Book 1 Chapter 214
Sitting in the rest stop, the five Zerdinger squire trainees glanced furtively at Leo and Celia.
“Here, you can get drinks to recover from fatigue, simple snacks, and even meals.”
“Is it similar to our school’s cafeteria?”
“Not really. You don’t pay for things, and the menu is always fixed.”
Celia shrugged and explained about the rest stop.
This was because Leo would be using the training grounds often, as he was staying at Zerdinger’s main estate during the early part of the vacation.
Nodding at Celia’s words, Leo picked up the drinks and returned to where the trainees were.
Seeing Leo, the trainees were startled and hurriedly got up from their seats.
“Le-Leo Young Master! We will do it!”
“Huh? It’s fine.”
“P-Please let us do it!”
“Yes! Please!”
Seeing them plead, seemingly burdened by the fact that Leo was looking out for them, Leo nodded and handed over the tray.
The girl who appeared to be the leader among the trainees first set up Leo’s and Celia’s drinks, then distributed the drinks among the squires.
“Well, even though it’s a meeting, it’s also our first time meeting, so how about we start with a simple self-introduction? Before that.”
Leo said to Celia, who was sitting next to him, drinking a beverage with a straw.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“How long are you going to stay here?”
“Are you telling me to leave?”
Celia frowned sharply.
As Celia, who was regarded as the noble direct descendant of Zerdinger and the future of the family, frowned, the trainees became restless.
Especially, they had trained in swordsmanship with Celia at the training grounds since childhood.
They had never seen Celia make such a face, so they were even more surprised.
At Celia’s reaction, Leo made an indifferent expression.
“Why are you here? I’m having a meeting with my squires.”
“Hey, you’re being petty! I can watch, can’t I?! How can you draw such a harsh line like that?”
Leo, who had been staring intently at the fuming Celia, waved his hand dismissively.
“Go.”
“Fine! I’m going! Go on! You’re really petty!”
*Swoosh!* Leo chuckled as he watched Celia’s departing back.
“Sulking.”
“Um… Leo Young Master… Uh… Is it okay to just let Young Lady Celia go like that?”
At that moment, the girl who appeared to be the leader carefully asked.
“She seems very angry, doesn’t she?”
“It’s fine. If you leave her alone, she’ll get over it herself.”
Leo, chuckling, looked at her.
“In that sense, why don’t you start with your self-introduction?”
Leo had instantly seen through the fact that this girl’s skills were the best among his squires.
‘That’s probably why she’s the leader.’
At Leo’s words, the girl introduced herself.
“My name is Martina Eran. I have been training as a Zerdinger trainee for five years. I am fifteen years old.”
Martina, who was the same age as Leo, stood up and bowed politely.
“My name is Austin Mare. I am sixteen years old.”
“I’m Karin Lotte. I’m fourteen years old.”
“Julan Cariven. I’m fourteen, the same as Karin.”
“Valerie Tom. I’m also fourteen years old.”
Afterward, Austin, Karin, Julan, and Valerie introduced themselves in that order.
Leo nodded, remembering each name.
“I’m Leo Flobe. I’m fifteen.”
At Leo’s introduction, the five looked at him with eyes full of admiration.
It couldn’t be helped.
Leo was one of the most famous hero candidates this year.
He was called the best student not just in Lumerne, but across all hero academies.
Lunia of Seirun.
Ar of Azonia.
Dirdan of Demian.
The prominent first-year students who entered this year, representing each race.
Among them, no student had achieved as much as Leo.
He even became the youngest student council president.
He was naturally an object of envy for his peers.
However, the squires’ eyes soon darkened.
Seeing their expressions, Leo spoke.
“Although you were assigned by the family, you are now my people, so I will fulfill my duties.”
“No. We all volunteered to become Young Master Leo’s squires.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Before summer, the family recruited those who wished to become Young Master Leo’s squires.”
Becoming a squire of a direct bloodline member was a great honor.
Moreover, it was a path to holding a high position within Zerdinger.
Being a squire of a Zerdinger direct bloodline member also meant many opportunities to raise one’s name.
Therefore, becoming a squire of a direct bloodline member was a tremendous opportunity for Zerdinger trainees.
“I personally watched Young Master Leo’s entrance exam.”
Martina said with a shy smile.
During the previous entrance exam.
Martina said that when Celia visited the Flobe family, she had accompanied her as an apprentice squire.
“Young Master Leo’s appearance, facing that monster without using aura, was amazing.”
Martina said he was like a hero from a story, making the impossible possible.
That’s why, when she later heard that Leo would become a direct descendant, she seemed to be the first to express her wish to become Leo’s squire.
The other trainees also said they volunteered to become Leo’s squires for their own reasons.
Listening to their stories, Leo nodded.
“Oh? So you chose me?”
Leo grinned.
However, Martina’s face wasn’t bright.
Seeing her expression, Leo made a puzzled face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I apologize for saying this, but we all intend to resign from our positions as Young Master Leo’s squires.”
At her words, Leo furrowed his brows.
“Why?”
At Leo’s question, Martina hesitated.
Replacing Martina, Austin spoke carefully.
“It’s because we all believe we are too lacking to become Young Master Leo’s squires.”
Austin’s explanation was as follows.
Martina, Austin, Karin, Julan, Valerie.
All five of them currently possessed only mid-tier skill levels among the Zerdinger family’s apprentice squires.
In Martina’s case, she was upper-mid-tier, but even so, her skills were said to be insufficient to be chosen as a direct descendant’s squire.
At her words, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Then how did you become my squires?”
“Well, you see…”
Karin glanced around uneasily, then carefully opened her mouth.
“Back when Young Master Leo’s squires were first recruited, the competition wasn’t that fierce.”
At Karin’s answer, spoken in a low voice, Leo nodded as if he understood.
“I see.”
When Leo’s squires were first recruited, Leo wasn’t famous, except for being an all-class and grade representative.
Moreover, there were many within the family who didn’t think highly of Leo, who had suddenly appeared and been named a direct descendant candidate.
Given the situation, all the high-ranking trainees who thought becoming Leo’s squire wasn’t a good choice were reluctant to apply.
Thanks to that, the current five people became Leo’s squires.
However, starting with the inter-department competition in the first semester and then the capture of Luna’s world in the second semester.
With him also becoming the youngest student council president, Leo’s reputation had completely reversed, 180 degrees, compared to before summer.
Already, there was no one in the family who didn’t think highly of Leo.
‘So, other Zerdinger trainees started coveting my squire position?’
Leo chuckled to himself.
And he looked at his squires.
‘There probably isn’t a single one from a good family among them.’
From lower noble families.
Or there might be trainees of commoner origin.
Basically, Zerdinger trainees are equal.
But even so, they couldn’t help but be affected by skill and family background.
For those with mid-tier skills and no family support, bullying from other trainees would likely be quite agonizing.
“There are many trainees more skilled than us. So… we think it’s right for us to resign.”
Martina and the other trainees bowed their heads deeply.
Seeing them clench their mouths tightly and grip their fists, Leo spoke.
“Why bother doing such a troublesome thing?”
“Huh?”
Leo said, resting his chin on his hand.
“Why don’t you just be my squires?”
At his words, Martina was flustered.
“B-But, Young Master Leo. We lack skill, don’t we? It will surely tarnish Young Master Leo’s reputation.”
“Skills can be developed. And you don’t particularly need to worry about my reputation.”
Leo smiled gently, looking at the five trainees.
“You chose me from the start for your own reasons. That’s enough.”
Seeing the surprised squires, Leo stood up.
“If you think you lack skill, how about training with me starting tomorrow?”
“Training with Young Master Leo?”
“Yes.”
‘Swordsmanship training with the Lumerne student council president…’
‘Th-This might be an opportunity…!’
The five trainees looked into each other’s eyes, then nodded.
“We will do it!”
Leo smiled at Martina’s words.
“Really? Then I’ll talk to Instructor Jerko separately.”
If Celia had seen this, she might have tried to dissuade the trainees from doing it.
“You’ll be training with me starting tomorrow.”
But unfortunately, Celia was not here.
***
Lumerne’s campus, deserted by the students, was very quiet.
Meanwhile, a faculty meeting was being held in the Hero’s Tower.
“Then, this agenda item is related to the entrance exam.”
The professors focused on Halind’s words, who was in charge of overseeing this year’s entrance exam.
“The entrance exam is coming soon. But it will be conducted differently from previous exams.”
It was time for Lumerne to embrace change.
The Sword Saint, who had long been the center of Lumerne, had departed.
Furthermore, last year, spies had even infiltrated Lumerne.
It was a time to be even more careful in selecting new students.
At Halind’s words, Ain asked.
“When you say it will be conducted differently… are you referring to the ‘joint exam’ you mentioned last time?”
“Yes.”
Halind nodded.
Until now, the Lumerne entrance exam had been conducted by each examiner at their discretion in each region.
But this year was different.
“We plan to send out official documents tomorrow.”
“Then, where will the exam be held?”
When Yura asked with a puzzled expression, Halind said nonchalantly.
“The Rodren Empire would be good.”
At his words, the professors nodded.
There aren’t many countries that can handle the crowds gathering from all over the world at once.
Among them, the most suitable is indeed Rodren, the hegemonic power of the west.
“Naturally, the exam content will also be integrated, right?”
“Yes.”
Halind was flipping through documents quickly without even glancing at the other professors.
“What is the exam content?”
To Ain’s question, Halind answered nonchalantly.
“They will fight against current students.”
“Excuse me?”
The professors made blank expressions.
For a moment, they wondered if they had misheard.
“They’ll be fighting current students?”
“Yes. The current students will ‘hunt’ the new student candidates.”
“……”
The professors’ faces changed strangely.
“No matter what, isn’t that too extreme?”
Yura asked cautiously.
In response, Halind raised his head with an expressionless face.
“Surely you don’t think I would propose an absurd exam?”
‘If it’s Professor Halind…’
‘Wouldn’t he do exactly that?’
The fact that not a single student from the 1st year Class 5, which he was in charge of this time, had recommended to drop out, was considered a miracle by both current students and professors alike.
However, his true nature was, in fact, Lumerne’s Wall of Wailing, reigning in terror among the students.
He was a terrifying professor who mercilessly recommended unqualified students to drop out.
“The students to be deployed in the exam are second-years.”
“Ah, if they’re second-years, that’s somewhat fortunate.”
“Professor Yura. Summon the students on this list to the Rodren Empire.”
Halind handed the list to Yura.
Yura’s face stiffened with a crackling sound as she received the list.
“Chloe Muller, Duran Moira, Celia Zerdinger, Leo Flobe, Chelsea Llewellyn, Abbad Llewellyn, Eliza Hergin, Woreden Tyne, Chen Xia?”
As the nine names were mentioned, the professors’ faces also stiffened.
“W-Wait a minute. Are you really planning to call these students?”
“Yes.”
Halind returned his gaze to the documents and said.
“If they lack the skill to survive against mere second-years, then filtering them out is the answer.”
‘No, they are not *mere* second-years!’
At Halind’s words, Yura screamed internally.
The reactions of the other professors were not significantly different.
But no professor uttered it aloud.
Because even for the professors, Halind was terror itself.
Thus, the professors sent their pity to this year’s new student candidates and sighed deeply.
The professors were certain that this year’s exam would undoubtedly be of unprecedented difficulty.