Chapter 025
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The moment Karl saw Leo's special physical training, he ran for it.
Chelsea, who had trained with Leo on the first day, felt that something was very, very wrong.
But it was already too late to turn back.
Celia, who had initially refused, gave up and joined Leo in his training.
The fortunate thing was that she had already experienced it, so it was more bearable than the first time.
“Is… is this really effective?”
“It is. Leo's training is brutally simple, yet unnecessarily systematic.”
Celia answered Chelsea with a soulless expression as they walked back to the girls' dormitory.
Then, she gave Chelsea a smile filled with malice.
“Welcome to hell, Chelsea Llewellyn.”
At that smile, Chelsea's face filled with terror.
“Seeing you two chatting, it must be manageable, right?”
“Don't be ridiculous! You devil!”
As Leo spoke with a laugh, Celia grabbed him by the collar with her trembling arms and shook him.
And so, for some, it was a sweet weekend.
For others, a hellish weekend passed, and the second week at Lumerne began.
Karl asked Chelsea, who was slumped over her desk, her limbs trembling.
“Chelsea, are you alive?”
“No… I think I’m dying.”
“Here. I went to Lumeria yesterday and got you the highest-quality pain relief patch.”
“For me?”
“Yeah, we’re classmates, after all.”
Karl handed Chelsea the patch, which was good for muscle recovery.
Chelsea accepted the patch with a slightly touched expression.
Then, Karl held out his palm to her.
“What’s with the hand?”
“I’ll sell it to you at a special 30% discount. Since we’re friends.”
“Drop dead.”
Chelsea said coldly, throwing the patch at Karl's face.
Chuckling, Karl placed the patch on Chelsea’s desk.
“Still, hang in there. It’s what you have to do if you want to be a battle mage, right?”
“Want to join us? I can ask Leo to let you.”
“Ah, no. I’m good.”
Karl shook his head with an awkward laugh, then whispered to Leo.
“Couldn't you have gone a little easier on her?”
“I was going easy on her.”
“That was you going easy?”
Karl vowed to never, ever train with Leo.
“Anyway, I wonder what our homeroom professor will be like.”
Karl sat in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head.
“I hope it’s a pretty female professor.”
*Creeak—*
As if on cue, the classroom door opened, and a shabbily dressed middle-aged man holding a roll book walked in.
Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, the flustered students quickly returned to their seats.
The man stood at the lectern, casually dropped the roll book, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote his name on the blackboard.
*Tap— tap, tap.*
The faces of the Class 5 students turned pale as they read the name on the board.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Halind Edmon, your homeroom professor.”
He was the most famous instructor at Lumerne.
An instructor who usually taught upperclassmen, like fourth or fifth years!
His nickname: the Wall of Lamentation!
The professor who expelled the most students at Lumerne!
That was Halind Edmon.
Noticing the unusual reaction from his classmates, Leo quietly asked Karl, who was sitting in front of him.
“Is he a famous professor?”
“More than just famous. He’s been a professor at Lumerne for nearly twenty years.”
Karl whispered his reply, swallowing hard.
“Many of his students have become Heroes, but just as many have been expelled. He normally only takes upperclassmen, so why is he our homeroom teacher for first years…!”
Halind opened the roll book.
“I will now take attendance. Karl Thomas.”
“Ye-yes, sir!”
“Iliana Raden.”
“Here.”
Even though the professor was only calling roll, the students of Class 5 were tense.
Of the forty-five students, Leo’s name was called last.
“Leo Flove.”
“Here.”
*Slap—!*
Halind closed the roll book and spoke with a weary expression.
“I’m sure some of you are wondering why I’ve taken on a class of first-years.”
He casually shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and spoke with a face devoid of enthusiasm.
“This year’s class has, on average, higher entrance exam scores than your predecessors. As such, you have the high expectations of Lumerne’s administration.”
The students looked surprised, having been unaware of this fact.
And at the news that they were highly anticipated, the classroom atmosphere instantly warmed up.
Just then, a female student raised her hand.
“What is it? Iliana Raden.”
“Are the professors for the other classes also ones who don’t normally teach first-years?”
“That is correct.”
“Was the homeroom professor assignment random?”
“No. We each chose the class we wanted, and I chose you.”
Halind wasn't just famous for expelling students; he was also a capable professor who had nurtured many outstanding students.
Hearing that such a professor had chosen them, the students of Class 5 couldn’t help but feel excited.
“Is there a special reason you chose our class!”
“It’s because, out of the ten classes, your average entrance exam score is the lowest.”
The excited atmosphere instantly deflated.
“Do you know why I expel the most students, Iliana Raden?”
“Ah, no.”
“Because of efficiency.”
Professor Halind looked at Iliana with dry, emotionless eyes.
“It’s better to weed out the hopeless students early and focus on teaching those with potential. Don’t you agree?”
Faced directly with Halind's gaze—one that made even the most seasoned fifth-years at Lumerne tremble—tears welled up in Iliana’s eyes.
All the students of Class 5, except for Leo, held their breath, watching Halind’s every move.
The one who saved Iliana was a woman in her mid-twenties wearing glasses, who opened the classroom door and entered.
“Oh, honestly! Professor Halind. How can you scare the students on the very first day!”
Letting out a deep sigh, she stood next to Professor Halind.
“Hello, everyone in Class 5! My name is Sera Tillia, and I’ll be your assistant homeroom teacher.”
With her light brown hair and bright personality, Professor Sera was, at a glance, the complete opposite of their homeroom teacher, Halind.
“Everyone! You don’t have to be so scared of Professor Halind! He may talk like this, but he actually cares very deeply for his students…”
“Sera Tillia. Follow me outside.”
Professor Sera, who had been reassuring the students, was called out.
“You haven’t changed a bit since you were a student. How many times have I told you to fix that flighty personality of yours?”
“I’m sorry! I’ll correct it! It won’t happen again!”
Through the slightly ajar classroom door, Sera could be seen, her face pale as she bowed her head frantically.
“I like our assistant professor.”
“Me too. At least with a nice assistant professor, we can breathe.”
Chelsea said with a smile, and Karl nodded in agreement.
The other students seemed to feel the same, and the atmosphere eased a little.
A moment later, the two professors returned to the classroom and stood before the blackboard again.
“A moment ago, I said I took charge of your class because you had the lowest average entrance exam score, correct?”
“Yeees…”
As the students answered in dejected voices, Professor Halind wore an indifferent expression.
“At Lumerne, entrance exam scores become meaningless after three months.”
The students’ eyes widened.
“Regardless of the education you received before coming to Lumerne, this academy will teach you far more. That’s why the grades of first-years here fluctuate so much. It’s common for top-ranking students to hit rock bottom, and the reverse is also true.”
Professor Halind slammed his hand on the lectern—*Thwack!*
“It’s even possible for one of you to rank first in the entire grade on the upcoming midterms.”
A stir went through the entire class.
“However, you must keep this in mind. Conquering the World of Heroes is certainly a privilege for hero cadets, but it is also a duty. Does any student know why it is a duty?”
Chelsea raised her hand.
“Chelsea Llewellyn, answer.”
“Because we could lose our lives.”
“Correct.”
Professor Halind said coldly.
“In my twenty years of teaching at Lumerne, I have attended the funerals of many students.”
The sound of people swallowing nervously could be heard here and there.
“As long as you are students of Lumerne, you cannot refuse to conquer the World of Heroes. It is a life-risking endeavor. I only want to send students who have the ability to survive. Those who do not…”
Professor Halind said forcefully.
“...will be expelled before they can die a dog’s death. This is why I took charge of you, the class with the lowest average score.”
Having said his piece, Professor Halind handed the roll book to Sera.
“That is all I have to say. We will now begin Combat Studies, so change into your gym clothes and meet me on the training grounds.”
Professor Halind then briskly left the classroom.
“Well then, everyone! See you on the training grounds!
Sera gave the students a smile before leaving the classroom.
The students grabbed their gym clothes from the lockers at the back of the room and headed for the changing rooms.
“He doesn’t seem like he’s just scary.”
Karl spoke up as he entered the boys' changing room.
“You’re right. Come to think of it, Professor Halind is also one of the most respected professors at Lumerne.”
A classmate walking beside him said.
‘His name was Tiede, right?’
As Leo recalled the name, Tiede continued.
“He’s the one with the lowest student mortality rate under his charge.”
The number of students who die at Lumerne each year is not insignificant.
It’s not because the academy drives them to their deaths.
On the contrary, Lumerne prioritizes student safety above all else.
Nevertheless, deaths still occur because the path these students pursue is that of a hero.
A hero is one who throws themself into trials to save people.
Conquering the World of Heroes and Hero Dungeons.
And beyond that, resolving incidents that occur all over the world.
Life at Lumerne Academy is inevitably fraught with danger.
“Professor Halind probably scared us from the start to remind us of that fact. So let’s all work hard from now on.”
As everyone nodded seriously at Tiede’s words.
“Oh my? So you’re the type who looks skinny with clothes on?”
A soprano voice drifted in through the open window.
The sound of shrieking and chattering female students could be heard.
Come to think of it, the girls’ changing room was right next to the boys’.
Hearing the voices from outside the window, the male students put on solemn expressions.
They gathered in the middle of the changing room and lowered their voices.
“Who do you think they’re talking about? The one who looks skinny with clothes on?”
“Iliana?”
“No, that was Iliana’s voice just now.”
They began to debate with a seriousness that was incomparable to moments before.
“It could be Nella.”
When Karl mentioned Nella Kaven, a slender and beautiful girl, the male students gasped.
“That makes sense!”
“Yeah! I bet Nella has a surprising charm.”
Leo shook his head at the utterly pointless yet serious conversation of the adolescent boys.
‘I guess they really are hero cadets.’
Anyone else might wonder what kind of hero candidates they were.
But Leo knew someone who would seriously debate such topics even in life-or-death situations.
A Hero.
And not just any Hero, but a Great Hero.
None other than [God's Blacksmith], Dweno.
‘How the hell is a guy like that still respected and remembered, while I’ve been forgotten?’
Leo felt wronged all over again.