Chapter 202
Chapter Title: The Queen's Descent
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“There’s one thing I’m sure of.”
Karl said with a meaningful smile.
“What’s that?”
As Chelsea looked at Karl with a curious expression, he gave her a thumbs-up.
“The desserts they sell in Seirun are worse than Lumerne’s.”
At his words, the Class 5 students nodded in agreement.
“That’s true.”
“It’s not that they taste bad… but they fall short compared to our academy’s.”
Nod, nod.
Iliana nodded, and Nella wore her characteristic languid smile.
The Lumerne-Seirun Tournament had already been going on for a week.
The students from Lumerne had grown somewhat accustomed to Seirun’s biting cold.
But one thing they couldn't get used to was the desserts provided by Seirun.
And for the students, especially the female ones, desserts were a very serious matter.
“Why is there such a quality difference?”
Watching Chelsea pop a cookie into her mouth with a tilt of her head, Karl explained.
“All the cafes and bakeries in Lumerne start competing right from the moment they try to open a branch on campus, right?”
“Right.”
“And they have to keep competing even after they open. That naturally makes them pay more attention to new menu items and flavors. Seirun probably has the best chefs too, but since they don’t have to compete, there’s bound to be a difference.”
As Karl explained the principles of the market, the girls nodded, exclaiming, “Ohh! Ohh!”
“Thanks to that, the desserts we brought are selling like crazy, not just to the Seirun students but to the elf spectators too.”
Karl smiled contentedly, shaking his coin purse, which jingled merrily.
“I’m so jealous that Lumerne students get to eat such delicious things every day.”
Eiran, who had come to meet Leo, was happily eating a cookie, her ears fluttering like wings.
“I thought this before, but I have to admit it.”
Lunia also nodded, cupping her cheeks.
“So, what brings you here?”
When Chelsea asked with a puzzled look, Lunia replied with a question of her own.
“I heard that the chess master competing for Lumerne this time is a first-year?”
The event this time was Battle Chess.
While all the spectators watched intently.
Rumble—
A small tower began to rise from the middle of the stadium.
At the top of the tower were a desk, chairs, and a chessboard.
The Lumerne-Seirun Tournament was a venue to compete in both the strength and wisdom of the two academies.
Chess could be called the ultimate game to determine the best of minds.
For a first-year to be competing in such an event, Lunia couldn't help but feel curious.
“Chloe Müller, was it?”
Karl nodded at Lunia’s question.
“That’s right.”
“How good is she to beat Torua Yan, a fifth-year? Chess has always been a closely matched event, and now a first-year is competing. Or is this a generational shift to prepare for the future?”
Seeing Lunia’s open curiosity, Karl spoke.
“Leo said she’s really good.”
“Leo? Is Leo good at chess?”
“Leo beat senior Torua during the chess representative selection match.”
Lunia’s eyes widened.
“And Chloe beat Leo.”
“Wow.”
Lunia clicked her tongue in amazement.
“Just how good is she?”
“Leo said she’s as good as someone he knows.”
“Who’s that?”
“He didn’t say.”
Karl shook his head.
“By the way, where did that guy Leo go?”
When Lunia asked with a puzzled expression, Karl shook his head.
“No idea. He said he was going to watch from the very back seats of the spectator stands.”
“Why would he go all the way there when there are good seats here?”
Lunia wore a look of incomprehension.
***
“My regards.”
“My opponent is a first-year. I was hoping for Torua Yan. This will be boring.”
Watching Chloe bow her head, Seirun’s fifth-year representative, Markia, sighed and sat down.
Chloe sat down opposite him.
A moment later, with a bright flash of light, the chess pieces emerged from the board.
Woooong-!
Simultaneously, the stadium floor below the tower began to glow.
A giant square formed, and a checkered chessboard began to materialize.
“Ooooh.”
“It’s finally starting.”
The battlefield was twice the size of a standard chessboard, and there were more types of pieces.
Chloe, looking accustomed to it, began to arrange the white pieces.
“You seem familiar with elven-style chess.”
“I’m from the North.”
“Oh?”
The rules of chess vary subtly among the different races.
Among them, elven chess is famous for being the most complex.
But someone from the North, the domain of the elves, would surely be familiar with elven-style chess.
“In that case, perhaps this won’t be as boring as I thought.”
Just as Markia smiled in satisfaction.
Thud— Thud—
Students from Lumerne and Seirun walked out to the center of the stadium.
Carrying helmets and weapons that symbolized the chess pieces, they headed to their respective positions.
This was Seirun’s Battle Chess.
Moreover, elven chess was characterized by its implementation of various terrains.
The matchups between pieces changed depending on the terrain.
Additionally, pieces might not be defeated in a single attack.
It was, quite literally, a game that incorporated strategic elements on a scale incomparable to standard chess.
The students assigned to the pieces stood in formation.
After exchanging greetings, they took their positions on the vast chessboard, and the game officially began.
Thump— Thwack!—
Chloe, holding the black pieces, made the first move.
Following her command, a Lumerne student moved across the giant chessboard.
***
“Watching them beat each other up is pretty entertaining, I guess.”
Leo, sitting at the highest point of the spectator stands, let out a hollow laugh as he looked down at the giant chessboard.
It was clear that a chess match played out like this would be an exciting spectacle.
But Leo couldn't focus on the game.
‘Why didn’t Luna’s World react to me?’
The incident from a few days ago kept replaying in his mind.
Even with the crowds gathered for the Lumerne-Seirun Tournament, the back seats were very quiet.
Thanks to that, he could be alone with his thoughts.
Leo glanced down at the bracelet on his arm.
‘Could it be that Luna’s page is also broken? But according to Seirun’s vice principal, it was a World of Heroes that had been conquered until just recently.’
“What are you doing, Leo Flove, instead of watching the match?”
Someone spoke to Leo.
Turning his head, Leo looked at Liven sitting down next to him with a puzzled expression.
“What brings you all the way here instead of being in the VIP seats?”
“I wanted to have a word with you.”
Unlike Leo, Liven was looking at the Lumerne students as he spoke.
“I heard Nerja called for you.”
“Yes. She asked me to transfer to Seirun.”
“Just as I thought.”
Liven burst into laughter.
“So? What was your answer?”
“I said I wouldn’t go.”
“Why? Nerja is a greedy child. She must have promised you the best support.”
“I didn’t feel the need to go.”
“You truly are a peculiar one.”
Chuckling, Liven shook his head.
“As Nerja said, the assessment that Lumerne has been falling behind Seirun for the past few years is largely due to my negligence of duty.”
Liven let out a deep breath.
“I told you when we first met, didn't I? That I was disappointed in the students.”
Liven had been disappointed in students who couldn't dream of becoming more than just heroes.
“And through my meeting with you, I realized. That I was disappointed on my own terms.”
Unlike before, Liven now looked at the Lumerne students with warm eyes.
Seeing him, Leo smirked.
“Your expression has changed a lot.”
“Has it?”
“Yes. Just now, you looked like the King of Wisdom.”
Lisinas used to look at children with the exact same eyes as Liven.
“I’ve been curious for a while, Leo Flove.”
“Yes.”
“Are you really just an ordinary boy?”
Just as Leo gave a slight smile at Liven’s question.
Crackle—
A gray spark suddenly flashed from Leo’s body.
“……!”
“……?”
Just as both Leo and Liven wore looks of surprise.
[Hero Record Open.]
A familiar message appeared before Leo’s eyes.
“What?”
Leo’s face contorted in shock.
[Luna’s World. Chapter: Mid-game—Battle of Jegdiac.]
Fwoosh—!
“……!”
As Leo’s form vanished in an instant, Liven’s eyes shot open.
“What the—!”
Waaaaaaaaah—!
Liven’s cry of shock was drowned out by the roar of the crowd that filled the stadium.
Liven stood up and looked around frantically.
‘Teleportation? No. There was no fluctuation of mana. That light just now… it resembled the light of entering a World of Heroes!’
Liven’s face was a mask of confusion.
‘But there is no Hero Record here….’
Rumble—!
The dragon’s sensitive senses felt the ground shake.
Liven’s expression hardened.
‘What is this?’
The spectators hadn't noticed yet.
But the heroes and professors dispatched to guard the tournament, along with a few students, realized something was wrong.
Drip— Drip-drip—
Then, streams of water began to fall from the sky.
Pitter-patter— Whoooosh—!
Everyone froze at the sudden downpour.
Liven’s face was one of pure shock.
“Rain…?”
This was the northernmost part of the continent.
A land where rain never, ever fell.
But now, a torrential downpour was pouring down.
Just as everyone was reeling in shock.
Kra-kooom—!
A bolt of lightning struck across the sky.
With it, dark clouds began to gather.
Woooong—!
The faces of those who saw the massive, crimson symbol beginning to form in the sky turned deathly pale.
All aspiring heroes had learned what that symbol represented.
The Monster Queen, Silatuna.
That terrifying monster was about to reveal herself here and now.
***
“That Hell Kaiser.”
Silatuna, appearing from between the dark clouds, swept her hair back.
“He talked a big game about going himself.”
Her appearance was that of a beautiful woman, but within was a cruel and terrifying legion commander of Tartaros.
A fearsome archfiend who had existed since before the Age of Calamity.
“He dumps it on me just because his plan went awry? It’s not the first or second time that man has been rude, but it’s still unpleasant.”
As Silatuna spat out her annoyance, the man beside her spoke.
“My queen. In that case, why not simply ignore the words of that insolent Necro King?”
“That is true. But.”
Silatuna looked down at Seirun and licked her lips.
“My desire to crush those insects is far greater.”
The belligerent Silatuna had long wanted to attack a hero academy.
But she had been holding back due to the interference of the Necro King and the Giant King.
This time, however, the Necro King did not stop her.
For Silatuna, there was no longer any reason to restrain herself.
“My legion, let us show those insects who don’t know their place.”
Silatuna smiled cruelly.
“What true despair is.”