Book 1 Chapter 230

230

“This is troubling.”

Chloe, with a grimoire tucked under her arm as always, scratched her cheek.

“We’ve suddenly taken on too big a task.”

“Indeed.”

Leo clicked his tongue in the empty dormitory lounge.

Leo and Chloe had arrived first at the dormitory where they would be living from now on.

The dormitory building had nothing but basic furniture.

‘Are we supposed to decorate it to our liking?’

“Chloe, what kind of students do you want to admit?”

The dormitory heads have the authority to select residents.

They had to live together in the dormitory for the next year.

Moreover, competition was said to be between dormitories.

No matter how you looked at it, it was bound to affect their ‘grades’.

“Well…”

Chloe tilted her head slightly, her eyes darting around, and then spoke.

“Honestly, I want to create a dormitory primarily for students from the Department of Magic.”

Chloe is one of the top honor students in the Department of Magic.

She was skilled in magical theory and was the quickest to adopt the latest magical techniques and theories.

If Leo, Abard, and Chelsea were practical mages, Chloe was an academic type.

She was, quite literally, the rightful heir to magic.

‘Luna would have liked that.’

“Leo, what do you think?”

“I understand your idea of wanting to select dormitory residents mainly from the Department of Magic.”

It wasn’t simply because she was a mage.

Chloe was well-regarded within the Department of Magic.

This was because she always kindly taught fellow students when they asked about something they didn’t know.

Because of this, many students, knowingly or unknowingly, followed her.

As her peer relationships were good, she also had a good grasp of the tendencies of most students in the Department of Magic.

As she had become a dormitory head who had to lead the dormitory towards harmony, she had to exclude as much as possible any students who might cause conflict.

“What about you, Leo?”

“I don’t care which department it’s primarily for.”

“Well, you’re All-Class, after all.”

Leo is taking classes from all departments.

“However, deciding right now is difficult. Chen Shia isn’t here.”

“Come to think of it, why isn’t Shia here?”

“It must be family matters. Anyway, it would be good to balance the departments when selecting dormitory residents.”

Chloe nodded at Leo’s words.

If they had intended to operate the dormitory primarily by department, it would have been easier to group and select dormitory heads by department.

While there were some students who weren’t, most students recognized the top performers of each department as leaders guiding their departments.

The school had mixed the honor students of each department among the dormitories.

‘There are no summoners in our dormitory… but Leo is a contractor of the Phoenix.’

He could be seen as a student representing Summoning.

What this meant was simple.

It was that working together between departments would be advantageous for their academic life going forward.

After all, the basic framework of Lumern’s academic life was competition among students.

Students who couldn’t survive had to leave the school.

“We only have a week. Let’s start by narrowing down the candidates. We can’t hear Shia’s opinion, but that can’t be helped.”

“Okay.”

Chloe nodded at Leo’s words.

Chloe, who was taking out paper and a pen from her subspace and organizing them, paused.

‘Come to think of it, it’s just the two of us right now.’

In the spacious dormitory, there were only Leo and Chloe at the moment.

All other students were waiting in the existing dormitory building.

Feeling her heart pounding, Chloe cleared her throat, “Ahem!”

“Still, it’s a relief, Leo. You probably have a rough idea of the tendencies of the students in the Department of Knights, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Still, I’d like to select primarily students from the Department of Magic for now.”

“That would be good. Who would be good?”

“Hmm. For now, I’d like Karl.”

“Karl? I also thought it would be good to have Karl in the same dormitory, but it’s surprising that you picked him first.”

Karl was at the bottom of his class not only in the Department of Magic but also across all grades in terms of both grades and combat skills.

Nevertheless, Chloe picked Karl first.

“Karl’s information-gathering abilities will be crucial for our academic life going forward.”

When there are exams or events within the department, Karl is the first to find out about them.

He has excellent relationships with all faculty members, and is also friendly with upperclassmen regardless of department or grade.

“Indeed, that aspect of Karl is excellent.”

Leo was the student council president, but he had delegated the practical duties to his upperclassmen.

Moreover, even with the power of the student council, finding out the department’s schedule was not an easy task.

Ultimately, Karl’s information-gathering abilities were clearly going to be a very necessary strength for their second-year academic life.

“Moreover, his alchemy skills are exceptional.”

It’s a fact often overlooked because Lumern tends to give higher scores to combat-oriented subjects, but Karl’s alchemy skills are definitely top-tier.

“Since he aims to be a supporter, he gets along well no matter who he’s teamed with. I think he’s a very necessary talent for team composition.”

‘She’s grown.’

Leo chuckled.

Until her first year, Chloe had a somewhat rigid side.

But over the past year, Chloe’s way of thinking had become very flexible.

Even after that, Leo and Chloe continued to discuss the department’s members.

They talked until after midnight.

“Ugh!”

Chloe stretched.

“I guess this more or less determines the direction of our dormitory?”

Leo and Chloe, through cooperation, created a dormitory roster that could achieve the best synergy.

“Didn’t too much of my opinion go into this?”

Leo chuckled at Chloe’s question.

“I also thought that composition was good.”

“……You’re not trying to pass the dormitory head duties onto me because you’re lazy, are you?”

“That’s part of it.”

At Leo’s words, Chloe swiftly threw a sofa cushion!

Leo, who took the cushion to his face, stood up.

“It’s late. Let’s go now.”

Leo and Chloe left the dormitory and headed towards the existing second-year dormitory building.

As the male and female dormitories were separated, they each went their own way.

-You’re trying to pass department work onto me again, just like with the student council president duties, aren’t you?

-Exactly! Your true intentions are obvious.

-Peep!

Elsi, followed by Kilian and Fiona, appeared.

-Master is a Great Hero! He has many busy things to do besides academic life!

Arti, who had manifested in the form of a small girl, lay prostrate before Leo.

“……Why are you blocking my way?”

-Please step on me and go!

“Your demands are getting increasingly wicked.”

As Leo spoke coldly and swiftly walked away, Arti clutched her heart on the floor.

-Agh! Those eyes! And that cold attitude of leaving without mercy! So cool…!

-Are you really a Pegasus?

-Of course.

At Kilian’s question, Arti, who had jumped up from her spot, smiled brightly and followed Leo.

Due to the Ruse War incident, Leo’s summoned beasts learned that Leo was the Great Hero Kyle.

‘I’m a little worried that Fiona and Kilian might go somewhere and blab… but Arti is keeping a good watch on them for now.’

While her actions were unmistakably perverse, Arti, as an experienced phantom beast, was keeping a good watch over the still-young Fiona and Kilian.

When he returned to the dormitory late at night, the male students waiting on the first floor spoke.

“You’re the latest.”

“Well, your dormitory does seem like it will get along best.”

As Jureden, the third-place student in the Department of Summoning, spoke with a bitter smile, Leo asked.

“What about the others?”

“Woredun returned just 30 minutes after going to the meeting. Then Duran came. And a bit later, Abard returned. It seems like everyone else didn’t have much success with their discussions, except for you.”

Jureden shrugged.

Leo, who went to his temporary room, lay on his bed and fell into thought.

‘As expected, returning to school is quite hectic.’

He gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.

‘During the entrance exam… that was definitely Erebus.’

The end of the entrance exam.

He recalled the eyes of Erebus, whom he had met in the world of heroes.

‘But it wasn’t a fragment of Erebus that was said to be sealed in the Hero Record.’

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

‘It’s probably a residual thought form lingering in that place.’

The entrance exam location was coincidentally the site of Kyle and Erebus’s final battle.

In that case, it wouldn’t be strange for a powerful residual thought form to remain there.

Originally, it was also a place that had become monster territory due to Erebus’s influence.

‘If I get a chance, I should go there once, and…’

Leo looked at his right wrist.

There was Folium, a staff that could be called Luna’s symbol.

Now, it was merely a fake with only its appearance remaining.

‘The divine power Pivia had given me had all been used up.’

Leo let out a deep sigh.

It was the gods who created the Hero Record.

If he used divine power, he might be able to cause a miracle like the Ruse War again.

‘After all, it’s the same concept as Zeldiaq crossing over.’

In Zeldiaq’s case, he had crossed over to the present world by Erebus.

But now, on earth, the gods had vanished.

‘Attacking past heroes to raise my power might be one method, but.’

Originally, to conquer worlds related to gods, there was no other answer but the worlds of great heroes.

‘Moreover, Luna’s world, where I met Pivia, is already very damaged.’

Even if the world of heroes were to be realized, it was uncertain whether he could meet Pivia again as he did then.

‘For now, I should visit Seyrun again for confirmation.’

Thinking about his future schedule, Leo looked out the window.

‘For now, selecting the dormitory residents should be the priority.’

Tartaros is also quiet for now.

‘Shall I just sleep now?’

Closing his eyes, Leo fell into a deep sleep.

***

The next morning.

Leo and Chloe headed to the dining hall together.

From the morning, second-year students flocked around Leo and Chloe.

“Leo, Chloe! Pick me!”

“Me, rather than this guy…!”

“No! Me! Me!”

Chloe, flustered, calmed her classmates.

“Q-quiet down for now. The rough members have been decided. So, we can’t pick you just because you’re shouting like this.”

“I’m included, right?”

“Then announce it now!”

Seeing her classmates getting even noisier instead of calming down, Chloe let out a small sigh.

And then she opened her mouth.

“Everyone be quiet.”

*Silence*

Everyone froze at her icy voice.

“Dormitory talk is after breakfast.”

“U-understood!”

“Okay.”

The students, exchanging glances, dispersed.

Seeing that, Chloe, whose eyes had lost their intensity, blushed as she looked at Leo, who was staring at her with an “ooh-ooh” expression.

“W-what is it? That look.”

“No. I wondered why you were called the Ice Princess, but this is why you were called that.”

“Don’t tease me with a nickname the kids made up on their own.”

“As you command, Ice Princess.”

“You really!”

Chloe swung her grimoire at Leo, who was teasing her.

“Good morning! It’s nice to see this first thing in the morning! I heard you came in late last night? *Cough* ~ You two had a fun time alone late at night…”

Seeing that, Karl slyly greeted them good morning.

Chloe’s grimoire immediately changed targets and struck Karl’s temple.

Leo shook his head as he saw Chloe’s flushed face and shrugging shoulders, and Karl writhing on the floor, then spoke.

“Karl. Have you decided which dormitory you’re going to?”

“Hmph. It doesn’t matter where I go!”

He dramatically stood up from his seat.

“You’re bleeding from your head.”

“Huh?”

Karl, startled, pulled out a potion from his pocket and applied it.

Karl, who barely managed to stop the bleeding, spoke.

“For me, it doesn’t matter which dormitory I go to, but if I had to choose, I think it would be better to be in the same dormitory as you, Leo.”

Karl pointed to one side.

There, Celia and Chelsea were growling at each other, and Woredun was eating as if uninterested.

“It’s too brutal over there.”

This time, he pointed to the opposite side.

There, Duran and Eliza were coldly staring at each other.

“It’s too cold over there.”

Chloe smiled faintly, seeing Karl offer an opinion not much different from other students.

“Then that works out well. Come to our dormitory.”

“Oh! Really?”

It was just as Karl was making a bright expression.

“Sorry, but.”

Someone interrupted their conversation.

Abard, with a gentle smile, reached out and put his hand on Karl’s shoulder.

“Karl, you’re in our dormitory.”

“Huh?”

Karl made a surprised expression.

Chloe also frowned.

“Last night, I went to Professor Sedjen and registered you in our dormitory.”

“Without my consent?”

As Karl asked, flustered, Abard nodded.

“Professor Sedjen said that designated students have no right to refuse.”

Chloe’s eyes widened, and Leo’s eyes narrowed.

‘Indeed, are they planning to make the dormitory heads compete for students?’

Of course, that doesn’t mean they can just put anyone in.

Registering a student in a dormitory semi-forcibly without asking for their opinion could, if done wrong, break the teamwork between dormitories.

After all, they had to live together in the dormitory for a year.

Even with the authority, using it recklessly was not a very wise choice.

However, in Karl’s case, it was different.

Since he was flexible-minded and sociable, it didn’t matter which dormitory he went to.

That’s why Abard, without hesitation, registered Karl as a dormitory resident.

‘I was one step too late.’

It was when Leo inwardly clicked his tongue.

“Wait! Wait! I appreciate you thinking highly of me, but can you really do that on your own? I don’t want to get on those two’s bad side?!”

Karl screamed.

This was because he knew very well that Duran and Eliza, who had the strongest elitist tendencies among the first-years, would not possibly like Karl, who was at the bottom of their grade.

At Karl’s shout, Abard smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry about that. Those two also agreed to accept you.”

“What?”

“Our dormitory’s heads may not see eye to eye, but their goal is the same.”

“What is that goal?”

At Karl’s question, Abard smiled faintly and looked at Leo.

“Down with Leo Flobe.”