Chapter 233
Chapter Title: Declaration of a Rival
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Lumerne Dock.
Leo was waiting there for the new students.
When Leo had enrolled last year, Professor Artian had been the one to lead them.
But at Lumerne, welcoming the new students was originally one of the Student Council President's duties.
If the president was absent, the vice president would take on the task.
‘Though professors often took over because the president and vice president were frequently dispatched on external missions.’
In last year's case, Lis and Torua.
Both had been away on a mission to clear a Hero Dungeon, which was why Artian had come in their stead.
*Swoooosh-!*
The silhouette of the ferry appeared from across the lake.
‘What's this? It's too quiet.’
Last year's freshmen had cheered with joy the moment they saw Lumerne.
And for good reason, as they had been tormented by aquatic monsters from the very first day of their enrollment.
This hazing ritual before the entrance ceremony was something of a Lumerne tradition.
This time, however, there was no sign of such a thing; it was just quiet.
Soon, the boat docked at the pier.
But unlike the boisterous arrival of the previous year, there was no sign of life on the boat.
Leo immediately jumped and landed on the boat's deck.
And he let out a dry laugh at the scene before him.
The deck was a mess.
The signs of a fight among the freshmen were unmistakable.
*Fwoosh-!*
Just then, a sharp sword strike was swung at Leo.
*Clang-!*
“......!”
Leo blocked the sword with his fingers.
It was a sharp attack, but the sword lacked any real power.
Aina, clearly exhausted, recognized Leo's face and her eyes widened slightly.
She then withdrew her sword.
“Ugh...”
“H-help me...”
Groans came from all around.
The more skilled students among them had managed to avoid collapsing completely and were kneeling on the ground.
But Aina was the only one still standing.
‘Did they fight each other?’
“What happened here?”
Just as Aina was about to answer Leo's question.
“I can explain.”
*Step- step-*
A beautiful, silver-haired woman in a neat suit emerged from among the fallen students, smiling.
“We were determining who was superior in skill to select the freshman representative. And the one who claimed that position is the student standing right there, Aina Veydna.”
Leo's eyes widened as he saw the Lumerne professor who had just appeared.
“Hello. My name is Mel, and I'll be teaching the first-year class in Lumerne's magic department.”
With a gentle smile, Mel snapped her fingers.
*Fwoosh-!*
A bright light spread across the entire deck.
The freshmen, who had been groaning in pain on the floor, looked startled as their agony vanished in an instant.
Many of the new students had sustained considerable injuries.
But Mel had healed the injuries of hundreds of people in a flash.
This was a difficult feat even for a mage specializing in healing magic.
‘A Lumerne professor, as expected...!’
‘Incredible!’
‘To think we can learn magic from someone like her...!’
The magic department students, who knew just how amazing that spell was, gazed at Mel with admiration.
“Everyone, form up.”
At Leo's words, the students flinched and began to scramble into formation.
There wasn't a single student here who didn't know about Leo.
The unprecedented All-Class, and the youngest Student Council President in Lumerne's history.
Leo Flove!
Leo's exploits from the previous year were already world-famous.
“I didn't get to see him in person during the entrance exam...!”
“Wow! He's so handsome!”
“Haa... I wonder if we'll get to be mentored by Senior Leo?”
The female students squealed and whispered among themselves.
“I don't know, there's not much of an age gap, but his presence is overwhelming.”
“So this is what they call the greatest genius in Lumerne's history...”
“Well, he is the second All-Class after the Hero of the Beginning...”
The male students watched Leo's back with tense eyes.
As the students were lining up.
A boy with silver hair and silver eyes looked surprised.
“The Hero of the Beginning was real? Kyle isn't a fictional hero?”
At the boy, Luke's, question, the surrounding students shot him scornful looks.
“Wow, how did a kid like this get into Lumerne?”
“For a hero-in-training, he's so out of touch with the latest news in heroics.”
Luke shrank back at his classmates' mockery.
“Hmph. You're in no position to be mocking anyone.”
“What did you say?”
The students who were mocking Luke snapped their heads around, irritated.
And they flinched when they saw Juen standing there.
“You guys are the ones who got in through the supplementary exam, right? Unlike you, this kid passed the main exam right away. And he and I even fought that Student Council President directly. Right?”
Juen slung an arm around Luke's shoulders with a bright smile.
With one of the top freshmen defending him, the students who had been mocking Luke scowled and walked away.
“Hmph. Pathetic.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“It's fine~ So what if you're a little out of the loop on heroics? You'll learn all about it at school anyway.”
“Still, it's really surprising that Kyle wasn't a figure from a fairy tale.”
“Yeah. Lumerne and Seirun made a joint announcement last year... and during the Lu-Se Tournament incident, the fact that he was real was completely confirmed when the Progenitor of the Nebula and the Hero of the Beginning appeared in our time and defeated the Monster Queen.”
“The Great Hero appeared in our time? And the Monster Queen was defeated?!”
Juen gave Luke, who was completely shocked, a look of disbelief.
“Did you seriously grow up somewhere so remote that they don't even deliver newspapers?”
“Yes. In my village, we only occasionally get newspapers from the outside world, and they're usually months old.”
“Wow, you're from the absolute boonies.”
Luke scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
Besides, he had returned home right after the entrance exam, so he'd had no chance to hear the rumors about the Lu-Se Tournament.
Juen, who had been shaking her head in amazement, grinned.
“Anyway, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Juen Torvina. I'm fifteen, and I'm from the Southern Magic Tower~!”
“I'm Luke Elda. I'm fourteen and from Sirne Village in the east.”
“Alright, Luke. Nice to meet you. Hahaha- you were pretty tenacious during the entrance exam, weren't you? As a mage, I really need a meat shie— I mean, a companion to take the front line.”
Luke's face lit up at her words.
“I'm still lacking in many ways. I'm sure there are plenty of other skilled people who could be your companion, Miss Juen.”
“Why are you turning me down? Being the companion of a rising star from the Southern Magic Tower would be a huge help to you too, you know?”
“But you just called me a meat shield!”
Luke, his face pale, tried to escape from Juen.
But Juen grabbed him and laughed wickedly.
“Uhehehehe, you're not going anywhere.”
“H-help me!”
“Be quiet and get in line.”
A calm voice cut in.
Juen smiled broadly.
“Aina Veydna.”
Juen licked her lips.
“I may have lost the position of class representative this time, but you know you had the advantage due to the matchup between a mage and a knight, right? Next time, I'll take that spot from you.”
“...As you wish.”
Aina took her place at the front of the line, seemingly uninterested.
Before moving to the front, her eyes met Luke's.
Luke gave an awkward smile, but Aina simply turned and walked away.
“What! Is she saying someone like me isn't even worth her time? Just because she's the Sword Saint's successor, she's acting so high and mighty! Hmph! I'll show her!”
As Juen's competitive spirit flared, the freshmen disembarked from the boat.
They then followed their guide, Leo, toward the Erek Training Grounds.
Walking through the academy, they exclaimed in constant admiration.
“Oh my, how refreshing. They're so full of passion and energy, just like kids should be. Hahaha. I can already feel the spirit of youth.”
Mel glanced at the scene and chuckled.
“I'm only a year or two older than them, you know.”
Leo said indifferently, and Mel laughed.
“You may look like a boy, but on the inside, you're an old man.”
They spoke quietly so the freshmen wouldn't overhear.
“By the way, how do you feel? Now that everyone in the world believes in Sir Kyle's existence?”
“Is there anything to feel? It was always the truth.”
Leo replied nonchalantly, looking at Mel.
“Anyway, why a professor all of a sudden?”
“...These are trying times. I felt that many new heroes are needed.”
“Do the other dragons know?”
“No. My true body is still in Dragonia. This is an avatar I created.”
Mel's true identity was none other than the Dragon Lord, Melina.
Looking at her bright smile, Leo spoke.
“Perfect timing, then.”
“Is there something you need me to do?”
Hearing Leo, Mel asked politely.
It was a scene that would have drawn strange looks from others, but the freshmen couldn't hear their conversation.
“Could you look into Chen Xia for me?”
“Understood.”
She didn't ask why.
The boy before her was the Great Hero.
Everyone in this world had been saved by him.
And she was the only one in this world who knew that truth.
Mel believed she had to follow any order, if only to repay the great hero for his deeds.
***
Following Leo, the freshmen arrived at Erek.
The new students lined up with tense expressions.
Leo went to the second-year section and sat down.
“We will now begin the entrance ceremony. First, we will have a word from our principal.”
At those words, the current students began to murmur.
The principal, who hadn't even shown up for the opening ceremony, was finally making an appearance.
The appearance of the much-rumored principal was enough to capture the interest of not only the freshmen but the existing students as well.
*Thud- thud-*
Amidst the anticipation, a woman appeared on the stage.
As every student stared in surprise at the unexpectedly young principal.
Riina opened her mouth.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, students of Lumerne. My name is Riina Flix. I am the one who has taken up the position of Lumerne's principal.”
“Riina?”
“Ever heard of her?”
“No.”
Every student looked surprised.
“The principal of Lumerne is usually a renowned hero... Who in the world is she?”
Chloe wore a bewildered expression.
All of Lumerne's past principals had been the greatest heroes of their time.
But no one knew anything about Riina.
“It is not strange that you do not know of me.”
Riina's golden eyes flashed.
“I have lived my entire life as a shadow. It's no wonder you don't know me.”
The students' expressions changed.
A shadow.
It referred to those who hunted down the traitors who had betrayed their own kind and joined the forces of Tartaros.
They, too, were a pillar in protecting the world's peace.
But they had to live completely in the shadows.
A hero is not merely a guardian of the era.
It signifies a great individual who leads people and spearheads the world's transformation.
But a shadow is not.
Their mission was to thoroughly root out and exterminate traitors and their related factions.
The problem was that their methods were excessively harsh.
“If they're shadows, didn't they mistakenly kill heroes several times in the past?”
“There are many kingdoms in history that were destroyed by them.”
“Someone like that is the principal?”
The students reacted with bewilderment.
Looking at the students, Riina's lips curled into a smirk.
“I look forward to working with you. Heroes-in-training.”
After scanning not only the freshmen but the current students as well, Riina returned to her seat.
Amidst the confusion.
“Next, we will have a speech from the freshman representative. Freshman representative, Aina Veydna.”
The students fell silent at the announcer's words.
And they focused their attention on Aina as she walked onto the stage.
The successor of the Sword Saint, who until just a year ago, had comforted students from that very spot.
“Respected professors, and seniors. Thank you for welcoming us freshmen like this. From this day forward, we, the new students, as proud members of Lumerne...”
On stage, Aina read through her speech.
“Freshman representative, Aina Veydna.”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap-*
A torrent of applause erupted.
“Welcome! Aina Veydna!”
“You'll surely become a fine hero-in-training!”
Unusually, voices of support and encouragement also came from the upperclassmen.
If not for Kalian last year, many of those present would have died.
Furthermore, with the principal having served Lumerne for decades, the upperclassmen had also known Kalian for several years.
The existence of the Sword Saint's successor was bound to be something special to the students of Lumerne.
Amidst such a fervent welcome, the professor acting as MC spoke.
“Student Aina. Lastly, could you please say a few words as the freshman representative?”
At that, Aina paused for a moment in thought before speaking.
“Senior Leo.”
In an instant, all eyes were fixed on Leo.
“I will definitely earn your acknowledgment.”
At her declaration, everyone let out exclamations of "Ooh!"
“What the! Leo! What's going on between you and her?”
“Did you meet her separately after the entrance exam?”
“What kind of relationship do you have for her to mention you in such a public setting?”
His surrounding classmates reacted with excitement.
If Leo's freshman representative speech last year had been overly unconventional, this year's was unconventional in a different sense.
“What happened with her?”
Chloe asked with a puzzled look, and Leo replied nonchalantly.
“Well, she was obsessed with me during the entrance exam, too.”
Leo muttered as he looked at Aina.
“Looks like I'll have to have a talk with her soon.”