Book 1 Chapter 433
433.
Early morning.
As the sun began to rise, the second-year students groggily started to wake up.
“I want to wash up.”
“Ugh… I’m hungry.”
“I didn’t sleep properly.”
Groans emanated from all directions.
The hero cadets, who had attended the training camp with high hopes after receiving an invitation from the Dragon Lord, were in a disheveled state after just one day.
“This is like a refugee camp, no exaggeration.”
“Even refugees probably aren't in such a miserable state. This is just a complete beggar's den, a beggar's den.”
Karl, who had managed to catch some comfortable sleep for a short time, looked even more refreshed than before.
Yawning widely, Karl grumbled.
Actually, until he fell asleep yesterday, their appearances weren't this miserable.
Each hero academy conducts survival training in the wild.
By the time students reach their second year at a hero academy, they would have acquired the ability to return alive even if thrown into the middle of a desert or the ocean.
The reason why the students at this training camp, selected from among such outstanding students, ended up like this was due to one thing:
Melina's bizarre Guardian legion.
Moreover, it wasn't just the Guardians that were vulnerable to physical force, which had been tormenting the magic students yesterday; Guardians with formidable physical defense power had also appeared.
After a harsh training session the day before, it was only natural for them to look like this, having not had a proper meal and even losing sleep.
While Leo clicked his tongue.
*Flutter~*
“Huh? What’s this?”
A piece of paper flew in front of Leo and Karl.
Karl unfolded the paper, revealing a short message written in small, neat, beautiful handwriting.
“Student Karl, please come to the west side of the forest now, avoiding the gaze of other students. Dragon Lord?”
*Gasp-!* Karl took a sharp breath.
Leo also had the same message written on his paper.
“Leo, is yours the same too?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, what on earth is going on?”
“Let’s just go for now.”
Leo, who knew what was happening, calmly went with the excited Karl to where Melina had called them.
As they left the other students and approached the thicket on the west side, they found Lunia, Eiran, Ar, and Driana there too.
“Huh?! L-Lord Leo?”
Eiran, upon seeing Leo, was startled and hastily hid behind Lunia.
“What’s wrong?”
When Lunia asked with a puzzled face, Eiran replied.
“I’m too embarrassed to show myself to L-Lord Leo in this state.”
“You’ve already shown Leo all your good and bad sides.”
“When did I ever show an unseemly side to Lord Leo?”
“Like your strange delusional outbursts.”
“D-Don’t say that!”
Eiran made a tearful face and tried to cover Lunia’s mouth.
“Did the Dragon Lord call you all here too?”
“Yeah. Looking at it this way, it's totally the Dwayno-nim world conquest team, isn’t it?”
Karl tilted his head.
Ar, who was trying her best to tidy up her messy hair with her hands, spoke.
“I wonder if she plans to give us special training?”
Ar frowned as her hair wouldn't stay tidily arranged.
“Whatever it is, I just want to wash up quickly.”
Cat beastfolk were known for being particularly clean among the beastfolk.
Seeing Ar, Karl said.
“You’re a cat, so you can just do a cat wash.”
“Are you making fun of me? Do you think I, the heir of the Tune family, would just splash water on my face and be done with it? And for a cat wash or whatever, you need water, don’t you?”
“No, not washing your face with water. Why? Is it called grooming? You clean your fur with saliva, don’t you? *Cough*?!”
Ar’s fist landed in Karl’s side as he chuckled.
It was a simple punch, but it felt as if he had been hit with a dropkick by Chelsea.
It was when Ar snorted, watching Karl roll on the ground.
“Everyone, did you sleep well last night?”
Everyone except Leo tensed up at the voice from behind them.
*Rustle- Rustle-*
Karl’s jaw dropped as he saw Melina appear with a gentle smile.
Though her face was covered by a veil, Melina’s presence was overwhelming.
“This is the first time I’ve talked to Miss Eiran and Mr. Karl separately, isn’t it? It’s nice to meet you. I am Melina, the Dragon Lord.”
“Ah, hello. Great Lord of the Dragon Race. I am Eiran Ersar.”
“Hehe, you don’t have to be so nervous.”
Eiran blushed slightly at Melina's soft smile.
Eiran, who loved hero stories, knew all about the Silent Dragon's exploits.
It was natural for her to be nervous given the appearance of a hero widely regarded as the greatest living hero of the current era.
“I am Karl Thomas, Lord.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Karl.”
Melina’s lips curved into a soft line beneath her veil.
Seeing that, Karl, who had been nervous, paused and cautiously asked.
“Lord… Have we met somewhere before?”
“Hehe. Are you trying to flirt with me now?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Karl, who had unconsciously asked due to an inexplicable familiarity, showed a bewildered expression.
After playfully greeting Karl, Melina said.
“I called you here because I have something I want to ask of you.”
“Something you want to ask?”
“Yes, in a moment, I will introduce the instructors who will be training you during this camp. At that time, absolutely, absolutely do not get excited. Understood?”
“What is there to get excited about?”
“Understood? Miss Ar?”
Melina brought her smiling face close to Ar, who had a puzzled expression, and emphasized her words.
“Yes.”
Melina nodded, seeing Ar nod with a slightly flustered face.
“Good, then please return to where your friends are now. I’ll see you in a bit.”
At Melina’s words, the group returned to the campsite, wearing expressions that seemed to say, 'Is that all?'
-Why did you speak in such a roundabout way?
Leo asked, using magic so only Melina could hear him.
-Surprise events are always fun, aren’t they?
Leo chuckled wryly, watching Melina answer with a bright voice.
“How can you even think of trying to flirt with the Dragon Lord?”
“No, I just asked because I really felt like I’d met her somewhere before.”
Lunia spoke to Karl as if dumbfounded, and Karl, with his arms crossed, said in a serious voice.
“Leo! You felt like you’d seen her before too, didn’t you?”
“I wonder.”
Leo chuckled internally and shook his head.
‘Sharp as ever, though.’
Whatever else, Karl’s observational skills were superior to anyone else's.
They returned to the campsite with a look of unease.
There, students were lined up by school.
In front of them were familiar faces.
“Wow, not only Senior Liss, but Senior Ulta and Senior Zamua too.”
Karl exclaimed, marveling at the seniors from Lumern who had performed exceptionally well in the previous year's graduating class.
“Miss Lunia! Senior Riennia is here too!”
“There’s no way that senior would miss an event like this. Ugh, but what’s that outfit? Wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap?”
Unlike Eiran, who was purely delighted, Lunia was both glad and not entirely pleased to see Riennia, last year’s student council president.
She was famously known for her eccentric behavior.
During the Ruse War last year, she provoked Leo with the championship trophy, only to be provoked by Folium in return.
This time too, her appearance was unusual: arms crossed, head bowed deeply in a strange outfit.
Besides them, faces of Seirun graduates were also visible.
From Azonia’s side, as expected, there were graduates led by last year’s student council president, Vanir.
“Why on earth did she tell us not to get excited?”
Ar wagged her cat tail, an expression of incomprehension on her face.
Driana also tilted her head, looking at the graduates.
“As you said, there’s nothing particularly special about it.”
It was then, as the students were assembling.
“Look at your movements, your movements. Why is everyone dragging their feet?!”
Suddenly, Riennia lifted her head and yelled out.
The students paused, startled by the sudden situation.
“Run, now!”
At the abrupt scolding, the students started moving in a flurry.
“Align yourselves properly! Is this all you so-called hero cadets can do?!”
A Seirun female student tearfully spoke, watching Riennia shout, veins bulging in her neck.
“S-Senior. You’re scary. What’s wrong?”
Though eccentric, the always kind former student council president’s menacing demeanor seemed to have frightened her.
“Who are you calling Senior?! I am an instructor who has come to train you cadets. From now on, you will call us instructors. Understood?!”
“S-Senior.”
The Seirun female student shed tears at Riennia’s voice, colder than Seirun’s icy northern winds.
“Cadet Tilena. Front.”
“Yes, yes?”
“Come to the front.”
Tilena hesitantly stepped forward.
“Lie down, face down.”
“Huh? But this is bare ground?”
“I won’t say it a third time. Lie down.”
Tilena gasped and lay down.
“Roll left. Roll right.”
Student Tilena, who had needlessly shed tears, rolled on the ground without understanding why.
At her sight, students from all schools wore expressions of disgust.
“Where do you think you are to be shedding tears?! Get a grip!”
Riennia screamed even more furiously.
“I’m sorry!”
Tilena, tormented by Riennia, hastily wiped away her tears and shouted.
Watching this, Torua asked a Seirun graduate he was friendly with.
“Why is she so worked up all by herself?”
“I don’t know, she’s been reading a lot of strange books these past few days and kept saying she’d become a perfect instructor, seemed happy about it?”
Riennia's classmate answered with a dumbfounded expression.
“Hmm? Should we do that too? It somehow looks fun?”
Torua’s eyes sparkled.
Meanwhile, Riennia, having made her junior roll enough, stood before the students and said.
“This instructor is not a bad person. Depending on your actions, this training camp can be either hell or heaven. Understood?!”
“Yes.”
“Your voices are too small!”
“YEP!”
Lunia sighed deeply at Riennia’s menacing appearance.
“I knew it would be like this.”
“Your senior is scary.”
“I don’t know such a person.”
Lunia flatly feigned ignorance at Ar’s words.
Leo also chuckled wryly, dumbfounded by Riennia’s demeanor.
‘I felt it before, but she’s quite a unique kid.’
It was then, as a chilling atmosphere flowed through the campsite.
“Hello, everyone.”
Melina appeared.
At the Dragon Lord’s appearance, all the second-year students exclaimed, “Oh-oh-oh!” but quickly snapped to attention under Riennia’s menacing presence.
Melina tilted her head, seeing their disciplined state, and began her customary address.
“It truly makes me happy to see hero cadets with such bright futures. I hope you all gain a lot from this training camp.”
After the unremarkable, yawn-inducing speech, Melina said.
“Before we begin the main training camp, I have invited a special instructor.”
The graduates looked puzzled at Melina’s words about a special instructor. The students’ eyes sparkled.
*Stomp- Stomp-*
Then, everyone’s attention was drawn to a young beastfolk man who appeared.
“This is Lord Akan, the instructor I specially invited.”
“H-Hello, everyone.”
Karl, who had been suppressing a yawn, paused for a moment as he saw the special instructor appear.
“Cough?!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
As Karl let out a sharp breath, Teide, who was in front of him, asked with a puzzled expression.
Lunia and Eiran also gaped.
Driana rubbed her eyes several times.
The young beastfolk walked cautiously beside Melina, his movements somewhat stiff, as if intimidated.
Everyone wore a puzzled expression.
“Doesn’t he lack a lot of spirit?”
“If he’s an instructor invited by the Dragon Lord, he must be someone amazing.”
Amidst their incomprehension.
“Hoo-wook- hoo-wook-!”
Ar let out rough breaths.
Her ears perked up, and her eyes widened like a cat’s.
All her muscles tensed as if she was about to pounce.
It was when Ar’s tail was gently wagging.
*Grab-!*
“Nyaak?!”
Leo had quietly approached Ar from behind and firmly pulled her tail.
“What do you think you’re doing! Black Rabbit!”
Ar glared daggers at Leo, who had quickly returned to his spot after pulling her tail, and yelled.
Along with that, Riennia’s angry command fell.
“Who was that! The Lord is speaking!”
“Th-This, this was the Black Rabbit!”
Ar protested as if wronged, but Riennia was resolute.
“Come out!”
“You just wait! Black Rabbit!”
Ar screamed with a voice mixed with resentment as Riennia dragged her away.
Ar’on looked slightly frightened, seeing Ar being dragged away.
Watching this, Leo, who had been feigning ignorance, clicked his tongue as he saw Ar, caught by Riennia, rolling on the ground.
‘Ar’on needs to learn a lot.’
However, Ar’on, who was supposed to be teaching, was afraid of Ar.
‘A long way to go, indeed.’
Leo chuckled wryly and shook his head.