Book 1 Chapter 69

【69】68

The next morning.

Students from Lumern and Seirun gathered in the center of the accommodation.

Halind and Herdium each led their students.

Leo and Lunia were assisting with the guidance as class representatives.

"Wait a minute? Isn't that Eiran?"

A Seirun student said in a surprised voice.

At those words, Lunia's eyes widened and she turned her head.

Then she saw Eiran trailing hesitantly behind Rune.

The Seirun students also began to murmur upon seeing Eiran.

"Eiran student!"

Herdium approached Eiran with a surprised expression.

"Ah, hello. Teacher Herdium."

"Eiran student! You've decided to come back to school after hearing what I said!"

Eiran offered an awkward smile at her homeroom teacher, who beamed with pride.

Herdium had also had private meetings with Eiran, her assigned student, since coming here.

Herdium felt regret, as Eiran, who possessed outstanding talent, had refused to attend school at some point.

"Thank you for your concern, Rune-gun."

"Not at all, Rune-teacher. Ah, you are the Grand Council President now."

"Eiran. Do you know how worried I was when you returned home without a word?"

"Lunia-yang. Well, that is…"

"Is your health any better?"

The school had been informed that Eiran was ill and resting at home.

As Eiran, flustered by Lunia's emotionless approach and barrage of questions, was about to respond, Leo approached.

"Are you participating in this commission too?"

"Ah! Leo-nim."

Dressed in Seirun's uniform, Eiran was undeniably a capable hero academy student.

Seeing Eiran smile brightly at Leo, Lunia paused and furrowed her brow.

'Why is Eiran, who barely talks to me, so friendly with this guy?'

"I'll go greet the Lumern students too."

"Alright."

Lunia watched with a slightly pleased look as Eiran went to greet the Class 5 students, with whom she had become friendly overnight.

Meanwhile, Lunia's face contorted slightly as she saw Eiran conversing warmly with the Lumern students.

"Leo-kun."

Lunia, who had instantly donned the guise of a model student, called out to Leo with a sweet smile.

"Can we talk for a moment, just the two of us?"

With a look that seemed to say, 'Why is she acting like this again?', Leo followed her into a deserted alley.

"Hey. How did you do it? Why is Eiran acting friendlier towards you than me?"

Leo replied, looking at the suddenly changed Lunia with a curious expression.

"It seems I make her more comfortable than you."

"Does that even make sense? How long have you known Eiran?"

"About two days?"

"That makes even less sense! I'm her school friend!"

"Eiran was afraid of you."

"What? That's impossible."

"She said that the way you acted during the duel assessment was so scary that she thought you hated her."

"That was because I was focused on the duel. Eiran's skill was so exceptional that I couldn't guarantee victory."

"Then why didn't you look out for her? Eiran seemed to want to be friends with you."

Eiran had said she admired the confident Lunia.

"Look out for her? For an excellent student like Eiran? Wouldn't that be disrespectful to Eiran?"

While helping others was a virtue for elves, offering unsolicited help to an equal could be seen as patronizing.

It seemed Lunia, recognizing Eiran as an equal rival, had stopped doting on her.

'Their personalities are polar opposites.'

The difference in the two girls' thinking seemed to have been a barrier to their friendship.

"Take care of her. She seems like someone you should look after."

Even at Leo's words, Lunia wore a look of incomprehension.

As they returned to where the students were gathered, Lunia asked.

"Ah. Speaking of which, are you really an all-class?"

"Yes."

"Really? Is that truly possible?"

"If you don't believe me, why did you ask?"

"Because it sounds like something out of a fairy tale."

At Lunia's words, Leo simultaneously released his aura, magic, and spiritual energy.

Seeing that, Lunia's jaw dropped.

Leo smiled at Lunia, who looked incredulous.

"It seems we'll have to set a date and have a proper duel, you and I."

"Didn't I win the duel?"

"That wasn't a proper duel, was it?"

Lunia smiled sweetly and crossed her arms.

"The stronger my opponent, the more I feel the need to see it through to the end."

"Yes. Yes. I'll face you if the opportunity arises."

This was when Leo and Lunia were talking.

Stomp- stomp-

Students in Seirun uniforms appeared in the distance.

It was Seirun's upperclassmen.

The twenty of them lined up before the first-year students with discipline.

A male student, who seemed to be their representative, stepped forward.

"Teacher Herdium. All second-year students have received the request for the commission and have arrived."

"Oh! Is Rauta student also here?"

"Yes."

"Your thesis on the magic of stars! I read it with great interest!"

"I'm glad Teacher Herdium thinks highly of it."

"It's Rauta student's skill, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I heard something strange. Teacher Herdium."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard that the magic of the founder has been deciphered, and it was a Lumern student who did the deciphering."

"Rauta, it's a baseless rumor."

"Why would you make things difficult for Teacher Herdium by saying such things?"

The other second-year students chuckled at Rauta's question.

"That rumor is true."

"What?"

"Here, Leo Flove, the first-year representative from Lumern, succeeded in deciphering that magic."

Herdium introduced Leo with a smile.

Seirun's second-year students looked incredulous.

After a moment of stern expression, Rauta adopted a relaxed demeanor in front of Leo.

"Your name is Leo, right? To decipher the founder's magic. That's truly remarkable. My name is Rauta Algraya. I'm from Seirun's Class 2, Upper Division."

"My name is Leo Flove."

Leo shook Rauta's outstretched hand and introduced himself.

"……?"

In that moment, Leo's eyes caught sight of a black ring on Rauta's hand.

As Leo's gaze shifted to the ring, Rauta quickly released Leo's hand and looked at Lunia.

"And you are Lunia El Lundaji? It's an honor to meet such a famous first-year representative."

"You're too kind."

"I'll be watching your skills in this commission."

After saying that, Rauta patted Lunia on the shoulder and returned to the second-year students.

"He doesn't seem like a good senior."

"You can tell that at a glance?"

"His face was smiling, but his eyes weren't."

Lunia sighed at Leo's words.

"I heard they look down on lower and middle division students, but act like model students in front of teachers."

"It seems there are such people everywhere."

Leo chuckled.

Meanwhile, Seirun's second-year students were conversing warmly with the first-year students.

"My club's second-year seniors only think about teasing me."

"Can the relationship between first and second-year students be this cordial?"

Class 5 looked envious, watching Seirun's second-year students take care of their juniors.

Leo returned to Class 5 with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong, everyone?"

"Leo, you wouldn't know because you're not in any clubs. Our school's second-year students only see juniors as toys or labor."

Kal shook his head, muttering.

"Compared to them… Wow, I'm envious. So envious."

While most of the students looked on with envy.

Halind and Herdium gathered the students.

"We will now begin team assignments. The assignments will be by lottery, and the team leader will be a second-year student from Seirun."

After Halind finished speaking, the first-year students drew lots.

Teams were formed with four first-year students and one second-year student.

"Leo! Which group did you draw?"

"Group 1."

"Oh! I'm in Group 1 too!"

Kal said with a pleased expression and went to where the team leader was.

The team leader for Group 1 was none other than Rauta.

"You are Lumern's Group 1, aren't you? Please take care of us."

"We look forward to working with you!"

Kal greeted cheerfully.

A moment later, Seirun's first-year students arrived.

It was Lunia and Eiran.

"Are you Group 1?"

"Is Leo-nim also in Group 1?"

"Yes."

Eiran's face brightened slightly upon seeing Leo.

"Please take care of us, Eiran-yang."

"Kal-nim, please take care of us too."

Lunia narrowed her eyes, watching them.

'She was so timid in front of me just a moment ago, but her face brightens as soon as she sees Leo.'

She recalled Leo's words from earlier about taking care of her.

'I can take good care of her too!'

"Eiran, come here. You should greet our senior first."

"S-sorry!"

Lunia scowled at Eiran's apologetic posture as she hunched her shoulders.

"Eiran. Don't be so pathetic. You're a Seirun grade representative too. So, be more confident…"

"I-I'm sorry for being pathetic! I'm sorry that someone like me is a grade representative!"

Eiran, thinking Lunia was angry, bowed her waist and apologized.

"Ah, no. I didn't mean it that way!"

Lunia, who had intended to encourage Eiran, was flustered when it had the opposite effect.

"Grade representative? Eiran-yang was also a grade representative?"

"Yes. Eiran is Seirun's first-year second-ranked student."

"Oh? That's impressive!"

While in Lumern, only the top-ranked student becomes a grade representative, in Seirun, students ranked first through third become grade representatives.

Lunia, who had calmed Eiran, greeted Rauta.

"Senior Rauta. Please take care of us."

"Y-yes, please take care of us, Senior."

"It's an honor to guide the grade representatives."

Rauta smiled faintly.

"Well, two of the first-year grade representatives are tarnishing the school's name, though."

At those words, Eiran's face turned pale.

Lunia's face stiffened.

"Senior. Aren't your words a bit excessive?"

"Lunia, you are undoubtedly an exceptionally gifted student. But Eiran and Luca here are not."

Rauta said bluntly.

"A grade representative who refuses to attend school, and a mixed-race grade representative. Do you know how the second-year students view these first-year students?"

Lunia's face contorted.

'Ugh! Seriously! If he weren't a senior, I'd just smash his face in!'

Lunia was well aware of how other grade representatives viewed the first-year representatives.

Indeed, in Seirun, where authority is strong, there were rumors about Eiran and Luca, other than Lunia.

'But Eiran and Luca earned that position solely through their abilities!'

"Second-year students, please assemble."

"I'm going to go, so get ready."

After Rauta left, Lunia stomped her feet and growled.

"He's so annoying! I'll smash his face in one day!"

"Oh! Such spirit!"

Lunia quickly turned her head as Kal chuckled and gave her a thumbs-up.

"So, the model student act was just a facade!"

"Why do you think that?"

"I knew from the moment you grabbed Leo's collar on the first day."

Kal, chuckling, extended his hand.

"I'm Kal Thomas."

"You're an interesting one. I'm Lunia El Lundaji."

Shedding her model student facade, Lunia shook hands with Kal with gusto.

"By the way, he really talks trash, doesn't he? Don't you think so, Leo?"

Kal said, resting his clasped hands behind his head and grumbling.

"He definitely talks harshly."

"Hmph! It's probably because he's full of inferiority complex."

"Is there a reason for an upperclassman to have an inferiority complex?"

"I heard he was in the lower division until his first year. It seems he suddenly grew to the level of an upperclassman when he came to the second year."

Leo paused at Lunia's words.

"His skill suddenly improved?"

"Yes. That's why he was a huge issue throughout Seirun from the beginning of the semester. He's the talk of the town this semester."

'His grades suddenly improved?'

Recalling the incident during the mid-term exams, Leo narrowed his eyes and looked at Rauta.

'Could it be?'