Book 1 Chapter 127

127.

Opening Ceremony.

The students were arranged by grade, but only the first-years stood with particularly grim expressions.

The second-years standing next to them gave puzzled looks upon seeing them.

"What's wrong with them?"

"I heard they got put through the wringer on the very first day of school."

"They're acting like this just because they got pushed around a bit on the opening ceremony day? They were hailed as the golden generation, but they're nothing special."

"I heard the vice principal personally put them through it."

"What? The vice principal?"

The second-years who had been sneering right next to the first-years were startled.

The vice principal.

Even to the upperclassmen, he was an enigmatic figure.

Upon hearing that the vice principal himself had personally instructed the first-years, the second-years felt discontent.

"Are they giving special treatment only to the first-years or what?"

"It's discriminatory. How are we supposed to go to school feeling so wronged?"

Throughout the break, stories about Lumern's first-years were buzzing everywhere.

In that context, the ones being compared were none other than the second-years, one grade above them.

Given that situation, when they heard the vice principal had instructed the first-years, discontent erupted among the second-years, as if their juniors were being given preferential treatment for no reason.

Meanwhile, Leo was changing into his representative uniform in the grade representative waiting room.

Since the representatives of other grades had not yet arrived, Leo was the only one in the waiting room.

It was when he finished changing and came out of the fitting room.

"So Elena doesn't like it."

"Senior Hark, aren't you from one of the three great families? Can't you leverage your family's power like Senior Elena?"

"Do you think I would do something so humiliating?"

Second-year Lil and fourth-year Hark entered the waiting room.

"Leo! Did you have a good break?"

Lil spotted Leo and smiled brightly.

"Yes."

"Your performance in the inter-departmental competition was impressive! To be overshadowed by outstanding seniors and outstanding juniors. I'm truly unlucky."

Watching Lil sigh deeply with an "Aigoo!" expression, Hark looked bewildered.

"What are you talking about? The undisputed number one of the second-years."

Despite being a grade representative, Lil Luce considered herself quite ordinary.

However, Lil had been the undisputed holder of the grade representative position since her entrance.

First place in the written exam.

First place in the practical exam.

First place in various combat evaluations and mission assessments.

100% success rate in conquering hero worlds.

She was an honor student setting astonishing records.

Among the upperclassmen, no one had maintained such an undisputed top position in their grade as Lil.

Riss had fiercely competed with Ulwa, and Hark and Elena had also briefly lost their grade representative positions to other students.

Unlike those seniors, Lil had been in long-term power as the grade representative.

She was, quite literally, impenetrable.

"You know they call you the 'Monster Girl,' right?"

"Senior Hark! Why would you say such a strange nickname in front of Leo!"

As Lil pouted, Hark chuckled and ruffled her hair.

Lil, who always gave her best, was also a junior beloved by the senior grade representatives.

Therefore, even Hark, who generally didn't pay much attention to others, would often tease Lil.

After having a good laugh at Lil, Hark covered his eyes with the blindfold around his neck and said,

"Anyway, I'm sleeping. Wake me up before the opening ceremony starts."

With those words, Hark immediately fell into a deep sleep.

"He's really sleeping soundly."

"Indeed."

As Leo expressed his admiration, Lil sighed heavily.

Of course, Leo had already seen through that Hark wasn't just someone who slept a lot and everywhere.

'Aura trait is accumulation, a rare trait.'

Accumulation trait.

Literally, an ability to store power in normal times and unleash it during combat.

'Though he does seem to sleep a lot in reality.'

While Leo was muttering to himself, Lil said urgently with a flushed face,

"Leo! 'Monster Girl' is a nickname the seniors made up to tease me! I have a respectable nickname, the 'Spirit of the Gale'…!"

It was when Lil, who wanted to be a dignified and cool senior to her juniors, was struggling to shed the strange image imposed on her.

"Isn't 'Spirit of the Gale' a bit too ordinary?"

Elena, who had entered the waiting room, smiled brightly and floated towards Lil.

Then, she pulled Lil's head into her embrace.

Lil froze stiff, like a mouse in front of a snake.

Elena chuckled at her stiff junior and said,

"So 'Monster Girl' is perfect."

Seeing Elena teasing her, Lil pouted.

Elena, who was stroking Lil as if she were cute, looked at Leo and said,

"Leo-kun. I heard about you during the break. You participated in the Azonia entrance ceremony, didn't you?"

At those words, Lil's eyes widened, and she looked at Leo.

"Our junior is truly amazing. You cause unusual incidents wherever you go. Could it be that you're a big shot?"

Watching Elena look at Leo with interest, Lil held her breath.

Elena had an arbitrary personality.

While called the queen of Lumern, she was also called a witch.

Unpredictable, she was also known for being quite harsh in her evaluations of others.

'More precisely, she dismisses people she doesn't acknowledge.'

As far as Lil remembered, the only student Elena had evaluated as a 'big shot' was Riss Zerdinger.

Her enchanting smile with her pink eyes sparkling was so beautiful that even Lil, a woman, felt her heart flutter.

However, Leo simply smiled calmly.

"It is an honor that you view me favorably."

Seeing Leo smile calmly, Elena squinted her eyes.

"Leo-kun. You said you had something to ask of me, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Right now, I might grant that request. Instead."

Elena smiled brightly.

"Will you grant me a favor too?"

'What request is Leo going to make to Senior Elena?'

It was when Lil was looking back and forth between Leo and Elena.

"Now you're trying to make a move on a first-year too?"

Hark, who had been sleeping, looked at Elena with cold eyes, lifting his blindfold.

"Senior Hark, mind your own business."

Elena said to Hark with a smile.

Of course, her eyes were not smiling.

Hark Rigard.

He was one of the few students who could stand up to Elena, known as the queen of Lumern.

While the Zerion family had long been the chairman of Lumern, the Rigard family had ruled Lumerea City.

As the heir to one of Lumern's three great families, he was on equal footing with Elena.

Lil hurriedly intervened between the two seniors glaring at each other.

"S-seniors! You mustn't fight!"

"That's right. What are you doing in front of your juniors?"

A man appeared, adding weight to Lil's words.

It was none other than student council president Riss.

At Riss's appearance, Elena returned to her usual relaxed expression, gave Leo a smile, and then pushed Lil's back.

"Lil, let's get ready."

"Don't do anything strange like last time."

"I'll see what you do."

Lil sighed heavily and went into the fitting room.

"Hark, let's get ready too."

"Yes, senior."

Riss went into the fitting room first.

Hark, following behind, looked at Leo and said,

"Your name is Leo Flob, right?"

"Yes."

"You should be a little careful."

"……?"

Hark wore a troubled expression.

"She has a tendency to see people around her as toys since she was young."

"I know she has an arbitrary personality."

"Right. But the problem is when she gets a 'special toy'."

Hark sighed.

"She gets tired of things easily, so there's usually no big problem. But since she seems interested in you, it's best to be cautious for now."

"Thank you for the advice."

"Right. Anyway, I'm also looking forward to you."

Hark gave Leo a wide smile.

"Looking forward?"

"Yes, outstanding juniors are always welcome."

With those words, Hark entered the fitting room.

Leo realized anew that many people were paying attention to him.

While the gazes directed at Leo in the first semester were merely out of interest, they had now changed to recognition.

'From now on, Tartarus will also be paying attention to me in earnest.'

Leo, who was in the same class as Kyle and had begun to show an unusual trajectory, would be a target of vigilance for Tartarus.

'The traitor in Lumern might even directly harm me.'

Leo took a deep breath.

'I need to be on my guard from now on.'

***

After the opening ceremony, the first-years immediately moved to attend classes.

Usually, schools take a break on the opening day, but at Lumern, classes started right away without any break.

The first class was none other than Heroology.

The first-years, gathered by class in the large lecture hall after a long time, all looked exhausted.

It was the aftereffect of being cursed by 'Nightmare.'

It was then.

"Everyone! Long time no see! Did you have a good break… Ouch!"

Artian, who entered the large lecture hall with a bright smile, tripped and fell.

Her clumsy demeanor was unchanged from her first year.

Of course, the first-years who vividly remembered Artian's terror didn't even think of laughing; they tensed up.

Arting, groaning, stood at the front of the lecture hall and smiled brightly.

"Did you rest well during the break? I've been eagerly waiting for the opening day, wanting to see you all!"

At those words, some students looked touched.

Artian was certainly a fearsome professor.

However, her attitude towards students was genuine.

Therefore, leaving aside her scariness, she was a very popular professor.

"Oh? You all seem to feel the same way."

Artian suddenly began talking to herself.

She seemed to be talking to the spirits contracted with her.

"The spirits I've contracted with also wanted to meet you!"

"Really?"

"As expected, even the spirits, despite their harsh words, dote on us!"

The source of Artian's fearsomeness.

The students got excited upon hearing that the spirits wanted to meet them.

They had grown fond of her by being hit.

"Yes! They said there are definitely students who slacked off on their Heroology homework and have been eagerly waiting for this day to punish them!"

Seeing Artian smiling innocently, the students' faces stiffened.

Artian, who had been conveying the spirits' words without much thought, also looked flustered, then went to the corner to coax the spirits.

"Everyone! You're scaring the children! How can you say such things?"

Watching that scene, Kai said,

"I really worked hard on my Heroology homework."

"Me too."

Taid sighed heavily.

Artian, who had finished coaxing the spirits, cleared her throat and returned to the podium.

"Anyway, please submit your homework after class. Today, we'll be discussing issues in the Heroology academic world that occurred during the break!"

Upon hearing Artian's words, the students looked puzzled.

"New issues in the Heroology academic world?"

"What could it be? Did they discover a new hero dungeon?"

"Or maybe a hero's relic was excavated."

Heroology issues were important events that could change the world's geopolitical landscape.

"I'm sure you'll all be surprised! You all know that at the Azonia entrance ceremony, the prologue page of 'Hero' Arion, which had never been opened before, was conquered."

It was already a major event splashed across the newspapers, so all students were aware of it.

Especially the first-years, when other students from hero academies of their generation had already conquered the pages of great heroes, they couldn't help but pay more attention.

However, nothing had been announced about the content and rewards of the hero's world.

As the students looked tense, Artian said,

"And a certain name was mentioned by the conqueror this time."

Holding chalk, Artian began writing something on the blackboard.

Tap- tap- tap-

Only the sound of chalk writing on the blackboard echoed throughout the large lecture hall.

Upon seeing the name written on the blackboard, the students began to murmur.

Leo also recalled what had happened in the hero's world.

'Come to think of it, Arga heard my name from Argon.'

The name written on the blackboard was very familiar to Leo.

[Hero Kyle Who Survives]

Artian dropped the chalk and turned around, saying,

"We cannot know if he is the same person as the Hero of Beginning, but… for the first time in the world of great heroes, the name 'Kyle' has been officially mentioned."