Book 1 Chapter 853

853.

The next day, at dawn.

Clock Tower Dormitory's communal training ground.

It was a place connected to the dormitories of each department, where students from different departments could engage in light sparring.

Whoosh-! Thwack-!

There, Chelsea was moving at a rapid speed.

Chelsea aimed her staff at Chen Xia, who was pressing her.

Chen Xia, who had come right up to Chelsea's nose, swung her fist as it was.

Bang-!

The water aura held in Chen Xia's hand exploded, scattering water in all directions.

Due to the impact, Chelsea's body was sent flying backward.

Chelsea's body, which had floated high in the air, began to fall to the ground like a light feather.

"Phew. Your movements are still quite fierce."

As Chelsea said playfully, Chen Xia smiled gently.

"Miss Chelsea, your movements have improved a lot."

"Hmph. Of course. In close combat, I'm probably the best in the Magic Department, you know?"

"You've surpassed just being the best in the Magic Department, haven't you? Your stamina is better than most Knight Department students."

"Yeah. Stamina is national strength, you know."

"You also handle weapons created with wind magic incredibly well now. Your swordsmanship, in particular, is impressive."

"I'm swinging a wooden sword a thousand times a day!"

"Nowadays, when I talk with Miss Chelsea, there are times when I can't tell if I'm talking to someone from the Magic Department or the Knight Department."

"But Lady Luna told me to train my swordsmanship diligently, you know. And Lady Luna's swordsmanship was truly remarkable."

"Indeed. Lady Luna's swordsmanship wasn't merely at the level of self-defense."

Luna hadn't specifically learned swordsmanship systematically.

However, Luna's swordsmanship, as seen through Chen Xia's eyes, was thorough practical swordsmanship.

At a glance, it was clearly swordsmanship learned from rolling around on the battlefield.

'Even Young Master Leo said that if Lady Luna had an aura talent, she would be capable of close combat on par with Lord Arion.'

Unfortunately, Luna had a talent for summoning magic instead of an aura talent.

Having finished their morning training, the two wiped their sweat and headed to the showers in the training ground.

Summer had passed, but the weather was still not cool.

Thanks to their intense movements at dawn, they were drenched in sweat.

"Ah~ So refreshing! As expected, a shower right after sweating is the most invigorating!"

Chelsea smiled pleasantly and wiped her body with a towel.

Chen Xia, who had already come out, smiled and said as she watched Chelsea shaking her hair dry with a towel.

"I'll help you."

"Okay."

Chen Xia carefully dried Chelsea's hair with a dry towel.

"By the way, if this incident isn't Young Master Leo's doing, then where did Young Master Leo go since the beginning of the semester?"

"Well, if there was a mission, it would have been announced. But there's no mention of it."

"So, unauthorized absence? That's not like Young Master Leo."

Chelsea made a curious expression.

"Even the student council president would get disciplined for this, wouldn't they?"

"They would. But there must be a reason."

"Right. Young Master Leo isn't someone who would skip school without a reason."

Chelsea, who had been chatting casually, suddenly made a strange expression at the softness she felt behind her back.

And then she subtly- tapped her own chest and furrowed her brows.

"Um, Xia."

"Yes?"

"You're similar in height to me, so why is there such a difference?"

"It's because I'm older than Miss Chelsea."

"Is that it?"

"…"

"Why aren't you answering?"

"Body type isn't always just due to age difference."

At that answer, Chelsea made a pouty expression.

Chen Xia chuckled and completely dried Chelsea's hair.

With that, the two left the shower room.

And then they tilted their heads, seeing a female student standing at the shower room entrance.

"That's surprising. Miss Eliza coming all the way to the communal training ground in the morning."

Chen Xia made a puzzled expression.

Although the communal training ground was a public facility, many students didn't use it.

Eliza was a prime example of this.

She was one of the students who hadn't come to the communal training ground even once since the third year began.

At Chen Xia's question, Eliza snorted.

"I only came because I had something to deliver."

Having said that, Eliza handed two sealed envelopes with the Lumen Academy's crest to Chen Xia and Chelsea respectively.

Chelsea and Chen Xia, who received them, widened their eyes.

"A mission?"

"It's an urgent mission. We're told to complete all preparations within the next hour and gather at the warp gate."

Eliza, having delivered the message, returned directly to the Summoning Department dormitory.

Chelsea checked the mission directive.

"Mission issuer… Karl Thomas?"

Chelsea, her eyes wide, checked the party composition.

"Party leader, Lil Luce, Chen Xia, Eliza Hergin, me. And Karl Thomas?"

"The mission location is Fairy Land? The content… Support Young Master Leo?"

The two's faces grew serious.

"First, let's go get ready."

"Okay."

Chen Xia and Chelsea each headed to their dormitory rooms.

***

"I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?"

Karl, who was quickly getting ready, furrowed his brows at Elena's words.

"Why am I not the party leader? No. Apart from that, why was I excluded from this mission?"

Elena made a dissatisfied expression.

Karl scratched his cheek, looking at Elena.

"Wow, I never imagined you'd care about something like that!"

"What's something else you never imagined?"

Elena's eyes narrowed.

"Anyway. If you don't give me a satisfactory reason, I'll expose your relationship with Eliza to the entire student body."

"Isn't that a bit too much of a threat?!"

Karl said, startled.

"Hmph!"

Elena snorted.

'Wow, her acting like this makes it more difficult than usual.'

Karl, scratching his cheek as he watched Elena acting childish, said.

"First, the reason Senior Lil was made the party leader is because we're going to Fairy Land this time. Senior Lil is a Spirit User, but she's also the student who understands summoning magic itself the best."

Karl said, sweeping potions into his bag.

"And her skills are beyond reproach."

"The reason you excluded me?"

"It's because we need to prepare for any contingency."

Karl made a serious expression.

"No matter what, Lumen students are powerful assets, aren't they?"

The professors also possessed strength and knowledge close to that of heroes.

However, professors were, first and foremost, those who taught students.

"Practically speaking, it's the Lumen Student Council that controls the students. That's why the Student Council's authority is so immense."

"Right."

"In that sense, the Lumen Student Council President is the head of the hero candidates. In other words, they are the master of Lumen."

"That's right."

"But right now, Lumen's master is absent, isn't he? The purpose of this mission is to go and support that master."

"Hmm?"

"In such a situation, if even the vice president, the mistress of Lumen, leaves her post, who will control the Lumen students in an emergency?"

Elena stared intently at Karl.

"If Leo went to Fairy Land, something quite serious might happen. To prepare for that, Senior Elena, as the mistress, should take Leo's place."

"Isn't the Lumen Vice President the second-in-command of Lumen, not its mistress?"

"It's similar enough, so let's move past that."

"They're not similar at all, are they? You deliberately chose that word to make me feel good."

"Yes."

"You're flattering me quite shamelessly, aren't you?"

"Shall I rub my hands together too?"

Karl rubbed his hands together cunningly.

Elena snorted at Karl's behavior, but she didn't feel bad.

"I also paid maximum attention to the party composition. With members who can support Leo as much as possible."

The members Karl assembled could quickly respond to various situations.

In Lil's case, she's a summoner who can handle everything from front-line and back-line to support, making her an all-rounder.

Chelsea and Eliza, too, can move quickly and respond flexibly in various situations, and perfectly support other students.

'Chen Xia, needless to say, is the most flexible vanguard among the Knight Department students. She also has abundant practical experience.'

Karl judged it to be a party composed of members who could perfectly support Leo, including himself.

After hearing Karl's explanation, Elena stroked her chin.

"Hmm?"

"Why?"

"It just occurred to me anew why you earned the epithet 'The One Who Prepares the Beginning'."

"Hmph. I do prepare quite well."

"Have you thought about becoming Vice President?"

"I strongly recommend Chloe!"

Karl said in a serious voice.

"Hmm."

"Don't look at me with those predatory eyes!"

Karl, startled, rushed out of the room as if fleeing.

"Ah! Karl! Wait for me!"

Just then, Chelsea's voice, having also finished preparations, was heard.

Elena, who had closed Karl's door and come out, looked at the scenery of Lumen visible outside the window.

"Fairy Land, huh…"

Elena, who knew Leo's true identity, knew all too well what Silrod meant to Leo.

"Our President never has a peaceful day."

Elena, making a slightly pitiful expression, let out a small sigh.

***

Whoosh-

Crimson flames erupted from Leo's sword.

Crash-!

The flaming sword strike swept away all the demons in front of him.

Shing-! Thud-!

Leo thrust his sword in.

A moment later.

Mellina emerged from the entrance of Fairy Land.

"I'm sorry, Lord Leo."

Mellina made an apologetic expression.

To unlock the entrance to Fairy Land, one had to find a key within an illusion.

But that illusion didn't work on Leo.

Therefore, Mellina had no choice but to find it herself.

But she kept failing.

"Don't blame yourself. It just means Silrod's magic is that powerful."

"But…"

Mellina revealed her impatience.

Leo looked at Mellina and said calmly.

"Don't mind me."

"…"

Silrod's life was not long for this world.

Mellina, having heard those words from Leo, felt a sense of urgency.

Before Silrod closed his eyes.

She wanted to help the King of Beginnings somehow to bid farewell to the Fairy King's end.

Mellina shivered at her own powerlessness.

Leo, watching her, reached out and ruffled Mellina's hair.

"Huh?"

Leo, treating Mellina like a child, which he rarely did.

"Don't blame yourself too much. The fact that his magic is strong means he's still well, doesn't it?"

"I'm sorry."

"I told you not to worry about it. What are you sorry for?"

"It's that I still haven't earned your trust."

"…"

Mellina carefully reached out and caressed Leo's cheek.

Leo chuckled softly, looking at Mellina.

"I trust you."

"…"

"By the way, you're strangely unreserved with me, aren't you?"

"I've experienced the future many times, you see. I met Lord Leo of the future there. So I suppose I've become familiar."

Mellina quickly removed her hand from Leo's cheek.

And then she coughed, "Ahem-!"

"So? Is it the future again this time?"

"Yes."

Mellina, who had been nodding, made a puzzled expression.

"But why do I only see illusions of the future? Wasn't time and space distorted within those illusions?"

If time and space were distorted, it wouldn't be strange to experience things from the past.

However, Mellina was experiencing the future every time she entered the illusion magic.

Leo, looking at Mellina who was questioning it, pondered and then said.

"It's probably because of you."

"Because of me?"

"Yes."

Leo said calmly.

"It's probably because your anticipation for the future is greater than your attachment to the past. That heart of yours makes you see the future. Illusion magic shows you what you want to see."

"Ah."

Mellina, who had been nodding as if understanding, made a puzzled expression.

"Then what's the reason the illusions manifested in reality are demons or magical beasts from the past?"

The illusion magic spread throughout Fairy Land was currently running wild.

It meant that as long as the magic was maintained, Silrod's magic power was still potent, but it was out of control.

And through that rampage, demons from the past were appearing in reality.

While Mellina was searching for the key within the illusion, Leo was fending off those illusions from the outside.

Leo, after hearing Mellina's words, fell silent and then spoke.

"Perhaps it might be because of Silrod."

"Because of the Fairy King?"

"Yes."

Leo looked towards Fairy Land.

'Silrod probably isn't conscious right now.'

The rampage of illusion magic was due to unconsciousness.

'Perhaps it's because he's longing for the past… within his unconscious mind.'

That longing might be manifesting illusions of the past in the present world.

'How ironic. To long for the darkest era in the most brilliant era.'

Leo, thinking that, gave a bitter smile.

'Well, I suppose I'm not in a position to talk.'