Book 1 Chapter 94
【94】93.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Elena.”
“Senior Elena? Really?”
Chloe’s eyes widened.
“Yes.”
“I’ve been enjoying your magic dissertations!”
“Hm?”
“I especially enjoyed reading the part about the effect of mana vibrations in the atmosphere on magic!”
“You understood that difficult content?”
“Yes!”
“My goodness, such a cute junior has joined?”
Elena, floating gracefully with magic, held Chloe’s cheeks with both hands and brought her face close.
Elena’s eyes curved as she watched the slightly flustered Chloe.
It was then that Chloe felt a slight shiver from that gaze.
“What’s going on here, Elena.”
“Uncle!”
Elena flew to Alby.
“I heard you were teaching a class and came! I was thinking of listening in!”
“It’s not a particularly special class. I’m just giving advice to the first-years. And you cannot attend a first-year class. Attend a third-year class.”
“Such a boring class. It’s not even worth listening to.”
Elena scoffed and said.
“If that’s the case, don’t interrupt the class and leave.”
At those words, Elena furrowed her brow.
And she muttered ‘boring’ in a small voice as she was about to leave.
“Senior.”
“Why are you calling me, Leo.”
“There’s something I want to ask you, can I go to your mansion after school?”
“A request?”
Elena tilted her head, then crossed her arms and made an indifferent expression.
“Why should I grant your request? You refused my request just now, didn’t you?”
“That was a request?”
“Of course.”
Elena, sitting cross-legged in the air, smiled sweetly and floated her body into the air.
“I’ll go before the other professors gather and nag me.”
Elena, who waved her hand playfully, flew off somewhere just like that.
Watching that, Chloe made an incredulous expression.
For her, a model student, skipping class and going around to play was a culture shock.
“C-can she do that?”
“No, she can’t. There’s more than one professor waiting to scold her.”
“But aren’t you going to say anything? She’s your niece, isn’t she?”
“It’s that child’s choice, so there’s no reason for me to say anything. She’s not a child who would listen even if I did. You all just focus on your practice.”
Having said that, Alby returned to his original spot.
Leo looked in the direction Elena had disappeared.
To enter the Forbidden Archives, Elena’s permission was needed.
‘Judging by her demeanor, she’s very self-willed.’
It was clear that even if he showed Alby’s recommendation letter, she wouldn’t show much interest for now.
‘For now, let’s focus on the inter-department competition.’
Now was the time to focus on the immediate department event.
***
Around the time two weeks had passed since the academy lockdown order was issued.
Illiana, who was studying independently in the classroom during a free period, grumbled.
“How can there be no refreshments during independent study time like this? Does this make any sense?”
Most Lumern students were nobles or from upper-class families, so they studied with refreshments during independent study time.
Of course, after the lockdown, not to mention refreshments, not even a crumb of snack could be found.
“Why do you need snacks and tea to study?”
“Class president! Studying naturally requires an energizer!”
“By the way, where’s Kal?”
It was then that Nella made a puzzled expression.
*Rattle-*
The classroom door opened, and Kal pushed in a refreshment cart.
Chelsea and Illiana jumped up from their seats.
“Kal! What is that!”
Seeing the two female students with sparkling eyes, Kal bowed elegantly like an excellent butler.
“Although I couldn’t get cakes or cookies.”
*Click-*
“Ohh!”
When the cart’s lid was opened, a teapot and teacups were set inside.
“Young ladies, I meticulously brewed this.”
“Ohh! Black tea!”
“Black tea alone is enough!”
Since getting tea leaves now was like picking a star from the sky, they thought this alone was enough.
*Pouring sound!*
Clear and transparent liquid was poured into the teacups.
“It’s plain water.”
“……”
“……”
“Pfft! Hahahahahahahaha! Look at their faces! You got tricked? You got… *cough*?”
Seeing Kal, who was teasing her, Chelsea’s face turned fierce, and she delivered a dropkick straight to his stomach.
And together with Illiana, she mercilessly kicked the fallen Kal.
“W-wait! My bones… Aack! Sorry! I’m sorry!”
Kal’s desperate screams echoed for a while.
“I have big news.”
“What is it?”
“The location for this inter-department competition has been decided!”
“What? Where?”
The students from Class 5 flocked over.
At that, Kal cleared his throat with an “Ahem!” and said in a serious voice.
“Neigrand.”
“Neigrand?”
“Isn’t that a restricted area?”
Neigrand.
It was a city located in the southeastern part of the continent, famous for being destroyed overnight due to the rampage of a Hero Dungeon.
The Neigrand catastrophe, which involved concealing a Hero Dungeon, became a cautionary tale widely known throughout the continent.
Later, the dungeon was conquered, but due to the influence of the Hero Dungeon, the land became cursed, making it uninhabitable for humans.
“Is it okay to go to such a place?”
The students swallowed dryly.
“I heard that even though it’s a restricted area, it’s not extremely dangerous.”
At Chelsea’s words, Nella nodded.
“That’s right. It is a dangerous place, but only to the extent that low-to-mid-level monsters appear and curses are spread throughout?”
For ordinary people, it was an immense threat, but for hero cadets, it was a danger they could sufficiently overcome.
Once the battlefield for the inter-department competition was decided, all of Class 5 brought geography books and began to research.
Unlike the world of heroes, there were unpredictable threats, so the students studied Neigrand more seriously than ever before.
Leo also opened the geography book he received as a textbook and looked for a map of Neigrand.
‘Neigrand… Neigrand… here it is.’
Leo, who had opened the book, paused.
‘This place?’
The place names Leo remembered and the place names from the era Kyle lived in were different.
It was natural given the passage of time between the two eras.
However, he remembered what events had occurred in this region in the past.
‘It’s where Lysinus and I first defeated the legion commander.’
***
Time flowed on, even as student complaints piled up due to the school lockdown.
First-years, in particular, were spending hectic days.
*Crackle! Crackle!*
Durran looked at the aura gathered in his hands and clenched his fists tightly.
*Flash-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!*
In response to Durran’s power, electricity burst out in all directions as if exploding.
“A-amazing! Durran! You’ve almost mastered the Hero’s Breath!”
When a student from Durran’s faction shouted in an excited voice, Durran said irritably.
“What do you mean ‘mastered’? I can’t even use it naturally yet, and besides…!”
*Crack!*
Durran irritably broke the wooden sword he was holding.
“Compared to the sword strike that Leo Flobe fellow unleashed back then, this is pathetic!”
“Of course that’s true, but Leo Flobe takes damage himself from the recoil whenever he uses an attack of that magnitude, doesn’t he?”
A female student said, crossing her arms.
“There’s a limit to such destructive methods. At best, it’s a trump card to use in a crisis.”
Durran scoffed at the words of the female student who had analyzed Leo.
“This time, I’ll defeat Leo Flobe and show everyone who the true number one is. And…”
Durran’s eyes briefly turned their gaze.
“I’ll also defeat Celia Zerdinger.”
*Whoosh!*
“Amazing, Celia, to control the flames of aura to this extent.”
At her classmate’s words, Celia swept back her hair.
“This much is basic.”
Celia, with a confident expression, extinguished the flames.
What Celia had focused on training for the past month was the delicate control of aura.
Celia, who had withdrawn the flames, and Durran’s eyes met.
Celia made a sullen expression, then pointed at Durran with her finger and made a gesture of slitting her throat.
In response, Durran, provoked, retaliated by giving a thumbs-down.
Meanwhile, at the magic practice field…
*Whoosh!*
Chelsea watched Abbad with wide eyes.
‘Amazing, as expected of my brother.’
His detailed control of wind magic was enough to make her jaw drop.
*Thud- Thud!*
When Abbad released his magic, the rocks that had been swirling in the air fell to the ground.
“To be able to control this much power so delicately! As expected of my brother!”
Seeing Chelsea approach with a bright smile, Abbad wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke.
“Chelsea.”
“Yes!”
“How do I compare to Leo?”
“…!”
Chelsea fell silent at Abbad’s question.
From Chelsea’s perspective, if purely looking at magic ability, Abbad had the advantage.
But when looking at it comprehensively…
‘Who should I cheer for?’
Abbad, whom she respected as a mage.
Leo, whom she respected as a hero candidate.
Abbad smiled as he watched the conflicted Chelsea.
“So Leo has the advantage.”
“Oh, Brother! I mean… I… that!”
“Not bad.”
“Huh?”
“Having someone to challenge, too.”
Chelsea was surprised as she watched Abbad smile genuinely.
Meanwhile, Leo was sitting in the library, with a pile of books related to Neigrand stacked up.
‘There are a total of five large lakes within Neigrand.’
As it was a large city, there were five large lakes.
“Which of these is Lake Erdeiana?”
Leo scratched his head roughly.
While other students were busy preparing for the inter-department competition, Leo was focused on something else.
An event from long ago came to mind.
‘Given how much time has passed, I don’t think it would still be there.’
Leo crossed his arms.
In the past, a spirit had slept in a place called Erdeiana Lake here.
A spirit that is not even remembered now.
However, it was a Great Spirit praised as a mighty spirit until the Age of Calamity.
Lysinus’s lost oath-bound.
‘Luminus, the Great Spirit of Radiance.’
Leo closed the book and stood up.
‘For now, I’ll have to visit all five locations.’
***
Numerous crowds had gathered at the Erech, the grand parade ground in the center of Lumern Academy.
Not only Lumern Academy students, but also many visitors had gathered.
“Ohh! Let me see our daughter! How was school life!”
“It was fun!”
“Son! You are the pride of our family!”
“I know!”
“Refrain from any actions that would disgrace the family’s honor.”
“Yes.”
Originally, no one other than authorized individuals could enter Lumern Academy.
However, for today, due to the large-scale departmental event known as the inter-department competition, visits from the families of those involved were permitted.
Of course, this was also to change the negative public opinion regarding the academy lockdown order of the past month.
Thanks to this, Lumern was experiencing an unexpected festive atmosphere.
Of course, with many external visitors, problems were bound to arise.
“Hey! I want to see the place where my son studies, are you saying that’s not allowed either!”
“Due to security regulations regarding student research projects and other matters, entry for outsiders is not permitted. Please only use the authorized areas.”
“Hmph! Do you know who I am?!”
As Lumern normally restricted external visitors, not a few people were curious and tried to enter unauthorized areas.
Of course, such individuals were restrained by the assistant instructors, but there were also many who were headstrong.
Hero’s Tower, top floor.
From a place where the entire academy view was visible, Kallian was looking down at Erech.
“I’m worried that if we allow so many outsiders in at once like this, intruders might secretly slip in.”
When Professor Yura spoke with a worried face, Kallian let out a deep sigh.
“Fortunately, a powerful deterrent has returned, so nothing like what happened back then will occur.”
At Kallian’s words, Yura cautiously looked at the red-haired woman sitting on the guest sofa, enjoying tea.
It was Phoenix Pirina.
‘Though I’d like to talk to her!’
Yura, a beast tamer facing the strongest beast, was itching to talk to Pirina.
Unlike Leo’s Fiora and Ulta’s Airia, that one was a complete adult.
It was the very romance and legend of a beast tamer who wielded absolute power.
‘We can’t hide this fact forever. We must announce it publicly through cooperation with Sayrun.’
Kallian’s eyes gleamed with a serious light.
‘To prevent those Tartarus guys from rampaging any further.’