Book 1 Chapter 220
“What, what!”
“Did you just hear a loud noise…!”
The Lumen students, who were resting in their respective rooms, were surprised and came down to the first floor.
“Didn’t you just say Leo?”
Kal asked with a bewildered face, and Eiran, who had been covering his ears, carefully removed his hands and said,
“I, I heard that too.”
Celia, with her brows furrowed, opened the door and went out.
And far away.
She spotted a girl standing prominently at the dormitory entrance and tilted her head.
“Beastkin?”
The one who seemed to have shouted was none other than the beastkin girl.
Her appearance alone was very striking.
It wasn’t just because she was a beastkin.
Her attire was too eye-catching.
The winter in the west, while not as severe as the north, was still very cold.
Yet, the beastkin girl’s outfit was very thin.
So thin, in fact, that it was even short-sleeved.
Her cat ears, poking out from her white hair, twitched nervously, and the tail between her back and hips flicked irritably.
Crucially, her sapphire-blue eyes held a very fierce aura.
She looked like a cat about to bristle and hiss at any moment.
“She looks really angry, doesn’t she?”
Chloe, who peeked out following Celia, tilted her head.
“But why is she making such a scene looking for Leo?”
“Wait. That outfit… isn’t that Azonia’s uniform?”
“What?”
Hearing Chloe’s words, Celia looked closely at the girl’s attire with a surprised expression.
Indeed, as Chloe said, it was an Azonia uniform.
“Why is an Azonia student causing such a ruckus looking for Leo?”
Celia went out the door with a bewildered expression.
Arga, the Azonia student who saw Celia, widened her eyes.
Stomp- stomp-
Celia approached Arga and said,
“You’re an Azonia student, aren’t you? My name is Celia Zerdiger.”
“Celia?”
Arga opened her eyes in surprise.
Celia was a very famous student from Lumen, even in Azonia.
Arga had also heard her name many times and knew of her.
Swiftly- Swiftly- Arga, who scanned Celia from head to toe, crossed her arms and lifted her chin.
“My name is Ar Tune.”
“Ar Tune?”
‘Azonia’s first-year representative? Why is such a big shot here looking for Leo?’
Celia, who had been surprised, remembered something.
‘Ah, come to think of it, didn’t they say they conquered Lord Aron’s world together during the summer break?’
It was a well-known fact that Aron’s world suddenly opened during this year’s Azonia entrance exam.
And Leo had taken the entrance exam with Arga.
If so, Leo must be a comrade with whom Arga had faced death together.
However, there was no sign of that from Arga.
While Celia wore a puzzled expression, Arga spoke.
“So? Where is Leo Flov?”
“Leo isn’t here right now.”
“If he’s not here, then where is he?”
“He hasn’t arrived yet due to family matters.”
Arga scrunched up her brows at that.
“If it’s okay, can you tell me why you’re looking for Leo? It doesn’t seem like it’s for a good reason.”
“I came to challenge Leo Flov to a duel.”
‘…What did he do wrong this time?’
Leo wasn’t exactly the type to make enemies, but he wasn’t exactly the nicest either.
“If it’s okay, can you tell me inside why you need to duel Leo?”
“Alright.”
Arga nodded and followed Celia inside.
‘She doesn’t seem like a bad person.’
As Arga entered, all eyes of the Lumen students were fixed on her.
Due to the loud shouting just moments ago, all the students had rushed down to the first floor.
Many students looking at her might have felt a pang of guilt, but Arga didn’t even flinch.
“Azonia student?”
“Was that her who shouted for Leo to come out just now?”
“Who is she?”
“They say her name is Ar Tune.”
“What? Azonia’s year representative?”
“Wow… why is such a big shot here… No! More importantly, aren’t those the year representatives of Seirun?”
“What? What in the world is going on?”
The students who didn’t know that the Seirun year representatives had arrived started murmuring as they belatedly grasped the situation.
Hearing the whispers, Arga’s ears perked up, and she looked towards where the Seirun students were.
She saw three elves.
Among them, Arga instantly recognized the girl with vibrant red hair and red eyes and narrowed her eyes.
‘Runia El Lundar. Seirun’s first-year top student.’
Meanwhile, Runia also recognized Arga and tilted her head.
‘Ar Tune… Azonia’s first-year representative.’
An unexpected meeting between the year-top students of Seirun and Azonia.
A strange tension began to flow as they sized each other up.
“How fortunate that such esteemed guests have graced us with their presence.”
At that moment, Duran pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
Not only Duran.
Chloe took a seat in a corner of the lounge.
Abad and Chelsea also sat not far away, observing the situation.
Eliza, as usual, was indifferently grooming her nails but sent an interested gaze.
Seeing that, the Lumen students swallowed dryly.
Leo, Chen Xia, and Worreden were absent due to family matters.
Even so, candidates for heroes, who could be called the strongest of their generation, had gathered in one place.
The tension was different from usual.
“So, why are you challenging Leo to a duel?”
If one had incurred the wrath of someone like the Azonia year representative, it would undoubtedly be a troublesome matter, not just for the school but also for the family.
Especially since the Tune family was one of the most renowned hero families among the beastkin.
If it was a serious problem, it could even escalate into diplomatic issues.
The Lumen students looked puzzled at Celia’s question.
Not many students knew that Leo had participated in Azonia’s entrance exam during the break.
It was natural to be suspicious when the Azonia first-year representative suddenly appeared and challenged Leo to a duel.
“Maybe it’s a kind of ‘dojang kkaegi’ (breaking the dojang)? Like, ‘I’ll defeat the most famous Leo Flov these days!’ Something like that?”
“Ah. Come to think of it, didn’t they say Azonia students have a warrior-like disposition?”
“If it’s something like that, it would be interesting!”
Amidst various speculations, Arga clenched her fist.
Her drooping cat tail stood straight up as if angry.
“Leo Flov… that guy…”
Arga, her lips trembling, shouted.
“He toyed with me and played with me!”
“Pfft! Cough! Gulp! Cough!”
Luni, who was sipping warm tea, choked and spat out the tea she was drinking, coughing wildly.
“And then he abandoned me and left!”
Thump-! Bang-!
Chloe dropped the grimoire she always carried.
“Ouch!”
Kal, who happened to be nearby, clutched his foot and rolled on the floor.
But Chloe, shocked, just stared blankly.
“I cannot forgive someone who played with a pure maiden’s heart!”
“Is… is that possible… Leo-nim… Leo-nim…”
Eiran mumbled blankly, as if shocked.
“Wait! Wait!”
Chelsea, who had jumped up from her seat, rushed over with a flushed face.
“There’s no way Leo-oppa would do such a vulgar thing! What kind of trickery is this!”
“Trickery? I was wronged by Leo Flov!”
Arga also jumped up from her seat and shouted back.
The interior of the hotel had already descended into chaos.
“Hmph. So that was the reason. Indeed. Leo Flov certainly has a sinister side.”
“Hmph. Disappointing, Leo Flov.”
Eliza spoke mercilessly, and Duran snorted with his arms crossed.
Celia tried to maintain her composure.
But the reason, which was beyond imagination, was giving her a splitting headache.
‘The Azonia year representative doesn’t seem to be lying… What in the world did she do there!’
It was when Celia was shouting inwardly.
“What? Why are you all down on the first floor?”
All eyes on the first floor turned to the source of the voice.
White hair and red eyes.
Leo Flov, the man in question, stood there.
“Leo Flov!”
“Huh?”
Arga jumped up from her seat with a fierce expression.
“Prepare yourself!”
Seeing Arga rushing at him with widened eyes and bared claws, Leo raised his fist.
Bang-!
“Ow!”
“What are you doing?”
Leo asked in a listless voice, and Arga, who was crouching while clutching her head, looked up.
“Leo Flov! Have you forgotten what you did to me?”
“Ah? That. I’m sorry, but what can be done when things turned out that way?”
“Hey! Leo! Did you really toy with her?”
Celia, watching the situation, asked urgently.
“Yeah. But I couldn’t enroll in Azonia like this, could I?”
“What?”
Celia paused.
“I tricked her and attended Azonia’s entrance ceremony. But I was caught by Professor Ain and Professor Yura midway and had to come back without properly explaining the situation.”
“I wanted to make our Azonia the best hero academy with you! I had such grand dreams! But it turns out you were toying with me! I can’t forgive you!”
Leo pushed away Arga’s face, who was lunging at him and hissing, and asked,
“What do I need to do to make you feel better?”
“Transfer to Azonia immediately!”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
“Why doesn’t it make sense! Is it okay for a Lumen student to take our school’s entrance exam? Transfer! Transfer!”
Kal muttered, watching Arga whine like a kitten.
“As I always feel, she’s quite popular, isn’t she?”
To that, Iliana said,
“As I always say, I’d rather pass on that kind of popularity.”
All the Lumen students around nodded in agreement.
***
On the outskirts of Lored, there is a vast training ground.
It is where the empire’s grand parades are held, so it can accommodate tens of thousands of people without issue.
And now, a large crowd of spectators has gathered here.
The day of Lumen’s long-awaited unified exam has finally dawned.
Usually, at Lumen’s entrance exam, the spectators’ attention is focused on the examinees.
But today was different.
Most of the attention was directed towards the second-year students who had been selected.
“Look there! It’s Lumen’s second-year students, called the Golden Generation.”
“Isn’t that Chloe Muller there? The genius born from the Magic Tower!”
“And Duran from the Knight Kingdom Moira is here too.”
Among them, the top-ranking students instantly captured everyone’s attention.
The entire second-year class puffed up their chests in response to the considerable attention from the spectators.
Of course, amidst this, there was someone who was diligently doing their own thing.
“Amazing! Amazing!”
“What business idea have you come up with now?”
Chloe, who had been encouraging her juniors from the Northern Magic Tower, chuckled and looked at Kal, who was approaching, with a puzzled expression.
“Pass amulets!”
“Pass amulets?”
“Yeah! Aren’t I someone who got into school by the skin of my teeth and survived until the second year by the skin of my teeth?”
Kal chuckled.
“So, I’m promoting them to the examinees and selling them!”
“……Isn’t that fraud?”
“Fraud? What fraud! I’m not overcharging, and I’m even giving away fatigue recovery potions as a service!”
Chloe shook her head at her friend’s business acumen.
Meanwhile, Leo was giving advice to his knights.
“Do your best.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Whatever the exam assignment is, never give up.”
“Of course!”
“Leo-senpai!”
While Leo was encouraging his knights, someone approached Leo with a bright voice.
The Slayer Knights, upon seeing the person who spoke, exclaimed in surprise and bowed respectfully.
The one who called Leo was none other than the princess of this country, Shasha.
She, who was a strong contender for the next Emperor of Lored, stood before Leo with a retinue of many officials.
“I’ve been eagerly awaiting this day.”
Shasha smiled brightly.
“The day I become Leo-senpai’s junior and receive your guidance!”
“Uh, yeah. Do your best.”
Leo said with a listless expression.
At Leo’s tone, the escort knights accompanying Shasha glared at Leo.
But Leo didn’t even flinch.
Shasha, unfazed, wore a confident expression.
“Since I am Leo-senpai’s direct junior, I will aim for the year representative!”
“Yeah. Work hard.”
“Hehehe! Please look forward to it!”
Seeing Leo send off the radiant princess, Martina asked in surprise,
“Leo-donny. Is it okay to speak so casually to the princess?”
“What’s the big deal? She’s my junior. And to be precise, I’m not even a citizen of this country.”
Leo’s nationality is, for the record, the Kingdom of Delad.
As the second-year students cheered on their familiar first-year students,
“Everyone, attention.”
A low voice echoed throughout the entire exam hall.
“My name is Halind Edmon. I am in charge of overseeing this year’s Lumen Unified Exam.”
Upon Halind’s appearance, gasps erupted from various places.
It was understandable, as one of Lumen’s most renowned professors had appeared.
The examinees wore tense expressions.
Amidst this, Halind said,
“I will now reveal the entrance exam assignment.”
True to Halind’s style, he got straight to the point without any unnecessary talk.
“This year’s Lumen entrance exam assignment is ‘Survival’.”
At those words, the examinees began to murmur.
“Survival?”
“Do we have to survive?”
“We will check your coping abilities in extreme situations. Only students who survive or demonstrate excellent coping abilities within a limited time will pass.”
Upon hearing Halind’s words, sighs of relief escaped from various places.
“What? We just have to survive?”
“Are they holding the unified exam loosely?”
“Surviving is easy!”
“I was needlessly nervous.”
The examinees said with joy.
Seeing their expressions, Halind said with a blank face,
“Loosely? Easy?”
The students froze at his chilling voice that overwhelmed the audience.
“You all seem to think the Lumen entrance exam is a joke. You have no idea who you will be surviving against.”
Halind curled the corners of his mouth.
“The ones who will hunt you are none other than your seniors. That is, the Lumen second-year students here.”
At those words, the examinees, as well as the second-year students, wore expressions of disbelief.
“Surviving within the time limit means that if you don’t survive within that time, you will all ‘fail’.”
Halind’s eyes gleamed.
“In other words, it would be no surprise if the number of new students this year is zero.”
The examinees’ faces gradually hardened.
‘Wait! I don’t want a second-year life without juniors!’
The second-year students also screamed inwardly.
“Second-year students. If anyone of you goes easy on them because you don’t want a school life without juniors, I will expel you first.”
At Halind’s conclusive words, everyone froze.
“Th-this is unfair!”
“That’s right! The opponents are the second-year students!”
As a few people protested, Halind curled the corners of his mouth.
“Overcome your limits. That is the motto of Lumen. This is the Lumen way.”