Book 1 Chapter 441

441.

Arion stroked his own head with a soft smile, and Chen Xia looked up at him, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

"I'm older than Leo, you know?"

"R-really?"

Arion's expression showed a hint of surprise.

Chen Xia grumbled and stood up.

"Still, thanks to Instructor Akan's advice, I've had a change of heart."

Chen Xia bowed her head deeply.

"Instructor Akan, please don't blame yourself too much. I'm sure your friend wouldn't want you to."

"That's true."

"Even if you gave up then. There will surely be another chance."

"Another…?"

"Yes. Leo taught me. He said not to despair in the darkness and hang my head."

Chen Xia smiled brightly.

"If you raise your head and reach out forward… I'm sure light awaits."

"…That's so Leo."

"Right? He really thinks of me as his older sister, treating me like a child."

"What did Leo say?"

"'Dream like a child!' he said. Seriously, he's two years younger than me."

Arion laughed at Chen Xia's words.

"That's a good saying."

***

"What do you think of the kids?"

Torua asked, reading a magic book while sitting in the instructors' lounge.

"Perfect."

Zamua smiled with satisfaction.

"Every student from any school is following my systematic training perfectly."

"Systematic my foot. You just beat the kids with punches and kicks. It's brute force."

Zamua replied to Torua's pointed remark.

"Punches and kicks require more sophistication than you think. Just like forging weapons requires skill with a hammer."

"As expected of Ri Zamua, the man who was the best in Rumerne last year."

Derou, the former student council president of Azonia, nodded with his arms crossed, but Torua shook her head.

"What are you talking about? The best man in Rumerne until last year was Lis."

"No, Lis's manliness was third."

"Then who was second?"

"You."

"I'm a woman, you beast."

"Hmph, you can be proud of it! Torua Yan! You are a woman more of a man than most men!"

Seeing Derou speaking with his thumb raised, Torua seriously pondered what kind of magic she could use to roast him.

Although he seemed to think he was complimenting her, it was anything but for Torua.

While Torua was contemplating, Zamua said,

"Speaking of which, Torua, are you training your juniors well?"

"Of course. I'm letting children with weak magic response abilities experience various types of magic."

"Aren't you experimenting with magic on the children?"

"Hmph. Isn't it killing two birds with one stone?"

The students Torua was in charge of were mainly those with poor magic response abilities.

"I'm currently researching a magic that causes a curse effect using 신경계 마법 (neurological magic), so it's perfect for application."

"As expected of Rumerne's madwoman."

"Why are you calling me a madwoman?"

Torua bristled at Vanyr's words.

"You don't know? You often do crazy things for the sake of magic, right? What was it recently? You said you wanted to dissect Leo Flov and Lunia El Lundua?"

"It's all for magic. And if I sew them back up nicely, there's no problem, right?"

"That's why they call you a madwoman."

"Hmph. And you're the one who throws kids off cliffs and torments them, aren't you? Crazy rabbit."

Torua and Vanyr snarled at each other.

Watching them, Zamua muttered,

"They're still the same."

"In their school days, Vanyr was even more competitive with Torua than Lis."

As Zamua and Derou shook their heads.

"Hmm, there's a lack of love."

Ultar, who had been watching the situation, spread his arms wide.

Looking at Ultar, Zamua said,

"Ultar, you only have two students, right? I heard it's not going well?"

"I'm spreading love. Love is inherently hard to realize."

"…Uh, yeah."

Zamua shook his head, judging that conversation was impossible.

Rienia, the former student council president of Seirun, who had been watching the situation, said,

"Aren't you guys being too lax with your instructor duties? Only caring about your own fun, or fulfilling selfish desires."

"Are you one to talk?"

"By giving instructor training from a strange hell."

"You're the one enjoying yourself by tormenting your juniors, you sadist."

Reactions poured in from all over, and Rienia covered her cheeks.

"It's fun when the kids scream."

"…No matter how I think about it, Seirun seems to be the most abnormal of the Hero Officer Academies."

"That's right, they seem the most reserved, but only the strangest people are gathered."

"I heard the candidate for the next student council president, Lunia, is a complete gangster?"

The graduates murmured amongst themselves, but Rienia didn't bat an eye.

Just then, the door opened, and a young man with black hair entered.

"Lis, how are the first-years?"

"They all listen well. This generation of first-years seems particularly good. They get along well."

Vanyr said at Lis's words.

"They get along well even though they're from different schools?"

"This year's first-years are also interacting a lot with students from other schools and getting along well?"

"Oh? They're quite sociable."

Hero Officer Academies basically have a lot of rivalry between schools.

Especially in the first year, this rivalry often manifests as hostility.

The second-years also became close through the Smith exclusive contract at the beginning of the semester and harmonized well.

If that wasn't the case, they wouldn't even talk to each other.

In fact, there was almost no interaction between schools during the Smith exclusive contract period.

In contrast, this year's first-years seem to be getting close very quickly.

"This year's first-years are also above average, though not as much as the second-years. Usually, the more talented a generation is, the more arrogant they are, making it difficult to get close in their first year."

"Like us?"

"Exactly."

The graduates chuckled.

Now that they've graduated and had many interactions throughout their five years, they can joke around. But in their first and second years, they were sharp with each other.

"Why do you think they're like that?"

"Isn't it because the seniors a year older are so outstanding? They can't help but feel intimidated by their own talents."

"Indeed, if they had those seniors, they'd likely be humbled and naturally become more humble."

The current second-years are considered an all-time great generation, regardless of their school.

"I realized this time. The top students of the year don't seem to have the abilities of second-years."

"At that level, they tend to become a bit complacent, but there's no sign of that."

"Why don't our frightening juniors show any complacency? It makes the watching seniors scared."

Hero Officer Academies are places where only the best gather.

Students are all called geniuses.

And even among those geniuses, those who reach the top are bound to become arrogant.

However, the second-years showed no sign of that.

"There's one monster."

Lis said with a smile, and Rienia narrowed her eyes.

"Leo Flov. He's a second-year, but he's already beyond the category of a student. The strongest second-year. No, it's more accurate to call him the strongest student in all of Hero Officer Academies."

Everyone present was considered close to becoming a hero and might soon be evaluated as someone who could get their name on the Hero Record.

Receiving such an evaluation less than half a year after graduation was rare even in the long history of heroes.

However, those present also instinctively felt it.

That Leo was a stronger individual above them.

"Was he that strong in his first year too?"

"He wasn't human-like even in his first year, but not to that extent."

Everyone faces a wall as they grow.

But not Leo.

'Leo's growth is actually accelerating.'

Lis thought of Leo.

"What exactly is he?"

Zamua, with his arms crossed, smiled at Derou's question.

"I think he's a monster."

"I suspect he might be a sixth race,"

Torua added.

"Leo is simply overflowing with love."

Ultar smiled, spreading his arms wide.

"Whatever the case, it's a great thing if our juniors, who will be responsible for the future of the world with us, can grow thanks to Leo."

Vanyr asked at Lis's words.

"Are you going to just lose like that?"

"Of course not."

Lis shook his head.

"We have to strive not to be caught up by our juniors."

As everyone nodded at Lis's words.

"Speaking of which, what about that person named Akan?"

Lis asked.

As he was in charge of the first-years, Lis didn't have much contact with Arion.

At Lis's question, Torua crossed her arms and tilted her head.

"He's an amazing person. It's strange that such a person is completely unknown."

"Isn't he a shadow?"

"I don't think so."

"What information do you have about him?"

Seeing Torua shake her head, Vanyr said,

"For one thing, he looks very much like Lord Arion."

"Hmph, you never know. He might actually be Lord Arion."

Everyone froze at Ultar's words.

Then they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"No matter what, that's not it."

"Even though a miracle happened in Seirun, it was only for a brief moment."

"It's been two weeks since that person appeared, hasn't it? But he hasn't disappeared."

In fact, the instructors had initially doubted it.

Because of his aura, which was so similar to Arion's.

But it's already been two weeks since the training camp began.

If Arion had come to the present through the miracle of the Hero Record, it wouldn't make sense for him to still be here.

Crucially.

"Every time I see him, he always looks intimidated."

"Hmm! Hmm! Not very manly."

"It was like a timid herbivore."

They each shared their impressions of Arion.

'Instructor Akan.'

Lis fell into thought.

'His first impression was similar to Leo's.'

Their appearance, personality, and race were completely different.

But the unfathomable depth felt in their eyes was similar.

'What kind of person could he be?'

***

In the dead of night.

Lis quietly left his lodging.

"Going to train?"

Rienia, who was outside the lodging, smiled and asked Lis.

"You figured it out quickly."

"We've been rivals representing Rumerne and Seirun, so it's easy to tell."

Winking with one eye, Rienia said,

"Seeing your cousin kept me itching to move. Want to spar?"

"I'm not Leo's substitute."

Lis let out a hollow laugh at Rienia's words.

"If you're going to warm up, I'll go with you."

Vanyr revealed himself from the darkness.

"I want to spar with you guys after a long time."

Lis, Rienia, Vanyr.

All three were knights and warriors who wielded powerful auras.

"If the crazy rabbit is your opponent, I don't think it'll be moderate?"

"Were you planning on being moderate against Lis?"

Rienia chuckled as Vanyr narrowed his eyes.

So, on a late night, the three prepared to spar in a place where they wouldn't harm others.

"Are you guys fighting?"

*Thump-thump-*

"…!"

Seeing Arion appear under the moonlight with small footsteps, the three shivered.

"This is perfect timing. I was also about to warm up. I needed an opponent. Will you spar with me?"

"That sounds good."

Lis smiled.

"We were also curious about what kind of person Instructor Akan is."

"Oh?"

"Who would you like to spar with first?"

Arion smiled softly at Lis's question.

"All three of you."

"What?"

"I want to fight all three of you?"