Chapter 372
Chapter Title: A Simple Misunderstanding
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372
An aging, middle-aged man seated on the throne spoke in a heavy voice.
“So, students from Lumerne have finally entered the country?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How incredibly insolent!”
*CRASH—!*
The king of Elehem, Bihir III, slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne and shouted.
“On what grounds do they dare suspect me and investigate my lands without permission!”
As Bihir III unleashed his fury, his retainers dared not meet his eyes, bowing their heads low.
Everyone swallowed dryly.
Elehem.
A nation infamous for being the poorest of the poor, where all sorts of activities illegal elsewhere were permitted.
It was scorned for being a living hell where countless citizens were left behind to starve to death, and its king was looked down upon by other nations.
But within Elehem, he was a ruler of absolute power.
Wealth and power acquired by pushing the entire nation into misery.
And the nobles who flocked to that wealth and power.
In Elehem, the king’s word was law and truth.
However, the King of Elehem’s power did not extend to Lumerne.
Unlike the King of Elehem, whose nation was barely recognized abroad, Lumerne was a transnational organization.
It was a place that nurtured hero candidates who would lead the world, and its students were called the future of their respective nations.
Talented students from countless countries gathered there.
Among them were many scions of families with the power to wipe Elehem off the map.
The very fact that hundreds of individuals beyond his control were on his land was intensely irritating to Bihir III.
One of the nobles, who had been cautiously observing, spoke up carefully.
“Today, the Lumerne students visited the royal palace to speak with the palace mages…”
*WHOOSH! CRASH!*
“Tsk! Those insolent whelps have not only trespassed on my land, but now they’ve invaded my castle with their filthy feet!”
Bihir III hurled a golden goblet filled with wine, spewing even greater rage.
“What in the world are you all doing! You, the nobles of this country! My retainers! Are you just going to let those milk-sniffing brats do as they please!”
At Bihir III’s tirade, the nobles could only bow their heads.
They couldn’t stop them even if they wanted to.
The reason Lumerne had dispatched students this time was, officially, for a ‘Hero Dungeon Exploration.’
The Hero Record was the property of the hero academies.
And neglecting a Hero Dungeon was a matter that could threaten the world, just as securing one was a matter of protecting world peace.
The hero academies never used the Hero Dungeons they recovered for private purposes.
Therefore, no country had the right to prevent Lumerne from exploring a Hero Dungeon.
This was not some unwritten rule.
3000 years ago.
It was a ‘World Law’ established by Rodia, the Dragon of Creation, after gathering all the heroes and kings of the world.
But no noble here could say that.
Speaking up could get their head chopped off.
Just as all the nobles were cautiously watching one another, a voice rang out.
“Please calm yourself, Your Majesty.”
“Ahem! Duke Ebern.”
At the words of the young man who entered the conference room, Bihir III’s anger subsided.
Color returned to the nobles’ faces at his appearance.
Delean Ebern.
A man who had settled in Elehem five years ago and quickly rose to become Bihir III’s closest confidant.
And Delean was the only person in this country whom the arrogant Bihir III respected.
Delean was a Lumerne graduate from ten years ago.
Elehem, which hadn’t produced even an entering student, let alone a graduate, for hundreds of years, had finally managed to embrace a talent like a Lumerne alumnus.
Delean’s existence was not publicly known.
But everyone gathered here knew he was deeply involved in Elehem’s national affairs.
The appearance of the only person who could calm Bihir III was a welcome sight for the nobles.
“As a graduate of Lumerne, I am well aware of their insolence.”
Delean shook his head as if he was fed up and continued.
“But it’s not as if we have a way to stop them. They are the kind of people who believe they are the law.”
At Delean’s words, Bihir III’s clenched fist trembled.
“However, do not worry, Your Majesty.”
Delean bowed respectfully.
“They are merely first and second-year brats. They will never reach Your Majesty’s treasure.”
At those words, Bihir III’s expression relaxed.
The one leading the conquest of the Hero Dungeon that Elehem was hiding was none other than Delean.
No matter if hundreds of students had come to Elehem to investigate, they were only first and second-years.
And the one who had hidden that Hero Dungeon was a Lumerne graduate.
The gap in skill was obvious to anyone.
“But isn’t the student council president, Leo Flove, among the Lumerne second-years?”
An uncomfortable look once again clouded Bihir III’s face.
“Leo Flove. I have heard he is indeed a monstrous junior.”
Delean smiled faintly.
“But he is still just an inexperienced second-year. No matter how incredible he is said to be.”
“Hmm. Delean, I’m counting on you.”
Seeing the look of relief on Bihir III’s face, Delean smiled faintly.
“I will restore Elehem to its former glory.”
***
After leaving the pleasure district, Leo headed straight for his lodging.
Laruel had been hiding her identity as the Great Spirit of Light and acting as the master of the Pleasure Palace, a pillar of this country’s underworld.
‘I’ve never been interested in Hero Dungeons. But I do know that this country has been making suspicious moves for at least the last five years.’
As the master of the Pleasure Palace, she couldn’t ignore the rumors that naturally came to her.
Just then, Leo arrived on the main street.
“Leo. Where did you get a room? I haven’t found one yet.”
Chelsea asked, her eyes sparkling.
Seeing her, Iliana shouted, “Ah!”
“Chelsea! You’re trying to team up with the class president to coast through this assignment, aren’t you?! Don’t you dare! I’m going to be his partner!”
“Do I look like you?”
“So you were scheming like that?”
Iliana’s outburst was met with a look of disbelief from Chelsea, while Chloe narrowed her eyes.
Iliana gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
“Class 5 seems to be very dependent on Leo.”
Chloe folded her arms and smiled faintly.
“We in Class 1 are not.”
During their first year, the rival classes, Class 1 and Class 5, would often compete.
Since their homeroom teacher, Sedzen, was always shouting about defeating Halind, Class 1 naturally tried not to lose to Class 5.
Class 5 initially didn’t care, but eventually, they were drawn into the rivalry.
The fact that Chelsea, unable to stand losing to Celia from Class 1, had constantly nagged her friends played no small part in it.
Even now that it had become a competition between dorms, a subtle sense of rivalry remained between the former members of Class 1 and Class 5.
At Chloe’s words, Chelsea scoffed.
“Don’t lump me in with that idiot, would you?”
“That’s right. We’re not all like Iliana, you know.”
“Hey! Karl! You can’t say that! Aren’t you trying to team up with the class president to ride his coattails?”
Iliana shot back at Karl’s comment.
But this time, Karl was confident.
“Oh~ no no. As if I would do something so despicable.”
He shook his head with a smug expression.
“What’s the most important thing in this mission practicum? Information gathering, right? That’s my specialty.”
Karl propped up his chin with his finger and grinned.
“I got a lot of requests for cooperation during the mission practicum. So Chloe and I have already formed a party. Unlike some people.”
“Urk!”
Unable to refute his words, Iliana wore a frustrated expression.
“Then, since we’re all here, why don’t we share some information?”
“You got info from the pleasure district?”
“Yeah. It should be very useful.”
“Alright, then let’s meet at Leo’s lodging and have a meeting.”
At Karl’s suggestion, Chelsea spoke.
“I’ll use a familiar to show you where Leo is staying. Everyone bring your mentees.”
Chelsea used magic to pass familiars to Karl and Chloe.
Just as they were about to disperse, a voice called out.
“Hehehe, Lady Chelsea.”
Iliana stood before Chelsea, rubbing her palms together.
“You didn’t give me a familiar.”
Chelsea looked at Iliana, who was smiling obsequiously and trying to look cute, and said.
“You’re useless.”
“We were in the same class. Can’t you show a little kindness to your best friend?”
“No.”
“President! They’re leaving me out!”
Faced with Chelsea’s cold attitude, Iliana clung to Leo and complained.
Sighing at the sight, Chelsea handed a familiar to Iliana as well.
***
“Leo-sunbae! Welcome! Chelsea-sunbae, you came too.”
Luke, who had been waiting at the lodging, greeted Leo and Chelsea warmly.
Chelsea looked at Luke with a dubious expression.
“You picked a place like this for our lodging?”
At Chelsea’s reaction, Luke’s face turned serious.
“Is a lodging with a private shower in each room too extravagant after all?”
Luke had chosen a clean and comfortable hotel as their lodging.
And that was its only merit.
On a street lined with all sorts of luxurious accommodations, this place looked downright shabby.
But for Luke, who was from the countryside, even this was an excessive luxury.
“Here, drinks are free as a service!”
Luke poured drinks for the two and handed them over.
Just as Chelsea was looking at Luke with a hint of pity, Leo spoke.
“Luke, you wait in the lounge. When Chloe, Karl, and Iliana arrive, bring them to my room. Chelsea, you go wash up too.”
“Okay.”
“Yes.”
Leaving those words behind, Leo went up to his room.
He entered the bathroom, and while showering, he said.
“Laruel, what did you mean about suspicious movements in this country starting five years ago?”
-Exactly what I said. The royal palace has been secretly investigating a specific area.
“Where?”
-The underground of this city, Uargela, and the Forest of Monsters. The Hero Dungeon is probably in the Forest of Monsters.
*Swoosh—!*
At Laruel’s words, Leo asked with a puzzled tone while washing his hair.
“How are you so sure the Hero Dungeon is in the Forest of Monsters?”
-Because I know what’s in the Uargela underground.
“What is it?”
-Rodia’s treasury exists there.
At those words, Leo paused.
Stepping out of the shower, Leo dried himself with a towel, put on his pants, and then a robe.
“Rodia’s treasury?”
-Yes. A treasury Rodia left for the one who would become my contractor.
“Hmm.”
Just as Leo was stroking his chin, there was a knock.
*Knock, knock—*
“Leo, I’m out.”
Chelsea’s voice came from the other side.
“Come in.”
*Creek—!*
“Leo, I don’t really like the bathroom in this hotel. The hot water wasn’t working, so I had to use magic, which was annoying…”
Chelsea, who had entered the room grumbling and was closing the door, froze.
The room was dim, faintly lit by the moonlight.
With the moonlight at his back, Leo was ruffling his hair with a towel.
The firm muscles of his chest were visible through the gap in his robe.
Though he had the appearance of a delicate pretty boy, Leo’s body, honed by real combat and training, had a masculine physique.
“He’s definitely different from my brother.”
Chelsea let out a breath of admiration.
Being siblings, Chelsea had often seen Abad in a relaxed state that others rarely did.
The aura Leo exuded was distinctly different from Abad’s.
Watching Chelsea let out sounds of admiration, Leo chuckled.
“What’s so fascinating?”
“No, it’s just that since we always study magic together, I forget, but at times like this, I can really feel how much you’ve trained as a knight.”
Chelsea approached Leo and said.
“Can I touch your muscles?”
To her purely curious question, Leo let out a wry laugh but nodded.
*Poke, poke—*
“Wow, it’s firm yet elastic. So this is what a man feels like.”
Chelsea, who was marveling as she felt Leo’s arm here and there, had her gaze drift to his chest.
For some reason, she was swept up by an intense desire to touch it.
‘He said I could touch his muscles, so it should be fine to touch it just a little, right?’
She swallowed dryly and placed her hand on Leo’s chest muscle.
As she marveled at the different texture from his arm, Chelsea suddenly thought that this situation would look quite embarrassing to others.
‘If I make a big deal out of it, it’ll just make the atmosphere weird.’
Hiding her reddening face, Chelsea tried to act nonchalant as she was about to remove her hand from Leo.
“Leo! I’m here!”
*Creek—!*
Karl, who suddenly opened the door and entered, froze at the scene inside the room.
The atmosphere in the room was strange.
His friend, hair wet and wearing a robe.
And another friend, touching that friend’s arm and chest.
Faced with a sight beyond his imagination, Karl bowed his head.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
*Squeak—!*
Just as Karl was about to close the door, a gust of wind blew.
*Whoosh—!*
Karl, who was about to leave, was forcibly pulled back into the room by Chelsea’s magic.
“It’s not like that.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see anything. Please, continue what you were…”
“I said it’s not like that. I was just curious, so I touched him.”
Chelsea maintained her composure and explained the situation to clear up the misunderstanding.
“You don’t have to make excuses. I’ll keep your secret. I’ll never tell anyone you two were together in a dark room.”
“You’re misunderstanding.”
“I saw you with my own two eyes, caressing Leo’s wet body. What’s there to misunderstand? I’m starting to feel a little hurt. The three of us are best friends, right? You don’t have to keep secrets from me.”
“Do you know how many times Leo and I have seen each other drenched in sweat?”
“Gasp! Since when have you two…”
“I’m talking about training! Get your mind out of the gutter!”
Chelsea, who had been desperately trying to stay calm, finally exploded.
“Kids these days are so precocious.”
Leo muttered as he finished drying his hair, and Elsie sighed.
-Leo, you’re being far too careless.