happened to the 'Faction War,' huh?"
"Don't ever show your face in Orario again!"
"What kind of disgraceful performance was that? My Orario is—!"
"Shut up, Royman!"
The conditions for participating in the second round's Grand Team Battle were clear: only followers Level 3 or below could join. Victory wasn't about defeating the enemy, but capturing their flag deep within enemy territory.
These rules had been set by the Divine Council Denatus, aiming to ensure that not only first-rate adventurers and elite warriors, but also the mid- and lower-tier familias of Orario—and the students from the School District—could all participate fairly and equally.
However, as everyone could now see, the outcome was a decisive victory for the district side, which had employed bold and carefully planned tactics and traps—resulting in a crushing defeat for Orario.
The heckling was so intense, it echoed all the way to the Divine Mirror floating in the sky, forcing Lili and the others, who had come to observe, to cover their ears.
"Moooordoooo!"
"Damn brats from the district… None of you are impressive alone, but the moment you start working together, you pull off all this insane stuff…!"
Guile, Scott, and Mord—participants in the Grand Team Battle—clearly understood the jeers were aimed directly at them. Bruised and beaten, they rubbed their aching limbs and collapsed onto the rubble, utterly spent.
Even so—
"…Honestly? I didn't even want to do this in the first place."
"At least in the Faction War, we had a cause worth fighting for…"
"Yeah… but now…"
One after another, the apathetic voices of Guile, Scott, and Mord echoed.
"Those damn brats from the School District are insufferable, but… honestly, if the Guild got what's coming to them, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it."
"Besides, expecting another Faction War… That's just wishful thinking."
"Without the Rabbit's Foot, there's no chance."
The three of them voiced their rawest thoughts—aimless, unmotivated. To them, the Faction War had been nothing short of a miracle.
The idea that notorious adventurers could band together, setting aside their allegiances, was near impossible. They weren't like the "model students" from the district.
The only reason such unity had ever come to be was because the enemy had been none other than the Freya Familia. Because that goddess's arrogance had crossed a line. And above all—because he had been at the center of it all.
Mord knew it better than anyone… even if he'd never admit it aloud.
"Even so… we've already lost twice. If Orario ends up defeated again… it'll be humiliating, don't you think?"
Guile scratched his head as he looked up at the clear sky, the words slipping from his lips in a sigh.
Mord turned his gaze toward him, a sly grin forming on his rugged face.
"Don't worry. He's on his way… You know who I mean, right?"
With barely contained anticipation, he conjured up the image of the Fastest Rookie—the Rabbit's Foot.
"...!"
The moment I saw it, a wave of impact surged through me—second only to what I'd felt upon witnessing that ruined city.
This was even more overwhelming.
"A wall… even bigger than the one surrounding Orario…"
As the peaks of Mount Alv—homeland of the elves—faded behind us, an enormous wall emerged beneath a sky cloaked in blackened clouds.
A massive stone structure towered above us—far surpassing even Orario's walls in both height and thickness. It stretched unbroken from west to east, a monolith of imposing presence.
"...Is it destroyed?"
Directly ahead, a section about fifty meters wide looked as if it had been trampled by a giant. The wall was in ruins.
Surrounded by enormous, haphazardly scattered debris, I stood in silence, staring at the colossal construct and the devastation that had shattered it.
"This is the so-called Great Dragon Wall," Professor Leon said, placing her hand gently against the stone as she began to speak. "It was built to divide the habitable regions of humanity from the unlivable lands that begin further north. It's what we call a Grand Barrier."
As I stood stunned, she continued her explanation with calm reverence.
"Orario and many other factions took part in its construction—among them, the Thor Familia. It was a monumental undertaking."
Leon moved toward the rubble caused by the apparent destruction on the northern side and turned to look at me.
Like a puppet without will, I followed along with Nina, who was clutching her chest tightly. We crossed through the gap formed by the collapsed wall and arrived on the other side... the other side of the "Great Barrier."
What stretched out before us was a desolate wasteland, covered in an indefinable shade between black and purple.
"This 'Great Wall' extends from the far western edge all the way to the eastern end of the continent."
"From one end to the other...?"
"That's right. It was a worldwide project started about 900 years ago in response to the recurring 'Dragon Incursions.' It is still under construction and repair, with no end in sight yet."
Feeling a mix of awe and confusion, I followed Leon's gaze to the east. As she said, the "Great Wall" stretched to the horizon, marking the boundary between the northern and southern parts of the continent. It was a landscape that truly made it believable that the barrier reached to the ends of the world.
(So this wall separates the northern lands from the rest of the continent...?)
I visualized a map of the world in my mind to confirm our location. Orario lies at the far western edge of the continent, more specifically in the northwest, at a high latitude. From there, we had been advancing northeast. Beyond this was... the northern end.
That "northern end" was where humanity had sought to separate something for centuries.
—"Professor Leon, what lies beyond this...?"
—"The Dragon's Valley."
—"...!"
Finally, I heard the name of what I had already suspected.
—"It's the last of the three great quests for adventurers in history. The mission that neither the god Zeus nor the goddess Hera could complete: the 'Black Dragon.' This 'Great Wall' was built to protect the world from the dark fate it represents."
—"That 'Black Dragon'... has it attacked all the way here?"
—"No. The 'Apocalypse Dragon' remains sealed. What invades these lands are the 'lesser dragons.'"
For a moment, I thought the destruction was also the work of the Black Dragon, but I was wrong—whether for better or worse.
—"The 'Dragon's Valley' is, as the name suggests, a refuge for dragon species. Besides the Black Dragon, there are other ancient dragons that still survive."
—"...!"
—"It's these lesser dragons that pose the threat. Though their power varies, each time they descend from the valley, they wreak havoc, especially in the northern continent. That's why this 'Great Wall' has been under construction for 900 years."
The reason was clear: the invading dragons continuously left deep marks on the barrier with their claws.
I quickly turned to look at the destruction behind us, the scars of a desperate battle against devastation.
—"The dragon that broke through this section of the wall was the same one that destroyed the city we passed through."
—"...!"
—"It was a powerful creature, with strength comparable to a level 5, maybe even level 6. Although dragons of that caliber don't appear often, this wall was easily breached."
A dragon with power comparable to level 5 or 6...
That's something you only find deep in the dungeon or among the Monster Rex.
I recalled everything I had heard about the "Dragon's Valley": the warnings from Hermes and other gods, the stories about the Black Dragon. It was even mentioned in academic district classes.
But now, seeing it with my own eyes...
This threat that still lingers in the world is far more terrifying than I ever imagined.
(How can I keep believing that all this time we've been living in peace...?)
"This is the truth of the underworld."
The problem of the "visiting dragon" emerging from the north, the humans and demi-humans displaced from their homes, and the burden placed on Orario with the "Three Great Adventurer Missions." Everything I've seen and heard flows through my mind, appearing and disappearing.
What I once saw as someone else's problem now connects into a single line showing a cold and harsh reality.
The rubble of the fallen defensive barriers seemed to stare at me, as if judging my ignorance.
—"... So far, Rapi, you've looked puzzled several times. Especially at the number of monsters we've encountered, right?"
—"Nina..."
—"That's something everyone in our group already knew. On this continent, the closer you get to the north, the more frequent monster encounters become. Every time the dragons in the valley roar, monsters flee terrified toward the south..."
Nina, who had been silent until now, dispels the doubts I had held during this journey. The increase in monsters as we approached the north wasn't a coincidence; they had also been driven out of their homes.
Even the deformed creatures fear the echo of the roars from the most powerful dragons, resonating from the far north. Like humanity, they also flee in terror.
— "It is said that the 'visiting dragon problem' has worsened in recent years. We ourselves have visited many affected areas during our missions, facing dragons with the help of our teachers."
— "With Iglin and the others?"
— "Yes, although we only fought directly against dragons from the valley two or three times. We were always assigned the 'smaller ones.' The 'big ones'... that was left to the teachers. We could only watch from afar, from a safe place..."
At the same time, something else became clear. Now I understand why Nina and the other students from the 'academic district' are so strong. Although lacking experience in the depths of the labyrinth, many have quickly achieved 'rank ascension' in their skills.
It's the impact of the visiting dragon problem, which has intensified in recent years.
The teachers in the district, including Master Leon, possess power rivaling the factions of Orario because they constantly face the living trials emerging from the 'Dragon Valley.'
— "Still... I was afraid. A fear so great I almost ran away. The dragons of the valley... were terrifying."
The trembling hand of Nina, which had been pressed against her chest, reflected the fear she still felt. It was as if she spoke on behalf of all those who continue to suffer.
I find no words to comfort her.
— "The damage to this defensive barrier has been ignored due to Orario's relative proximity. Currently, the repair and construction of barriers east of the Alv mountains are the priority."
Hearing that makes me understand the lack of time and resources. I feel even more guilty.
— "In case of emergency, the adventurers of Orario will be sent to deal with the problem of the 'visiting dragon' in this region."
The underworld is in danger, increasingly distorted, and I spent my days chasing dreams, diving into the labyrinth, oblivious to the cries for help echoing somewhere beyond the massive city walls.
How long was I so naive, so indifferent?
— "… Do we really have time for things like the 'Competitive Games of Orario'?"
The weight of remorse and the reality before me made me murmur those words. Master Leon, upon hearing them, turned around and smiled.
— "I'm glad to hear you say that."
— "Huh?"
— "The simple fact that you have learned the truth of the world and changed your way of thinking, even if just a little, makes this 'fieldwork' worth it."
Master Leon kept smiling as I raised my head.
— "Rapi, I didn't mean to burden your conscience or reproach you. I just wanted you to know. And with that knowledge, to use it to guide your path."
— "My path...?"
— "Yes. 'Turn confusion into understanding. Society is a series of these processes.' That's what I always tell my students."
With a glance at the great barrier and then looking north, Master Leon continued:
— "For you, that 'society' is the world. Turn your doubts into knowledge, find a goal, and evaluate your current position. It's not about what you must do or should do, but about what you want to do. Find your answer."
Master Leon began to walk. A ravaged world stretched out to the north, toward the "Dragon Valley."
Although I didn't understand why Master Leon wanted to take me there, I knew I had to go.
— "Rapi."
From behind, a hand gently took mine.
— "Don't blame yourself for what you didn't know, alright?"
— "Nina... but..."
She shook her head, interrupting my words.
— "Rapi... even if you don't realize it, you've already been a force for the underworld."
— "What...?"
Nina changed her tone, speaking not to the student Rapi, but to the adventurer Bell.
—"The "fastest rabbit in the world"… Although some only know Bell Cranell through rumors, they have always dreamed of you. Every time you grow stronger, they think a hero has arrived, and that gives them hope."
Nina's eyes shone as she told stories of how these words were heard in cities and countries all over the world.
—"Not just you. Also the adventurers of Orario who continue growing stronger. We keep hoping in you. In the light you show us. That this time, you will surpass the dark end…"
"The world desires heroes."
I understood those words, spoken by Syr on the "Hero's Bridge," for the first time through this experience.
—"… Let's go."
With Nina's smile in front of me, I no longer hesitated.
Alongside her, I followed the knight northward. Not as an act of redemption, but to discover what lies at the edge of the world.
The Doomsday Clock, which seems to herald the end of the Lower World.