Chapter 029
Chapter Title: The Hero Research Society
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“It seems like a simple illusion spell, but Chloe Müller couldn't counter it?”
“Simple? Did you just say simple, Senior Ain?”
Ren asked, his voice trembling.
“Was I wrong?”
“It *is* simple! The formula for the spell student Leo used isn't difficult in itself! But that’s not human magic, it’s Elven magic!”
Ren cried out, hugging himself.
“The magical systems of other races are fundamentally different from those of humans! You can’t just cast a spell because you understand its structure! This is the realm of talent and sense, something that can’t be achieved through effort alone! Student Leo possesses it! The gods must have sent student Leo down for the Magic Department!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ren Horus. Leo Flove is aiming for the Knight Department, isn’t he?”
“It seems your tiny brain can’t quite grasp it, so I’ll explain again.”
“I understand perfectly. That you want to die, I mean.”
Ain smirked coldly and grabbed Ren by the collar, but Ren paid him no mind and launched into a speech about Leo’s magical talent.
***
The students of Class 5 held hands and rejoiced.
Objectively, Class 1 had the complete advantage in terms of power, and they had dominated the match.
But the result was a victory for Class 5.
Celia ground her teeth, and Duran’s face was twisted in a scowl.
Chloe, who had collapsed to the ground, sat there with a dazed expression, showing no sign of getting up.
“You need to get up, Chloe.”
“Pro-Professor.”
“When a match is over, you must greet your opponents, regardless of the outcome.”
Sedjen gently patted Chloe’s shoulder and gathered the two teams in the center.
“Good work, everyone. Class 5 students, return to Halind and discuss today’s match!”
Professor Sedjen turned his gaze to the students of Class 1, who were hanging their heads low.
The Class 1 students tensed up.
Professor Sedjen was known for his elitism.
All the students he taught were exceptional, and they were famous for always achieving excellent results in various academy events.
And yet, they had lost to Class 5, the lowest-ranked class in their year.
The students of Class 1 expected Professor Sedjen to be furious.
“Elegance! To all the students who competed today, well done! I am so pleased to see you all perform so brilliantly!”
Contrary to their expectations, Sedjen praised his students.
“Student Celia, you certainly know your strengths! Overwhelming destructive power! That is the advantage of one who wields the aura of flames! However, you’ll need to build more stamina!”
Starting with Celia, Professor Sedjen began explaining the strengths and areas for improvement for each of the Class 1 students in the match.
“Student Duran, your swift movements were as impressive as ever! There was no wasted motion! But it would be even better if you could find a way to increase your instantaneous destructive power! Lightning is, after all, an attribute with immense power!”
Sedjen, who had been giving sincere advice to each student, finally turned his gaze to Chloe.
Chloe’s shoulders slumped.
Today’s defeat, no matter who said what, was because she had failed to stop Leo.
“Student Chloe, you were perfect! There was nothing to fault!”
“But… we lost the match because of me, didn’t we?”
“You didn’t lose because of that. Besides, you didn’t truly lose. The official result may be a defeat, but I do not believe for a moment that our Class 1 lost to Class 5.”
Professor Sedjen smiled gently.
“Our Class 1 dominated the match. And it only lasted twenty minutes. Class 5’s teamwork was impressive, but if we had more time, we surely would have turned the tables!”
Professor Sedjen patted Chloe’s shoulder reassuringly.
“And your failure to stop student Leo at the end was because he caught you completely off guard. No first-year student could have stopped him. I guarantee it!”
Having said that, Professor Sedjen pointed a finger to the sky.
“My students! Raise your heads! And look up! The fact that our Class 1 is the most elegant of all remains unchanged!”
“Professor!”
“Waaah! We respect you so much!”
The students of Class 1 were moved, praising Professor Sedjen.
They had been mistaken, blinded by Sedjen’s fame and achievements.
He wasn’t a professor who only wanted outstanding students.
On the contrary, he was a professor famous for valuing the bond between teacher and student, never giving up on those under his charge.
The reason he took charge of Class 1 wasn't because of its high average score, but simply because he liked the number one.
Just as Class 1 was sharing a heartwarming moment.
“Professor Sedjen.”
“Student Leo. The strategy you showed in today’s match was astonishing. What can I do for you?”
“Professor Halind told me to have you buy us drinks right away. And he said you can start cleaning the bathrooms today.”
At Leo’s words, the atmosphere in Class 1 plummeted back into despair, and Sedjen’s lip began to twitch.
“Huh? Professor Sedjen! Professor Ain and Professor Ren are fighting!”
Just then, Howl from Class 1 saw the clashing auras of frost and magic in the middle of the training grounds and freaked out.
“Student Howl.”
“Yes?”
“Could you take your friends and buy some drinks from the cafe? Halind will take care of Professor Ain and Professor Ren.”
As he said, Professor Halind was already approaching the two feuding professors.
Howl dazedly nodded and headed to the campus cafe with his friends.
As Howl left, Leo spitefully added another order.
“Get the most expensive one.”
“Ugh!”
Sedjen felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck.
‘I’ll definitely win next time! Class Fiiiiive!!’
***
A month had passed since the first-years had entered Lumerne.
It was enough time for the students to adjust to the academy.
“Haaah! Good morning.”
Karl sat down with a long yawn.
“Were you working late again last night?”
Chelsea asked as she ate the spaghetti served for breakfast in the school cafeteria, and Karl scratched his head.
“Yeah. The demand for fatigue recovery potions keeps growing day by day.”
While Karl’s combat-related abilities were definitively at the bottom among the first-years, he was an upper-mid-tier student in the fields of alchemy and support magic.
His homeroom professor, Halind, had also given a positive assessment of Karl, who had decided to specialize as a supporter since his admission.
Moreover, his business was thriving.
Thanks to his advertising since the entrance ceremony and the fact that the top students often used his fatigue recovery potions, they were selling like hotcakes.
Another reason for his success was that many students found it easier to buy potions than to make them, as they required a surprising amount of work.
“Tch, it’d be nice if they bought some of my other stuff too.”
Karl looked at his other business items with a disappointed expression.
But he didn't have any major complaints, as he had established himself faster than he had expected.
Leo spoke while chewing on a steak, even though it was morning.
“By the way, did you hear the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“That the seniors who were sent on a dungeon expedition are coming back?”
At those words, Karl’s eyes lit up.
“I heard! I heard! The rumor is that three teams are returning.”
The dungeon conquerors, tasked with clearing Hero Dungeons and retrieving pages of the Heroes, often left the academy.
This time in particular, three teams had been dispatched, meaning all the students considered the strongest in the school were absent.
A sense of disappointment had been lingering among the first-years, as they hadn't yet met the most famous and powerful students at Lumerne.
Chelsea twirled spaghetti around her fork, popped it into her mouth, and said.
“I heard that for our next Heroics class, we’ll be using the pages from the Hero Record recovered this time as teaching material.”
“Really? We’re already entering the World of Heroes? I thought that would be for the midterm practical exam at least.”
Karl said, excited.
“Not exactly. I heard that some of the recovered pages were damaged. The class will be about trying to deduce which hero the page belongs to.”
“Aww, what?”
“What’s with that reaction? Getting to see a lost Hero Record is an incredible opportunity, you know?”
Chelsea said, her eyes sparkling.
She loved tales of heroes and had a hobby of studying their anecdotes.
“Speaking of which, the club promotion period is starting soon, right?”
Karl stroked his chin.
For the first-years who had grown accustomed to school life, it was now time to start joining clubs.
“Have you guys thought about any clubs? I’m thinking of joining a business-related one.”
“I’m thinking of joining the music club. My family had me learn it as a part of my upbringing since I was young.”
“Wow, such a noble young lady’s hobby. What about you, Leo?”
“I’m thinking of starting a club.”
“What?”
“You’re starting a club?”
“Yeah.”
Hearing that the class representative was starting a club, Chelsea and Karl were intrigued.
“What kind of club are you going to make?”
“The Hero Research Society.”
“The Hero Research Society? Sounds like a club related to academics.”
Karl showed a sign of rejection.
“People usually join clubs to relieve stress from school life. Do you think they’ll want to join a club related to academics?”
Chelsea also shook her head in disapproval.
“It’s not related to academics at all. We’re going to research forgotten heroes.”
Leo smiled gently, and Karl asked.
“For example?”
“The Hero of the Beginning, Kyle.”
It was his dark, ulterior motive to promote his own past deeds at Lumerne.
“Kyle? He’s not forgotten, he’s a figure of fantasy, isn’t he? If it’s too far-fetched, it’ll be even less popular.”
“Still, it sounds fun! Kyle isn’t registered in the Hero Record, so he’s treated as a fictional character, but he’s actually a super famous hero, right? How is it possible for a hero who isn’t even in the history books to gain that much recognition? Maybe Kyle’s Hero Record just hasn't been discovered yet!”
Chelsea, a lover of hero tales, chattered excitedly.
“Chelsea.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re a good kid.”
Having never met someone who spoke so positively about him in his entire life, Leo smiled gently and patted Chelsea’s head.
Chelsea was momentarily flustered by Leo’s sudden action but soon giggled and leaned into his touch.
Watching them, Karl laughed.
“Your dream is too big. It’s pretty much confirmed that Kyle is a fake hero, right? Why not Dweno instead? The great blacksmith and advisor to the Great Hero’s party! He’s a real hero, definitely better than someone like Ky— Mmph! Mmph?! Cough?”
“Karl. You might get a dry throat if you only eat bread.”
“Mmmph mmmph! Cough! (Who shoves bread in someone’s mouth while saying that?!)”
“Hm? You want more?”
“Mmmmmmph! (Waaaaater!)”
Leo kindly shoved the bread from the table into his friend’s mouth.
***
Morning classes ended, and it was time for lunch.
Students poured out of the classrooms.
Just as Leo was organizing his textbooks and about to get up from his seat.
“Leo.”
“Hm?”
Celia entered Class 5 and stood before Leo.
“What is it, Celia? Why are you in another class’s room?”
Chelsea asked, frowning, and Celia replied calmly.
“I’m just here to see Leo. You don’t have any plans for lunch today, do you?”
“I don’t.”
“Then let’s eat together.”
“Why?”
“The student council president wants to see you.”