Book 1 Chapter 648

648.

Evening, as the sun sets.

The entire student body gathered on the Erech Training Grounds for the entrance ceremony.

The returning students were seated in chairs prepared around the perimeter of the Erech Training Grounds, sorted by grade.

In the center of the Erech Training Grounds, 500 new students stood in lines, organized by region.

All the returning students had once stood in that very spot as freshmen.

That's why, during the entrance ceremony, everyone would fall into a strange mood.

That's what they thought…

"What on earth did you do to make all the freshmen so dejected?"

From the third-year seating.

Chelsea spoke accusingly from the spot where the magic department students were.

"I'm only guilty of trying my best."

"You should know your limits. What are you going to do if you crush the spirit of the children?"

Chelsea, with her arms crossed, narrowed her brows.

Usually, on entrance ceremony day, the eyes of Lumern's freshmen sparkle.

'As if they have the world in their hands.'

Simply being admitted to the Hero Academy, arguably the world's top educational institution, was reason enough to be proud.

Dreams and hopes.

The freshmen should have been filled with anticipation for their school life ahead.

Yet, the faces of these freshmen were all cast in shadow.

Kal, the instigator of this atmosphere, wore an expression of injustice.

"What happened?"

Chloe also asked with a puzzled look.

"I just thoroughly laid a trap and deceived the first-years. Since they were preparing for the entrance exam, I had a general idea of the profiles of all 500 students in my head."

Kal took out a potion bottle from his pocket and gently shook it.

"Change Potion. It's a potion that allows you to temporarily take on the appearance of your desired target."

"Isn't that one of your party tricks?"

"It is."

Kal grinned smugly.

Because the duration was short, it was literally a surprise potion made for parties.

"I slightly extended the transformation time. Then, disguised, I snuck among the first-years. And I caused chaos among them."

The effect was undeniable.

In a state of not knowing each other well.

And with a strong sense of competition ingrained, it was a strategy they could employ.

"Later, I even transformed and approached them while the real person was present."

"You weren't caught?"

"Hmph. I'm a master of politics."

Knowing the entire first-year class became his advantage.

It wasn't difficult for Kal to pass off the inexperienced real person as a fake.

"That's a bit unfair."

"If 500 people are trying to catch me, I have to be unfair."

Kal shrugged.

Thus, divided and even fighting amongst themselves, the first-years literally self-destructed.

It was natural for them to be dejected after being thoroughly manipulated by a single person.

Moreover, to speak coldly, Kal only truly fought in the first battle.

He was literally toyed with by a single Kal.

Chelsea shook her head.

"In my opinion, you need to change your nickname."

"To what?"

"Master of Tricks."

"Oh… that's rather appealing, isn't it?"

Chelsea giggled, watching Kal's sly grin.

"The first-years must have learned a lot."

Abad said with his characteristic gentle smile.

Strength isn't everything.

A seemingly obvious statement, but a difficult truth for the first-years to grasp.

Through Kal, they understood this deeply, so it could be considered a valuable experience from the first-years' perspective.

No one worried that they would hit a wall and be disheartened.

'If they can't overcome something like that, they aren't Lumern students.'

This was the common thought among the returning students.

-Next, we will have the freshmen representative's speech. The freshmen representative, Perena Hergin. Please come forward.

At the named student's name, the gaze of the third-year students simultaneously shifted to Eliza, who was sitting at the very front of the summon department seats.

Eliza, who had been sitting in her seat and filing her nails as if uninterested in the entrance ceremony, spread her filed fingers and said.

"What are you all looking at?"

Taking a breath, Eliza blew on her nails and looked at her classmates with indifferent eyes.

Juraden, who was sitting next to her and ranked third in the summon department, asked.

"Did your sibling enroll this year?"

"Yes."

"Is she as ill-tempered as you are?"

"Pfft!"

"Kuhkuhk!"

"Hahaha!"

"You're asking so directly!"

Laughter, trying to be suppressed, could be heard from all around.

Of course, those like Chelsea and Iliana were holding their stomachs and laughing openly.

"Do you want to die?"

It was at the moment Eliza stood up and yanked her whip with a sharp sound-!

-Third-years. All of you who were laughing and chatting just now, put your heads down on the training grounds.

Halind's chilling voice was heard.

At those words, the third-year students, with crestfallen faces, descended to the training grounds and knelt with their heads down.

All the resentful gazes turned towards Juraden, who had said the unnecessary words.

"No, I was just asking."

Juraden wore an expression of injustice.

Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded with a large number of third-years being punished.

No students tried to sneak away.

Since Halind was the one giving the punishment, if they pretended not to have been involved and were caught later, true hell would literally unfold.

"Pathetic creatures."

As Duran muttered, Celia opened her mouth as if in agreement.

"Honestly, they have no sense of urgency."

After a small commotion like that.

Perena ascended the podium.

-Respected professors and seniors of Lumern. I sincerely thank you for welcoming us, the new students…

Perena read her speech demurely and shyly.

-… The freshmen representative, Perena Hergin.

As Perena finished her speech and was about to step down from the podium, the announcer said.

-Perena student. Do you have any final words as a representative?

Perena, who had paused at the words, smiled shyly and said.

-I will be a student who works hard and does my best.

With those words, she quickly stepped down from the podium as if embarrassed.

Watching that sight, Chloe muttered.

"Eliza's sister is quiet. That's unexpected. Kal, how was she during the test earlier?"

"…"

Kal recalled Perena.

He remembered her ferocious demeanor, as if fighting for her life.

'She's a complete faker.'

"Well, looking at her like this, she seems like a lady from a noble family… but she's not as naive as one would expect to be admitted to Lumern."

Kal shrugged.

There was no reason to reveal the opponent's true nature when they were hiding it externally.

'If she plays her cards right, I might be able to use her later.'

-This concludes the entrance ceremony. From now on, please follow your assigned instructor to your dormitory by grade. That is all.

***

"Professor Artian!"

"Wow! Our instructor is a professor!"

The third-year students greeted Artian with delighted expressions.

"Everyone, did you have a good and enjoyable break?"

Artian welcomed the third-year students with a smile as warm as a spring day.

Artian was one of the most popular teachers at Lumern.

She was benevolent and kind, and famously lenient with grades.

Of course, while being a popular teacher, she was also a figure of fear.

This was, naturally, due to the spirits that possessed her when students disobeyed.

The Wall of Lamentation and the Rod of Punishment; never disobey Halind and Artian.

This was already common knowledge at Lumern.

"This time, I! will be in charge of the third-year Hero Studies and Combat Studies classes!"

"Combat… Studies?"

"Aren't you only teaching Hero Studies?"

The entire third-year class froze.

"Yes!"

When the third-year students first enrolled, Artian, who also joined then, was a professor in the summon department and only taught Hero Studies.

However, starting from the second semester of last year, she began concurrently teaching Combat Studies.

This was because Principal Rina judged that Artian, who could embody knight heroes and mage heroes, would be of great help in practical education.

Rina's judgment was accurate.

The problem was that Artian's Combat Studies class was strictly a matter of fist-to-fist combat.

As a result, the second-year students' Combat Studies class last year was filled with screams.

Seeing the frozen third-year students, Artian's closed eyes opened.

"Huh? Do you have a complaint?"

"Wow! This is exciting!"

"Haha! I love it!"

At Artian's menacing gaze, the third-year students erupted in joyous cheers.

"Everyone… you are so happy."

Slowly- Artian's eyes closed again, and she wore an expression of deep emotion.

The third-year students, unsure whether to laugh or cry, followed Artian's lead to the dormitories.

"By the way. Which dormitory will we be staying in this time?"

Last year, the third-year students were divided into three dormitories.

Instead of being divided into existing classes, they attended classes by dormitory and competed against each other.

"Will it be like that again?"

"Class president! Me! Me! Pick me again this time!"

Iliana stood next to Leo, dragging her suitcase, and pointed at herself with her finger.

"Hmm. Leo, Kal, do you know anything?"

In response to Chloe's question, Leo shook his head.

"Even the student council doesn't know anything about the dormitories."

"Hmm. For the second-years, will they be continuing the mentor system like last year? It wasn't bad, was it?"

"It was."

As the third-year students huddled together, contemplating the dormitory system and departmental structure.

"Everyone. Do you see that? That's the new dormitory building!"

Artian pointed towards a massive clock tower building.

"Are the entire third-year students using that?"

"Amazing! It's so luxurious!"

Cheers erupted among the third-year students.

Looking at the excited third-year students, Artian said.

"This time, we've decided to use the dormitories by department. Therefore, there are a total of three dormitories."

"Ah. That's why the buildings are shaped like a triangle."

"The towers at the ends must be the dormitory buildings."

"Are the rest all internal facilities? This is incredible."

The third-year students exclaimed in admiration.

"Professor Tina was in charge of the dormitory building design."

Tina Tinggel, an elf professor who came as a visiting professor to the magic department last year, officially became a professor this year.

"Professor Tina, who is so dedicated to experimentation, designed it? This is already making me uneasy."

Upon hearing that Tina was in charge of the building's design, Kal muttered with a worried expression.

"Professor! I have a question."

"Yes, student Chelsea."

"Which department's dormitory building will Leo-oppa be using?"

At that question, the entire third-year class showed expressions of curiosity.

Where would Leo, who was in all classes, go?

This was certainly a point of contention.

"After much deliberation by the faculty, it has been decided that student Leo will be provided with a separate dormitory room as an independent."

It was special treatment, but it was understandable.

No one at Lumern would express dissatisfaction or doubt about Leo receiving special treatment.

"What? Class president, you're a loner?"

"You are."

Iliana chuckled as she looked at Leo.

"I'll come visit often."

Iliana gave a thumbs up.

"Well then, everyone. I will now distribute your dormitory room keys."

Artian called out the students' names and distributed the keys.

The third-year students who received their keys looked puzzled.

"Everyone, please spin your keys in the air."

Without question, the students spun their keys.

At that moment.

"Oh?"

Leo exclaimed in admiration.

Before he knew it, Leo was in a vast room.

A room so spacious it didn't seem like a dormitory room.

Admiring his surroundings, Leo stepped out onto what appeared to be a terrace.

Creeaak-

Whooosh-!

A strong wind blew.

The entire panorama of Lumern, as well as the distant Lumeria Lake and Lumeria City, could be seen at a glance.

"The top of the clock tower."

Admiring the scenery, Leo re-entered the room.

And he tilted his head, looking at a single door on one side of the room.

"Is there another room?"

This one room alone was immense.

Yet, there was another room inside?

With a puzzled expression, Leo opened one of the doors and entered.

And…

"Huh? Ah! Chairman!"

"Young Master Leo?"

"Gasp! Class president! How did you get in here?"

Seeing the female students from the knight department, Leo slightly narrowed his brows.

"Where is this?"

"Young Master Leo, this seems to be the dormitory for the female students of the knight department. But why did you come out of the storage room?"

At those words, Leo went back through the door he entered.

Then, the scenery changed back to Leo's room.

Leo once again opened the same door and entered.

"Leo? Why are you coming out of the bathroom door?"

This time, Kal greeted him with a surprised expression.

"Is this the dormitory for male students of the magic department?"

"Yeah, it seems so. Hey, it looks like all the grades are using this dormitory building."

Hearing Kal's words, Leo clicked his tongue.

'It seems my room is connected to various places in each dormitory building.'