Chapter 366
Chapter Title: A Nation of Pleasure
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366
“What’s that supposed to mean? A nation of pleasure?”
“It’s another way to describe the country of Eleham.”
Karl shrugged at Juen’s question.
Pondering his words, Chloe tilted her head.
“Is it because of the casinos?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, Eleham is famous for its casinos.”
Juen, being from the south, nodded.
Eleham was famous for having a royal casino in every city.
“That’s part of it, but it’s not just that.”
Karl crossed his arms.
“Eleham is the poorest of the human nations, and at the same time, it’s a country where all sorts of things that are illegal in other countries are legal.”
“So what do those illegal things have to do with it being called a nation of pleasure?”
Chelsea still looked confused.
Except for Leo, the other students still couldn't understand what Karl was saying.
“Noble ladies are so innocent.”
At Karl’s remark, Celia spoke up.
“What are these illegal things?”
“It’s a little embarrassing to say.”
“Shouldn’t you explain what they are before saying something like that?”
As Celia spoke, Leo, who had been listening, interjected.
“He must be referring to things like the sale of illegal drugs or monetary transactions for intimate acts. If things like that are legal, you’d probably see it happening openly on the streets.”
“What?”
The female students, momentarily stunned by Leo’s words, quickly turned their heads away, their faces flushing red.
Seeing Celia’s embarrassed reaction, Karl said.
“Miss Celia, I’ll answer your question. Those illegal things are none other than…”
“I get it, so shut up!”
*Thwack—!*
“Gack?!”
Celia, her face bright red, struck Karl’s throat with the side of her hand.
Watching Karl clutch his neck and roll on the floor, Luke laughed and said to Juen.
“Senior Karl is really funny.”
“Karl? Who’s that?”
Juen blatantly ignored her own mentor.
After the small commotion settled down, Leo spoke.
“If the dangers in Eleham are as Karl says, it would be wise to go fully prepared.”
At Leo’s words, Celia tilted her head.
“Is it really something to call a danger? I get that it’s a shady place, but we’re students of Lumerne. I don’t think anyone would dare mess with us.”
Most of the students nodded in agreement with Celia.
“Think about it. Whether it’s gambling, drugs, or, you know, this and that.”
Karl clasped his hands behind his head, agreeing with Leo.
“Overall, it's a tough place for people to live. Celia, you’re right, we’re students of Lumerne, and no one would dare mess with us, but…”
Karl narrowed his eyes.
“There are plenty of people in the world who don’t care about such things. Especially the kind of guys who have nothing to lose.”
At Karl’s words, Luke nodded as if he understood.
However, the other students still looked like they didn’t quite get it.
Celia, Chelsea, and Martina were nobles from the Rodren Empire, which occupied most of the western continent.
Specifically, they belonged to the Jerdinger and Llewellyn families, heroic houses that stood at the pinnacle of power.
Chloe, too, was from a family belonging to the Northern Magic Tower.
While the Müller family itself didn't hold a high position within the tower, being affiliated with it meant they were a good family.
Juen was the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower’s master.
Aina was the great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint himself.
Betty also came from a prominent and influential magic family.
Having grown up seeing only the good in the world, they were naturally ignorant of its darker side.
Watching them, Leo said.
“What Karl means is that people with nothing to lose are frightening. Well, it’s hard to understand just by hearing about it.”
Leo smiled faintly at Celia.
“It might not be a bad idea to experience it for yourselves on this occasion. Professor Halind wouldn’t have sent you with mentors for no reason.”
“You talk as if you’ve experienced such things.”
Chloe tilted her head.
Hearing that, Karl stroked his chin with a sly “Ohoho.”
“Chloe. What kind of experience are you talking about?”
“What sort of weird thing are you about to say with that creepy look on your face?”
As Chloe scowled at him, Karl grinned deviously.
“No, I was just wondering if you were asking about Leo’s experience with women. With his popularity, it wouldn’t be surprising if he enjoyed a secret rendezvous with a female student in the middle of the night…”
*C-c-crack!*
“Using magic in the library is forbidden!”
Karl, who had been teasing Chloe, yelped in terror at her magical energy, which looked ready to freeze him solid at any moment.
“Stop talking such nonsense. Leo has never been involved in a single scandal like that, so what are you blabbering about?”
Dating was freely allowed at Lumerne, so it wasn’t strange to be in a relationship.
However, the school rules stipulated that one should not cross certain lines.
A prime example was the rule prohibiting entry into the dorm room of someone of the opposite sex late at night.
This applied to first-years and now to the second-years, who used co-ed dorms.
Of course, being hot-blooded teenagers, there were always brave souls in both the first and second years who boldly tried to break that rule.
Naturally, they were caught by the dorm supervisors every time and got thoroughly chewed out.
The dorm supervisors were so strict about monitoring unauthorized entry that there had never been a single successful case.
At Chelsea’s words, Karl raised his index finger and wagged it back and forth.
“Heeheehee—you don’t know a thing.”
A smug Karl grinned.
“Of course, he hasn’t had any scandals with students from our school! But during the Smith exclusive contract period, Leo went out every night to meet a Seirun girl and came back at dawn!”
“What?!”
Chelsea looked utterly shocked.
Chloe’s mouth hung open.
Seeing his two flustered friends, Karl smirked slyly.
“Leo told me everything back then. What he did with those girls.”
At Karl’s suggestive tone, Chloe’s and Chelsea’s faces turned bright red.
“Should I tell you what they did?”
“N-No, thanks! I’m not curious about that…”
“What Leo did with them was…”
As Karl lowered his voice, the indignant Chelsea fell silent.
Chloe also gulped, her trembling eyes fixed on Karl’s lips.
As silence fell upon the room, Karl whispered.
“He said they studied magic diligently.”
“…Is that it?”
“That’s it.”
Seeing Chloe and Chelsea, their faces flushed, hanging on his every word, Karl burst out laughing.
“What on earth were you two thinking! Bwahahahaha! Gack!”
Chelsea planted a dropkick into Karl’s abdomen.
After rolling wretchedly on the floor, Karl struggled to his feet, only to be met with a body blow from Chloe that sent him crashing down again.
“Hitting where you already hit is… wait! S-Stop! You hit bone! You hit bone, I tell you!”
Karl screamed, but Chelsea and Chloe, holding a grudge for his cruel teasing, did not stop stomping on him.
Watching the scene, Celia crossed her arms with a pathetic look on her face.
“I don’t know why he’s so childish.”
Watching their seniors, the first-years all had the same thought.
‘The second-years are no different from us.’
***
After discussing the mission practicum, they all moved to spend time with their respective mentors and mentees.
Since Chelsea didn't have a mentee, she followed Leo.
The three arrived at one of the second-year Knight Department training grounds and sat down.
“By the way, how’s your magic coming along?”
Chelsea asked with curiosity.
She had heard from Leo before that Luke had also begun to learn magic.
The fact that Ren was personally teaching Luke magic was well-known among the second-year Magic Department students.
Chelsea herself had seen Luke receiving lessons on the basics of magic from Ren several times when she went to ask questions.
At Chelsea’s question, Luke scratched his head and said.
“I can use some simple spells now.”
“Let me see you cast one.”
When Chelsea asked with amusement, Luke created a simple magic missile.
Seeing it, Chelsea commented.
“You don’t have much talent as a mage, do you?”
“Haha.”
Luke laughed awkwardly.
She wasn't making this judgment simply because Luke lacked magical power.
Chelsea knew that Luke’s power was semi-forcibly suppressed by Leo’s magic.
Rather, her assessment of his lack of talent was due to the magic formula Luke had constructed.
‘It’s ordinary.’
He had just followed the textbook.
There was no sense of Luke’s own personality in it.
In an era where magic was so advanced, anyone who could use mana could easily cast low-level spells like magic missile.
“Don’t you have any magic that shows your own unique style?”
At Chelsea’s question, Luke hesitated and said.
“Well, I did try to create an original spell.”
“Original magic? You?”
Leo smiled with interest.
“Let me see it.”
“I’m still not very good at it.”
“It doesn’t matter, just try it.”
At Leo’s words, Luke used his magic.
Chelsea let out a gasp of admiration, and Leo stroked his chin.
“This could be useful.”
“I agree with Leo.”
***
“What are you staring at, Aina?”
Martina, who was in a practice duel with Aina, looked slightly bewildered as Aina froze mid-motion.
Martina, who had gone from being a trainee of the Jerdinger family to a student at Lumerne through Leo's selection, was a girl with outstanding talent for the sword.
But compared to Aina before her, she felt like a firefly before the full moon.
The granddaughter of the Sword Saint.
She was a girl whose talent was on a completely different level.
It was as if she were beloved by the sword itself.
In terms of skill alone, Harvey, the Knight Department’s second-in-command, was impressive.
But in Martina’s eyes, having met renowned knights since she was young, Aina’s pure swordsmanship had already far surpassed the level of a first-year.
That’s why there was one thing Martina couldn’t understand.
“Are you worried about Luke?”
At Martina’s question, Aina glanced at her.
Martina was probably the only one who knew that Aina was concerned about Luke, a failing student in the same department.
Since they were both Celia’s mentees, they often met for personal matters.
That was how she naturally came to notice that Aina sometimes watched Luke.
“Martina.”
“Yes.”
“How would you compare my skills to Luke’s?”
“Isn’t a comparison impossible?”
Putting aside the Knight Department, Aina was a class representative, while Luke was last in their year.
It made no sense to compare them on the same level.
At Martina’s words, Aina’s eyes darkened.
“Then why did Senior Leo take Luke as his mentee and not me?”
“That question seems a bit rude to Miss Celia.”
As Martina scratched her cheek in discomfort, Aina replied.
“I’m not dissatisfied with Senior Celia’s guidance. In fact, she’s been a great help to me. I’m always grateful to Senior Celia.”
Celia, too, was a girl who had been called a genius of the sword.
A genius understands a genius.
Celia unsparingly shared her experiences with Aina, and with that experience, Aina was able to grow faster than she had ever imagined.
“What I’m curious about is why Senior Leo acknowledged Luke, but not me.”
The Sword Saint had left his legacy to his cherished great-granddaughter.
However, a prerequisite for fully inheriting that legacy was to receive the ‘acknowledgment of Leo Flove.’
At Aina’s words, Martina crossed her arms.
“Hmm, I don’t think the Young Master has particularly acknowledged Luke.”
Tilting her head, Martina said.
“Perhaps he saw Luke’s potential?”
“Potential?”
“Yes, it was the same when he accepted us into his knight order. He accepted trainees he judged to have potential by his standards.”
“…Are you saying I don’t have potential?”
As Aina’s eyes darkened, Martina waved her hands dismissively.
“No, it’s more that… maybe it’s because you can already move forward without the Young Master’s guidance?”
Martina smiled faintly.
“I think he believed you would do well even without Senior Leo leading you.”
“…”
“Let’s finish our duel. We’ll get scolded if Miss Celia catches us chatting like this.”
Aina nodded at Martina’s words.
She tightened her grip on her sword.
‘During this mission practicum… I will earn Senior Leo’s acknowledgment, one way or another.’