Book 1 Chapter 404

404.

Lumen regained its vibrancy as the mission practical training concluded and the first and second-year students returned to Lumen.

Lumen is a school where one must constantly compete and strive to survive.

As a result, students are expelled each year based on their grade level.

Therefore, first and second-year students make up the largest portion of the student body.

It was true that Lumen itself seemed less populated since all the first and second-year students had left for mission practical training.

“It’s good to be at school. It’s dangerous outside. You just suffer! Isn't it great to just study?”

After the morning magic class, Cal stretched and said.

Chloe, who was tidying up her textbooks, smiled at his words.

“Really? Then shall we take this opportunity to review today's lesson content?”

“Sorry. I get an allergic reaction to the word review.”

Cal said slyly.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at Cal.

“The final exams are coming up soon, what are you going to do?”

Chloe said, narrowing her eyes.

At Chloe's words, Cal burst into laughter.

“Tomorrow is another day!”

Hearing this, Chelsea, who was leaving the classroom with Abad, widened her eyes.

“Do you have a ‘tomorrow’?”

“That’s a bit harsh.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? Cal, your school life is dark. Like Celia Gerdinger's hair color.”

Cal smiled sadly at Chelsea's blunt words.

Amidst this, Abad spoke.

“Personally, I hope you survive, Cal.”

Cal leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“Don't you think I want to? In that sense, can you help me make a cheat sheet?”

“Cal.”

Chloe glared at him, and Cal shrugged.

“Just kidding, kidding. Well, Abad wouldn't participate in something like that anyway.”

Abad Lewallin, always sporting a gentle smile, is the most handsome boy in the second year. Despite his soft appearance, he is extremely cold and decisive.

He is the opposite type of Chelsea, who speaks harshly but continuously looks out for him.

“By the way, what will the practical assignment for the final exams be?”

“The midterm assignment was familiar spirits.”

“Weren't there any special classes this time?”

Chloe, Chelsea, and Abad discussed the assignment.

Cal, listening to their conversation, mumbled.

“Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong here.”

“Why?”

Leo, who was packing his textbooks, asked, and Cal shook his head.

“It looks like a meeting of the top students of the year.”

Leo chuckled at his words and got up.

“Going to lunch?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me join you.”

As Cal got up, Leo said.

“I have plans today.”

“Plans? Can I tag along?”

“There’s no reason you can’t. We agreed to eat with the student council.”

Cal's face darkened.

Cal, having been dragged to the student council due to a recent drug incident, wanted to avoid them.

Recalling the memory, Cal shivered and said.

“I’m not going.”

Leo burst into laughter at his words.

“What about you guys?”

“We have plans today. We’re having a meal with students from Lodren.”

Abad said with a smile.

“I have a lunch appointment with Celia today too.”

Chloe said she had plans with her best friend Celia.

“See you later then.”

Leo nodded and left the classroom.

***

The student council of the Tower of Heroes.

“Oh, it’s the student council president!”

A fifth-year student council member greeted Leo with a welcoming expression as he entered the student council office.

“Hello, senior.”

“Since Hark and Elena are on a mission, Leo, you’re coming to the student council.”

Toren, a fifth-year male student, looked surprised.

The two core members currently spearheading the student council's work, Hark and Elena, had been dispatched to Elehem with their dungeon raid parties.

As the two students who vied for the strongest in their year, it was natural for them to be dispatched to Elehem, where a large-scale hero dungeon had appeared.

As a result, there was no one to manage the student council, and Leo, who had been neglecting his student council duties, came to the office.

“You’re not only the youngest student council president in Lumen's history, but you’ll also be the first ghost member student council president.”

“I’m still in my second year. I need to learn diligently before the seniors graduate.”

Leo said with a smile, and Toren made a strange expression.

“From what I see, you’ll probably neglect your student council duties even in your fifth year.”

“No way.”

Leo slyly shrugged, but Toren didn't believe him.

After all, even if he was the student council president, he was currently in the fifth-year tower.

Leo, whom even Hark, the official strongest in Lumen, orders around without a second thought.

Toren had studied with Hark for five years as a fellow student in the Knight Department.

‘I can confidently say that Hark is going through the most difficult period of his school life right now.’

Hark had been the top student in his first year.

As the heir to one of Lumen's three great families, Ligard, even his seniors had never treated him carelessly.

Despite sleeping constantly throughout the day, his academic performance was also top-tier.

Although he had a bad relationship with Elena Zerdingger, who was a year below him, even Elena, known as the queen of Lumen, and her faction could not easily mess with Hark.

And last year, a student appeared who troubled such Hark.

That was Leo.

Toren shook his head.

‘Perhaps after we graduate, Leo will pass on the student council duties to Elena Zerdingger.’

And after Elena graduates?

‘He’ll pass them to Lil.’

Lil Luce, the year representative one year above him.

She is also an exceptionally talented student.

And after even Lil graduates, he will undoubtedly pass on the student council work to his outstanding classmates.

‘Well, it has nothing to do with me.’

Toren shrugged.

“Today, there is a rather important matter that requires your approval, so I called you.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s discuss that later when the others arrive.”

Toren said, tidying up the documents.

At that moment, a fourth-year female student from the Knight Department entered the student council office.

“Ah, young master Leo. You’re already here. I should have come to fetch you.”

Niel Loda.

She is from the Loda family, a vassal family of the Zerdingger family, and is also Celia's knight.

She was originally in the art club, but after Leo became the student council president, she joined the student council to help with its work.

This was both her intention and her family's intention.

For the Zerdingger family, they wanted to solidify the position of Leo, who had become the youngest student council president after Lis.

Although the conditions for joining the student council were quite strict, Niel was a top student, so it was not a major issue.

“Hello, senior Toren.”

Niel greeted him with a bright smile.

A moment later.

The student council door opened, and a fifth-year magic department student entered.

Niel's face contorted upon seeing him.

It was Matchel Luzia, who, in this case, was from a vassal family of the Lewallin family.

Naturally, he and Niel were rivals.

“It's been a while, young master Leo.”

Matchel treated Leo with great respect.

Although Leo was from the Zerdingger family, he was a friend of Chelsea and Abad, and moreover, he was a mage who had achieved great feats in the magic world at a young age.

Despite being a senior and older, Matchel had ample reason to treat Leo with respect.

“I heard Chelsea was having dinner with students from the Lodren Empire, why didn’t you go there?”

“I’m busy with student council work. It’s a shame, but I have to eat a quick meal and get back to work, so I came here.”

Since most of the upper-year student council members had gone to Elehem with Hark and Elena, they were mostly absent.

Therefore, these three were the only upper-year students remaining who could discuss important matters.

“Well then, let's begin with the student council agenda. First, regarding club budgets before summer vacation.”

Toren, who was serving as secretary, looked at Matchel with a cold expression.

“Matchel. The Department of Magical Engineering is requesting an increased budget again, in preparation for the Lucian War in the second semester.”

“That’s right. Magical Engineering naturally requires a large budget.”

At Matchel's words, Niel narrowed her eyes.

“Still, this is too much. Senior Hark always approved the budget with his vice-president authority, but this seems excessive.”

Although the two from the Knight Department raised objections, Matchel remained unfazed.

“Hark and I have already discussed it. Shall I call Jam Dexter? He could explain why more budget is needed well.”

Toren pressed his temples at Matchel's words.

‘If I call him, he’ll probably foam at the mouth and spout incomprehensible nonsense.’

Jam Dexter is from the magic department but has been close friends with Hark since their first year.

As such, Hark granted Jam's request.

Of course, it was true that the Department of Magical Engineering had achieved many outstanding results this year, but it was still difficult to allocate additional funds.

At that moment, Leo, who had been quietly listening, spoke.

“Shall I go and talk to him? Or will senior Matchel explain it well?”

Matchel, who had been contemplating, paused and began to think.

Then, he nodded in agreement.

“I will explain it well to Jam.”

“Then, there will be no additional budget allocation.”

Seeing Leo resolve the matter of additional funding for the Department of Magical Engineering, Toren said.

“Jam is going to come running in a fit, isn't he?”

“He won’t come at all. If he doesn’t agree, I’ll go see him. Well, Jam senior probably doesn’t want to talk to me.”

Jam Dexter, the head of the Department of Magical Engineering, would flee in a panic whenever he saw Leo.

Last year, he underestimated Leo, the first-year student council president, and tried to extort more budget, but he ended up on the verge of having his budget slashed.

For mages who conduct magic research, the scariest words in the world are ‘budget cut.’

In that sense, the student council president, who logically could cut the budget of the Department of Magical Engineering, was a more terrifying existence to Jam than the grim reaper.

Thus, the student council meeting began with the club agenda.

A moment later.

Toren brought up the last agenda item.

“Just before today's meeting, the school board sent an agenda.”

Everyone looked at Toren with surprise.

It was rare for the Lumen board to directly convey an agenda item.

“You all know that the mission practical training of the first and second-year students this time has caused a stir in the world.”

Everyone nodded at Toren's words.

The first and second-year students had completed all their schedules and returned to school, resuming their daily lives.

However, the ripple effects of the Elehem incident had not yet subsided.

“There is a need for a forum to discuss the Elehem issue, as well as the matters concerning last year's [Rebirth of the Nebula's Progenitor] and the recent [Rebirth of the Comet Mage],” and various other issues, which have been discussed at each Hero Academy.”

Toren handed the document to Leo, the student council president.

Leo squinted as he looked at it.

“World Summit?”

“Yes.”

Toren nodded.

“In line with the final exam schedule, the [World Summit] will be held at Lumen.”