Book 1 Chapter 905

A week after the dance party ended.

Professor Ain of the Knight Department watched the sparring match before him with his arms crossed.

Whoosh-!

Fierce flames engulfed the entire training ground.

In the middle of it, Celia swung her sword.

Her swordsmanship was as graceful as a dance.

'Her swordsmanship is impeccable.'

Ain exclaimed inwardly.

She was truly one of the students leading the third-years, known as the Golden Generation.

Her graceful and soft swordsmanship was impressive, unlike the fierce flames.

The level of swordsmanship this refined was so rare that it would be hard to find five students across all grades who could wield it.

'For a knight who wields a sword, swordsmanship is the vessel that holds their Aura.'

Of course, swordsmanship without Aura had its limits.

However, Aura that was not supported by swordsmanship could not be strong either.

For a knight, the harmony between Aura and swordsmanship was more important than anything else.

Ain's gaze, which had been on Celia, shifted to her opponent.

In the midst of the raging flames, the one dodging Celia's sword with fluid movements was none other than Chen Xia.

Chen Xia did not flinch even in front of Celia's sword.

Instead, she continuously tried to find openings in Celia's defense.

Water droplets shimmered at Chen Xia's fingertips.

Celia dominated the spatial control.

However, Chen Xia fought back without being bothered at all.

Fwoom-!

Celia's sword swung, aiming for Chen Xia's neck.

Thwack-!

Chen Xia deflected the blade with her fingertips and then lunged into Celia's embrace.

"Tch!"

Celia clicked her tongue and retreated with Aura Step.

For a moment, Celia's body vanished as if it had merged with the surrounding flames.

Chen Xia closed her eyes and concentrated.

Sharp senses spread out in all directions.

'Super senses.'

Chen Xia, whose tactile sense had entered the realm of super senses, keenly gathered information from her surroundings.

Then, Chen Xia unleashed a kick towards the empty air.

Clang-!

"Kuhk?!"

Celia, who had defended against the heavy attack, was thrown back before quickly regaining her balance and landing.

Chen Xia pursued Celia, dousing her flames with water Aura.

Whoosh-!

However, the intensity of the flames did not decrease.

Despite being opposing elements, Celia's flames burned even more fiercely.

As the Knight Department students watched with tense expressions.

"Stop."

Ain's voice echoed, signaling the end of the sparring.

Chen Xia and Celia withdrew their Aura and stood at attention.

"Both of you were excellent. There is nothing to criticize."

"Thank you, Professor Ain."

"…Thank you."

Chen Xia greeted cheerfully, while Celia replied in a slightly subdued voice.

As the two stepped down, Ain said,

"Nella, Iliana. You're next."

"Hah! I won't hold back!"

"Me neither. Heh."

The two enthusiastically climbed onto the training ground.

Meanwhile, Chen Xia and Celia returned to their seats.

Today was a day for mock sparring, and it was an assignment where they sparred against opponents with opposing elements.

Seated, Celia sipped the contents of her water bottle through the straw.

Even while doing so, she didn't stop looking at Chen Xia.

"Is something on my face?"

"Xia, you didn't give it your all, did you?"

Chen Xia smiled faintly at Celia's disgruntled question.

"How could that be? I couldn't afford to be so relaxed fighting against Miss Celia."

"You didn't use your shadow techniques."

"Because it's a knight class."

In this sparring match, Chen Xia sparred with Celia purely as a knight.

Celia found this fact quite displeasing.

To be precise, she felt impatient.

Sensing Celia's mood, Chen Xia chuckled.

"There's no need to be hasty."

"I'm not hasty."

Celia replied brusquely, but Chen Xia offered a mature smile.

At that, Celia huffed and turned her gaze back to the training ground.

"Under normal circumstances, I could have been Celia's senior. I just enrolled a little later due to family circumstances."

Chen Xia reassured Celia.

"I'm just a few steps ahead. It's a small difference that can be bridged at any time."

"I might never be able to bridge that small difference."

"I don't think you will, Celia."

"…"

The reason Celia felt impatient was simple.

Some of her classmates had already ascended to the position of Heroes.

Leo and Kai were very special cases.

Therefore, when she heard the news of them becoming Heroes, it was enthusiasm rather than impatience that filled her.

However, after Chen Xia, Eliza, and Chelsea became Heroes a week ago, she started to feel impatient.

"There's a saying in the Shan Empire that the more you hurry, the slower you get?"

Celia nodded at Chen Xia's words.

Seeing Celia like that, Chen Xia gave her a gentle smile.

'Xia is so mature.'

It wasn't just because she was two years older.

Nella was the same age as Chen Xia, but she wasn't as mature as Chen Xia.

'It must be because she's had many experiences since she was young.'

Celia didn't know much about Chen Xia as a shadow.

But she knew that Chen Xia had walked a much harsher path than she could imagine.

Celia glanced sideways at Chen Xia.

Chen Xia's gaze was fixed on one spot.

Where her gaze landed, Leo was talking to Duran.

'Why does Xia serve Leo like a lord?'

A question suddenly arose.

Celia knew that Leo was Chen Xia's benefactor.

But even so, Chen Xia's constant subservience to Leo was still surprising.

'Xia isn't just a simple shadow.'

She was of the bloodline of the Shadow King, called the pinnacle of shadows.

Furthermore, she was one of the only two imperial heirs in the continent.

In other words, she would one day ascend to the throne of Emperor.

In terms of pure power, the only one comparable to Chen Xia in Lumern was Sasha, Chen Xia's friend and a junior by one year, who would later become the Emperor of Rodren.

'No, in terms of pure national power, the Shan Empire is superior numerically, so maybe even more so?'

Compared to the glamorous Rodren, Shan was a quiet hermit empire, but its history was much longer.

'And the Shan Empire's imperial power is even stronger than our empire.'

A woman who would ascend to the highest position.

Celia wore a peculiar expression as she thought of Leo, whom such a Chen Xia followed.

"Speaking of which, Leo is going on a business trip again."

"Young Master Leo? Another mission?"

Chen Xia asked, her eyes wide, and Celia shook her head.

"No, he's going to Seirun for a meeting of the Hero Academy student council presidents."

"I see."

Chen Xia's eyes sparkled.

***

"No."

"…"

Chen Xia glared at Leo with dissatisfaction at his blunt refusal.

Leo said, looking at Chen Xia.

"You just returned from a mission, and you're already thinking of going out again? Students should be studying."

For students of Lumern, missions were an important part of the curriculum.

However, it was also true that constantly undertaking missions and external activities would disrupt classes.

"Young Master Leo is going too, right?"

"If you don't like it, become the student council president."

"…"

"I can transfer the position immediately."

"…"

"You'll be the future Emperor, so you'll do a good job as student council president."

Leo meant it sincerely.

"If I, a shadow, become the student council president, there will surely be opposition."

"You only bring up being a shadow when it's disadvantageous? And who's a shadow? You're a Hero whose name is even on the Hero Record."

Leo replied with a chuckle, tidying up some documents and opening an envelope on the side.

"And if anyone talks such nonsense, they should be beaten up on the spot."

"…"

"You have sufficient leadership qualities to lead the students of Lumern."

Of course, he had no intention of forcing the student council presidency onto her.

"I have a duty to assist you as your shadow, Young Master Leo."

"Seirun isn't a dangerous place."

"Still…"

"Don't be a crybaby."

"You always treat me like a child."

Leo let out a hollow laugh as he watched the quietly grumbling Chen Xia and checked the contents of the letter.

"Who is this letter from?"

"Lord Cis. He says he's working Hark senior to the bone with the mindset of breaking him down into powder."

"Poor Senior Hark."

Chen Xia's sympathetic gaze fell on the letter.

She could vividly imagine the face of her senior, who had been forcibly employed in the Kingdom of Arhi like livestock being led to the slaughterhouse.

"By the way, what happened to Senior Lil's epithet?"

A week ago.

Lil, who was recorded in the Hero Record with the epithet [Monster Lady], burst into tears.

"The recording authority rests with you, Young Master Leo, so can't you change it?"

"I could change it, but it's a matter entrusted to the gods."

Since the gods had given it after careful consideration, it couldn't be changed carelessly.

He didn't worship or praise the gods, but he intended to respect what they had entrusted him with.

"Besides, it suits her."

"Never say that in front of Senior Lil."

Chen Xia glared, and Leo nodded.

"I won't. A week of hardship is enough."

When he said it suited her during the dance party, Leo had to console Lil for a week.

"You're surprisingly kind to Senior Lil, Young Master Leo."

"She's my disciple."

"Will you be kind to me if I become your disciple too?"

"I'm already plenty kind."

Chen Xia squinted her eyes at Leo's words.

Leo ignored her and was putting the letter back into the envelope when.

Tap, tap-

There was a sound of knocking on the student council president's office window.

Looking at the window, there was a wind spirit.

"A newspaper?"

Leo tilted his head.

Newspapers were usually delivered in the morning.

But now it was after school.

Newspaper delivery at this time meant there was breaking news.

Leo opened the window with a serious expression, and the spirit dropped the newspaper on the desk and immediately flew away.

Leo read the front page of the newspaper.

"What happened? Is it bad news?"

Chen Xia asked with a serious expression, and Leo replied.

"It's not bad news… but it is big news."

"What is it?"

Chen Xia came next to Leo with curious eyes and read the front page of the newspaper.

Then her eyes widened in surprise.

"You knew?"

Leo asked, looking at Chen Xia's face.

[Breaking News - Emperor of Shan, Sen Liu, announces abdication to heir, Chen Xia.]

"Should I call you 'Your Majesty' now?"

At Leo's words, Chen Xia, who had been staring intently at the news article, said.

"I'll go ask my father."