Chapter 230
Chapter Title: The First Recruit
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“Well, this is tricky.”
Chloe scratched her cheek, her grimoire tucked under her arm as always.
“We've suddenly been given a huge task.”
“Tell me about it.”
Leo clicked his tongue in the empty dorm lounge.
He and Chloe had arrived first at the dormitory where they would be living from now on.
The building was empty, save for the basic furniture.
‘Are we supposed to decorate it to our liking?’
“Chloe, what kind of students are you hoping to recruit?”
The dorm leaders had the authority to choose their members.
They would have to live together in this dorm for the next year.
Furthermore, competition would now be between dorms.
It was clear this would inevitably affect their grades.
“Hmm, let's see.”
Chloe tilted her head, her eyes darting around as she spoke.
“To be honest, I'd like to create a dorm focused on students from the magic department.”
Chloe was one of the top students in the magic department.
She was skilled in magical theory and was always the first to adopt the latest magic techniques and theories.
If Leo, Abad, and Chelsea were combat-oriented mages, Chloe was the academic type.
She was the very model of an orthodox mage.
‘Luna would have liked her.’
“What do you think, Leo?”
“I understand why you’d want to pick students mainly from the magic department.”
It wasn't just because she was a mage.
Chloe was well-regarded within her department.
She was always willing to kindly explain anything a fellow student didn't understand.
Because of this, many students looked up to her, whether they realized it or not.
Her good relationships also meant she had a solid grasp of most of the magic students’ personalities.
As a dorm leader responsible for fostering harmony, she had to exclude any potentially disruptive students.
“What about you, Leo?”
“I don't care which department we focus on.”
“Right, you’re an all-classer.”
Leo was taking classes from every department.
“But it's hard to decide right now. Chen Xia isn't here.”
“Come to think of it, why isn't Xia here?”
“Family matters, probably. In any case, it'd be best to balance the departments when selecting dorm members.”
Chloe nodded at Leo’s words.
If the academy had intended for dorms to be department-focused, it would have been easier to group the top students from each department as dorm leaders.
While there were exceptions, most students recognized the top performers in each department as their leaders.
The school had mixed the top students from various departments into each dorm.
‘Our dorm doesn't have a summoner, but… Leo is contracted to a phoenix.’
He could be considered the representative of the summoning department.
The implication was simple.
From now on, cooperation between departments would be advantageous for their academic life.
After all, the foundation of life at Lumerne Academy was competition among students.
Those who couldn't keep up had to leave.
“We only have a week. Let's start by shortlisting some candidates. We can't get Xia's opinion, but that can't be helped.”
“Okay.”
Chloe nodded in agreement.
She paused as she took out a pen and paper from her subspace.
‘Come to think of it, we're all alone right now.’
Just the two of them, Leo and Chloe, in the spacious dormitory.
All the other students were waiting in their old dorm buildings.
Feeling her heart pound for some reason, Chloe cleared her throat with a *hem, hem*.
“Still, it's a relief. You probably have a rough idea of the knight department students' personalities, Leo.”
“I suppose.”
“Even so, I'd prefer to start by picking students from the magic department.”
“That sounds good. Who do you have in mind?”
“Hmm. For starters, I think Karl would be good.”
“Karl? I also thought it would be nice to have him in our dorm, but I'm surprised he's your first pick.”
Karl was at the bottom of his class, not only in academics but also in combat skills.
Yet, Chloe had chosen him first.
“Karl's information network will be crucial for our school life ahead.”
Whether it was for exams or other departmental events, Karl was always the first to find out the details.
He had an excellent relationship with the entire faculty and was friends with upperclassmen, regardless of department or year.
“That quality of his is certainly admirable.”
Although Leo was the student council president, he had left the practical duties to the upperclassmen.
Besides, it wasn't easy to find out the academic schedule, even with the student council's power.
Karl's intel would undoubtedly be a vital asset in their second year.
“Plus, his alchemy skills are outstanding.”
It was an overlooked fact since Lumerne tended to favor combat-oriented subjects, but Karl's alchemy skills were definitely top-tier.
“Since he aims to be a supporter, he gets along well with any team. I think he's an essential talent for building a cohesive group.”
‘She’s grown.’
Leo smirked.
Back in their first year, Chloe had been somewhat rigid.
But over the past year, her way of thinking had become much more flexible.
Leo and Chloe continued to discuss potential dorm members.
They talked until well past midnight.
“Ughh-!”
Chloe stretched.
“I guess this roughly sets the direction for our dorm, huh?”
Together, Leo and Chloe had come up with a roster of members who could create the best synergy through cooperation.
“Don't you think my opinions were reflected a bit too much?”
Leo chuckled at Chloe's question.
“I liked that lineup too.”
“...You're not just trying to dump the dorm leader duties on me because it’s a hassle, are you?”
“There's that, too.”
At Leo's words, Chloe threw a sofa cushion at him. *Whoosh-!*
Leo, catching the cushion with his face, stood up.
“It's late. Let's go.”
Leo and Chloe left the new dorm and headed for the existing second-year dormitory building.
Since the male and female dorms were separate, they went their own ways.
-He’s just trying to dump the work on you again, like with his student council duties, right?
-That’s right! His intentions are so obvious.
-Chirp!
Elsie, followed by Kiruan and Piora, appeared.
-My lord is the Great Hero! He has many important things to do besides school life!
Artie, who had manifested in the form of a little girl, prostrated herself before Leo.
“...Why are you blocking my path?”
-Please, step on me!
“Your requests are getting more and more grotesque.”
Leo spoke coldly and walked away, leaving Artie to clutch her heart on the floor.
-Hah! That gaze! And that cold demeanor, abandoning me without a second thought! So cool…!
-Are you really a pegasus?
-Of course.
At Kiruan's question, Artie sprang to her feet, beaming, and followed Leo.
The incident at Seirun had revealed to Leo's summons that he was the Great Hero, Kyle.
‘I’m a little worried that Piora and Kiruan might blabber about it somewhere… but Artie is keeping them in line for now.’
Despite her perverted behavior, Artie, as an experienced magical beast, was doing a good job of managing the still-young Piora and Kiruan.
Returning to the dorm late at night, the male students waiting on the first floor spoke up.
“You’re the last one back.”
“Well, I guess your dorm will probably have the best chemistry.”
Jureden, ranked third in the summoning department, said with a wry smile. Leo asked him.
“What about the others?”
“Woreden came back just thirty minutes after he left for his meeting. Then Duran came. Abad returned a little later. Looks like things didn't go well for anyone but you.”
Jureden shrugged.
Leo went to his temporary room and lay on the bed, lost in thought.
‘Coming back to the academy is as hectic as I expected.’
He stared at the ceiling, thinking.
‘During the entrance exam… that was definitely Erebos.’
He recalled the eyes of Erebos, whom he had met in the World of Heroes at the end of the entrance exam.
‘But it wasn't the fragment of Erebos that was supposed to be sealed in the Hero Record.’
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
‘It was probably a residual thought lingering in that place.’
The site of the entrance exam happened to be the location of Kyle and Erebos's final battle.
It wouldn't be strange for a powerful residual thought to remain there.
After all, the place had become a land of monsters due to Erebos's influence in the first place.
‘I should go check it out when I get the chance. And…’
Leo looked at his right wrist.
There was Folium, the staff that symbolized Luna.
It was now just a fake, a mere shell of its former self.
‘I’ve used up all the divine power Pibua gave me.’
Leo let out a deep sigh.
The gods were the ones who created the Hero Record.
Using divine power, he might be able to perform another miracle like the one at Seirun.
‘It’s the same principle as how Jerdiac crossed over.’
In Jerdiac's case, he was brought to the present world by Erebos.
But now, the gods had vanished from the earth.
‘Conquering the worlds of past heroes to increase our strength might be one way.’
But to conquer a world connected to the gods, the worlds of the Great Heroes were the only answer.
‘Besides, Luna's world, where I met Pibua, is already severely damaged.’
Even if the World of Heroes could be recreated, it was uncertain if he could meet Pibua again like before.
‘First, I should visit Seirun again to confirm.’
As he thought about his future plans, Leo looked out the window.
‘For now, selecting the dorm members takes priority.’
Tartaros was quiet for the moment.
‘I should get some sleep.’
Closing his eyes, Leo fell into a deep slumber.
***
The next morning.
Leo and Chloe headed to the cafeteria together.
As soon as they arrived, second-year students flocked around them.
“Leo, Chloe! Pick me!”
“Pick me over this guy…!”
“No! Me! Me!”
Chloe, flustered, tried to calm her classmates down.
“E-Everyone, please calm down. We've already decided on a rough lineup. So clamoring like this won't get you picked.”
“I’m included, right?”
“Then announce it now!”
Seeing her classmates grow even louder instead of calming down, Chloe let out a small sigh.
Then she opened her mouth.
“Everyone, be quiet.”
*Swaa-*
Her ice-cold voice made everyone freeze.
“We’ll discuss the dorms after breakfast.”
“Y-Yeah!”
“Got it.”
The students scattered, watching her cautiously.
As she relaxed the intensity in her eyes, Chloe saw Leo looking at her with an interested expression and blushed.
“W-What? What's with that look?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering why they called you the Ice Princess, and now I see why.”
“Don't tease me with a nickname the others came up with.”
“As you wish, Your Highness, the Ice Princess.”
“You're impossible!”
Chloe swung her grimoire at the teasing Leo.
“Good morning! What a lovely sight to see first thing in the morning! I heard you two came back late last night, right? Kuh~! Spending a fun time together, just the two of you, late at night…”
Watching the scene, Karl greeted them with a sly grin.
Chloe's grimoire immediately switched targets and slammed into Karl's temple.
As Chloe’s shoulders shook with a flushed face and Karl writhed on the floor, Leo shook his head and spoke.
“Karl. Have you decided which dorm you’re going to?”
“Hmph. It doesn't matter where I go, but!”
Karl shot up from the floor, trying to look imposing.
“You’re bleeding from your head.”
“Gah!”
Karl yelped and pulled a potion from his pocket to apply it.
After barely stopping the bleeding, Karl said.
“It doesn't matter which dorm I join, but if I have to choose, I think it would be better to be in the same dorm as you, Leo.”
Karl pointed to one side.
Over there, Celia and Chelsea were growling at each other while Woreden ate, seemingly uninterested.
“That one's too savage.”
This time, he pointed to the opposite side.
There, Duran and Eliza were glaring at each other coldly.
“And that one’s too chilly.”
As Karl offered an opinion not much different from the other students, Chloe smiled brightly.
“Then that’s perfect. Come to our dorm.”
“Oh! Really?”
Just as Karl's face lit up, someone interjected.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
Abad, with a gentle smile, reached out and placed a hand on Karl's shoulder.
“Karl, you're in our dorm.”
“Huh?”
Karl looked surprised.
Chloe’s brow furrowed as well.
“I went to see Professor Sedgen last night and registered you for our dorm.”
“Without my consent?”
Karl asked, flustered. Abad nodded.
“Professor Sedgen said so himself. Nominated students don't have the right to refuse.”
Chloe’s eyes widened, while Leo’s narrowed.
‘I see. So he plans to start a scramble among the dorm leaders.’
Of course, they couldn't just add anyone they wanted.
Forcibly registering a student in a dorm without their consent could easily shatter the teamwork within that dorm.
After all, they had to live together for a year.
Even with the authority, using it recklessly was not a wise choice.
But Karl was a different case.
With his flexible mindset and friendly nature, he would fit into any dorm.
That's why Abad hadn't hesitated to register Karl as a member of his dorm.
‘A step too late.’
Leo clicked his tongue internally.
“Wait! Wait! I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, but can you really do that on your own? I don't want to get on those two's bad side!”
Karl shrieked.
He knew all too well that Duran and Eliza, who had the strongest elitist tendencies among the first-years, would never approve of Karl, who was at the bottom of the year.
At Karl's outcry, Abad smiled sweetly.
“Don't worry about that. Those two have already agreed to accept you.”
“What?”
“Our dorm leaders may not get along, but we all share the same goal.”
“And what goal is that?”
At Karl's question, Abad smiled brightly and looked at Leo.
“To take down Leo Flove.”