Chapter 364
Chapter: 364
Chapter Title: A Joint Mission
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“Summer’s here.”
Karl muttered under his breath as he looked up at the training grounds, bathed in intense sunlight.
About half of the second year’s first semester had already passed.
Summer had finally arrived at Lumerne.
Karl, who had been staring blankly at the sky, chuckled softly.
“On this scorching summer day…”
*Fwoosh—!*
“Why must I fight against that giant ball of fire?”
“Brace yourselves, Magic Department!”
Celia shouted, her entire body wreathed in an aura of flames.
*Flex—!*
Veins and tendons, unbefitting of a delicate girl, bulged on Celia’s hand.
Seeing this, Karl yelped and tried to flee to one side.
From the sidelines, Chelsea, who was cheering, shouted at him.
“Don’t run away!”
“What?”
“Don’t run! Stand and fight!”
“Hey! If I get hit by that brutish attack, I’m out in one shot!”
As Karl screamed, Celia swung her arm with all her might and yelled.
The ball, imbued with her fiery aura, descended upon the Magic Department students as if it were the sun itself.
“Aaaahhhh!”
“There’s nowhere to run!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
*Rumble! Fwoosh—!*
When the sphere of flames slammed down, it created a sea of fire.
Watching this, Chelsea crossed her arms and muttered quietly.
“Pathetic.”
Seeing the Magic Department students instantly wiped out, Celia smirked and swept her hair back.
A combat studies class, involving all grade levels, was currently in session.
Today’s lesson was an inter-departmental competition of Vastera.
Since the start of the new semester, most classes had been dormitory-based competitions.
Thus, everyone was fired up for this long-awaited inter-departmental match.
The teams and the order were decided randomly.
And Karl’s team had been given the glorious task of being their department’s vanguard.
Unfortunately, their opposing team had Celia, the Knight Department’s powerhouse, while Karl’s team had no one who could stand up to her.
The result was obvious.
It was a brutal beatdown.
“Excellent, Celia.”
“Thank you, Professor Ain.”
Celia beamed as Ain praised her with a satisfied smile.
While the Knight Department students savored the sweet leisure of victory…
“Ugh! Your sacrifice will not be in vain.”
“We will avenge you… Rest in peace over there!”
The Magic Department students were tasting the bitterness of defeat.
Other Magic Department students muttered resentfully as they looked at their fallen classmates, including Karl, who were lying motionless.
“Hey, you bastards.”
“We’re not dead, you know…”
Karl’s teammates groaned, their voices filled with pain.
Chelsea, who had gathered Karl’s team with levitation magic, sighed and asked Ren.
“What should we do?”
“Miss Chelsea, there is one thing we have no need for in our Magic Department. Do you know what that is?”
“Losers?”
“No.”
Ren, sitting in a chair with his legs crossed and chin resting on his hand, spoke in a chilling voice.
“Those who lose to the Knight Department. Take them to the infirmary and dump them.”
Nodding at Ren’s words, Chelsea sent the students to the infirmary attached to the training grounds.
“Nella! I brought the kids.”
“Okay, lay them down here.”
Nella was on standby in the infirmary.
As one of the top students in the Knight Department, Nella, whose aura was specialized for healing, often served as a healer during combat competitions.
“Big Sis Nella.”
“Please heal us.”
The male students from the Magic Department said with goofy grins.
“You guys lost, what are you so happy about?”
When Chelsea spoke with a look of disdain, one of the male students chuckled.
“Being treated by Nella, one of the prettiest girls in our year, feels like it heals my very soul!”
“So you’re proud of losing to Celia Jerdinger without even putting up a fight? Huh?”
“Ow! It hurts! It hurts!”
The male student screamed as Chelsea poked his burn with her magic staff.
“Chelsea, you shouldn’t torment the patients.”
“Okay.”
Back when they were in Class 5 of the first year, there were two people Chelsea listened to well. One was Leo, and the other was Nella.
After dropping off the injured students at the infirmary, Chelsea returned to the training grounds.
She approached Leo, who was watching the students’ matches.
“Who’s up next?”
Chelsea asked, sitting down next to Leo.
“Chloe’s team and Eliza’s team.”
“Go, Chloe! Wipe the floor with Eliza Hergin!”
Chelsea cheered loudly for Chloe.
Chloe, smiling at Chelsea, gripped her staff and entered the arena.
“Which department are you competing for, Leo?”
“I’m with the Summoning Department this time.”
The Summoning Department had relatively few students.
So, to balance the numbers in these departmental events, Leo would often compete for them.
Of course, if Leo were to reveal his full power, it would be unbalanced, so he didn’t summon the Three Great Spirit Beasts.
“An enemy again? I wanted to be on the same team for a change.”
Chelsea pouted with a sullen expression, and Leo smiled faintly.
“We can be on the same team next time.”
“Still, I wanted to show you how much I’ve improved over the past month.”
Leo reached out and ruffled Chelsea’s hair.
“I know.”
Chelsea’s eyes widened as she looked at Leo.
“How much stronger you’ve gotten this past month.”
While Leo was at Seirun…
All the second-year students had been tackling the World of Heroes.
Through that, every student had taken a step forward.
Among them, some had taken several steps forward.
And Chelsea was one of those students.
Chelsea grinned brightly and rubbed her head against Leo’s hand.
‘It’s not just Chelsea.’
During the last midterm exam…
Leo had chosen the hero candidates who would advance into the future.
He had shown them a gap that was close to despair.
But not a single one of the people Leo had chosen had given up.
“Hmph, you seem quite relaxed.”
A scoffing sound came from behind.
“Are you saying the Student Council President, who is already so far ahead, can afford to be so leisurely?”
Leo turned around to see Duran sitting there.
Leo met Duran’s gaze, then turned back to the arena.
“I’m not being particularly leisurely.”
Leo said.
“Whether it’s Chelsea or you, I just think you might one day walk the same path as me. That’s why I want you all to become stronger.”
Duran’s eyes twitched.
The same path.
Duran recalled Leo’s goal from their first year.
‘The subjugation of Erebos.’
He had thought it was a ridiculous notion.
No one aimed for something like that.
But just once…
One might have such a dream.
‘This bastard, when he talked about being qualified during the midterms… could he have meant… that?’
“Are you saying you’ll be waiting at the end of that path?”
“Yes. So if you want to stand on the same stage as me, come and catch up whenever you’re ready.”
Leo, sitting with his back to Duran, opened his mouth.
“I’ll be waiting at the top.”
“…Insolent.”
Duran scowled.
But the fighting spirit in his eyes burned even brighter.
‘Leo Flove.’
Duran clenched and unclenched his fists, a corner of his mouth curling up.
‘Fine, I’ll chase you down.’
***
After combat studies, the next class was Mel’s special Heroics lecture.
Mel’s Heroics was a class the entire second year looked forward to.
Although she was a new professor this year, Mel had already established herself as Lumerne’s most popular instructor.
The content of the special Heroics class was about the Twilight Knight, a topic related to Lumerne.
It was a popular lesson regardless of the year.
Not only was the class fun, but she was also good at listening to the students’ worries.
On top of that, it was a class one could attend with a relaxed mind in the otherwise harsh environment of Lumerne.
It was impossible for her not to be popular with everyone.
“The male students have already formed a fan club for her.”
Karl, who met Leo on the way to class, said with a grin.
“A beautiful older-sister type professor, it’s the dream.”
Dade, who had eaten lunch with Karl, crossed his arms and nodded.
“She’s probably a grandmother.”
“Leo, you bastard!”
“Did you just call Professor Mel a grandmother?!”
“Professor Mel’s class is an oasis for our souls! An oasis!”
Karl and Dade protested vehemently.
Watching them, Leo said.
“And yet you’re late?”
“Ahem! Professor Mel has a generous heart and will understand!”
“That’s right!”
“Professor Mel’s class is true healing!”
“Indeed! Indeed!”
Karl exclaimed as he opened the classroom door, and Dade agreed.
“You’ve got some nerve. To even think of being late.”
The door Karl had opened was none other than the gates of hell.
The cold voice from within made Karl’s and Dade’s faces stiffen.
Halind checked his watch and said.
“Ten minutes late. You’d better have a good reason for being late to this sacred class. For the sake of the other second-years.”
The murderous glares of the other second-years were fixed on the three of them.
Halind.
The man known as Lumerne’s Wailing Wall.
One of the things he hated most was tardiness.
And the most terrifying thing about Halind was his use of collective punishment.
There was no particular reason for the collective punishment.
It was just Halind’s unique method for efficiently punishing latecomers.
Naturally, the late students would be chewed out by the others.
There were other late students besides the three of them, already doing headstands by the classroom entrance.
Just as Karl’s and Dade’s faces turned white…
“There was a student council meeting during lunch.”
Leo raised his hand and said calmly.
“Pass.”
Halind’s gaze shifted to Karl and Dade.
Without a word, Karl and Dade went to do headstands next to the other latecomers.
“I’d like to educate all of you, but since this isn’t my class, I’ll let it slide just this once.”
The entire second year let out a sigh of relief at Halind’s words.
“Latecomers, get up.”
At his command, the late students shot up.
As the latecomers wore expressions of salvation, Halind said.
“You will come up to the podium and do a headstand.”
At those words, the latecomers moved next to Halind with gloomy expressions and put their heads down.
“Some of you might be wondering why I’m in a second-year class. The reason I’m here is that today’s class will be a joint session for the first and second years.”
At those words, the second-years’ eyes widened.
A murmur spread through the large lecture hall.
A moment later, the door opened, and Mel appeared, leading the first-year students.
“Alright, everyone. Please go to your mentors.”
Mel asked with a bright smile, and the first-years went to find their mentors.
“P-Professor Halind. Should we go to our seats too?”
“Is there a need for that?”
When Karl spoke with an awkward smile, Halind smiled coldly and called over the latecomers’ mentees.
He had them stand next to their mentors.
“Aren’t they excellent mentors? They’re demonstrating firsthand what happens when you’re late.”
At Halind’s words, the second-years looked dejected.
“As expected, Senior Karl never disappoints.”
“No need for compliments.”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
Karl replied slyly to Juen’s remark.
And so, the mentors and mentees sat together.
Chloe raised her hand.
“Professor Halind, Professor Mel. What kind of class is it today?”
At Chloe’s question, Mel smiled faintly.
“There’s an announcement before we begin the lesson.”
Mel looked at Halind, who nodded.
Ahem! Clearing her throat, Mel said.
“I will now make an announcement regarding the mission practicals for the first and second years.”
“Mission practicals?”
“Are we going on mission practicals too?”
The first-years looked surprised.
Mission practicals were usually conducted starting from the second semester of the first year, at the earliest.
“Yes. To be precise, it’s a mission practical conducted jointly with the second years.”
Mel smiled faintly.
Halind continued Mel’s words.
“This mission practical will be conducted with mentors and mentees as a single team.”
At Halind’s words, the first-years let out gasps of excitement.
“The content of the mission practical is the exploration of a Hero Dungeon.”