Book 1 Chapter 254
254
“Hey, have you decided on your mentee?”
“Yeah. Yesterday.”
The large lecture hall in the second-year classroom building.
Today was the day for the joint Heroics class.
Before class, the second-years gathered together and were chatting among friends.
Naturally, for the past few days, the hot topic had been the newly introduced mentee system.
And before they knew it, there was less than a day left to decide on mentees and mentors.
Most of the second-years who were interested in taking on mentees had already accepted first-year juniors as their mentees.
“How about you? Didn't you say they were cheeky and not very good?”
“I did! But listen! At first, I thought they were cheeky! But after talking a bit yesterday, the way their eyes sparkled was quite cute, you know?”
The second-years were absorbed in talking about the juniors they had taken on as mentees.
Watching them chat cheerfully, Chelsea said, as if surprised,
“The response is surprisingly good.”
“Of course it is.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that, Leo oppa?”
“Think about when we were freshmen.”
Karl, who was with them, crossed his arms.
“Were you even able to make eye contact with the seniors because you were scared?”
“Huh? I wasn’t scared at all? They were actually incredibly kind.”
“This is why those from renowned hero families…”
Karl made a horrified expression.
Chelsea, who had been pondering with her index finger in her mouth, nodded.
“You’re right. Our classmates were definitely very scared of the seniors.”
The Summoning Department has the strictest hierarchy between cohorts.
But even if not to that extent, students in other departments often couldn't even dare to speak to seniors at the beginning of the semester.
“When you’re a freshman, you’re busy adapting to school life and being mindful of your seniors. And second-years don't feel any reason to get close to first-years, who could leave school at any time and it wouldn't be strange.”
Karl rested his chin on his hand.
“Because of that, they're the people you’ll see together the longest, besides your peers, but they don't get very close. In the worst cases, the relationships between grades often deteriorate. You can see that with the fourth and fifth-year seniors, right? We can't say we have a particularly good relationship with the third-year seniors either.”
At Lumern, relationships between seniors and juniors one cohort above were often extremely bad.
The current fifth-years, led by Elena, known as the Queen of Lumern, have a bad relationship with the fourth-years who have been threatening their position.
The same goes for the current second and third-years.
Leo and Lil, the class representatives, didn't have a bad relationship, but the current third-years had always seen the current second-years, known as the so-called Golden Generation, as a thorn in their side.
While they were mindful of their seniors and trembled until their first year, now that they were second-years, many students had considerable resentment towards the third-years.
“We just got a chance to get close to the first-years before that happened.”
At least, there was no chance of them parting ways until the first semester was over.
As a result, it was easier for the second-years to form attachments with the first-years.
“Kids are usually weak to the word ‘senior’ and want to take care of their juniors.”
When Leo chuckled and spoke, Karl made an incredulous expression.
“Aren’t you a kid yourself?”
“Sometimes, Leo oppa talks too much like an old man.”
Chelsea also shrugged.
“Class president! You shouldn’t get close to kids from other dorms! They might try to steal information about our dorm!”
Just then, Illiana quickly ran over and said.
Seeing Illiana like that, Chelsea and Karl made unenthusiastic expressions.
“How can you get information from Leo?”
“Yeah, unless it’s a dummy like you.”
“Class president! They’re calling me a dummy!”
Illiana complained to Leo with a tearful face.
“It’s true.”
“Tade! Not you too!”
“Still, it’s lively when we’re all together.”
Tade approached with a sharp remark, and Nella, who came with him, wore her characteristic languid smile.
The six core members of Class 1-5 gathered in one place after a long time.
“Anyway, has everyone chosen a mentee?”
When Tade asked, crossing his arms, Illiana puffed out her chest with a smug expression.
“Of course! I chose a kid named Austin!”
“Austin? That’s a name I haven’t heard before?”
“Is he from the Knight Department or the Magic Department?”
Nella and Tade tilted their heads.
As a top-ranking second-year student, Illiana could have picked a well-known first-year.
So, it was natural to be curious that she had taken an unknown first-year as her mentee.
“He’s a Magic Swordsman. Hmph! Don’t be surprised when you hear this! He’s from the Zerdinger training program and is a member of the class president’s knight order!”
Illiana wore a triumphant expression.
“He’s the class president’s subordinate, so if he were about to be advised to withdraw, wouldn’t the class president train him even if he had to grab him by the collar?”
“How is she usually so silly, but her brain works so well in situations like this?”
When Karl expressed his admiration, Illiana bristled.
“Hey! I’m smart, you know! I’m a good student in my own way!”
“So what? You’re just simple-minded and ignorant.”
“You, Karl!”
Illiana flared up and lunged at Karl, but she was caught by Nella.
Leo, watching the scene, spoke.
“I’m warning you, I won’t give them special treatment just because they’re part of my knight order.”
“Gasp?!”
Illiana stiffened with a ‘crack’.
“I’ll give them advice, but their training will be up to them. Austin probably wants to survive in Lumern on his own strength.”
“Wooooooah!”
Illiana clutched her head and screamed.
The others, ignoring Illiana, continued their conversation.
“Nella, how about you?”
“I’ve taken two juniors from the Knight Department. And Tade?”
“I’ve taken one Beast Summoner.”
Tade looked at the three of them.
“You guys don’t have any yet, do you? Karl, nobody would want you as their mentor.”
“Don’t say that. It breaks my heart.”
Karl made a dejected expression.
“Now that I think about it, the dorm leaders aren’t taking mentees either, surprisingly?”
Nella looked surprised.
“Well, Leo is the center of the commotion. Chloe said she’d select from the students who submitted their book reports today. And Chen Xia, I heard she took quite a few?”
At Illiana’s answer, Nella tilted her head.
“Chen Xia is a surprise. I thought she wouldn’t have any after it was revealed she was from the Shadows, but it seems that’s not the case.”
“Yeah.”
‘Most of them are Shadow candidates themselves, though.’
Leo muttered to himself.
“Chelsea, how about you guys?”
“I didn’t intend to take any in the first place, and Celia is carefully choosing. And Warreden…”
Chelsea crossed her arms.
“There are so many kids who want to be his mentee? Of course, Warreden doesn’t seem to care much about it.”
Warreden’s spirit magic, which activated magic spells using spirits, was incredibly unconventional.
Of course, it was a result of Warreden’s own talent and intuition, but it was an impossible feat without a deep understanding of spirit magic.
As such, there were many first-year spirit magic majors who wanted to receive guidance from Warreden.
“How about Noble?”
“My brother has already taken one.”
“Avad? Who is it?”
It was Karl who answered Illiana’s question.
“A guy named Fritz.”
“That’s a new name to me? Why did he take him? Is he very skilled?”
“His skill is one thing, but the reason Avad took him as a mentee is because of his magic.”
Karl explained.
“That kid uses magic through blood.”
“Blood? That’s a very rare trait, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Because of that, my brother said he wanted to research it and suggested he become his mentee.”
‘Your trait is interesting. I’d like to research it a bit, would you like to be my mentee?’
‘Sure.’
It is said that Fritz, seeing Avad suggest it with his characteristic gentle smile, adjusted his glasses and replied with his own characteristic expressionless face.
“Oh ho ho. Unique! What about Duran and Eliza?”
Karl shrugged.
“Our prince gets an incredible number of mentor requests. But you know his personality well, don’t you? If there’s no one he’s satisfied with, he won’t even spare them a glance. And Eliza…”
Karl, having said that much, let out a “Pfft!” and covered his mouth.
“Not a single first-year has requested her as a mentor?”
“Not one? Not that she rejected them?”
Everyone made a surprised expression.
“Of course not. Her personality is famous, isn’t it?”
“Still, Duran’s temper is just as bad, isn’t it?”
When Chelsea tilted her head as if she couldn't understand, Karl chuckled.
“Duran, at least, has a reputation as a decent honor student, right? But Eliza is only good at grades; she’s a complete delinquent. Who would want her as a mentee? They probably don’t even go near her for fear of being treated like a servant or maid if they become her mentee. Hahahahahahahaha! My situation is exactly the same as hers…”
Whoosh! Thwack!
“You… *Gasp*!!”
A whip, suddenly flying, wrapped around Karl’s neck.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the person holding the whip.
There, Eliza was trembling, her face completely flushed.
“Follow me.”
“H-help me!”
Eliza, her eyes wide, dragged the pale Karl away.
A moment later, a desperate scream echoed.
“Leo oppa, aren’t you going to take anyone as a mentee?”
“Chelsea, aren’t you worried about Karl?”
When Tade asked with an incredulous look, Chelsea smiled.
“Karl has tenacious vitality, you know. He’ll be back completely fine in a bit.”
Everyone nodded at Chelsea’s words.
“The class president’s popularity has faded a lot, hasn’t it?”
At first, almost all first-years rushed to become Leo’s mentee.
But now, only a few students challenged to be Leo’s mentee.
They had given up, deeming it impossible to land an effective hit on Leo.
“Only five kids had persistence back then. If you’re thinking of taking mentees, how about gradually accepting them around this time?”
At Illiana’s words, Leo said.
“I don’t need a mentee. They’re the ones who need me. What they need, they must achieve themselves.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
It was then that Chelsea nodded in agreement with Leo’s words.
Creak-
The large lecture hall door opened, and someone entered.
The students quickly took their seats.
And they turned their heads.
There, a professor they had never seen before was entering.
“Who is that professor?”
“Is she a new professor who just arrived?”
First of all, she was incredibly beautiful.
Rare silver hair and eyes.
An overall warm impression and an aura that brought peace to the mind.
But what truly stood out was the eyepatch over her left eye.
“Isn’t that Professor Mel? Why is she here?”
Karl, who was being trampled by Eliza, widened his eyes.
At that, Eliza paused and asked.
“Do you know her?”
“Yeah. Ugh.”
Karl, getting up and dusting off his clothes, said.
“I know her as a first-year Magic Department professor, but why is she in a second-year Heroics class?”
Mel, standing in front of the podium, smiled faintly.
“Nice to meet you all. My name is Mel, and I’ll be serving as the first-year Magic Theory professor and also giving special lectures on Heroics for all grades.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap-
The second-years applauded Mel’s introduction, looking surprised.
Usually, a Lumern professor only teaches one subject.
But to be a first-year Magic Theory professor AND be in charge of special Heroics lectures for all grades?
‘Just how profound is her knowledge of Heroics, for goodness sake?’
Everyone looked at Mel with curious eyes.
Heroics.
In this era where Hero Records exist, it is a more important discipline than any other.
And what could be called the sanctuary of Heroics is precisely the Hero Academy.
If she was specially invited to Lumern, one such Hero Academy, she clearly possessed extraordinary knowledge.
Mel smiled faintly and opened a subspace.
And she placed a plate of cookies on the podium.
The savory scent of cookies spread throughout the lecture hall.
The female students’ eyes sparkled as they focused on the bowl of cookies Mel had taken out.
Their sense of smell and intuition, honed by Lumern’s desserts, were telling them:
‘Those cookies… they must be incredibly delicious.’
Mel pulled up a chair, sat down, and dangled her legs.
“Are there any students curious about me?”
At that question, several students raised their hands simultaneously.
“Yes, Duran Moira.”
Mel, who had already grasped the faces and names of all the second-years, smiled faintly and gave the right to ask a question to Duran, who had raised his hand first.
“You said you’d be giving special lectures on Heroics… what kind of heroes will you be lecturing about?”
“I will be lecturing about the heroes who were active in the Age of Genesis.”
Mel said calmly.
But all the second-years were astonished.
The Age of Genesis.
The era after the Great Heroes subjugated Erebus is called the Age of Heroes.
But even that Age of Heroes is divided into an early and a late period.
And in between.
A very short period of time was called the Genesis.
An era when the existence of the Heroic World, which could be called the true power of the Hero Records, became known.
“W-wait a minute! If you’re lecturing about the Age of Genesis, then surely…!”
Countless heroes were born in the Age of Heroes.
But among them, there are five very special heroes.
Heroes born in the Age of Genesis.
They, called the Heroes of Genesis, exist as only five, just like the Great Heroes.
“That’s right.”
Mel smiled faintly.
“The heroes I will be lecturing about are the Dragon of Genesis, the Knight of Twilight, the Comet Mage, the Grand Warrior, and the Indomitable.”
The second-years swallowed dryly.
Crunch-
Mel, biting into a cookie, continued.
“First, for our initial lesson, it would be good to talk about the founder of this very school you all attend: Lumern, the Knight of Twilight, wouldn’t it?”