Book 1 Chapter 828
828.
Lumen Academy, where all the exams were finally over.
The students, having finished their end-of-term exams and the subsequent celebratory gatherings on the day of the exams and over the weekend, faced the next week of classes.
Only by attending all the classes for this week could they truly enjoy the freedom of summer vacation.
Of course, even the classes were mostly self-study, so the students' faces were noticeably more relaxed.
Third-year Magical Arts Department, practical training grounds.
“What are you going to do this summer break?”
“I'm planning to go to a villa. Want to come with me?”
“Oh? Where is it?”
“The southern coast of the continent.”
“That’s a famous resort area?!”
The students were happily chattering about their vacation plans.
“I’m just going to rest at home.”
“Your home is a normal rural estate, right?”
“Yeah. I plan to help out with the farming in the village.”
“Hoho. Volunteering… It is the hero’s headquarters, after all.”
Both noble and commoner students had planned their vacation schedules in their own ways.
There were noble students inviting commoner students, and vice versa, with noble students showing interest in the daily lives of commoner students.
Students mingling regardless of their status.
Creating an environment where one could see the world from such diverse perspectives was one of Lumen’s long-standing traditions.
However, while they talked happily about their vacations, there was something they absolutely never mentioned.
That was grades and summer homework.
Thus, the students were thoroughly avoiding the reality of the situation that was about to confront them.
“By the way, about Elena-senpai this morning.”
“Hm? What about Elena-senpai?”
“The second-year students said she seemed to have gone out to Lumenria City.”
“Now that you mention it, Elena-senpai hasn’t rested much after the exams due to finishing department tasks, has she?”
“The student council was supposed to be busy all week, but it seems Elena-senpai finished organizing all the paperwork by herself.”
“Wow… She’s truly capable.”
The third-years were amazed.
“When we first enrolled, she was far from being a top student.”
“She was more like a delinquent and a figure of fear.”
“It’s sometimes hard to adjust when you see the first-year students greeting Elena-senpai with smiles.”
If there was any senior whose image had changed the most since the third-years enrolled, it was undoubtedly Elena.
She was the tyrant of Lumen, who ignored even the words of professors, let alone the fourth and fifth-year students, and acted as she pleased.
She possessed overwhelming skill, but was far from being called a top student.
However, at some point, she transformed into a diligent top student.
Of course, her self-willed personality and capricious nature remained, and she would occasionally tease her juniors, but compared to her past, she seemed like an angel.
“And they say she went with Leo?”
“With Leo? What? Are they dating?”
As the Magical Arts students were gossiping about Leo and Elena’s relationship.
A group of students was seen approaching from afar.
“Huh? Aren’t those students from the Knight Academy?”
“Yeah, what are the Knight Academy students doing here?”
As the Magical Arts students were puzzled.
The Knight Academy students arrived at the Magical Arts practical training grounds and lined up.
It was perfect formation, fitting for the Knight Academy.
“Durand! What brings you here?”
One of the Magical Arts students asked Durand, who was at the front.
At that, Durand said,
“Professor Ain said that today’s class would be held here.”
“Huh? Here?”
As the students looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“Everyone here! My students!”
Professor Ren appeared from the sky.
Beside Professor Ren, as always, Associate Professor Anna was pressing her temples.
Professor Ren, standing in front of the Magical Arts students, clenched his fist.
“Rejoice, my students! Today! I have created an opportunity to defeat those muscle-brained Knight Academy fellows!”
“Professor Ren, disparaging remarks about students from other departments are inappropriate.”
“This is not disparagement! It is a fair assessment!”
Professor Ren’s eyes flashed.
The Knight Academy students watching his expression seemed resigned.
They were now accustomed to Professor Ren’s remarks.
After all, Professor Ain also called the Magical Arts students fragile things that would break if you touched them.
Regardless, as Anna gripped her staff with an expression of how to calm down the rampaging Professor Ren.
Professor Ain entered the campus.
“It seems everyone is here.”
Seeing Ain, Ren approached him with a smirk.
“Haha! Professor Ain! You accept my challenge without avoiding it! You have courage!”
“Don’t worry. As a strong person, I always welcome challenges from the weak.”
Ain retorted to Ren’s words without backing down.
Claria, Ain’s associate professor, who was listening to their conversation, made eye contact with Anna.
The two associate professors exchanged a slightly pitying glance.
At that moment, Iliana, who was watching the situation, raised her hand.
“Professors, what are you betting on?”
To Iliana’s question, Ren touched his forehead.
“Oh, my. Who is this? Student Iliana, who sold her brain for muscles and betrayed the Magical Arts department?”
Professor Ren taunted.
If it were in the first or second year, she might have been intimidated by the professor’s words, but Iliana was already a seasoned student at Lumen.
“So, what are you betting?”
“We’re betting the quarterly research fund.”
At that, the students fell silent.
Lumen professors were given research funds four times a year, quarterly.
And that amount was quite substantial.
‘Are they betting the research fund on such a petty wager?’
Just as Iliana and the students’ eyes sparkled.
“Wait a minute! Professor! The quarterly research fund?”
Anna looked bewildered.
“Professor Ain?”
Claria also looked at Ain with a sharp expression, as if she hadn’t heard of this before.
However, neither Professor Ren nor Professor Ain were people who would flinch at their associate professors’ questioning.
“Hehehe, don’t worry, Associate Professor Anna. I’ll double it.”
“Hey! You idiot!”
“The use of research funds is at my discretion, but is there a problem?”
“……”
Associate Professor Anna grabbed Ren by the collar, and Associate Professor Claria gently pressed her temples.
“Ooh! If we win, do we get something too?”
“We’ll consider a team dinner.”
“Oooooh!”
“What is the event?”
The students’ spirits were ignited.
“Vastera.”
Vastera, one of the sports frequently played in Lumen’s Combat Studies classes.
Ren said, with his arms crossed.
“Then, I will announce the roster. Cal Thomas.”
Although not the strongest, Cal’s quick judgment and ability to devise strategies would undoubtedly enhance the other students’ capabilities in terms of tactics and strategy.
But despite Ren’s call, there was no response.
“Student Cal? Is Student Cal not here?”
Ren’s eye twitched.
At that, a male student cautiously raised his hand.
“Professor Ren, Cal is not attending class today!”
“Hah! How dare he not attend a sacred class!”
Ren’s eyes flashed.
“Hmph. It can’t be helped. Student Abad.”
“Yes.”
Abad stepped forward.
“Next, Student Chelsea. Although she’s a friend, there’s such a difference between Student Cal and Chelsea.”
Ren shook his head as he called out Chelsea.
But there was no response.
“Student Chelsea?”
“Professor, Chelsea also seems to be absent from class today.”
“……”
Ren’s face hardened.
“Yes! Student Chloe! My most diligent and top student, Chloe…”
“Professor! Chloe is also absent from class today!”
“……”
At the bewildered statement from the Magical Arts student, Ren’s body began to tremble.
In the Knight Academy, the monstrous trio, Chen Xia, Celia, and Durand, were all present.
Seeing that, the students muttered to themselves.
‘Ah. This is going to be a big problem.’
***
“Hey! This won’t end with just a disciplinary action!”
“Shut up, you’re always breaking the school rules, so why are you whining now?”
Chelsea said indifferently, looking at Cal scratching his head.
“That’s for minor things! We’ve never pulled off a major incident like this!”
To Cal’s words, Chelsea said,
“Anyway, your motto is that you’ll do anything for money, right?”
Watching Chelsea, who stood with her arms crossed and didn’t bat an eye, Cal let out a hollow laugh.
It was true.
Currently, Chelsea, Chloe, and Cal were on Lake Lumenria.
More precisely, they were on a ship traveling between Lumen and Lumenria City.
The ships that students used on weekdays were not in operation.
The ship Cal and his group were on was a merchant ship that supplied food to Lumen.
Cal, who was usually bold, had secretly created a route for external movement with the merchant.
Of course, if they were caught, Cal would take all the blame.
Cal had thought he wouldn’t need to use this route until graduation, but the reason he ended up using it was simple.
It was because Chloe and Chelsea were pushing him.
Last night, after hearing from Cal that Leo and Elena were going to Lumenria City this morning, the two of them pressured Cal to sneak out to Lumenria City.
Moreover, all three wore cloaking artifacts made with Dhueno’s alchemy.
‘It’s a item made with Dhueno’s recipe, so its performance is reliable.’
‘It’s a item made with Dhueno’s recipe, so its performance is reliable.’
“No. We’re not going to a deserted island today, so why are we going this far?”
“We don’t know if it’s a deserted island. We might be able to find out their destination by watching them today.”
Cal, speechless at the seemingly logical statement, sighed.
Then, he glanced at Chloe.
She looked no different than usual, but her eyes seemed somewhat hollow.
It seemed that the rumors of Leo going on a trip alone with Elena had bothered her quite a bit.
“Cal.”
“Why.”
“It’s just a casual trip, right…?”
“Probably.”
“Yeah. Leo isn’t someone who would do anything rash, right? Besides, we haven’t had our coming-of-age ceremony yet.”
“……”
“Or is it? Because we’re teenagers… Hmm…!”
Seeing Chloe confused, Cal scratched his head.
‘He only looks our age on the outside.’
Leo was an adult.
Chelsea, who was listening to their conversation, pouted her lips.
Even Chelsea, who knew Leo’s true identity, felt anxious in many ways.
The incident with Lisinas and Luna wasn’t long ago.
‘The parting with those two must have been a wound for Leo-oppa as well.’
In such a situation, if a woman like Elena were to tempt him?
‘They say you never know about relationships between men and women, right?’
Even Chelsea, as a woman, found Elena breathtakingly beautiful.
Furthermore, her unique charisma.
Elena possessed a violent charm that could capture any man who couldn’t resist.
‘Elena-senpai also knows Leo-oppa’s true identity. And crucially….’
Elena also has feelings for Leo.
Although she didn’t reveal it publicly, Chelsea had seen Elena openly express her affection for Leo in private many times.
Normally, Leo treated Elena like a child, so he didn’t pay much attention, but.
The fact that they were going on a trip alone to a secluded place was still bothering her.
Moreover, Elena would be graduating soon, wouldn’t she?
She would no longer be a student.
‘Maybe if I grow up, Leo-oppa will see me as a woman…?’
Thinking that far, Chelsea crossed her arms and fell into thought.
Thus, the three, with their own complex feelings, arrived in Lumenria City.