Book 1 Chapter 364
364
“It’s summer now.”
Looking up at the training ground, where the strong sunlight poured down, Karl muttered in a low voice.
Half of the first semester of the second year had passed.
Summer had arrived in Lumern before they knew it.
Karl, who was staring blankly at the sky, chuckled, “Hehe.”
“On this sweltering summer day…”
*Hwarrrrrrrrr-!*
“Why do I have to fight that gigantic fireball?”
“Prepare yourself! Department of Magic!”
Celia, enveloped in an aura of flames, shouted.
*Clench!*
Veins and blood vessels, unbefitting of a delicate girl, bulged on Celia’s hands.
Seeing her, Karl gasped and tried to run away.
At that, Chelsea, who was cheering from outside, shouted.
“Don’t run away!”
“What?”
“Don’t run away! Fight back!”
“Hey! If I get hit by that ignorant attack, I’ll be out in one shot!”
With Karl’s shout, Celia swung her arm powerfully and yelled.
The ball, infused with the aura of flames, struck the students of the Department of Magic as if it were the sun itself.
“Aaaaaargh!”
“There’s nowhere to hide!”
Screams erupted from all over.
*Kugugugugung! Hwarrrr-!*
When the sphere of flames plunged down, it became a sea of fire.
Chelsea, seeing that, folded her arms and muttered softly.
“Pathetic.”
Celia chuckled, “Hmph,” and swept her hair back, looking at the students of the Department of Magic who were wiped out in an instant.
Currently, a combat studies class was in progress, with all grades participating.
Today’s combat studies class was an inter-departmental competition, Bastera.
Since the start of the second academic year, most classes had been conducted as inter-dormitory competitions.
Therefore, everyone was enthusiastic about the inter-departmental competition, which was held after a long time.
Teams and turn order were decided randomly.
And Karl’s team was given the glorious mission of being the vanguard of their department.
However, coincidentally, while the opposing team had Celia, who was like the final boss of the Department of Knights, Karl’s team had no members who could stand against Celia.
The result was obvious.
It was a brutal annihilation.
“Excellent, Celia.”
“Thank you, Professor Ain.”
Ain smiled contentedly and praised her, and Celia smiled sweetly.
While the students of the Department of Knights savored the sweet leisure of victory.
“Kuh-heuk! Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”
“I will surely avenge you… Rest in peace there!”
The students of the Department of Magic were tasting the bitter taste of defeat.
Other students of the Department of Magic muttered angrily, looking at their classmates, including Karl, who were lying motionless.
“Hey, you guys.”
“We’re not dead…”
Karl’s teammates groaned and muttered in pained voices.
Chelsea, who had gathered Karl’s team with levitation magic, sighed and asked Len.
“What should we do?”
“Chelsea, there’s one thing we don’t need in our Department of Magic, do you know what it is?”
“Losers?”
“No.”
Len, sitting in a chair with crossed legs and his chin propped up, said in a cold voice.
“It’s those who lost to the Department of Knights. Throw them in the infirmary.”
Nodding at Len’s words, Chelsea sent the students to the infirmary attached to the training ground.
“Sister Nella! I brought the kids.”
“Okay, lay them here.”
Nella was waiting in the infirmary.
Nella, one of the top students in the Department of Knights, often acted as a healer in inter-departmental combat classes due to her aura specialized in healing.
“Sister Nella.”
“Please heal me.”
The male students of the Department of Magic said with wide grins.
“You lost, and you’re happy?”
When Chelsea said with a look of disdain, one of the male students chuckled, “Hmph.”
“Getting healed by Nella, one of the most beautiful girls in the grade, feels like even my heart is healed!”
“So, are you proud that you couldn’t do anything against Celia Zerdinger and lost? Huh?”
“Ow! It hurts! It hurts!”
Chelsea poked the burned spot with her magic staff, and the male student screamed.
“Chelsea, you shouldn’t bother patients.”
“Okay.”
In the first year, class 5, there were two people Chelsea listened to well: one was Leo, and the other was Nella.
Chelsea, who had taken the injured to the infirmary, returned to the training ground.
And she approached Leo, who was watching the students’ matches.
“Who’s next?”
Chelsea asked, sitting next to Leo.
“Chloe’s team and Eliza’s team.”
“Go Chloe! Mash Eliza Hergin into a pulp!”
Chelsea loudly cheered for Chloe.
Chloe, smiling sweetly at Chelsea, gripped her staff and entered the arena.
“Brother Leo, which department are you participating in?”
“This time, I’m participating with the Department of Summoning.”
The Department of Summoning has relatively fewer students.
Because of this, Leo often participated with the Department of Summoning in such departmental events to balance the numbers.
Of course, if Leo were to seriously unleash his full power, the balance would be off, so he did not summon the three great phantom beasts.
“Are we enemies again this time? I wanted to be on the same team after a long time.”
When Chelsea pouted slightly and made a sulky face, Leo smiled sweetly.
“We can team up next time.”
“Still, I wanted to show you the skills I’ve gained over the past month.”
Leo reached out and ruffled Chelsea’s hair.
“I know.”
Chelsea’s eyes widened as she looked at Leo.
“How much you’ve improved over the past month.”
While Leo was in Sayrune.
All second-year students had been tackling the Hero’s World.
Through this, every student had taken a step forward.
Among them, some students had advanced several steps.
And Chelsea was one of those students.
Chelsea smiled brightly and rubbed her head against Leo’s hand.
‘It’s not just Chelsea.’
During the last midterm exam.
Leo chose the hero candidates who would advance into the future.
He showed a difference close to despair.
But among those Leo chose, not a single person gave up.
“Hmph, you’re quite relaxed.”
A snort was heard from behind.
“Does that mean the already-ahead student council president can afford to be relaxed?”
Leo turned around and saw Duran sitting there.
Leo met Duran’s eyes, then looked back at the arena.
“I’m not particularly relaxed.”
Leo said.
“Whether it’s Chelsea or you. I just think that you might someday walk the same path as me. So I want you all to become stronger.”
Duran’s eyes twitched.
The same path.
Duran recalled Leo’s goal from his first year.
‘Subjugation of Erebus.’
He thought it was a ridiculous notion.
No one aims for such a thing.
But once in a while.
They would dream such a dream.
‘Did this guy, when he talked about qualifications during the last midterm… mean it in that sense?’
“Are you saying you’ll stand at the end of that path and wait?”
“Yes. So, if you want to stand on the same stage as me, come chasing anytime.”
Leo, sitting with his back to Duran, opened his mouth.
“Because I’ll be waiting at the top.”
“…Presumptuous.”
Duran frowned.
But the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.
‘Leo Plov.’
Duran clenched his hands, then curled the corners of his mouth.
‘Alright, I’ll chase you.’
***
After the combat studies class, the next class was Mel’s special heroics class.
Mel’s heroics class was one that all second-year students eagerly awaited.
Although she was a new professor this year, Mel had already established herself as Lumern’s most popular professor.
The content of the special heroics class was related to the Knight of Twilight, Lumern.
It was a popular class content regardless of grade.
Not only was the class interesting, but she also listened well to the students’ concerns.
In addition, it was a class where one could feel at ease in Lumern, where class content was usually harsh.
It was impossible for it not to be popular, regardless of gender or age.
“They even say a fan club has formed among the male students.”
Karl, who met Leo on the way to class, said with a smirk.
“A beautiful female professor, a romance, isn’t it?”
Ted, who had lunch with Karl, also nodded, crossing his arms.
“She’d be an old lady.”
“Leo, you bastard!”
“Did you just call Professor Mel an old lady?!”
“Professor Mel’s class is an oasis for our hearts! An oasis!”
Karl and Ted flared up.
Seeing them, Leo said.
“But you’re late?”
“Oh-ho! Professor Mel will understand with her broad mind!”
“That’s right!”
“Professor Mel’s class is truly healing!”
“Exactly! Exactly!”
Karl shouted as he opened the classroom door, and Ted agreed.
“You have a lot of nerve. To even think of being late.”
What Karl opened was nothing short of the gates of hell.
At the cold voice from inside, Karl and Ted’s faces stiffened.
Harind checked his watch and said.
“10 minutes late. You’d better have a plausible reason for being late for sacred class time. For the sake of the other second-year students.”
The murderous gazes of the other second-year students were fixed on the three of them.
Harind.
The man called the Wailing Wall of Lumern.
One of the things he hated most was being late.
And the scariest thing about Harind was his system of collective punishment.
There was no particular special reason for the collective punishment.
It was simply Harind’s unique method for efficiently punishing latecomers.
Naturally, students who were late were scolded by other students.
Besides the three, there must have been other latecomers, as they were burying their heads next to the classroom entrance.
It was when Karl and Ted’s faces turned pale.
“There was a student council meeting during lunch.”
Leo said calmly, raising his hand.
“Pass.”
Harind’s gaze turned to Karl and Ted.
Karl and Ted silently buried their heads next to the other latecomers.
“As much as I’d like to educate everyone, since this is not my class, I’ll let it pass this time.”
At Harind’s words, the entire second year sighed.
“Latecomers, stand up.”
At that, the latecomers jumped up.
Seeing the latecomers with expressions of 'We’re saved!', Harind said.
“You, come up to the podium and bury your heads.”
At that, the latecomers moved next to Harind with gloomy expressions and buried their heads.
“There must be some of you wondering why I’m here in a second-year class. The reason I’m here is because today’s class will be conducted jointly by first and second years.”
At that, the second-year students’ eyes widened.
A murmuring spread through the large lecture hall.
A moment later, the door opened, and Mel, leading the first-year students, appeared.
“Alright, everyone. Go to your mentors.”
When Mel asked with a bright smile, the first-year students went to find their mentors.
“P-Professor Harind. Should we go to our seats too?”
“Is there a need for that?”
Karl said with an awkward smile, and Harind smiled coldly, then called the mentees of the latecomers.
And made them stand next to their mentors.
“Isn’t he an excellent mentor? He personally shows what happens when you’re late.”
At Harind’s words, the second-year students made gloomy expressions.
“As expected, Senior Karl never disappoints.”
“You don’t have to praise me that much.”
“It’s not a compliment!”
Karl replied slyly to Ju-eun’s words.
And so, mentors and mentees sat together.
Chloe raised her hand.
“Professor Harind, Professor Mel. What kind of class is today’s class?”
At Chloe’s question, Mel smiled sweetly.
“There’s an announcement before class.”
Mel looked at Harind, and Harind nodded.
*Ahem!* Mel cleared her throat and said.
“I will make an announcement regarding the first and second-year mission practice.”
“Mission practice?”
“Are we going on mission practice too?”
The first-year students looked surprised.
Mission practice is usually conducted at least in the second semester of the first year.
“Yes. To be precise, it’s a mission practice conducted jointly with the second-year students.”
Mel smiled sweetly.
Harind, taking Mel’s words, said.
“This mission practice will be conducted with mentors and mentees forming one team.”
At Harind’s words, the first-year students gasped.
“The content of the mission practice is to explore a hero dungeon.”