Book 1 Chapter 932

932.

Evening, as the sun sets.

Countless people were coming and going on Reissar Street.

The large tavern on the street was bustling with people.

Gulp- gulp- gulp-

Iliana, who had settled down on one side, enthusiastically downed the contents of her beer mug.

"Phew! Ahh, this is great!"

Iliana, having finished it in one go, slammed her beer mug down with a thud!

"There's nothing sweeter than this one drink after finishing the day's work!"

"Someone might think it's real alcohol."

At that moment, Chloe, passing by, let out a hollow laugh.

"Oh! Isn't that the sword dojo instructor! I heard you were overflowing with students again today?"

Iliana offered the seat opposite her.

"How is it? Is being an instructor fun?"

"I don't know much about swordsmanship, so it's difficult."

Chloe sighed softly.

Chloe's role was to be the instructor of the village sword dojo, a knight who had been active on the battlefield until a few years ago.

"The image suits you, though."

Iliana smiled brightly.

"Giving hints and quests to the kids is all part of their training."

"Hmm?"

"So I decided to research it starting yesterday."

"Huh? Research?"

"Yeah. Everyone who comes to me turns out to be knights and warriors."

There are countless entrances to the shadow world in this city.

Most of the hints related to these entrances are given by villagers related to those classes.

As Chloe is a sword instructor, front-line fighters who wield aura are bound to visit.

"Researching against those guys? Not magic research, is it?"

"No. I experimented to see how much training intensity a person could withstand."

"Chloe, I'm asking just in case."

"Yeah."

"Did you by any chance use the class leader's training method as a reference for your experiments?"

"I did use it as a reference. Do you want to try it too? It seems quite effective…"

"Eek?!"

Iliana, horrified, jumped up.

"What are you two talking about so interestingly?"

At that moment, Nella, who appeared from behind, grabbed Iliana's shoulder and pushed her back into her seat.

"Class Leader! Your training! Chloe's going to torment me with your training!"

With her shoulder held by Nella, Iliana thrashed about as if having a seizure, clutching her head.

Nella looked at Chloe reproachfully.

"Chloe. You shouldn't torment Iliana."

"I'm not exactly tormenting her."

As Chloe looked flustered.

"What's all the commotion now?"

Celia, who came with Nella, asked.

When Chloe explained the situation, Celia swept her hair back.

"You're making such a fuss over that."

"Celia, your hand is shaking."

At Nella's words, Celia forced herself to grasp her trembling hand.

"Kgh?! My body is instinctively…!"

More than anyone else, Celia had suffered the most from what was called torture in the name of training before entering school.

Seeing the two showing reactions like deep trauma, Chloe thought.

'Come to think of it, the first-years were screaming too, weren't they?'

Not only Lumern but students from other schools also screamed.

'I thought this might not be training, but it was indeed torture level.'

I thought it was strange when Leo said it was nothing, but it really was strange.

"You guys came here too?"

At that moment, the tavern door opened and three people entered.

Abad, Duran, and Warden.

Abad smiled and said,

"Should we combine tables?"

At his words, Iliana smiled.

"We're spending time with the girls today."

"Really?"

Abad gave Celia a disappointed look.

Celia waved her hands back and forth.

At that moment, Duran spoke.

"Chloe."

"Yeah?"

"I heard a rumor that the sword dojo instructor is a mad scientist experimenting on her students. The first-years are hoarding joint medicine from the alchemy shop."

"Hmm. I guess I was a bit too much. I'll try to restrain myself."

"I'm not interested in that. More importantly, what kind of training are you doing?"

"Yeah?"

"It seems quite effective."

Duran leaned his face uncomfortably close to Chloe.

Seeing Duran like that, Chloe blinked her blue eyes.

"I reinterpreted Leo's training in my own way."

"Training reinterpreted from a mage's perspective. Interesting. Can you tell me about it too?"

"You're a little close, Duran."

Chloe looked troubled as Duran sat next to her.

"Okay, okay. Duran, we'll ask about that later. For now, it seems the girls are having fun, so let's have dinner ourselves."

Abad led Duran to another table.

Warden, who followed, glanced back.

Celia and Iliana were holding onto Nella's arms.

Nella's hands, with bulging veins, were gripping bottles of drinks.

Warden shook his head lightly.

After the boys left, Celia, who released Nella, sighed.

"Nella, aren't you surprisingly aggressive?"

"Huh? Was I?"

"Duran wasn't exactly approaching Chloe with any lewd intentions."

"I know that. But Duran tends to be quite casual with girls, so I guess I got a little worked up without realizing it."

Nella sighed softly.

"Well, he does live life with his own arrogance, like a prince acting as he pleases."

Celia clicked her tongue.

Hearing their conversation, Iliana's eyes sparkled.

"By the way, you're jealous. Did you two finally decide to date?"

"We're still in the stage of getting to know each other."

"Duran didn't seem to dislike it either."

"Really?"

At Chloe's words, Nella smiled shyly.

Seeing Nella like that, Celia looked bewildered.

"What do you like about that sharp guy?"

"At first, I thought he was too overconfident… but the more I looked at him, the more I thought he was okay. Especially the way he diligently pursues his goals without looking away is cool, isn't it?"

"Is that so? I don't really know."

"Then what about you, who has such a rival relationship with Abad, but the atmosphere between you is good?"

"Well, he's a bit annoying, but he's a good person."

Seeing the two talking about Abad and Duran, Iliana grumbled.

"This is why I didn't let them sit here! It's heartwarming to see them, but also nauseating, right, Chloe?"

"Is that so?"

"Ah. Isn't the class leader coming?"

"Leo doesn't have much to do with first-years, so he won't come here."

"Tch."

Iliana pouted her lips.

This tavern was off-limits to first-years.

It was also the only place in Reissar where they didn't have to adhere to their roles.

Therefore, most second and third-year students whose schedules were finished gathered here.

"By the way."

Iliana rested her chin on her hand and glanced at the people working in the tavern.

"They're like shadows, aren't they?"

"Yeah. I saw some who resembled Sia in atmosphere."

At Iliana's words, Chloe nodded.

Celia and Nella, who were talking about Abad and Duran, also joined the conversation.

"Does Leo want shadows and heroes to get closer?"

"I think so. I've never seen so many shadows in my life."

Celia said, crossing her arms.

The Zerdinger family also nurtured many shadows.

But Celia had only met them indirectly.

She had never met them directly.

"Hmm. What does it feel like to fight alongside shadows?"

At that moment, Iliana crossed her arms and looked serious.

"One of the shadows' roles is to escort heroes, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"I can't really imagine that. I'm used to protecting someone as a knight, so do you know, Celia?"

"I'm the same as you, Iliana."

We are accustomed to receiving protection.

The Raden family, though not as famous as Zerdinger, is a renowned noble family.

Nella's family, Caben, is the same.

"After all, we're still not used to fighting with Hero Hunters."

Nella stopped speaking after getting that far.

Meanwhile, a server brought the ordered drinks and food.

After the server finished serving and left, Nella slapped Iliana's hand as she reached for her beer mug and said,

"Ugh, stingy, Nella."

If Chloe, Celia, and Iliana's mugs contained drinks, Nella's mug, having gone through adulthood, contained real alcohol.

Nella ignored Iliana's protest and looked at Celia.

"Celia, you have combat experience, right?"

"I only had it once… and I wasn't alone, and the Hero Hunters weren't normal either."

Celia recalled fighting Hero Hunters who had conquered the world of legions and gained demonic power.

Monsters with human malice who had abandoned their humanity.

They were terrifying in a different way than beasts or demons.

"If we think of them… cooperation with shadows will be essential for future battles. Leo must have arranged this place for that reason."

As Celia spoke, the girls nodded in agreement.

Ding-

The door opened and someone entered.

"Oh? It's the Seirun kids."

At those words, Chloe looked towards the entrance.

"Ah! Hello everyone."

Eiran greeted them with a bright smile.

Luna approached them and said,

"Hello."

"Yeah. But where's Ar?"

Iliana tilted her head, and Eiran said,

"Ar-yang went to train."

"Train? In the evening?"

"Yes. She said she would have special training today."

Eiran smiled faintly, recalling Ar's happy face as she said she was going for special training with Ajonia alone.

"By the way, what were you talking about?"

"About shadows and Hero Hunters."

"We're interested in that topic too. May we join?"

"Of course."

Luna and Eiran joined their table.

"What's the movement of Hero Hunters like on the elf side?"

"It's not good. We tried to track down and eliminate traitors, but… many who were being tracked have instead defeated their pursuers and disappeared."

Luna sighed deeply.

Generally, those deeply involved with the Pure Blood Society often fall into becoming traitors to their race.

Luna found it utterly absurd.

Despite selling Luna's name like that, they themselves did not hesitate to commit acts of blasphemy against Luna.

It was when Luna expressed her frustrated anger.

"Woooah! I lost again!?"

"That lady has terrible luck!"

A commotion arose in one corner of the tavern.

"What's the commotion?"

"It's a gambling den."

Luna looked perplexed, and Celia sighed.

This tavern also operated as a gambling den.

Of course, students could use it, but it was mostly a place for shadows to pass the time.

"Goodness. I don't know what other races find so fun about that."

Luna sighed softly.

At her words, Iliana tilted her head.

"Did you say elves don't gamble much?"

"Of course. Elves dislike irrational things in the first place. They dislike irrational gambling, where the odds are in favor of the operator, at a racial level."

"Aaaah! Wait a minute! Just one more time!"

"Stop it now, Rea. You don't have any money."

"Lend me some! I'll pay you back double!"

"D-Don't say such things carelessly!"

"… "

Luna froze when she saw Rea being dragged away from the entrance of the gambling den by Luke.

Seeing Luke in guard attire, he seemed to be playing the role of working at this gambling den.

"Didn't you say you disliked it at a racial level?"

Iliana chuckled.

At that moment.

Rea, spotting Luna, rushed over in a panic.

"Luna-senpai! Lend me some money! I'll win it back and repay you double!"

"…Who are you?"

"Huh?"

"Lu, Luna-yang. No matter what, she's Rea-yang, isn't she?"

"I don't know any elf like this… no, human."

"She's completely denying being an elf too."

Chloe shook her head.

Rea's shoulders drooped.

"Money, shall I lend it to you?"

"Huh?!"

Rea's eyes sparkled.

"I can lend it if there's someone to vouch for you."

Everyone turned their heads at the voice from behind.

Luna and Eiran looked dazed.

'Ajonia-sama?'

'What about Ar?'

***

"Are we nearing the center of the Azor Desert soon?"

"Yes."

"We've finally arrived."

"Don't let your guard down. It will be troublesome if we are detected by those shadow fellows."

The masked man at the front said in a cold voice.

They were walking stealthily through the Azor Desert.

At that moment.

Sand dust was seen rising in the distance.

"What is that?"

"One beastkin has appeared."

A subordinate of the man put binoculars to his eyes and looked at the person running while kicking up sand dust.

"A cat beastkin with white hair and blue eyes… It's the hero, Ar Tune."

"Ho? Is Ar Tune moving alone?"

The masked man at the front chuckled coldly.

"Good. It's an opportunity to deal with one of the successors of the great hero."

"But Captain, if we fight Ar Tune, we will fail the mission."

"Hmph. Even if the mission fails, Ar Tune's head is worth that much."

The masked man scoffed and was about to move.

At that moment.

"Captain, Ar Tune has disappeared."

"What?"

The masked man's eyes twitched.

"Did you find me?"

Thwack-!

Ar's fist plunged into the head of the man who had spotted him with binoculars.

Along with it, his head burst like a water watermelon.

"Sniff sniff- what a disgusting smell."

Ar, who appeared from behind the men, sniffed and smiled ferociously.

"You guys are Hero Hunters, aren't you?"