Book 1 Chapter 223
223
“What do you want to do?”
Ain frowned, crossing her arms.
Aina Baidna.
Among the current admission candidates, she was a rookie drawing attention in every aspect, both reputation and skill.
It wasn't because of her lineage as the great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint.
It was because she had proven long ago that her skill and talent were undoubtedly the best.
‘But if Leo is the opponent… that's too reckless.’
Ain narrowed her eyes.
It couldn't be anything but reckless.
The opponent was none other than Leo Plove.
He was a student regarded as one of the few monsters in Lumern's history.
On the other hand, Aina wasn't even a student at Lumern yet.
Some might say it's just a one-year difference.
But the difference between someone who has spent a year at Lumern and someone who hasn't is astonishingly vast.
That's why Lumern is called the Hero Academy.
Harlind chuckled as he watched the scene reflected on the screen.
Seeing him, Ain asked.
“Professor Harlind. If Aina Baidna is defeated by Leo just like that, what do you intend to do?”
“Why ask the obvious? She’s disqualified.”
If the supervising professor of the exam had been Sedjen, he might have passed her, considering her potential and future.
After all, Sedjen was a professor who highly valued the spirit of challenge.
But Harlind wasn't.
From the start, the situation Harlind had set up was an utterly unreasonable test.
Even Kal, who was among the lowest-ranked in skill, was still capable of hunting down test-takers.
No matter how skilled a test-taker was, challenging Leo, the most skilled second-year, was a reckless act.
Professor Harlind's reason for setting this exam was to observe how the test-takers would respond when faced with an uncontrollable situation.
Life in Lumern's academic departments was harsh.
Even those talented individuals who passed the entrance exam, touted as the best, were recommended to withdraw, with more than half leaving the school in their first year.
Especially now, with the destruction of the Monster Queen, it was uncertain what provocations Tartaros might launch.
Furthermore, the first-year students, now called the Golden Generation, were exposed to particularly harsh environments.
There was no guarantee that this year's freshmen wouldn't face the same.
That's why a high score was given for 'survival.'
If they lacked the ability to survive, Harlind had no intention of accepting them as students this year from the start.
In such a situation, challenging Leo Plove was not courage or a spirit of defiance, but merely 'reckless bravado.'
‘Of course, it wouldn't matter if Aina Baidna had a way to escape from Leo…’
In Ain's opinion, one of Leo's greatest strengths was his exceptional maturity for his age.
Over the past year, numerous students had tried to catch Leo off guard in practice duels in the knight department, but Leo had never once shown signs 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 Baidna?’
***
Leo looked down at the girl looking up at him and said.
“Reckless actions won’t earn you a good evaluation, you know?”
“It doesn’t matter. For me, gaining your recognition is more important.”
“Mine?”
A girl he had never seen before suddenly declared she needed his recognition, which naturally puzzled Leo.
_Shing!_
Aina didn't answer his question and drew her sword.
“Draw your sword, Leo Plove.”
‘I don’t know why, but she seems to be treating me like some kind of exam task.’
Leo chuckled and said.
“Shouldn’t you make me draw it?”
“That’s true.”
Usually, someone confident in their skill would have been provoked by Leo's words.
But Aina calmly accepted Leo's words and lowered her stance.
_Whoosh!_
In an instant, a flash-like thrust aimed for Leo's brow.
Leo leaned back, dodging the attack.
And to counter-attack, he tried to kick Aina's wrist with his heel.
As if anticipating Leo's move, Aina retrieved her sword and prepared for her next attack.
_Whooomp-_
Golden aura erupted from Aina's body.
_Grooowl! Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gang!_
Leo wore a surprised expression.
‘This much output?’
Mana capacity and mana output are different.
To explain simply, if mana capacity is stamina, then mana output is power.
Regardless of the class, mana capacity and output must increase to summon stronger techniques, more potent magic, and more powerful summoned beasts.
Even to Leo, Aina's mana output was astonishing.
It was on par with Celiya and Duran, who, among the second-year students in the knight department, rivaled mages in pure offensive power.
Of course, high output didn't automatically mean strength, but it was still astounding.
Overwhelming sword strikes rained down on Leo.
_Hwaak!_
In an instant, the sword changed.
It wasn't just a powerful sword strike.
It also possessed a dazzling versatility.
Swords surrounded Leo from all directions.
Leo looked at Aina's face.
Despite being in an advantageous situation, her eyes were terribly calm.
‘I see. Her goal isn't admission.’
_Whooomp!_
Gray aura gathered in Leo's hand.
‘I am her goal.’
Leo stepped into the vortex of sword strikes without hesitation.
And extended his hand without hesitation.
_Grab!_
The tip of the sword, which had been flickering dizzyingly, was caught between Leo's fingers.
Leo and Aina's eyes met in mid-air.
“Are you the Headmaster’s granddaughter?”
“His great-granddaughter.”
The aura she exuded felt similar to Kallian's.
Aina, who answered Leo's question calmly, strongly released aura from her entire body.
In the swirling storm of aura, Leo lost his grip on the sword.
And she rapidly began to press Leo.
_Whoosh! Slash! Swish! Shushashashashak!_
Numerous sword strikes swiftly cut through the air.
Leo dodged or blocked all of Aina's subsequent attacks.
_Goooooo-!_
In an instant, a colossal aura shimmered at the sword's tip.
A sword strike of a different dimension of power than before.
_Kwa-ga-gak!_
Seeing the sharp golden sword energy, Leo raised his foot.
_Crunch! Bang!_
“……!”
Leo stepped on Aina's sword.
Aina's sword was driven into the ground.
She tried to force his foot off with her hand,
But the sword didn't budge.
_Snap!_
In an instant, Leo exerted force with his foot.
_Fizzle! Crack!_
Aina's sword shattered.
Seeing that, Aina's face showed emotional agitation for the first time.
“I don’t know the reason, but.”
Leo said coldly, looking at Aina, who was now bleeding from the corners of her mouth and eyes.
“This is the Lumern entrance exam. If you’re not interested in admission, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t waste any more of my time.”
Leo, having seen through the fact that Aina had no interest in the entrance exam, spoke coldly.
Aina gritted her teeth in response.
‘Is the skill gap really this wide?’
Aina herself knew best that she couldn't defeat Leo.
Still, she thought she could at least earn recognition for her skill.
But the man before her didn't acknowledge her in the slightest.
The gap between Leo and Aina was despairingly vast.
‘Grandfather…’
By the time Aina came of age, her grandparents and parents were already gone.
They had lost their lives in the fight against the demons.
Therefore, her great-grandfather, Kallian, was her only blood relative.
Kallian was both an object of admiration and a goal for Aina.
But a few months ago, Kallian also lost his life in a battle against the demons.
Although 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 wealth he left behind as a hero who commanded an era was immense.
Vast riches. And countless armaments.
As a descendant of the Sword Saint, she could have lived a comfortable life.
And no one would have pointed fingers at her for it.
But Aina chose to fight.
She vowed revenge against Tartaros, who had taken the lives of all her blood relatives.
However, a problem arose.
Kallian's will was discovered belatedly.
The content of the will was simple:
[I conditionally bequeath all my property to my great-granddaughter, Aina Baidna. However, I cannot permit the use of what I leave behind in the fight against Tartaros. If you desire a life of struggle, earn Leo Plove's recognition and become the master of Klesis.]
Before leaving for Seyrun for the Rusé War,
Kallian's will took effect.
The symbol of the Sword Saint.
A restriction was placed on Klesis.
Due to the powerful magical restriction, Klesis became a sword that Aina Baidna could absolutely not wield.
The way to break the restriction was to gain Leo's recognition.
It was Kallian's measure, worried that his beloved great-granddaughter would live the life of a vengeful spirit.
Aina gritted her teeth.
Watching Aina, Leo raised his hand.
_Whoosh!_
A fiery aura swirled.
The moment Aina closed her eyes upon seeing it.
_Kwa-ga-gak!_
Someone charged towards Leo's back at incredible speed.
As if he had anticipated it, Leo swung his arm backward.
_Bang!_
_Whoosh-!_
Leo's body, which had collided with the boy who targeted his back, was pushed back significantly.
A glint of surprise appeared in Leo's eyes.
“S-sorryyyyyyy!”
The boy screamed in panic, grabbed Aina's wrist, and ran.
“Hoo?”
He wore an amused expression at the considerable impact he felt in his arm.
‘Stronger than I expected? Is it an aura characteristic?’
Leo, who had been clenching and unclenching his hand, looked towards where the two had fled.
Chuckling, Leo launched himself forward, chasing after the two.
***
“Who is that fellow?”
When Harlind asked in an expressionless voice, Yura quickly checked the roster.
The situation just now was clearly one where no one should have intervened.
Nevertheless, the boy, without hesitation, barged into the middle of the battle and saved Aina.
It was an extremely courageous act, but from the perspective of a test-taker, it was a demerit.
“Let’s see, that’s Luke Elda. He’s just from an ordinary rural background. A commoner family?”
At Yura's words, Harlind stroked his chin.
“Why are you doing that?”
Ren asked in a puzzled voice.
It was because Harlind, who had been indifferent to the test-takers, showed interest for the first time.
Numerous internal situations of the hero world were being broadcast in the air.
Harlind was checking all of them.
That's why he had seen Luke Elda multiple times across various screens.
“He helped others several times during the exam.”
“Oh. He’s a kind kid.”
Yura exclaimed admiringly.
“He’s also a fool.”
Harlind said indifferently.
“But if he just gets stronger, he’ll become the most ideal figure as a hero.”
Someone who can find courage when acting for others.
It was the most fundamental mindset for a hero, and also the most difficult to possess.
“Oh, so he passes?”
Yura, knowing it was rare for Harlind to evaluate a student so favorably, asked with admiration.
At her question, Harlind 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 belief to have value, there must be the power to act on that belief.”
It was a harsh statement, but as an educator, one couldn't let a student pursue only ideals.
“Let’s see if he has the power to overcome his limits.”