Book 1 Chapter 441
441.
Chen Xia, looking up at Arion who was smiling and stroking her head, answered in a slightly pouting voice.
“I’m older than Young Master Leo, aren’t I?”
“Oh, was that so?”
Arion looked slightly flustered.
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.
“Instructor Akan, you shouldn’t blame yourself too much either. Your friend definitely wouldn’t want that.”
“That’s right.”
“Even if you had given up then, there will surely be another chance.”
“Another…?”
“Yes. Young Master Leo taught me. Not to despair and hang my head while in darkness.”
Chen Xia smiled brightly.
“If you raise your head, move forward, and reach out your hand… light will surely be waiting.”
“…That’s so Leo.”
“Right. What does he think of his older sister, treating me like a child.”
“What did Leo say?”
“He told me to dream like a child, if I’m a child, you know? Honestly. He’s two years younger than me.”
Arion laughed at Chen Xia’s words.
“Those are good words.”
***
“How are the kids doing?”
Torua, sitting in the instructors’ lounge, asked while reading a magic book.
“Perfect.”
Jamua smiled contentedly.
“Students from any school are following my systematic training perfectly.”
“Systematic my ass. You just keep punching and kicking the kids. Brutishly.”
Jamua replied to Torua’s criticism.
“Punching and kicking require more precision than you think. It’s the same principle as needing skill for hammering when making weapons.”
“Indeed, Lee Jamua. You are truly a man worthy of being last year’s best man in Lumerne.”
Derou, the former vice-president of Azonia, folded his arms and nodded, but Torua shook her head.
“What are you talking about? Until last year, the best man in Lumerne was Lise.”
“No, Lise’s manliness was third.”
“Then who was second?”
“You.”
“I’m a woman, you beast.”
“Hmph, you should be proud! Torua Yan! You are more of a man than most men!”
Watching Derou speak, even giving a thumbs-up, Torua seriously pondered what kind of magic she would use to roast him.
He seemed to think it was a compliment, but from Torua’s perspective, it was not at all.
While Torua was contemplating, Jamua spoke.
“Speaking of which, Torua, are you training your juniors well?”
“Of course. I’m letting kids with weak magical response abilities experience various kinds of magic.”
“Aren’t you just conducting magic experiments on children?”
“Hmph. Isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?”
The students Torua was in charge of were primarily those with poor magical response abilities.
“I’m currently researching a spell that causes curse effects using neurological magic, and it’s perfect for practical use.”
“Indeed, typical of Lumerne’s madwoman.”
“Why am I a madwoman?”
Torua flared up at Banir’s words.
“Are you asking because you don’t know? When it comes to magic, you often do insane things, don’t you? What was it recently? You said you wanted to dissect Leo Flobe and Lunia El Lunda, didn’t you?”
“Everything is for magic. And if I sew them back up nicely, there’s no problem, is there?”
“That’s why they call you a madwoman.”
“Hmph. And you, aren’t you tormenting the kids by throwing them off cliffs or something? You crazy rabbit.”
Torua and Banir glared at each other.
Jamua mumbled as he watched them.
“They’re still the same.”
“In their school days, Banir competed more fiercely with Torua than with Lise.”
It was when Jamua and Derou shook their heads.
“Hmm, they lack love.”
Ulta, who was observing the situation, spread his arms wide.
Watching Ulta, Jamua said.
“Ulta, you only have two students, don’t you? I heard it’s not going well?”
“I am spreading love. Love is originally difficult to realize.”
“…Uh, right.”
It was when Jamua, judging that communication was impossible, shook his head.
Lienia, the former student council president of Seyrun, who had been observing the situation, spoke.
“Aren’t you guys being too negligent with your instructor duties? Just having fun yourselves. Or fulfilling your selfish desires.”
“Is that something you should say?”
“While putting out weird hellish instructor training.”
“You’re enjoying tormenting your juniors, you sadist.”
As objections poured in from all sides, Lienia covered her cheeks.
“It’s fun when the kids scream.”
“…No matter how I think about it, Seyrun seems to be the most abnormal among the Hero Academy schools.”
“Right, they seem the most proper, but only the weirdest kids gathered there.”
“Isn’t the prospective next student council president, a kid named Lunia, a complete thug?”
The graduates whispered among themselves, but Lienia didn’t bat an eye.
Just then, the door opened and a young man with black hair entered.
“Lise, how are the first-years?”
“They all listen well. This generation’s first-years seem especially good. They get along well with each other.”
At Lise’s words, Banir spoke.
“They’re from different schools but they get along well?”
“These first-years interact frequently with students from other schools and become friends easily, don’t they?”
“Hoho? They’re quite sociable, aren’t they?”
Basically, the Hero Academy schools have a strong sense of competition among themselves.
Especially in the first year, this competitive spirit often manifests as hostility.
The second-years also only became close and well-integrated at the beginning of the semester due to the Smith exclusive contract.
If it hadn’t been for that, they wouldn’t have even spoken to each other.
In fact, during the Smith exclusive contract period, there was almost no interaction between the schools.
In contrast, these first-years seemed to be becoming friends very quickly.
“These first-years are also above average, though not as much as the second-years. Usually, the more talented a generation, the prouder they are, making it difficult to become friends in the first year.”
“Like us?”
“Exactly.”
The graduates chuckled.
Now that they had graduated and had many clashes throughout their five years, they joked around and got along, but up until their first and second years, they had sharp reactions towards each other.
“Why is that?”
“Isn’t it because their seniors a year above them are so outstanding? They can’t help but be intimidated from living in their own pride, can they?”
“Definitely, if those were their seniors, they’d probably be intimidated and humble themselves naturally.”
The current second-years are being evaluated as an all-time great generation, regardless of school.
“I noticed this time. The top students in their year don’t seem to be at the second-year level of skill.”
“At that level, one would usually become a bit complacent, but there are no signs of that.”
“Why don’t our terrifying juniors ever let their guard down? It’s scary for the watching seniors.”
The Hero Academy is where only the best gather.
All the students are considered geniuses.
And if one reaches the top position even among these geniuses, they usually become arrogant.
But the second-years showed no signs of that whatsoever.
“There’s one monster.”
As Lise said, smiling, Lienia narrowed her eyes.
“Leo Flobe. He’s a second-year, but he’s already beyond the scope of a student. The strongest second-year. No, it would be more accurate to call him the strongest student in the entire Hero Academy.”
Everyone present here was close to becoming a hero, and some were even evaluated to potentially have their names on the Hero Record soon.
Receiving such an evaluation less than half a year after graduation was a rare occurrence even in the long history of heroes.
But even those present here instinctively felt it.
That Leo was a stronger being above them.
“Was he that strong in his first year?”
“He wasn’t like a normal human in his first year either, but not to that extent.”
Everyone encounters a wall as they grow.
But Leo was not like that.
‘Leo is actually accelerating his growth rate more and more.’
Lise thought of Leo.
“What on earth is his true identity?”
To Derou’s question, Jamua, with folded arms, grinned.
“I see him as a monster.”
“I’m guessing he might be the Sixth Race.”
Torua added.
“Leo is just overflowing with love.”
Ulta laughed, spreading his arms wide.
“Whatever he is, if our juniors who will take responsibility for the future of the world alongside us can grow because of Leo, there’s nothing better than that.”
At Lise’s words, Banir asked.
“Are you just going to accept defeat then?”
“No way.”
Lise shook her head.
“We need to work hard so we don’t get caught by our juniors.”
It was when everyone nodded at Lise’s words.
“By the way, how is that person named Akan?”
Lise asked.
As she was exclusively in charge of first-years, Lise didn’t have much contact with Arion.
At Lise’s question, Torua folded her arms and tilted her head.
“He’s an amazing person. It’s surprising that someone like him is completely unknown.”
“Is he a shadow?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What information is there about him?”
Banir said, watching Torua shake her head.
“First of all, he looks very similar to Lord Arion.”
“Hmph, who knows. Maybe he really is Lord Arion.”
Everyone paused at Ulta’s words.
Then they looked at each other’s faces and soon burst out laughing.
“No matter what, that’s not it.”
“A miracle did happen in Seyrun, but it was for a short moment, wasn’t it?”
“It’s already two weeks since that person appeared, isn’t it? But he hasn’t disappeared, has he?”
In fact, the instructors initially had their doubts.
Because of the atmosphere so similar to Arion.
But it has already been two weeks since the training camp began.
If it were Arion who came to the present world through the miracle of the Hero Record, it wouldn’t make sense for him to still be here.
Crucially.
“He always looked intimidated whenever I saw him, didn’t he?”
“Mmm! Mmm! Not very manly.”
“How to say it, he was like a frightened herbivore.”
They all shared their impressions of Arion.
‘Instructor Akan, huh.’
Lise fell into thought.
‘My first impression of him was similar to Leo’s.’
Their appearance, personality, and race were completely different.
But the bottomless depth felt in their eyes was similar.
‘What kind of person could he be?’
***
In the deep hours of dawn.
Lise quietly left the accommodation.
“Going to train?”
Lienia, who was outside the accommodation, smiled and asked, watching Lise.
“You guessed correctly.”
“We’ve competed as representatives of Lumerne and Seyrun, haven’t we? We understand each other instantly.”
Lienia winked and said.
“Watching your cousin continuously, well, I was itching for some action myself. Will you spar with me?”
“I’m not Leo’s substitute.”
It was when Lise let out a hollow laugh at Lienia’s words.
“If you’re going to warm up, I’ll come too.”
Banir appeared from the darkness.
“I want to fight you guys again after a long time.”
Lise, Lienia, Banir.
All three were powerful knights and warriors who wielded powerful auras.
“If a crazy rabbit is the opponent, it doesn’t seem like it’ll be a moderate fight.”
“Were you planning to go easy on Lise?”
Lienia chuckled as Banir narrowed her eyes.
So, in the deep night.
The three were about to prepare for a sparring match in a place where it wouldn’t bother others.
“Are you perhaps fighting?”
Thump- Thump-
“……!”
The three shivered slightly, seeing Arion appear under the moonlight with small footsteps.
“Perfect timing. I also came out to warm up. I needed an opponent. Would you mind being my opponent?”
“That sounds good.”
Lise smiled.
“We were also curious about what kind of person Instructor Akan is.”
“Really?”
“Who would you like to spar with first?”
Arion smiled gently at Lise’s question.
“All three of you.”
“Pardon?”
“I want to fight all three of you.”