Book 1 Chapter 594

594.

It was none other than Lumerne that claimed victory in the fiercely contested Festival of Heroes.

Lumerne students gathered around the podium where the championship trophy was placed.

Hark, who could be called the representative of Lumerne students, went up onto the podium and lifted the trophy.

"Waaaaaaaah!"

The Lumerne students cheered at the sight.

It wasn't just the Lumerne students.

Humans who had visited Lumerne to watch stood up from their seats, cheering enthusiastically and applauding.

As it was a confrontation between hero academies representing their respective races.

It was natural for the entire race watching the victory to be filled with joy.

Students from other schools who had narrowly missed out on victory after fierce competition wore resentful expressions.

Watching them, Leo muttered.

"Senior Hark looks incredibly happy."

"He must be happy. Senior Hark was the one who worked the hardest at the Festival of Heroes. But why did he throw himself into it so much?"

Celia tilted her head.

Just as she said, it was surprisingly Hark who had performed like crazy in this Festival of Heroes.

Hark had been unmotivated, saying he would be exploited until graduation right up until the Festival of Heroes, but as soon as the festival began, he lit a fire in his eyes and threw himself into it.

"He gritted his teeth, saying he had to take the championship cup no matter what, since he'd already put in the hard work."

"Ah."

Celia nodded as if she understood.

Newspaper reporters continuously manipulated their magical tools to take photos of Hark.

"By the way, shouldn't you, as the student council president, be holding something like that?"

As Celia mumbled in a slightly sullen voice, Leo chuckled.

"I didn't do anything in this Festival of Heroes."

This time, Leo was thoroughly involved only in the operation of the competition.

"Even so."

Even if that was the case, as Leo was the one representing the school, Celia couldn't hide her regret.

"It's an opportunity to greatly elevate your family's name."

"Aren't the titles of youngest Lumerne student council president and youngest hero enough?"

"Isn't it best to take as much as you can while you have the chance?"

Celia smiled sweetly and swept her hair back.

"By the way, is next week the closing ceremony? Second year is over now."

"The final exams are still left."

After the grand event of the Festival of Heroes ended, Lumerne immediately plunged into final exams.

It was an extremely harsh academic schedule, but students who were already well-accustomed to Lumerne's strictness accepted it calmly.

"I've already finished preparing for the exams, so I'm fine."

Celia smiled confidently.

"Oh, come to think of it, I heard from some family members who came to watch that they're going to decide the territory you'll receive soon?"

As a direct descendant of Zerdinger, Leo was set to inherit a portion of the vast Zerdinger territory.

"Because of that, you'll have to come to the Zerdinger family during winter break."

"Really? Got it."

***

The final exams ended.

As always, joy and sorrow intertwined among the students.

Some students remained at school, while others departed.

After the closing ceremony.

Second-year students held end-of-semester parties by dormitory.

"Waaah! Sia! Chloe! You can't pretend not to know me later, okay?"

"Why would we pretend not to know you? We were in the same dorm. Even if we don't study in the same place next year, we're friends."

"Unniiiiii!"

Chen Sia smiled wryly and patted the crying girls.

"Stop crying. This isn't the end."

"Chloe Unniiiiii!"

"I'm a year younger than you."

Chloe wore a troubled expression.

Chloe, who had been comforting the girls, stood up from her seat.

"Let's put aside all this gloomy atmosphere. Some people are staying, and some are leaving. But what's important is that all of us safely got through the year."

There were several major incidents this year as well.

Yet, without any students suffering unfortunate accidents, everyone arrived here safely.

"We all joined forces and overcame adversity. I believe it was possible because we became one as a dormitory. So, we'll continue to be friends from now on."

The girls who were sniffling because they couldn't advance a grade and the boys who wore gloomy expressions shook off their depression.

"Sia, as the dorm leader, you should say a word too."

At Chloe's words, Chen Sia spoke.

"Thank you all for following along so well throughout the year. At first, I was worried if I could do well, but thanks to all of you, I was able to perform my duties as dorm leader excellently. Thank you, everyone."

Chen Sia smiled sweetly and looked at Leo.

"Now it's Young Master Leo's turn."

"Everyone worked hard this year."

At Leo's calm words, the Glory students let out snickers.

"The class president's speech is always short."

Illiana shook her head.

"Anyway!"

Illiana raised the glass of juice in her hand and said.

"Today, let's enjoy this moment!"

Everyone shook off the gloomy atmosphere and enjoyed the party.

"Oh! Professor Sena!"

"Why are you only just coming now! You said you'd be here quickly!"

"I'm sorry, everyone. The faculty meeting ran late."

Professor Sena, the dorm supervisor of Glory Dorm, joined the party late.

Illiana said to Sena.

"Professor Sena! It's vacation now, right? There won't be any demerits or anything for breaking school rules, right?"

Seeing Illiana ask with sparkling eyes, Sena wore a troubled expression.

"That's true… but what school rule are you planning to break?"

"It's not about breaking rules, it's just about loosening up a bit."

Illiana fumbled under the table and pulled out a bottle.

"If not now, when else would we drink alcohol at school?"

"When on earth did you bring that into the dorm?"

"Huh?!"

As Chloe's eyes shot up, Illiana flinched and quickly hid behind Chen Sia.

"I, I brought it after getting permission from Sia!"

"Sia!"

"What's the big deal? We haven't drunk it yet, have we?"

"Honestly."

Chloe let out a deep sigh.

Unlike Chloe, who was strict about dorm rules, Chen Sia sometimes let the students relax.

Seeing that, Sena said.

"Normally, it's not allowed. But since today is a special day, I'll overlook it this once. You know you shouldn't drink too much, right?"

"Ohh!"

Seeing Sena wink, the students cheered.

"Why is everyone so eager to drink that?"

"Miss Chloe, aren't you going to drink?"

"…I'll drink."

Chloe pouted her lips.

As the alcohol flowed, the party atmosphere became even livelier.

"Lord Kyle was absolutely amazing! So I've decided! I'm going to create the Kyle Cult!"

"Miss Illiana, you've drunk too much. Please calm down."

Chen Sia calmed Illiana, who was shouting loudly with a face flushed from alcohol.

"Leo, have a drink too."

Chloe came next to Leo, holding a bottle of alcohol.

"You seem drunk?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not drunk at all."

Chloe's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

Watching Chloe, Leo glanced at her hand.

He looked at the large glass of alcohol in Chloe's hand.

'It's strong alcohol, but she's downing it like beer.'

Drinking the alcohol Chloe poured for him, Leo let out a hollow laugh.

"Leo! Take my drink too!"

"Me too! Me too!"

The dorm students flocked around Leo.

"I'm thinking of finishing all my homework during the break and going on a training trip."

"I've decided to go to the family villa with them."

"What are you doing during the break, class president?"

"Well, I'll probably be going to the territory I'm inheriting from my maternal family, I guess?"

"Gasp! Inheritance?"

"Ah, now that you mention it, Leo was a direct descendant of the Zerdinger family."

"Inheritance at that age, I'm envious."

Exclamations burst out from all over.

"The class president is totally a bourgeois!"

"The Raden family is also a prestigious family. You're also an heir to your family, so why are you so envious?"

"Why wouldn't I be envious?! My father said he wouldn't pass on a single penny to me until I inherited the family! Until then, I'm just getting pocket money!"

"How much are you inheriting?"

"Since it's Zerdinger, wouldn't it be quite large?"

"I'm envious. My family split in my father's generation, and I have to share with my brother, so the territory I'll receive has decreased."

"First of all, having territory itself means having tax income. Leo won't have to worry about money while attending school in the future."

Attending Lumerne requires a lot of money in various ways.

Watching the students muttering enviously, Chen Sia tilted her head.

"Is inheriting land really that important?"

"Of course!"

"In noble families, civil wars even break out within the family because of it."

"Really? If it's not land the size of a small kingdom, is there a problem?"

As Chen Sia tilted her head, the students fell silent.

'Oh right. She's the heir to the Shan Empire.'

The two human empires.

To Chen Sia, the next ruler of the Shan Empire, which spans the eastern continent among the two human empires, Lodren and Shan, land measured in terms of noble families didn't seem particularly significant.

"Oh dear~ Your future Imperial Majesty~"

Illiana rubbed her hands together and quickly sat next to Chen Sia.

"Please take care of me when you become emperor! Could you perhaps bestow a small piece of land upon me?"

Seeing Illiana speak playfully, Chen Sia wore a troubled expression.

"Even if I become emperor, I cannot simply give away land."

"Why? If you become emperor, all of it is your land."

"No, it's Young Master Leo's land."

"…"

"…"

Watching Chen Sia speak with a sweet smile, the students muttered.

"Sia's drunk too."

"So Leo will possess the entire Shan Empire in the future?"

"I'm totally envious!"

"Class president! No! Class President, please bestow some land upon me!"

"Leo! You can't forget me either, okay?"

The students, taking it as a joke, burst out laughing, "Wahahaha!"

'I don't think it's a joke.'

Leo narrowed his eyes and looked at Chen Sia.

Chen Sia, whose eyes met his, smiled sweetly and waved her hand.

And so, the enjoyable time passed.

By the time it was late dawn, the only students still awake were Leo and Chloe.

Drunk students were lying asleep all over the lounge.

"Ugh- playing like this, it really feels like something has ended."

Watching Chloe stretch and speak, Leo let out an exclamation of "Huh-".

"You can really hold your liquor, can't you?"

"Is that so?"

Chloe tilted her head.

With her face flushed red, Chloe smiled sweetly.

"Anyway, Leo. You worked hard this year. I look forward to working with you next year too."

Watching her, Leo chuckled.

"Yeah, I look forward to it."

***

Leo, who arrived in Delan, the capital of the Delrad Kingdom, via a warp gate, headed straight for his mansion.

'To have to go to my own home secretly. How awkward.'

The first hero in the history of the Delrad Kingdom.

Moreover, ever since he became an All-Class, succeeding Kyle, the Hero of Beginnings, Leo's fame within the Delrad Kingdom had long surpassed that of the royal family.

It wasn't that Leo had done anything specifically for the Delrad Kingdom.

Just by greatly elevating the kingdom's name, Leo was already revered as a national hero within the kingdom.

'Leo, make sure! Make sure! You come home secretly, okay?'

Recalling Reina's earnest request, Leo checked his hood and shook his head.

Even in this Festival of Heroes, not a single person from the Plov family was able to come.

Anything related to him always attracted attention.

'They said the Delrad royal family also blocked some things, didn't they?'

As it was revealed that Leo's maternal family was Zerdinger.

The Delrad Kingdom was wary of the Plov family potentially defecting.

Because the first hero of the Delrad Kingdom, who had just been born, could be taken by the Empire.

The Lodren Empire was a country that could provide the treatment the Delrad Kingdom could not.

'Father must be having a headache.'

Recalling his father, Leo arrived at the mansion with a wry smile.

"Father, Mother. I'm ho…"

"Oh. Leo. Welcome home."

"…Where are you going?"

Leo asked blankly, watching the family members busily moving around the mansion.

"Yes. Tomorrow, our whole family is planning to go to your mother's hometown."

"Mother's hometown? That's Zerdinger."

"Yes."

"Why?"

At Leo's question, Reina smiled sweetly.

"This time, you'll be granted territory, won't you?"

"Yes."

"Negotiations will likely continue for quite a while."

As many interests are at stake within Zerdinger itself, there's often a lot of friction when territory is granted to a direct descendant.

"It's obvious that the old geezers of the family will try to interfere."

Leo immediately knew that "the old geezers of the family" referred to the Elder Council.

"Your mother, in name, was a direct descendant of Zerdinger, wasn't she? So I know very well which lands are precious."

"Even without that, they'd probably give it to me just fine."

"Son."

"Yes."

"When they give, you have to extract as much as possible."

Leo shook his head, watching Reina burst into laughter, "Hohoho-!"