Chapter 425
Chapter Title: Welcome to Hell
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425.
“This first semester was certainly eventful.”
“It was. Even more hectic than last year’s first semester.”
Chen Xia smiled and nodded at Chloe's murmur.
Currently, the entire student body of Lumerne was gathered in the grand training grounds, Erec.
The closing ceremony had just ended, marking the conclusion of the semester.
The students received their evaluations for their efforts throughout the semester.
The one who drew the most attention at the ceremony was, as expected, the first-year representative.
“By the way, he ended up becoming the grade representative after all.”
Luke, who had defeated Aina in the semifinals, went on to face and win against Haviden in the finals, ultimately securing the position of grade representative.
A remarkable achievement accomplished while the summit was being held.
Luke, the star of this unexpected upset, instantly became a hero-in-training who captured the world's attention.
“Don't you think Luke's starting to look a bit more dignified as the grade representative?”
At Chen Xia's words, Chloe looked over to where the first-years were.
Luke and Juen were talking.
Then Haviden, Sasha, and Betty joined them.
Soon, Juen and Haviden started raising their voices in an argument, and Luke, caught in the middle, looked like he was suffering.
“Doesn't look like it at all.”
Shaking her head, Chloe looked in another direction.
There, Celia and Aina were chatting.
‘They've made up.’
As an honor student, Celia was good at taking care of other students.
That's why Celia did her best for Aina, both as a senior and a mentor.
However, through Celia, Chloe knew that the two had been having friction throughout the first semester.
And during the final exam tournament, their relationship completely fell apart.
But after her semifinal match with Luke, Aina went to see Celia again, and their relationship was restored.
‘That’s good.’
Just as Chloe, who knew how worried Celia had been about Aina, nodded...
“Your Highness! I will serve you until we return to Shan!”
Just then, Jane approached Chen Xia, her eyes sparkling.
“Jane, I told you to call me 'senior' at school.”
“The closing ceremony is over, so we're not students anymore! I will now carry out my mission of serving Princess Xia.”
With that, Jane threw off her school uniform.
Countless eyes were momentarily drawn to the uniform blouse and skirt flying through the air.
“How did you do that? Is it magic?”
Chloe asked in a daze.
Beneath her uniform, Jane was wearing the traditional attire of the eastern continent.
How on earth did she hide the flowing, distinctive clothes of the Shan Empire under her uniform?
“It's not magic. For one who serves the princess of Shan, the art of changing clothes is a basic skill.”
Jane smiled brightly.
“Who said you could just throw off your uniform like that?”
“Eek?”
But she shrieked at the terrifying voice that came from behind her.
“Come with me, El Jane.”
Having made a scene for nothing, Jane was dragged away by Halind.
Besides them, other first and second-year students who were mentors and mentees chatted, having grown fond of each other over the semester.
Among them, many first-years were shedding tears.
“I'm sorry, senior. It's because of me. *Sob*.”
“No. I would have been expelled even without you. In fact, it's because of you that I was able to stay until the second semester. I'm the one who's sorry for not being able to help you more.”
Many first and second-year students were leaving Lumerne this time.
There were cases where only the first-year remained, and others where both were expelled together.
Some mentor-mentee pairs didn't exchange a single word, while others sobbed together.
“I can never get used to that sight.”
Chloe wore a bitter expression.
Quite a few students from Glory were being expelled this time, too.
“It can't be helped. At Lumerne, there will always be those who stay and those who leave. But even so, we're all ultimately walking toward the same place, aren't we? Our paths may have diverged, but I'm sure we'll meet again someday.”
Just as Chloe nodded at Chen Xia's words...
“Senior Chloe! What are your plans after the closing ceremony?”
Betty, Chloe's mentee, approached them.
“I'm planning to have a get-together with my dorm friends.”
“Then, would it be okay if I came to see you after my get-together with my classmates?”
“Sure.”
“Yay!”
Betty beamed with joy.
Other first and second-year mentors and mentees also made plans with each other.
Watching this from a distance, the third-year representative, Lil, muttered.
“I'm envious of the first and second-years. To have such a close senior-junior relationship.”
“Oh my, we're just as close as they are, aren't we?”
Elena smiled sweetly as she casually braided Lil's hair.
To that, Lil replied in a gloomy voice.
“Senior Elena, you're just treating me like a toy.”
“Oh my, how could you say that?”
Her eyes widened, but she didn't stop playing with Lil's hair.
“I wanted to say goodbye to my juniors in the Summoning Department and wish them a good break.”
In the Summoning Department, Lil was a well-respected senior.
“But those ungrateful first and second-years aren't coming to say goodbye to you, are they?”
‘I think they're not coming because they're scared of *you*, Senior, not me.’
Lil grimaced and muttered inwardly, but he didn't dare say the words out loud.
Because if the twisted Elena heard that, she would undoubtedly harass him relentlessly until he went home.
***
Leo looked down at his own hand.
He could faintly feel an unfamiliar power—divine power.
‘My divine power has definitely increased.’
After the battle with Hel Kaiser's clone.
The divine power Leo possessed had grown.
Of course, it was a minuscule amount.
“What do you think happened?”
At Mel's question, Leo recalled the moment he obtained divine power.
“It was definitely when I suppressed the Calamity Flames emitted by the Necro King.”
“Your power, Sir Leo, is the natural enemy of Erebos, isn't it?”
“That's right.”
This power, which Lisinas had named 'Purity', was the only force capable of countering the inextinguishable flames of Erebos.
With this power, Leo had subjugated Erebos.
“But even in my past life, I only ever extinguished the flames of Erebos.”
After pondering Leo's words, Mel spoke.
“That god, Pibua, definitely described Erebos as a monstrosity comparable to a god, didn't he?”
“He did.”
“And he said that if the gods are beings of light, then Erebos is a being of darkness.”
“That's right.”
“In that case, couldn't the gods and the primordial evil share the same fundamental origin?”
“You're saying I purified the Calamity Flames with my power?”
“Yes.”
Leo fell into thought at Mel's speculation.
“I've had similar thoughts myself. But 5,000 years ago, I couldn't purify or absorb the power of Erebos.”
“Then, could it be that the flames the Necro King emitted weren't the Calamity Flames?”
“They were the same flames that burned the world, my comrades, and ultimately, myself.”
Leo shook his head.
“There's no mistaking it.”
“Then perhaps it was an awakening.”
“An awakening.”
“Yes. That's highly likely. Didn't Miss Ar also reawaken Sir Ar-on's ability?”
Though only once, Ar used her howling to make other beastmen transform.
One of the miracles Ar-on had so desperately wished for.
Through her awakening, Ar had unlocked a new potential in her ability.
“Heh heh heh.”
“What's so funny?”
“It's just surprising to realize there's still a path to becoming stronger.”
Leo burst out laughing.
“Myself, Lisinas, Luna, Dweno... I thought we had all reached the end of our paths.”
Of course, that doesn't mean we stopped moving forward.
But at the time of our final journey...
Leo, as well as Lisinas, Luna, and Dweno, were all close to perfection, both in power and spirit.
“I suppose so. You must have reached the pinnacle of strength to be able to subjugate Erebos.”
Having said that, Mel tilted her head for a moment.
“But what about Sir Ar-on?”
He had mentioned Leo, Lisinas, Luna, and Dweno, but there was no mention of Ar-on.
At Mel's question, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Ar-on had his shortcomings.”
“Sir Ar-on had shortcomings? But the Brave Hero is the strongest warrior in history, isn't he?”
Seeing Leo's bitter smile, Mel looked a little surprised.
No matter what anyone said, the Brave Hero Ar-on was the strongest warrior.
“That's right. In terms of sheer martial prowess, he is the strongest. He may be a coward, but that fact remains unchanged.”
“Then what was Sir Ar-on's shortcoming?”
“The mental aspect.”
Leo wore a bittersweet expression.
“On our final journey, all of us were prepared, except for Ar-on.”
“Prepared for what?”
“To die.”
“...”
“And to let each other go.”
Mel fell silent, watching Leo utter such grimly resolute words so calmly.
“Because our final journey was an impossible one. Of course, no one gave up, but we all knew that we might not make it back alive.”
That's why the Great Heroes set out on their journey with the resolve not to stop, even if a friend more precious than life itself were to die.
“But Ar-on, while prepared to die himself, could never bring himself to watch us die.”
That's why Ar-on was the first to sacrifice himself.
“If it hadn't been for him... the one who would have died instead would have been Dweno, who was at the very front.”
“...”
“Ar-on was the youngest among us.”
Among the Great Heroes, he was the only one born during the Age of Calamity who had never seen the blue sky or the bright starlight.
In a way, he was just like Elsie.
“If Sir Ar-on had possessed that resolve, would the outcome have been different?”
“It wouldn't have changed.”
Leo wore a bitter expression.
“But we all regretted it. We had relied too much on his courage. We wondered what it would have been like if, before being friends and comrades, we had comforted him as older brothers and a sister.”
He recalled Ar-on, who had closed his eyes while cursing himself.
“So that's what happened.”
Mel said in a somber tone.
After a moment of silence, Mel changed the subject.
“If you purified the Calamity Flames with divine power, couldn't you soon be able to use that power?”
“Perhaps. But since it's not a power originally permitted to the races of the lower world, I have no idea how to use it.”
The divine power Pibua had lent him before, contained in the Folium, had been imbued with Pibua's will.
But this divine power was different.
A power with no one's will imbued within it.
“What should you do?”
“The time to use it will come eventually.”
Leo stood up from his seat.
“I should get going. If I'm any later, those guys will start nagging me.”
“Yes. Have a good time.”
Mel smiled and bowed her head.
“How are the invitations for the people I asked about coming along?”
“It's going well. I plan to send out the invitations in a week.”
“Good. Keep up the good work.”
With those words, Leo left Mel's office.
After seeing Leo off, Mel pulled out a banner from a corner of her office.
It was a banner to welcome those who would be joining the training camp during the break.
[Welcome to the Training Camp.]
Looking at the neatly written welcome message, Mel tilted her head.
‘It's a bit bland.’
Whatever it was, it was sure to be a training camp that surpassed all imagination.
For such a training camp, this welcome message felt a little inadequate.
After a moment of thought, Mel clapped her hands, a bright smile on her face.
And she rewrote the banner.
‘This should be enough to give the kids a sense of tension, right?’
[Welcome to Hell.]
She crossed out 'Training Camp' and personally wrote the word 'Hell' in red letters.
Looking at the banner, Mel nodded as if satisfied.