Book 1 Chapter 195

After concluding their two-day journey, Leo and Lil returned to Rumeria City.

Ignite disappeared as soon as they entered Rumelia.

"Where did Ignite-nim go?"

"Even if you persuaded him well, he's a guy who doesn't like people much."

Seeing Lil's bewilderment, Jin pointed to the numerous crowds on the street and said,

"He must hate streets like this."

"Ah."

Lil nodded as if she understood.

"In any case, you worked hard on the mission. It must have been a very difficult mission, but you performed it well."

As Jin smiled with his arms crossed, Lil scratched her head.

"I didn't do anything special. Leo did everything for this mission."

Lil's shoulders drooped.

Seeing Lil like that, Jin chuckled.

"Don't be dramatic. As far as I can see, you're a monster too?"

Jin smiled and crossed his arms.

"I'm reassured to have such capable juniors! I'm looking forward to the upcoming Rushe Battle. Everyone, do your best!"

"Where are you going, Jin-sunbae?"

"I have a brief errand in Rumelia City. You guys go ahead."

Jin waved his hand and disappeared into the crowd.

Watching his retreating figure, Lil was impressed.

"Heroes are truly amazing."

"They are."

"Anyway, Leo. Since you helped me with the mission, I'll treat you to something delicious."

"You don't have to go to such lengths."

"No. I ruined Leo's precious weekend because of me, so I must repay you properly."

Lil said resolutely and walked down the street with Leo.

A moment later, Leo arrived at a restaurant in an alley.

"Isn't this a bar?"

"Yes, but they have other menu items besides alcohol. And the food is very delicious! It's a popular spot loved by Rumern students of all grades!"

Leo nodded and entered the bar with Lil.

As Lil said, there were many Rumern students in the bar.

They recognized Leo and Lil and waved.

Leo, who had taken a seat in a corner, rested his chin on his hand and looked around the bar.

"It's been a long time since I've been to a place with this kind of atmosphere."

"Leo, you've been to places like this before?"

'Yes, about 5000 years ago.'

Leo chuckled inwardly.

"I thought you wouldn't have any connection to places like this since your maternal relatives are from Zerdinger."

"It's true that my maternal relatives are from Zerdinger, but I didn't know that fact until I enrolled in Rumern."

"Really?"

"Yes. My family situation is quite complicated."

"Ah, I shouldn't have asked."

Lil looked apologetic.

"It's not an offensive or disrespectful story, even if it's complicated."

As Leo shrugged,

*Ding- ding-*

The restaurant door opened, and a group of students entered.

"Kal, is it really okay to come to a place like this?"

"I told you it is! I came here with some seniors from the business club before, and it was incredibly delicious!"

"If anything goes wrong, it's all your fault."

Ten students from the magic department, led by Kal, entered the establishment.

"I'm telling you, nothing will go wrong! And since we're Rumern, we often have to come to places like this for missions… Huh? Leo!"

Kal, who was persuading Chelsea, who was showing discomfort, spotted Leo and waved.

Chloe and Chelsea whipped their heads around to look at Leo.

Kal approached Leo with a happy expression.

"We meet here of all places. Ah! Lil-senpai! Hello!"

"Yes. We meet again, Kal."

Lil greeted him with a smile.

Other first-year magic department students also approached Lil and bowed.

"Hello, Lil-senpai."

As one of the most famous students at the school, it was natural that none of them didn't know Lil.

Lil smiled as she looked at the juniors greeting her.

"Seeing the magic department students gathered like this, it seems you're preparing for the Rushe Battle."

"Yes."

"There's a lot to prepare for. Including the selection of representatives."

Kal licked his lips.

"Seirun is the magic-strongest of the four Hero Academies, so everyone is preparing intensely."

"Heh heh. I was so busy with preparations as a first-year that I wasn't nervous until the day of the Rushe Battle."

'Of course, on the day itself, I was so nervous I had to take stomach medicine.'

Lil didn't bother to mention the aftermath.

Lil always wanted to be an imposing senior to her juniors.

Just then.

"By the way, Lil-senpai and Leo-oppa, why were you out overnight for two days?"

The first-year magic department students looked at Chelsea with shocked faces.

Chelsea, as usual, looked at Leo and Lil alternately with her big, wide eyes.

She couldn't stand her curiosity, and she was bothered that the two of them had spent a day together outside of school.

To Chelsea's question, Lil replied with a smile,

"I received a mission, and Leo helped me."

"I see."

Chelsea nodded with a smile.

Chloe, who had been watching with a worried face, let out a sigh of relief.

Then, she made eye contact with Kal.

"What?"

"Are you relieved now?"

Seeing Kal teasing her with a smirk, Chloe blew out a breath.

"Eeeek! It feels like my face is going to be ripped off!"

The surrounding magic department students whispered as they watched Kal screaming, clutching his face.

"Doesn't Chloe seem to be turning more and more into the Ice Queen from fairy tales these days?"

"They say the seniors call her 'Ice Princess' these days. Not in personality, but physically, an ice princess."

"Huh? What?"

"It's nothing!"

"Yeah! We were saying that Kal deserves it!"

When Chloe asked with a smile, her classmates hurriedly replied.

Seeing that, Lil said,

"Anyway, can Leo's friends join us? I received a lot of help from Leo, so I'll treat you to something delicious."

"Oh! Thank you! Senpai!"

"Lil-senpai is the best!"

"Unnieee~"

The first-years cheered and acted cute, and Lil burst into a smile.

As the table was set and food and drinks were ordered, the table buzzed with talk of the Rushe Battle.

"Who is the first-year student from Seirun that the first-year magic department students are most concerned about?"

"Lunia El Lundia."

Abad said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Lil nodded, finding his appearance, which was somewhat incongruous with the bar, strangely charming.

"Indeed. Lunia El Lundia is someone even the summoning department is wary of."

Before being a formidable mage, Lunia was the young lady of the Lundia family, destined to contract with a phoenix.

If anything, her summoning skills were more outstanding than her magic, and she was by no means inferior.

Therefore, she was the primary target of concern.

"Leo, Chelsea, Kal. You've met Lunia El Lundia before, haven't you? What is she like?"

"If you ask what she's like…"

Chelsea, who had crossed her arms and was contemplating, tilted her head.

"A thug?"

"Doesn't Lunia have a reputation as the top honor student, not just in skill but also in conduct?"

Abad asked back with a puzzled expression, and Chelsea nodded.

"Yes, brother. But that behavior seemed like feigning innocence, no matter how I think about it."

"Oh! You're good at feigning innocence yourself, so you know it well… Crk!"

Kal, who had teased her for no reason, was hit in the side by Chelsea and rolled on the floor.

Stepping on Kal, who had fallen to the floor, she said calmly,

"I don't feign innocence or anything."

While Chelsea was fierce to others, she became gentle in front of Leo and Abad.

Of course, that doesn't mean she's not fierce to others.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

Kal cried pitifully, being trampled by Chelsea.

"Eiran is also not to be underestimated."

"Yeah. Right, Eiran-unnie is here too."

Chelsea thought of Eiran, who had become close friends with her during the school trip.

As a sword mage and the second-highest-ranked student in Seirun's first year, she was also a considerable target of concern.

While Lunia was so conspicuous, Eiran's skill was also excellent enough to threaten Lunia's top position.

"You said she's a sword mage. How does she compare to Iliana?"

Turka from Class 10, one of the magic department students, tilted his head.

Among Rumern's first-year sword mages, Iliana was undoubtedly the most skilled.

"Comparing them is an insult to Eiran-unnie."

"Right. Don't compare her to that attack-obsessed idiot."

Turka looked bewildered at Chelsea and Kal, who spoke so mercilessly.

"Isn't that too harsh on Iliana? She's your classmate."

"Turka. The closer you are, the more objective you should be."

"Right. If she hears that you compared her to Eiran-unnie, she'll get even more arrogant."

The magic department students nodded at their resolute attitudes.

Watching them debate the Rushe Battle, Leo rested his chin on his hand.

"Seirun."

A Hero Academy aiming to carry on Luna's will.

'What kind of place will it be.'

Leo had met students from other Hero Academies but had never been to one himself, so he was also looking forward to the Rushe Battle.

***

After the midterms, the Rushe Battle representative selection tournament proceeded.

Many students fiercely competed to become the school's representative.

Yet, the goal was only one:

Defeat Seirun.

Rumern, which had been losing in the Rushe Battle for the past few years, had an even more exceptional resolve.

Those who had come to Rumelia through the Hero Summoning were keenly watching these Rumern students.

They had enrolled in a Hero Academy to become heroes.

Seeing their admired seniors watching them, their will to fight could only burn brighter.

Thus, the representative selection tournament ended.

All grades gathered at the warp gate, ready to head to Seirun.

"The day has finally come."

Riss, who was to give the student representative speech, stood on the podium and looked down at the students.

"For us fifth-years, the previous Rushe Battle was a history of defeat. We did our best, but we couldn't overcome Seirun."

A shadow fell over Riss's eyes.

"For me, who always asserted that we were the best, the Rushe Battle is the greatest regret. And now, I will have my last Rushe Battle."

A shadow fell over the faces of the second, third, and fourth-year students.

The second, third, and fourth-year students, who had been outmatched by Seirun, felt sorry for the fifth-years who had always won in inter-grade competitions.

"As student council president, I will not make gentlemanly remarks about not caring about victory or defeat."

Riss said sternly.

"To not pass on the history of defeat to you, we fifth-years will do our best. So, let's win this Rushe Battle!"

"Yes!"

All grades responded in unison with a loud voice.

Riss smiled and shouted,

"Now! Let's go! To Seirun!"

"Let's go!"

"Wooooooh!"

The highly motivated Rumern students cheered.

In that state, the floor lit up, and the warp gate activated.

Hundreds of students were instantly warped.

And…

*Fwoooooosh!*

"It's cold!"

"Aaaaah! What is this!"

The students screamed.

The harsh weather at the northernmost tip of the northern continent enveloped the Rumern students.

The sudden blizzard threw all the Rumern students into a panic.

Of course, everyone was wearing thick clothing, expecting Seirun's cold.

However, Seirun's extreme cold far exceeded their expectations.

"Wow, sorry. Sorry. Today, unfortunately, a blizzard blew in."

At that moment, a female student in a Seirun uniform appeared through the blizzard.

"Rienia."

Riss smiled as he saw Rienia, the student council president of Seirun and a fifth-year.

"Due to the sudden blizzard, we knew you were coming, but we couldn't deal with it with magic. Please bear with us for a moment, we'll take care of it with magic…"

"There's no need."

Riss shook his head.

The blizzard subsided in an instant.

Rienia's eyes widened as she looked at Riss.

'He's gotten stronger in the meantime?'

Rienia knew that Riss had intervened in the extreme cold climate through aura manipulation.

As the blizzard subsided, the unseen scenery began to appear.

Competitiveness appeared on the faces of the Rumern students, who were shivering and wiping their noses, shaking off the blizzard.

Seirun students, waving Seirun's flags, were waiting for the Rumern students.

Rienia smiled and crossed her arms.

"Rumern gentlemen. Welcome! To Seirun!"

*Thump- thump-*

"Welcome!"

The Seirun students shouted, stomping their feet in unison.

Seeing that, Kal muttered,

"Is this a welcome? Or a threat?"

Leo laughed at his words.

"It means the Rushe Battle has already begun."