Book 1 Chapter 740

740.

Iliana, who had been struck by Lysinas's tail and sent flying, got back up.

'It feels like I was hit by… a battering ram…!'

Pain beyond imagination.

Literally, it felt like her body was crumbling.

The intense pain that spread with every muscle movement made it difficult to move her body.

Thud-!

The ground trembled as Lysinas descended.

Iliana bit her lip hard.

Overwhelmed by the Dragon Fear emanating from Lysinas, she couldn't think straight.

Iliana's mind, plunged into panic, was utterly confused.

'What should I do? What should I do?'

Should I surrender like this?

Or? Should I just give up quietly?

'If it were the class president… what would he have done?'

At that moment, Leo's image came to her mind.

After thinking that far, Iliana felt her chaotic mind calm down.

'If it were the class president…'

Clench-!

She clutched her sword and used it as a staff to get up.

'He would have fought back!'

A fighting spirit flickered in Iliana's eyes.

'Look closely at Lady Lysinas!'

She had been hit squarely by Lysinas's attack only once so far.

Of course, even just grazing or dodging caused immense shock, but Iliana was, in any case, avoiding Lysinas's attacks.

'If I can dodge, that means I can counterattack.'

Hum-!

Magical power shimmered.

Accordingly, Dragonic magic was activated.

Iliana moved her body amid the flashes of light pouring from all directions.

'Focus!'

Iliana's eyes followed the trajectories of light targeting her.

'Light magic is my specialty!'

Subtle waves of magical power.

Taking in each movement of light with her eyes, Iliana dodged all of Lysinas's complex magical attacks.

Everyone widened their eyes at her astonishing movements.

Clench-!

Iliana clenched her hand.

With that, a subspace opened, revealing Iliana's spear.

Gritting her teeth, Iliana threw the spear straight at Lysinas.

Whoosh-! Flash-!

Iliana's spear, flying like a bullet of light.

The spear, armed with magic and aura, pierced Lysinas directly.

Boom-!

Shards of light scattered in all directions.

However, Iliana's attack was blocked by Lysinas's scales and futilely bounced off.

But Iliana, who had approached right in front of Lysinas at incredible speed, swung her sword.

"Hyaaaah!"

The moment Iliana's aura, accompanied by a battle cry, was about to cut Lysinas.

Lysinas simply crushed Iliana with her hand.

Smash-!

The third-year students tightly closed their eyes, watching Iliana being miserably crushed.

"…You're so big… This reaction speed is cheating…"

Lysinas, removing her hand at Iliana's words, smiled faintly.

[Are you done?]

Swish-

At that question, Iliana propped herself up with her hand on the floor and stood.

Iliana, staggering as she got up, raised her sword.

"No way."

Iliana, pointing her sword, smiled.

The Dragon Fear emanating from Lysinas was still present.

But Iliana was not terrified as she had been just moments ago.

'Is this recklessness?'

She thought so for a moment, but fear was clearly visible in Iliana's eyes.

She hadn't forgotten the fear.

She had overcome it.

[You've done enough of what you can do.]

Lysinas said with sincerity.

She succeeded not only in escaping but also in counterattacking.

Of course, the attack caused no damage, but fighting against the King of Wisdom like this was impressive enough.

Even Lysinas had not expected Iliana, who was just a young girl, to go this far.

Yet, Iliana tried to fight more.

She squeezed her unmoving body, refusing to give up.

This was in stark contrast to how she had been just moments ago, terrified and trying to escape at all costs.

"I'm not that smart…"

Iliana smiled.

"Just a moment ago, I only wanted to run away, but now I don't want to give up."

[Why?]

"Because if I give up here now, I feel like I'll just give up the same way next time too."

It was truly a sudden thought.

If she confronted this fear.

The expectation that she could advance further.

"Besides…"

[Besides?]

"The class president surely wouldn't have given up."

[…]

Lysinas silently looked at Iliana.

'The class president… Kyle would have done this…'

Various aspects were visible in Iliana, reflected in Lysinas's eyes.

Arion's figure confronting fear.

Luna's, striving to make the impossible possible.

Dwenno's unwavering figure.

And Leo's figure, who never gives up.

Finally… her own figure, finding hope even in the face of despair.

'So that's it.'

Lysinas closed her eyes.

It was definitely being conveyed.

The things that those called great heroes, including herself, had pursued.

Seeing a girl who had surpassed her limits by far, as if embodying the school's motto, gathering all those qualities, she couldn't help but smile.

Flash-

With a bright flash, Lysinas returned to her original form.

"Passed."

"I… I just got beaten up?"

"Were you really planning to land a blow on me?"

Lysinas, bursting into laughter, patted Iliana's head.

With that, Iliana's body recovered.

"Ohh."

As Iliana's face relaxed considerably, Lysinas spoke.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of hero you'll become."

At those words, Iliana's eyes widened.

To hear such words from the King of Wisdom?

It was an immense honor that would be remembered throughout history.

Iliana, smiling shyly, blushed and didn't know what to do.

Lysinas gently pushed Iliana's back.

Smiling brightly, Iliana returned to her seat.

"Alright, then. Next up is Duran Moira."

At Albi's call, seeing the mock battle concluded, everyone's gaze turned to Duran.

When Duran clenched his fist, sparks flew.

Duran, getting up from his seat, respectfully greeted Lysinas.

The mock battle began.

"Class President! Class President! Lady Lysinas praised me!"

Iliana ran up to Leo, beaming, and bounced around.

"Aren't you jealous? Aren't you jealous?!"

"I am jealous."

"Ahem!"

Leo smiled, watching Iliana puff out her chest and shrug her shoulders.

Seeing that, Karl said.

"Being praised by Lady Lysinas, that's nice."

"Ohohoho! Yes! Be even more jealous."

"I'm really jealous."

"Me too."

"Huh?"

When Chelsea and Chen Shia also chimed in, Iliana was flustered.

"What's wrong with you guys? Normally you'd scoff or say something sarcastic, right? Why are you genuinely jealous?"

"No, we really are jealous."

"That's right."

As Chelsea and Chen Shia's gloomy reactions continued, Iliana, frightened, hid behind Leo.

"Cl-Class President. They're weird!"

This mock battle is not a test judged by individual skill.

It's a test where one must utilize everything they've learned to be acknowledged by the King of Wisdom.

As such, neither Chelsea nor Chen Shia was confident they could pass the test.

What awaited them even more was Leo's special training.

"D-don't be too pressured! You guys will definitely be recognized too!"

In the end, a rare sight unfolded: Iliana comforting Chelsea and Chen Shia.

'They move forward like that, pushing each other, pulling each other, and helping each other.'

Leo, who had been watching that scene with a slight smile, soon looked back at the training ground.

Duran's battle began.

***

All students who had finished the mock battles returned to their dorms with heavy steps.

By the time the mock battles ended, the sun had already set, and it was a dark night.

Lysinas, who remained on the parade ground, stretched.

"Ugh~ It feels good to stretch my body."

Leo approached Lysinas, who was smiling refreshingly, and asked.

"How are they? The third-year students."

"They were all great."

Lysinas smiled brightly.

"Among them, some outstanding children were even more amazing. You must have had a lot of trouble."

It wasn't very difficult to figure out who the third-year students had been influenced by.

At Lysinas's words, Leo sighed.

"Yes, a lot of trouble. Thanks to that, I thought of you often."

Lysinas chuckled.

"So? Have you thought of some party members?"

"Celia and Abbad, Chen Shia and Chloe. And Woredun. I'll take these five first."

Lysinas conducted this mock battle not only to assess the skills of the hero candidates of this era but also for another reason.

It was to personally select individuals who would be active in the Kingdom of Debian.

The moment she learned that one of Erebus's fragments had revived and begun its activities.

She couldn't just stand by and watch the situation indefinitely.

As the King of Wisdom, Lysinas resolved to destroy one of the fragments.

"Is it the fourth-year students tomorrow?"

Lysinas hummed.

"You seem happy."

"I am happy. Unlike 5000 years ago, this era is overflowing with talented people."

"Indeed."

Leo let out a wry laugh.

Thinking about how he had racked his brain to form the subjugation team, it truly felt like a different world.

As Leo opened the door to his dorm room, Lysinas entered.

Then, upon discovering the painting in front of her, she involuntarily froze.

"Ah…? Dwenno?"

A painting so vibrant it looked as if it could come alive at any moment.

Leo said, watching Lysinas stare at the painting with bewildered eyes.

"It's a painting obtained as a conquest reward from Dwenno's world."

"Ah… but to think there's someone other than Dwenno who can paint this well… It's surprising?"

Lysinas, admiringly, looked at the elf next to Dwenno in the painting, who was painting just like Dwenno.

"This is Dwenno's work though?"

Lysinas could easily discern that the painting styles of the two pictures were different.

Of course, both paintings were artworks that would be considered excellent anywhere.

"Who is it?"

"The elf Dwenno loved."

Lysinas made a surprised expression.

"Tell me in detail! In detail!"

She was more excited than usual for Lysinas.

And rightly so, as it was a situation where she could hear an old story about a friend she didn't know.

In response to Lysinas's reaction, Leo told her the story of Dwenno and Enniha.

"Wow… So that pervert became obsessed with beautiful things."

Lysinas, who had been admiring, made a strange expression.

"Then he must have made such eccentric demands to this elf too, right?"

"It seems he learned the request to be a nude model from Enniha."

"They were soulmates, then."

Lysinas clicked her tongue.

Then she rested her chin on her hand and looked at the painting.

"Still, it's fortunate. That he could achieve what he wanted, even after death."

Lysinas, genuinely relieved, asked.

"So? What kind of child is this heir of Dwenno?"

"A female Dwenno."

"How did she end up like that?"

"How would I know? But her talent in art is absolutely terrible. So much so that Dwenno told her to quit art."

"She never listens, right?"

"How did you know?"

"You said she was a female Dwenno."

Lysinas chuckled.

"What about Arion's heir?"

"There is, a cat."

Lysinas's eyes sparkling as she listened to the story of Ar, whose personality was the complete opposite of Arion.

"What about Luna's heir? I vaguely remember her face from my memories."

"She's just like Luna."

"…I can imagine."

Lysinas let out a hollow laugh.

They chatted happily.

"…We're still the same even in an era of peace."

"What is there to change?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders at Lysinas's words and said.

Hearing that answer, Lysinas nodded and took a seat for tea.

Then she poured tea into a teacup and gave it to Leo, after which she poured tea into her own teacup and drank.

And silently appreciated the painting of Dwenno and Enniha.

Leo asked Lysinas, who was doing so.

"So, what's your lingering regret?"

"Hm?"

Leo sipped his tea.

"I don't think you, like Luna, wouldn't know what your lingering regret is."

"It's a secret."

As Lysinas smiled faintly, Leo furrowed his brow.

"What is it?"

"Curious?"

"Don't beat around the bush; if you're going to say it, just say it."

Leo replied indifferently, sipping his tea.

"I want to lay an egg."

"Pfft! Cough! Cough!"

Leo, having choked, coughed wildly.

"It's a joke. Is it funny? Why are you so flustered?"

Leo wiped his mouth and said.

"There's a limit to jokes. Even Luna wouldn't make a joke like that!"

Leo, having protested, caught his breath.

And then he blatantly looked Lysinas up and down.

"What are you looking at?"

As Lysinas narrowed her brows, Leo stroked his chin.

"Well, you said 'egg'."

"Are you having some lewd thoughts?"

"It's not that. It just freshly occurred to me that biologically, you're a lizard."

"Come here, you. I'm going to kill you."

Lysinas, her expression turning cold, rushed at Leo and delivered a dropkick to his solar plexus.

Lysinas climbed onto the fallen Leo, grabbed him by the collar, and shook him.

It was while the two were grappling for a long time.

"Lady Lysinas! Lord Leo! I apologize for the late hour! I have something to report… come in…"

Mellina, who had opened the door and entered the room, paused upon seeing the sight before her.

Mel, who had briefly watched Lysinas on top of Leo on the sofa, bowed her head deeply.

"Excuse me."

And then closed the door and left.

En, seeing that, made a puzzled expression.

"Lord. The report?"

"Let's give it a little later."

"Huh?"

"The two of them might get back together!"

Mellina's eyes were sparkling with anticipation.