Book 1 Chapter 824

824.

The campus of Lumern Academy.

Under the scorching sun, students were bustling about.

The weather was already a sweltering summer.

Due to the oppressive heat, the students' uniforms had long since changed to summer uniforms.

The students were slumped in the sweltering heat.

But they were more sluggish than usual, and it wasn't just because of the heat.

"No! Why! Do we! Have to study instead of going out to play in Lumeria City on this golden weekend!"

Illiana whined like a spoiled child, sprawled on a bench.

In response to Illiana's reaction, Chelsea, who was sitting on the same bench, cut her off.

"Because final exams are next week."

Around the time the aftermath of the incident in the Debiang Kingdom in the eastern continent was settled and gradually fading from people's memories.

Lumern students were facing their final exams, the last of the first semester.

Consequently, the stress of exam scores, along with the heat, was tormenting the students.

In fact, this year, Lumern Academy underwent a major overhaul of its academic schedule.

The harsh level of the expulsion survival system had disappeared.

But even so, the difficulty of the academic schedule had not decreased.

No, in a sense, it had become even harsher.

It was only that expulsion did not exist on a periodic basis.

At the end of the year, when the academic year concluded, students who were subject to expulsion based on their grades had to leave the school.

The fact that this was Lumern remained unchanged.

As such, suffering from the harsh academic schedule was the same for all grades.

On the contrary, an atmosphere of paying more attention to grades was formed.

"I want to play! I want to play!"

Illiana waved her arms wildly, looking tearful.

Chloe, who was sitting on the adjacent bench reading a book, said,

"Illiana, if you thrash around like that and hit Chelsea…"

Thwack-!

Before Chloe could finish speaking, Illiana's foot struck Chelsea's side.

"Oh?"

"No, this was by mistake…"

"This!"

Chelsea, with fire in her eyes, lunged at Illiana.

Chloe, shaking her head at the sight, said,

"Huh? It's the first-years."

With those words, Illiana instantly stood up straight, as if nothing had happened.

Illiana, with her back straight, elegantly swept back her hair.

Chelsea flinched at the change in atmosphere.

"Ah! Seniors! Hello!"

The first-year magic students, spotting Chelsea, Chloe, and Illiana, widened their eyes and bowed deeply.

Illiana, as their representative, smiled and greeted them.

"Yes, hello. How is everyone's exam studying going?"

Seeing Illiana smile and ask maturely, some of the male magic students blushed slightly.

"It's difficult!"

"I don't know why the written exam is so hard!"

The male students answered loudly.

Seeing their reaction, Illiana chuckled.

"Our school's exams are indeed tough. But if you work hard, you can do it."

"Yes!"

The male students answered energetically.

Then the female students approached.

"Senior Illiana, you're a magic swordsman and chose the Knight Faculty as your main faculty, but you still consistently take the Magic Faculty exams, right?"

"That's amazing! I heard Professor Len's exams are incredibly difficult."

"Hehe. It's nothing much. Chelsea and Chloe here are even more amazing."

Illiana smiled sweetly and looked to the side.

The female students' eyes sparkled brightly.

They actually knew that Chloe and Chelsea were even more amazing.

But those two were already like stars in the sky, unattainable.

Compared to them, Illiana was a senior with a more human side.

As a result, while Chelsea and Chloe were objects of admiration and envy for the first-year magic students, Illiana had become a strangely revered figure they wanted to follow.

"How can you, as a Knight Faculty student, get good grades even in the Magic Faculty exams? Do you have a secret?"

While not excellent grades when considering the entire Magic Faculty, she had not failed Lumern's famously difficult magic classes for three years.

As a Knight Faculty student, no less.

That alone was enough for Illiana to be respected by her juniors.

The problem was.

"Thorough review and preview?"

'The problem is that she's peddling nonsense.'

Chelsea narrowed her eyes, recalling her first year when she was in the same class as Illiana.

'Hey! Do some reviewing!'

'Reviewing is for eating!'

'Or at least preview!'

'Previewing is for drinking!'

For reference, that absurd theory that reviewing is for eating and previewing is for drinking is still ongoing even now that they are third-years.

Despite Chelsea's dumbfounded gaze, Illiana laughed heartily and chatted with her juniors.

"Senior! Please teach us next time!"

The female students giggled and waved their hands.

The male students also bowed awkwardly and left.

"Senior Illiana is always so elegant, no matter when you see her."

"She's so pretty, so she must have a boyfriend, right?"

"Senior Karl and she were super close since first year and always together, weren't they? Maybe they're an item."

"Ugh… I envy Senior Karl."

The murmuring of the first-years was heard.

Illiana, who had been waving until the first-years disappeared, clung to Chelsea.

"Chelsea! I hate exams!"

"Get away. It's hot."

Chelsea coldly pushed Illiana's face away.

"Chloe! Ah, this is cool. And this warmth I can't feel from Chelsea."

Illiana buried her face in Chloe's chest and muttered softly.

Chelsea stood up and cracked her finger joints.

Regardless, Illiana whined to Chloe.

"Chloe. Make me a spell that gets a perfect score on exams."

"Studying is easier than making such a spell."

"Chloe, are you stupid? I'm asking you to make it because studying is hard."

Chloe sighed lightly at her words and handed the large magic book she was reading to Chelsea.

Chelsea immediately hit Illiana's back of the head with the corner of the book.

Chelsea looked down at Illiana, who was sprawled on the floor, twitching, and said,

"How on earth does she manage to pull off that act among the first-years without getting caught?"

"Indeed, it's a mystery," Chloe also said, shaking her head.

***

While all the students were busy with exams.

There were also students who were unrelated to exams.

The most prominent of these students was the student council president, Leo.

"Peaceful."

Sitting in the student council president's office, which overlooked the Lumern campus from the Hero's Tower, Leo leisurely sipped coffee and watched the students.

"The kids' faces look bright too."

"Do you think that looks bright?"

When Karl, who was helping with paperwork, asked with a disgusted look, Leo shrugged.

"They're not crying. So it's bright."

Karl shook his head at Leo's unique remark.

'Well, it's not like Leo only started making students cry a day or two after becoming a third-year, is it?'

Leo, who had been quiet until his second year, began to reveal his true nature after becoming a third-year.

More precisely, he increasingly pushed students into chaos with surprise exams.

Numerous incidents that occurred right before the midterms continued to erupt even after the Debiang incident.

As a result, Lumern students, regardless of grade, reached a point where they didn't bat an eye at most incidents.

Recalling the tumultuous first semester of his third year, Karl smiled warmly.

'I should relax during summer vacation.'

It was then that Karl was eagerly awaiting his sweet summer vacation, a time to rest his weary body and mind.

Click-!

The student council president's office door opened, and someone entered.

Karl didn't look at the entrance, but he knew who it was.

There was only one person who would enter this student council room without knocking and with such audacity.

"Hmm. The juniors have become quite impudent, haven't they?"

Elena, the Queen of Lumern, tilted her head as if displeased.

Then she smiled sweetly at Karl.

"Hey, Karl."

"Yes."

"That damn old man is one thing. But aren't you going too far by not even looking at your senior, let alone greeting her, when she arrives?"

"Hmph. Senior Elena. You're graduating soon, aren't you?"

"So? Not scared?"

"Ah, yes. Well."

Karl nodded indifferently.

In truth, his heart was pounding.

Even so, Karl wanted to make at least this small act of defiance.

The reason was simple.

Since last year, he had been exploited too much by Elena, even though he wasn't part of the student council.

He was even being exploited now.

Since things had come to this.

He decided to try to resist.

"Hmm. Since I'm being exploited like a slave anyway, there's nothing to be afraid of. Is that it?"

"Something like that," Karl said, nodding impudently.

"Ah, Senior Elena. Could you buy me a drink?"

"Amazing. Karl. Your liver has really jumped out of your body, hasn't it? Is this the spirit of a hero?"

Elena exclaimed, clapping her hands.

Then she smiled sweetly.

"But Karl. Do you know? The right to elect the next vice president originally belongs to the vice president?"

"Senior Elena. Please tell me what you'd like to drink. I'll get it right away."

"Okay. Go buy coffee from the first floor."

"I'll be back as fast as Illiana being chased by Chelsea!"

Karl dashed out like a shot.

He left in such a hurry that the door didn't fully close, remaining slightly ajar.

Elena, who smiled broadly as she watched Karl, sat on the student council room sofa.

Then she pouted her lips, staring intently at Leo, who was sitting with his arms crossed, looking out the window.

"Even if I'm just a senior in name, aren't you ignoring me too much?"

Leo chuckled at her words and said,

"Is your graduation preparation going well?"

"A graduation exam is no problem."

Elena was evaluated as one of the most talented individuals in Lumern's history.

If she put her mind to it, a graduation exam was nothing.

Elena, who spoke indifferently, stared intently at Leo's face.

It was when Leo was sipping his coffee.

"You've finally returned to your original self."

"I must have made you worry."

After the Debiang incident.

Leo had gone through various things and showed less energy than usual.

Those close to Leo had noticed this fact.

Elena, watching Leo return to his usual self, said,

"Can't you give me my graduation gift in advance?"

"Graduation gift?"

"Yeah."

Elena smiled sweetly.

"During summer vacation, let's go to a deserted island, just the two of us."

***

Karl, whose already complicated school life became even more tangled after trying to defy Elena once, went to the first floor and back at incredible speed.

It was, quite literally, an astonishing moment.

He had broken more than one or two school rules because of it, but getting punished by the disciplinary committee was a later concern; for now, appeasing the Queen was more important.

Just as Karl reached the student council room door, panting for breath.

"During summer vacation, let's go to a deserted island, just the two of us."

Karl froze at Elena's voice, which came through the slightly open door.

And he made a strange expression.

'A grown man and woman, alone on a deserted island?'