Book 1 Chapter 69
【69】68
The next morning.
Students from Lumerne and Seirun gathered in the middle of the accommodation.
Halinde and Herdium each led the students under their charge.
It was then that Leo and Lunia were assisting in the guidance as class representatives.
“Wait? Isn’t that Eiran?”
A Seirun student said in a flustered voice.
At those words, Lunia opened her eyes wide and turned her head.
And she found Eiran timidly following behind Rune.
Seirun students also started to murmur upon seeing Eiran.
“Eiran student!”
Herdium also approached Eiran with a surprised expression.
“Ah, hello. Teacher Herdium.”
“Eiran student! You decided to come back to school after hearing my words!”
Eiran gave an awkward smile, looking at her homeroom teacher who was smiling proudly.
Since coming here, Herdium had also had private interviews with Eiran, who was her student.
As Eiran, who possessed outstanding talent, had refused to attend school from a certain point, Herdium felt regret.
“Thank you for your concern, Herdium.”
“Not at all, Teacher Rune. Ah, you’re the Grand Council President now, aren’t you?”
“Eiran. Do you know how worried I was when you went back to your main house without a word?”
“Miss Lunia. Th-that is….”
“Are you feeling better now that you were sick?”
It was known at school that Eiran was sick and resting at home.
As Eiran became flustered watching Lunia approach with an expressionless face and ask her various questions, Leo came closer.
“Are you participating in this request too?”
“Ah! Sir Leo.”
Eiran, dressed in Seirun’s school uniform, was clearly a full-fledged hero cadet in anyone’s eyes.
Lunia paused, then furrowed her brow, watching Eiran smile brightly at Leo.
‘Eiran, who doesn’t even talk much with me, why is she so friendly with this guy?’
“I’ll go greet those Lumerne people too.”
“Okay.”
He looked somewhat contentedly at Eiran going to greet the Class 5 students she had become close with overnight.
Meanwhile, Lunia’s face slightly contorted as she saw Eiran chatting warmly with the Lumerne students.
“Leo.”
Lunia, who had instantly put on her honor student facade, smiled faintly and called Leo.
“Could we talk for a moment, just the two of us?”
He followed her into a deserted alley, with a look on his face that said, ‘What’s up with her again?’
“Hey. How on earth did you do that? Why is Eiran acting friendlier towards you than me?”
Leo looked at the changed Lunia with a curious expression as they were left alone, and replied.
“It seems like she’s more comfortable with me than you.”
“Does that even make sense? How long have you known Eiran?”
“At most, two days?”
“That makes even less sense! I’m her school friend!”
“Eiran seemed scared of you, though?”
“What? No way.”
“She said that the way you acted during the duel evaluation was so scary that she thought you started to dislike her.”
“That’s just because I was focused on the duel, you know? Eiran’s skill was so exceptional that I couldn’t guarantee a win myself.”
“Then why didn’t you take care of her a bit? It seems Eiran wanted to be friends with you too.”
Eiran had said that she admired Lunia, who was confident in everything.
“Take care of her? A talented student like Eiran? Wouldn’t that be rude to Eiran, rather?”
For elves, helping others was a virtue, but carelessly offering help to an equal could be seen as disrespect.
It seemed Lunia recognized Eiran as an equal rival and no longer looked after her as she used to.
‘Their personalities are polar opposites.’
The difference in the two girls’ ways of thinking seemed to have become an obstacle to them becoming friends.
“Take care of her. It seems like she needs someone like you to look after her.”
Even at Leo’s words, Lunia wore a bewildered expression.
As they returned to where the students were gathered, Lunia asked.
“Oh. Speaking of which, are you really an All-Class?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? Is that truly possible?”
“If you’re not going to believe me, why did you ask?”
“Because it sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”
At Lunia’s words, Leo simultaneously released aura, magic, and spiritual power.
Seeing that, Lunia’s mouth fell open.
Leo smiled at Lunia, who wore an incredulous expression.
“It seems I’ll have to pick a day and properly test my skills against you.”
“Didn’t I win the duel?”
“That wasn’t a proper duel, was it?”
Lunia smiled faintly and crossed her arms.
“You see, I’m the type who can’t rest until I’ve gone all the way against an opponent, the stronger they are.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll take you on if I get the chance.”
It was then that Leo and Lunia returned and conversed.
Thud- Thud-
Students in Seirun’s school uniform appeared from a distance.
They were none other than the upperclassmen of Seirun.
The twenty of them lined up orderly in front of the first-years.
A male student, who appeared to be their representative, stepped forward.
“Teacher Herdium. All the second-years received the request and have just arrived.”
“Oh! Student Lauta is here too?”
“Yes.”
“Your paper on ‘Star Magic’ this time! I found it truly fascinating to read.”
“I’m glad Teacher Herdium saw it in a good light.”
“Isn’t it thanks to Student Lauta’s skill?”
“Yes, but I heard something strange, Teacher Herdium.”
“What did you hear?”
“They say the progenitor’s magic has been deciphered, and it was a Lumerne student who did it.”
“Lauta. It’s just a rumor.”
“Why would you say such a thing to Teacher Herdium and make things awkward?”
At Lauta’s question, the other second-years let out a hollow laugh.
“That rumor is true.”
“What?”
“Here, Lumerne’s first-year representative, Student Leo Plov, succeeded in deciphering that magic.”
Herdium smiled and introduced Leo.
The second-years of Seirun wore incredulous expressions.
Lauta, who had a stiff expression for a moment, soon wore a relaxed expression in front of Leo.
“You said your name was Leo, right? Deciphering the progenitor’s magic. That’s truly amazing. My name is Lauta Algraia. I’m in Seirun’s second-year, advanced class 2.”
“My name is Leo Plov.”
Leo introduced himself, taking Lauta’s outstretched hand.
“……?”
At that moment, Leo’s eyes caught sight of a black ring on Lauta’s hand.
As Leo’s gaze turned towards the ring, Lauta quickly released Leo’s hand and then looked at Lunia.
“And you’re Lunia El Lundiazi? It’s an honor to meet the famous first-year representative.”
“You flatter me.”
“I’ll be watching your skills in this request.”
Having said that, Lauta patted Lunia’s shoulder and returned to the second-years.
“He doesn’t seem like a good senior.”
“You can tell that at a glance?”
“Because his face was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.”
At Leo’s words, Lunia sighed.
“I heard he just despises the lower and intermediate classes. And then he pretends to be a model student in front of the teachers.”
“It seems there are people like that everywhere.”
Leo let out a small laugh.
Meanwhile, the Seirun second-years were chatting warmly with the first-years.
“Our club’s second-year seniors only think about teasing me.”
“Could the relationship between first and second-years be that close?”
Class 5 students looked envious, watching the Seirun second-years taking care of their juniors.
Leo, who had returned to Class 5, wore a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong with everyone?”
“Leo, you don’t do club activities, so you wouldn’t know, right? Our school’s second-years only see juniors as toys or labor.”
Kal shook his head and said.
“Compared to that, over there… Ugh, I’m envious. So envious.”
While most of the class students cast envious glances.
Halinde and Herdium gathered the students.
“We will now begin group formation. Groups will be formed by drawing lots, and the group leader will be a second-year student from Seirun.”
After Halinde finished speaking, the first-year students drew lots.
Each group was formed with four first-years and one second-year.
“Leo! Which group did you draw?”
“Group 1.”
“Oh! I’m in Group 1 too!”
Kal went to where the group leader was, with an expression that implied things had turned out well.
The leader of Group 1 was none other than Lauta.
“So you’re the Lumerne Group 1. Please take care of things.”
“Please take care of us!”
Kal greeted cheerfully.
A moment later, the Seirun first-years arrived.
They were none other than Lunia and Eiran.
“Are you two in Group 1?”
“Is Sir Leo also in Group 1?”
“Yes.”
Eiran’s face brightened slightly upon seeing Leo.
“Please take care, Miss Eiran.”
“Please take care of us too, Sir Kal.”
Lunia furrowed her brow watching that scene.
‘The kid who was watching my every move like a mouse before a cat just now, brightened up immediately upon seeing Leo.’
Leo’s words from earlier, about taking care of her, came to mind.
‘I can take good care of her too!’
“Eiran, come here. You should greet our senior first.”
“S-sorry!”
Lunia frowned at her shrinking her shoulders and apologizing.
“Eiran. Don’t act so submissive. You’re Seirun’s class representative too. In that case, have a bit more confidence….”
“I-I’m sorry for being submissive! I’m sorry that someone like me is the class representative!”
Eiran, thinking Lunia was angry, bowed at the waist and apologized.
“N-no. I wasn’t trying to say that!”
Lunia, who had intended to encourage Eiran, was flustered when it backfired instead.
“Class representative? Miss Eiran was a class representative too?”
“Yes. Eiran is Seirun’s first-year second top student.”
“Oh? That’s amazing!”
Unlike Lumerne, where only the top student in the entire school becomes the class representative, in Seirun, the top three students become class representatives.
Lunia, having calmed Eiran, greeted Lauta.
“Senior Lauta. Please take good care of us.”
“Y-yes, please take good care of us, Senior.”
“It’s an honor to lead the class representatives.”
Lauta smiled faintly.
“Well. Two of the first-year class representatives are tarnishing the school’s name, though.”
At those words, Eiran’s face turned pale.
Lunia’s face hardened.
“Senior. Aren’t your words a bit too harsh?”
“Lunia. You are clearly a very outstanding student. But Eiran and Luka here are not.”
Lauta said flatly.
“A class representative who refuses to attend school, and a mixed-race class representative. Do you even know how the second-years view these first-years?”
Lunia’s face contorted.
‘Ugh! Seriously! If he weren’t a senior, I’d totally ram into him!’
Lunia also knew well how the seniors viewed the first-year representatives.
It was certainly true that in Seirun, where the sense of authority was strong, there were rumors circulating about the other class representatives, Eiran and Luka, excluding Lunia.
‘But Eiran and Luka earned their positions purely by skill!’
“Second-years, please assemble.”
“I’ll be back, so get ready.”
As Lauta left, Lunia stomped her feet, thumping! thumping! and growled.
“He’s awful! Someday, I’ll catch him and smash his face in!”
“Oh! So full of force, aren’t you?”
Lunia sharply-! turned her head, and Kal laughed, giving her a thumbs-up.
“As expected, the honor student look was a facade!”
“Why did you think that?”
“I knew it from the first day, when you grabbed Leo by the collar.”
Kal chuckled and extended his hand.
“I’m Kal Thomas.”
“You’re an interesting kid. Lunia El Lundia.”
Lunia, having thrown off her honor student facade, shook hands with Kal coolly.
“Anyway, what he said was really awful. Don’t you agree, Leo?”
Kal grumbled, placing his interlocked hands behind his head.
“His words were certainly harsh.”
“Hmph! He must be saying that because he’s a ball of inferiority complex.”
“Is there a reason for an advanced class student to have an inferiority complex?”
“I heard he was in the lower class until first year. It seems he suddenly grew to advanced class level in his second year.”
At Lunia’s words, Leo paused.
“His skills suddenly improved?”
“Yes. That’s why he’s been a huge topic of discussion throughout Seirun since the beginning of the semester. He’s the talk of the semester.”
‘His grades suddenly improved?’
Leo, recalling the incident during the mid-term exams, squinted his eyes and looked at Lauta.
‘Could it be?’
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