Book 1 Chapter 652
The morning class proceeded.
As expected at the beginning of the semester, all the students had a hectic time.
After lunch, it was time for the afternoon class.
Eliza spoke to Nella.
“Nella.”
“Yes. What is it, Eliza.”
“That’s offensive, fix it quickly.”
Eliza said, pointing at Illiana.
There, Illiana was reading with perfect posture.
All day today, Illiana had shown herself to be a perfect honor student.
She presented a flawless image as a student, treated those around her gently, and continued to read.
*Shhhhk-*
Even now, as she swept her hair back like Celia, gasps erupted among the first-year students gathered for the combat class.
Literally, a perfectly flawless honor student.
Naturally, from the perspective of the third-year students, that sight was burdensome.
Just then, Karl, who had been quietly watching Illiana, said.
“Now that I look closely, she seems to be imitating Celia, Chloe, and Nella.”
“Huh?”
At his words, Chelsea tilted her head.
“Why?”
“How would I know?”
“It’s offensive, let’s ask her why she’s doing that.”
Chelsea got up with an "Oochah!" and approached Illiana.
Nella followed behind Chelsea.
“Nella.”
“Yes. Why are you calling me, Karl?”
“Why are you taking that with you?”
Karl asked, pointing at the morning star held delicately in Nella’s hand.
“Just in case I might need to use it.”
Karl nodded, watching Nella give a wry smile.
‘Right, no matter how good-natured, a Lumen female student is still a Lumen female student.’
The place where Chelsea, Karl, and Nella took Illiana was behind the storeroom for combat class on the training ground.
“What’s going on?”
When Illiana asked with a bewildered face, Chelsea said.
“Be honest. Who are you.”
“What are you talking about, Chelsea? It’s your friend, Illiana.”
“Then why are you acting like you’re out of your mind?”
“I’m perfectly fine? Hehe. You’re saying strange things?”
Nella let out a small groan, “Ugh…,” watching Illiana cover her mouth and burst out laughing.
“Why?”
“It’s similar to me but somehow offensive. Did I make people feel that way too?”
Karl shook his head, looking at Nella worrying with a serious face.
“No way.”
“That’s right. Nella unnie. Nella unnie isn’t the problem. The problem is Illiana.”
“Should I really just lightly tap her head once?”
Karl stroked his chin, watching Nella ask while lifting her morning star.
“Hmm. It’s dangerous, but it seems like that’s the only way.”
“Okay.”
Nella stood before Illiana with a serious face, holding the morning star.
For a moment, Illiana looked flustered, seeing Nella truly about to strike her.
“Wait? Why are you doing this? Calm down, Nella.”
Nella spoke seriously, looking at Illiana who was still speaking in a calm voice.
“It might hurt a little, but bear with it, Illiana. This is all for your own good.”
“How is killing someone for my own good!”
Illiana screamed back.
“Thank goodness. It’s the usual Illiana.”
“What? She wasn’t out of her mind, she was just pretending all this time?”
“It was nothing after all.”
Nella let out a genuine sigh of relief, and Karl and Chelsea made expressions like, “I knew it.”
Just then, Eliza came looking behind the storeroom.
“Karl. Do you happen to have a potion for magical beasts?”
“Oh! Of course, customer!”
Karl quickly ran over to Eliza.
Eliza, indifferently taking out gold coins from her pocket, saw Illiana and said.
“You’ve returned to your usual Illiana Laden.”
“What kind of usual image do I have that they react like that just by looking at my face?”
“Unlike before, you’re making your usual scatterbrained expression now.”
Illiana flared up at Eliza’s sneer.
“Hey! Karl! Don’t trade with her! I buy a lot from you normally!”
“Eliza is a better customer than you, though?”
“Is our friendship worth less than your sales?!”
“Yes.”
“Gah!”
Illiana glared with both eyes, grabbed Karl, and shook him violently.
Chelsea looked at Illiana with a pathetic expression.
“Why did you put on such a terrible act?”
“Terrible, you say! Didn’t you see the first-years not knowing what to do because they were shy whenever they saw me?”
Illiana struck a proper pose and swept her hair back.
“That’s all because they’re captivated by my charm, I tell you?”
“Ah, I just realized why I felt offended.”
Chelsea frowned.
“That habit of sweeping her hair back. It’s exactly like Celia Zerdinger.”
“Heh. I did take some inspiration.”
Eliza looked at the smug Illiana with a pathetic expression.
“You mean you imitated Celia Zerdinger just to look good to the first-years? Are you an idiot?”
“Hey, hey. I didn’t just imitate Celia. I imitated Chloe too, and Nella too! And Chelsea!”
“Me?”
Chelsea looked confused.
“There was nothing similar to me?”
“Of course there was. You’re a pretender. I researched and applied how to hide your true nature.”
“What?”
“You took a lot of inspiration from my pretending act.”
“When did I ever pretend?”
When Chelsea frowned intensely, Illiana quickly screwed up her face.
“Are you an idiot? You don’t even know if you’re pretending or not?”
“Oh, it’s the usual Chelsea.”
“Her tone is insolent, it’s Chelsea Lewallen.”
Karl and Eliza said.
Chelsea’s small fist trembled for a moment.
“Oppa~ Leo Oppa~ Nella unnie~ guess what~”
“Hahahahahahaha! Exactly the same… *cough*!”
Karl burst out laughing, watching Illiana imitate Chelsea’s voice tone when she spoke to Leo, Avard, and Nella.
Naturally, Chelsea gave Karl a drop-kick without hesitation, then glared with wide eyes and charged at Illiana.
“Why! Why! I was just imitating your usual self!”
“When did I ever act that stupid!”
“Both of you, calm down.”
Nella put down the morning star in her hand and calmed the two squabbling individuals.
“Nella unnie! Illiana’s act just now isn’t like me, is it?”
“Hmm…”
“That’s mean!”
Chelsea made a pouting face.
“It’s just that the feeling and tone are similar. Of course, Chelsea has a much cuter vibe?”
“Right?”
“Ugh. Cute, she says.”
“Just die today.”
Chelsea growled, looking at Illiana who was interjecting from the side.
Eliza looked disdainfully at Karl, who was clutching his side and painfully getting up.
“Why do you get beaten up so foolishly?”
“I don’t get beaten up because I want to. If you felt sorry for me, why didn’t you help?”
“I don’t feel sorry. Shouldn’t you deal with what you caused?”
“How heartless.”
Karl clicked his tongue and stood straight.
“Anyway. So? You imitated the honor students?”
“Yep. I imitated Celia because her usual behavior is that of a perfect honor student, and Chloe because anyone can see she’s full of grace. Nella and Chen Siah are mature, so I debated who to imitate, but I thought if I started using honorifics, I’d really be treated as if I’d gone mad. So I imitated Nella.”
“You already looked quite mad.”
Eliza sneered.
Illiana pouted her lips, looking at Eliza.
Chelsea, who had been watching the situation with an annoyed expression, smiled slightly.
Karl subtly backed away, seeing that devilish smile.
“Why didn’t you imitate Eliza?”
“Eliza’s usual behavior is nothing more or less than a thug. No value in imitating her.”
Illiana snorted, “Heheheh!” Eliza’s eyes widened, and she tried to charge at Illiana, but Karl calmed her down.
“So. Why did you imitate the honor students anyway?”
Chelsea asked, crossing her arms, and Illiana replied.
“I did it to become very mature.”
“Do you think juniors will follow you if you’re mature? Your true nature will be revealed soon enough.”
“Whether my true nature will be revealed or not. Don’t we have to try it out to see how it goes? And I didn’t do this to show the juniors?”
“Then?”
“I was appealing to an unexpected charm. ‘Illiana Laden also has a mature side~’ Like that. I saw it in this book.”
Illiana showed the book she was reading.
When the cover was removed, the actual content was revealed.
“‘Even an Idiot Can Seduce the Opposite Sex’? What is this book with such a foolish title?”
Chelsea looked disdainful.
“Who are you trying to impress by reading a book like this?”
“Who else? The class president.”
“What?”
“The class president is mature, right? ‘Appeal to a mature opposite sex with mature charm.’ The book said that, so I followed it.”
“…”
Chelsea gaped, and Nella’s eyes widened.
Karl scratched his head.
Eliza curled her lips in a sneer.
“Why don’t you just strip naked and try to seduce him?”
“Ah! That! This book said that’s the ultimate move!”
“What kind of book is this?!”
Chelsea used wind to tear the book to shreds.
“What are you going to do by seducing Leo?”
Nella asked with a confused expression, and Illiana chuckled, “Hmph-”
“Become the First Lady!”
***
Chen Siah smiled brightly, hearing a noisy commotion from behind the school storeroom.
“It’s noisy again today,” Chen Siah said with a bright smile.
At her words, Celia let out a small sigh.
“I hope they don’t cause any trouble, you know.”
“With so many juniors, would they embarrass the whole grade?”
“Hmph, those idiots would certainly do more than that,” Duran snorted at Chen Siah’s words.
Celia nodded, as if agreeing for once.
Chen Siah, tilting her head at the two who, for once, were in agreement, said.
“By the way.”
“Huh?”
“How were Senior Elena and Senior Lil?”
Celia and Duran’s faces stiffened slightly.
“…They were strong.”
Celia made a resentful expression.
“I thought our skills were enough to win… we were inexperienced.”
“Wouldn’t the result be different if we fought once more?”
“If you’re testing us pointlessly, cut it out,” Duran frowned at Chen Siah’s words.
“You know that would be meaningless, don’t you?”
The test yesterday was, in the end, a mock battle.
But Celia and Duran, as well as everyone else present yesterday, knew.
Even if it was a mock battle, yesterday’s defeat was critical.
Yesterday, the third-year students clearly could have won against Elena and Lil.
But despite that, they lost twice.
The first defeat was the result of arrogance, not even considering Elena and Lil.
The second was a defeat due to lack of experience.
Both defeats meant that the third-year students were still inexperienced.
As Duran said, winning another fight is meaningless.
Because in a real battle, there wouldn’t be a second chance for them.
‘Starting from the third year, missions officially begin.’
While the first and second years were about mission training, from the third year, they had to officially solve problems occurring all over the world in Lumen’s name.
They would be officially risking their lives as hero candidates.
And it wasn’t just their own lives they were responsible for.
They would become responsible for the lives of many people before them.
“There’s no next time when lives are at stake.”
Chen Siah nodded at Duran’s words.
“Don’t forget that feeling.”
“Were you trying to give me advice?”
“Yes. Although we’re classmates, I’m older than Miss Celia and Mr. Duran, aren’t I?”
Chen Siah said, shrugging her shoulders.
“Seeing you both look so down made me feel bad.”
Celia let out a small sigh at Chen Siah’s words.
“You made us worry. But I don’t intend to stay depressed. We realized what our shortcomings are.”
Celia swept her hair back.
“From now on, I plan to fill in those gaps.”
“As expected of Miss Celia. A flawless honor student. In that sense, I, your elder sister, will give you one more lesson.”
Celia squinted her eyes, looking at Chen Siah who was fondly stroking her head, as if proud.
“Even so, please don’t treat me too much like a child.”
“What lesson are you planning to give?”
“Huh?”
Chen Siah’s eyes widened at Duran’s question.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“No, I thought Mr. Duran would be offended if I offered advice.”
“What do you take me for?”
“What do you take him for? Siah also thinks he’s an arrogant guy beyond compare, doesn’t she?”
“If you’re picking a fight, draw your sword, Celia Zerdinger.”
“That sounds good.”
“Come on, come on. Both of you, calm down.”
Chen Siah smiled brightly even amidst their fierce atmosphere.
“The lesson is nothing special. It’s to show you how the enemies we might fight from third year onward fight. And how you can fight once you overcome your shortcomings.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Chen Siah smiled at Celia, who looked bewildered, and walked away.
*Shh-pak-shh-pak-*
“What’s going on?”
“Young Master Leo.”
Chen Siah said, standing before Leo.
“Fight me.”