Book 1 Chapter 381

The streets of Dobella.

As a place where mercenaries from countless races across the globe gathered, it was also a place where fights never ceased.

However, the streets of Dobella were now as quiet as a dead mouse.

"…What is it, they said in the rumors that it was a rougher and dirtier town."

"Instead of being rough and dirty, the streets are incredibly clean?"

Chelsea shrugged at Kal's words, which were muttered with a sense of futility.

The street, which should have been filled with liquor bottles, drunken patrons passed out from drink, and all sorts of filth, was so clean it was desolate, with nothing present.

Not even a common drunkard, let alone the sounds of people drinking and shouting inside the bars.

"I think I know why."

Chloe murmured softly as she surveyed the streetscape.

"Why is that?"

Betty, Chloe's mentee, asked with sparkling eyes.

She genuinely admired Chloe and wanted to learn everything from her mentor.

In response to Betty's question, Chloe pointed to specific buildings with her finger.

There were traces that looked like they had been scorched by lightning.

Looking closely, similar traces were found all over the building walls and the ground.

"It must be the Prince's doing."

"Certainly, with Duran's personality, he would have cleaned up this street in an instant."

Juen looked puzzled at Kal and Leo's words.

"Why would Senior Duran do such a bothersome thing?"

In response to that question, Leo shrugged and looked at Kal.

By then, Kal had a blank expression and his lips twitched slightly.

Seeing that, Juen grimaced and backed away.

"What's with that strange expression?"

"I get it, it's the arrogant and self-righteous expression of someone."

Chelsea said with a chuckle, and Kal imitated Duran's way of speaking.

"What a dirty street. Clean up the filth in front of my eyes immediately. Otherwise. Fzzzzzzzzzt—!"

Watching Kal, who made the sound effect of emitting lightning aura with his mouth and creating lightning effects with both hands, the first-years covered their mouths to suppress their uncontrollable laughter.

Iliana and Chelsea openly held their stomachs and guffawed, while Chloe held her head and sighed.

"I told you not to do that ridiculous Duran imitation, didn't I?"

"Why, it's a special skill I created after thoroughly analyzing and investigating our prince's behavior."

"Why did you thoroughly analyze and investigate Senior Duran?"

"When we were first-years, Duran's class, Class 1, was our rival."

Chelsea giggled.

"One day, Kal said that if he analyzed the behavioral patterns of the persons of interest in Class 1, he could predict what they were thinking, and he started doing this. The Celia Gerdinger version is also hilarious."

At Chelsea's words, Kal straightened his back and assumed Celia's signature hair-flipping pose, saying,

"Duran, don't cause damage to the streets for trivial reasons."

"Hmph. Don't order me around. Celia Gerdinger."

Seeing Kal, who had now started doing a solo act with two characters, the first-years couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

Kal's voice impersonation was strangely realistic, giving a sense of resemblance while also creating a huge disconnect that was enough to make people laugh.

Kal could do a three-person act, including Chloe's role, but he refrained because he had been trapped in ice by Chloe the last time he did it in front of her.

Austin, belonging to the Gerdinger family and in the Knight Department, smiled wryly, and Luke, who revered all his seniors like gods, was at a loss.

"Ah, it's so funny! Ahahaha!"

"You find that funny, Iliana Laden?"

"Of course… Hic?!"

Iliana shrieked at the chilling voice from behind her.

The other students who had been laughing hysterically also shut their mouths.

Only Chelsea was holding her stomach and giggling.

"Hmm? It seems the first-year magic department students see the senior knights as easy targets."

Celia appeared from behind Duran, flipping her hair and smiling.

At that, Juen and Betty's faces turned pale.

Even if their departments were different, seniors were seniors.

Moreover, Celia and Duran were the top three students in the second-year Knight Department.

If they got on their bad side, their school life could be seriously messed up.

"Um… that is, this is. Um…"

Kal, who had committed a sin, tried to find words of excuse while sweating cold sweat.

"Hehehe. Please be lenient."

Chen Xia, who was by Leo's side, covered her mouth and let out a small laugh.

At those words, Celia and Duran looked at Chen Xia.

"Kal-gun was just playing to lighten the mood, wasn't he? I don't think Celia-yang and Duran-gun would be unable to let that slide?"

She calmed Celia and Duran with a mature smile.

"That's right. They're seniors, so let it slide."

Leo also chimed in, and Celia flipped her hair.

"Leo, if you say so too, then."

Duran glanced at Kal with a chilling gaze and snorted.

"S-saved…"

"I told you not to do it, didn't I?"

Seeing Kal's relief, Chloe gave him a look of pity.

Meanwhile, Leo approached Celia and Duran.

"I heard there was an anomaly in the monster forest."

"Hmph, you're well-informed."

Duran smirked.

Celia said,

"It's perfect timing. We were going to ask the top students of each year to come to Dobella."

"Celia, did you really find traces of a Hero Dungeon in the monster forest?"

Chloe asked, and Celia nodded.

"Yes. And while I can't say for sure yet, it seems there's more than one Hero Dungeon."

"What?"

"Let's go to the base we've secured. We'll share the information we've found."

***

"Setting up the Lord's Castle as the base, whose idea was that?"

"Mine."

"As expected."

"Do you have any complaints, Kal Thomas?"

"No, not really."

Kal replied, interlocking his hands behind his head at Duran's words.

Duran snorted at Kal and said with a nod of his chin,

"Kal Thomas, bring Chloe and Leo Flov, Chen Xia and Chelsea Lewalin to the meeting room."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll obey your command. What about Iliana?"

"Hmph, Iliana Laden also qualifies."

Saying that, Duran left abruptly.

Juen, who had been watching him leave, pouted.

"Senior Kal, Duran-senior is treating you like a servant. Why are you agreeing?"

"What can I do about that guy's personality? He treats everyone like that, not just me? He's a prince, so it can't be helped."

"Still! Senior Kal, you're the conqueror of the Hero Record by Dwenno-nim! Shouldn't you be shown more respect?"

Habiden, Duran's mentee, who was passing by, said to Juen, who had a sullen expression.

"No matter how much of a senior Kal is, isn't it natural that he has to concede a point to Duran-senior?"

"What do you mean concede a point!"

"It's not wrong."

When Kal agreed with Habiden's words, Juen retorted.

"I can't accept that!"

Juen, the top student in the first-year Magic Department, and Habiden, the second-ranked student in the first-year Knight Department, were known to bicker whenever they met.

As traditional rivals between departments and both being talented students vying for second place in the entire first-year, the two never backed down even in small skirmishes.

"There they go again. Austin, you're friends with both of them. Try to stop them."

Martina said with a troubled expression to Austin, who was in Leo's knight order.

"It's no use."

Austin sighed.

Seeing that, Kal muttered like an old person reminiscing about the past.

"Young. It's youth. It's youth."

"How much older are we than them to say something like that?"

"I'm imitating you."

Leo let out a hollow laugh and asked as he opened the door to the room they would be staying in at the Lord's Castle, and Kal replied with a smile.

"It's perfect timing. Duran said to gather the kids and come to the meeting room?"

"Alright, you guys go ahead."

"And you?"

"Arga said he would be coming here soon with the students from Azonia."

Leo said calmly.

"We'll need the cooperation of the Azonia students for this matter."

***

Leo, who left the Lord's Castle, met the Azonia students an hour later.

The Azonia representatives who came to Dobella had serious expressions upon hearing Leo's explanation at the warp gate.

"Leo Flov, are you saying there might be multiple Hero Dungeons?"

Lewen, the third-ranked second-year student in Azonia, a fox beastkin, asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes."

"A great battle awaits! My heart is pounding!"

"You're just thinking about going wild, aren't you? Idiot."

"You damn fox…!"

It was when Lewen smirked at Boruman, the fifth-ranked student, who was his rival.

"Fight later."

Dion, the second-ranked wolf beastkin, said coldly.

It was when Lewen and Boruman snorted.

"However, I am worried. That we have to reveal Azonia's shame to Lumern."

At Tabon's words, Lewen and Boruman paused.

Dion also sighed softly.

Arga, looking at the four of them, said,

"As I said, the black rabbit already knows that fact."

The shame of Azonia that Tabon mentioned.

It was deeply related to why the Azonia students came to Elehem this time.

The ultimate goal of the second-year Azonia students coming to Elehem.

It was to pursue the Hero Hunters discovered in Elehem.

Azonia had been relentlessly pursuing Hero Hunters on a large scale since this year.

Azonia, one of the world's great pillars like Lumern, was dedicating all its efforts to pursuing Hero Hunters with the 'beast transformation' ability.

From Azonia's perspective, they were a blemish they wanted to erase from existence.

5000 years since the era of heroes began.

Beastkin had respected the great hero Arion and claimed to be his descendants.

However, throughout that long history, no beastkin other than Ar could freely transform without a full moon, like Arion.

Even 'Azonia', the founder of Azonia, couldn't do it.

Yet, the 'Hero Hunters' could transform freely even without a full moon.

From Azonia's perspective, it was a fact they wanted to hide at all costs.

These four students were also shocked when they first heard the story.

In such a situation, if they cooperated with Lumern, that fact would naturally be revealed.

"There's a big difference between only a few knowing and many knowing."

Lewen said with a subdued gaze.

"I believe that finishing this matter at our level is what will protect Azonia's glory."

"Still, if we cooperate, we can definitely catch their tails…"

"Arga, you can only say that because it's you."

"What?"

Lewen looked straight into Arga's blue eyes.

"You, who can transform like Arion-nim, will never understand our feelings."

Arga looked bewildered.

Leo watched the Azonia students silently.

Except for Arga, all the other Azonia students were dejected.

It was different from the Azonia students Leo usually knew.

Usually, Azonia students were full of confidence.

They sincerely respected Arion and always spared no effort to become like the fictional Arion they knew.

But now it was different.

'They seem to feel a wall with Ar.'

That's why they were dejected.

'No, they seem to have lost all their fighting spirit, not just dejected.'

These were the Azonia students who were making a fuss about defeating Ar when Leo saw them last time.

But now, their will seemed completely broken.

Leo burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, Leo Flov?"

Tabon asked, narrowing his brow, and Leo replied,

"No, it's because you resemble them."

"Resemble? Whom?"

"Who else?"

The Azonia representatives looked bewildered by the sudden remark, and Arga looked aghast.

"Y-you, black rabbit! Wait a minute!"

"The way you're dejected like a coward is exactly like Arion."