Book 1 Chapter 253
253
“Push him!”
“Attack!”
Numerous first-years charged at Leo.
There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in their movements.
It was clearly different from the entrance exam.
During the entrance exam, there was the pressure of being eliminated the moment they were defeated by Leo.
But not now.
The entire first-year class actively attempted to attack Leo.
And they were all thinking the same thing.
‘If we push him like this, even the great Leo Plov will get tired quickly! Then there’s a chance!’
The entire first-year class was waiting for the moment Leo would get tired.
“Choose, choose! Who will be Leo’s mentee! Here are the current odds!”
Karl quickly showed the board checking the odds.
“Oh? I’ll bet on Aina Baidena.”
“Yes! Senior!”
When the commotion started, first-years vying for Leo’s mentee position heard the news and flocked to the magic department building.
It was a very interesting spectacle, so not only the second-years but also the third and fourth-years, excluding the fifth-years who were away from school due to missions and heard the rumors, came to watch.
“What do you think will happen?”
Meanwhile, Abbad, who was watching the situation from afar, asked.
“What do you mean, ‘what will happen’?”
Durand, who had come to watch after hearing the news, snorted.
“There’s no way the first-years can land an effective hit on Leo Plov right now. Even more so in such a chaotic state.”
“True.”
Abbad nodded.
“Leo Plov doesn’t get tired. On top of that, if guerrilla tactics become possible… the first-years will self-destruct.”
It was as he said.
Leo leisurely dodged or blocked the first-years' attacks, weaving through them.
Each time, the first-years ended up attacking each other.
In a way, some even deliberately did so to reduce their rivals.
“And the first-years right now can’t even be called true hero candidates yet.”
The freshman year was the period where skill improvement was most remarkable during their time at Lumen.
During this time, it was common to discover unexpected talents or for students who scored low in the entrance exam to rise to the top ranks.
It was practically impossible for such immature freshmen to land an effective hit on Leo.
“It would probably be more advantageous to fight him one-on-one.”
Durand was right.
Right now, the attacking side was more disorganized.
It meant they couldn’t observe Leo’s movements closely.
Whoosh-!
Leo flew into the air.
“I was waiting for you!”
Shasha, riding a flying illusionary beast, quickly flew towards him.
Seeing that, Leo chuckled and used flight magic.
Shwaaang-!
“Gasp!”
Shasha was startled by the incredible maneuverability and speed.
“Is, is it possible to move like that with flight magic?”
The first-years gaped.
“They’re still not used to Lumen’s common sense, I guess.”
“Well, they’re first-years.”
The upperclassmen looked at the astonished first-years as if they found them cute.
The first-years’ attacks sometimes flew towards the spectators.
Of course, no upperclassmen would be caught by such attacks.
In the end, no first-year managed to land a successful attack on Leo until lunchtime was over.
The preliminary bell for classes rang.
“Haaah! Haaah!”
“I, I can’t move anymore… Ugh!”
“Kehek! Keheek!”
The first-years sprawled on the floor suffered from mana and stamina depletion.
Seeing them, the upperclassmen laughed and dispersed.
“Ah, that was fun.”
“This year, there are many interesting events from the beginning of the semester.”
The third and fourth-years chuckled and returned to their classrooms.
The second-years looked at the first-years with pity before returning to their classrooms.
Leo looked at the first-years sprawled on the floor, exhausted, and asked.
“Isn’t your next class the joint Heroics class taught by Professor Artian?”
“Yes.”
“Th-That’s right, Senior.”
“Then you’d better go quickly.”
Leo said, looking at the clock tower in the magic department building.
“It’ll be a big problem if you’re all late for class, so hurry up.”
“B-But I can’t move at all!”
“Professor Artian is kind, so she wouldn’t mind if we’re a little late, would she?”
Groans came from among the first-years.
Hearing that, the second-years paused.
“They still don’t know Professor Artian’s true nature, it seems.”
The second-years’ orientation teacher last year was Artian.
And they had experienced Artian’s terror on the very first day.
That’s why they couldn’t move an inch in front of her from the first class.
But the first-years still didn’t seem to know much about Artian.
Someone on par with Halrind.
No, in some ways, Artian, who displayed terror beyond Halrind.
The second-years thought simultaneously.
‘They’re dead.’
***
That evening.
Leo, resting in Glory Dormitory, went outside to meet the first-years who had come to see him.
Five students from the Knight Department had come to see Leo.
“Hello, Young Master Leo. We were so busy that we’re only greeting you now.”
Martina, their representative, greeted him with a smile.
It was none other than Leo’s knight order, the Slayer Knights.
“Right. By the way, you guys didn’t charge at me during lunch, did you?”
Leo smiled, looking at his knights.
At his question, the knights flinched.
“Do you dislike the idea of becoming my mentee?”
At Leo’s question, Julian and Karin hastily waved their hands.
“Th-That’s not it.”
“Young Master Leo helped us a lot in many ways even during admission! We just didn’t want to keep receiving help after admission!”
“Yes! We want to make it in Lumen with our own strength!”
At Julian and Karin’s words, Martina, Austin, and Valerie also hastily nodded in agreement.
It was actually true.
The five had received Leo’s special training before the entrance exam and quickly improved their skills.
Thanks to that, it was also true that they were able to pass the Lumen entrance exam.
However, at the same time, they were also afraid of becoming Leo’s mentee.
For the knights who had experienced Leo’s training, it was truly terrifying.
‘After a sea of fire, I can’t even imagine what’s next!’
Leo chuckled, seeing his knights speaking in a hurry, then sat on a bench and asked.
“How was it after lunchtime?”
“It was chaos.”
Martina’s face turned pale.
“I never dreamed Professor Artian would be such a terrifying person.”
It was said that fewer than fifty people were not late for Artian’s Heroics class.
Since it was a temporary class period, there wasn’t any important class content, but even so, being late for class as a group couldn’t be forgiven.
Artian, who was initially dispirited, reportedly transformed as soon as the latecomers arrived en masse.
‘Aargh?! You’re late because you were brawling with Leo Plov? If you like brawling so much, then the class content can be brawling toooooo!’
Artian, who had given her body to a hot-blooded hero through necromancy, went berserk.
The first-years, whose stamina was already depleted by Leo, were reportedly ravaged by Artian’s wrath.
“Sc-Scary…!”
“I finally understood why Lady Celia told us to be careful of Professor Artian.”
Karin grabbed her arms and trembled, and Valerie broke out in a cold sweat.
Leo sighed as if he had expected it.
“By the way, Young Master. Do you intend to take any first-years as mentees?”
Martina asked politely.
Having received training from Leo, the Slayer Knights knew Leo’s abilities too well.
Currently, most first-years harbored the hope that Leo would someday show a weakness.
‘But Young Master Leo has no weaknesses.’
Leo’s movements were almost divine, with no blind spots.
With Aaron’s ‘Supersense,’ Leo had no blind spots.
‘Moreover, he never gets tired.’
Most first-years thought they could become Leo’s mentee by chance and luck, but in Martina’s view, there was absolutely no possibility.
‘Essentially, he’s saying he won’t take any mentees.’
Leo chuckled, seeing Martina’s quizzical expression.
“Well. There are five promising individuals, though.”
“As expected, the princess, including the Crown Prince of Virsen, the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower Lord. And the granddaughter of the Sword Saint, I presume?”
“That’s right.”
Martina nodded.
In her opinion, those four were of a different caliber.
Especially Aina Baidena, as a trainee of Zerdlinger, was enough to make Martina, who had seen countless sword prodigies, shake her head in amazement.
“Who is the other one?”
Karin asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Here he comes.”
Leo chuckled and said.
At his words, the knights’ gazes turned to where Leo was looking.
And they were surprised.
“Luke Elda?”
The lowest-ranked first-year was approaching Leo, fidgeting.
***
Leo stood on the drill ground where the second-year dormitory buildings were gathered.
In front of Leo, Luke held a wooden sword with a tense expression.
‘He was there during lunchtime too.’
And Luke didn’t move an inch to attack Leo.
He just stayed far away, observing Leo’s movements.
“Th-Thank you for making time.”
“I was the one who told you to challenge me anytime. Don’t worry about it.”
Leo chuckled, looking at the very intimidated Luke.
Seeing Leo like that, Luke’s expression brightened.
‘It’s different from the entrance exam. Now I’m a Lumen student, just like Mr. Leo!’
The person he admired was before his eyes.
Leo Plov, whom Luke had encountered through old newspapers in a quiet rural village, instantly became an object of admiration for him.
Like the great heroes he had seen in fairy tales as a child.
Among the five great heroes, the one Luke liked the most was none other than Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings.
Most people don’t even like Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, as a fictional character.
But from Luke’s perspective, being a real hero or not wasn’t very important.
Such an all-class like Kyle.
Moreover, his heroic deeds made his heart pound.
To Luke, Leo was like someone who had leaped out of a fairy tale.
Literally, the purest admiration.
He was in the same place as such a person.
‘Is it okay for someone like me?’
Luke smiled awkwardly.
But Luke wanted to talk to Leo.
“Whew.”
Luke took a deep breath and took his stance.
Whoosh-!
Luke narrowed the distance to Leo and swung his sword.
The sword moved quickly.
But Luke was clearly following Leo’s movements.
‘Indeed, this guy is the weakest among the first-years right now.’
Leo lightly dodged Luke’s attack.
‘His swordsmanship is crude, and his aura control is clumsy.’
Seeing Luke’s sword, which aimed at his neck with an aura-infused attack, Leo flicked his finger.
Bang-!
“Ugh?!”
Luke’s body shook just from blocking the attack.
Normally, no matter how much the opponent doesn’t counterattack, if they see an overwhelming skill difference, they lose their will to fight.
They also fall into despair.
Luke was no different.
Not just Luke.
By the end of lunchtime today.
All the first-years had the same eyes as Luke.
They felt despair at the overwhelming skill difference.
However.
Luke gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.
Seeing that, Leo smiled.
‘It’s natural that his skill is poor. He learned it entirely through self-study.’
Luke truly entered Lumen purely by his own efforts.
Moreover…
Woong-!
Luke’s mana stirred.
‘I felt it during the entrance exam, but it’s clear now, this guy’s mana characteristic.’
His aura grew even larger.
‘Is it mana amplification caused by emotion?’
He tries not to stop moving forward, rising even in despair.
He heightens his emotions and charges again.
It’s not because someone taught him to.
He’s doing it unconsciously.
‘The world calls such a person a hero.’
***
“Haaah- haaah- Ugh!”
Luke covered his mouth and barely stopped retching.
He didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.
He had moved with all his might, but he still didn’t even graze Leo.
‘Amazing.’
Luke looked at Leo, who sat calmly in front of him, and admired him.
“Mr. Leo.”
“Why?”
“Can I… become a hero too?”
“That, I don’t know.”
Leo chuckled.
“But if you don’t stop challenging the impossible, people can always achieve great feats.”
“Ah, that’s what Lysimachus said!”
“Right. I don’t mind not taking a mentee, but give it a try.”
Leo chuckled.
“Overcoming limits is being a hero, but making the impossible possible is also what a hero must do.”