Humanity's Hero Of Despair

The word "dragons" echoes in my mind, a quiet storm of disbelief and curiosity.

I press myself against the stone wall of the main building, listening intently, my pulse quickening. The professors' voices have dropped even lower, almost too soft to hear over the faint hum of the levitation wards that keep Hero Academy afloat.

"We cannot afford panic," the first professor says, their tone sharp but hushed. "If this gets out before we understand the full situation…"

"Of course," the second replies, their voice carrying an edge of fear. "But if Glozaria was truly attacked, it would mean-"

"-not something we discuss here," the first professor interrupts. "Not without absolute confirmation."

They go silent for a moment, and I hear the faint shuffle of their robes as they adjust their stances.

"Come on," one of them says finally. "We should meet somewhere else. Someone might hear us."

I hold my breath, ducking further into the shadows as their footsteps echo in the distance as they leave their spot. I wait until the sound of their retreat fades completely before daring to peek around the corner. They are nowhere to be seen.

Dragons. Glozaria. What in the skies is going on?

The dragons are the physically strongest species on the planet. Next in line after them are the goblins. The other magical beast species are the elves, who are considered the most intelligent. Calling them beasts though isn't very nice of us humans. Anyway, if dragons are really attacking us, that isn't good news.

Ivy must be waiting for me.

I snap out of my thoughts and run back to the spot where we originally split up with our friends near the front entrance of the main building. By the way, the main building is enormous, so it takes some time to run around it.

Zephyr waves to me as he notices me approach before the others notice.

"How was Sky Point?" he asks me while grinning and glancing at Ivy.

Zephyr. He's such a funny dude. Our other friends chuckle as he asks the question. Apparently, they are in on it as well.

"Sky Point was fun! It was nice they cleaned the place up! How was exploring the battle arenas?"

"They were pretty cool! They improved the magical barriers and reinforced the walls to make them more resistant to damage," he responds to me. He turns to face Neve. "What was the Garden of Watersia like?"

"The garden was beautiful! Each time you throw in a coin, the water fountains still perform their show. The little dance the water dolphin figures do is so cute. The selection of flowers in the garden is very beautiful as well. My opinion might be a little biased because my family donated the garden to Hero Academy," Neve answers with a slight laugh.

We all chuckle at the answer.

Sometimes it's hard remembering how important all our positions matter to the nation when we're this happy talking about whatever. We're only second years, despite our influential positions. My sister is the commander of the magical knights of Tarondar. Zephyr is General of the entire army.

Leena and Matteo are a part of the royal family. Neve is the daughter of an influential duke. And Ivy recently became a Tarondar Court Mage of earth magic.

The government gives the title of court mage to a mage who shows exceptional skill in their chosen magical specialty and earns their trust to work on significant missions. It's a rare title. Usually, the government gives the title of Court Mage to nobles, but Ivy is a rare exception.

We all head toward the airfield to descend back down to Stonelight since it's getting a little dark outside. Once we land back down on the ground, we all get into a carriage. Neve doesn't come with us in the carriage though, because she's going on a date with Matteo at the Tarondar Palace.

Correction, Prince Matteo now.

Once we say our goodbyes to Neve, we head toward Mistfall. The wheels crunch against the asphalt.

"We never got to thank you properly for letting us live with you in your cabin," Estes says to me as we look at the horizon. The horses trot across the ground as we start to enter Mistfall.

"It is not a major deal. Plus, I was the one to invite you guys to stay with me. You shouldn't need to thank me for that. You can also add in the fact that because I am Baron, they upgraded the cabin by a ton. I still can't believe they added an entire extra wing to it," I tell him with a smile.

"For me, it's nice to be around friends. As General of the entire military, I must constantly submit reports to the palace administration. This means I'm in Stonelight so many times I get sick of it," Zephyr blurts out while sticking out his tongue briefly.

I doubt he would've gotten that position if his father wasn't the previous General of the military. To his credit, he's incredibly strong and spirited. Before we know it, we arrive at the cabin. The flower garden the villagers planted there for me as a gift months ago is still alive and vibrant.

Zephyr, Estes, and Ivy walk inside the house ahead of me as I tell them I'll be inside in a minute. I go into the fancy toolshed the villagers made for me recently as another surprise. I get out a watering can and fill it to the brim before I water the flowerbed. The gardeners take care of the garden for me most of the time, but it's nice to do it myself now and then.

The toolshed door shuts with a soft thud as I put away the watering can. The steps of the cabin no longer creak as I walk up them. A testament to the workmanship of the kind villagers. Estes and Zephyr are still inside, chatting away about how classes start tomorrow. Ivy is probably upstairs already. I wave goodnight to them as I walk up the stairs to my bedroom.

Tomorrow classes start, which means I have to help teach the combat class as well. The peaceful summer of not having to worry about work is over. I forgot the dreaded feeling of having to do homework assignments. I can't escape academics even as a Baron.

I eventually fall asleep as the day's contents replay in my mind. I hope the conversation I overheard between the professors was just a dream. To be honest, I wouldn't mind having a simple second year at Hero Academy.

Of course, I rarely get my way.