Book 1 Chapter 216

Trainees of Zerdinger start their day from early dawn.

Being selected as a trainee of Zerdinger itself is proof of considerable aptitude and talent as a knight.

However, no matter how talented one is, if they do not strive in a place where peers of similar levels gather, they are bound to fall behind.

That is why Martina started her day earlier than the other trainees.

Martina, with her disheveled face, got out of bed, yawning widely.

Then, she gently shook her roommate, Karin, who was fast asleep.

"Hey, Karin. Wake up."

"Uuuung?"

Karin, who had been burrowed under the covers, poked her head out and stretched like a cat.

Then, with a thud-! she jumped out of bed, washed her face, and finished getting ready to go out.

Outside, Austin, Julian, and Valerie were also waiting.

They were all part of Leo's Knights.

Ever since these five trainees became Leo's Knights, they had started training earlier than other trainees.

It was a natural decision for the five, who had personally realized their inadequacy to become Leo's Knights.

Especially since yesterday, they had been even more fired up.

"Lord Leo accepted us."

There were plenty of trainees with better skills than these five.

They had considered leaving the knight order out of concern for tarnishing Leo's reputation, but he said he would take those who chose him.

Martina clenched her fists tightly.

"Let's train harder and become knights worthy of Lord Leo."

It was then that Martina steeled her resolve.

"Oh, they look like they're going to train."

"As expected, the hero candidates are different."

"Heh. They must be really desperate. To have said something like that to Lord Leo."

Other trainees who would not normally be awake at this hour chuckled upon seeing Martina and the others.

"Why are they up so early?"

Karin grumbled.

"Ignore them."

Austin said calmly.

"Right. They're the top-ranked ones. The fact that they're up at this ungodly hour, which they normally aren't, means they're just trying to impress Lord Leo."

Julian agreed with Austin, smiling faintly.

And so, Leo's Knights headed towards their designated training grounds.

Upon seeing Leo already there, the five showed expressions of great surprise.

"Lord Leo?"

"Ah, isn't it still earlier than the scheduled training time?"

Austin and Karin looked flustered.

"You're here?"

Perhaps due to the cold air of the early winter dawn, puffs of breath escaped their mouths.

The five trainees hurried to stand before Leo.

Seeing the trainees like that, Leo said,

"From today, I will awaken your abilities."

At Leo's words, the trainees assumed a posture of attention.

"Yes!"

"You said you wanted to have the skills befitting my knights, right? If so, just follow my training well."

"Understood!"

Leo's knights replied with great vigor.

"The goal is to pass the Lumene entrance exam this year."

"Yes! I'll work hard…!"

The trainees, who had been shouting with enthusiasm, stopped short.

Then, with bewildered expressions, they looked at Leo.

"Lu, Lumene entrance?"

"How can we possibly enter Lumene?"

It was an impossible feat.

Students admitted to Lumene were, literally, the chosen few.

The hurdle was so high that only a tiny fraction of the top students among Lumene trainees could pass.

And yet, Lumene entrance!

Seeing their bewilderment, Leo said,

"You can all wield aura, right?"

"Yes."

"I passed the exam even though I can't wield aura."

'That's because you're special, Lord Leo!'

The entire knight order involuntarily retorted to Leo's enviable words.

But it wasn't untrue.

Leo himself knew that what he was saying was nonsensical.

Yet, Leo shamelessly used himself as an example.

"Do you know this saying?"

"What saying?"

"If it's not possible, make it possible."

'That's a terrifying saying.'

The five knights, including Martina, trembled.

Leo's eyes truly had the look of someone who could make the impossible happen.

Of course, they all intuitively understood that they would be the ones to perish in the process.

As everyone swallowed hard, Leo crossed his arms.

"Of course, if you lack confidence, you can quit. Even then, I won't abandon you who chose me."

Leo continued calmly.

"I will guide you to become stronger. But if you enter Lumene, you can ascend even higher."

At Leo's words, the trainees shivered.

"I made the offer because I saw potential in you."

Looking at Leo, who spoke calmly, the knights felt their hearts flutter.

Just becoming Leo's knights had made them overjoyed.

And yet, Lumene.

This is the era of heroes.

Because of that, everyone dreams of being a hero at least once.

The five were no different.

However, while training as Zerdinger trainees, they naturally realized.

They couldn't become heroes.

But Leo's words made them feel like they could dream the dream they had long abandoned.

"I will do it."

Martina said forcefully.

"I will follow Lord Leo."

Starting with Martina, the other trainees also ignited their resolve.

"I will do it too!"

"Me too!"

"Please train us!"

"We beg you!"

Leo smiled, watching them.

"Yes, that's a good attitude."

Leo nodded and said,

"Then shall we all start with physical modification?"

"?"

At the word "physical modification," the five looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

They should have realized then.

That they should have run away then.

***

Two weeks have passed since Leo's training began.

And Celia was climbing the mountain in the Zerdinger family's territory.

"How much does this kid intend to torment his knights to train on this back mountain?"

Celia clicked her tongue.

The day the five were fired up about entering Lumene.

Leo packed his bags and left Zerdinger Castle.

The reason was simple.

For training.

With the permission of Jise, the overall supervisor of the trainees, he had taken the five trainees on a training journey.

Following behind Celia was Niel, a fourth-year student in the Knight Department of Lumene.

As Celia's knight, she followed to assist her lord as he left his territory.

And hearing that Leo intended to make all his knights Lumene students also piqued her interest.

"But even Lord Leo, can he really make five mid-tier trainees into Lumene students?"

Niel tilted his head.

In fact, Leo's exploits were close to myth among the upperclassmen.

An unprecedented all-class achievement.

His performance during the Gigantes subjugation in the first semester.

Furthermore, in the second semester, he proudly secured the position of student council president.

But even so, this declaration was too absurd.

As a former Zerdinger trainee, Niel knew well.

How vast the difference was between students with mid-tier skills and Lumene entrants.

Only Leo himself, perhaps.

But for Niel, it was impossible to make others reach that level in just a few months.

"Besides, I doubt the training here will be more efficient than the training at the Zerdinger training grounds."

Hearing Niel's words, Celia said,

"Sister Niel, you don't know him that well yet."

"Yes?"

"When he sets his mind to something, he does it."

Celia shuddered.

Celia knew well how harsh Leo's training was.

She and Chelsea had suffered the most from Leo for a whole year.

Of course, recently, they had somewhat adapted to the intensity of Leo's training.

But in the early days, they had to suffer from muscle pain every weekend.

And thanks to that, Celia was able to maintain her top position in the Knight Department for a year, despite having formidable rivals like Chen Xia and Duran.

As the two searched the mountain, a scream of "Kyaaaaaaaaaaak!" echoed in their ears.

Hearing the sound, they looked at each other and quickened their pace.

Rushing towards the direction of the sound, Celia and Niel were speechless at the scene unfolding before them.

"Swing it. If you can't swing it, you die."

Leo's voice was terrifyingly devoid of emotion.

And Austin swung his bastard sword, shouting, "Uoooooooh!"

The giant rock that was about to fall on his head was cleanly severed.

Julran was trapped in a giant water droplet, making choking sounds.

Karin, trapped in the abyssal darkness, was screaming, "Kyaaaaaaak-!" while Valerie was being beaten by a golem created by Leo, her body bound by chains.

Finally, Martina was crawling on the ground, crushed by immense gravity.

"… What is this hell?"

Niel muttered in a dazed voice, and Celia covered her face and shook her head.

"I knew it would be like this."

While it was an unbelievable sight for Niel, it was a scene that Celia could have reasonably predicted.

And Celia hated her own imagination.

Because she had suffered so much from Leo, she could imagine such things.

As Celia let out a sorrowful laugh, Leo approached, noticing the two.

Meanwhile, the trainees' training did not stop.

"… I don't want to know, but I'm curious, so I'll ask. What exactly are you doing?"

To Celia's question, Leo replied,

"Physical modification."

At the strangely worded term, Celia narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you modifying their bodies?"

"To awaken their individual talents."

"Talents?"

"Yes."

Leo himself knew best that entering Lumene was not easy through sheer effort alone.

Even by Leo's judgment, all five people would have a hard time passing the Lumene entrance exam with their current abilities as 'knights.'

However, Leo was still confident that the five would pass the entrance exam.

The reason was simple.

Leo had the eyes of a great hero and an all-class individual.

And with those eyes, he saw that his knight members possessed talents other than those of knights.

"Austin has the talent of a mage."

Leo pointed to Austin, who was swinging his sword in a near-death state.

The sword was a sword that sealed the power of aura.

"The sword uses a cutting magic array that Austin himself created."

That's why for ten out of the past two weeks, Austin had studied magic arrays with his head throbbing, without any other training.

And he was forcibly awakening his magic under the threat of death.

"Julran and Karen have the talent of spirit users. That's why they are trapped in water and darkness to awaken their affinity with spirits."

Of course, they weren't simply confined to water and darkness.

It was a space filled with the power of spirits, created by the power of spirits.

It was optimal for awakening the dormant power of spirits.

"… What about Martina and Valerie?"

Niel asked with a reluctant expression, and Leo shrugged.

"They don't have the talent of mages or summoners. So they are awakening their aura's characteristics."

"Aura characteristics?"

"Yes, Valerie's aura characteristic is very rare. It's 'accumulation,' just like senior Hark."

Leo smirked.

Upon hearing that, Niel's expression turned surprised.

"Really?"

"Yes. The difference is that senior Hark accumulates power through 'sleep,' while Valerie accumulates power through 'impact.' That's why they need to build up their toughness, which is why they're tied up and beaten like this."

"Crude and brutish."

"Training is often best when it's crude and brutish. You know that well, don't you?"

Seeing Leo's faint smile, Celia, who was wrapped in chains, shuddered.

"What about Martina?"

"Martina is purely about strengthening her body."

She didn't have magic talent like Austin, nor did she have the talent for spirit arts like Julran and Karen.

Nor did she have a special aura characteristic like Valerie.

She only had the talent of a pure knight, as herself.

"… That must not feel good."

Niel said with a pitying expression.

Others have hidden talents, but she doesn't.

Niel, who had lived as a Zerdinger trainee and a Lumene student, knew how much of a shock that fact could be.

Because she was the only one who wasn't special.

Leo chuckled at Niel's words.

"Yes. But she'll be fine."

"Why are you so sure?"

To Celia's question, Leo smiled.

"She knows how to overcome her limits."

Overcoming limits.

That was also a lesson of Lumene.

She was different from the other trainees.

Austin, Karin, Julran, and Valerie were discovering new abilities through Leo's discernment and rapidly developing them.

As a result, they were showing rapid growth.

But Martina was different.

She had no other way than to strengthen her existing abilities.

However, Martina was following Leo's hellish training without falling behind.

She grits her teeth and does not hesitate to crash into a wall when faced with one.

"That is the greatest virtue for becoming strong."

Leo looked at Martina, who gritted her teeth, endured his gravity magic, and slowly got to her feet, and said,

"She will become strong."

At those words, Celia hummed and looked at Martina.

Celia and Martina were the same age.

So they had trained together as trainees.

'She is certainly a hard worker.'

She didn't know that such a hardworking trait would blossom when she met Leo.

"But if you focus so much on other abilities, aren't your knight abilities not developing? They are Zerdinger trainees, after all."

Niel said with a disappointed expression, and Leo picked up a stone lying on the ground.

"Don't worry about that."

Then he dispelled the spirit arts and magic that were tormenting the trainees.

For a moment, the trainees who regained their freedom flinched! And shivered.

Towards them, Leo threw the stone he had picked up without hesitation.

Sssshhh!

Thwack!

"Yeeeek!"

Karin, hit in the shoulder by the stone, screamed and rolled on the ground.

Although she defended herself momentarily with aura, it hurt as if she could die.

"I attack them by surprise to help them develop their aura control abilities. Karin! You can endure it, right?"

"You! I will kill you someday!"

Despite Karin's enraged cry, Leo smiled and threw another stone at Karin.

"Kyaaaaaaak!"

'He's a demon. This person is a demon.'

Niel was certain in his heart.

"So, what's the reason you came to find me? I told you not to look for me for about a month."

Leo asked while throwing stones at his knights.

Amidst the trainees' screams, Celia said,

"There's an announcement from Lumene."

"From Lumene?"

"Yes. Several of those scheduled to be promoted to the second year have been summoned to the Rodren Empire."

"Will you and I be included?"

"That's not all."

Celia handed the list to Leo.

Leo, receiving it, scratched his cheek.

"Unified exam… But you're gathering this group?"

"Yes."

Leo muttered, looking at the name of the exam supervisor.

"It seems we're the exam task?"

"Huh?"

"I think they're going to have us catch the prospective students?"

"Hey. Even for the Lumene entrance exam, would they do something like that?"

"Right. Right."

Niel said, laughing.

Celia nodded, watching Niel.

The gap between the entrance exam students and the second-year promotion students was, without exaggeration, like the difference between heaven and earth.

Especially since the current second-year students of Lumene were a golden generation, one of the best in Lumene's history.

Even excluding Leo.

The top-class second-years, led by Leo and Celia, were not on a level that entrance exam students could handle.

"The professor in charge of the exam is Professor Halind."

Leo said with a nonchalant expression.

"If I were Professor Halind, I would do this."

Lumene's Great Wall.

The absolute fear of the students.

Having experienced Halind for a year, Leo was certain.

Hearing Leo's words, Celia and Niel looked at each other.

"Then, what will you do if you meet your knights in the exam?"

To Celia's question, Leo said calmly,

"I will defeat them with all my might?"

In Leo's dictionary, there was no such thing as going easy.