Book 1 Chapter 741

The week after the midterm exams ended.

Normally, the school atmosphere should have been very light with students freed from the shackles of exams.

"Sha… sha… please…"

In the common lounge of the Clock Tower dormitory.

Shasha, a second-year summoner, lay on her stomach and pleaded with a dying face.

That wasn't all.

The knights' academy students barely made it back to their dorms before collapsing.

Watching them, Juene folded her arms and smirked.

"Heh heh, pathetic summoners and knights, what's so hard about that?"

"…We're dying too?"

"Juene, your legs are trembling…"

As if in response, Juene's legs, the only ones of the second-years still standing, were wobbling.

Anyone could see she was forcing herself to stand.

At that, Juene glared.

"The important thing is that I'm standing!"

"Juene! Why are you shaking like a leaf?"

*Thwack-!*

"Kyaaang!"

Kal tapped her shoulder with his sword, and Juene collapsed to the floor.

"Uh… sorry."

Kal scratched his cheek and apologized as Juene glared up at him with resentment.

Seeing this, Kal took a spray bottle from his pocket and sprayed Juene.

"What is this?"

"Kal's General Store's special muscle pain and mana recovery potion."

Kal gave a thumbs-up.

"Just finished making it today."

"Oh…! The pain is really easing!"

Juene's eyes widened.

"As expected, Senior Kal's medicine works well."

Kal, who took Juene's hand as she stood up in admiration, grinned.

"Support is my specialty."

Seeing this, requests poured in from all sides.

"Se-Senior Kal! Spray me too!"

"Me too…!"

At that, Kal took out a pouch from his pocket.

"What is it?"

Kal smiled faintly.

"Serving you at a low price, customers."

"But… you treated Juene for free!"

"Hmph! If you're jealous, you should have chosen a better mentor!"

Juene stuck her tongue out at her classmates.

Thus, Kal treated the magic students and other second-year students from various departments, charging them a fee.

Elena, who had been watching from the side, spoke.

"Kal."

"Yes, Senior Elena."

"Spray me too."

"Yes! Yes! Coming right up!"

Kal smiled broadly and pushed a cart full of pain relief potion bottles towards Elena.

It wasn't just the second-years groaning.

Students from other years were also suffering from aftereffects.

Kal grinned, looking at his bulging money pouch.

"Are you that happy?"

Juene asked incredulously, but Kal nodded as if it were obvious.

"Money is always right."

Saying so, he jiggled the pouch, making a jingling sound.

The first-years watching him exchanged tense glances.

"Unnie. Will we be fighting with Reverend Rishinas in combat class tomorrow too?"

In response to Pherena, the representative of the first-years, Eliza, who was filing her nails, nodded.

"Probably?"

As Eliza blew gently on her nails,

"I heard the first-years don't do mock battles?"

"Kyaa?!"

Pherena jumped in surprise at the voice from behind.

"Y-You startled me!"

"Ah, sorry."

As Pherena protested, Kal smiled faintly.

"Kal."

"Why?"

"Do you have anything to drink?"

"Of course."

As Kal reached for the cart with a smile,

"Here you go."

Juene quickly interjected and found a drink from Kal's cart.

"It's milk tea, right?"

Juene smiled and handed the drink to Eliza.

Eliza stared at Juene for a moment, then her lips curled up as she accepted the bottle.

"You know me well. You could be Kal's employee?"

"I've helped Senior Kal a lot."

Juene smiled faintly.

Kal, scratching his cheek as he watched, spoke to Pherena.

"I heard the first-years have a special class instead of mock battles."

After informing Pherena of the schedule, Kal held out his hand.

"What is it?"

"Information fee."

"How much?"

"8 shillings."

"That's expensive."

"It includes Unnie's milk tea, too."

Pherena pouted and took coins from her wallet, handing them to Kal.

"Thank you, please use us again~"

Kal said cheerfully and pulled Juene along.

"Let's go, Juene. See you later, Eliza."

Kal waved goodbye casually and left.

***

Kingdom of Deviant.

"It's a great kingdom located in the eastern part of the continent, exercising the most significant influence in the eastern part of the continent, right?"

"Yes."

Melina nodded at Leo's question.

"Wasn't the most powerful country in the east Shan, founded by Bihar?"

Rishinas asked with a puzzled look, and Leo replied.

"The situation is a bit complicated. Shan is far from a typical empire."

"Hmm?"

Rishinas tilted his head, and Leo looked at Melina.

Given the gaze, Melina began to explain the political situation in the eastern part of the continent.

"Shan Empire is actually the hegemonic power in the eastern continent. However, despite having the strongest national power in the east, Shan has never exerted influence on neighboring countries."

"Why? To become this large, they must have engaged in conquest?"

"Shan has been eliminating traitors from the shadows for generations. Among them were the core power structures of nations, and when such events occurred, Shan wiped those countries off the map."

While kingdoms far from Shan were absorbed by neighboring countries, many areas bordering Shan were naturally absorbed into Shan.

As this repeated, Shan naturally acquired a vast territory.

Growth that differed from conquest.

As a result, Shan became famous for not exercising its powerful national strength externally.

The emperors of Shan also had a stronger identity as leaders of shadows than as emperors of a great empire.

"Thus, the quietest and most benevolent empire in history, Shan, was born."

"So, in place of the silent Shan, Deviant, which has the second largest territory, is currently exercising actual hegemony in the east."

Rishinas nodded.

"The descendants of Bihar have kept their beliefs for generations. It must have been difficult."

Rishinas smiled wryly, and Leo said.

"But at the same time, they must have been proud. You can see it in Chen Xia, right?"

"…Yes."

Rishinas scanned the Shan Empire on the map and smiled.

Then he confirmed Deviant's location.

Deviant, located in the northernmost part of the eastern continent, did not share a border with Shan.

To the east, west, and south were only small kingdoms and duchies, and to the north, it bordered the elven territory.

As a result, Deviant had maintained a close relationship with the elves for a long time.

It was one of the few powers in the world that could trade with elves, and thanks to that, it had accumulated immense wealth.

Therefore, there were no threats around, and it was a geographically perfect country.

Thus, Deviant had steadily built its power without worrying about Shan.

Deviant, which held the de facto leadership of the eastern continent, recently entered a state of civil war.

After the king of Deviant died, the first prince, who was the crown prince, naturally inherited the throne.

"However, that first prince recently led the army and died in battle against Tartarus."

At Melina's words, Rishinas sighed.

"The rest is obvious."

"Yes."

As the situation turned out that way, the first princess and the second prince, who held the next strongest power after the crown prince, became embroiled in a civil war for the throne.

The war, which began in the capital, had already devastated the capital.

Afterward, the capital was declared a neutral zone, and the country was divided into east and west.

And as a result, the eastern continent was also swept up in the chaos.

This was because all human nations in the eastern continent, except Shan, were under the influence of Deviant.

In the first place, it was difficult for human nations to grow in power in the eastern continent.

The far eastern part of the continent was the domain of the dwarves, and apart from Deviant, most of the rest was the territory of the great empire Shan.

And the remaining few lands were divided among various countries.

In that situation, Deviant, with its immense power, maintained its influence for a long time, leading most countries in the eastern continent to enter into a subordinate relationship with Deviant.

When such Deviant fell into a civil war, the small countries quickly sided with either the First Princess faction or the Second Prince faction.

As the situation unfolded, war drums began to beat rapidly among the countries of the eastern continent.

The civil war in Deviant had become the fuse for the war in the eastern continent.

The Shan Empire had no choice but to watch this situation.

Do not intervene in external affairs.

This was an ancient tradition and order of Shan, the victor of the eastern continent.

Shan's strict neutrality had maintained order in the eastern continent.

If Shan were to act rashly in such a situation, that order would be broken, and greater chaos could ensue.

"Why did the fragment of Erebus choose to nest in a place like this?"

"That damned fireball does everything it can. Its very existence is harmful."

Leo said irritably, and Rishinas chimed in.

Listening to their conversation, Melina had a strange expression.

To the people of this era, Erebus was a being of absolute terror.

Therefore, the conversation between the two, who treated Erebus as nothing more than a cockroach before a threat to the world, was strange.

'As expected, the conversations of the great heroes are amazing.'

While Melina thought that, Leo and Rishinas continued to curse Erebus without rest.

Watching them, Melina smiled with satisfaction.

"Why are you smiling?"

"No, it's just that you two seem to get along so well."

Saying so, Melina continued.

"So, when are you two getting back together?"

"What are you talking about?"

Leo scowled, and Melina said.

"A few days ago, you two looked very much in love. Since you've reconciled, the divorce is canceled, right?"

At that, Leo reached out and pulled Melina's cheek.

"Why, why?"

"That won't happen. I was tricked into marriage in the first place. To be honest, it's not a divorce but an annulment. Who would unfairly make someone a divorced man?"

Leo's fierce expression made Melina pout.

Just then, there was a knock.

"Who is it?"

"It's En."

"Come in."

*Creeaak-*

En opened the door and entered.

"Leo-nim. The principal is looking for you."

"The principal?"

Leo looked surprised and followed En out of the room.

When only the two of them were left, Melina said.

"Rishinas-nim. You're getting back together with Leo-nim, right?"

At that, Rishinas smiled faintly.

"Melina, what was I thinking back then? It was one of my worst mistakes. Who would want to marry such a scoundrel?"

"Huh? Then is Leo-nim going to end up with Luna-nim?"

Melina's eyes widened.

"Hm? What did you say?"

Rishinas smiled faintly.

"So, Leo-nim and Luna-nim…"

Rishinas reached out and pulled Melina's other cheek, which Leo had just released.

"Say that again?"

"Leo-nim suits Rishinas-nim the best."

At that, Rishinas released her cheek.

Rubbing both cheeks, Melina let out a small sigh.

***

Principal of Lumern.

Riina said, looking at Leo who had come to her room.

"Student Leo, Lumern has received a request."

"It seems to be a request specifically for me."

"That's right."

Riina clicked her tongue.

"The First Princess of Deviant has requested support."

"They know Lumern is neutral, don't they?"

Leo asked with a puzzled expression, and Riina clicked her tongue.

"The situation has become complicated."

"More complicated than it is now?"

Leo looked surprised, and Riina sighed deeply and nodded.

"The Second Prince's faction has brought in Seirun."

"Seirun?"

Leo frowned at the sudden intervention of the Elf Hero Academy.

"The one dispatched from Seirun is Lunia El Lundada, the student council president of Seirun. That's why they nominated you for Deviant. Do you understand what this means?"

At Riina's words, Leo sighed.

"It means it's a mess."

"Very accurate."

As Leo sighed, Riina also sighed in return.