Book 1 Chapter 633
633.
After the cold winter, a warm spring atmosphere wafted through the streets.
Kuraju Street, ahead of Lumern's entrance ceremony, was also full of vitality.
“Look at this~ It’s a uniform tailored at Blessriger?”
“Huh? Really?”
Two female students, who seemed to be from the West, were chattering in front of <Blessriger>.
Blessriger was one of the tailor shops specializing in making Lumern uniforms.
It was known as the best luxury brand among Lumern students.
“Ooh! That’s great!”
“My dad bought it for me as an entrance gift, really going all out!”
“Ooh! I’m so jealous! My parents said they’d buy me one when the second semester starts!”
“Oh my? You. Still, your uniform is good enough, isn’t it?”
“Not as good as Blessriger, though.”
While the two female students were chattering excitedly.
“Really? You’re giving your uniform to me?”
“Yes. As you know, Lumern uniforms are ridiculously expensive for no reason, aren't they? For commoners like you and me, it’s a back-breaking expense. Anyway, I have to get a new one, so I’ll just give it to you. It’s not a good brand, though.”
“No! This is good enough! Thank you, senior! Please take care of me this year too!”
As befitting Lumern freshmen, the two girls, with their sensitive hearing, overheard the conversation happening across the way.
A slight sneer appeared on the lips of the two girls who heard the story.
“I don’t know who they are, but they seem like seniors, don’t they?”
“Yeah. But they seem like commoner seniors. Handing down a uniform and then wearing it. They don’t even know it’s embarrassing, and they’re blabbering about it loudly. Ugh! Don’t you think those seniors are bringing shame to the school?”
It was then that the two girls were whispering and giggling softly.
“It seems you’ve lost your fear.”
A chilling sneer came from behind them.
At that voice, the two freshmen stiffened with a crunch.
Turning back in a panic, they saw a female student with long, curly silver hair standing there.
The faces of the two freshmen turned pale.
‘Eliza Hergin!’
‘Third year!’
Even in Lumern, they were only freshmen, a grade that these two dared not even look at.
Moreover, of all people, their opponent was none other than Eliza Hergin.
A hero candidate known as the Golden Generation and highly renowned worldwide!
She was someone who would make them cower just by meeting her on the street, but of all things, they were caught badmouthing a senior.
“A mere freshman ridicules a senior?”
“Gasp?!”
“And the acting student council president and the second-year representative?”
At Eliza's utterly chilling voice, the faces of the two female students turned not just pale, but blue.
They both knew very well who the acting student council president and the second-year representative were.
Carl Thomas and Luke Elda.
Carl Thomas, who had already ascended to the position of a hero, was someone a freshman could barely look at.
But a bigger problem was that Carl was best friends with Leo, Chelsea, Abbad, and Celia.
The same went for Luke.
He had a deep friendship with Shasha, the Crown Princess who was the next emperor of the Rodren Empire in the western continent.
If they were to make a mistake, it wouldn't just end with their school life getting complicated, but their family's future could also be blocked.
“F-forgiveness!”
“Why are you begging me for forgiveness?”
“What? What are you bothering the freshmen for again, right from the start of the semester?”
Carl suddenly poked his face in next to Eliza.
“Get away!”
Eliza scowled fiercely and pushed Carl’s face away.
Carl chuckled, stepped back, and tilted his head.
“So? Why are you scaring the juniors who just entered again?”
“Hmph, who said I scared them? I was just trying to educate juniors who dared to ridicule their seniors.”
“What?”
Carl’s face stiffened.
“Are you out of your minds? You’re determined to mess up your school life right from the start, aren’t you?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“No matter how infamous Eliza is, how could you even think of badmouthing Eliza…”
“It’s *you*! You. You were badmouthing *me*! And Luke Elda! You! And what infamy do I have?!”
“Choke! Cough, cough!”
Eliza snarled fiercely, tightening her whip around Carl’s neck.
Carl, who narrowly escaped Eliza, let out a chuckle.
“Ah, so that’s what it was?”
“W-we’ve committed a sin worthy of death!”
“Please forgive us!”
Carl looked at the two trembling female students, who were bowing deeply, thought for a moment, and then said.
“Alright. I’ll forgive you. But there’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yes.”
Carl pulled out two sheets of paper from his pocket.
“For the first semester, will you sell the fatigue recovery potions I made to your classmates instead of me?”
“What?”
“First, you buy a certain amount with your own money in advance. Then, when you sell them, I take a portion of the profit. If your sales performance is good, you’ll earn points, but…”
At Carl’s words, the two first-years made a face that said, “What is he talking about?”
“If you become my salesperson, I’ll pretend you never badmouthed me. I won’t say a word to anyone else. How about it?”
“R-really?”
“Of course. I’m a trustworthy person. Just sign here.”
Carl subtly pointed to the end of the contract with a soft voice.
The two female students then signed without hesitation.
“Be careful from now on. Lumern is a place where rash actions can lead to big trouble. I hope you’ve learned a lot from this incident.”
“Yes! We won’t do it again!”
“Thank you! Carl Thomas senior!”
Bowing hastily, the two female students quickly left.
Seeing that, Eliza narrowed her brows.
“Hmph. Trying to act like a good senior, are we?”
“Huh? What do you mean? From now on, their school life will be hell.”
“What?”
“What kind of contract was that, anyway?”
When Luke asked with a face full of curiosity, Carl laughed sinisterly.
“A multi-level marketing contract.”
Eliza narrowed her brows.
“That’ll make it hell?”
“Of course, it’ll be hell. Attending Lumern costs a ton of money unless you get an academic scholarship.”
Carl chuckled.
“They’ll probably have a terrible time trying to sell the amount I give them. This is to teach them important life lessons: not to badmouth seniors rashly, and not to sign anything rashly. Crucially.”
He shrugged his shoulders while putting the contract away in his pocket.
“I only said I’d let *my* matter slide, but I never said anything about letting Luke’s matter slide.”
“Ah, I don’t mind…”
“Hold it! No! Luke. Being too nice is fine, but in cases like this, you have to make them pay the price thoroughly. It’s not a sin if you don’t get caught, but since they *were* caught, it is. Think about what price you’ll make them pay.”
“Yes.”
Luke scratched his cheek and nodded.
“Anyway, Eliza, did you have a good vacation?”
“Hmph. You’re quick to ask.”
Eliza made a bored expression and filed her nails.
“It was boring.”
“So, you had a peaceful vacation. I, on the other hand, was tormented by Duran to no end.”
Carl grumbled, then spoke as if remembering something.
“Now that I think about it, you said before that you’d grant any favor I asked, didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Because of that, I have something to talk about briefly. Can you spare some time?”
“Hmph. I’m busy right now. I have to go shopping. I’ll listen to you when I’m free later.”
“Aw~ Don’t be like that, spare some time. I won’t ask for anything strange.”
“For someone taking up the time of the Hergin family heir, you’re not very polite, are you?”
At that, Carl grinned slyly, then with a slightly exaggerated gesture, courteously extended his hand.
“My lady, would you please grant me your precious time?”
“Hmph. 10 points.”
“Out of 10 points?”
“No. Out of 100 points.”
Eliza snorted and took Carl’s hand.
“Alright. Shall I hear what favor you’re asking for?”
Carl walked with Eliza towards Kuraju Street.
“Luke. See you later at school.”
“Carl senior, I’ll wear the uniform well! Goodbye! Seniors!”
Luke, clutching the uniform carefully in both arms, bowed his head.
***
“It’s suspicious.”
Celia said, narrowing her eyes at the Lumeria Lake dock.
At her words, Leo, who was sitting on a dock bench, said.
“What is?”
“Anyone can see it’s strange. Why are all the grades gathered at the dock?”
Celia was right.
Currently, all students of Lumern were gathered at the Lumeria dock.
From the highest grade, the fifth year, down to the freshmen entering this year.
Normally, students from the second, third, fourth, and fifth years, excluding freshmen, would have already entered Lumern to prepare for the start of the semester.
However, this time a notice came that everyone would move to Lumern together from the Lumeria dock.
Thanks to that, a spectacular scene unfolded at the Lumeria City dock, with all students gathered.
As for the freshmen, intimidated by the presence of so many revered seniors, they stood in a line in a corner.
Meanwhile, they furtively glanced at Leo with eyes full of admiration.
But then they made eye contact with Celia, who was next to him, and startled, they turned their heads away.
Of course, it wasn’t just Leo; there were also those who looked at Celia with admiring eyes.
The second-year students were also gathered in one place at the dock.
They chatted happily with each other in a somewhat relaxed manner, but every time they made eye contact with a senior, they would flinch in tension.
The third-year students freely chatted with their close seniors.
“Don’t you know anything?”
As Celia squinted her eyes, Leo shrugged his shoulders.
“Just because I’m the student council president doesn’t mean I know all the professors’ schemes.”
“True.”
It was then that Celia nodded as if understanding.
“Oh! Leo! Celia! I heard your activities during vacation were amazing? Chelsea and Abbad aren’t here, I see?”
A cheerful voice was heard.
Leo and Celia turned their heads to see Carl approaching with his characteristic friendly smile.
“Chelsea and Abbad haven’t arrived at the dock yet. More importantly, what’s wrong with your eye? Did someone hit you?”
Leo asked with a curious expression.
One of Carl’s eyes was bruised blue.
“Something like that happened.”
Carl made a nonchalant expression.
“You probably got hit by someone again for messing around.”
When Celia spoke dismissively, Carl chuckled slyly.
“Preessssideeeent!”
Just then, Illiana spotted Leo, ran over, jumped, and sat next to him, asking.
“President! Why are all the grades gathered at the dock? Is something else happening? Huh? Huh? What are the professors plotting?”
Seeing Illiana chattering and barraging him with questions, Leo simply smiled.
“It seems even the president doesn’t know.”
Illiana, with her arms crossed, tilted her head.
And then she waved at Celia and Carl.
“Hi?! Did you both have a good vacation? Oh, and president! You said you’d ascend to the throne of Tungkun this time, didn’t you? Wow~ As expected, the fastest rise to success! Don’t pretend not to know me just because you became king, okay?”
Flash-!
Just then, a huge rectangular screen made of magic appeared in the sky above the lake.
[Greetings! My comrades! It is I! Your elegant professor! Sedgen!]
Sedgen, one of Lumern’s famous professors, greeted them cheerfully.
[Did the enrolled students have a good vacation! To the freshmen, I extend a warm welcome! Enrolled students, you must be feeling something strange about the current situation! And it’s exactly as you predicted! Unexpected situations are Lumern’s school tradition, aren’t they!]
At Sedgen’s words, students from the second to fifth years had an “of course” expression.
The freshmen were bewildered and confused.
[From now on, we will conduct a practical combat evaluation by grade level! The rules are simple! Each grade level must now steal the school gate key from a specific individual! Through this evaluation, the professors will understand what your shortcomings are and plan the next year’s curriculum accordingly!]
Just then, Chloe raised her hand.
[What is your question, student Chloe!]
“What if we can’t steal the key?”
[You cannot enter the school until you steal it.]
At those words, the students’ eyes widened.
[Alright! Now, I will announce the opponents for the fourth and fifth years!]
With Sedgen’s words, the fourth and fifth-year students made tense expressions.
And after checking the face of the person on the screen, exclamations erupted everywhere.
[The enemy that the fourth and fifth-year students must defeat! It is none other than Leo Plob! Damaging the big nose of this perfectly hateful Leo Plob! That is your task! Risk your lives! My comrades! How long will you live intimidated by juniors….]
[Drag him out.]
Sedgen, who was getting carried away, was grabbed by Ain and Ren and dragged out, accompanied by Hallinde’s chilling words.
[I will continue.]
Hallinde continued speaking in a cold voice.
[The people holding the keys for the third-year students are these two.]
The figures that appeared on the screen were none other than Lil and Elena, the representatives of the fourth and fifth years.
[This is the student who holds the keys for the second-year students.]
The second-year students’ target was none other than.
“Oh my?”
Chen Xia, who became the target, smiled softly.
The second-year students breathed a sigh of relief.
This was because they believed that no matter how strong Chen Xia was, they could easily win if the entire second-year class was determined and attacked her.
However, the faces of some students stiffened.
These were the second-year students who were once Shadow Candidates, like El Jane and Fritz.
[Finally.]
Carl’s mouth dropped open as he saw the person on the screen.
The first-year students’ gazes all turned to Carl.
“Why me?! Are you out of your mind, Lumern?!”
Carl grabbed his head and shrieked.
[Hoh? Are you dissatisfied with my choice, Carl Thomas?]
“No. Of course not.”
At Hallinde’s words, Carl immediately shrank his neck.
Whirr-!
A giant warp magic circle was generated across the entire dock.
[Then do your best.]
Simultaneously with Hallinde’s brief reply, a bright light burst forth.
Leo, who had closed and opened his eyes, had already arrived at one of the countless uninhabited islands in Lake Lumeria.
“Hmm.”
Leo stroked his chin once and let out a chuckle.
“Are they going to thoroughly check what students need to improve before proceeding with the lessons on the world of legions?”
Leo nodded, recalling those who held the keys for each grade.
Leo walked to a rock in the middle of the forest and plopped down.
“Shall I wait for the seniors then?”