Chapter 133
Chapter Title: The Queen's Humiliation
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For a moment, Elena looked blank.
Seeing her, Leo smiled.
“I'm kidding.”
*'Is he messing with me?'*
Elena let out a dry laugh, looking at the audacious first-year who was so casually teasing her, the so-called queen of the academy.
“So, you'll join the party?”
“No. I've already decided where I'll be doing my mission practical.”
“Did you get an offer from another raid party?”
“It's not that.”
“Then why won't you join a raid party? It's to your benefit.”
“Why is joining a raid party to my benefit?”
Seeing Leo ask back with a puzzled expression, Elena was genuinely taken aback.
She thought it was an offer no first-year could possibly refuse.
After all, it was tantamount to declaring she would spoon-feed him the rewards of a Hero Dungeon raid.
*'But why is he refusing? Don't tell me he doesn't know the value of the World of Heroes?'*
That couldn't be.
Leo was an outstanding student, enough to be the year representative.
There was no way such a student wouldn't understand the meaning and value of raiding the World of Heroes.
*'Or is it simply because of his pride?'*
But from what Elena had seen, Leo didn't seem like the type to let such feelings get in the way.
“If you have nothing more to say, I'll be on my way.”
Leo gave a slight bow and left.
Watching him leave, Elena narrowed her eyes.
“Hmm.”
As if displeased, Elena gently twirled the end of her hair with her finger.
The Blue Moon party members stared, their eyes wide, looking back and forth between Leo and Elena.
How dare he refuse an invitation from Elena, the so-called Queen of Lumerne!
The other students also looked at Leo with disbelief.
Angry voices erupted from among the Blue Moon party members.
“That arrogant brat! How dare he refuse Elena's invitation?”
“Does being the year representative make him think he's above everyone?”
“Elena! Should I teach him a harsh lesson?”
Seizing the opportunity, the Blue Moon party members chimed in one after another.
It was out of hope that if they got on Elena's good side now, they might be able to join the upcoming raid.
Elena, who had been twirling her hair, turned to them with a faint smile.
“Who gave you permission to speak to me so freely?”
At her words, the Blue Moon party members flinched.
There were even fourth-years in the Blue Moon party, older than Elena.
Yet, none of them could say a word.
Giving them one last smile, Elena left the first-year dormitory, the *click-clack* of her heels echoing behind her.
*'What a humiliation.'*
She'd been rejected in front of so many people.
By tomorrow, it would be plastered all over the school newspaper.
Of course, even if that happened, Elena wouldn't care in the slightest.
She wasn't the type to lend an ear to the chatter of worthless people.
*'My ability doesn't work on him at all.'*
Elena's pink eyes gleamed with a bewitching light.
From birth, she possessed a charm that drew people to her.
It wasn't just about her innate background, talent, or looks.
She was born with a demonic charm, like a curse, that would thoroughly drive herself and those around her to misfortune.
But that curse, combined with her overwhelming heroic talent, became her most powerful weapon.
With just a look, she could make an ordinary person obey her.
Even those with strong minds would feel a powerful attraction to her.
Those who knew of her ability either feared or were hostile towards her.
And yet, Elena's demonic charm had no effect on Leo whatsoever.
“Orve.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Find out which region Leo Flove is going to for his mission practical.”
Elena's attendant, Orve, hesitated upon hearing her command.
“Prying into a student's personal affairs is a violation of school rules.”
“You know I'm not the type to care about such things, don't you?”
Elena said, gently twirling the end of her hair.
“Understood.”
Bowing his head, Orve vanished back into the shadows.
Walking through the school grounds alone at night, Elena muttered.
“Leo Flove…”
The corners of Elena's lips curled up.
“How interesting.”
***
The next morning.
The rumor that Leo had rejected Elena's party invitation spread throughout the entire school.
“Puhahahahaha!”
The fourth-year representative, Hark, burst out laughing as he read the newspaper, his eyepatch pushed up.
The second-year representative, Ril, dropped her fork mid-breakfast while reading the paper, her mouth agape.
“Don't you think our school's newspaper club writes articles that are a little too sensational?”
Chelsea muttered as she looked at the school paper distributed to each class every morning, and Karl shrugged.
“What can you do? The newspaper club has to make a living, too.”
The newspaper's headline, [The Queen's Humiliation], was written in massive letters.
“Still, the newspaper club is pretty brave.”
“They do some crazy stuff sometimes.”
Karl chuckled and asked Leo.
“How does it feel to have humiliated the queen?”
“Nothing special.”
“Anyway, after being publicly humiliated like that, don't you think she'll try to get revenge?”
“That won't happen.”
*'She's not the type to tarnish her own reputation with something like revenge. Besides, she's the type who doesn't care what others say anyway.'*
The problem was Elena's followers.
*'The queen's followers are very jealous.'*
He recalled what Ril had told him before.
*'Well, it doesn't matter if those types run wild. It'll just be a little annoying.'*
In any case, such riffraff were beneath Leo's notice.
*'I do need Elena's permission to enter the Forbidden Library, though.'*
To investigate the Hero Record, he needed permission from Elena, the acting chairman.
Before, she wouldn't even listen to him, but now, for some reason, she said she would hear him out.
*'That doesn't mean I can actually enter the Forbidden Library, though.'*
She could listen to his request and then refuse.
*'Besides, I'm not about to let my school life get tied down just to get into the Forbidden Library.'*
Elena was a strong candidate for the next president.
Joining a dungeon raiding party led by her would surely mean taking on troublesome tasks.
*'I'm already busy as it is.'*
While it was important to enter the Forbidden Library and find out why the Hero Record was split, his current priority was finding the traitor within Lumerne.
*'I can deal with the Forbidden Library slowly, through discussion.'*
*Creeak-*
The classroom door opened and Halind walked in.
As the students scrambled to their seats, Halind stood at the podium and spoke.
“Did you all check the details of the mission practical requests yesterday?”
“Yes!”
“In that case, write up a simple mission plan explaining why you chose your selected request and submit it.”
“Understood!”
Class 5 quickly wrote their mission plans.
Afterward, Halind carefully checked whether the students' chosen requests were too difficult.
He meticulously checked if they had sufficient ability to carry them out.
In the process, he paused when he saw Leo's mission plan.
Usually, first-years going on their first mission practical choose requests that match their abilities.
While some occasionally get overeager and choose requests they can't handle, it's rare for a student to choose one with a difficulty far below their capabilities.
The only time students chose requests that were too easy for their skill level was when upperclassmen had already earned enough points for their practicals but still had mandatory requests left to complete.
“Are you sure about the bandit subjugation mission in the Garan region, Leo Flove?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. You certainly have a way of surprising me.”
Halind stroked his chin.
A professor was supposed to guide students who tried to take on requests beyond their skill, but he wasn't sure what to do in a case like this.
*'Well, he must have a reason.'*
He figured Leo must have a plan.
Thinking this, Halind let out a dry chuckle.
*'To think I'd come to trust a mere first-year this much.'*
Shaking his head, Halind stamped his approval on the mission practical plan.
After the short interviews were over, Halind said.
“The mission practical begins in two days. Everyone, prepare well.”
“Yes!”
***
*Whoooooosh-!*
A cold wind raged.
A land of cold winter all year round.
The place where beautiful elf students study to become heroes. Seirun.
“Achoo!”
Walking down a hallway in Seirun, the red-haired girl, Lunia, sneezed.
"*Sniffle-!*"
Seeing Lunia rubbing her nose and sniffling, Eiran asked worriedly.
“Miss Lunia, are you alright?”
“Yeah. *Sniffle-!*”
Living in a cold region, elves are resistant to winter.
Lunia, the heir to the Lundua family which uses the power of the phoenix, was especially resistant to the cold.
However, being resistant to the cold and constitutionally hating it were two different things.
And Lunia, in particular, despised the cold.
“By the way, Professor Herdium said that Leo might come as an exchange student. What happened with that?”
Eiran asked in a slightly excited voice, but Lunia shook her head.
“It's not happening. They proposed sending him here for almost half a semester, but there's no way Lumerne would send a student like Leo away for that long.”
The name Leo Flove was already so famous that there was no one in Seirun who didn't know it.
*'That guy. He's already so far ahead. And it's not like Leo is the only first-year at Lumerne.'*
Thinking of the Lumerne first-years she would have to compete with for the rest of her academy life, the corners of Lunia's lips curled up.
Lunia was the type to get even more fired up the more worthy her opponent was of being defeated.
*'This will be fun.'*
Just as she was smiling belligerently, her eyes sparkling,
“That's an unbecoming expression for a year representative.”
a stern voice was heard.
Lunia saw the male student who had appeared before her and made an annoyed face.
Eiran hurriedly bowed her head.
“Senior Hadin, hello.”
“Hmph. Eiran. I hear you've come to your senses lately.”
Hadin gave a cold smile, adjusting his glasses as he looked at Eiran.
“You're well aware that you tarnished Seirun's name as a year representative, aren't you?”
Eiran flinched at Hadin's words.
“I'd appreciate it if you didn't do anything else to damage the academy's dignity as a year representative.”
Eiran couldn't respond to that.
Lunia glared at Hadin with a sullen expression.
“And, Lunia. How many times have I told you not to make that face?”
“What's wrong with my face?”
“You look like a street thug.”
As he pointed this out, Hadin glanced at Lunia's attire.
With a few buttons on her uniform blouse undone and the shirt untucked, Lunia was dressed very casually.
“And you're dressed so sloppily again.
Hadin Dertian.
Seirun's top third-year student.
In other words, the male third-year representative.
He had immense pride as a Seirun student and was a senior who frequently criticized Lunia.
“How many times have I told you that a year representative must maintain a neat appearance?”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”
Lunia replied defiantly, buttoning her blouse and straightening her uniform.
“There, happy?”
“Hmph.”
Adjusting his glasses, Hadin scoffed.
“So, what brings you all the way to the first-year classrooms?”
“You and I have been assigned to the same mission.”
“…”
Lunia looked tired.
“No need to look so happy about it.”
“Do I look happy to you?”
“I'll take this opportunity to teach you, as your senior, the proper conduct befitting a year representative.”
*'Ugh, he's so annoying. Should I just deck him?'*
Lunia ground her teeth inwardly.
“So? Where are we going for the mission practical?”
“A region called Garan, on the southwestern tip of the continent.”
“Garan?”
*'At least it'll be warm.'*
“Isn't that human and beastkin territory? Why are we going all the way there?”
Eiran asked with a puzzled look.
“The vice principal said there might be an 'undiscovered Hero Dungeon' there. Anyway, Lunia. We depart in two days. Be thoroughly prepared.”
With that, Hadin left.
Then, he paused and said.
“Eiran. Keep doing as well as you have been.”
“Yes.”
“Hmph.”
He scoffed coldly at Eiran's reply and walked away.
Watching his retreating back, Lunia thought for a moment before starting to pack snow together.
Not forgetting to put a small rock inside, Lunia began carefully forming a snowball.
And she was about to hurl it straight at Hadin's head.
Eiran, horrified, clung to Lunia's arm.
“Lu-Miss Lunia! You'll get into a fight with him!”
“It's fine. That annoying bastard won't get hurt by something like this.”
“I'm telling you, you can't!”