Book 1 Chapter 403

403.

"What? Ar is having special training with the Lumern student council president?!"

The tiger beastman Borman exclaimed excitedly.

"Are we all just playing around while he's the only one getting special training?! That's so underhanded…!"

Seeing Borman clenching his fists and fuming, Lewen, who was grooming his fur while sitting on his tail, said.

"Well, it's called special training, but it didn't look like special training to me."

"What do you mean?"

"It looked like he was being waterboarded, you know?"

"He's doing such difficult training that it looks like torture? Ar… that's amazing."

Lewen shook his head, looking at Borman, who was interpreting things however he pleased.

Conversation was impossible.

Meanwhile, Lewen approached the Azonia female students who were gathered together, gazing at the Lumern students.

"What are you all looking at so intently?"

"Lewen, Lewen. Look over there."

Where the wolf beastman female student pointed, Abad and Duran were lying on sunbeds under a parasol.

Abad was reading a magic book with his characteristic relaxed expression, and Duran was also reading.

"What is it? Do you suddenly want to fight those two? Unfortunately, please hold yourselves back."

Azonia students inherently possess a fighting spirit and a challenging spirit towards the strong.

Therefore, Lewen thought that his peers, who were looking at Abad and Duran, two of the most prominent strong individuals in Lumern's Knight Department and Magic Department, wanted to spar with them.

"No. Not at all."

"We just want to play with them."

"They have a different charm than our muscle-brained idiots."

At those words, Lewen glanced at Abad and Duran.

They were definitely a type of student not found in Azonia.

A little later, several Azonia female students approached Abad and Duran and spoke to them.

Besides that, quite a few Lumern and Azonia students were mingling and playing together.

Among them were Lumern first-years asking Azonia students various questions.

'As expected, Lumern students have excellent academic enthusiasm.'

Lewen nodded, then squinted his eyes.

'In contrast, these idiots.'

"Are they doing underwater combat training with toys like that?"

"Hmm. I don't think it'll be effective training."

It was then that Lewen shook his head, looking at the Azonia students who were mistaking the Lumern students playing in the water with toys sold by Karl for combat training.

Wham-!

At that moment, a jet of water shot up from afar.

All the students' gazes turned to that spot.

"Why are you suddenly attacking us?!"

"Exactly! And that's a foul!"

Celia and Chelsea, who had been growling at each other and engaging in a chase just moments before, protested to Eliza, who was coming after them with terrifying momentum, wielding Karl's special water cannon.

"Shut up. I'm going to drown both of you today!"

Eliza growled lowly and sprayed the water cannon wildly at the two of them.

"Aargh!"

"Dodge!"

"Bubble bubble bubble!"

Those caught up in the trio's chase ended up in a terrible state.

Seeing that, Borman clenched his fists.

"As expected of Lumern's strong ones, even their playing is like real combat training!"

Seeing that, Borman, full of excitement, shouted.

"I'll join the fray too!"

Lewen clucked his tongue, watching Borman, who was interpreting things as he pleased and chasing after the three.

'What a mess.'

***

"The second-years are doing a better job as mentors than I expected."

One of the professors who came to Ellem to lead the first-years.

Mel said, organizing the reports submitted by the second-years.

To that, Halind, the head professor for the first-years, replied.

"If they couldn't even do this much, I wouldn't have assigned them as mentors."

He answered indifferently, as if it was nothing, but his voice held trust for the second-years.

Mel, knowing this, simply smiled faintly.

"Professor Halind, who was the student you paid the most attention to when the current second-years were first-years?"

Mel asked a casual, passing question.

To that question, Halind gave an unexpected answer.

"Karl Thomas. In both good and bad ways."

At Halind's answer, Mel's eyes widened.

"Is that unexpected?"

"Yes. I thought it would be Leo."

"In a normal case, yes."

Halind glanced at the documents and replied indifferently.

"But in my personal opinion, I'm a little doubtful whether Leo Flobe should be put in the category of a student, you see. No matter how great and immense his talent, it's usually impossible to grow like Leo Flobe."

Halind narrowed his eyes.

"One conclusion I drew while being his homeroom teacher for a year is, isn't he recovering his power rather than growing?"

'How perceptive.'

Mel smiled faintly to himself.

"Still, Karl is surprising, isn't he? There's Chelsea in the same class, for example. It's curious that you'd pay the most attention to Karl, who's closest to a failing grade among the second-years, called the 'golden generation' of all time."

"Didn't I tell you? That it included both good and bad meanings."

Halind sighed.

"In a bad sense, Karl is someone with clear limitations. He can never stand on the same stage as a hero. In fact, Karl himself doesn't think he'll become a hero, not even an iota. In that sense, he's disqualified as a hero candidate."

"That's certainly true."

"But despite that, he survived. While even those superior to him were expelled. And in his second year, he even conquered the world of the God Blacksmith."

Halind narrowed his eyes.

"He is definitely a different type of student from the usual Lumern students. There are hardly any students who aspire to be supporters from the moment they enter Lumern."

"I do think he's a student who evaluates himself very well objectively."

"Yes. Since he entered Lumern, you can't say he has no talent, but compared to the Lumern average, it's fair to say Karl has no talent. But despite that, many students rely on Karl Thomas in some form or another. It's the same this time."

Not only did he support the first-years, but this time Karl also led against enemies using unknown dragon-language magic.

It was the same during the mid-term exams.

"On the battlefield, he plays a role in supporting other students, helping them unleash power beyond their limits. That's a very special ability."

"So, he's a leader?"

"He can't be a leader. But."

Halind curled the corners of his mouth.

"He can be a pillar of support for leaders."

At Halind's words, Mel recalled Leo's words.

'No matter how great a hero, they can't do anything alone. As you know, even heroes have difficult and painful times. Karl is the kind of person who will be a source of strength for heroes when they are struggling and in pain.'

Mel, who was nodding as he recalled Leo's words, asked.

"Among the current first-years, who are the students you're paying the most attention to?"

"There are two. In both good and bad ways."

"One is naturally Ayna Baidena, isn't it?"

Halind nodded.

Compared to the second-years, who are considered one of the golden generations in Lumern's history, the current first-years are also not to be underestimated.

They could even be called a bumper crop.

Starting with Ayna, and Habiden from the same Knight Department.

Juen from the Magic Department.

Even Sasha from the Summoning Department.

It's rare to have such brilliant talents gathered in one class.

They are a solid class, comparable to the class of Rhys, Torua, Ulta, and Jamua who graduated last year.

Among them, Ayna, as the great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint, is showing tremendous talent and growth rate.

'Her level is certainly different from her other peers.'

Halind narrowed his eyes.

But there's a big problem.

"What Ayna desires is not to be a hero, but revenge."

Sword Saint Kalian Baydean.

Mel also knew Kalian well.

If Mel had challenged the "Hero Record of Genesis" once again, Kalian was a mighty hero he would have recruited into his party as the top priority.

Literally a great hero, perfectly capable of leading a generation.

But his family life was not happy.

Following Kalian, who fought against Tartaros his entire life, all members of his family also fought against Tartaros.

Kalian's son, great-grandson, and even his granddaughter-in-law.

All of them were Lumern graduates and lived lives not ashamed of the name Sword Saint.

But tragically, for Kalian, it was a terrible thing.

Because everyone died in battle against Tartaros.

And Kalian himself ultimately met his end in battle against Tartaros.

From Ayna's perspective, she had lost all her blood relatives to Tartaros.

Of course, in the long history of struggle against Tartaros, cases like hers were common.

The problem was her talent.

Her overwhelming talent with the sword, called the "return of the Sword Saint," granted Ayna the power to fight against Tartaros.

Thus, she had been sharpening her blade of revenge.

"From what I can tell, the reason she seems obsessed with Leo is also related to revenge."

The fact that she needed Leo's recognition to inherit all of the Sword Saint's legacy was still a secret known to no one.

At Mel's words, Halind said.

"With only a desire for revenge, she will soon hit a wall in this school."

"Right. Then who is the other person?"

"Luke Elda."

"Luke, you say. He's definitely a diligent model student. Kind and highly curious. Though his grades don't quite reflect that."

Mel smiled faintly.

"Yes. But there's also that reason."

Halind knew the reason why Luke wasn't growing.

And he also vaguely saw through Luke's potential.

Mel was the same.

'Still, it's truly remarkable that his spirit isn't broken even when everyone around him is moving forward and he's standing still.'

It's not ordinary mental strength.

"Aside from grades, is there anything to note about Luke in a negative sense?"

"He's a dangerous type of person in many ways."

Halind clucked his tongue.

"He's the type to unhesitatingly throw himself into the limits for his beliefs. From what Chloe said, he did something crazy again this time without hesitation. Of course, that's the driving force of his growth, and in some ways, such a trait is a virtue of a hero, but…"

Halind deliberately left the rest unsaid.

One of a hero's virtues.

It could easily lead to death if one isn't careful.

He was also the type of student Halind disliked the most.

"But no matter what, it's undeniable that he will grow significantly. This final exam will be worth watching."

At Halind's words, Mel nodded.

"Indeed. It will be a good stimulus for Ayna."

At Mel's words, Halind curled the corners of his mouth.

"Luke Elda's existence has always been a 'stimulus' for Ayna Baidena."

'From the moment Leo accepted Luke as a mentor, no. Perhaps even from the entrance exam.'

"Though she tries hard to ignore it, this incident will make Luke even more of a stimulant for Ayna."

***

That evening.

A party was held at the accommodation where the Lumern students were staying.

It was a celebratory party for successfully completing the mission practical before returning to school.

Azonia students were also invited to the party and mingled.

A little distance from the party venue, Leo watched the students happily chatting with his arms crossed.

"What are you doing here all alone?"

Mel approached Leo and asked.

"Just, thinking a bit about old times."

Leo chuckled and replied.

"It's the first time I've seen you recall old memories, Lord Leo."

"Of course. I met Lysinass this time."

For Mel, who had been busy with professor duties, this was the first she was hearing of it.

"Lysinass?"

"I met Rodia too."

"What exactly happened?"

To a stunned Mel, Leo recounted what had happened this time.

"To enter a world of heroes again, within a world of heroes."

Leo chuckled, looking at Mel's dazed expression.

And then he looked at the party again.

"In those days, after a big event, we always held banquets, meaning to shake everything off and move forward."

"Whose idea was that?"

"Lysinass's idea."

At Leo's words, Mel nodded.

Then she immediately wore a curious expression.

"What was it like the day Lord Leo and Lord Lysinass met?"

"What it was like, you ask."

Leo smiled bitterly, recalling old times.

"Even then, the two of us held a banquet that wasn't quite a banquet. It was also a new beginning."

***

After the great aerial assault of Tartaros.

The tavern run by Elf Tila.

Kyle and Lysinass took seats there.

Lysinass, who had been writing memoirs on the second floor, closed her book and stood up.

Then she took a deep breath, stood before a mirror, and tidied herself up.

'It begins now.'

Her first comrade.

He was a very difficult fellow, but he was the beginning of everything.

Leaving the room, Lysinass went downstairs to the first floor.

Inside the tavern, where there were no customers.

Lysinass approached a table with two rustic beer mugs on it, sat down in front of it, and said.

"Sorry, sorry. I was doing something for a bit."

At those words, Kyle merely wore an indifferent expression.

"Today is a historic day when we formed the subjugation party, so drink to your heart's content. If I had my way, I'd buy a drink for every customer. But with you and I together, no customers even dare to come near this tavern."

"Because surviving heroes are symbols of misfortune, and fools spread useless hope, making them objects of avoidance."

"That's true now. But soon, the way people see us will change. This city will change too."

Conveying words filled with strong determination, Lysinass raised her glass.

"Alright, then, before we have a serious talk. It's a new beginning. A toast to bless our future and the hope of the world."

Kyle sighed and reluctantly clinked his beer mug and drank.

Even while doing so, Lysinass stared intently at Kyle's face.

Kyle felt uncomfortable seeing the dragon in front of him staring intently at him.

He was dumbfounded that he had participated in this absurd journey, and a sigh naturally escaped him at the daunting prospect of what lay ahead.

But still, the most burdensome thing was Lysinass, who was staring at him without taking her eyes off him.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you staring at me so intently?"

In response to Kyle's brusque question, Lysinass took a sip of her drink and shook her head.

"Nothing."

At that answer, Kyle expected the somewhat burdensome gaze to lessen.

However, Lysinass still did not take her eyes off Kyle.

"Seriously, why are you staring like that?"

Finally, unable to bear it, Kyle asked again, and Lysinass rested her chin on her hand.

"Just."

Then she smiled faintly, a smile that was almost imperceptible.

"Because I like it."