Chapter 108
Chapter Title: Reina's Son?
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The crowd roared, cheering for Leo and his overwhelming display of skill.
*I wasn't trying to stand out.*
Leo sighed, looking down at the blood spattered across his body.
When the cyclops had exploded moments ago, he had been unintentionally showered in blood and gore.
Amidst the cheers, Leo was guided out of the arena by the staff.
He was led to a waiting room within the colosseum.
Inside, the prospective students who had already finished the Monster Carnival were murmuring amongst themselves.
But when they spotted the blood-soaked Leo, they fell silent.
Having finished their own turns, they had all been watching their competitors and had just witnessed Leo's performance.
They all stared at him with wary eyes.
To the Azonia candidates, Leo was a powerful rival.
"Is there anywhere I can wash up?"
The staff member who had guided him replied.
"You can wash up in your room."
"Where are the rooms?"
"Before you go to your rooms, all prospective students must listen to the instructor in charge of this year's entrance ceremony."
*I'm going to stand out like this.*
No one else was as spectacularly covered in blood, making Leo's appearance all the more conspicuous.
*I should just stay quiet in a corner.*
Leo found a corner in the spacious waiting room and sat down by himself.
*Still, Beastification... I never would have thought.*
He recalled the recent event and looked down at his hands.
*It's truly unexpected that Polymorph could induce the effects of Beastification.*
Ar-on's breathing method, now known as the [Brave Hero's Breath].
Of course, it was very different from the 'original' version Ar-on had used, so the ability to freely Beastify was gone.
And yet, Leo, while polymorphed, had used that very ability.
*Well, in my case, there were no significant physical changes.*
Polymorph was a spell that changed one's appearance, not their fundamental nature.
Though he looked like a half-beastman and had activated Beastification through his breathing, Leo was still undeniably human.
The Beastification was only skin-deep; Leo's body hadn't actually been enhanced.
Therefore, the aftereffects of pushing Ar-on's breath to its limit remained the same.
While Leo was lost in thought about the Brave Hero's Breath,
Ar was watching him intently from a distance.
*No matter how I think about it, I'm sure I saw it correctly!*
Having caught a fleeting glimpse of Leo's Beastification in the arena, Ar couldn't stop thinking about him.
Beastmen had been researching Beastification for a very long time.
Beastification was the most powerful weapon granted to their kind.
To Beastify at will was one of the greatest aspirations of all beastmen.
But in all of history, only one beastman had ever been able to do so.
*The [Brave Hero], Lord Ar-on!*
Ar's ears and tail perked up, her eyes narrowing like a cat's.
*But even for Lord Ar-on, the fact that he could Beastify at will only remains in written records!*
Among Ar-on's surviving Hero Records, none depict him in 'combat'.
As a result, the claim that Ar-on could freely Beastify existed only in texts.
This led to a split in opinion among beastmen, with some believing it to be true and others false.
Of course, Ar believed that Ar-on could indeed Beastify at will.
*Because there's nothing Lord Ar-on couldn't do!*
To the young girl who had grown up hearing tales of Ar-on's heroism, he was a Great Hero capable of anything.
She had even taken her name from his.
*I have to ask him!*
Ar approached Leo, who was sitting in the corner of the waiting room.
"Black rabbit, there's something I want to ask you...!"
"Hey."
But someone else had gotten to Leo before Ar.
Leo stood up and looked at the person who had appeared before him.
Standing there was a muscular wolf beastman boy, well over 180 cm tall, looking down at Leo with his arms crossed.
"What is it?"
"Not bad."
The boy grinned, looking Leo over as if appraising him.
"I thought you were just some coward hiding in the corner. But you were impressive."
The boy with gray hair and wild golden eyes introduced himself with a belligerent smile.
"My name is Dion Den. And you?"
"Kyle."
"Kyle? Same name as the Hero of the Beginning. How unusual."
"What do you want from me?"
"Oh, it's simple. I was worried this place would be full of weaklings, but seeing someone with your skill puts my mind at ease, I guess."
Dion chuckled, his eyes flashing.
"Thanks to you, it looks like my school life won't be boring."
"Muscle-head. Spouting nonsense again."
Ar approached with her arms crossed, a look of disdain on her face.
"What? It's you, Ar."
Dion's expression turned bored.
"You're as scrawny as ever."
"Hmph! There's no need to build excessive muscle. Look at this flexible and beautiful form."
"Yeah. Pathetic, as always."
"Who are you calling pathetic?!"
"I'm not that interested in you, my childhood friend. I already know how strong you are. I want to compete with new, powerful opponents."
The grinning wolf beastman was a typical beastman, one who pursued strength above all else.
"Then you can talk all you want after me! I have business with the black rabbit, too!"
"With me?"
"Yes! I have something to ask you!"
"What is it?"
"You...!"
"Hey! I was talking to him first."
"So you can go after me."
"Don't be ridiculous, no cutting in line!"
"I was going to talk to him first, you know?"
"What does that have to do with anything? Wait your turn!"
Watching the two beastmen growling at each other, refusing to back down, Leo commented,
"You two seem close."
"I'm not friends with this fighting-obsessed mutt!"
"You think I'd be friends with this stupid cat?!"
"Everyone, assemble."
Someone entered the waiting room and called the prospective students to gather.
"Let's go assemble first."
As Leo went to join the assembly, Ar, having missed her chance to talk, kicked Dion.
"I missed my chance to talk because of you! You're useless! Useless!"
"Hmph! To have the composure of a true powerhouse! I like him even more now!"
"Are you ignoring me?!"
"Once the semester starts, the world will turn its attention from Lumerne to us!"
"Don't ignore me!"
She forcefully slapped the back of Dion, who was paying her no mind.
"That's only going to hurt your hand."
Indeed, hitting his solid muscles with her bare hand only made her own hand ache.
Seeing Dion's mocking smile, Ar's expression turned cold as she extended her claws.
Dion's face contorted as he grabbed Ar's wrist, stopping her attack.
"You damn cat!"
"What! You damn wolf!"
Glaring daggers, Ar began to shove Dion's face away with her foot.
"You two! What are you doing? Get in formation!"
In the end, the two were reprimanded by an assistant instructor.
***
After the Monster Carnival concluded.
The prospective students received a brief explanation about the desert-crossing marathon scheduled for the next day.
The rules were simple.
Start from Azrek, cross the great desert, and arrive at Azonia, located in the middle of said desert.
That was the condition for admission.
At first glance, it seemed remarkably simple.
However, crossing the desert between Azonia and Azrek was no easy feat.
"The Great Azrek Desert is one of the harshest regions on the continent."
The prospective students gazed with admiration at the man in the waiting room explaining the desert marathon—Berga.
He was currently the most renowned hero among the beastmen.
Until very recently, he had been active on the front lines, a truly mighty hero.
"So, I'll give you one piece of advice."
Everyone swallowed nervously and looked at Berga.
"Do not make the foolish mistake of confusing recklessness with courage."
Tension filled the air among the students at his words.
Some of them clenched their teeth.
"This is my last chance..."
"After I barely passed the Open Admissions, they're telling me to give up?"
"How could I, after coming all this way!"
Like Lumerne, Azonia has an age limit for admission.
And among them were many who had reached that age limit, trying for a second or third time.
To them, being told to 'give up' was tantamount to being told to abandon their dream of becoming a hero.
"And now, the recommended applicants, step forward."
At his command, five boys and girls stepped forward.
The gazes of the students who had passed the Open Admissions turned to them.
*We struggled so hard to pass the Open Admissions! But those guys...!*
The decisive difference between those who had passed the Open Admissions and these recommended applicants...
...was that the latter were judged to have such overwhelming skill that they didn't need to take it.
But even knowing this, the students who had struggled to pass couldn't help but feel resentful toward the recommended applicants.
The fact that all of them came from famous, prestigious families only soured the mood of the other prospective students further.
Amidst this atmosphere, Berga crossed his arms and looked down at the recommended applicants.
*Ah, Father! His presence is no joke! It feels even more intense today...*
*As expected of Lord Berga! What powerful pressure!*
Even his own daughter, Ar, who had seen him often since she was a child, was tense.
The other two beastmen were the same.
Only Leo looked back at Berga with a calm expression.
Berga, who had been staring intently at Leo, spoke.
"Since you didn't take the Open Admissions, you won't be acquainted with the other candidates. As such, introduce yourselves."
At his words, the recommended applicants began to introduce themselves one by one.
The first to introduce herself was a fox beastman wearing glasses.
"I'm Stea Rual. My specialty is magic. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The name's Reit Vega. I'm a spirit user."
The bear beastman grinned confidently.
"I'm Ar Tune. Let's all do our best."
"I'm Kyle. Nice to meet you."
At Kyle's introduction, a few students looked intrigued.
The Great Hero's name was so famous that while some might take a few letters from it for their own names, no one used the name itself.
Moreover, since Kyle was treated as a figure from a fairy tale, it was even rarer for someone to bear his name.
After the first four recommended applicants had finished their introductions, all eyes turned to the last one, Dion.
Dion bared his fangs in a cold smile.
"If you're weak, don't drag everyone down. Just give up early."
The prospective students' faces hardened.
A few assistant instructors flinched, and Berga narrowed his eyes.
*Dion has the skill to back up those words. But can he handle the consequences?*
Berga liked strong individuals.
But being merely strong was not enough.
The first condition for earning Berga's acknowledgment...
...was to be able to take responsibility for one's own words.
With that single sentence, Dion had effectively made enemies of all the prospective students who had passed the Open Admissions.
Ar shook her head at her childhood friend, as if to say he was hopeless.
When the introductions were finished, Berga spoke.
"Good. Are there any candidates with questions?"
No one raised their hand.
"Then you are dismissed. You can get your room assignments down that hall."
At Berga's words, the students who had passed the Open Admissions filed out of the waiting room.
They all coldly ignored the recommended applicants.
Seeing this, the recommended applicants looked at each other, sighed lightly, and shrugged.
They had expected as much, so they didn't show any signs of being offended.
And so, the recommended applicants also began to leave the waiting room.
Ar glanced over at Leo, planning to wait for him at the entrance.
"Kyle."
"Yes."
"You will have a private meeting with me."
*A meeting? What's this about?*
Being called aside by an instructor—the Lumerne equivalent of a professor—Leo's expression grew slightly tense.
Meanwhile, Ar frowned.
*Will the meeting take long?*
Thinking that the timing was just not working out, Ar headed to her room.
*I'll just find him in his room later.*
Ar was determined to learn Leo's secret.
The students left, and the assistant instructors also departed to manage them.
Once the two of them were alone, Berga spoke with a serious expression.
"Kyle. I ask this just in case."
"Yes."
*He found out I'm from Lumerne, didn't he?*
Just as Leo tensed up,
"Are you, by any chance, Reina's son?"