Book 1 Chapter 233

233

Lumerne Pier.

There, Leo was waiting for the new students.

Last year, when Leo enrolled, Professor Artian was in charge of guiding them.

However, it was one of the student council president's duties to greet the new students at Lumerne.

If there is no student council president, the vice president takes over.

'It's often professors who take on this role due to the student council president and vice president's frequent dispatch outside assignments.'

Last year, it was Lis and Torua.

Since both were on a mission to conquer the Heroic Dungeon, Artian had stepped in as a substitute.

Swoosh-!

The regular ferry was visible from across the lake.

'What is it? It's too quiet?'

Last year's new students cheered and rejoiced the moment they saw Lumerne.

Understandably so, as they had been tormented by underwater monsters from the very first day of enrollment.

It was a tradition of Lumerne for new students to undergo a welcoming ceremony before attending the entrance ceremony.

But this time, there was no sign of that, only silence.

Eventually, the ferry docked at the pier.

However, unlike the boisterous scene last year, the ferry was deserted.

Leo immediately jumped and landed on the deck.

Then, he let out a wry laugh at the sight.

The deck was a mess.

There were clear signs of a fight among the new students.

Flash-!

At that moment, a sharp sword strike was aimed at Leo.

Clang-!

"…!"

Leo blocked the sword with his fingers.

It was clearly a sharp force, but the sword didn't carry much power.

Aina, clearly exhausted, opened her eyes slightly wider upon recognizing Leo's face.

Then she retracted her sword.

"Ugh…"

"H-help me…"

Groans echoed from all around.

The students with exceptional skills were barely kneeling, managing not to fall.

But Aina was the only one standing.

'Did they fight amongst themselves?'

"What happened?"

As Leo asked and Aina was about to answer.

"I'll explain."

Thump- thump-

From amidst the fallen students, a beautiful silver-haired woman in a neat suit emerged with a smile.

"We held a competition to determine the hierarchy of strength for the selection of the freshman representative. And the one who took the position of freshman representative is student Aina Beidna, who is standing here."

Leo's eyes widened as he saw the Lumerne professor who had appeared.

"Hello. I'm Mel, and I'll be teaching the first-year classes in Lumerne's magic department."

Mel snapped her fingers with a grin.

Flash-!

Bright light spread across the entire deck.

The new students who had been groaning in pain on the floor looked startled as their pain vanished instantly.

Many of the new students had sustained significant injuries.

But Mel had easily healed hundreds of injuries in an instant.

This was difficult even for a magician specializing in healing magic.

'As expected of a Lumerne professor…!'

'Amazing!'

'To be able to learn magic from someone like that…!'

The magic students, who knew how powerful the magic was, looked at Mel with admiration.

"Everyone, line up."

At Leo's words, the students flinched and began to line up in a hurry.

There was no one here who didn't know Leo.

The unprecedented all-classer and the youngest student council president in Lumerne's history.

Leo Frove!

Leo's achievements last year were already world-famous.

"I didn't get to see him in person during the entrance exam…!"

"Wow! He's so handsome!"

"Sigh… Can I get guidance from senior Leo too?"

The female students whispered excitedly.

"It's like, even though there's not much of an age difference, he has so much charisma."

"Is this the greatest genius in Lumerne's history…?"

"Well, it's the second all-classer after the Hero of the Beginning."

The male students looked at Leo's back with tense eyes.

As the students lined up.

A boy with silver hair and silver eyes showed a surprised expression.

"The Hero of the Beginning is real? Isn't Kyle a fictional hero?"

At the boy Luke's question, the surrounding students sneered.

"Wow, how did someone like this get into Lumerne?"

"A hero candidate being this oblivious to the latest hero studies news."

Luke flinched at his peers' mockery.

"Hmph. You guys aren't in a position to mock others, are you?"

"What did you say?"

The students who had been mocking Luke turned their heads indignantly.

And they flinched when they saw Juen standing there.

"You guys are the ones who got in through the supplementary exam, right? Unlike you, he passed the main exam right away, you know? And he even fought directly with that student council president with me. Right?"

Juen grinned and slung an arm around Luke's shoulders.

When one of the top freshmen stepped up to defend Luke, the students who had been mocking him scowled and walked away.

"Hmph. Pathetic."

"Thank you for helping me."

"It's fine~ What does it matter if you're a little oblivious to hero studies? You'll learn it all at school anyway."

"By the way, it's really surprising that Kyle wasn't a fairy tale character."

"Yeah. They even had a joint presentation at Lumerne and Seirune last year… During the Ruse Battle incident, the progenitor of the constellation and the Hero of the Beginning appeared in the mortal world and completely revealed their existence by defeating the Monster Queen."

"The Great Hero appeared in the mortal world? And the Monster Queen was defeated?!"

Seeing Luke's surprised reaction, Juen looked bewildered.

"Did you really live in some remote area where no newspapers are delivered?"

"Yes. My village only receives newspapers from a few months ago sporadically."

"Wow, what a complete backwater."

Luke scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

Furthermore, he had returned to his hometown immediately after the entrance exam, so he had no way of encountering rumors about the Ruse Battle.

Juen, shaking her head in disbelief, grinned.

"Anyway, let me introduce myself formally. My name is Juen Torbina, I'm 15 years old and from the Southern Magic Tower~!"

"I'm Luke Eldar. I'm 14 years old and from Shirne Village in the East."

"Yes, Luke. Nice to meet you. Huhu- You were persistent during the entrance exam, weren't you? As a magician, I really need a meat shield… no, a companion to protect the front line."

At that, Luke smiled brightly.

"I'm still very lacking. There will be many other excellent people who can become your companion, Miss Juen."

"Why are you refusing? Becoming the companion of me, a rising star from the Southern Magic Tower, will be of great help to you too."

"But you just called me a meat shield!"

Luke, with a pale face, tried to run away from Juen.

But Juen grabbed Luke and laughed sinisterly.

"Heeheeheehee, you can't go."

"H-help me!"

"Be quiet and line up."

Just then, a calm voice was heard.

Juen licked her lips with a deep smile.

"Aina Beidna."

Juen licked her lips.

"I lost the class representative position this time, but I know you had an advantage due to being a magician and a knight, right? Next time, I'll take that position."

"…As you wish."

Aina, feigning disinterest, took the lead.

Before going to the front, she made eye contact with Luke.

Luke smiled awkwardly, but Aina just turned away.

"What the! You don't even care about me? You're acting so arrogant as the successor of the Sword Saint! Hmph! I'll make you regret it!"

As Juen's fighting spirit flared, the new students disembarked from the ferry.

And they headed to the Erek Parade Ground, following their guide, Leo.

Walking through the school, they couldn't help but express their admiration.

"Oh my, so youthful. They're all passionate and energetic like children. Huhu. I can already feel the youth."

Mel chuckled, glancing at them.

"I'm only a year or two older than them too."

Leo said nonchalantly, and Mel laughed.

"Even if you look like a boy on the outside, you're an old man on the inside."

They spoke without the new students hearing.

"By the way, how do you feel? Now that everyone in the world believes in Kyle's existence?"

"What is there to feel? It was obvious from the start."

Leo replied indifferently and looked at Mel.

"By the way, why are you a professor all of a sudden?"

"…It's the times. I felt that new heroes were needed."

"Do the other dragons know?"

"No. My true form is still in Draconia. This is an avatar I created."

Mel was none other than the Dragon Lord Melina.

Leo said, looking at her smiling face.

"That's perfect."

"Do you have something you want me to do?"

Mel asked politely upon hearing Leo's words.

Others would have looked at them strangely, but the new students couldn't hear their conversation.

"Could you find out more about Chen Sia?"

"Understood."

She didn't ask for a reason.

The boy before her was a great hero.

Everyone in this world was saved by him.

She was the only one in this world who knew that fact.

Mel believed that she had to obey any command to repay the great hero's achievements.

***

The new students appeared at Erek, following Leo.

The new students lined up with tense expressions.

Leo went to the second-year seats and sat down.

"We will now begin the entrance ceremony. First, the principal's address."

At that, the returning students began to murmur.

The principal, who hadn't appeared at the opening ceremony, was finally making an appearance.

The principal's rumored appearance was enough to attract the attention of not only the new students but also the existing students.

Thump- thump-

Amidst this, a woman appeared on the stage.

All the students were surprised to see a principal younger than expected, as all students expressed surprise.

Riina opened her mouth.

"Nice to meet you, students of Lumerne. My name is Riina Flix, and I am the new principal of Lumerne."

"Riina?"

"Have you heard of her?"

"No."

All the students looked surprised.

"Lumerne principals are usually renowned heroes… Who is this person?"

Chloe looked bewildered.

All past principals of Lumerne had been the greatest heroes of their time.

Yet, no one seemed to know Riina.

"It's not strange that you don't know about me."

Riina's golden eyes glinted.

"I've lived in the shadows my entire life. It's not strange that you don't know."

The students' expressions changed.

Shadows.

It referred to those who hunted down traitors who betrayed their own kind and defected to Tartarus's forces.

They too were a pillar of world peace.

But they had to live strictly in the shadows.

Heroes are not merely guardians of their era.

They are great individuals who lead and guide people, driving change in the world.

But shadows are not.

They were tasked with meticulously hunting down and eradicating traitors and forces associated with them.

The problem was that their methods were excessively harsh.

"Shadows have accidentally killed heroes several times in the past, haven't they?"

"Many kingdoms have been destroyed in history."

"And a shadow like that is the principal?"

The students reacted with bewilderment.

Riina curled her lips up as she looked at the bewildered students.

"I look forward to working with you all. Hero candidates."

Riina, after scanning the new students as well as the returning students, returned to her seat.

Amidst the confusion.

"Next, we will have the freshman representative's speech. Freshman Representative, Aina Beidna."

At the announcer's words, the students fell silent.

And they focused on Aina as she ascended the stage.

The successor of the Sword Saint, who had comforted the students from that very spot just a year ago.

"Respected professors and seniors. Thank you for welcoming us, the new students, in this manner. From now on, we, the new students, as proud members of Lumerne…"

Aina, standing on the stage, read her speech.

"Freshman Representative, Aina Beidna."

Clap clap clap clap-

Applause erupted.

"Welcome! Aina Beidna!"

"You will surely become a great hero candidate!"

Unusually, voices of support and encouragement came from the upperclassmen as well.

If it weren't for Kalien last year, many of the people here would have died.

Moreover, having served as Lumerne's principal for decades, the upperclassmen had known Kalien for years.

The existence of the successor of the Sword Saint was undeniably special to the Lumerne students.

Amidst such fervent welcome, the host professor spoke.

"Student Aina, please say a few final words as the freshman representative."

At that, Aina pondered for a moment and then opened her mouth.

"Senior Leo."

For a moment, all eyes turned to Leo.

"I will definitely earn your acknowledgment."

At that declaration, everyone let out a gasp of admiration.

"What the! Leo! What's your relationship with her?"

"Did you meet separately after the entrance exam?"

"What kind of relationship do you have that she would mention you in such a public setting?"

The surrounding classmates reacted with excitement.

While Leo's freshman representative speech last year was excessively unconventional, this year's freshman representative's speech was unconventional in a different way.

"What happened between you two?"

Chloe asked with a puzzled look, and Leo replied indifferently.

"Well, she was quite fixated on me during the entrance exam as well."

Leo muttered, looking at Aina.

"I think I'll need to have a talk with her soon."