Chapter 403
Chapter: 403
Chapter Title: Mentors and Memories
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403.
“What? That Ar guy is having special training with Lumerne’s student council president?!”
The tiger beastman, Borman, shouted in excitement.
“He’s making us all play while he gets to train alone?! How cheap…!”
Watching Borman clench his fists in frustration, Lewen, who was sitting on her own tail and grooming her fur, spoke.
“Well, I don’t know. They called it special training, but it didn’t look like training to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“It looked more like he was being water-tortured.”
“You mean he’s training so hard it looks like torture? That Ar guy… he’s incredible.”
Lewen shook her head, watching Borman interpret things however he pleased.
There was no getting through to him.
Meanwhile, Lewen approached a group of Azonia girls who were huddled together, watching the Lumerne students.
“What are you all looking at?”
“Lewen, Lewen. Look over there.”
The spot the wolf beastman girl pointed to was where Abad and Duran were lying on sunbeds under a parasol.
Abad was reading a grimoire with his characteristically relaxed expression, and Duran was also reading a book.
“What is it? Are you suddenly feeling the urge to fight those two? I’m sorry, but please hold back.”
Azonia students fundamentally possessed a fighting spirit and a desire to challenge the strong.
Therefore, Lewen assumed her peers were looking at Abad and Duran, two of the most prominent powerhouses from Lumerne’s Knight and Magic Departments, because they wanted to spar with them.
“No. Not at all.”
“We just want to hang out with them.”
“They have a different charm from our muscle-heads.”
At those words, Lewen glanced at Abad and Duran.
They were certainly a type of student not found at Azonia.
A moment later, a few of the Azonia girls approached Abad and Duran and struck up a conversation.
Besides them, quite a few students from Lumerne and Azonia were mingling and playing together.
Among them were some Lumerne first-years asking the Azonia students all sorts of questions.
‘As expected, Lumerne students have a strong passion for learning.’
Lewen nodded, then narrowed her eyes.
‘In contrast, these idiots…’
“Are they conducting underwater combat training with toys like that?”
“Hmm. It doesn’t look like effective training.”
As Lewen shook her head at the Azonia students who were mistaking the Lumerne students playing with toys sold by Karl for combat training, something happened.
*Fwoosh-!*
A pillar of water shot up in the distance.
Every student’s gaze turned toward it.
“Why are you suddenly attacking us?!”
“Yeah! And that’s cheating!”
Celia and Chelsea, who had been growling at each other in a chase just moments before, were now protesting against Eliza, who was pursuing them with a terrifying aura, holding one of Karl’s special water cannons.
“Shut up. I’m going to drown you both today!”
Eliza growled lowly as she fired the water cannon wildly at the two.
“Aaargh!”
“Dodge!”
“Glug-glug-glug!”
Those caught up in the trio’s chase met a miserable fate.
Seeing this, Borman clenched his fists.
“As expected of Lumerne’s strongest! Even when they play, they train as if it’s real combat!”
Watching them, Borman shouted, full of excitement.
“I shall join the fray!”
Lewen clicked her tongue as she watched Borman charge after the three, lost in his own world.
‘What a madhouse.’
***
“The second-years are doing a better job as mentors than I expected.”
One of the professors who had come to Ellehem to lead the first-years.
Mel spoke as she organized the reports the second-years had submitted.
Halind, the professor in charge of the first-years, replied to her words.
“I wouldn’t have entrusted them with being mentors if they couldn’t handle this much.”
Though he answered indifferently, as if it were nothing, his voice was filled with trust for the second-years.
Knowing this, Mel simply smiled brightly.
“Professor Halind, when the current second-years were first-years, which student caught your eye the most?”
Mel asked the question lightly, as if in passing.
To her question, Halind gave an unexpected answer.
“Karl Thomas. For better or for worse.”
Mel’s eyes widened at Halind’s response.
“Is that surprising?”
“Yes. I thought you would say Leo.”
“Under normal circumstances, that would be the case.”
Halind glanced at the documents and replied nonchalantly.
“But in my personal opinion, I have some doubts about whether Leo Flove should even be placed in the category of a student. No matter how amazing and talented one is, it’s normally impossible to grow like Leo Flove has.”
Halind narrowed his eyes.
“One of the conclusions I reached after being his homeroom teacher for a year is, isn't he reclaiming his power rather than growing?”
‘Sharp.’
Mel smiled to herself.
“Still, Karl is a surprise. In the same class, you have Chelsea, don’t you? It’s fascinating that you paid the most attention to Karl, who is closest to the failing grade among the second-years, who are called the greatest golden generation in history.”
“Didn’t I say? For better and for worse.”
Halind sighed.
“In a bad sense, Karl is a guy with clear limits. He can never stand on the same stage as a hero. In fact, Karl himself doesn’t think for a second that he’ll become a hero. In that sense, as a hero candidate, he’s a failure.”
“That’s certainly true.”
“But despite that, he survived. While even those more talented than him were being expelled. And upon entering his second year, he even managed to conquer the world of the Godly Blacksmith.”
Halind narrowed his eyes.
“He is certainly a different type of student from the norm at Lumerne. There are almost no students who enroll at Lumerne aspiring to be supporters from the start.”
“I do think he’s a student who is very good at assessing himself objectively.”
“Right. Since he got into Lumerne, you can’t say he has no talent, but compared to the Lumerne average, Karl’s talent is practically non-existent. Yet, many students rely on Karl Thomas in one form or another. This time was no different.”
Not only did Karl support the first-years, but he also took command against an enemy using an unknown runic magic.
It was the same during the midterm exams.
“On the battlefield, he plays the role of supporting other students from behind, helping them draw out power beyond their limits. That’s a very special ability.”
“A leader, you mean?”
“He can never be a leader. But.”
The corners of Halind’s mouth curled up.
“He can be the pillar that supports the leaders.”
At Halind’s words, Mel recalled what Leo had said.
‘No matter how great a hero is, they can’t do anything alone. As you know, even heroes have times when they struggle and suffer. Karl is the kind of guy who can be a source of strength for heroes when they’re having a hard time.’
Nodding as she remembered Leo’s words, Mel asked.
“Among the current first-years, which student are you paying the most attention to?”
“There are two. For better or for worse.”
“One of them must be Aina Veydean, right?”
Halind nodded.
The current first-years were no pushovers, though they were often compared to the second-years, one of the most prominent golden generations in Lumerne’s history.
It was a harvest so bountiful it could be called a year of plenty.
Led by Aina, there was Habiden from the same Knight Department.
Juen from the Magic Department.
And Sasha from the Summoning Department.
It was rare for such outstanding talents to be gathered in a single year.
It was a solid class, comparable to the year of Lis, Torua, Ulta, and Jamua, who graduated last year.
Among them, Aina, as the great-granddaughter of the Sword Saint, was showing tremendous talent and growth speed.
‘She’s on a different level from her peers.’
Halind narrowed his eyes.
But there was a big problem.
“What student Aina wants is not to be a hero, but revenge.”
The Sword Saint, Kalian Veydean.
Mel also knew Kalian well.
If Mel were to challenge the Hero Record of Genesis once more, he would be the first person she would recruit for her party—a truly powerful hero.
A great hero, flawless in his ability to take responsibility for a generation.
But his family life was not a happy one.
Following in the footsteps of Kalian, who fought against Tartaros his entire life, all of his family members fought against Tartaros as well.
Kalian’s son and great-grandson, and his granddaughter-in-law.
All were Lumerne graduates and lived lives that brought no shame to the name of the Sword Saint.
But tragically for Kalian, it was a terrible fate.
They all died in battle against Tartaros.
And Kalian himself eventually met his end in a battle with Tartaros.
From Aina’s perspective, she had lost all of her blood relatives to Tartaros.
Of course, in the long history of the struggle against Tartaros, cases like hers were common.
The problem was her talent.
Her overwhelming talent with the sword, hailed as the second coming of the Sword Saint, gave Aina the power to fight Tartaros.
And so, she had been honing the blade of her revenge.
“It seems her obsession with student Leo is also related to her revenge.”
The fact that she needed to be acknowledged by Leo to fully inherit the Sword Saint’s legacy was still a secret unknown to anyone.
At Mel’s words, Halind spoke.
“With revenge alone, she’ll soon hit a wall at this school.”
“True. So, who’s the other one?”
“Luke Elda.”
“Student Luke. He’s certainly a diligent model student. Kind and has a strong desire to learn. Although his grades don’t quite reflect that.”
Mel smiled brightly.
“Yes. But there’s a reason for that too.”
Halind knew why Luke wasn’t growing.
And he had a vague inkling of Luke’s potential.
The same was true for Mel.
‘Still, to not lose heart when everyone around you is moving forward while you’re stuck in place is certainly an amazing feat.’
It required an extraordinary mentality.
“Aside from his grades, is there any negative reason to pay attention to student Luke?”
“He’s a dangerous type of person in many ways.”
Halind clicked his tongue.
“He’s the type to throw himself into the fire without hesitation for his beliefs. According to Chloe, he did some crazy things this time as well. Of course, that’s the driving force of his growth, and in some ways, it’s a virtue of a hero, but…”
Halind didn’t need to finish his sentence.
One of the virtues of a hero.
It was something that could easily lead to death if mishandled.
It was also the type of student Halind disliked the most.
“But no matter what, the fact that he’ll grow immensely remains unchanged. This year's final exams will be something to see.”
At Halind’s words, Mel nodded.
“Indeed. It will be a good stimulus for student Aina.”
A corner of Halind’s mouth curled up.
“The existence of Luke Elda has always been a factor that ‘stimulates’ Aina Veydean.”
‘From the moment Leo took Luke on as his mentee, no… perhaps from the entrance exam.’
“She tries her best to ignore it, but this incident will make Luke an even greater catalyst for Aina.”
***
That evening.
A party was held at the dormitory where the Lumerne students were staying.
It was a celebration for successfully completing the mission practicum before returning to the academy.
Azonia students were also invited and mingled at the party.
A little away from the main party area, Leo stood with his arms crossed, watching the students chat happily.
“What are you doing here all by yourself?”
Mel approached Leo and asked.
“Just thinking about the old days a little.”
Leo replied with a faint smile.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you reminiscing about the old days, Leo.”
“Can’t be helped. I just met Lisinas.”
For Mel, who had been busy with her professorial duties, this was the first she was hearing of it.
“Lisinas?”
“I met Rhodia too.”
“What on earth happened?”
Leo explained the recent events to a stunned Mel.
“To enter a World of Heroes from within another World of Heroes.”
Leo chuckled at Mel’s dazed expression.
He looked back at the party again.
“Back in those days, after a major event, we would always hold a feast to shake everything off and move forward.”
“Whose idea was that?”
“Lisinas’s idea.”
Mel nodded at Leo’s words.
Then, her expression turned curious.
“What was it like, the day you and Lisinas met?”
“What was it like?”
Leo smiled bitterly as he recalled the old days.
“Even then, the two of us held a feast of sorts. It was a new beginning, after all.”
***
After the great invasion of Tartaros.
At a tavern run by the elf, Tila.
Kyle and Lisinas had taken a table there.
On the second floor, Lisinas, having written in her journal, closed the book and stood up.
She took a deep breath, stood before a mirror, and straightened her appearance.
‘This is the beginning.’
Her first companion.
He was a rather cynical fellow, but he was the beginning of everything.
Leaving the room, Lisinas went down to the first floor.
The tavern was empty of customers.
Approaching a table where two rough mugs of beer sat, Lisinas sat down in front of them and spoke.
“Sorry, sorry. I was just taking care of something.”
At her words, Kyle merely wore an indifferent expression.
“Today is a historic day, the day we formed our expedition party, so drink as much as you want. If I could, I’d buy a round for all the customers. But with you and I together, not a single customer dares to come near this place.”
“Because a surviving hero is a symbol of misfortune, and a fool who spreads useless hope is an object of avoidance.”
“That’s how it is now. But soon, the way people see us will change. This city will change too.”
Lisinas declared with strong conviction and raised his glass.
“Now then, before we get into the serious talk. This is the beginning. A toast to our future and the hope of the world.”
Kyle sighed, reluctantly clinked his beer mug against hers, and took a drink.
All the while, Lisinas stared intently at Kyle’s face.
Kyle felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the dragon before him.
He was dumbfounded with himself for joining this ridiculous journey, and the daunting task ahead made him sigh instinctively.
But the most burdensome thing of all was Lisinas, who was staring at him without taking her eyes off him.
“What is it?”
“What?”
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
At Kyle’s blunt question, Lisinas, sipping his drink, shook his head.
“Nothing.”
At that reply, Kyle expected the somewhat burdensome gaze to lessen.
But Lisinas still didn’t take his eyes off Kyle.
“Seriously, why are you looking at me like that?”
When Kyle, unable to stand it any longer, asked again, Lisinas rested her chin on her hand.
“Just because.”
Then, she gave a faint, barely perceptible smile.
“Because I’m happy.”