Book 1 Chapter 57

【57】56.

The place the 5th class rented as accommodation was an entire inn within Berkhia.

Most of the students in the class who arrived at the inn showed a very bewildered reaction.

"Do we… really have to sleep here?"

"Rats won't come out, will they?"

"What about laundry? Cleaning?"

"Do we even have to prepare our own meals?"

All those from noble families showed bewildered reactions.

On the other hand, commoner students like Cal were very calm.

Cal, instead, teased his friends.

"Pfft. Don't you guys look like incredibly naive noble young ladies right now?"

"What did you say?"

"How dare you, Cal, with your audacity!"

Chelsea and Iliana showed an irritated reaction.

Cal screamed as he was hit by the two.

However, the aristocratic students' refusal did not easily subside.

Until now, even though Lumerne made students undergo tough training and classes, it provided for all their basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter) without any shortage.

In fact, Lumerne dorms had attendants who helped with laundry and cleaning, creating an environment where students could focus solely on their studies.

But now it was different.

They had high hopes for a school trip, but the accommodation was one where commoners would likely stay.

They even had to take care of everything themselves.

"Wouldn't it have been alright to choose a slightly better place for accommodation?"

Even Nella, the oldest and most mature student in the class, showed a troubled reaction.

"Seeing your reaction, I think it was a good idea to choose this place as our accommodation."

"Huh?"

"Alright! Don't complain, everyone. This is also a good experience. A comfortable bed, someone else doing your laundry, someone else preparing your meals. Such conveniences cannot always be provided. As hero candidates, you must be able to adapt to any situation."

At Leo's words, jeers erupted from here and there.

"He's a stooge! The professor's stooge!"

"Being an honor student, there's a limit to it!"

"I know Professor Halind gave you the authority to decide on the accommodation, you know?"

"Let's chip in our own money and move to a different accommodation."

Leo, who had been listening to the complaints, said.

"Originally, Professor Halind intended for us to pitch tents outside and sleep there."

At those words, everyone froze.

Even Nella, the vice class president, made a surprised face as this was the first time she had heard such a thing.

"I was the one who managed to persuade him to come here."

The entire class's faces turned pale.

To think he intended to make them pitch tents and sleep outdoors in this snowstorm-ridden town!

'As expected, the most malicious professor in Lumerne!'

"If you don't like it here, I'll go tell him we can't sleep here."

"Hey! Grab him! Stop him!"

"Aargh! Stop! Class president!"

Startled Teide and Iliana clung to Leo's arms.

In the end, the students quietly agreed to stay at the inn for ten days.

"And one more thing. Professor Halind and Associate Professor Sena won't be staying here. They've left it entirely to our discretion. However, they did tell us to 'stay within the lines'."

Leo smiled faintly.

"They warned us that if by any chance boys and girls stay in the same room or if we're caught doing anything that violates school rules, we'll face terrible consequences."

"Tsk! How boring."

Iliana grumbled.

"Until tomorrow morning, it's free time. Feel free to explore the city."

At Leo's words, everyone went up to their respective rooms.

At first, they were dissatisfied, but gradually the atmosphere became excited, thinking they were the only ones there.

"Let's tidy our room, change into winter clothes, and go shopping!"

"It seems like there's a hot spring, so I'll go to the hot spring first."

"I'm going to the weapon shop!"

Seeing his friends return to their lively teenage atmosphere, Leo muttered.

"Kids adapt quickly."

"Leo, do you know you sometimes talk like an old man?"

"I know. I'll go report to Professor Halind."

"Should I come too?"

"No, you stay here and check for any unusual circumstances."

"Okay."

Halind and Sena were staying at the Ersar family mansion, not far from this place.

As Leo left the inn, he saw a luxurious hotel across the street.

A general bustling activity could be felt there.

He saw someone who appeared to be the hotel owner shaking his head at the elves trying to use the hotel.

'It seems they also accept group guests there.'

Leo soon lost interest and headed towards the Ersar family mansion.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Leo reported the situation to Halind, who was staying in a guest room.

"For now, everyone has been assigned rooms and is enjoying their free time."

"They must have had complaints about the accommodation."

"Everyone quieted down after I told them Professor Halind intended to make them sleep in tents."

Halind let out a deep sigh.

"Leo Flove."

"Yes, Professor."

"I know you are excellent as a class president."

"Thank you."

"But why are you pinning your plans on me?"

"Isn't it generally better for the villain to be played by someone scary?"

At Leo's confident words, Halind let out a hollow laugh.

He had worked at Lumerne for a long time, but a student like Leo was a first.

To think he was being used in this way by a student, even 4th and 5th graders trembled before him.

'Is he fearless, or just audacious?'

"Alright. You should rest too. It would be funny if you can't keep up with the schedule you've set and collapse."

"Yes."

Leo bowed his head.

As Leo was leaving the room, an elf approached him.

"Mr. Leo Flove."

"Yes?"

A female elf in a neat suit respectfully bowed her head.

"The family head wishes to see Mr. Leo Flove."

"By 'family head', do you mean Rune Ersar?"

"Yes."

Leo, wearing a puzzled expression, followed the elf woman.

A moment later, the elf woman arrived at the central office of the mansion and knocked respectfully.

"Come in."

With those words, the elf woman opened the door and bowed politely.

As Leo entered the room, he saw Rune attending to his duties.

"Welcome, young Leo. I apologize for calling you, but I'm quite busy with my duties, so would you mind waiting a moment? If you're truly bored, you can look around the office."

Leo nodded, watching Rune speak while continuously moving his quill.

"It's fine. I'll just look around, so please take your time with your work."

Saying that, Leo looked around the spacious office.

Ersar was the most ancient family among the elves.

As such, numerous treasures hung on the walls.

Elf artisans.

Or Leo's gaze, slowly admiring the items made by dwarf artisans, stopped at a worn-out dagger.

It was a dagger of strange form.

The blade length was suitable to be called a dagger, but the hilt was long like a longsword.

In effect, the ratio of the blade to the hilt was close to 1:1.

"Erkint?"

Rune, who had been busy with his duties, also looked up.

"How do you know about Erkint? The history of that item is only passed down to the heads of the Ersar family."

"I once read a book in Lumerne's Grand Library about lost weapons that appear in legends and literature. I saw it there… but I never dreamed it was a real existing item."

Leo hastily excused himself.

Erkint was a famous sword crafted by Dweno using Starlight Stone, a rare ore imbued with the power of starlight.

It was originally given to Luna for self-defense in case of a melee, but Luna gave that sword to her disciple, Berkhia.

And just before Kyle and his companions departed on their final expedition.

It was lost in the final battle against Tartarus.

It was clearly a legendary famous sword, but usually, people didn't even know it existed.

'It's not the real one.'

The subtle star mana felt different from the genuine article.

It felt as if it was somehow just a shell.

"Is there such a book? Well, Lumerne is a hero academy after all. It's a reward our family's ancestor obtained long ago by conquering Lady Berkhia's 'Hero's World'. Since it was an item used by Lady Berkhia, we cherish and preserve it."

'So that's why it felt like just a shell remained.'

Artifacts obtained through the Hero's World cannot be used by anyone other than the conqueror.

While Leo nodded.

Rune, having finished his work, approached and offered him a seat on the guest sofa.

As Leo sat down, Rune brewed tea himself and spoke.

"I heard about you from Halind. You're an All-Class?"

"Yes."

"And you're the top student in Lumerne's first year, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"Hmm."

Rune nodded.

Then he put on a serious expression.

"I know it's rude to ask such a favor on our first meeting, but…"

"What kind of favor?"

"Would you meet my granddaughter?"

At the sudden words, Leo's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to give my granddaughter some motivation."

Rune let out a deep sigh.

"My granddaughter is a first-year at Seiroon. It might sound like bragging, but… she's a talented child and entered Seiroon with excellent grades."

Leo nodded.

"But as soon as she entered, she hit a wall."

"A wall?"

"Yes. That child knew she was a highly talented child. She was always the best among her peers."

Most Lumerne freshmen are the same.

"But the world is vast. As soon as she entered Seiroon, she had to meet students with even better grades than herself."

"Ah."

Leo could immediately understand those words.

"Although she had a somewhat gloomy side, she was diligent, so her grades quickly improved. But it seems there was one person she couldn't surpass. After that, she completely lost her motivation to study at Seiroon."

"I understand the story well. But how can I meet your granddaughter who is at Seiroon?"

"If she were at Seiroon, I wouldn't have asked you."

Rune covered his face with his hands.

"Right now, even though it's mid-semester, that child has returned home and is holed up in her room."

Leo wore a dumbfounded expression.

"No matter how much I talk to her, she keeps refusing to go to school."

"……"

"That's why I'm asking you, Lumerne's first-year representative. Can you give that child some motivation?"

***

Seiroon Academy categorizes students by grade based on their academic performance.

Classes are broadly divided into upper, middle, and lower.

In the first year, due to the large number of students, there are multiple classes for each grade level.

Naturally, there are differences in skill even among students in the same upper-level classes.

Among them, the place where only the top first-year students were gathered was the Advanced Class 1.

The homeroom teacher in Advanced Class 1 looked at the seated students and spoke.

"Today, I have an announcement."

The students stood straight and looked at the teacher.

"Starting today, the advanced classes will be going on a mission practical."

At those words, the students of Advanced Class 1 were agitated.

A mission practical?

At the very least, mission practicals were scheduled for the second semester.

"Don't be nervous. Isn't this just the school administration recognizing the excellence of the advanced classes?"

At the smiling elf teacher's words, the students of Class 1 wore proud expressions.

Being here was truly the family's honor.

Meanwhile.

The class president of Class 1, Lunia, who should have been extremely excited, was staring at the ceiling with an empty expression.

Her mind was filled with the name of just one person.

'Leo Flove? Who in the world is that human? What kind of thief is he to have snatched my contractor away! I can't forgive… I can't forgive him.'

Fwoosh!

Lunia's eyes began to blaze fiercely.

"So, the place our Advanced Class 1 will go to is…"

The elf teacher began to write the destination on the blackboard.

"Berkhia in Elsalbekia."

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