Book 1 Chapter 223

“What are you trying to do?”

Ain frowned, crossing her arms.

Aina Veidna.

She was a rising star among this year's applicants, receiving attention for both her reputation and her skill.

Not because of her lineage as the great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint.

Her skill and talent had long been proven to be undeniably the best.

'But if Leo is her opponent… that's too reckless.'

Ain squinted her eyes.

It was bound to be reckless.

Her opponent was none other than Leo Phloove.

He was considered one of the top monsters in Lumerne's history.

On the other hand, Aina wasn't even a student of Lumerne yet.

Some would say it was only a difference of one year.

However, the gap between someone who had spent a year at Lumerne and someone who hadn't was astonishingly large.

That's why Lumerne was called a Hero Academy.

Halind was watching the scene on the screen and chuckled.

Seeing his expression, Ain asked,

"Professor Halind. What will you do if Aina Veidna is defeated by Leo as she is?"

"Why are you asking something so obvious? She'll be disqualified."

If Sedgen, the professor in charge of the exam, had been there, he might have passed her based on potential and future prospects.

After all, Sedgen was a professor who valued the will to challenge.

But Halind was not.

To begin with, the situation Halind had created was an outrageously unfair test.

Even Kalman, who was currently at the bottom of the skill rankings, was strong enough to hunt the applicants.

No matter how skilled an applicant was among the candidates, challenging Leo, the best student in the second year, was a reckless act.

The reason Professor Halind set up this exam was to see how the applicants would react when faced with an unmanageable situation.

Academic life at Lumerne was harsh.

Even the most talented individuals who passed the entrance exam were advised to withdraw by more than half in their first year and leave the school.

Especially now, with the destruction of the Demon Queen, it was uncertain what provocations Tartarus might launch.

Moreover, the first-year students, known as the Golden Generation, had been exposed to exceptionally harsh environments.

There was no guarantee that this year's freshmen would not face the same.

That's why 'survival' was given a high score.

If they lacked the ability to survive, Halind had no intention of accepting this year's entrants in the first place.

In such a situation, challenging Leo Phloove was not courage or a spirit of challenge, but mere 'foolhardiness.'

'Of course, it wouldn't matter if Aina Veidna had a way to escape Leo…'

In Ain's eyes, one of Leo's greatest strengths was his experience, which was far beyond his age.

In practice duels in the Knight Department over the past year, countless students had tried to surprise Leo, but he had never once shown any sign of being flustered.

Strangely, Leo's level of experience was vastly different from that of his peers.

Ain crossed her arms.

'What will you do, Aina Veidna?'

***

Leo looked down at the girl gazing up at him and said,

"Reckless actions won't receive a good evaluation, you know?"

"It doesn't matter. It's more important for me to be recognized by you."

"By me?"

Leo couldn't help but be confused, as a girl he'd never seen before suddenly said she needed his recognition.

*Screech-!*

Aina, without answering his question, drew her sword.

"Draw your sword, Leo Phloove."

'I don't know why, but she seems to be treating me like some kind of test assignment.'

Leo chuckled and said,

"Don't I have to make you draw it?"

"That's true too."

Most people confident in their abilities would have been provoked by Leo's words.

However, Aina calmly accepted Leo's words and lowered her stance.

*Whoosh-!*

In an instant, a flash-like thrust targeted Leo's brow.

Leo leaned back to avoid the attack.

Then, aiming for a counterattack, he tried to kick Aina's wrist with his heel.

As if anticipating Leo's attack, Aina retrieved her sword and prepared for the next one.

*Vvng-*

Golden aura erupted from Aina's body.

*Goooo-! Kagaagagaga-!*

Leo's expression changed to surprise.

'This much output?'

Mana capacity and mana output are different.

To put it simply, if mana capacity is stamina, then mana output is power.

Regardless of class, both mana capacity and output must increase to use stronger skills, cast more powerful spells, or summon more powerful familiars.

Even to Leo, Aina's mana output was astonishing.

It was comparable to Celia and Duran, who were in their second year and could rival mages in pure offensive power.

Of course, high output didn't automatically mean strength, but it was still surprising.

A domineering sword strike fell upon Leo.

*Hwaak-!*

In an instant, the sword changed.

It wasn't just a strong sword strike.

It was also unpredictably fluid, dazzling the eyes.

The swords surrounded Leo from all directions.

Leo looked at Aina's face.

Despite the advantageous situation, her eyes were chillingly cold.

'I see. This one isn't aiming for admission.'

*Vvng-!*

Gray aura gathered in Leo's hand.

'I am the target.'

Without hesitation, Leo stepped into the whirlwind of sword strikes.

And without hesitation, he reached out his hand.

*Gulp-!*

The sword tips, scattering to the point of making one's eyes dizzy, were caught between Leo's fingers.

Leo and Aina's eyes met in mid-air.

"Are you the principal's granddaughter?"

"Great-granddaughter."

The aura emanating from her felt similar to Kalian's.

Aina, who had calmly answered Leo's question, unleashed her aura strongly from her entire body.

With the swirling vortex of aura, Leo lost his grip on his sword.

And then she began to press him rapidly.

*Hooong! Saak! Ssak! Shusassasak!*

Numerous sword strikes sliced through the air rapidly.

Leo evaded or blocked all of Aina's subsequent attacks.

*Gooooooo-!*

In an instant, a colossal aura flickered at the tip of her sword.

A sword strike with power on a completely different level than before.

*Kagak-!*

Seeing the sharp, golden sword energy, Leo lifted his foot.

*Kwaak-! Kwaang-!*

"…!"

Leo stepped on Aina's sword.

Aina's sword was driven into the ground.

She tried to shake off Leo's foot by applying force to her hand.

However, the sword didn't budge.

*Kagak-!*

In an instant, Leo applied force to his foot.

*Pajijijik! Kudeuk-!*

Aina's sword shattered.

Upon seeing that, a tremor of emotion flickered across Aina's face for the first time.

"I don't know why, but…"

Leo looked at Aina, who was bleeding from her mouth and eyes, and said coldly,

"This is Lumerne's entrance exam. If you're not interested in admission, I'd prefer you not waste my time any further."

Seeing through the fact that Aina had no interest in the entrance exam, Leo spoke coldly.

At that, Aina gritted her teeth.

'The difference in skill is this big?'

Aina herself knew best that she couldn't defeat Leo.

Still, she thought she could gain his recognition for her skill.

But the man before her didn't acknowledge her at all.

The gap between Leo and Aina was desperately large.

'Grandfather…'

By the time Aina grew up, her grandparents and parents were already gone.

They had lost their lives fighting demons.

Therefore, her great-grandfather, Kalian, was her only blood relative.

Kalian was Aina's admiration and goal.

But a few months ago. Kalian had also lost his life fighting demons.

Even if his death was honorable and noble, it offered no comfort to those left behind.

Everything the Sword Saint had built was inherited by Aina, his rightful successor.

The fortune left by a hero who had commanded an era was immense.

Vast wealth. And numerous arcane weapons.

As a descendant of the Sword Saint, she could have lived a life of comfort.

And no one would have pointed fingers at that.

But Aina chose struggle.

She vowed revenge against Tartarus, who had taken the lives of all her blood relatives.

However, a problem arose.

Kalian's will was discovered late.

The will's content was simple.

[I bequeath all my assets to my great-granddaughter, Aina Veidna, 'conditionally'.

However, I cannot permit the use of what I have left in the fight against Tartarus.

If you desire a life of struggle, gain Leo Phloove's recognition and become the master of Clesis.]

Before leaving for Seirun for the Ruse War.

Kalian's will came into effect.

The symbol of the Sword Saint.

A prohibition was placed on Clesis.

Due to a powerful magical prohibition, Clesis became a sword that Aina Veidna absolutely could not wield.

The method to lift the prohibition was to gain Leo's recognition.

It was Kalian's measure, worrying that his beloved great-granddaughter would live a life as a vengeful spirit.

Aina gritted her teeth.

Seeing Aina like that, Leo raised his hand.

*Flare-!*

Aura of flames swirled.

As Aina closed her eyes upon seeing that.

*Kagak-!*

Someone charged at Leo's back with incredible speed.

As if he had expected it, Leo swung his arm backward.

*Peeong-!*

*Jurureureuk-!*

Leo's body was pushed back as he collided with the boy who had targeted his back.

A glint appeared in Leo's eyes.

"I-I'm so s-sorryyyy!"

The boy, in a panic, let out a scream and grabbed Aina's wrist, running away.

"Hooh?"

Feeling a considerable impact from his arm, Leo wore an amused expression.

'It's stronger than I expected? Is it the aura's property?'

Leo, flexing his hand, looked in the direction the two had fled.

Leo chuckled and sprang forward, pursuing them.

***

"Who is that guy?"

Halind asked in a deadpan voice, and Yura quickly checked the list.

The situation just moments ago was one where no one should have intervened.

Yet, the boy unhesitatingly rushed into the midst of the battle and saved Aina.

It was an extremely courageous act, but as a student, it was a demerit.

"Let's see, Luke Elda. He's from an ordinary village. A commoner family?"

Upon Yura's words, Halind stroked his chin.

"Why are you doing that?"

Ren asked with a puzzled voice.

Halind, who had been indifferent to the applicants, had shown interest for the first time.

The internal situation of the world of countless heroes was being broadcast in the air.

Halind was checking all of it.

That's why he had seen Luke Elda multiple times on various screens.

"That fellow has helped others multiple times during the exam."

"Oh. He's a good kid."

Yura exclaimed in admiration.

"He's also an idiot."

Halind said indifferently.

"But if he can become strong, he will be the ideal figure of a hero."

Someone who can show courage when protecting others.

It was the most basic mindset of a hero, and also the hardest to possess.

"Oh, so he passes then?"

Yura, knowing that Halind rarely praised students like this, asked in admiration.

Halind looked at Yura as if to say, 'Is there anything to ask?'

"No, if he can't survive, he's disqualified."

Yura shook her head, as if she had expected it.

"For faith to have value, one must have the strength to act on that faith."

It was a cold statement, but as an educator, one couldn't let students pursue only ideals.

"Let's see if he has the strength to overcome his limits."