Chapter 212
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The end of the final exams, signaling the end of the semester.
Normally, when exams concluded, the students of Lumerne would be split into two groups.
The first: students who felt a sense of liberation mixed with a touch of bittersweetness.
The second: students trembling in fear, worried they would be advised to withdraw.
But now, the atmosphere at Lumerne was different from usual.
Everyone faced the closing ceremony with a solemn air.
It was the same in Class 5.
The usual boisterous atmosphere was nowhere to be found.
They simply waited quietly for Halind to enter the classroom.
Creak—
The door opened, and Halind walked in.
As all the students wore tense expressions, Assistant Professor Sera brought in the report cards.
“You all worked hard this year.”
Halind swept his gaze over the students with his characteristically dry expression.
As the Class 5 students tensed under his gaze.
Halind spoke.
“Some of you have already prepared yourselves, I imagine?”
At his words, the students with poor grades hung their heads low.
It was inevitable.
In the first semester, all of Class 5 had miraculously managed to survive.
But Lumerne was a school where survival was never easy.
In severe cases, less than half the students would make it from first to second year.
Karl let out a groan and scratched his head vigorously.
“Is this it for me?”
As he muttered quietly with a bitter smile, Halind opened his mouth.
“Karl Thomas.”
“Ye-Yes, sir!”
Karl shot up from his seat and stood at attention.
Seeing Karl swallow nervously with a tense expression, the other Class 5 students looked on with pity.
With his unique friendliness, there wasn't a single student Karl wasn't close to.
So, the thought of him leaving the school naturally saddened them.
“This student was not advised to withdraw. You all know what that means, right?”
Karl blinked.
As the other students, who also failed to understand for a moment, stared blankly, Sera spoke with a gentle smile.
“Everyone in our class will be advancing to the second year.”
“R-Really?”
“Is that true?!”
“Whoaaaaa!”
Surprised reactions erupted from all over Class 5.
Such reactions were heard not only in Class 5 but throughout the entire first-year building.
Tap— Tap—
As Halind lightly tapped the lectern, the Class 5 students instantly sat up straight.
“Consider yourselves lucky. The Lumerne faculty council decided to promote the entire year.”
At that, Iliana raised her hand.
“Is there a special reason for that decision?”
“The professors highly valued the experience you all gained during the Lucerne Festival incident.”
The moment they heard that, the faces of the Class 5 students hardened.
The invasion of the Demon Queen and the second coming of Jerdiac.
It was an event that barely ended in victory only because the Great Heroes appeared at the same time as Jerdiac.
But if the Great Heroes hadn't appeared, not a single one of them would have survived.
“On top of that, the fact that we're ending the academic schedule a month early is also a big factor.”
It was just as Halind said.
Lumerne was ending its academic schedule a month early and starting the break.
“Don't think of the break as merely a time to rest. Use it as a period for further growth.”
With those final words, Halind distributed the report cards and parent newsletters to the students.
“With that, we will conclude the second semester of the first year.”
Halind said nonchalantly to the Class 5 students.
“Congratulations to you all on advancing to the second year.”
“Professor Halind…”
“Without your guidance, we never would have made it to the second year!”
“Thank you!”
The entire class expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Halind.
When Halind first became their homeroom professor, many students had despaired.
It was only natural.
Known as Lumerne's Wailing Wall, Halind, who advised the most students to withdraw, was fear incarnate.
But looking back, it was because of Halind's guidance that they had achieved better grades and survived.
At his students' reaction, Halind let out a small smirk and left the classroom.
Sera, who remained in the classroom, spoke with a look of regret.
“I’d love to have an after-party with all of you, but the circumstances don't allow for it. You all worked hard this semester.”
“Assistant Professor Sera!”
“Won't you be teaching us in the second year?”
The female students flocked around Sera.
Unlike the fearsome Halind, Sera was like an older sister to the students of Class 5.
If she hadn't been there to ease the tension, a good number of students would have found it difficult to endure.
Seeing the students' eyes welling up, Sera gave a bitter smile.
“Nothing has been decided yet.”
Sera comforted the students and said brightly.
“Anyway, congratulations on making it to the second year! You'll have juniors starting next year, so you have to become even more respectable students, okay?”
***
The semester was over.
Lumeria City, which would normally be bustling, was quiet.
Lumerne and Lumeria City had yet to recover from Kalian's death.
Amidst this, Leo headed to the warp gate with his friends.
“This year was fun. It's a shame we'll all be scattered in the second year.”
Iliana said with a wistful expression.
Looking at Iliana, Karl put his arms behind his head and said.
“We'll still see each other in our department classes, right? And department classes become more important starting in the second year.”
Karl was right.
In the first year, homeroom classes were emphasized, but from the second year, department classes took precedence.
“But we won't be able to hang out as a class like we do now.”
“We can still hang out often, even if we're in different classes.”
Dade nodded at Nella's words.
“That's right. No one even left the school.”
Chatting cheerfully, they arrived at the warp gate.
“Well then, have a good break.”
“See you all after the break~”
“Or maybe we should get together sometime during the break?”
“Should we?”
Exchanging pleasantries, they each stepped into the warp gates leading to their respective homes.
Leo and Chelsea, both heading to the western region, walked toward the western warp gate.
“Leo, are you going straight home?”
Leo shook his head at her question.
“No. I've decided to go to the Rodren Empire this time.”
At Leo's words, Chelsea's eyes widened, and she broke into a bright smile.
“Wow! Then you can do homework with me!”
“Well... I'm visiting my mother's side of the family. I'm not sure if I'll have the time.”
“Oh.”
Chelsea let out a small gasp at Leo's words and looked disappointed.
Leo's maternal family was the Jerdingers.
They were close at school, but within the Rodren Empire, the Jerdingers and the Llewellyns were rivals.
“Still, I'll stop by the Llewellyn estate if I get the chance.”
“Okay!”
Chelsea nodded happily at Leo's words.
“You're here?”
Celia and Abad were waiting at the warp gate.
Leo stood beside Celia, while Chelsea went to Abad.
Abad, who had already heard from Celia that Leo was coming to the Rodren Empire, greeted Leo with a smile.
“Let's see each other during the break if we can.”
“Chelsea and I were just talking about that.”
Leo said with a smirk, and Abad nodded.
“Well, we'll be going first.”
“Bye, Leo~! As for you, Celia... bleh!”
Chelsea, who had waved with a bright smile for Leo, stuck her tongue out at Celia.
Watching them disappear in a flash of bright light from the warp, Celia said.
“I need to pick a day and give her a good flick on the forehead.”
“What if you end up in the same class next year?”
“Don't say such horrible things, will you?”
Celia glared at Leo.
Leo, bursting into laughter at the sight, stepped onto the warp gate.
“Let's go.”
“Alright.”
The two of them stood on the warp gate.
After the warp gate's coordinates were set, the mages activated their mana, and a brilliant light erupted.
A moment later.
A bright light filled their vision.
When the light faded, they had arrived at the Jerdinger family's warp gate.
The warp gate of a single family.
Befitting one of the two pillars of the Rodren Empire, the hegemonic power of the west, the interior of the Jerdinger warp gate was magnificent beyond compare.
Leo let out a gasp of admiration as he looked at the marble statues of knights.
After looking around for a while, Leo saw the phoenix carved into the ceiling and spoke.
“This is far more splendid than the warp gate in my country's capital.”
“That's because this is another main entrance for the Jerdingers.”
Seeing her cousin's surprise, Celia smiled smugly.
When they stepped off the warp gate and went outside, knights were waiting for them.
“Welcome, Lady Celia! Congratulations on your promotion to the second year!”
“Congratulations!”
The knights who had come to greet Celia congratulated her in unison.
In response, Celia swept her hair back and said nonchalantly.
“Is that really something to congratulate me for?”
While other students would be genuinely happy, Celia showed no such sign.
In a way, it was natural.
Celia was a renowned genius, watched closely not just by the Rodren Empire but by the entire continent.
For her, advancing to the second year was a matter of course.
“Don't make such a fuss.”
At Celia's words, the knights bowed their heads.
Amidst this, everyone's gaze now turned to Leo.
“By the way, my lady, who is this gentleman beside you...?”
At the question, Celia glanced at Leo and said calmly.
“Leo Flove. He's my cousin. You all know of him, right?”
“Huh?”
“Young Master Leo?”
The knights looked completely startled.
Leo looked at their reaction with a puzzled expression.
“What's this? You kept insisting I should spend the first month of the break at the Jerdinger estate, and you didn't even tell them I was coming?”
Celia giggled at Leo's question.
“Yup. I didn't tell them because I wanted to surprise everyone.”
Leo chuckled at his playful cousin.
Celia boarded the waiting carriage as if it were second nature.
Leo followed her into the carriage.
The carriage carrying the two of them began to move.
The griffin-drawn carriage sped across the main Jerdinger grounds.
Leo marveled at the scenery rushing past outside.
“There's no end in sight.”
The place Leo and Celia had come to was the main residence of the Jerdinger family.
In other words, Jerdinger territory.
As a ducal family of Rodren, their territory was vast.
But even so, the end of the main estate grounds was not visible.
Celia chuckled at Leo's comment.
“The grounds of our family estate are probably several times larger than your country's royal palace.”
At that, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Rich people are really something else.”
“You're probably the only one who treats the Jerdingers as just some rich family.”
Celia shook her head, looking dumbfounded.
The griffin-drawn carriage sped along and arrived at the main Jerdinger castle.
Looking up at the massive Jerdinger castle, Leo was once again amazed.
The ancient castle was, at a glance, a fortress in itself.
‘This is incredible.’
As Leo was taking it all in.
Having apparently been contacted by the main house, an incomparably larger number of people than at the warp gate were standing in front of the main castle.
In the center stood Jis, the vice-head of the Jerdinger family, and beside him were figures who appeared to be elders, lined up in formation.
Leo and Celia disembarked from the carriage and approached Jis.
Jis spoke to Celia, who had come before him, in a chiding tone.
“You could have given us a heads-up that you were coming with Leo.”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
Celia giggled playfully.
Jis let out a dry laugh at the sight, shook his head, and looked at Leo.
“Welcome to the Jerdinger estate, Leo.”
“Thank you for the welcome. But isn't this reception a bit too grand?”
Jis grinned at Leo's words.
“This is your first visit since being recognized as part of the Jerdinger direct line. By rights, we should have prepared something even grander.”
“I didn't say anything because I knew you wouldn't like that sort of thing.”
Celia said, patting Leo's shoulder.
“Where's Dad?”
“My brother is in the capital. He should be back this evening.”
Celia nodded at his words.
“Then there's something we must do before my brother arrives.”
Jis glanced at Leo.
“Leo.”
“Yes, Uncle Jis.”
“I know you've just arrived, but I'm afraid we need to discuss something a bit complicated.”
“What is it about?”
Looking at the puzzled Leo, Jis said.
“It's about the inheritance.”