Book 1 Chapter 742

742.

The communal bathhouse of the Knight Department is crowded from early morning.

It was a natural phenomenon, as many students woke up at dawn and trained until they were drenched in sweat.

Shwaaaaaa- Kiiik- Kkiik-

Celia, having turned off the shower, left the bathhouse.

Celia lightly wiped the water off with a towel and stood in front of a locker in the changing room.

Then, using her aura, she lightly dried the remaining moisture and put on her clothes, looking neat.

"Celia, are you done showering?"

"Yeah. Are you ready to go too?"

"Yes. Let's go out together."

Celia and Chen Sia left the bathhouse.

As they were neighbors occupying adjacent rooms, they often moved together.

"This damn school always manages to surprise people, I swear."

Celia grumbled.

"Still, in a way, it's an honor. We got to spar with Lysinas-nim."

"That's true… But it's a shame I couldn't see Leo's mock battle."

Celia clicked her tongue.

In the last mock battle, Leo did not spar with Lysinas.

Many students felt great regret, as it was a big match they had secretly looked forward to.

'If those two fought… just imagining it is terrifying.'

If they were to fight, they probably wouldn't have fought casually.

'The entire school might have collapsed.'

Recalling the worst-case scenario that could have actually happened, Chen Sia shook her head.

Celia, who had somehow arrived in front of her room, tilted her head.

"A letter?"

Lumerne students living in dormitories were used to letters.

Basically, unless it's an extraordinary circumstance, they cannot go home during the semester.

Furthermore, unless it's for a mission, they rarely leave Lumeria City, and ordinary students cannot go out into Lumeria City except on weekends, unless there is a special case.

As such, countless letters are delivered to Lumerne every day.

But it wasn't the time for a letter to arrive now.

"It wasn't there when I checked earlier?"

Celia opened the personal mailbox in her room with a puzzled expression.

"I have one too."

Chen Sia also looked at her mailbox and tilted her head.

Celia flipped the envelope over and checked the seal stamped on the letter.

"It's the Student Council, isn't it? Chen Sia. Is yours too?"

"Yes. Mine also came from the Student Council."

Having confirmed the source, Celia and Chen Sia opened the envelopes and checked the contents.

"Come to the Student Council from this morning? What's going on?"

Celia, having put the letter away, made a puzzled expression.

"You two. What are you doing standing in the hallway?"

Just then, Nella approached with Illiana.

"The Student Council wants us there right now."

"Huh? From the Student Council?"

Nella, who had been tilting her head, checked her own mailbox.

Illiana also flinched and hastily opened her mailbox.

"Oh, me too?"

Nella tilted her head.

Illiana, having checked her mailbox, let out a sigh of relief.

And then she said,

"You three. Did you violate any school rules or something?"

"Huh? We've never done that, have we? Why are you suddenly asking that?"

In response to Nella's question, Illiana crossed her arms.

"Being summoned to the Student Council first thing in the morning usually means you've been caught violating a school rule. And a very big one at that. Minor rule violations just result in demerits on the spot."

"That's the first I've heard of it? But Illiana, how do you know that?"

"Because I was summoned in my first year."

"Ah, now that you mention it, that did happen, didn't it?"

Nella burst into laughter.

"That was the day you went excitedly, saying the Student Council recognized your talent, and then came back and looked pale all day, right?"

Illiana, making a sullen face while looking at Nella who was teasing her, said,

"Anyway, apart from cases like that, I've never seen the Student Council summon a student first thing in the morning."

"But we're far from violating school rules."

"Exactly. Do you think we're you?"

At Celia's words, Illiana pouted her lips.

"Anyway, let's get ready and go."

At Nella's words, Celia and Chen Sia nodded.

"You have to come back alive."

Illiana waved her hand at the three of them.

***

The three people who arrived in front of the Student Council office in the morning encountered a male student.

"Wareden?"

Celia's eyes widened.

"You got summoned by the Student Council too?"

"It seems you all received summons as well."

Wareden replied in his characteristic emotionless voice.

"Illiana said that usually when you're summoned in the morning, it means you've done something seriously wrong. Do you remember anything like that?"

"No. At least if you've been summoned, it wouldn't be for that reason."

"Right?"

Celia smiled faintly.

Chen Sia, watching the scene, whispered to Nell.

"Celia seems to get along well with Wareden."

"They had a lot of interactions in their second year while being dormitory leaders together. Surprisingly, he also mediated well between Celia and Chelsea."

Chen Sia, hearing that Wareden, who had a strong individualistic tendency, mediated for harmony, showed a slightly curious expression.

"You guys came too?"

Just then, Chloe and Abbad also walked over.

Abbad glanced at Celia, who was laughing and talking with Wareden.

Celia looked at Chloe and Abbad alternately and nodded.

"This confirms it. It's definitely not about school rule violations."

If Chloe, an honor student just like herself, came, then any lingering possibility of a rule violation could be said to have completely vanished.

At that moment.

The Student Council office door opened, and Lil appeared.

"Oh! Third-year students! You're here."

Lil, smiling cheerfully as always, guided the third-year students.

"Come on in."

Upon entering, Elena and Runbar were sitting in the middle of the sofa in the Student Council room.

"Did Senior Elena summon us?"

At that, Elena, who had been sipping tea, put down her teacup and pointed upward with her finger.

"Above me."

"Then…"

"Yes, it's the President."

At that, the faces of the third-year students, except Wareden, grew serious.

"With a lineup like this, are we going to war or something?"

"Maybe so."

Elena clicked her tongue.

Elena wore a blatantly displeased expression.

The individuals summoned in the morning were not ordinary.

Anyone could see that Leo was clearly about to stir up some trouble.

Just as Elena and the other students wore anxious expressions,

"Isn't it exciting! What great thing Big Brother will do next!"

"It will be interesting."

Lil clenched his fists and showed an excited reaction, and Wareden also curled up the corners of his mouth.

Elena, watching them, rested her chin on her hand.

"You can tell just by looking at Senior Ulta who graduated, but the Summoning Department kids definitely have something wrong with their heads."

"Hey. Don't use Senior Ulta or them as your samples. I'm perfectly normal."

Runbar protested with an aggrieved expression.

Knock-knock-

"Excuse me… Huh? Seniors?"

With a knock, the Student Council door opened, and Juen and Betty from the second-year Magic Department,

and Sasha from the second-year Summoning Department entered.

Sasha looked at the faces of the students, showed a surprised expression, then let out a "Hmph-" and laughed.

"It looks like something interesting is about to happen."

At Sasha's reaction, Elena clicked her tongue.

"Summoning Department folks, always…"

"He's weird too."

"And you're not weird?"

"I'm normal! Me!"

At Elena's words, Runbar flared up.

Just then, the Student Council President's office door opened.

"Everyone's here. Everyone head to the conference room."

At that, the students streamed into the conference room.

Elena, sitting next to the head seat, crossed her arms and asked.

"So? What's the reason you gathered us here first thing in the morning?"

"It's a mission."

"Looks like a Hero Dungeon has appeared."

"No. It's not a Hero Dungeon-related mission."

"Then?"

"We are going to intervene in Devian's civil war."

At that, Elena furrowed her brow.

"President. Lumerne has a duty of neutrality, doesn't it? Even if the East is on the verge of becoming a wasteland, we shouldn't recklessly intervene in a civil war, should we?"

As Runbar tilted his head, Leo spoke.

"Normally, we wouldn't. But I heard that Saeirun has joined the war to help the Second Prince's faction."

"Wait. Where did you say? Saeirun?"

Runbar instantly looked as if he didn't understand.

Other students reacted similarly.

Saeirun, all of a sudden?

Even Elena, who rarely batted an eye at anything, wore an astounded expression.

"No. Have they suddenly gone mad? Why are they suddenly interfering in human affairs?"

Saeirun was a hero academy like Lumerne, yet it had a different character.

Lumerne has a strong character as a mediator, arbitrating between various nations at the center of the human race.

Therefore, Lumerne maintains neutrality in all conflicts.

However, Saeirun acts as a representative for the Elf Alliance.

The Grand Council of Elves is deeply involved in Saeirun's operation, and Saeirun's will often represents the will of the entire Elf race.

The reason Saeirun as a whole was shaken by the Pureblood Society previously was also due to this very nature of Saeirun.

For such a Saeirun to take the side of Devian's Second Prince and participate in the civil war, it's safe to say that the entire Elf race supports the Second Prince.

And this was the first such event in Saeirun's history.

And rightly so, because one of the Grand Principles of the Elf Grand Council is not to interfere in the wars of other races.

That Grand Principle has now been broken.

"Moreover, Elves are a race with a strong tendency to look down on humans, aren't they?"

Not all Elves look down on humans.

Many Elves consider humans as friends.

Indeed, among Lumerne students, there were many who built friendships with Saeirun students, exchanged letters regularly, and interacted with them.

But even so, changing the perception of an entire race is not easy.

The arrogance of Elves was such that not only humans but also beastfolk and dwarves would shake their heads.

The history of the world is a history of war.

Indeed, the races of the land have repeatedly engaged in harmony and conflict.

However, among them, humans were the only race that not only started the most wars with other races but also ceaselessly shed blood fighting among themselves.

It is no exaggeration to say that human history is a history of war.

And most of those wars were caused by 'greed'.

Elves viewed humans, who coveted wealth and power and waged wars incessantly, as the most savage and vulgar race.

That is why they had a particularly strong tendency to look down on humans.

But then that Saeirun participates in Devian's civil war, which arose over power – something they consider the most vulgar – and not just any other war?

Their jaws couldn't help but drop.

Leo clicked his tongue, looking at the dumbfounded Elena.

"From what I hear, it seems the entire race has definitely gone mad."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

At Leo's words, everyone showed puzzled expressions.

Leo scratched his head vigorously.

"Anyway, those pointy-eared folks have no moderation, I tell you."

"So what does that mean?"

"Elves are a race with particularly strong beliefs, you see."

Leo sighed and began to explain.

"And beliefs don't change easily, but they are easily corrupted. Elves have a strong tendency to blindly follow even those corrupted beliefs."

Therefore, Elves were a race easily influenced.

If their beliefs are righteous, the entire Elf race can become good.

Conversely, if distorted, the entire race is easily distorted.

"What does that have to do with Saeirun participating in Devian's civil war?"

When Celia asked with a puzzled face, Leo clicked his tongue.

"Do you know what's most popular in Saeirun recently… no, in Elf society as a whole?"

"How would we know that?"

"Human culture, they say."

"What?"

"Human food culture, fashion, architectural styles, literature, everything. They say it's all in vogue."

"…Didn't Elves dislike our culture, calling it vulgar?"

Chen Sia asked with a flustered expression.

Even Eyran, who currently admired humans and was deeply absorbed in human culture, was treated as quite an eccentric within Saeirun.

"Yes. But they say it's popular now."

Leo cupped his face in his hands.

"And they say they treat us as some kind of brother race."

"…What's that? Why are they suddenly acting so creepy?"

Elena grimaced.

"It's because of the Founder of the Nebula."

"What?"

As Elena wore a look of incomprehension.

Abbad stroked his chin.

"The declaration Lady Luna made some time ago."

"That's right."

Leo recalled that time.

"I! Like Kaaaaaaaiiiil!"

The cry of the Founder of the Nebula, to be remembered throughout history.

And that cry completely changed the ideology of the Elf race.

Elves are a race that, if Luna said something cold was hot, they would insist it was hot.

That Luna confessed to Kyle, the great human hero, in such a way.

Furthermore, it was recently announced in the Elf Heroics academic community that Belkia, who was known as Luna's disciple, was actually 'Kyle's disciple'.

'Didn't they say there's also a rumor going around that Belkia is actually a half-elf born between me and Luna?'

Just a short while ago, in Elf society, if you called a prominent figure of the race a half-elf, you would be arrested for sacrilege.

However, currently, such strange rumors are said to be circulating, despite Ersar vehemently denying them.

"Ah, even so, did the entire race suddenly start liking humans, whom they hated, overnight?"

"They say the most popular romantic interest in Saeirun recently is a Lumerne student."

"What is that? It's scary."

Leo let out a wry laugh.

"The Second Prince's side in Devian, being desperate, apparently requested aid from Saeirun feeling like they were grasping at straws."

Naturally, when requesting aid, they would have advocated for their own legitimacy.

"Surely they didn't fall completely for that claim, did they?"

When Lil asked with an incredulous expression, Leo smiled bitterly.

"It seems they believed it without considering the implications. That's why they decided to dispatch forces, saying they should help the poor humans."

"…Are they fools?"

Lil asked again with a shocked expression.

"Let's talk about those Elves later. Anyway,"

Leo said.

"The members here are going to Devian tomorrow. So, get ready by the end of today."

At that, the students nodded.

"Dismissed then. Ah, seniors from the 4th and 5th years, please stay."

At that, the students, except for Elena, Runbar, and Lil, left.

"Is there something else you want to say?"

"It's a secret from the other students."

Leo looked at the three with a serious face.

"There's a very high probability that a resurrected fragment of Erebus is in Devian."