Book 1 Chapter 405

"The World Leaders Summit?"

Kael's eyes widened at Leo's words.

Not just Kael, but everyone else at dinner showed a surprised reaction.

The World Leaders Summit.

Literally, it meant a meeting where the world's powerful figures gathered.

Its origin dates back 3000 years.

The very first World Leaders Summit was held in Dragonia, and it was none other than Rhodion, the Primordial Dragon, who gathered the world's leaders.

The reason for the summit was the reappearance of Erebus.

The attendees were Lumel, Seirun, Azonia, and Damian, who are now called the Heroes of Creation, along with the heroes they led.

Since then, the World Leaders Summit has been held whenever a major event occurred in the world.

There were five main locations.

The summit was held at the four great hero academies, led by Dragonia.

"Wow, a summit! So all the world's leaders will gather in Lumel?"

Iliana exclaimed in amazement.

"Probably? Attendance isn't mandatory, but not attending the summit could mean falling behind in the flow of global affairs. Most would likely attend."

"Chloe, how do you know all that?"

"Books."

When Iliana asked, Chloe pointed to the book in her hand and replied.

"The library is closed."

"Yeah. I happened to be storing a book about the World Leaders Summit in my subspace."

"…Storing books in subspace?"

For Iliana, who usually avoided books except for textbooks, grimoires, and swordsmanship manuals, it was a cultural shock.

"But it's not held often, is it?"

"Of course not. Given its immense influence and impact, the conditions for holding it are extremely strict. It requires the consent of the four great hero academies, and ultimately, the permission of the Dragon Lord."

Kael stroked his chin and muttered.

"The last World Leaders Summit was about 100 years ago, wasn't it?"

"Precisely 97 years ago."

"Wow."

A grand event that might happen once in a lifetime.

They would witness the scene of that history up close.

"My heart is pounding a little?"

Iliana grumbled at Kael's muttering.

"My heart is pounding too, but I've also been saddled with troublesome work. We'll be swamped with preparations for welcoming guests, right?"

"That's right. Many people will probably want to see the students of our academy on this occasion."

"We might have to prepare something to show those people."

"We're busy preparing for final exams, and we have to be treated like zoo animals?"

Iliana's words sparked complaints from various corners.

It was always difficult for students when the school had a major event.

Amidst this, Celia said,

"Does the World Leaders Summit being held mean that the 'Silent Dragon' has finally broken its silence?"

Her words made the students' eyes widen.

The Silent Dragon.

It was an epithet for Melina, given because she had rarely appeared for a long time.

"It feels like it's going to be a very noteworthy meeting in many ways."

The movement of world history was clearly palpable.

In the midst of this, Chelsea said to Leo,

"You'll be the busiest this time, Leo."

"Why?"

"Because you're the student council president. Won't you have a lot to prepare?"

Chelsea said, bringing a bite of cake to her mouth with her fork.

Watching Chelsea with her cheeks full of cake, like a squirrel, Leo chuckled.

"I have many capable seniors above me, so why would I be busy?"

"Isn't there still time before the vice student council president returns from their assignment?"

"There is."

"Then, until then, you'll have to prepare for the summit, won't you?"

"It's okay if I don't. Senior Hark will handle it. Senior Hark is the type whose efficiency increases when time is short."

Everyone shook their heads, watching Leo say such things so casually, as if Hark, if he heard it, would grab his nape and attack.

'Isn't Leo afraid of Senior Hark?'

Even after spending a year in Lumel and having juniors, many second-year students still feared their seniors.

Especially Hark, who was the strongest among the fifth-years and heir to one of Lumel's three prestigious families.

Leo, however, was only thinking of exploiting Hark.

Everyone looked at Leo with a look of exasperation.

As Leo got up to take his plate away, Iliana quickly said,

"I'm so glad we're in the same year as Leo."

"Right. If he were our senior or junior, we would have been exploited a lot."

Chelsea nodded in agreement with Iliana's words.

"The power of a student council president comes from their execution ability. Leo doesn't seem to have anything to do with that."

Celia muttered, resting her chin on her hand, and Chloe nodded.

"That's right. He has completely dominated Senior Hark. While Senior Hark holds the actual power… in the end, it feels like he's being played by Leo."

"Let's send our condolences to our seniors."

Iliana clasped her hands as if in prayer.

Kael scoffed at his friends.

"They only know one thing and not the other."

"What is it?"

Chelsea looked at Kael with a puzzled expression.

"Hey, why do you think Leo exploits his seniors?"

"He doesn't want to work and wants to protect himself."

At Iliana's answer, everyone looked at her as if she were pathetic.

"Is Leo you?"

"You always think like that."

"Chloe! The kids from other dorms are looking down on me!"

Iliana complained to Chloe with a tearful face, but Chloe agreed with her words.

Watching them, Kael said,

"Leo exploits his seniors because they are capable. What happens when those capable seniors graduate? Who do you think he'll exploit then?"

Everyone's faces hardened at his words.

"The current state of your seniors is your future, right?"

Kael chuckled.

"Well, it's the sorrow of talented and academically gifted students. Hahahaha! I won't be exploited by Leo anyway because I'm not capable."

Kael laughed confidently.

The other classmates narrowed their eyes at Kael.

'Somehow, I think you'll be the one exploited the most.'

Everyone here knew that Leo was the kind of person who would find the strengths of anyone and exploit them to the fullest.

"Should I tell you? That Kael will be exploited the most?"

At Chelsea's murmur, Iliana smiled faintly.

"Let him enjoy it."

"Why? Isn't that annoying?"

"He's at the bottom of his class, and he's going to have the hardest time, so it's pitiful."

Chelsea tilted her head at Iliana's words, then nodded.

***

There was a sense of excitement among the first-year students, facing the major academic schedule of the World Leaders Summit.

"The time has come to make my skills known to the world."

"Ah~ What if I receive scouting offers from countries stronger than my kingdom?"

"Will there be sponsorship offers too? I know some seniors who have received them."

The first-year students reacted with great excitement.

Most of them wore arrogant expressions.

The World Leaders Summit, held just before their final exams, was enough to fuel their expectations.

Even for aspiring heroes, it was rare to showcase their skills in front of world-influencing figures as first-year students.

Final exams were a time to show all the achievements of the past semester.

The first-year students were all full of confidence, as they had keenly felt their growth throughout the first semester.

Thus, the students gathered in the large lecture hall of the first-year classroom building, engrossed in conversations filled with their dreams.

Watching them, Luke said,

"Everyone seems excited about the final exams."

"Aren't you excited?"

At Luke's mutter, Habiden, sitting next to him, narrowed his eyes and said,

"I'll be grateful just to be able to attend Lumel in the second semester, no matter what."

Luke said with an awkward smile.

Then, laughter erupted from various places.

"Pfft, did you hear that?"

"His goal is to attend Lumel in the second semester."

"Wow, how can he have such a lack of conscience? To think of attending school in the second semester with that grade."

"Is he relying on the student council president?"

"Probably."

"But even with the student council president's backing, isn't it too unfair for a failing student to attend school?"

"Right."

"Won't the student council president also be expelled because of that guy?"

"That would be interesting."

"Nah. Surely not. They'll just expel that guy."

"That's unfair in its own way!"

Mockery mixed with laughter poured down from everywhere.

"Be quiet, you dogs, and shut your mouths."

At Habiden's cold words, the students who had been mocking Luke reacted indignantly.

"What did you say?"

"Did you finish talking?"

Habiden was second in the Knight Academy.

He was among the top five in the entire first-year class.

Normally, people wouldn't dare to retort to someone like Habiden, but these students were different.

They were the so-called Aina Faction.

In other words, they were students who followed Aina and formed a faction.

In Lumel, factions were a kind of tradition.

Even though talented individuals from all over the world gathered at the school, there were still those with overwhelming talent.

And people tended to gather around those promising heroes.

The representative faction in the fifth-year was the Hark Faction, and the Elena Faction was famous in the fourth-year.

In the third-year, Lil stood out, but given Lil's personality and the strong individualism of the students, it was different.

In the second-year, there were so many outstanding students that early on, there were signs of it splitting into various factions.

Among the faculty, there were concerns that it would become a chaotic generation before the golden generation, but now it had become the generation with the least factional tendencies.

And the current first-year.

The representative of this was the Aina Faction, led by the class representative.

The problem was that Aina had no interest in factions and naturally didn't manage them at all.

Students who called themselves the Aina Faction arbitrarily attached themselves to Aina.

Since Aina was focused solely on personal training and studying, the Aina Faction's rampages had become frequent recently.

Habiden smirked as he saw those showing hostility towards him.

"This is interesting. I'll see if Aina Bayden protects you or not by beating you up."

Seeing Habiden laugh cynically, the Aina Faction flinched.

At least within the Knight Academy, the only student who could stop Habiden was Aina.

"We'll see."

The students of the Aina Faction, gritting their teeth, abruptly left.

Watching them, Habiden snorted.

"Thank you for your help."

Luke smiled awkwardly.

Watching Luke, Habiden narrowed his eyes.

"Stop pretending to be an incompetent, bumbling failure, Luke Elda."

"What?"

Luke looked flustered by the sudden remark.

Habiden stood up.

"You seem to think that my eyes and the eyes of others are just for decoration."

Habiden said coldly.

"I know very well what kind of eyes you see me and us with. It's a very annoying gaze."

Habiden knew.

He knew that this failing student was aiming for the class representative position.

The one who told him this first was none other than Duran.

'If he's aiming for the class representative position, be wary of Luke Elda.'

At first, he didn't understand.

'If Leo Flob chose him, there must be a reason. And his eyes are the eyes of someone looking up.'

Duran smirked.

'Don't just look forward and sideways. Competitors can also be behind you.'

After hearing that advice and looking at Luke's eyes, Habiden realized.

Even though he wasn't showing it.

Luke was genuinely trying to surpass him.

'He doesn't seem to realize it himself, but that's even more annoying.'

And during the last mission practice.

Habiden and the other first-year students saw it.

The top students, including Habiden, who went to the front lines, saw it.

They saw Luke's sword strike at that moment.

"It can't be helped that being annoyingly kind is his innate personality. But at least if you're going to challenge, bare your teeth."

Habiden said with a snort, as if declaring war.

"That way, I can easily defeat you and put my mind at ease."