Book 1 Chapter 572

572.

Murmur, murmur.

Countless people were moving in and out of Lumen.

Chelsea, seeing this, crossed her arms and muttered.

"I never dreamed I'd see such a crowd gathered in Lumen in my lifetime."

Even the second-year students, who were thoroughly accustomed to Lumen, found the current scene unfamiliar.

Lumen also invited outsiders for special events.

However, this was the first time they had seen so many people that the entire vast Lumen campus was filled to the brim.

"Indeed, it is rare in the entire history of Lumen for so many outsiders to enter."

As an educational institution that nurtures heroes, it also has many enemies.

The greatest enemy is, of course, the demons of Tartarus.

Not only that.

There are any number of forces lurking for opportunities to diminish Lumen's influence.

In addition, there are many threats targeting individual students.

Political rivals may attempt assassination before they can gain strength.

Therefore, Lumen has maintained impenetrable security for a long time.

Invitations were sent out randomly and equally to everyone except for the world's major figures and the students' families.

As a result, the visitors to Lumen were diverse in status and age.

"To be able to make something like this possible, I suppose it has to be Lumen."

It was just then that Chelsea marveled anew at the school's influence.

"Miss Chloe Muller?"

At that moment, a boy in the crowd approached Chloe familiarly.

The man, clad in luxurious robes and holding a magic staff studded with dazzling magic stones, stood before Chloe and said.

"It is an honor to meet you, Miss Chloe Muller."

"Who are you?"

"Ah, I apologize for the delay in my introduction. I am Veto Inteum, heir to the Inteum family, a family belonging to the Eastern Continental Magic Tower."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you."

The Inteum family is famous even in the North.

"I have read all of your magic theses, Chloe. The magic theories you propose always excite me."

Chloe was already renowned in the magic academia as a genius magic girl, following Torua Yan, who graduated last year.

Unlike Abad or Chelsea, who specialized in combat, she also showed exceptional talent in magic research.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me."

Chloe smiled faintly.

"Ah. Beautiful."

At that moment, Veto Inteum clutched his head and exclaimed.

Seeing Veto Inteum like that, Chelsea scrunched up her face.

'What is this cheesy guy?'

"You are a woman as beautiful in appearance as you are in intellect. The honor of kissing your hand to this Veto Inteum!"

Veto Inteum, who had been making a fuss, suddenly knelt down, took Chloe's hand, and tried to kiss it.

Chloe frowned and tried to pull her hand away at the sudden action.

*Thwack-!*

"Guh!"

Betty Marste, who had been Chloe's mentee in the first semester, suddenly appeared and elbowed Veto Inteum in the face.

"What kind of rude behavior is this! Veto Inteum!"

"That's what I'm going to ask! Betty Marste! What do you think you're doing!"

"You were being rude to Senior Chloe!"

"Rude? I was merely complimenting her beauty!"

At Veto's words, Betty's expression turned cold, and she gestured with her chin.

"Deal with him."

Then, from behind Betty, first-year magic students emerged.

"Huh? What is this guy!"

"Who do you think you are!"

"Are you hitting on the Ice Queen?"

"W-what… Aaaargh?!"

Regardless of gender, the first-year magic students surrounded Veto Inteum and beat him with their staffs.

Watching this, Chelsea took out a small paper bag from her pocket, crunched on a cookie inside, and said.

"Chloe, your followers seem to be becoming more like thugs."

At Chelsea's words, Chloe held her head.

Chloe, who liked to take care of others, also took very good care of the first-year students.

As a result, she was the most popular senior among the first-year magic students.

And Chloe's most fervent follower, Betty, quickly approached Chloe.

"Senior Chloe! That pervert didn't do anything strange, did he?"

"Calm down, he just held your hand."

"He held your hand with those dirty hands?! I'll chop off his hands right now!"

"That's too much."

Betty paused at Chelsea's intervention and shouted at someone behind her.

"You perverted brat! Beat him half to death! He has a very bad habit with his hands!"

As magic families from the same eastern region, the Marste and Inteum families had frequent interactions, and thus, Betty and Veto, as heirs, had known each other since childhood.

Because of this, Betty knew that Veto was someone who flirted with anyone.

At Betty's sharp cry, the atmosphere among the first-year magic students became even more menacing.

"What is this undignified behavior! A mage beating someone with a staff! Are you ashamed as mages! I never imagined the seniors of the school I intend to enter would be so vulgar!"

Veto shouted.

At his words, the first-year students looked at each other and nodded.

"Ah, you're a prospective student who will be taking the entrance exam next year?"

Then, their expressions became even more menacing.

"This is physical magic I learned from a senior in the magic department. Magic Swing!"

"Aargh!"

"Magical Fist! You insolent junior candidate!"

"Gah?!"

"Magic Kick! You punk!"

"Kek!"

Watching the first-year students become even more ferocious, Chelsea furrowed her brow.

"Who on earth did they learn such stupid behavior from?"

"Senior Illyana."

"They learned something rotten."

Chelsea clicked her tongue.

"You guys, stop it."

Chloe, unable to watch any longer, calmed the first-year students.

"He was rude, but this is a bit much."

"Oh, Chloe Muller… Your kindness is as beautiful as your intellect and appearance! Please grant me the honor of kissing your cheek…"

Seeing Veto get up and try to place his hands on her shoulders, Chloe pushed him away without hesitation.

"Yes, it would be better for him to be punished."

The enraged first-year students swung their staffs at Veto.

"So many people are coming, and so many strange people too."

"Indeed."

Chelsea crunched on her cookies and shook her head.

In fact, the strangest people here were none other than the Lumen students.

The surrounding visitors watched the scene with bewildered eyes, but the students, who were thoroughly accustomed to Lumen, did not perceive anything strange at all.

Chelsea checked the clock on the town clock and said.

"First-years, it's time to get ready for the opening ceremony. Let's move."

"Yes!"

***

Countless visitors were flocking to Lumen.

Accordingly, ships commuting to Lumelia City were also busy.

Not only that. Giant pillars were rising in various places in Lumelia City.

These were magic devices that broadcasted the Hero Festival taking place in Lumelia City through magic screens, and they could be seen anywhere in Lumelia City.

Currently, the magic devices were illuminating various parts of Lumen.

Amidst this.

Suddenly, the magic screens simultaneously showed the scene of Lumen's Erec Training Ground.

Lumen students began to enter the vast Erec Training Ground.

As the Lumen students appeared, the spectators watching them let out cheers.

Perfectly arrayed by department, the white-haired boy, Leo, carrying Lumen's flag, appeared at the very front.

"Leo Flovda!"

"Lumen's youngest student council president!"

"A hero whose name is on the Hero Record!"

Leo's appearance further heated up the atmosphere.

As the entire crowd cheered enthusiastically.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared in the center of the Erec Training Ground.

In the midst of this sudden situation, the crowd, flustered, looked up at the sky.

"…A ship?"

Someone muttered with a voice filled with shock.

A giant ship, which appeared to be a warship, was flying in the sky.

Literally the culmination of the best magic engineering and alchemy that currently exists.

The appearance of a flying warship, something that seemed to exist only in imagination, shocked the entire crowd.

"Demian! It's Demian's flag!"

"Could it be a ship made by Demian?!"

Exclamations poured out from various places in the stands.

*Rumble-!*

The warship landed in one spot on the Erec Training Ground.

*Thump- thump- thump-*

Along with that, Demian students began to disembark from the warship in unison.

The crowd was overwhelmed by the power they exuded, though they were small.

*Crackle-!*

Suddenly, sparks began to fly in one part of the Erec Training Ground.

*Fzzzzzzzzzzzz! Flash-!*

Along with a bright light, Seirun students appeared.

"Hundreds of people teleported at once without a warp gate?!"

"Is such an impossible thing possible?"

"As expected of Seirun… a school that nurtures the strongest mages!"

As they widened their eyes at the magic technology that surpassed imagination.

*Screeeeech-!*

The massive roar of a mythical beast echoed through the sky.

When the spectators' gazes turned back to the sky, hundreds of wyverns were flying there.

"Hundreds of top-tier mythical beasts, not just dozens of wyverns…"

"Amazing… It must be Azonia, right?"

As the crowd exclaimed.

*Whoosh-*

The Azonian students riding the wyverns suddenly jumped off them.

"They jumped off?!"

"They'll land with magic, won't they?!"

Watching the Azonian students begin to fall from high in the sky, the crowd screamed.

However, the Azonian students fell towards the ground without using magic.

*Thud!*

As the Azonian students landed and stood up solely through physical ability, screams of shock erupted from various places in the stands.

All the invited schools were overwhelming just by their appearance.

Everyone watching was unable to contain their excitement at the unique ways of arrival, which far surpassed the common sense of ordinary people.

Amidst this.

Leo, who had handed the Lumen flag to Elena, walked to the center of the Erec Training Ground.

"I hereby declare that the Hero Festival has begun."

"Woooooooh!"

At Leo's calm words, everyone watching burst into cheers.

"One hundred first-year students selected as representatives, step forward."

At Leo's words, all students except the selected 100 first-year students began to leave the Erec Training Ground.

Demian's giant warship flew back into the sky and headed towards Lake Lumelia.

"Kal, are they going to proceed with the opening ceremony with only the first-years?"

Illyana asked, looking perplexed. Kal nodded.

"That's what they say."

"What? You don't know the details either?"

"The Hero Festival must be conducted fairly for everyone. Therefore, only the professors know the overall schedule, excluding Leo."

At Kal's words, Illyana nodded.

Meanwhile, the first-year students lined up in front of Leo with tense expressions.

"First-year representatives, to the platform."

At Leo's words, four students ascended to the platform where Leo was.

In Lumen, Luke ascended to the platform with a frightened expression.

The representative of Azonia, the bear beastman Medvez, clenched his fist while looking at Leo.

'This man is Leo Flov. The strongest man acknowledged by Senior Ar!'

Medvez looked at Leo with serious eyes, then glanced at Luke, who was standing next to him with a tense expression, nearly reaching his shoulder, and furrowed his brow.

'He's timid. To be so scared at such a place. I heard rumors that he was amazing, but were the rumors just rumors? No need to be wary. I should be most wary of Seirun's Leah Tingel… Huh?'

Medvez stared at Leah, who was openly looking at Luke with her eyes open.

It turned out that Luke was avoiding eye contact with Leah as much as possible.

'Why is this person acting like this towards me since before?'

'I can't forgive him. I can't forgive him. To monopolize the honor of being Flov-senpai's mentee all by himself! That enviable brat! I can't forgive him.'

'…Leah Tingel… To burn with such rivalry towards Luke Elda… How foolish of me to judge by appearance!'

Medvez glared.

'Luke Elda! As an apology, I will do my best to face you!'

'Eek! Why is this person?'

As the giant bear beastman glared at him, Luke became even more terrified.

Watching this, Rixen, the first-year representative of Demian, muttered.

'For now, it's best to stay away from those three.'

Leo said to the students in front of him.

"First-year representatives, make a pledge representing your school."

"As Lumen students, we will challenge our limits!"

"As Seirun students, we will not abandon our belief in ourselves."

"As Azonian students, we will not hesitate to move forward."

"As Demian students, we will not doubt our potential."

The first-year representatives, reciting their schools' mottoes, declared in unison.

"In the name of the great predecessors, we pledge to participate in the Hero Festival without shame!"

At those words, Leo nodded.

"This concludes the opening ceremony."

*Wooooooooh!*

The opening ceremony, which left a short but strong impression, ended.

Just then.

*Click-!*

Leo snapped his fingers.

Along with that, a scoreboard appeared above the Erec Training Ground.

[Lumen : 100]

[Seirun : 100]

[Azonia : 100]

[Demian : 100]

"……?"

At the sudden situation, the entire crowd wore a bewildered expression.

Not only the spectators but also the first-year students in the training ground wore blank expressions.

*Flash-!*

*Kwagagagagagag-!*

Along with light from the sky, weapons, magic staffs, and summoning circles appeared and fell to the ground.

"What…"

Luke muttered blankly.

"What are you doing? I said the opening ceremony is over."

Leo said nonchalantly.

"Yes… it's over. But what is this?"

Medvez asked blankly, and Leo said.

"If the opening ceremony is over, we must start the opening match. The first match is survival. The school that remains until the very end and has the last person standing wins. Did you roughly understand?"

Leo grinned.

"From now on, kill each other."