Book 1 Chapter 738

738.

Regardless of time and place, students who are freed from the pressure of exams always revel in their freedom.

No matter what the exam results are.

The week after the exams ended.

The first class for the third-years was Combat Studies.

In a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, Celia, who was always meticulous, pushed her hair back.

Then she checked today's lesson.

"We said today was a mock battle, right?"

Nela, who was carefully wiping her weapons with a cloth beside her, nodded at her words.

"Yeah."

"The professors really are something. To prepare a mock battle right after the midterms to definitely get the kids' relaxed mood in order."

Celia chuckled.

Moreover, today's mock battle was particularly meaningful.

The reason was that it was a mock battle fought with full power, just like a real battle.

Of course, mock battles at Lumern are always like real battles.

Sometimes there are battles where they get seriously injured or their lives are in danger.

But even so, the reason Celia looked forward to today's mock battle was simple.

A mock battle fought with full power didn't rely solely on skill.

It was a mock battle where you squeezed out all the means you possessed.

In this case, since it was influenced not only by skill but also by equipment, the results could be quite different from usual.

That's why the knights' academy students were unusually busy polishing their weapons.

Nela, putting down her cloth, smiled.

"It seems like it's just in time. I just got a new morning star."

Saying so, she swung her morning star in a whoosh- motion.

The students around them flinched.

"What's different from the last one?"

A male student asked with a puzzled look.

Celia answered instead.

"Judging by the sound, it seems to have gotten heavier?"

"Right. With this, I can shatter the enemy's head more easily."

Nela said with a slightly shy smile.

As she was called the most beautiful woman in the third year, her smile looked innocent and delicate.

Of course, that thought disappeared thanks to the menacing object in her hand.

"By the way."

Celia narrowed her brow.

"If it were him, he would have come early on a day like this and exuded unnecessary, fearsome killing intent, but he's not here today."

"Him? Ah, Duran?"

Nela nodded, then tilted her head.

"Come to think of it, Illiana isn't here either?"

Illiana wasn't usually one to come to class early, but she tended to arrive early for active classes like mock battles.

Amidst this, Avad walked past the knights' academy students.

Seeing him, gasps erupted from the female knights' academy students.

"He looks even more handsome today."

"Duran is good too, but I prefer Avad. His expression is soft, isn't it?"

"Right."

"I haven't really talked to Avad since I became a third-year."

"Hmph, I have, since we're in the same party."

"Ugh! I'm jealous."

Avad, who was one of the most handsome young men in the third year, had recently shed his youthful appearance and begun to mature.

As a result, his appearance shone even brighter, and his followers increased.

"Hmph. Pathetic, all of you."

Celia scoffed.

"What good does it do to praise the enemy's appearance? And what's so good about that greasy butterball?"

"You seem a bit cold to Avad lately? But you had a good atmosphere recently."

When Nela looked puzzled, Celia scowled.

"That never happened?"

"Hehehe, alright, let's leave it at that."

Nela covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"By the way. Why isn't that little thing not here today?"

Celia looked puzzled that Chelsea, who was usually inseparable from Avad, was nowhere to be seen.

"Isn't she coming with Leo?"

"Is that so?"

Celia, resting her chin, nodded.

Just then.

The training ground entrance began to get noisy.

"Huh? Why are Illiana and Duran coming together?"

Nela tilted her head.

Then her eyes widened.

Celia, who had been feigning disinterest, also looked surprised when she spotted the two.

Duran and Illiana were carrying a greatsword and light armor, respectively.

However, their items were all extraordinary.

When Duran, who had approached the gathering of knights' academy students, slumped down carelessly and put down his sword, the male students swarmed around him.

"Hey, Duran, what is that?!"

"What grade is that weapon, anyway?"

A greatsword with a faint blue glow.

Even Lightning Storm, the heirloom of the Moira Kingdom that Duran usually carried, was a formidable weapon, but this was on another level.

Duran replied annoyedly to the male students' questions.

"Be quiet."

And he closed his eyes.

His unfriendliness wasn't new, but it felt particularly cruel today.

Then the students' gazes naturally turned to Illiana.

A crowd of female knights' academy students had already gathered around Illiana.

"Illiana, what is that armor?"

"Where did you get it?"

"Wow, it's so pretty!"

"What's the grade?"

Gasps erupted.

Illiana, who usually enjoyed attention, puffed up her chest with pride.

"This? It's divine grade!"

"What?"

"Duran's greatsword is also a divine grade weapon. It belonged to Master Arion!"

Everyone looked astonished.

"Ah, perhaps it's a reward for conquering the Giant King."

"Hmph."

Illiana swept her hair back.

"Wow!"

"That's amazing!"

"Can I touch it just once?"

"Hey, no, you'll smudge it."

Illiana clutched the light armor to her chest.

Just then.

Woosh-!

The wing ornaments on Chelsea's shoes fluttered, and she flew through the air at incredible speed.

She was crossing the sky as if taking a light stroll, but her speed was unusual.

Thump-!

Chelsea landed in the center of the magic academy, and as expected, magic academy students gathered around her.

"Ooooh!"

"Chelsea, what is this!"

"Wow! Is this also something Master Dwenno made?"

"Yes!"

Chelsea hopped up and down in place.

Each time, a gust of wind was generated.

The students marveled at it.

'It's not just shoes for fast travel.'

Besides that, the training ground became even more boisterous when Karl and Eliza also brought out the divine grade weapons from Dwenno, which they received as conquest rewards.

"Brother, I'm sorry, but I'll be taking first place in today's mock battle."

Chelsea smiled meaningfully, and Avad smiled back.

"I won't lose easily either."

Celia, watching them from afar, scoffed.

"There always are those who are timid normally but become bold when they get good equipment."

It was a very quiet murmur, but it reached Chelsea's sensitive ears.

Chelsea turned her head sharply and looked at Celia.

Celia stared back at her without flinching.

'What?'

But it was slightly different from usual.

Normally, Chelsea would have glared with fierce eyes and gnashed her teeth before charging, but today, she looked at Celia with pity in her eyes.

Celia found that gaze even more irritating.

"What are you looking at?"

As Celia asked fiercely, watching Chelsea slowly approach her, Chelsea lifted her foot and said.

"You don't have anything like this, do you?"

"……."

It was a very simple provocation, but it was highly effective.

"Ah, the jealousy of one who has nothing."

"This!"

"I always thought jealousy was ugly, but my thoughts changed today. It's pathetic."

"Who's jealous, and who are you calling pathetic!"

"You."

As Celia lunged at Chelsea, Chelsea quickly ran away.

"Aren't you going to stop right there?!"

"Try and catch me."

Chelsea stuck out her tongue and ran away mischievously.

Thud-!

"Oof?"

But she ended up colliding with someone because she wasn't looking where she was going.

Chelsea was bewildered because she hadn't sensed any presence.

Despite running at tremendous speed, the person she collided with absorbed the impact completely.

As Chelsea looked up, enveloped by a soft touch that covered her entire face, Chen Xia was smiling.

"It's dangerous to run without looking ahead."

"Chen Xia! Hold onto that damned brat!"

As Celia snarled and tried to charge, someone put their hands under Celia's armpits from behind and lifted her.

"Why are you fighting again today?"

"Leo, don't hold me like this! Don't lift me in such a humiliating position!"

Celia, whose feet were off the ground, shouted.

Leo chuckled and put her down, and Celia immediately charged.

"Leo! Why didn't you take me on the last commission and took Chelsea instead!"

Seeing Celia ask with a murderous voice that seemed to spark fire, Leo calmly replied.

"Chelsea was more suited for the mission."

"I could have done it perfectly well too!"

"Yes, yes."

Leo took out a lollipop from his pocket and put it in Celia's mouth, who was shouting.

Crunch-!

"Don't treat me like a child!"

Celia bit and crushed the lollipop.

Leo patted Celia's head and looked at Chen Xia, who was holding Chelsea and smiling sweetly.

"Why are you teasing the child?"

"Ouch!"

Leo flicked Chelsea's forehead, and Chelsea pouted.

"But Celia picked a fight first."

At that, Leo said.

"There will be plenty of opportunities. And you know best that good equipment doesn't dictate skill, right?"

"Ugh."

Celia flinched at Leo's words, then nodded.

"Sorry, I got overexcited."

Chen Xia, who had been watching them, said.

"Now, you two, hold hands and make up."

"Are we children?"

"Right! Don't treat us like children!"

Both of them bristled at Chen Xia's words.

As Celia and Chelsea returned to their respective places, Leo let out a dry laugh.

"Sometimes I feel like a babysitter."

"Hehehe, but it looks good that you seem like peers, doesn't it?"

Chen Xia walked away with a smile.

Watching her retreating figure, Leo muttered to himself.

'You're peers too.'

***

Before class.

There was quite a commotion caused by the world conquerors of Dwenno.

As many students' envious gazes were fixed on the conquerors.

The professors in charge of Combat Studies appeared in the training ground.

"Today's class is a mock battle as previously announced."

Alby, checking the list in a bored voice.

"Then we will begin immediately."

"Aren't you going to create a bracket?"

Chloe asked, raising her hand, and Alby said.

"There's no need. The students I call should come up to the training field."

Gesturing to the vast training field, Alby opened his mouth.

"Illiana Laden!"

"Hmph! Am I number one!"

Illiana proudly tapped her armor.

Then she smiled confidently and quickly went up to the training field.

With eyes full of motivation, she waited for Alby to call the next student.

However, Alby, who had casually sat down on a chair, simply looked at the training field without a word.

Illiana looked bewildered.

"Professor Alby, who is my opponent?"

Leo answered instead.

"Look ahead."

"What?"

At Leo's words, not only Illiana but the entire student body looked straight ahead.

Illiana froze, and the entire student body inhaled sharply.

Rustle-

There, a beautiful woman was reading a book.

"Eh, you're kidding, right?"

As Illiana laughed awkwardly.

Tap-

Lisinas closed her book.

"You're Illiana Laden, right? Do your best."

"Save me."

"No, you can't."

Illiana, with a tearful expression, slapped her cheek and then adopted a determined look.

"Alright! I'll test my best! I'll push myself to my limits!"

"Oh, that's a good attitude."

Lisinas, who applauded, smiled.

And.

Roar-!

A colossal mana began to swirl.

Seeing that, Leo muttered.

"She's starting strong."

Rumble-!

The ground of the entire training ground shook.

Illiana's head was tilted further and further back.

And when she felt her neck ache, 'Clang-' she dropped the weapon in her hand without realizing it.

Thump-

Finally, Illiana foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Lisinas, who had returned to her true form as a black dragon, flapped her wings.

Whoosh-!

A fierce storm blew Illiana's body away like a fallen leaf.

Watching that, Celia, who was next to her, said in a dispirited voice.

"Isn't she unconscious?"

"It looks like she's faking being unconscious. Well, even if she really is unconscious, I don't think she'll hold back."

"What?"

"I think she'll just trample her."

As soon as those words were spoken, Lisinas, leading her giant true form, flew towards Illiana to trample her.

"Aaaaah?!"

Illiana, who had been faking unconsciousness, rolled like crazy and narrowly avoided the attack.

Lisinas, in her black dragon form, looked at Illiana and smiled majestically.

[Show me your potential, brats.]

Crack-!

Lisinas opened her mouth.

Flash! Roar-!

Breath aimed at Illiana.

"Save me!"

Illiana's scream echoed.

As the students swallowed nervously, watching that scene.

"It looks like today."

All eyes turned to Leo.

Faced with the gaze of his peers, Leo smiled softly.

"It would be best to consider them dead."