Chapter 576
Chapter Title: What Lumerne Lacks
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576.
Once the opening match concluded, the spectators of the Hero's Festival were thrown into a frenzy.
“To think the day would come when I’d see a phoenix in my lifetime!”
“It was incredible… but honestly, it was terrifying.”
“Good grief! It was so powerful, I almost thought it was a demonic beast!”
“Watch your mouth! How dare you call a sacred beast a demonic beast! Are you asking for divine punishment?!”
The spectators from outside chattered excitedly.
Amidst the crowd, the most conspicuous group was an enormous throng of boys and girls.
“Seeing it blow away the Lava Golem in a single strike was amazing, even now!”
“Does this mean if I enroll next year, I’ll be his junior?”
“To think someone so small and cute could be that strong… Haa~”
Leading the group of what appeared to be over a thousand boys and girls were Artian, the head professor for the first-year Summoning Department at Lumerne, and her assistant professors.
“H-Hey, everyone. Please don't crowd together; move in an orderly line~”
“I heard Luke Elda is a commoner. That’s incredible.”
“I’m sure Lady Aina could do that much.”
“Same with Lord Haviden. He just happened to go first, that’s all.”
Artian spoke in a timid voice, as if pleading with the children.
But the ones who appeared to be nobles paid her no mind, busy with their own conversations.
“What do nobles and commoners matter at Lumerne? Skill is all that counts!”
At that, a girl shot forward, incensed.
“What was that? Commoner. Are you defying me, a noble?”
“Hmph. Flaunting your authority like that, you must be from the west. This is why people under the Lordren Empire's influence are so troublesome.”
“What? Are you, a mere commoner, disparaging the Lordren Empire? Surely you know that Lumerne's student council president is Lord Leo, a direct descendant of the Jerdinger family?”
“That’s hilarious. So what? Are you Leo Flove himself?”
“Grk!”
“Hey, hey, calm down.”
“That girl. She’s the heir to the Rolla Merchant Guild.”
“What?”
The Rolla Merchant Guild.
A massive merchant guild based in the southern part of the continent.
Not only did they control all human trade routes in the south, but they were also a powerful family that wielded influence across the entire continent.
Though a commoner family, their influence was so immense that even the royalty of small nations would bow to them.
The intimidated noble boy from Lordren quickly became indignant.
“Still just a rich commoner! Name one commoner among the renowned students at Lumerne right now!”
“There’s the first-year representative, Luke Elda! And the acting student council president, Karl Thomas!”
This time, another commoner boy shouted back, provoked.
“Hmph, isn’t Karl Thomas just a legacy admission? His grades are abysmal…! Keuk-!”
*Thwack-!*
The sneering noble student from Lordren was sent flying by a kick to his side.
“You brats… are your ears plugged? You don’t listen when I ask nicely, do you?”
At Artian’s chilling voice, the children felt goosebumps rise all over their bodies.
“Wh-What…”
“When I speak, you listen! You conceited little chicks!”
“Gyaaaaah!”
“H-Help… Keuk!”
Artian’s fury rained down upon those who had ignored her instructions and chattered away.
“Who are they, and why are they getting beaten up by Professor Artian?”
Iliana, who was watching the scene from a classroom window, tilted her head in confusion, and Karl explained.
“They’re prospective students.”
“Prospective students? What for?”
“While preparing for the Hero’s Festival, we also prepared for next year’s entrance exams. Those are the final candidates who passed the third round.”
“Why didn’t I know anything about this? Did you know?”
“I didn’t know either.”
“They were preparing for the new students’ entrance exams while getting ready for the Hero’s Festival?”
The second-years looked surprised.
“It’s no wonder you didn’t know. You were all busy preparing for the festival, right? Leo, Elena, the professors, and I prepared for the entrance exams.”
‘Of course, the dragons helped too.’
Karl recalled the students from Wisdom that Leo had brought with him.
Karl knew Leo’s true identity.
As such, nothing Leo did surprised him anymore.
But when Leo brought the Wisdom students as a labor force, Elena’s reaction had been nonchalant.
‘Wow~ I was so exhausted from the festival preparations, but now I can finally breathe a little. We’re counting on you, everyone from Wisdom.’
She was just purely delighted to have a new source of labor.
‘Hmph. You’re Elena Jer-on? A pleasure. I am Riden. If you have any difficulties, just say the word. As a guide, I will assist you.’
The dragon named Riden had spoken with a slightly arrogant expression.
And then…
‘Karl! You have to tell that witch! Tell her to stop making more work! How does the workload keep increasing the more we work?!’
Before long, Riden and the dragons of Wisdom were clinging to Karl’s pant leg and begging.
Of course, Karl felt like crying himself.
The truly terrifying thing about Elena wasn't that she was forceful, nor that she worked people to the bone.
It was her drive to create more work the second any manpower became available.
Karl shuddered, recalling how Elena had smiled brightly upon seeing the Wisdom students and said, ‘Now we can hold the entrance exams during the Hero’s Festival.’
“Senior Elena’s abilities are truly amazing. I really want to learn from that aspect of her.”
“No. Nella.”
“Huh?”
“Listen carefully, Nella.”
Karl placed his hands on Nella’s shoulders and brought his face close.
“That woman is a witch. You must never try to be like her.”
The students fell silent, seeing the terror in Karl’s voice.
“Leo! Say something.”
“I don’t know, I find her rather cute.”
As Leo, who was sitting by the window, spoke with a smile, the surrounding second-years clicked their tongues.
“Wow, Leo is really something else.”
“How can he look at Senior Elena and call her cute?”
“Class Rep, are you treating Senior Elena like a child too?”
Leo shrugged at their reactions.
In truth, having been tormented by the far more malicious Lisinas, Elena was on the cuter side for Leo.
“Anyway! You must never try to be like that witch…”
Karl, speaking with a serious face, fell silent as he realized all his friends were looking behind him.
A cold sweat trickled down his back.
“…Is she behind me?”
When Nella nodded in response to his question, a small, pretty hand came to rest on Karl’s shoulder.
“Karl. What were you talking about so passionately? Were you perhaps gossiping about me?”
Though the touch was gentle and the voice was beautiful enough to delight the ears, Karl found himself slumping to the floor.
He looked back with trembling eyes to see the queen of Lumerne looking down at him with her pink eyes.
“F-Forgive me…”
“It’s fine, it’s only natural to gossip about your seniors.”
Elena smiled sweetly and patted Karl’s head.
“But I’m taking back my promise to let you rest after the Hero’s Festival is over.”
“N-No!”
Karl despaired, his face turning deathly pale.
Leaving Karl behind, Elena walked back toward the classroom entrance with a grin.
Seeing this, Leo rose from his seat.
“Well then, everyone, prepare well.”
With those words, Leo left the classroom.
Elena, who had been waiting by the door, followed behind him.
“Looking at them like that, Senior Elena seems like his secretary.”
“Well, they are the student council president and vice president. It’s a similar relationship.”
“I don’t know, lately, when I look at Leo, he doesn’t feel like he’s in the same year as us. He has this air of experience.”
The students murmured amongst themselves as they watched them leave.
“It feels like our class rep has drifted so far away.”
Iliana muttered, her shoulders slumping.
Lately, the second-years had been feeling a growing distance from Leo.
It wasn't just the other second-years either.
The top students of each department were also growing anxious about the ever-widening gap between them and Leo.
Chloe gripped the grimoire she was reading, and Celia squeezed the hilt of the sword at her waist.
Duran clicked his tongue, and Woreden, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, let out a small, uncharacteristic sigh.
Watching them, Chen Xia murmured to herself.
‘Everyone is feeling the distance from Young Master Leo.’
It couldn't be helped.
Leo and they were fundamentally different.
The years they had lived and the experiences they had endured were on another level.
They were never on the same starting line to begin with.
But even though Chen Xia knew this, the others did not.
Chelsea, who knew Leo's secret, said in a fluster.
“Why is everyone so down?”
“I hate to show weakness, Chelsea, but honestly… looking at Leo makes one despair, you know?”
Abad patted his sister’s head with a bitter smile.
“Brother, not you too! Hey! Celia! Stop making a face like a bonfire doused in rain!”
“…What a charming metaphor.”
Celia scowled and glared lightly at Chelsea, but she didn’t react with her usual fiery temper.
Seeing this, Chelsea stomped her foot in frustration.
She knew.
She knew that Leo wanted comrades who would stand with him in the final battle without giving up.
And that they were the candidates.
That was why Leo had, knowingly or not, spurred the growth of those around him.
But they couldn’t rely on Leo’s help forever.
‘What should I do?’
Chelsea bit her lip hard.
‘I made a promise with Lord Ar-on.’
That she would be of help to Leo.
That she would support him.
But she couldn't do it alone.
As Chelsea stood there, at a loss, Eliza scoffed.
“How strange, Chelsea Llewellyn. What are you so anxious about?”
“Says the person who trains with Leo at dawn because she’s anxious?”
“Kyaaaaaaah?!”
Eliza shrieked as she saw Karl, who had snuck up behind her and whispered in her ear.
Then, grinding her teeth, she wrapped her whip around Karl’s neck and spoke quietly.
“Didn’t I tell you not to speak of that?”
“S-So I said it quietly… Keuk! H-Help…”
Letting go of Karl, Eliza huffed, her face flushed.
“Eliza, that was a bit too much, even if he surprised you. Look, it left a mark.”
When Chen Xia spoke reproachfully, Eliza paused, clicked her tongue, and pulled a small container from her pocket, tossing it to Karl.
“I was too harsh. This is an ointment I use; it’s good for wounds. Apply it.”
“……”
“……”
Chen Xia and Karl stared blankly at Eliza.
“What is it?”
“Eliza, you’re admitting you went too far and giving him medicine for his wound?”
“Are you sure you’re not terminally ill?”
Eliza’s hand trembled, and then she began lashing out at Karl with her whip.
“Why only me?!”
“Because Chen Xia won’t get hit anyway!”
After the commotion died down, Karl spoke as he applied the ointment.
“What’s with you guys? This isn’t like you. It’s not like Leo feeling like an insurmountable wall is anything new, is it?”
“Hmph. Easy for you to say since it’s not your problem.”
Eliza scoffed coldly.
“You’re a failure who barely scrapes by every time, so of course you can laugh and joke with Leo Flove. Do you have any idea how we feel?”
Having spoken more sharply than usual in a moment of anger, Eliza’s expression faltered.
Watching her, Karl grinned.
“You’re right, it’s not my problem.”
Karl shrugged.
“It’s also true that I’m a candidate for failure who could drop out of this race at any moment.”
“No. What I meant was…”
“Well, I’ll probably never become a hero.”
Karl shrugged his shoulders.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not trying. I’ve struggled to survive somehow. And in a way, watching you all challenge Leo without giving up has given me courage, too.”
“……”
Eliza found herself speechless.
“The others are probably similar to me. Just as you all chase after Leo, other students are chasing after you. As long as you don’t give up on chasing Leo, the others won’t give up either.”
Just as Leo led them.
They, too, had been leading those around them.
“So don’t show any weakness. I’ll keep cheering for you guys, just like I always have.”
With those words, Karl clenched his fist and left the classroom.
“Where are you going?”
At Chelsea’s question, Karl shrugged with more exaggeration than usual.
“To the bathroom.”
*Slide—Thud!*
As Karl left, everyone turned to look at Eliza.
“I-I mean, I just…”
“That was harsh, Eliza.”
As Chen Xia spoke reproachfully, Eliza bit her lip and stormed out of the classroom.
Watching her go, Chelsea tilted her head.
“Where do you think she’s going?”
“To apologize to Karl, probably.”
“That walking ball of pride?”
“She may be prideful, but Eliza is a good person. It’s a shame she’s not more honest… but that’s also part of her charm.”
“Xia, I think your definition of ‘good person’ is a bit too broad.”
“Of course~ I say you’re a good person too, Chelsea, don’t I?”
“What’s that supposed to mean!”
“So good~ So good~”
“Stop treating me like a child!”
Chen Xia giggled as Chelsea fumed.
***
*Swoosh—Squeak—*
Karl washed his face at the sink, then turned off the water with a self-deprecating smile.
“What’s wrong with you, Karl? Just brush it off like you always do.”
Karl spoke to his reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath.
“Looks like you’ve still got some lingering attachments, buddy. You’ve done great just to get this far. You could have failed the midterms in your first semester of first year, but you’re about to finish your second year, right? Know your place. Huh? Let’s not foolishly cling to what-ifs.”
As Karl muttered to himself and shook his hands dry.
“How curious.”
“Gah?!”
Karl jumped, startled by the voice that had appeared behind him without a sound.
“L-Lord God?!”
“Truly strange.”
Rian, holding a bag of snacks he’d bought on the street, popped one into his mouth, looked up at Karl, and spoke.
“In the entire history of Lumerne Academy, you are the first student to be so utterly unlike Lumerne, Karl Thomas.”
“Haha.”
Karl laughed awkwardly.
Looking at him, Rian licked the crumbs from his palm and spoke.
“And yet, most curiously.”
Rian grinned.
Seeing those eyes, Karl felt a chill run down his spine.
They were the eyes of an absolute being, looking down from an unfathomable distance.
“You possess something Lumerne has never had.”
“Pardon?”
“And two of them, at that.”