The Heroes that Came After

The girl who I had just met turns out to be the princess of the land I’ve been standing on—Alyss Galdia.

I would’ve never thought that she was a princess. I recalled the time I had with her earlier in the day. If you think about it, she does look like a princess. But why would the kingdom’s princess be in this city, not to mention her clothes. All the time, she was wrapped tightly in her robe. It was only at the end she showed her face.

Her looks pasted on my mind for a moment. I wonder if I will meet her again? Such thoughts entered my mind. Though, the chances of a commoner like me meeting the kingdom's princess is slim. Her being royalty was probably the reason why she was hiding her face in the first place but then why would she reveal her identity at the end?

Well, anyway.

After parting ways with Alyss-san, I headed towards the academy alone. Galdia Academy is located near the royal palace.

The skies were as blue as ever, sun beating through the ground. It was late-afternoon. I made my way past different kinds of stores as I walked through. Soon enough, I finally arrived at my destination.

I saw the towering buildings of the academy rise in the distance. Walls primarily made of white bricks and wide lawns wrapped the paths around the outside of the buildings. I spotted one guard at the entrance. The guard inspected me dubiously as I went over.

“I’m here to see the headmaster of the school.” I said.

“Are you here for enrollment?”

“Yes.”

“Then please follow me.”

I followed him and made our way inside as he guided me to the headmaster’s office.

“Please wait here.”

He knocked on the door and waited for a response before entering.

“Someone is asking for an enrollment.” There was a slight delay in his voice as he spoke.

“Let them in.” a low voice replied from the room.

The guard opened the door and gestured for me to come in. I went inside the room and saw a man in his forties standing by the window. He seemed to be gazing at something, turned away as if not noticing the person who just entered.

When the door shut, he spoke. “I’ve been expecting you.”

That was then when he looked away from the window and faced me. He smiled and put out a hand. “I’m Oliver Cranel. The headmaster of this academy.” he said. “Welcome to this academy, young man.”

His mannerisms give off elegance and dignified air around him.

“I’m Hiro Laurent,” I said. “I’m here to enroll in this academy but... may I ask what you mean by what you said earlier?”

“...Laurent?” he muttered. His eyes widened for a second. He put his fingers against his chin and remained silent for a moment.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked.

“No. Anyway, I meant what I said, I was expecting your arrival.”

Did he mean that he knows I’m coming? But I don’t remember ever meeting him though. I tried looking at his face again to check if I had somehow met him before. Hmmm…

“A letter arrived with my name last night in my room, you see.” he said. “There wasn’t even the name of the sender. Of course, I was dubious though I still opened it regardless. And the content of the letter is as follows: Someone will enroll in the academy tomorrow. Make some arrangements.”

Something like that happened? If so, then who would do such a thing? Besides my parents, I haven't even told anyone about enrolling in the academy... Speaking of letters, I remembered the one that my father gave me as I was leaving the house and that he told me to give it to the headmaster. Don’t tell me...

I took out the letter I received from my father from my bag. I handed Oliver-san the letter.

“What’s this?”

“My father told me to give that to you.”

“Your father?”

Oliver-san scanned the letter and widened his eyes after seeing the seal on it.

“It has the same seal as that letter...” he muttered.

He opened the letter to read the content. After a few seconds, he suddenly burst out in laughter. Just what is in that letter? I smiled wryly seeing the refined-looking old man guffawed. The serious air around him had vanished.

“I see, I see. So that’s how it is. You still haven’t changed, Shaun.”

The way he spoke and mentioned my father’s name made it sound like there was quite a familiarity between the two. So they do know each other. Then did the letter Oliver-san mentioned was father’s doing too?

I wanted to ask him if he knew something about it but before I could, he spoke first.

He cleared his throat. “Ahem. You want to know how I know your father, right?”

Apparently, he had already guessed what I was about to ask.

“We actually used to be classmates in this academy, you see?” He boasted. A hint of nostalgia on his face like he was recalling the days he had spent with my father in this academy. “Mai was also there,” he added.

Apparently they were all together in this academy in the past. It was something I never would have expected. Though I never did ask them, I wonder why they didn't mention anything to me about that? Also, if they really were Galdia Academy alumnus, then that would make them my seniors, doesn’t it?

“But who would’ve thought that the son of the heroes would enroll in this academy? Fate has its ways, huh?”

“Heroes?!” I shouted without realizing.

“They didn’t tell you?”

“N-no... This is my first time hearing that.”

They never told me anything about this!

Oliver-san laughed. “Well, their names were never disclosed to the public after all.”

He walked towards a cabinet on the left side of the room and took out a tea set.

“Since we have time, how about you take a seat and I’ll tell you a story.” On the right side of the room is a lounge. He gestured to take a seat as he prepared the tea.

◇◇◇

I sat face to face with Oliver-san as he drank his tea. Even the way he drank his tea was refined and elegant. I also drank my tea after watching him do so.

“You know the story of how the hero defeated the demon lord 300 years ago, right?” 

It was something I’m quite familiar with. A story that I, in fact, knew and experienced. After all, I had those memories. I nodded in response.

“...After that, all the other demons that survived retreated, knowing that their king had been defeated. The world had finally found peace after the demons stopped attacking.”

It had been said that demons lived by the will of their king, the demon lord. Whatever the demon lord wants, other demons make it their own. Thus, they would follow anything their king ordered them to do. Which is also the reason why the demons had attacked the humans in the first place. It was exactly because they were ordered to.

That is why killing the demon lord was the sole factor to stopping all of them. Losing their leader and their purpose, they couldn’t do anything but live… or so I thought.

“However, around 200 years later, the demons started attacking the humans again.” Oliver-san looked down on his tea, faint bitterness on his voice.

After all those years of following the demon king, there’s no way the demons would sit down idly after their king had been killed nonetheless, the unfinished order they had been given: Destroy humanity.

“A demon lord is only born once in a thousand years. So it couldn’t be possible that there’s a new demon lord leading them. Moreover, the hero that had defeated one had long disappeared. No one knew how and why but that news surely must’ve reached the other demons as well.”

Oliver-san's eyes faintly twitched. “Once again, the world was plunged into chaos.”

There was an indescribable weight in his tone as he spoke.

“‘It’s time for us to stand on our own’” Oliver-san. “Hm, maybe around 25 years ago? That's what Shaun said. We were just students back there but sooner or later we would also be sent out in war.”

Light returned to Oliver-san's expression as he recalled the past.

“That Shaun, always going off on his own pace and Mai’s also the same. They’re just birds of the same feather.” he said. “I’m always the one who tries to calm them down with their antics but eventually gets dragged in with them at the end.”

The heavy air around just moments earlier had disappeared. Oliver-san wore a cheery smile as he talked about his time with my parents.

“He once said that, ‘The hero had already done his job, it’s time for us to do our own.’, honestly, he really had an amusing character back then—”

Listening to how he described my parents back then, things I’m only hearing about for the first time, feels somehow pleasing. I never thought such events would happen after my death in this world. I had thought that this world had long since found peace but actually, there was more to that.

His story continues as it goes. According to Oliver-san, they were recruited to the army as soon as they graduated. Apparently, my parents are known as geniuses in the academy, the higher ups must’ve noticed their talents and put them in the front line after their short experience in the battlefield. It was only a matter of time before they were assigned to lead the frontlines and push back the demons.

Without the presence of the demon lord, the demons were no match compared to the new generation of heroes. From being an ordinary group of students to becoming the new savior of humanity. That’s how they got their title as heroes.

Although their names weren't disclosed to the public due to certain reasons, those who had been present have considered them as heroes.

Honestly, that was an interesting story to hear. I wonder...

On the back of my mind, a certain memory resurfaced. I wonder if that woman also appeared before them?

I should ask them when I get back.