Book 1 Chapter 161

161

The Lumern First-Year Faculty Room.

Nine men and women stood with tense expressions.

Standing with rigid postures, they were waiting for someone.

Then.

Tap- tap-

A middle-aged professor with a sharp impression walked in front of them.

Seeing the professor, the nine men and women tensed even more.

"Are you the temporary teachers selected this time?"

"Yes! That's correct!"

The Lumern professor scanned the nine people with sharp eyes.

Then, crossing his arms, he dragged a chair with a creak-! and sat down in front of them.

'This is immense pressure!'

'They said the professor in charge of us at Lumern would be Professor Halind, so that must be Professor Halind.'

'Th-this is one of Lumern's best professors!'

The promising young professors from Ikott, Emerald, and Scaun calmed their trembling hearts.

They had all come to Lumern to train at the Hero Academy as temporary teachers.

It was an opportunity that could lead to an appointment as an associate professor at Lumern.

They sharpened their focus and listened intently to the Lumern professor's words.

"Alright. Then you."

"Yes, yes?"

He gestured with his chin towards the female professor from Ikott on the far left.

"Tell me about the mindset of a professor."

"A professor is someone who helps students. What do students want…"

"Wrong! Next!"

"A professor is someone who leads students…"

"You are also wrong! Next!"

The temporary professors behind them tensed as they watched the merciless Lumern professor.

'As expected of Lumern…!'

'There must be profound philosophy in their educational values!'

They all swallowed dryly and racked their brains.

However, none of the nine gave an answer that satisfied him.

"Hoo- I expected great professors and I'm disappointed."

"We, we're sorry."

"No. There's no need to be sorry. Aren't you all still in the learning phase? No. In fact, humans are beings who learn something from birth until death. I, too, sometimes learn from students."

The professor's expression softened, unlike moments before.

The temporary professors looked touched as they watched him.

'I heard Professor Halind was very scary?'

'The rumors were wrong.'

'His character is extraordinary. I can learn a lot.'

"Then, what is the mindset a professor should have? It's none other than!"

The professor crossed his arms.

"Elegance."

"What?"

"Elegance! That is the mindset a teacher should have! A teacher is someone students should always look up to! They must always be ready to be admired by students! Now! I will introduce myself starting now! Everyone, appeal yourselves elegantly!"

"What are you doing, Sedjen?"

"You're here, Halind."

"Aren't you in charge of the students?"

"Heh. I heard promising young professors had arrived, so I came to impart some wisdom. Please wait for about an hour."

"Drag him out."

Halind spoke mercilessly, looking at the enthusiastic Sedjen.

Then, Ain and Ren, who had come with him, grabbed Sedjen and dragged him out of the faculty room.

"Ain! Ren! Aren't you who you are now because of my teachings! They are promising young professors! Surely, they must have a lot to learn from me… Eek! Let go! Let go! You dogs of Halind! Let go!"

Sedjen's desperate cries echoed, but Ain and Ren ruthlessly dragged their mentor out of the faculty room.

"Is, is it okay for them to do that?"

When the Emerald professor asked cautiously, Yura, who had come with Halind, smiled.

"It's daily life, so you'll get used to it."

Despite the commotion, the other professors working in the faculty room didn't bat an eye.

Watching this, Halind sat in the chair Sedjen had been sitting in and said.

"I will now announce the departmental schedule."

"Um… don't we need to introduce ourselves?"

The female professor on the far left cautiously raised her hand and spoke. Halind's cold gaze turned to her.

"Why would you need to do that?"

"Eek!"

Overwhelmed by Halind, she looked terrified.

Halind shifted his gaze away from her and began reciting the schedule.

Seeing Halind, a Scaun professor, looking completely flustered, hurriedly raised his hand.

"P-Professor! Time to take notes…!"

"I heard you are all young and talented professors."

Halind said indifferently.

"You should be able to grasp this at once, right?"

With that, Halind began speaking about the schedule again.

The nine professors desperately tried to cram all of Halind's words into their minds.

Halind finished speaking quickly and narrowed his eyes.

"Any questions?"

To his question, the temporary professors couldn't ask anything.

They were busy trying to organize the words Halind had spoken into their heads.

"As expected of outstanding professors. You understood it all at once."

Halind, with a smirk, gestured with his chin.

"Then, let's go."

Saying that, Halind returned to his seat.

The temporary professors looked at Yura with dejected faces.

Receiving their gazes, Yura smiled and said.

"It's daily life, so you'll get used to it."

The temporary professors looked dumbfounded at Yura's words, which were identical to what she had said moments before.

"Scaun professors, please follow me. After lunchtime, it's the summoning magic class."

At Yura's words, the Scaun professors left the faculty room, following her.

Ain and Ren, who had returned after escorting Sedjen out, also left the faculty room with the Ikott and Emerald professors, respectively, to prepare for their classes.

Halind sat at his desk and narrowed his eyes.

'Is there a spy among them?'

Throughout the semester, Tartarus had been carrying out various schemes at Lumern.

Tartarus was always behind major incidents.

And the Lumern higher-ups still couldn't catch Tartarus's tail within the school.

In such a situation, they had accepted hundreds of external personnel.

There was no guarantee that Tartarus wouldn't concoct another scheme.

'Their goal must be to slowly, and surely, shake Lumern.'

Indeed, the incidents during the first semester had shaken Lumern's standing.

The result was this joint class.

Of course, Lumern's reputation and influence were still unscathed.

But…

'Small tremors will eventually create small cracks, and small cracks become enormous cracks.'

In such a situation, cutting off external communication and focusing internally would be one of the best options.

However, Lumern had accepted external students.

'It must be the principal's will to see if they can do it.'

The greatest hero of this era.

The hero who exterminated the leader of Tartarus's legion.

Sword Saint, Kalian Veidean.

Kalian conducted this joint class as a way to reassert his prowess.

A declaration of his will to be on the front lines if any incident occurred.

'I must support him well.'

Halind sighed deeply and opened the student roster.

In practice, Sedjen was responsible for managing students from other academies, but Halind was responsible for background checks.

Thanks to that, personnel from Lumern's highest echelons were currently attached to Halind.

Sedjen's sudden assignment to the professors earlier was also a consideration to somewhat lighten Halind's burden.

Halind began flipping through the student roster with sharp eyes.

***

Lunchtime.

Leo was leisurely strolling through Lumern's Grand Archives.

There were many students from other academies besides Leo in the Grand Archives.

They were wandering around Lumern's Grand Archives, exclaiming in admiration.

Chen Xia, who would attend the summoning magic class with Leo after lunch, approached with a smile.

"The Hall of Heroes is crowded."

The Hall of Heroes, also known as the Relic Vault.

It is a place where the legendary weapons used by numerous active heroes are enshrined.

And currently, Kalian the Sword Saint's sword was on display in the Hall of Heroes.

Even as the principal, Kalian is rarely seen by Lumern students.

Therefore, students from other academies flocked to the Grand Archives to see the achievements of this era's greatest hero, Kalian, and his famous sword.

"Come to think of it, Leo-dono, you've had several conversations with the principal, haven't you?"

Chen Xia's eyes sparkled.

"What kind of person is he?"

"He just seemed like a grandfather next door."

"Leo-student is probably the only one in the world who would say the Sword Saint is like a grandfather next door."

Chen Xia burst into laughter and pulled a book from a bookshelf.

It was a book about Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.

"Ah, it's here. Books about the Hero of the Beginning are popular these days, so it's hard to get one because other students borrow them."

"Are you interested too?"

"Of course. Come to think of it, Leo-dono. Didn't you say you were starting a club related to the Hero of the Beginning?"

"Yes. I think it will be approved once I get the members."

Leo had been consistently preparing for the club while proceeding with the academic schedule.

"Well, everyone has already joined the club, so there's no one I know well enough to ask."

Chen Xia paused at Leo's words and then smiled.

"I don't participate in club activities. Shall I join?"

"Oh? Would you?"

"Instead."

Chen Xia smiled and tilted her head slightly.

"Call me 'older sister'."

"…Do you really have to do that?"

"Of course. You always treat me like I'm younger, but I'm two years older than Leo-dono. I am definitely the older one."

Chen Xia, chin raised, slowly swept her hair back.

Then, with a strangely alluring gaze, she said.

"Don't you feel the charm of an adult?"

"It feels like a child pretending to be an adult."

Chen Xia made a pouty face.

Just then.

Murmur- murmur-

The Grand Archives became noisy.

Leo and Chen Xia looked towards the entrance with puzzled expressions.

A rather peculiar scene was unfolding there.

A blonde girl in a Scaun uniform was entering the Grand Archives, accompanied by Lumern students.

Moreover, the Lumern students following her were from various grades.

'Who is it that so many people are following? Huh? Wait a minute. Some faces look familiar.'

Leo saw a few familiar faces among the crowd of students.

They were his fellow students from the Western entrance exam and seniors who had taken it.

The commonality was that they were all nobles from the Rodren Empire.

As Leo watched the group of students with curiosity, the girl who had been scanning the Grand Archives soon made eye contact with Leo.

Then, she smiled and approached Leo.

"You are Leo Prov, correct?"

The girl, around Chelsea's age, asked Leo in an elegant voice.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"You don't know me?"

The girl asked in a slightly surprised voice.

"This is the first time I've seen you, so of course I don't know. Are you famous?"

Leo said indifferently. The first-year students next to him looked flustered and opened their mouths as if to tell him something.

However, before that, Baden, a collateral descendant of the second-year Zerdringer, scowled and shouted.

"Don't speak so impudently, Leo Prov. This person is Sasha Sien Rodren, the Imperial Princess of the Rodren Empire!"

Upon Baden's introduction, Leo made an "oh-" expression.

The two great heroic families of the Rodren Empire.

Zerdringer and Ruwalin.

They had long supported Rodren and served as retainers of one family.

That was the imperial family, Rodren.

The Rodren imperial family bestowed immense power upon their retainers, but that lord-vassal relationship remained unshaken even after many years.

This is because the Rodren imperial family is also a heroic family that has produced many heroes.

If Zerdringer and Ruwalin are knights and mages, Rodren is a 'summoner'.

When the empire is in danger.

It is the emperor of Rodren who steps up as the final hero to protect the country.

As such, the next emperor of Rodren is decided solely by 'ability'.

And Sasha, who is 14 years old this year, became the Crown Princess four years ago, surpassing her siblings.

Leo had also heard about Sasha from Celia and Chelsea and knew of her.

"Your Highness, why have you come to me?"

"I came to meet a future subordinate."

At Sasha's words, the entire Grand Archives buzzed.

The top three prestigious academies have many children of powerful figures who can influence the world.

Sasha was one of them.

In front of everyone, she had declared that she would accept Leo as a future talent of the empire.

Everyone held their breath and focused on Leo and Sasha.

Students from the Rodren Empire also looked greatly flustered, as if they hadn't expected such a situation.

"In that sense, Leo Prov. No, since I will also be a Lumern student next year, I will call you 'senior.' Leo-senpai."

Sasha extended her hand elegantly towards Leo and said.

"Will you escort me to the next summoning magic class?"

No matter how much Lumern prioritizes ability, the Imperial Princess of the Rodren Empire.

Especially the Crown Princess, cannot be treated lightly.

Moreover, she will be a Lumern student next year.

Everyone watched to see how Leo would respond.

'It would be difficult to refuse here.'

'After all, aren't you trying to keep other factions who are eyeing Leo Prov in check?'

'Clever.'

It was when the students were marveling.

Leo said in a nonchalant voice.

"What is this arrogant little brat saying?"