Book 1 Chapter 422

422.

"Students! And esteemed guests who have visited Lumern! Welcome! I am Runva Tess, your commentator for this tournament!"

Runva greeted them with a cheerful voice.

"And today, we have a very special guest. Professor of the 2nd-year Magic Department! Professor Ren!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Ren Horst."

Ren introduced himself with a neat appearance.

"Professor. What are your thoughts on this tournament?"

"I'm watching with great interest. This year's freshmen have followed a different departmental schedule than ever before. They've all completed their first semester final exams, and thanks to the mentor system, they're also receiving help from their 2nd-year seniors… I'm overjoyed that they've all grown so well under a different schedule. I'm very fond of the system introduced by Professor Riina, who is now the principal."

"Yes. That's why many people are paying attention to Lumern's new departmental system. However, Professor Ren. What are your thoughts on the fact that there isn't a single Magic Department student in the top four of the tournament?"

Runva, with the intention of providing an interesting commentary, brought up a very sensitive issue for Ren.

As soon as Runva's mention ended, screams erupted from the Magic Department side.

Halind's eyes twitched.

"And it's a bit surprising that you, a Magic Department professor, volunteered to commentate on a match between 1st-year Knight Department students…"

"Who said there isn't a single Magic Department student in the top four?"

"Excuse me?"

"And what do you mean it's a match between Knight Department students?"

"Um, well…"

Ren asked Runva in a chilling voice.

Making eye contact with Ren, Runva realized he had touched something he shouldn't have.

"Student Luke Elda is a dual-class student! He'll be transferring to the Magic Department starting next semester! Furthermore, student Luke has been receiving private tutoring from me on magic throughout the first semester… Beep-!"

"We apologize for the brief broadcast interruption."

Yura hurriedly spoke into the microphone, which had a broadcasting spell applied.

It was permissible for Lumern Academy to provide private lessons to specific students.

However, discussing it in a public place could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Therefore, Ren's outburst was quickly stopped by other professors who intervened.

Ain blocked Ren's mouth and dragged him away.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

Seeing Ren struggling, Halind gestured with his chin, and Ain mercilessly twisted Ren's neck, causing Ren to slump.

Mel, a 1st-year Magic Department professor, took over the microphone in Ren's place.

"It's Mel! Please take care of me."

As they saw Mel smiling brightly, cheers erupted from the students.

Upon hearing Mel's voice, Arga's cat ears perked up.

"Huh? Doesn't Professor Lumern's voice sound a bit like Dragon Lord's?"

"Now that you mention it."

"Hmm. It does sound similar."

At Arga's sharp observation, Lunia and Driana also tilted their heads.

"It's probably a coincidence, right?"

"Yeah. It's weird for Dragon Lord to be a professor at Lumern."

But they soon lost interest.

It was an event that logically shouldn't happen.

Meanwhile, Runva continued with the commentary.

"Now then, allow me to introduce him! He maintained the last place in his year throughout the first semester! But achieved a miraculous feat by reaching the top four in the final practical exam! The hero of a great reversal! Luke Elda!"

"Waaaaaah!"

Enthusiastic cheers poured out.

While the 1st and 2nd-year students looked at Luke with mixed feelings, Luke, who was creating a great reversal, was a focus of attention for students of the 3rd year and above.

Furthermore, as Lumern was a place where prideful hero candidates gathered, the gentle-looking Luke was popular among the upperclassmen.

As Luke blushed slightly at the seniors' cheers, he offered an awkward smile.

His somewhat clumsy appearance made the upperclassmen who liked Luke even more excited.

"Oh! Student Luke! You have incredible popularity! Now then! Next student! The most notable sword genius among this year's freshmen! Aina Veidna!"

As Aina stepped onto the stage, cheers poured out, no less than for Luke.

The previous year's Sword Saint, who supported the Queen of Monsters until the appearance of the Hero of Beginning and the Progenitor of the Nebula, even in his elderly body.

If not for him, perhaps most of the students here would have lost their lives.

Remembering the Sword Saint's noble sacrifice, his great-granddaughter Aina had garnered much attention since her admission.

Amidst the pouring cheers.

Luke and Aina stood facing each other in the center of the arena.

"We've come this far."

"Yes, Aina-san."

Luke took a deep breath.

"I'll do my best today so I won't be ashamed in front of you, Aina-san."

"Luke Elda."

"Yes?"

Luke looked surprised, as it was the first time Aina had called his name.

"Why did you enroll in Lumern?"

Luke looked confused for a moment at the sudden question.

But then he replied.

"I've admired heroes since I was young."

As he said that, Luke smiled.

"Heroes are amazing people, aren't they? I wanted to become like those amazing people."

He spoke shyly.

He didn't have any grand aspirations.

He had just dreamed of it since he was young.

There was no big reason to help others.

It was simply the right thing to do.

Luke had always helped others without hesitation.

Aina recalled Luke, who had helped her during the entrance exam.

After the match with Juwen.

Aina looked around for the first time since enrolling.

And she realized.

All of her classmates had their own goals.

'She's fundamentally different from me.'

Aina's eyes darkened.

'Everyone aims to be a hero with their ideals.'

Heroes were not in her consideration.

She had only sharpened her sword to take revenge on Tartarus and enrolled in Lumern.

Contrary to all her classmates who admired Leo Flob and wished to become like him.

She considered herself merely a necessary entity.

'Me and Luke Elda… No. Not just Luke Elda. She's different from the others. That's why I couldn't challenge my limits.'

Throughout the first semester, Aina had never once challenged her limits.

She had given up immediately when she thought it was hopeless during the entrance exam and mentor selection.

In the match with Juwen a few days ago, she had given up as soon as she reached her limit.

Unlike herself, Juwen had tried to defeat her by exceeding his limits.

'Luke Elda is the same.'

Aina knew Luke before she enrolled.

His skills were incomparably worse than hers.

She thought he was a student who didn't belong in Lumern.

But…

'This child is more suited to Lumern than anyone else.'

After endlessly surpassing his limits, he stood before her now in a short period of time.

'It's somewhat natural that Senior Leo recognized him.'

Aina couldn't understand why Luke, not herself, became Leo's mentee.

But now she understood.

'I… am not qualified to be a hero candidate.'

At the words of the professor who was the judge, the two students returned to their positions.

Drawing her sword, Luke looked at Aina with tense eyes.

Aina merely looked at the floor without a word.

*Ting-*

The coin announcing the start of the match flew through the air.

*Tang-clang!*

The coin hit the floor.

At that moment, Luke became a silver flash and charged at Aina.

* * *

"She's looking down."

Leo murmured as he watched Aina, then looked at Celia.

"Why is she like that?"

"How would I know?"

Celia replied in a somewhat blunt voice.

"Aina probably didn't come to you for help."

"She never needed my help in the first place."

Celia sighed briefly.

"Aina is the type of person who will become strong on her own."

"Even so, with your personality, you like taking care of others, so you must have helped her a lot."

"That's right. She was somehow unstable. As a mentor, I wanted to fix that."

Celia said with a bitter expression.

"But maybe because I was a terrible mentor, I couldn't help her in the end."

"Being too responsible is also a problem."

"What?"

"You were a sufficiently excellent mentor. Aina was more unstable than you think."

Leo didn't know why Aina wanted his recognition.

But whatever it was, Leo knew that everything was merely a means to an end for Aina.

Leo had seen countless people like Aina, burning with revenge against Tartarus.

'It's not that it's wrong. In a sense, it can be a driving force.'

However, mere hatred would eventually consume oneself.

That's why Leo, even though he could give Aina what she wanted, didn't choose her.

If Leo had chosen Aina as his mentee, Aina would have used it as a driving force for her hatred.

'It would have been uncontrollable then. She needed an older sister or brother of the same age who would try to understand her and constantly clash with her, not an adult who would understand and comfort her.'

"You might not have known it… but you held Aina back so she wouldn't stray or break down."

"Is that so?"

Celia crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"After this match, if she comes to find you, then truly scold her."

"I plan to do so anyway. I won't be satisfied if I don't say a word."

Celia snorted and swept her hair back.

"By the way, Leo. How do you see this match?"

"In terms of power, Aina has the advantage."

"Yes. But with that mental state, it will be difficult to gain an advantage against the current Luke."

"I don't think so."

"What?"

"People like Aina can always perform at 100% of their abilities, no matter what. Even if their mental state is shattered."

"Then it will be difficult for Luke to win."

"That's right."

Leo smiled.

Seeing Leo like that, Celia tilted her head.

"You're so relaxed. Are you satisfied just by reaching this point?"

"As if."

Leo shook his head.

"Luke will be a good stimulus for Aina. Perhaps Aina will also surpass her limits."

"Then doesn't that make it even more difficult to win?"

"That's right. But he's not someone who will break easily. Just as Luke will be a stimulus for Aina, Aina will also be a stimulus for Luke."

* * *

*Clang-!*

Luke's sword, imbued with silver aura, and Aina's sword, imbued with golden aura, crossed.

*Kack!*

They clashed swords and wrestled for strength.

After a moment.

A golden flash gleamed.

A golden line adorned the air.

*Chacha-chachaeeng-!*

But the golden lines were all blocked by the silver sword.

'Amazing.'

Luke's eyes widened.

This was his first time clashing with Aina.

In the Knight Department, they endlessly held mock battles by year.

But for Luke, who was at the bottom of his year, Aina was a superior opponent.

Therefore, he had never had the chance to cross swords with Aina.

Luke could only watch Aina's swordsmanship from afar.

He knew that technically, his swordsmanship was no match for her refined technique.

But blocking it directly was on a different level than watching it.

'There's no emotion.'

A sword that simply cuts people without emotion.

Therefore, it was a merciless and sharp swordsmanship.

Because there was no emotion, it was unpredictable.

'Aina-san is amazing! How can this be?'

Luke, struggling, blocked Aina's sword and retreated.

Seeing Luke like that, Aina thought.

'A sword that clearly feels emotion.'

Through the sword, Luke's emotions were clearly felt.

Aina learned to not reveal her emotions when learning the sword.

This would be the same for any knight.

Passion clouds judgment.

And a skilled knight can quickly grasp the opponent's emotions and predict the flow of their attacks.

In that sense, Luke's swordsmanship was obvious in its attacks.

Literally full of openings.

But…

'There's too much emotion.'

It was precisely because the attacks were so clear that it was difficult to predict.

'How can this be?'