Chapter 325
Chapter Title: The Allied Assault
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At Glory's base.
Chloe approached Leo, who was sitting perched on the barrier wall.
“We gained a huge advantage in the first engagement.”
Chloe said, sitting next to Leo and gazing ahead.
“We figured out that Harmony's King is Chelsea, and Noble's is Karl.”
Chloe continued, kicking her feet playfully.
“On top of that, we earned a lot of points from the Harmony and Noble kids while defending our base.”
Glory had undeniably seized a favorable position.
“If we continue to lead the competition with a defensive focus and jump in whenever Harmony and Noble fight each other, we can maintain our advantage. Of course.”
Chloe looked at Leo.
“It’s not like they'll just take this lying down.”
Watching Chloe speak with a smiling, confident tone, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“What do you think Harmony and Noble will do?”
“They’ll probably form an alliance. And Karl will be the one leading it.”
Chloe said thoughtfully.
“If it's Karl, he'll likely put together the best possible team to beat you.”
“The best possible team to beat me, huh?”
Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Woreden and Chelsea on the front lines. Abad in the rear. And Eliza covering both front and back, I suppose.”
“Exactly.”
Chloe beamed.
“Celia and Duran will target Chen Xia and me, since they have the elemental advantage.”
Celia, who wielded the Aura of flame, and Chloe, who used ice magic.
In terms of matchups, Celia had the upper hand.
And between the Auras of water and lightning.
Duran had the advantage in that matchup as well.
The first prerequisite for defeating Leo.
They had to prevent Chloe and Chen Xia from joining him at all costs.
“You have to be careful. If you’re eliminated, we lose instantly.”
“You think I’m going to lose?”
“No, but…”
Chloe smiled, thinking of her peers.
“I don’t think they’ll back down that easily. They’ll definitely come at you with fire in their eyes.”
“I showed them a clear difference in power. What would you do if you were in their shoes?”
“I’d give it my all.”
Chloe smiled a little shyly.
“Because someone taught me to never give up, no matter the circumstances.”
“Oh? Who taught you that?”
As Leo spoke with a grin, Chloe pouted slightly.
“It was you.”
Watching her, Leo smiled faintly and patted her head.
“I’m proud of you for not losing that spirit.”
“Huh?!”
Chloe’s face flushed bright red as she opened and closed her mouth.
***
“What do you think the class president and Chloe are talking about?”
Iliana’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“They must be having a strategy meeting.”
As Chen Xia replied with a gentle smile, a male student from Glory’s Knight Division crossed his arms.
“Aren’t you joining in? You’re a dorm head too, aren’t you?”
“Young Master Leo and Miss Chloe are more than enough to handle the strategy. Well, it’s not like Harmony and Noble have many options here, so their move is quite predictable.”
“You can predict it?”
Iliana tilted her head.
But everyone except Iliana nodded.
“Definitely.”
“It’s the only way, right?”
As chatter broke out, Iliana asked, “What? What is it?”
“Tell me!”
“Isn’t it obvious, unless you’re an idiot?”
When a student from the Magic Division teased her, Iliana scowled and kicked him squarely in the shin.
“Gah!”
As he hopped around clutching his leg, Iliana declared.
“I bet there are others who didn’t figure it out! Right?”
But no one seconded Iliana’s words.
“Xia! Everyone’s looking at me like I’m an idiot!”
Iliana whined, hugging Chen Xia.
Chen Xia patted Iliana’s head and said.
“The only thing Harmony and Noble can do in this situation is form an alliance.”
“Aha, I see.”
Iliana nodded, then tilted her head again.
“But wouldn’t an alliance be more disadvantageous? They can’t fight each other then.”
Iliana crossed her arms, lost in thought.
“We’ve already gotten a ton of points, so we can win just by focusing on defense. And even if their dorm heads team up… can they really beat the class president? We have Chen Xia and Chloe, too.”
“Honestly, if it were me… I don’t think I’d have the guts to challenge Leo.”
“Yeah, he’s too strong.”
The Glory students looked at Leo with expressions of sheer awe.
“Is Chloe not bothered? She seems so calm.”
As Iliana looked on with fascination, Chen Xia smiled.
“She must have been influenced by someone.”
It was then.
“Everyone! Enemies spotted up ahead!”
A Glory student standing watch in the guard tower shouted urgently.
At his cry, Chloe stood up.
“What’s their number?!”
“...It looks like… all of them are coming.”
At the tense voice, Leo rose to his feet.
Leo’s lips curled into a smile as he saw the dorm heads leading the charge.
“Shall we?”
***
Karl glanced at Chelsea standing beside him and scratched his head.
“Chelsea.”
“…”
“Hey, Chelsea.”
“Huh?”
Startled by Karl poking her cheek, Chelsea yelped, covering her face and stepping back.
“What?”
“What are you spacing out for?”
“…I was just thinking.”
Chelsea muttered weakly.
Seeing her like this, Karl grinned.
“Hmph, then as your friend, I shall give you something good!”
Karl took a small potion bottle from his pocket, handed it to Chelsea, and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper.
“This is a secret elixir I got from Master Dweno’s alchemy book! It’s called a Potion of Courage…”
Karl glanced around furtively.
“They say Master Ar-on drank this and found his courage. I’ll give it to you for just one gold coin…”
Pop!
Chelsea uncorked the bottle containing the yellow potion and sniffed it.
Then she said.
“…This is fruit juice.”
“…Ahem. Hmph.”
Karl cleared his throat.
Chelsea closed the bottle and raised her hand.
“Eek?”
Karl, fully expecting a punch, flinched and cowered.
But Chelsea did nothing. She simply handed the potion bottle back to Karl with a stoic expression and walked away.
Watching her go, Karl scratched his head.
She was definitely not her usual self.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“…I’m just pathetic.”
Chelsea said in a subdued voice.
“Whether it was my brother… or Leo. I’ve always been content to just watch them from afar. I was so full of myself for being an honors student, but…”
Chelsea’s shoulders slumped.
“…I’ve just been living without any real goal.”
When Abad, who had saved her, fell.
When Celia fell.
Chelsea ran.
The logical choice for a King.
But that wasn’t it.
Even if she hadn’t been the King in that situation, Chelsea would have run.
Because she knew their overwhelming power.
Because she didn’t want to fight Leo.
Even though they were on different teams, she had instinctively reached out to Abad in a moment of crisis.
She couldn’t fight properly against Leo, the one threatening her.
Chelsea believed she was acting so pathetically because she had been vaguely chasing after people she admired.
“…My brother must be disappointed in me. Leo, too.”
Seeing the dejected Chelsea, Karl scratched his head furiously, then gestured wildly at Abad, mouthing words.
“Don’t call my brother over. I’m too pathetic to face him right now.”
As Chelsea spoke without even turning around, Karl scratched his head.
“Is it a bad thing to not have a goal?”
“What?”
“Look at me. My goal is to stick around Lumerne for as long as possible. I’m gonna use this title to get a job as a supporter, make a killing, and earn a ton of money.”
Karl grinned, making a coin shape with his fingers.
“And with that money, I’ll make and sell stuff like elixirs, then live a life of leisure.”
“…That’s pathetic.”
“It hurts when you say it so bluntly, but see? Even pathetic goals like this exist. Having a goal isn’t always a good thing. And not having one isn’t necessarily bad either.”
Karl chuckled.
“Leo would never be disappointed in you. If anything, he’s probably wondering when you’ll find a goal of your own.”
Chelsea blinked.
Their statuses were different, their families were different, and their positions within the academy were different.
But since their first year, Karl had always been a friend who treated her as an equal.
That was why, in this moment.
His words resonated deeply with the discouraged and lost Chelsea.
“You don’t have to find a goal right away. What’s important now is facing Leo.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Of course I am. I’m in charge of battle command. Can you imagine how much Eliza would nag me if I mess up?”
Karl shuddered.
His fear was different from what Chelsea felt.
Chelsea’s fear was the distance between herself and Leo.
But for some reason, Karl’s ridiculous behavior made her want to laugh.
“This is just between you and me, okay? Don’t you dare tell anyone.”
“What is it?”
“The Brave Hero Ar-on… is actually a massive coward.”
Stomp!
“Aaaargh!”
Chelsea ruthlessly stomped on Karl’s foot.
Karl fell to the ground, rolling around in agony.
“Who do you think you’re kidding?”
Chelsea scoffed as Karl limped back to his feet.
“It’s true! Ask Leo!”
Karl wore an expression of utter injustice.
“No way.”
Chelsea’s face was a mask of disbelief.
Looking at her, Karl said.
“I didn’t believe it even when I saw it. But you know what? In the end, he was always the bravest one to step forward.”
Karl grinned.
“I realized he’s a Brave Hero because he overcomes his fear.”
Karl handed the potion bottle in his hand to Chelsea.
“And this really is the fruit juice that Master Ar-on used to enjoy.”
Chelsea looked down at the potion bottle.
Karl gave her a thumbs-up before retreating to the rear.
Then he looked up.
Glory’s barrier wall was now in sight.
Seeing the wall, Chelsea took a deep breath.
Slap!
She slapped her own cheeks, took another deep breath, and chugged the potion.
“Mm! Delicious!”
Her eyes sparkled.
She felt courage bubbling up inside her.
“Alright! I can do this! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Whoooosh!
The moment Chelsea regained her spirit.
A storm erupted before her.
“Huh?”
“Looks like you’ve gotten your spirits back.”
Leo, sword raised, had appeared before Chelsea in an instant.
Chelsea hurriedly took a battle stance.
“H-He’s here!”
“It’s a surprise attack from Leo!”
Chaos broke out around them.
Fwoosh!
As Leo swung his sword, Chelsea swung her staff.
Clang!
Blades of wind crossed each other.
Leo burst out laughing.
“Not bad.”
“I had a good teacher.”
Chelsea said with a triumphant expression.
Whoooooosh!
“In close combat using wind… I won’t go down easily!”
Chelsea infused mana into the long staff held in her other hand.
Fwoooooooosh!
Leo, who had ambushed Chelsea, was sent soaring high into the sky.
Crackle!
The Aura of lightning descended upon him.
Flash! Pzzzzzt!
In an instant, a curtain of water protected Leo.
“Chen Xia.”
“Duran, you and I were bound to fight anyway, right? I’ll be your opponent.”
“Hmph.”
Duran snorted.
Fwoosh! Sssshhh!
Back at the barrier, flames and ice erupted.
The clash between Celia and Chloe served as the signal, and the attack from the Harmony and Noble students began.
Thud!
Leo landed on the ground.
He looked at the four people standing before him, then smiled at Karl, who was at the very back.
“Karl, did you come prepared?”
“Of course!”
Karl gave him a thumbs-up.
Seeing that, Leo smiled.
“Really? In that case.”
The expression vanished from Leo’s face.
“That means you’re prepared to feel the difference, then?”