Book 1 Chapter 377
377.
“Hmph, he’s brutal. The Black Rabbit.”
Ar, who was watching the scene reflected on the screen through magic video while flicking his white tail, clicked his tongue.
“The Black Rabbit isn’t Rumerin’s student council president, it’s you, isn’t it?”
“Who are you calling a rabbit? I’m a cat, you idiotic tiger.”
Ar glared at Borman, who approached him and crossed his arms.
Borman, a tiger beastman ranked 5th among second-year students at Azonia, looked down at Ar and said,
“Want me to show you a mirror?”
Ar snorted at that.
“Anyway, it’s surprising.”
“What’s surprising?”
“That Rumerin’s student council president would be so tough.”
Borman exclaimed, pointing with his finger at Leo on the screen.
On the screen, Leo was gripping the face of a dwarf warrior armed with a massive war hammer.
It wasn’t simply a matter of having superiority in strength and skill.
“I thought he was far from being a warrior.”
“Are you stupid? He’s an all-class, isn’t he? If he’s not a warrior, then what is he?”
“Huhu, not all warriors are the same.”
Borman clenched and unclenched his fists, looking at Ar, who had an incredulous expression.
“There are many unmanly warriors who avoid head-on confrontations with opponents and cowardly rely on magic and spirits. I thought Leo Flobe might be one of those types, but I was foolish.”
“What is this muscle-brain talking about? Why are magic and spirits cowardly?”
“A dignified head-on confrontation, clashing only with strength and skill, that’s a true fight!”
Ar looked on with a pathetic expression, but Borman didn’t care.
Borman Teaser.
One of the five beastmen nations.
He is the champion of the Steel Colosseum in the Nation of Steel, and the son of the beastman hero, Botec Teaser.
In the beastmen nations, a race of struggle, there is no king.
Instead, the champion of the coliseum in each nation enjoys power comparable to a king.
Of course, not all of the strongest beastmen were gladiators in the coliseum.
Ar’s family, the Tunes, is also not a family active in the coliseum.
However, it remains true that many prestigious beastmen families are active in the coliseum.
The coliseum is the place to display one’s strength and make oneself known.
Borman, the champion’s son, had been raised as a gladiator since childhood.
As such, he possessed an exceptionally strong fighting spirit even among the combative students of Azonia.
He was a man who felt excitement upon seeing a new strong individual.
As Borman tightened his grip, his muscles twitched.
“Watching him fight, I understand. He is a true warrior. A man just like you and me!”
“Yeah, yeah. The Black Rabbit is a true warrior and a man, just like us…”
Ar, who had been nodding casually as if annoyed, paused.
“Why am I a man!”
“Cough?!”
And he fiercely glared and kicked Borman in the side.
Borman, who had fallen to the floor and was squirming, recovered after a moment and stood up.
“To think I would have the opportunity to engage in a manly duel with Leo Flobe. A fight using aura is impressive, but a struggle waged with pure physical strength is also an exciting battle!”
Borman, genuinely delighted, declared proudly.
“It’s a good thing I got into gambling debt. Ar, don’t interfere. I’m the one who’ll fight him.”
“Do as you please.”
Ar snorted.
As an Azonia student, Ar also wanted to face Leo, but he held back this time.
He wanted to repay his debt quickly, but he also strongly felt like letting Leo meet Borman.
‘…Once the Black Rabbit knows there’s someone who talks such idiotic nonsense, he won’t call me a stupid cat.’
***
Thud—!
The beastman warrior whose face Leo had grabbed collapsed, his face caved in.
Leo indifferently pushed aside the beastman warrior, who had rolled his eyes back and fainted.
The underground arena, which normally would have been filled with cheers, gasps, and boos, was enveloped in silence.
The only one exuding presence was Leo, with his flashing red eyes, just one single person.
The arena warriors Leo faced were all of poor quality.
Starting with prisoners who would not be out of place if sentenced to death, to skilled individuals who had committed crimes in the outside world and ended up here.
A fight where no honor existed, solely for spectacle.
In that fight, Leo showed no emotion.
No anger towards the prisoners, nor disgust towards those who reveled in killing people simply for pleasure.
He showed no emotion even towards those who fell by his hand.
He was merely dry and unfeeling, like a janitor clearing away trash before him.
That sight made those present feel an instinctive fear.
Leo’s appearance seemed to evoke an image of a judge.
It was far from righteous.
It was merely as if he was dispassionately slaughtering those who had lived corruptly.
Those who lived committing sins felt a fundamental terror at Leo’s appearance.
Thus, they dared not utter a single word.
Leo casually flexed his fingers and looked at the commentator.
The commentator, meeting Leo’s red eyes, swallowed dryly and turned his head.
Karl clicked his tongue, watching Leo, who had overwhelmed the entire casino with his mere presence.
“Leo, that guy, he’s no joke.”
It was an unfamiliar sight even to Karl, his closest friend at school.
“It feels… very different from the Leo senior we’ve imagined.”
Juen swallowed dryly.
Leo Flobe.
The youngest and only first-year student council president in Rumerin’s 3000-year history.
Leo’s journey has produced countless legends and anecdotes, things rarely seen even when compared to many heroes.
Immediately, the most admired senior by countless first-year students is none other than Leo.
Leo’s appearance in actual combat was different from what they had imagined.
They had imagined a righteous figure who would embrace everyone and lead people.
And most first-years had imagined wanting to be like Leo.
If they were to become a hero.
They thought they should achieve great deeds like Leo, starting from their first year.
The same went for Juen.
But they had never imagined him dispassionately dealing with even criminals.
“Should we… be like that too?”
“Since I am a knight, I have no choice but to follow the young master.”
Austin replied in a dark voice as Betty mumbled with a confused expression.
In that serious atmosphere, she thought deeply.
‘…It’s shocking, but… that’s not the wrong path.’
Heroes sometimes need to be ruthless.
In that sense, Leo’s current appearance is also close to a hero’s virtue.
‘But something is different.’
Juen, conflicted, looked at Luke and said,
“You’re surprisingly calm?”
“Huh?”
Luke looked at Juen with a puzzled face.
“You truly respect Leo senior, too. Didn’t you want to be like Leo senior?”
“I did. But Leo senior told me something recently.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me not to be like Leo senior.”
“What?”
Luke’s eyes widened as he looked at Leo, who had suddenly said this during training.
“No matter how hard you try, you’ll walk a different path than me.”
Leo chuckled and looked at Luke.
“You’re too kind.”
“But… Leo senior is the person closest to a hero among Rumerin students, aren’t you? Everyone wants to walk the same path as Leo senior, don’t they?”
The younger one is, the more one is drawn to the closest and most intense light.
And for Rumerin first-years, the closest and most intense light was none other than Leo.
“I’m not as noble a person as you think. The path I’ve walked and will walk isn’t full of dreams and romance… It’s not a clean path like that either.”
Luke looked at Leo with bewildered eyes.
“Kids your age think the most impressive path is the right answer. But there is no right answer. There’s just each person’s path.”
“Leo senior said. Go on the path you want to go.”
Juen, Betty, and Austin’s eyes widened at Luke’s words.
Hearing that, Karl clicked his tongue.
“Sometimes, I swear he seems to have an old man who’s lived a full life inside him.”
Clicking his tongue, Karl glanced at Chloe and Chelsea.
It was probably those two who felt more perplexed by Leo’s appearance than the first-years.
‘Me, well, I’m a slacker and never really dreamed of being a hero or anything.’
More precisely, he knew all too well that he couldn’t be one.
Overcoming limits is Rumerin’s motto, but.
Karl was one of the students who acutely felt his limitations.
That’s why his feelings towards Leo were quite different from Chelsea’s and Chloe’s.
Karl knew Leo’s greatness better than anyone.
Though a friend, he sincerely respected him and believed he would become a hero who would achieve deeds no one else could.
He wanted to be helpful behind Leo, but he never thought of standing beside him.
However, Chelsea and Chloe were different.
Chelsea, who had admired him since the day they met, and Chloe, who had received help when lost and wandering.
For these two, who had strived to follow Leo’s back and walk the same path, they were seeing a completely different side of Leo.
“Class president, what can I say, he’s giving off a dangerous man vibe. Isn’t it kind of cool?”
Meanwhile, Illiana widened her eyes and chattered.
“You’re lucky. You don’t think about anything.”
“What!”
Illiana glared at Karl.
Karl clucked his tongue and looked worriedly at Chelsea and Chloe.
The two girls silently watched Leo’s terrifying appearance.
It was then.
“Woooooahhhhhhh!”
A roar that seemed to change the atmosphere echoed.
Everyone looked surprised at the arena entrance.
A giant tiger beastman was walking out, arms raised high.
“Oh?”
“That guy is…”
The second-years exclaimed in startled voices.
“Do you know him?”
Chloe nodded when Betty asked.
“Yes, he’s Borman Teaser, Azonia’s second-year ranked 5th.”
The first-years’ eyes widened at Chloe’s words.
They couldn’t help but be perplexed by the sudden appearance of a big shot from another school.
“Long time no see! Leo Flobe!”
“Was it Borman of Azonia?”
Leo, whose atmosphere had changed completely from before, smirked.
Seeing such a Leo, Borman grinned.
“To think you remember my name! What an honor!”
Wham—!
As the atmosphere changed, the casino guests began to cheer.
“I was moved by your unrestrained savagery, Leo Flobe! I’m truly thrilled to be in this situation where I can contend with a warrior like you!”
“He’s still the same.”
Chelsea clicked her tongue.
Chloe asked, “Speaking of which, you partied with Borman in Tarkham during the last Smith exclusive contract, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“How was it?”
“An idiot who only knows how to charge.”
“Are you saying such a reckless person is Azonia’s 2nd year rank 5th?”
Betty said with an incredulous look at Chelsea’s words.
“Yes. But he’s strong. That’s why he’s ranked 5th.”
“Since he can’t use aura, Leo might struggle. Look at that monstrous size.”
Beastmen are the strongest race in close combat among all races.
Their savagery unleashes tremendous power in battle.
In a situation where aura cannot be used, the strongest race was the beastmen.
“I don’t think so.”
Chelsea smiled.
“I told you, didn’t I? Leo oppa is a skilled fighter who cleared monsters even without using aura during the entrance exam.”
“Chelsea’s right. Do you know when the worst time in the Knight Department’s second-year classes is?”
Illiana pouted, picking up on Chelsea’s words.
“It’s when you spar with the class president purely with physical strength. The class president is a monster.”
Illiana shuddered as if she didn’t even want to imagine it.
***
Among the crowd, Delehan was watching Leo.
‘An all-class like the Hero of Beginnings? A second-year with unprecedented power? What does that matter?’
He turned away with a cold face.
‘Isn’t he just like the vulgar shadows who hunt in the dark… not even recognized by the gods? To make such a person student council president at a time when a more noble hero than anyone is needed. Rumerin has truly gone too far.’
Delehan snorted.
‘As expected, Rumerin is wrong. It’s not suited for the times.’
Delehan clenched his fist and curled the corners of his mouth.
‘I will usher in a new era of heroes.’