Book 1 Chapter 888
888.
Pee-yaak!
Fiora spread her wings wide and roared.
But there was no particular reaction.
Bbyak-bbyak-bbyak-bbyak-!
Then, as if annoyed, she flapped her wings and bounced wildly in place.
“What's wrong, Fiora?”
Chelsea tilted her head, placing Fiora on her hand.
Peepeepee-!
Fiora rolled wildly on Chelsea's palm, showing her dissatisfaction.
“Is she hungry?”
Chen Shia, with a puzzled expression, gave Fiora a biscuit.
But even after eating all the biscuits, Fiora continued to cry.
Eliza, who had been silently watching, said.
“It seems she's not happy about returning to her original form.”
Piyak!
Fiora nodded.
“You know her well?”
As Chelsea made a curious expression, Eliza, as always, trimmed her fingernails and said.
“It's basic.”
After saying that much, Eliza glanced at Chelsea and chuckled.
“By the way, you've returned to your original little kid form. That appearance really suits you.”
“Yeah. It's fine. I'll be tall in the future!”
Chelsea was unfazed by Eliza's provocation.
Watching her, Eliza lightly clicked her tongue.
‘How boring.’
It was then.
Hwarreuk-
White flames surged from the top of Fiora's head.
Chelsea's eyes widened at the sight.
“Huh? White flames?”
“What did you say?!”
Eliza's eyes shot open, and she came closer.
Just as Chelsea said, white flames were rising from Fiora's head.
“What happened to that?”
Melina asked Leo, her eyes wide.
“Katariu designated Fiora as the successor.”
“Then Artie too?”
“That's right.”
Nodding, Leo recalled the time when the illusion disappeared after Silode's demise.
Albus and Katariu stood before Kyle, who had seen Silode off.
“Is the succession complete?”
“Thanks to you.”
Albus smiled, answered Kyle's question, and asked.
“How have you been?”
“I'm working on it.”
Albus smiled faintly at Kyle's answer.
“You did save the world. Though in an incomplete state.”
Katariu also spoke to Kyle with a slightly sullen face.
Katariu was originally an arch-rival of Kyle.
He was displeased with Kyle, who had been rude to his sworn partner from their very first meeting.
“Finish it properly this time.”
“I will.”
The illusion was gradually breaking.
“Kyle, I have one last request.”
Albus said with a serious face.
Seeing Albus like that, Leo seriously nodded.
“Yes. I'll do my b—.”
“Please find the next Pegasus King as soon as possible.”
“No. The Phoenix King comes first.”
Katariu also spoke with an extremely serious face.
Watching the two of them, Leo said.
“I understand your feelings, but despite how they seem, their abilities are certain.”
“I don't care about that! I'll only trust you! I heard it's been 5,000 years! The noble Phoenix King, resurrected after 5,000 years, reduced to a phoenix scavenging for food crumbs on the ground. I absolutely cannot tolerate that!”
“I agree with Katariu! The king of the holy Pegasus is a pervert who likes being hit! It's unthinkable!”
Katariu grabbed Kyle by the collar and shook him wildly, and Albus also wailed with a tearful face.
Watching the two desperate Spirit Kings, Leo said.
“I'll try my best.”
Only after hearing that did the two vanish, a little relieved.
“Did you say your goodbyes well?”
At Melina's question, Leo awoke from his thoughts.
“Probably.”
Leo, answering with a strange expression, looked up at the sky.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking… how difficult it must have been for those who were left behind.”
“……”
At his words, Melina, who had been silently watching Leo, smiled faintly.
“Shall we go back now?”
“Yes.”
Leo, turning his gaze to his companions, walked towards them.
Melina followed him.
“Oh, and you must submit a reflection report, no matter what.”
At Leo's words, Melina's shoulders drooped.
***
“What mission is Leo doing that he hasn't come to school even though two weeks have passed since the semester started?”
Nella wore a puzzled expression.
At Nella's words, Illiana made a tearful face.
“How would I know? If I had known this would happen, I would've pestered Carl to let me join the mission by force.”
“Even if you join the mission, you still have to do all your assignments anyway.”
“You can legally postpone them.”
At Illiana's thoughtless words, Nella shook her head repeatedly.
Since entering the second semester of third year, the third-year students had been suffering from a killer schedule.
Especially in Illiana's case, as a dual-class student, she was doing assignments for both the Knight Department and the Magic Department simultaneously.
In Lumern, if dual-class students decide on a major, classes for their sub-class department do not affect their grades, even if they attend them.
This allows them to relieve pressure and focus on their sub-class.
However, Illiana put effort into Magic Department exams every time.
The reason was Leo.
‘Now I'm free from complex Magic Department assignments!’
‘If you get a failing grade in the Magic Department, you'll have to have daily supplementary classes with me.’
‘Hmph?!’
The day she chose her major.
These were Leo's words to Illiana, who had been cheerfully joyful.
Watching Illiana groan, Nell tilted her head.
“Isn't it actually a good thing that you have a chance to meet Leo alone after school?”
“Nella, you're an idiot.”
“I don't want to hear that from you.”
It was a rare sight to see Nella genuinely serious.
In her hand, a deadly morning star had appeared without her realizing it.
Seeing that, Illiana hastily put distance between herself and Nella.
When Nella put the morning star away, Illiana approached again and said.
“I want to hang out with the class president, not study. Crucially.”
“Crucially?”
“If the class president seriously conducts supplementary classes, a terrible time will surely await me. I might even feel happy being chewed out by an angry Professor Ren while taking magic classes, compared to that.”
Illiana shivered.
At that sight, Nella nodded and muttered, ‘Indeed.’
Ren was one of the most popular professors among Magic Department students.
He also had a very high passion for magic and genuinely loved students with high academic enthusiasm.
The problem was that once he got angry, he spared no one.
It was a well-known anecdote that some students had mistakenly angered Ren during class, and after receiving supplementary classes after school, they became half-wrecked.
And Illiana was sure that Leo's private lessons would be even worse, not less, than that.
It was then, as Illiana sighed.
“Ah! Senior Illiana!”
Five first-year female students walking down the hallway spotted Illiana and rushed over.
Illiana smiled gently at the first-year students.
“What's the matter?”
“The light magic spell formula you taught us before! There was a part I didn't understand.”
“Oh? Where?”
Illiana kindly explained the spell formula.
“Ah! Thank you!”
“You're welcome. If there's anything you don't know, ask again.”
“Yes!”
The first-year students bowed several times and then left.
A moment later.
“Senior Illiana!”
“Oh? What's the matter?”
This time, a first-year male student from the Knight Department approached Illiana.
“The Aura Step specialized for evasion maneuvers that you taught me before. Could you please take a look at my footwork? I kept stumbling midway.”
“Would you like to show me?”
At her words, the male student demonstrated the footwork.
“Your leg angle and the width of your stance are too narrow. Your breathing is also labored. Overall, you look too rushed.”
Illiana, having identified the problems, kindly corrected him.
“Ah! Thank you!”
The first-year student bowed his head and left.
Afterward, first-year students, regardless of their department, continued to greet Illiana.
A moment later.
Illiana stopped in her tracks and furrowed her brow.
“Something is wrong with this.”
“What?”
“Among the first-years, aren't I one of the top third-year honor students?”
“That's right. Thanks to your good pretense.”
Nella nodded.
Since the beginning of the first semester, Illiana had been pretending in front of the first-year students.
Thanks to that, the first-year students were unaware of Illiana's true self.
Therefore, she was merely perceived as an honor student, good-natured, kind, and a senior with many things to learn from.
As for other grades, Illiana's 180-degree transformation in front of juniors was so fascinating that the atmosphere was one of watching to see how long she could keep it up.
“What I wanted was an unapproachable, perfect senior. Like the class president!”
“Hmm?”
“The class president is also kind and a senior with many things to learn from, but he has so much charisma that juniors dare not approach him, right?”
“That's right.”
“Why can't I be like that?”
“Well, because Leo is Leo, and you are you.”
No matter how much one imitates, one cannot replicate his unique charisma.
Leo's charisma was literally innate.
But Illiana was troubled by the first-year students who acted friendly towards her.
“Am I easygoing\/a pushover?”
“There's a tendency for that.”
“Hmm… Should I try to imitate Duran or Warredan instead?”
“You'd still be a pushover, though.”
“That's too much!”
Illiana made a tearful face.
“I'm kidding. But I think it's a good thing?”
“What?”
“Your juniors follow you so well. And you kindly teach them everything they ask.”
Nella made an envious expression.
Just as she said, the first-year students followed Illiana the most among the third-year students.
“How about trying to be a professor at Lumern later?”
“Oh? A Lumern professor?”
At Nella's words, Illiana's eyes sparkled.
It was then that Illiana and Nella arrived at the center of the Clock Tower dormitory.
“Huh?”
A crowd of students was gathered in front of the notice board at the dormitory entrance.
Illiana and Nella wore tense expressions at the sight.
Students gathered at the notice board.
In that case, from a student's perspective, it was more likely to be bad news than good news.
Thus, they couldn't help but feel instinctively tense.
The two slowly approached the notice board.
And spoke to a familiar face.
“Tade, what's going on?”
At Nella's question, Tade said in a surprised voice.
“This time, the party led by Leo, Professor Melina… and Senior Lil defeated a fragment of Erebus!”
“What?!”
Illiana and Nella's eyes widened.
“So everyone who went on this mission might have their names added to the Hero Record, and there's a big commotion about it!”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes! There was even an announcement that the school would hold a dance party to celebrate.”
“A dance party?”
If it was true, it was understandable.
Because the school doesn't usually hold parties unless something extraordinary happens.
At the same time his words ended.
The dormitory's main gate opened, and familiar faces entered.
Lil tilted her head, looking at the students gathered in front.
“Is something wrong?”