The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

“No one but you and my disciples,” Tilisa shook her head.

“Then let it go.” Leia sighed, her tone filled with regret. “Both you and Arios paid the price for their choices. And my indecisiveness, didn’t it also sow the seeds of future problems for the academy?”

"Dean Xie understands."

“It’s a pity I was planning to let you take over, now this is difficult.” Leia then showed a troubled expression.

“Even if the Dean understands, I am no longer capable of doing the job in my current state,” Tissa shook her head helplessly.

After being resurrected in the form of Nie Dōjina, she gained some special abilities, but lost the ability to control emblems and spells.

Their overall strength is at most half of what it was before.

Even disregarding these factors, the position of Dean of St. Freya Academy could not possibly be held by a sword.

“Dean, you are at the prime of your life, how can you be thinking about retirement?” Wiener tried to ease the somber atmosphere.

Leia glanced at Vina, then turned to Tissa and asked, "Would you mind if I chose from among your disciples?"

“It is their honor to be chosen by the Dean.” Tilisa bowed slightly, having no objection to the proposal.

Viner immediately fell silent.

“I’m not about to abandon this mess at this point,” Rhea said, looking at Vina with a playful smile. “It’s your turn now. After being exiled by Juta, what happened to you?”

"This matter probably needs to be traced back to much earlier."

To understand why Tissa, despite being transformed into an apostle, was able to gain a new life, we must go back to the initial Zero Hour Lost Child.

Vena briefly recounted how he met Tilisa and how he resurrected her with the help of the Zero Hour Child and Escudo.

"...The conflict between the kingdom and the academy is now out in the open. The reason we haven't taken action yet is partly because we are wary of the empire's reaction, and partly because we hope that the academy and these demons who have broken the seal can both suffer heavy losses."

"If they knew that the empire was too busy with internal strife to spare any resources, they would certainly not let the matter rest."

“I think the Academy and Edel’s interests are aligned on this point.”

Vena took out a scroll from his bosom and presented it to Rhea with both hands.

That was a contract that Jessica and Adele had carefully considered and agreed upon.

Leia took the contract and carefully read through it. The terms were not harsh; in fact, they could be described as extremely favorable to St. Freya Academy.

The terms offered by Adele were negligible compared to the risks the academy would have to take.

The only thing that made Leia frown was one of the demands—St. Freya Academy must acknowledge that Edel, in the name of "Arios," was holding Lucien accountable for his crimes.

“But to use the name of a hero in this way is a bit too much—” Leia paused slightly, revealing a hint of hesitation.

She is not against cooperation itself, but is concerned about the potential repercussions.

Once you've staked your life on the name of a hero, there's no turning back.

“Don’t worry, Dean. I asked Arios, and he said he has no objections,” Viner tried to allay her concerns.

Where did you go to ask Arios?

Tissa couldn't help but roll her eyes at Vena, but she didn't directly refute him. Instead, she chimed in, "Lady Leia, although Vena acted first and informed us later, it is the best solution at the moment."

Both the continent of Fodora and the St. Freya Academy need heroes as their pillar of strength.

Only by relying on the prestige of the brave can this precarious situation be stabilized.

"Vina, are you willing to become a hero?"

Rhea gazed at Vina with a deep and calm look in her eyes.

Wiener was slightly taken aback, thinking he had misheard, but the dean's eyes told him that this was no joke.

"As long as the Dean agrees, I will naturally cooperate with the Academy and Edel's actions and play the role of Arios well."

Wiener thought this was just a continuation of the previous discussion, a way to continue using Arios's name to stabilize the situation.

But Leia shattered his last shred of hope.

"Not a replacement for Arios, but a true hero."

"Since there will be no more heroes on the continent of Fodora, would you, who wield the Holy Sword like the first Lady Citrix, be willing to become the last hero?" Rhea asked solemnly.

The air inside the tent seemed to freeze, everyone waiting for Viner's answer.

“...I still can’t accept it,” Viner said after thinking for a long time. “You know, the word ‘hero’ carries too much weight and too much burden. That kind of spotlight image is not suitable for me.”

Rhea did not show any other expression, but listened quietly.

“However,” Vena paused, her tone softening slightly, “since I’m borrowing Arios’s name, I’ll do my job as a hero properly. As for the title of the last hero—let’s leave it to Arios.”

Leia was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, waved her hand and said, "I understand. I will think about this matter again. You can go and rest now."

"Then the students will take their leave." The three of them bowed to Leia and prepared to leave the tent.

Escudo transformed into a holy ring and wrapped around Venus's hand, while Tilisa remained standing still, without moving.

“I have some things to discuss with Lady Rhea,” Tissa said calmly.

Vina nodded without asking any further questions, and then left the tent with Listy and Felix.

"Look how well you've taught your students." Leia looked at Tilisa, her tone tinged with helplessness.

“Strictly speaking, I didn’t teach Wiener anything; on the contrary, he has always been my inspiration.”

"Tilisa said softly, her fingers unconsciously touching her chest, where the Lost Child of Zero had once been.

If it weren't for the two pieces of equipment that Venerer forged for her, this world might have already been destroyed by Arios's wanton actions.

“I originally wanted Vena to take over as the dean of St. Freya Academy after everything was over, but that kid is very cunning and won’t fall for it at all.” Freya shook her head, her tone revealing a hint of regret.

“He probably figured out what you meant, which is why he refused so decisively,” Tilisa chuckled. “Vina is not one to be tied down by a small academy.”

"I can only trouble Dean to postpone your retirement a little longer."

Chapter 613 Ada: Oh no, I'm hallucinating!

"What's wrong? Are you disillusioned after learning the hero's true colors? Or are you still bothered by the fact that Tilisa killed the hero?"

As Venus stepped out of the tent, she saw that Lisette was still silent with her head down, and asked her with concern.

“No, I just thought you would agree to the Dean’s suggestion.” Lisette’s voice was tinged with complexity.

She had admired heroes for years, only to discover that the very thing that sparked her admiration for them stemmed from a misunderstanding.

So when I learned that Tissa had such a heavy past and chose to personally end Arios in order to change the future, I understood her a lot.

“You saw it yourself, the Dean’s attitude just now was practically like entrusting a child to someone. If she feels at ease, who knows what she might do,” Viner explained.

"So if I ask you at a different time, will you agree?" Lisette asked curiously.

“No matter how many times I change, it won’t make a difference,” Vena rejected again without hesitation. “It’s fine to impersonate Arios occasionally to do good deeds. But if I really become the hero, not only will my every word and action be watched, but I will also have to bear extra tasks. Just thinking about it makes me feel exhausted.”

“You don’t have to care so much about what others think,” Lisette advised.

"I can't get over it myself," Viner said with a wry smile.

Knowing that he was a fake, he was able to be careful in his words and actions and fulfill his duty as a hero.

But if Venus were to wear the mask of a hero for the rest of her life, her feelings and thoughts would be quite different.

Looking at his profile, Lisette suddenly chuckled, "You are indeed more suited to be a hero than Arios."

"You really want to be my maid, serving me tea and water?" Vena said half-jokingly.

The bet they made when they first met involuntarily came to mind.

“It’s not impossible to wait until the trouble at the academy is resolved.” Lisette raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, then ran a few steps forward. “I’ll go see if there’s anything I can do to help with the injured. Venus, you go and rest first.”

"Treat the wounded? I should be able to help." Viner touched her ring, but didn't stop, following closely behind.

The two quickly arrived at the area where the wounded were being housed, and the scene before them was shocking—the ground was covered with seriously injured people.

Those with more severe injuries died before they could receive treatment.

Those with minor injuries voluntarily gave up the opportunity to use medical resources.

After holding out for ten days, almost every knight in the Holy Knights Order was wounded, and some even received several rounds of treatment, yet they still gritted their teeth and persevered.

They were supposed to be the spearhead, thrusting into the enemy lines, but now they were forced into an endless siege and defensive battle.

The demons' attacks came wave after wave, and no one knew when the next wave of enemies would appear.

The wounded were in a state of distress, filled with the sounds of groans and the smell of medicine. Every corner was crowded with people in need of medical attention.

“Dr. Ada, is there anything I can do to help?” Lisette called out to Dr. Ada, who was examining a patient.

"Listy? You've come at the right time!" Ida breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the voice, gave a few instructions to a healer beside her, and then turned to face her.

"Why are you here?" She couldn't help but show a little surprise when she noticed that Vena was also with Listy.

"Can't I come and help?" Wiener couldn't help but ask.

“I appreciate your concern, but what can you do to help? Do you know how to concoct potions or perform healing spells?” Ada’s tone was tinged with annoyance.

"Leave professional matters to professionals. Instead of wasting your time, you should use it to recover your strength. Don't go to the front lines to fight again before you've had enough rest, or you'll end up having to be carried off the plane."

Her attitude wasn't friendly, but looking at the bloodshot in the other person's eyes, Vena seemed to understand something.

Just as the Paladins fought desperately on the front lines, this was also Ada's battlefield.

She hadn't slept for days, her mind was stretched to the limit, and after witnessing the sacrifices of her colleagues and comrades, she naturally had no mood to exchange pleasantries with Wiener.

"But I really came here to help."

Without offering any further explanation, Venere simply took out a phoenix eggshell from her ring.

The moment the eggshell appeared, a powerful life force suddenly burst forth.

After several sleepless nights and looking extremely tired, Ada suddenly felt a warm current flow into her body, and her heavy eyelids and sore body felt much lighter.

If that's not enough, the fact that the wailing throughout the area subsided after the eggshells were removed is enough to prove that what Wiener said was true.

"What is this?" Ada's eyes widened, vaguely guessing at a possibility, but she dared not be completely sure.

“Just think of it as the shell of a phoenix,” Venere explained. “With it, we should be able to save a lot more people.”

"...Thank you on behalf of everyone, Vena."

Ida wasn't being pretentious; she knew how precious this tiny eggshell was, and even more so how much power it could save from saving lives.

After bowing deeply to Wiener, she quickly took the eggshell and rushed to the medicine preparation room.

This scene left Lisette, who was waiting to be assigned tasks, with nothing to do.

"You..." she hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

“It was just a chance encounter on the way back,” Venere smiled casually. “I’m now able to control the power of the Tenseiga. Would you like to prepare?”

"No, I trust you."

Without the slightest hesitation, Lisette had already entrusted everything to the man before her.

When Ada rushed back, she witnessed a scene that horrified her—Vena, wielding the Tenseiga, pierced Lysette's chest with a single sword strike.

"Vina, you're insane!" Ada roared, rushing forward to separate the two.

She quickly took out a vial of medicine, poured it into Lisette's mouth, then turned and glared at Vina, trembling with rage: "You...you...you—"

“I’m fine, Dr. Ada,” Lisette said slowly.

The moment the Tenseiga pierced her heart, the curse that had plagued her for years was finally lifted.

As the curse dissipated, Tenseiga, as if having completed some kind of mission, shattered into specks of fluorescent light.

Lisette took a deep breath and felt a sense of ease she had never felt before.

After no longer needing to expend magic energy to suppress the curse on her heart, her cultivation level actually loosened again, showing faint signs of a breakthrough.

"What kind of time is this to still be speaking up for him!"

Ada glared at Lisette with exasperation, her tone full of reproach.

However, when she looked closely at Lisette, she found that, just as she had said, there was not a single scratch or abnormality on her body.

"...Am I hallucinating because I haven't slept for too long?"

Ada muttered to herself, rubbing her sore eyes, staring incredulously at the unharmed girl before her.