Book 1 Chapter 26

[26]25

Seeing Leo's special physical training, Carl immediately ran away.

Chelsea, who trained with Leo on the first day, felt that something was terribly wrong.

But it was already too late to turn back.

Celia, who initially refused, gave up and joined Leo for training.

Fortunately, since she had already experienced it, it was more bearable than the first time.

"Is, is this really effective?"

"It is. Leo's training is crude yet unnecessarily systematic."

Chelsea asked Celia, who replied with a vacant look as they walked back to the women's dormitory.

Then, she gave Chelsea a malicious smile.

"Welcome to hell, Chelsea Lewalin."

Chelsea's face turned pale at the smile.

"Talking so much, I guess it's manageable?"

"Don't make me laugh! You devil!"

As Leo said with a laugh, Celia grabbed Leo by the collar with her trembling arms and shook him.

Thus, for some, a sweet weekend.

For others, it was a hellish weekend, and it was the second week in Lumern.

Carl asked Chelsea, who was slumped over her desk, shaking her limbs, "Chelsea, are you alive?"

"No… I feel like I'm going to die."

"Here. I got you the best quality patches in Rumelia yesterday."

"For me?"

"Yeah, we're classmates."

Carl handed Chelsea a patch good for muscle recovery.

Chelsea received the patch with a slightly touched expression.

Then, Carl extended his palm towards Chelsea's face.

"What does this hand mean?"

"For you, I'll sell it to you at a special 30% discount. Because you're a friend."

"Go die."

Chelsea threw the patch at Carl's face and said coldly.

Carl chuckled and placed the patch on Chelsea's desk.

"Still, cheer up. As a battle mage hopeful, you have to do this, right?"

"Want to do it together? I'll ask Leo brother to let me join."

"Ah, no. I'm good."

Carl laughed awkwardly, shook his head, and whispered to Leo.

"Couldn't you have gone a bit easier?"

"I went easy on you."

"That was going easy?"

Carl vowed never to train with Leo again.

"By the way, what kind of professor will our homeroom teacher be?"

Carl, sitting in his chair, clasped his hands behind his head.

"I hope it's a pretty female professor."

Grind-

As soon as the words were out, the school gate opened, and a middle-aged man in shabby clothes entered the classroom with the attendance register.

Seeing him with dark circles under his eyes, the surprised students quickly returned to their seats.

The man, standing at the podium, roughly placed the attendance register down and picked up chalk to write his name on the board.

Tap- Tap-tap.

Upon seeing the name written on the board, the faces of the students in Class 5 turned pale.

"It's nice to meet you. I am Halind Edmonds, your homeroom teacher."

He was the most famous teacher at Lumern.

A teacher who primarily taught upperclassmen, like 4th or 5th graders!

His nickname was the Wall of Wailing!

The professor who expelled the most students at Lumern!

That was Halind Edmonds.

Seeing the unusual reaction of his classmates, Leo quietly asked Carl, who was sitting in the front row.

"Is he a famous professor?"

"Not just famous, he's been teaching at Lumern for nearly 20 years."

Carl, whispering, swallowed dryly.

"Many of his students have become heroes, but just as many seniors have been expelled. He usually teaches upperclassmen, so why is he teaching 1st graders…!"

Halind opened the attendance register.

"I will now call roll. Carl Thomas."

"Yes, yes!"

"Iliana Laden."

"Yes."

Even though it was just the homeroom teacher calling roll, the students of Class 5 reacted with tension.

Out of 45 students, Leo's name was called last.

"Leo Flov."

"Yes."

Thump-!

Halind closed the attendance register and said with a tired expression.

"There must be students wondering why I'm teaching 1st graders."

He put his hands casually in his jacket pockets and spoke with a lack of motivation.

"This year's cohort has a higher average admission test score than your seniors. So, Lumern's upper management has expectations for you."

The students, hearing something they never knew, looked surprised.

And the classroom atmosphere instantly heated up at the fact that they were expected to do well.

Just then, a female student raised her hand.

"What is it? Iliana Laden."

"Are the professors in other classes also ones who didn't originally teach 1st graders?"

"Yes."

"Is the homeroom teacher assignment random?"

"No, each chose the class they wanted, and I chose you."

Halind was not only famous for expelling students but also a competent professor who had nurtured many outstanding students.

Hearing that such a professor had chosen them, the students of Class 5 couldn't help but be excited.

"Is there any special reason you chose our class!"

"Because your average admission test score is the lowest among the ten classes."

The excited atmosphere instantly subsided.

"Do you know why I expel the most students? Iliana Laden."

"Uh, no."

"Efficiency."

Professor Halind looked at Iliana with dull eyes.

"It's better to filter out students with no potential early on and focus on teaching those with potential. Don't you think so too?"

Iliana's eyes welled up with tears as she met Halind's gaze, which made even the formidable 5th graders of Lumern tremble.

It was at that moment when all the students of Class 5, except for Leo, held their breath and watched Halind.

A woman in her mid-twenties wearing glasses, who entered the classroom by opening the door, saved Iliana.

"Oh my! Professor Halind, why are you scaring the students on the first day!"

Sighing deeply, she stood next to Professor Halind.

"Hello, Class 5! I am Sena Tilia, your assistant homeroom teacher."

Sena, with her light brown hair and bright personality, was the complete opposite of Halind.

"Everyone! You don't have to be so scared of Professor Halind! He may say things like this, but he actually cares a lot about his students…"

"Sena Tilia. Follow me outside."

Sena, who was reassuring the students, was called out.

"You haven't changed since you were a student. I've told you several times to fix that boisterous personality!"

"I apologize! I will correct it! I won't do it again!"

Through the slightly opened classroom door, Sena's pale face, bowing her head frantically, could be seen.

"I like our assistant homeroom teacher."

"Me too. Even if she's an assistant, she has to have a good personality to breathe and live."

Chelsea said with a smile, and Carl nodded.

The other students seemed to agree, and the atmosphere eased a little.

A moment later, the two professors returned to the classroom and stood before the board again.

"I just said that I became your homeroom teacher because your average admission test score was the lowest, right?"

"Yeeees…"

As the students answered in dejected voices, Professor Halind wore a bored expression.

"In Lumern, admission test scores become meaningless after three months."

The students' eyes widened.

"No matter what education you received before entering Lumern, Lumern teaches beyond that. That's why the performance of Lumern 1st graders tends to fluctuate greatly. It's common for top students' grades to plummet, and vice versa."

Professor Halind slammed his desk.

"You might even have the top student of the year among you in the upcoming midterms."

The entire class became restless.

"However, remember this fact. Conquering the world of heroes is indeed the privilege of hero cadets, but it is also their duty. Does anyone know why it is a duty?"

Chelsea raised her hand.

"Chelsea Lewalin, answer me."

"Because you could lose your life."

"Correct."

Professor Halind said coldly.

"In my 20 years of teaching at Lumern, I have attended many student funerals."

The sound of people swallowing dryly could be heard from all around.

"As Lumern students, you cannot refuse to conquer the world of heroes. That is risking your life. I want to send only those who have the ability to survive there. Those who don't."

Professor Halind said with force.

"I will expel them before they die a dog's death. This is why I am teaching you, who have the lowest average score."

Having said that, Professor Halind handed the attendance register to Sena.

"That's all I have to say. We will now begin combat class, so change into your gym clothes and come out to the training grounds."

Professor Halind stormed out of the classroom.

"Well then, everyone! I'll see you on the training grounds!"

Sena smiled at the students and left the classroom.

The students, grabbing their gym clothes from the lockers at the back of the classroom, headed for the changing rooms.

"He doesn't seem entirely scary."

Carl said as he entered the men's locker room.

"That's right. If you think about it, Professor Halind is one of the most respected professors at Lumern."

A classmate walking next to him said.

'His name is Tate, right?'

As Leo recalled his name, Tate continued.

"He has the lowest student death rate."

The number of students who die at Lumern each year is not small.

It's not that the academy drives them into a death trap.

On the contrary, Lumern prioritizes student safety.

However, the reason for deaths is that the path students pursue is that of heroes.

Heroes are those who leap into trials to save people.

Conquering the world of heroes and hero dungeons.

And resolving incidents that occur all over the world.

Life at Lumern Academy is always fraught with danger.

"Professor Halind scaring us at first was probably to remind us of that fact. So, let's all work hard from now on."

Everyone nodded seriously at Tate's words.

"Oh my? You look skinny when you wear it!"

A soprano voice came from the open window.

Squeal-! The voices of noisy female students could be heard.

Come to think of it, the women's locker room was right next to the men's locker room.

At the voices from outside the window, the male students wore solemn expressions.

Then, they gathered in the middle of the locker room and lowered their voices.

"Who do you think looks skinny when they wear it?"

"Iliana?"

"No, that was Iliana's voice just now."

They engaged in a discussion with a far more serious atmosphere than before.

"Maybe it's Nella."

Just then, Carl mentioned Nella Caban, a beautiful girl with a slender physique, and the male students let out exclamations.

"It makes sense!"

"Indeed! Nella seems to have hidden charms."

Leo shook his head at the conversation of completely uselessly serious adolescent boys.

'Are these guys really hero cadets?'

One might think this isn't what hero candidates should be doing, but.

Leo knew someone who seriously debated such topics amidst life-or-death situations.

A hero.

Not just any hero, but a great hero.

That is [God's Blacksmith] Duweno.

'Why am I forgotten when that kind of guy is revered and still remembered.'

Leo felt wronged once again.

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