Book 1 Chapter 264
“I heard there was a disturbance with the students from Azonia.”
That evening.
Before heading to Demian, Ain summoned Celia, Chen Xia, and Duran to talk.
“Of course, Azonia took Chloe Müller first. But I thought you all could have handled it more wisely?”
Celia replied to Ain’s words.
“I believe it could have ended without much friction if we had informed the professors.”
“You mean you fought with Azonia even knowing that? Don’t you think it was a hasty decision? While they provided the pretext, it could have escalated into a conflict between schools.”
The four Hero Academies began with the same foundation.
They were created by the founding heroes to nurture future heroes.
While their directions differed based on the individuality, characteristics, and races of their founders, their ultimate goal was one: the complete subjugation of Tartarus.
Therefore, all Hero Academies were in a cooperative relationship.
However, with the passage of many years, friction between them was inevitable.
This was because their directions differed, even though their goals were the same.
In fact, due to such reasons, there had been large-scale wars not only between Hero Academies but also between different races.
The most recent was the war between humans and elves.
The Lucerne match, a battle of pride between the two academies, also started as a friendly match for ‘harmony between races.’
As a result of that war, humans and other races are still unable to easily set foot in elven territory.
And between humans and elves.
The war between the two races began with a conflict between students from Rumern and Seirun.
Duran spoke in response to Ain’s words.
“The reason we went to rescue Chloe Müller directly without informing the professors is because we believe students should solve their own problems.”
“Furthermore, the Azonia students were targeting Duke Leo. We felt a warning was necessary for their resorting to such drastic methods. A warning that we won’t stand by if they mess with our students.”
“I believe if we had resolved the issue through the professors, we would have been underestimated. They might have resorted to even more drastic methods.”
Ain, who had been exuding a cold aura, broke into a satisfied smile.
He was pleased with his students’ confident demeanor despite his interrogation.
Clap, clap, clap—
“Elegance! Elegance!”
At that moment, Professor Sedjen burst in, clapping with an emotional face.
“For your comrades! For your friends! You will not tolerate injustice! That is the chivalry of Rumern! Excellent! Student Celia! Student Chen Xia! Student Duran!”
“Professor Ain, I believe these students deserve rewards, not punishment! Granting fifty points each for attitude…!”
“Professor Sedjen, it’s difficult to just give points based on the fact that they were your students in their first year.”
“Ain! Do you think I am such a narrow-minded professor that I would give points for such trivial reasons!”
Sedjen became indignant, but it was already well-known that he held great affection for the students he had overseen.
“The points Professor Sedjen mentioned are excessive, but your actions deserve praise. I will award you an additional ten points each.”
“Ain, you’ve been doing Halind’s dirty work lately and are becoming more stingy, just like that friend of yours.”
Ain sighed softly at Sedjen’s words.
“Go and prepare for Demian.”
“Yes.”
The three responded simultaneously and left.
After the three students departed, Ain asked,
“What was Azonia’s reaction?”
“They have officially apologized. And we received a promise that such incidents will not happen again.”
“It’s already a tumultuous start.”
“It can’t be helped. This is different from the Lucerne match.”
The Lucerne match is an annual event between Rumern and Seirun.
As such, preparations are made every year, and students from Rumern and Seirun are familiar with each other.
But this was not the case this time.
Demian gathered the four Hero Academies in one place.
With different races come different values.
Furthermore, as candidate heroes representing their races, their pride was immense.
These individuals were suddenly gathered in one place.
While the four Hero Academies are fundamentally cooperative, their academic schedules rarely overlap.
It is even rarer for an entire year group to live together in one location for two weeks.
Moreover, the second-year generation of this particular year is special, regardless of the academy.
“We might be witnessing the gathering of heroes who will lead the world in the future.”
Ain burst into laughter at Sedjen’s words.
“If that is truly the case, then as a professor of Rumern, there would be no greater honor.”
***
As the sun set, the Rumern second-year students headed for Demian.
Demian’s entrance was a massive mine attached to Dweronia.
As the vast, long tunnel opened up, voices of complaint spread among the female students.
“Ugh! I wore my going-out uniform, and it’s going to get ruined~”
“Why is the entrance to Demian like this!”
In response to their complaints, Kal muttered, resting his clasped hands behind his head.
“They’re already causing trouble. By the way, I’m worried, I’m really worried.”
“Worried about what?”
Chelsea tilted her head at Kal’s mumbling.
“We had an incident between us and Azonia within an hour of arriving at Dweronia.”
Kal clicked his tongue.
“And now the four Hero Academies are gathered. How many more incidents will occur?”
“You think so?”
Chelsea responded indifferently, and Kal shrugged.
“That’s how it is. Besides, this time, it’s more like Demian invited the students from other Hero Academies to appraise them, rather than just an invitation.”
“That’s a bit unpleasant.”
“Well, for us and Azonia, it might just be a slight displeasure, but…”
Kal shook his head slowly.
“Seirun might be throwing a huge tantrum. Seirun students are so united in the belief that they are the best among the four Hero Academies, aren’t they?”
At Kal’s words, Chelsea recalled the Seirun students.
“That’s certainly true.”
During the first-year field trip, the Seirun students looked down on the Rumern students.
Of course, a considerable number of them did not change their gaze by the end of the trip.
And even during the Lucerne match, most Seirun students had expressions of unwavering belief in their superiority.
“The moment they heard that Demian would evaluate Rumern, Azonia, and Seirun as being on the same level, their pride must have taken a huge hit. Those noble Seirun students, I mean.”
Kal tutted.
Chelsea, being one of the top three in the magic department, was relatively acknowledged by the Seirun students. But Kal was not.
From the moment they heard about Kal’s grades, they openly belittled and ignored him.
‘It’s to the point where our school’s nobles seem cute in comparison.’
“Don’t worry too much. No matter how arrogant they are, they were invited. Would they really be openly rude?”
Leo’s words prompted Kal to let out a sigh.
“That may be true. But the interim principal of Seirun is truly remarkable.”
“I heard the principal was going to change, but they’ve appointed an interim principal?”
Chelsea tilted her head.
“Yes. It changed just recently. It’s very fresh news, barely known even within Rumern. The problem is the person who became principal.”
Kal adopted a serious expression.
“Lehagen Lee Creio.”
“Ex?”
Chelsea visibly scowled.
“Who is he?”
“Brother Leo, you don’t know Lehagen? He’s a famous elven hero.”
“I don’t know much about recent heroes.”
“Ah, I see. Brother Leo wasn’t really interested in that aspect, was he?”
Chelsea nodded.
Usually, heroes are objects of admiration, so candidate heroes would invariably have one or two current heroes they respected.
However, Leo only knew about ancient heroes from his Hero Studies classes.
He had no interest in current heroes.
From Leo’s perspective, past heroes and current heroes were both distant juniors.
“He’s a hero who calls himself the ‘Knight of the Progenitor.’ A fanatic of the Progenitor.”
Kal clicked his tongue.
“He’s famous for being extremely racist. He openly disregards heroes of other races.”
Leo furrowed his brow at Kal’s words.
“Isn’t that completely ridiculous?”
“It is ridiculous.”
“Even for Seirun, appointing someone like that as principal is strange.”
The racist tendencies of elves were already famous before the Age of Calamity.
However, not all elves possessed such tendencies.
Luna, too, was an elf far from elven authoritarianism.
‘She was problematic because she was a reckless individual who cared too little about such things.’
Excessive authoritarianism corrupts a race.
Elves must know this.
Therefore, the principal of Seirun should be a wise individual with a broad perspective.
‘The high elves must know this too, right?’
In such a situation, someone with strong racist tendencies was appointed principal.
It was incomprehensible to Leo.
“The Queen of Monsters’ invasion of Seirun was the problem.”
“That was the problem?”
“Yes. And then the Progenitor descended.”
For reasons unknown, the descent of the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Hero of Beginning, Kyle, was being talked about by many as a miracle.
The ultimate skill of Stellar Magic.
The sight of the Queen of Monsters being subjugated by the End was witnessed by everyone in Rumern and Seirun.
“The elves have designated that day as the Day of Miracles. Furthermore, there are talks of Seirun becoming a sacred site and relocating Seirun itself for preservation.”
“That’s extreme.”
“Yes, but that’s not the important part.”
Kal sighed.
“Due to the miracle of the Progenitor appearing in the mortal realm, the influence of racists among elves has increased.”
Leo frowned at Kal’s words.
‘Are the current elven racists mostly fanatics of Luna?’
Those who praise the Progenitor of the Nebula, Luna, as the greatest of the great heroes.
Among the extreme ones, there are those who claim Luna alone is the true great hero.
Leo’s mind flashed with Luna’s image.
‘That always overconfident fool.’
Luna was an elf who was easily arrogant and easily discouraged.
She used to brag about how she would one day be praised as a great figure among elves…
‘She wouldn’t have wanted to be worshipped like this.’
Recalling his friend, Leo smiled bitterly.
In the meantime, they had exited the tunnel.
And seeing the massive castle before them, the Rumern students let out gasps of admiration.
The castle gate, wide open.
And in front of it stood four colossal statues.
Statues carved as if they were alive.
“These must be Demian’s specialties, the statues of the Great Heroes,” someone murmured in admiration.
And next to those statues, a new one was being made.
The face was not yet properly sculpted, and only the general form was being carved, but the Rumern students knew who this statue was.
There could only be one hero to stand shoulder to shoulder with the four Great Heroes.
“It’s a statue of Kyle, the Hero of Beginning.”
“Wow! I’ve never seen Kyle’s face!”
“I definitely want to see it when it’s finished!”
Gasps of admiration erupted among the students.
While everyone was captivated by the statues, Leo was looking up at Demian’s towering courtyard.
At the very highest point.
Thump-
Feeling his heart pound, Leo looked down at his hand.
‘This feeling… is it calling me?’
Mana reacted.
But it was not Leo’s mana.
It was the mana of Dwenno flowing within Leo’s body.
Dwenno’s flame, awakened by the divine power of Fiboa last time, was reacting.
‘Its creator?’