Book 1 Chapter 134

134.

It was the first-year students' first day of mission training.

No classes were held during the week that the mission training took place.

Because of this, students who finished their mission training early could return to school and have free time.

In addition, students who were doing mission training with seniors sometimes started their training a little later.

First-year students were talking among themselves in front of the warp gate before departing for their mission training.

"It looks like you're the only one going to the Garan region."

"It seems so."

"I know you'll do well on your own, but… still, why are you doing a mission training that doesn't even have a high score?"

Celia made a face as if she didn't understand.

Then, when it was her turn, she waved her hand.

"Anyway, see you after the mission training."

"Have a safe trip. Be careful."

"Who do you think I am? Don't worry."

Celia smiled brightly, confidently brushed her hair back as always, and stepped onto the warp gate.

One by one, as students boarded the warp gate.

Leo boarded the warp gate last.

Flash-!

With a bright light, his vision changed.

Arriving at the warp gate in the Garan region, Leo could see the desolate interior of the gate.

Warp gates are usually splendid no matter where you go.

However, since the Garan region itself was a dilapidated area, it seemed even the warp gate had not been properly maintained.

"What brings someone to use the warp gate in this region?"

The old magician looked puzzled, then recognized Leo's attire and gasped.

"Huh! Are you by any chance a Lumen student?"

"Yes."

"What business does a great hero candidate have in such a backwater place?"

Leo smiled, looking at the old magician who asked with a curious face.

"I came to solve a request from the Garan region."

"A request? Ahh! You mean those bandits!"

The old magician's face brightened.

"That's good! The local people have been having a hard time because of those wicked fellows!"

The Garan region, located between the western and southern parts of the continent, was a neutral territory ruled by a lord who belonged to no kingdom.

The lord of the Garan region claimed it was a kingdom, but in reality, it was at a level that could not possibly be called a kingdom.

Given the situation, even if large-scale bandits appeared, the state had no ability to subjugate them.

Leo clicked his tongue at the old magician's reaction.

'It seems the bandits are more rampant than I thought.'

The purpose of coming to the Garan region was to investigate the ruins of the ancient Gadshron fortress, but he had no intention of neglecting the request.

'I'll just wipe out all the bandits.'

Leo detested bandits greatly.

In his previous life, while the world was perishing, there were those who tried to save and help as many people as possible, and there were also those who shamelessly trampled on others for their own sake.

To Leo, bandits were that kind of human.

The old magician carefully explained the way to the lord's castle to Leo.

Receiving his hospitality, Leo left the warp gate.

As he left the warp gate, the cityscape unfolded before him.

As expected, it was a city that felt very dilapidated, typical of a rural area.

'In the past, this entire area was Gadshron, you know.'

Leo murmured to himself, observing the city's landscape.

As Gadshron was known as the last line of defense on earth, the city's scale was unimaginably vast.

As Leo headed towards the lord's castle, the gazes of the surrounding people converged on him.

Outsiders were rare, so everyone looked at Leo with curious eyes.

When he arrived in front of the lord's castle, the guards looked at Leo with strange expressions.

"Who are you? I haven't seen your face before."

"Looks like an outsider. What business do you have at the lord's castle?"

"I came to see the lord."

Hearing that, the guards looked at each other's faces and burst into laughter.

"What business does an outsider have wanting to see the lord?"

"Do you think the lord is someone you can just meet casually?"

At their reaction, Leo took out a request form from his pocket.

"I came to fulfill a bandit subjugation request."

"Bandit subjugation? Ha! What an inexperienced brat claiming to subjugate bandits."

"What kind of scrap of paper is this that mentions bandit subjugation…"

The guards, who had been snorting as they looked at the request form Leo handed them, began to turn pale.

Their bodies trembled as they read the words written on the request form.

"Lu-Lumen Academy?"

"Hero candidate?"

Leo looked at them, their eyes wide, alternating between the request form and him, and said,

"Would you call the lord for me?"

"W-wait a moment!"

One of the guards scurried inside.

The remaining guard, his face pale, said,

"W-we have been rude! We didn't know you were a Lumen student!"

"There's no need to apologize that much. It can happen if you don't know. However, from now on, don't judge people rashly just by their appearance."

Leo said calmly.

Meanwhile, someone who appeared to be a servant came running out in a hurry.

"I greet the great hero candidate!"

At his exaggerated reaction, Leo sighed inwardly.

'It seems the title of a Lumen student is quite significant.'

Since everyone around Leo was an influential figure, he had never directly felt the external status of a Lumen student.

But coming out alone for mission training, he clearly felt it.

Leo was respectfully guided by the servant towards the lord's office.

"Oh dear~ The great Lumen hero candidate has graced this humble place with his presence! What an honor!"

The scrawny lord rubbed his hands together and bowed repeatedly to Leo.

"Come, come! Lumen student! Please sit here."

The lord pointed to the guest sofa by the office window.

As Leo sat there, the lord quickly sat opposite him and said,

"Are you not tired from your long journey? So that you can rest immediately…"

"No, that's fine. Just tell me where the bandits are."

At Leo's words, the Garan lord paused.

Then he gestured to the waiting servant.

The servant then hurriedly brought a map and spread it on the table.

Familiar terrain unfolded before his eyes.

The enormous city that had once existed was gone without a trace, but the terrain had not changed.

"The bandits have made their base in ancient ruins."

"Ancient ruins?"

"Yes. We don't know what era the building is from, but there are ruins remaining at the eastern end of the Garon region. Well, they're almost completely dilapidated ruins, though."

The lord pointed to a location at the edge of the map.

Leo's eyes sparkled as he stared intently at that location.

'This is where Gadshron's defensive line was.'

The defensive line built to block Tartarus's army.

It was the area where Kyle had spent the most time in the past, and it was also outside these walls that Kyle and Lysinas had met.

It was while Leo was concentrating on the map.

Bang!

"Lo-Lord! It's a disaster!"

"What's wrong! I'm entertaining an important guest right now!"

"Gu-Guests have arrived!"

"Guests? What guests?"

'What guest could be more important than a Lumen student!'

The servant, who had burst into the office, said, seeing the lord's distorted face.

"Se-Seirun students wish to see Your Lordship!"

For a moment, the lord couldn't understand the servant's words.

'Seirun students? Elf Hero Academy? No. Why would Seirun come to such a rural area? Then what exactly is a Seirun student?'

He pondered for a moment, but he couldn't think of any Seirun other than the Elf Hero Academy.

Leo stood up from his seat and looked out the office window next to the sofa.

"It's really Seirun."

"Huh?"

The lord made a dull sound and looked out the window.

And then, seeing five elves at the entrance of the mansion, he gasped-!

"Se-Seirun, why are they here!"

"I wonder. There must be a reason. Your Lordship, please go greet your guests."

Leo chuckled and said, then neatly folded the map into his pocket.

"I generally know the location of the bandits. So, I'll go subjugate them now."

There was no reason for him to stay long at the lord's castle anyway.

Leo's reason for coming to this region was to explore the Gadshron ruins.

This region was once Leo and Lysinas's base city, a place where ancient heroes breathed.

He had come here with a small hope that he might find items related to that time.

Since the mission training had to be completed within a week, Leo wanted to finish the request as quickly as possible and find the Gadshron ruins.

At Leo's words, the lord made a flustered expression.

He desperately wanted to forge a connection with Leo, a hero candidate.

But seeing Leo immediately get down to business, as if he were busy, he couldn't help but be flustered.

'This boy has no intention of staying here any longer! Hmm!'

The lord rolled his eyes.

'Perhaps it would be better to make a good impression on the Seirun students!'

Though their races were different, it was still a Hero Academy.

Building connections would definitely be helpful.

"Understood! Then I'll leave the bandit group to you!"

'This lord. His change of stance is incredibly fast.'

Leo let out a hollow laugh.

'Well, is it better than having him cling to me annoyingly?'

Thinking that, Leo left the office.

"Prepare to greet the Seirun students! Hurry!"

Leaving the sounds of hurried activity inside behind him, he headed towards the mansion entrance.

The guard who had apologized to Leo earlier was in even greater panic than he had been with Leo, due to the sudden appearance of the Seirun students.

And it was understandable, as in such a rural area, let alone Seirun students, even ordinary elves were never seen.

This was because elves themselves generally did not venture into human territories.

The city people also murmured and gathered, drawn by the appearance of the elves.

In the midst of this, Leo stepped out of the mansion gate.

"Oh?"

A gasp erupted from the Seirun student side.

Leo turned his head.

And finding a familiar face, Leo made a similar expression to the girl.

"Leo?"

"Lunia?"

The first-year representatives of Lumen and Seirun looked slightly surprised.

And at Lunia's reaction, the gazes of the other Seirun students also focused on Leo.

"A Lumen student?"

"Ms. Lunia. Did you just say Leo?"

Leo Flobe.

Although it hadn't been officially announced yet, Leo was already famous among Seirun students for having deciphered the magic of the Progenitor of the Nebula,

The magic of making flowers bloom.

Hardin's cool gaze turned towards Leo.

'Is this human Leo Flobe?'

"What brings you here?"

Lunia asked Leo with a bright smile.

Looking at Lunia, Leo made a strange expression.

And he glanced at Lunia's companions.

There were no first-year students among them.

'It seems this is a situation where I need to play it demure.'

Leo smiled, looking at Lunia.

"Just be yourself."

"I don't know what you mean, Leo."

"Holding in your true personality will make you sick."

Crack-!

Lunia's forehead instantly twitched with a vein as she looked at Leo teasing her.

"Hohoho- Leo. I've thought this before, but you have a mischievous side."

'Ugh! This is really! There are so many eyes watching, I can't just grab him by the collar and shake him!'

"So, Leo. What brings you all the way here?"

"I'm out on mission training. I have to subjugate bandits in this area."

At his words, Lunia's eyes sparkled.

'This is it!'

Lunia, who had cried out inwardly, said,

"Oh? Bandits? That's a big problem."

Leo clicked his tongue, seeing Lunia elegantly gasp with her hand over her mouth.

Lunia felt a surge of anger again at his expression but barely held it back.

Then she put on a worried expression.

"The residents here must be having a really hard time."

Anyone could see she was playing the role of a typical Seirun female student—a delicate, yet kind-hearted and inwardly strong flower—a role that didn't suit her at all, and the city residents gasped in admiration.

"Leo. I'll help you too."

"Ms. Lunia. What are you talking about?"

"But seniors. The residents here are suffering because of the bandit group, aren't they? As a Seirun student, I can't just stand by and watch!"

Lunia said firmly, making eye contact with Leo.

"Leo! So, I'll help you!"

'Take me! Take me! Take me! Please, take me! Please! Take me!'

Leo let out a hollow laugh, seeing Lunia giving him such an earnest look, and said,

"If you want to help, then sure."

'Alright!'

Lunia cheered triumphantly and looked at her seniors.

'Goodbye to these stuffy people!'