Chapter 229
Chapter Title: The Start of Second Year
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Winter passed, and spring began to arrive.
Though still cool, the weather was noticeably warmer compared to the harshness of winter.
When spring began, the streets of Lumeria City buzzed with more vitality than ever.
The long winter break was over, and school would finally start tomorrow.
To mark the new semester, the hero candidates who had scattered across the world were returning to Lumeria City.
Street vendors warmly welcomed the students in their Lumerne uniforms.
The Lumerne students returning to Lumeria City for the new semester were preoccupied with one particular topic.
“Who do you think will end up being the principal?”
“Lumerne hasn't made an announcement yet, right?”
“I’ve heard a lot about the candidates, at least.”
The entire student body was abuzz with talk about Lumerne's new principal.
The lack of any official word about the principal was more than enough to stir the students' curiosity.
“Maybe we won’t have a principal this semester? The school can’t leave the position empty forever, but whoever takes it is bound to be compared, right?”
“That’s definitely a possibility.”
Leo nodded at Celia's words.
This wasn't just any position; it was the principal of Lumerne.
No run-of-the-mill person could ever take the role.
Moreover, the previous principal was the Sword Saint, Kalian.
It was clear that no one would want to become principal without being thoroughly prepared.
“By the way.”
Celia narrowed her eyes.
“What on earth did you talk about with the Azonia representative back then?”
No one had witnessed the sparring match between Leo and Ar.
By the time Celia arrived, the fight was already over, and Ar was lost in deep thought.
*'The suggestion to transfer was a joke, but from his perspective, she must have a lot to think about.'*
Ar herself probably thought she was handling her Beastification ability just fine, but her transformation was on the verge of going berserk.
She didn't lose consciousness or get swept away by her power, but she couldn't properly control it either;
it was clearly different from her Beastification under a full moon.
*'Black Rabbit! You really do have to come to Azonia!'*
Having reached that conclusion, Ar once again urged Leo to transfer, and Leo naturally refused.
From Celia's perspective, having seen that situation, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened between Leo and Ar.
“That’s a secret.”
Ar's Beastification ability was kept secret even within Azonia.
Leo couldn't talk about it without permission.
“How cheap.”
Celia grumbled but didn't press the matter.
Swoooosh—
The wind blew.
Sitting on the deck railing, Celia gazed at the distant entrance of Lumerne Academy and muttered.
“During the entrance ceremony, a kraken suddenly attacked, and the start of the second semester was hectic too… but nothing special is happening on the first day of our second year.”
Aboard the regular ferry heading to Lumerne.
The entire second-year class was heading to school without incident.
“Don’t let your guard down.”
“I know. This is our school we’re talking about.”
Lumerne was the kind of place that would push its students into a crisis the moment they let their guard down.
“Leo! Leo!”
Chelsea, who had been chatting with friends on the deck, came running.
“I hope we’re in the same class this year!”
Seeing her bright smile, Leo chuckled and patted her head.
“Hmph, I’ll do my best to get the class assignment information as quickly as possible.”
Karl approached with a smirk.
Chelsea sneered at him.
“What are you going to do now? If we’re in different classes, I’m not showing you my homework.”
“Was our friendship so cheap that it would change just because we’re in different classes?!”
“Yep.”
“That’s so harsh, seriously.”
Grumbling at Chelsea’s remark, Karl grinned playfully.
“But if you two end up in the same class, that would be interesting in its own way, wouldn’t it?”
As he snickered, looking back and forth between Celia and Chelsea, the two of them kicked him simultaneously.
The two girls scoffed and stormed off.
“Why do you keep teasing them when you know this will happen?”
“It’s fun, isn’t it? Oof—”
Chuckling, Karl dusted himself off and stood up.
“By the way, Leo. Did you know?”
“What?”
“Chen Xia. She’s not on this ship.”
“Are you sure you didn’t just miss her? The entire second-year class should be on this ship.”
“That’s what I thought, but it’s not the case. I asked all the kids who are close with Chen Xia, and no one has seen her.”
Karl's information network was reliable.
Having been friendly and built connections with students from various classes since the beginning of first year, he was the quickest to know about his peers' whereabouts.
“She missed the entrance exam due to family matters, and now she’s absent for the opening ceremony too… doesn’t this smell suspicious?”
Karl said seriously.
“In the first place, almost nothing is known about Chen Xia’s family, right? Even though she’s clearly a young lady from a noble house.”
If you had to pick the most mysterious student among the first-years, it was Chen Xia.
In truth, overshadowed by Leo, Chen Xia was also a skilled individual who had appeared out of nowhere.
The students who took the top and second spots in the regional entrance exams were all famous from a young age.
But Chen Xia, like Leo, was an unknown new student.
Not only did she take the top spot in the eastern entrance exam, but she also achieved impressive results throughout her first year.
If it weren't for Leo, the most talked-about person would have undoubtedly been Chen Xia.
“Leo, do you know anything? You’re close with Chen Xia, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know much about Chen Xia’s family situation either.”
“Right.”
Karl scratched his head.
While they were talking, the ferry had arrived at Lumerne.
“Wow, so nothing happened in the end.”
Karl stroked his chin as he disembarked.
“Well, we’ve been through it all by now, so some half-baked trick won’t work on us. We’ll be upperclassmen in a week, too.”
Here and there, others agreed with Karl's opinion.
Just as everyone was chatting boisterously.
“Everyone! Congratulations on becoming second-years!”
With a bright voice, the beautiful Professor Artian appeared.
At her appearance, the boisterous atmosphere froze solid.
Snap! Snap!
Seeing the students snap into disciplined lines, Artian was taken aback.
“What’s wrong? It’s the first day of school! You’re seeing your friends for the first time in a while! You should be talking more cheerfully!”
“No, ma’am! Professor Artian!”
“We apologize for being loud!”
The second-years replied in a disciplined manner.
Artian looked crestfallen at the students' reaction.
She was a professor who had become an object of fear for the current second-years.
She herself wanted to be a friendly professor, but the heroic spirits contracted to her, a Spiritmancer, had other ideas.
Having become a charismatic professor who overwhelmed students with her mere presence, against her will, Artian’s shoulders slumped.
“It seems you’ve all matured a bit now that you’re second-years.”
A professor incomparably more terrifying than Artian appeared.
At Halind's appearance, the second-years tensed up.
Seeing the second-years, Halind let out a small smirk.
“There’s no need to be so tense.”
He said in an uncharacteristically relaxed voice.
“This year, Professor Artian and I will be in charge of the first-years.”
“It’s such a shame. I felt like I was getting to know you all.”
Artian’s shoulders slumped at Halind’s words.
“Really?”
“What a shame!”
“Aah! We wanted to take your classes…!”
Sighs of lament erupted from here and there.
But contrary to their words, the corners of their mouths twitched uncontrollably at the thought of being freed from the professors of terror.
*'No, I can't smile now.'*
*'If I show I'm happy, I'm dead.'*
Just as all the students were pressing their lips together to hide their joy.
“I, too, find it regrettable.”
Halind said nonchalantly.
“So, we’ve decided to teach second-year classes concurrently. Don’t you worry.”
“Yes! It won’t be often, but we’ll still get to see you.”
At those words, the second-years looked like they were about to cry.
“Professor Halind. The students look sad.”
“They’re holding back tears of joy.”
“I see!”
Halind, having spoken nonchalantly to the naive Artian, said.
“Everyone, move out.”
At his command, the second-years moved with gloomy faces to attend the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony was very brief.
The much-rumored principal did not make an appearance.
After a few brief announcements, they headed to the second-year classroom building.
“We’re second-years now, but it doesn’t feel real at all. The opening ceremony ended so anticlimactically, too.”
As Iliana muttered listlessly in the second-year building's auditorium, Nella replied with her characteristic languid smile.
“Maybe it’s because we haven’t seen the first-years yet?”
“You think so?”
“Yep. And the class assignments are still left, too.”
“Class assignments, huh.”
Iliana looked gloomy.
“If possible, I hope I get in the same class as a lot of the kids from Class 5.”
“That might be difficult, right? Class assignments are random, after all.”
Just as Nella gave a bitter smile.
Bang—!
“Greetings! My lads!”
The auditorium doors burst open, and Sedjen strode in with the other professors.
As all the students stared with wide eyes, Sedjen spoke.
“I am Sedjen, the professor in charge of the second-years! From now on, you will all spend an elegant year under my guidance!”
“Wow! Professor Sedjen!”
“Professor Sedjen is the head professor for our year!”
Cheers erupted from the students who had been in Class 1 during their first year.
The other students also looked pleased.
Sedjen was a renowned and very reliable professor.
“Now! Before we get to the class assignments…”
Sedjen said, scanning the crowd.
At his words, the entire student body grew tense.
Just as they thought, the opening ceremony had ended too tamely compared to their first year.
The Lumerne second-years, prepared to handle any sudden situation, were confident they wouldn't be flustered even if a test started right now.
Everyone swallowed dryly and focused on Sedjen.
“I shall explain! How I managed to beat Halind and become the professor in charge of guiding all of you excellent students!”
Sedjen shouted, chin held high and arms spread wide.
The second-year department professors looked flustered by Sedjen’s outburst.
“Professor Sedjen. We should start with the class assignments first.”
Yura urgently tried to stop him, but Sedjen wouldn't listen.
“Class assignments are important, but the story of how I defeated Halind in our competition is something the students must hear!”
“You’re spouting nonsense again.”
Halind appeared from the back of the auditorium.
Seeing Halind let out a short sigh, Sedjen said.
“Oh! And who might this be? Is it not my rival, Halind, who lost to me in our competition? Hahaha. Have you come because you couldn’t let go of the second-years?”
“The staff vote simply concluded that I was better suited to guiding the first-years, that's all.”
“Haha! Not at all! It is because they judged that I am the professor who will lead Lumerne’s golden generation that this result came to be…”
“Drag him out.”
Seeing the needlessly long-winded Sedjen, Halind spoke without mercy.
At his words, Ain and Ren, who had become second-year department professors, grabbed Sedjen by the arms and began to drag him away.
“What is the meaning of this! I am the head professor of the second-years! Halind is the head professor of the first-years, so why are you following his orders!? I’m the one who chose you as second-year professors, yet you betray me like this…! Eek! Let go! You lackeys of Halind! I said, let go!”
Sedjen was dragged away, screaming desperately.
Watching the scene, Karl muttered.
“…Now it feels like we’re really back at Lumerne.”
Just as the surrounding students nodded in agreement.
Thump— Thump—
Halind, who had walked up onto the stage, spoke.
“We will now begin the class assignments.”
At his words, the students’ expressions grew tense.
Halind snapped his fingers, and assistant professors brought out a large notice board.
“First, I have something to say. Starting from the second year, the concept of a ‘class’ will change slightly.”
The students began to murmur at his words.
“To be precise, ‘dormitory’ would be a more fitting term than ‘class’.”
At that, Chelsea raised her hand.
“What exactly do you mean by ‘dormitory’?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Previously, second-years were assigned to classes just like the first-years, and male and female students lived in separate dormitories.”
Halind shook his head.
“Originally, the plan was to have more department-focused lessons instead of class-based ones starting in the second year. However, starting this year, the newly appointed principal has decided to change that concept slightly.”
“The principal?”
“We have a new principal?”
“But during the opening ceremony earlier…”
A few students quieted the murmuring crowd.
Once the students fell silent again, Halind continued.
“From now on, male and female students will live together in the same dormitory space.”
“Huh? Really?”
“In the same place as the boys?”
“Of course, bathing and sleeping areas will be separate. You all remember what happens if you’re caught doing anything foolish, don’t you?”
At his words, a few students shivered.
“Competitions will also be held by dormitory, not by department. There will be joint department classes, but there will also be many individual dormitory classes.”
Hearing Halind’s words, Abad smiled faintly.
“The goal is to strengthen cooperation within each dormitory, I see.”
“Correct.”
“Then have the dormitory assignments been decided?”
“Only nine people have been assigned.”
Everyone looked puzzled at Halind’s words.
Looking at the students, Halind approached the notice board and removed the cloth covering it.
Fwoosh—!
On the large board were three sections.
And at the top of each section, three names were written.
Dormitory 1 - Leo Flove, Chloe Müller, Chen Xia.
Dormitory 2 - Celia Jerdinger, Chelsea Llewellyn, Woreden Tiden
Dormitory 3 - Abad Llewellyn, Duran Moira, Eliza Hergin.
“I will give the second-years an assignment to complete before the first-years arrive.”
Halind announced nonchalantly to the frozen students.
“The students listed here are the heads of each dormitory. The dormitory heads will decide on their own members. If there’s a dormitory you want to join, negotiate with the heads. The professors will not be involved in how the dormitory members are chosen. That is all.”
Leaving those words behind, Halind led the professors out of the auditorium.
The stunned students stared at the dormitory heads.
Leo covered his face with his hands.
*'He dropped a bomb on us on the very first day of school.'*
At the same time as that thought.
“What?! Why do I have to be in the same dormitory as Celia Jerdinger!”
“That’s my line!”
A chemical reaction immediately occurred between Celia and Chelsea.
“Duran Moira! You expect me to work with you for my entire second year?! Unacceptable! I’d rather form a dormitory with Leo Flove!”
“How strange. I was just thinking the same thing.”
Duran responded cynically to Eliza’s irritated remark.
Celia and Chelsea, famous for being rivals.
And Duran and Eliza had been put together.
In their first year, their departments and classes were different, so they rarely clashed.
Even if they did, there were other students who acted as buffers.
In Celia and Chelsea’s case, it was Leo, and for Duran and Eliza, it was Chen Xia.
But now they were being told to live in a dormitory without those buffers.
Just as Leo was scratching his head.
“Hey, Leo.”
“President!”
“Chloe! Please!”
The second-year students flocked around Leo and Chloe.
“Please let us into your dormitory!”
The second-years had realized.
That they had to avoid Dormitory 2 and Dormitory 3.