Book 1 Chapter 740
740.
Iliana, sent flying by a blow to the tail from Lissinas, pushed herself up.
‘It felt like I was hit by a siege ram…!’
Pain beyond imagination.
It literally felt like her body was crumbling.
Moving was difficult due to the agonizing pain that spread with every muscle movement.
*Thump-!*
The ground trembled as Lissinas landed.
Iliana bit her lip tightly.
She was overwhelmed by the dragon’s roar emanating from Lissinas, unable to think straight.
Iliana's panicked mind was in utter chaos.
‘What should I do? What should I do?’
Should she surrender like this?
Or? Should she just give up obediently?
‘What would the class president do…?’
At that moment, Leo's image came to mind.
Thinking that far, Iliana felt her confused mind calm down.
‘If it were the class president…’
*Grip-!*
She gripped her sword and used it as a crutch to stand up.
‘He would have fought back!’
Fighting spirit flickered in Iliana's eyes.
‘Look closely at Lissinas!’
This was the first time she had taken a direct hit from Lissinas.
Of course, even grazes or dodges had caused immense shock, but Iliana had managed to evade Lissinas's attacks.
‘If I can dodge, I can counter.’
*Woooosh-!*
Mana shimmered.
Along with it, dragon speech magic was activated.
Iliana moved her body to the flashes of light pouring in from all directions.
‘Focus!’
Iliana’s eyes tracked the trajectories of light aiming at her.
‘Light magic is my specialty!’
Minute fluctuations of mana.
Tracking every movement of light with her eyes, Iliana evaded all of Lissinas’s complex magical attacks.
Everyone's eyes widened at the astonishing movements.
*Grip-!*
Iliana clenched her fist.
As she did, a spatial rift opened, and Iliana’s spear appeared.
Gritting her teeth, Iliana hurled her spear directly at Lissinas.
*Whoosh-! Flash-!*
Iliana’s spear flew like a projectile of light.
The spear, armed with magic and aura, pierced Lissinas.
*Kwah-ah-ah-ah-!*
Shards of light scattered in all directions.
However, Iliana’s attack was blocked by Lissinas’s scales and bounced off futilely.
But Iliana, closing in on Lissinas at incredible speed, swung her sword.
“Haaaaaaaah!”
As her aura was about to slash Lissinas with a shout.
Lissinas crushed Iliana with his hand.
*Kwaga-ga-ga-gang-!*
The third-year students shut their eyes tightly, seeing the miserably crushed Iliana.
“……You’re so big……. This reaction speed is cheating……”
Lissinas, removing his hand at Iliana’s words, smiled faintly.
[Are you done?]
*Swipe-*
At that question, Iliana put her hand on the ground and pushed herself up.
Staggering, Iliana stood up and raised her sword.
“Of course not.”
Iliana smiled, pointing her sword.
Lissinas’s dragon’s roar was still there.
But Iliana was no longer terrified as she had been moments before.
‘Is this foolhardiness?’
She thought so for a moment, but fear was evident in Iliana’s eyes.
She hadn't forgotten her fear.
She had overcome it.
[You did everything you could.]
Lissinas said with sincerity.
She had run away and even managed to counterattack.
Of course, the attack had no effect, but it was still remarkable for a mere girl to fight the King of Wisdom like this.
Lissinas also hadn't expected Iliana, who was just a young girl, to go this far.
Yet, Iliana tried to fight more.
She squeezed her immobile body and didn't give up.
It was a stark contrast to her previous state of panic, trying to escape.
“I’m not that smart, though……”
Iliana smiled.
“Just moments ago, I only wanted to run away, but now I don’t want to give up.”
[Why?]
“If I give up here, I feel like I’ll give up the same way next time.”
It was a sudden thought.
If she faced this fear.
The hope that she could go further.
“Besides……”
[Besides?]
“The class president would definitely not have given up.”
[…….]
Lissinas looked at Iliana silently.
‘The class president… If it were Kyle, he would have done this…’
In Lissinas’s eyes, Iliana showed various facets.
The image of Arion facing fear.
Luna, striving to make the impossible possible.
Dweeno, unwavering.
And Leo, who never gave up.
Lastly……. The image of herself finding hope even in despair.
‘I see.’
Lissinas closed his eyes.
It was clearly conveyed.
What the great heroes, including himself, had pursued.
Seeing the girl who had far surpassed her limits, as if embodying all of them as the school's motto, he couldn't help but smile.
*Flash-*
With a bright light, Lissinas returned to his original form.
“Pass.”
“I… I just got beaten up?”
“Did you really intend to land a hit on me?”
Lissinas burst into laughter and patted Iliana’s head.
Along with that, Iliana’s body healed.
“Ooh.”
As Iliana’s face relaxed, Lissinas spoke.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of hero you’ll become.”
At those words, Iliana’s eyes widened.
Hearing this from the King of Wisdom?
It was an immense honor that would be etched in history.
Iliana smiled shyly, blushing and flustered.
Lissinas gently pushed Iliana’s back.
Smiling broadly, Iliana returned to her seat.
“Well then. Next is Duran Moira.”
As Albi called out, seeing the mock battle concluded, everyone’s attention turned to Duran.
Sparks flew as Duran clenched his fist.
Standing up, Duran bowed respectfully to Lissinas.
The mock battle began.
“Class president! Class president! I got praised by Lissinas!”
Iliana, beaming, ran up to Leo and jumped excitedly.
“Envious, right? Envious, right?!”
“I am envious.”
“Ahem!”
Leo laughed, watching Iliana puff out her chest and shrug.
Kale said, seeing that scene.
“Getting praised by Lissinas, you’re lucky.”
“Ohohoho! Yes! Be even more envious.”
“I’m really envious.”
“Me too.”
“Huh?”
As Chelsea and Chen Xia chimed in, Iliana was taken aback.
“Why are you guys like this? Usually, you’d scoff or say something. Why are you genuinely envious?”
“No, it’s because I’m truly envious.”
“That’s right.”
As Chelsea and Chen Xia responded with somber tones, Iliana, frightened, hid behind Leo.
“C-Class president, they’re acting weird!”
This mock battle wasn't a test decided by individual skill.
It was a test where one had to use everything they had learned to be recognized by the King of Wisdom.
As such, neither Chelsea nor Chen Xia were confident they could pass.
What awaited them was Leo’s special training.
“Don’t… don’t feel too burdened! You’ll definitely be recognized too!”
Eventually, a rare scene unfolded where Iliana was comforting Chelsea and Chen Xia.
‘This is how they push, pull, and move forward together.’
Leo watched the scene with some satisfaction, then turned his gaze back to the training ground.
Duran’s battle had begun.
***
The students whose mock battles had concluded returned to their dormitories with weary steps.
By the time the mock battles ended, it was already night, and dark.
Lissinas, remaining on the training ground, stretched.
“Oof~ It feels good to stretch.”
Leo approached Lissinas, who had a refreshed smile, and asked.
“How were the third-years?”
“Everyone was amazing.”
Lissinas smiled brightly.
“Among them, a few exceptional ones were even more so. You must have had a hard time too.”
It wasn’t difficult to tell whose influence the third-years had been under.
Leo sighed at Lissinas’s words.
“It was tough. Thanks to them, I thought of you a lot.”
Lissinas chuckled.
“So? Have you thought about the party members?”
“Celias and Abad, Chen Xia and Chloe. Warden. I’ll take these five for now.”
The reason Lissinas held this mock battle was partly to gauge the abilities of the hero candidates of this era, but there was another reason as well.
It was to personally select personnel to operate in the Kingdom of Devian.
The moment he learned that one of Erebus's fragments had revived and begun to act.
He couldn't just stand by and watch.
As the King of Wisdom, Lissinas was determined to finish off one fragment.
“Are the fourth-years tomorrow?”
Lissinas hummed a tune.
“You seem happy.”
“I am happy. Unlike 5000 years ago, this era is overflowing with talent.”
“Indeed.”
Leo let out a wry laugh.
It felt like ages ago when he was racking his brain to form the expeditionary force.
As Leo opened the door to his dormitory room, Lissinas entered.
And then he froze, finding a painting before him.
“Ah……? Dweeno?”
The painting was so vibrant it looked like it would come alive at any moment.
Leo spoke, watching Lissinas stare at the painting with a bewildered look.
“It’s a painting obtained through a raid in Dweeno’s world.”
“Ah……. But to think there’s someone who draws this well besides Dweeno… Amazing?”
Lissinas admired the elf, who was painting next to Dweeno’s painting in the same style as Dweeno.
“This is Dweeno’s skill?”
Lissinas could easily discern that the painting styles of the two works were different.
Of course, both paintings were works of art that could stand on their own.
“Who is it?”
“The elf Dweeno loved.”
Lissinas’s expression turned surprised.
“Tell me more! In detail!”
He was unusually excited for Lissinas.
After all, he was in a situation where he could hear about a friend’s past that he didn't know.
Leo, responding to Lissinas’s reaction, told him the story of Dweeno and Enniha.
“Wow……. So that pervert became obsessed with beautiful things.”
Lissinas, who had been admiring, had a peculiar expression.
“Then he must have made a similar eccentric request to this elf?”
“It seems he learned the request to be a nude model from Enniha.”
“They were a perfect match.”
Lissinas clicked his tongue.
Then, he propped his chin and looked at the painting.
“Still, it’s a relief. To achieve what he wanted, even after death.”
Lissinas, genuinely relieved, asked.
“So? What kind of child is the successor to Dweeno?”
“A female Dweeno.”
“How did she become like that?”
“How should I know? But her talent in art is terrible. Dweeno even told her to quit art.”
“She never listens, does she?”
“How did you know?”
“You said she’s a female Dweeno.”
Lissinas chuckled.
“And Arion’s successor?”
“There is, that cat-like fellow.”
Listening to Ar's story, the opposite personality of Arion, Lissinas’s eyes sparkled.
“What about Luna’s successor? I vaguely remember her from my memories, so I recall her face.”
“She’s exactly like Luna.”
“……I can imagine.”
Lissinas let out a wry laugh.
They chatted happily.
“……We’re the same even in an era of peace.”
“What is there to change?”
Leo said, shrugging at Lissinas’s words.
Nodding at his answer, Lissinas poured tea.
Then, pouring it into his teacup and giving it to Leo, he poured himself a cup and drank.
And silently admired the paintings of Dweeno and Enniha.
Leo asked Lissinas, who was doing so.
“So, what is your lingering regret?”
“Hmm?”
Leo took a sip of tea.
“I don’t think you’re unaware of your lingering regret, like Luna.”
“It’s a secret.”
Lissinas smiled faintly, and Leo furrowed his brow.
“What is it?”
“Are you curious?”
“Don’t drag it out, just say it if you’re going to.”
Leo replied indifferently and took a sip of tea.
“I want to lay eggs.”
“Pfft! Cough! Cough!”
Leo, choking on his tea, coughed uncontrollably.
“I’m kidding. Is it funny? Why are you so flustered?”
Leo wiped his mouth and said.
“Jokes are jokes. Even Luna doesn’t make jokes like that!”
Leo, protesting, took a breath.
Then he looked Lissinas up and down.
“What are you looking at?”
As Lissinas furrowed his brow, Leo stroked his chin.
“No, because you said eggs.”
“Are you having some lewd thoughts?”
“It’s not that. It just struck me that you’re biologically a lizard.”
“Come here. I’ll kill you.”
Lissinas, with a chilling expression, lunged at Leo and delivered a dropkick to his solar plexus.
Lissinas climbed onto the fallen Leo, grabbed him by the collar, and shook him.
It was when the two were brawling.
“Lissinas-nim! Leo-nim! Sorry for coming so late at night! I have something to report… Uh…”
Melina, who had entered the room through the door, stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.
Looking briefly at Lissinas on top of Leo on the sofa, Mel bowed her head.
“Excuse me.”
And she closed the door and left.
En, seeing that, wore a puzzled expression.
“Lord. The report?”
“I’ll give it in a little while.”
“Yes?”
“You two might get back together!”
Melina’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.