Chapter 647
Chapter Title: A Harsh Welcome
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The main gate of Lumerne Academy.
The tightly shut gates swung open, and a flood of second-year students poured in.
“Ha, we're inside the academy, right? This is it, right?”
“I-It's over! It's finally over!”
The second-years began to cheer.
“It seems to be over.”
“Hiiieeeek!”
The second-years, who had been hugging each other in joy, screamed when they realized Chen Xia was standing among them.
Giving a sweet smile to the terrified second-years, Chen Xia held her neatly paired shoes and socks in one hand and walked with a light step toward where the third-years were gathered.
Watching her, Iliana asked with an exasperated look on her face.
“What in the world did you do to make the second-years tremble at the sight of you?”
“I simply showed them how big the world really is.”
After the first battle.
Chen Xia had used every means and method at her disposal to corner the second-years.
Hiding in the darkness, relentlessly exploiting their weaknesses, Chen Xia had them completely at her mercy.
The second-years learned firsthand just how terrifying the geographical advantage of darkness was for a shadow.
And the existence that would hunt for their necks in that darkness.
They also came to understand the terror of Hero Hunters.
After three battles, the second-years finally succeeded in taking the key from Chen Xia, but they made another mistake.
Unlike the fourth and fifth-years, the passing condition for the second-years wasn't just taking the key, but bringing it into Lumerne.
The professors had judged that the fourth and fifth-years wouldn't lose the key back to Leo, so their test had ended, but that wasn't the case for the second-years.
They had recklessly gone to Lake Lumeria, only to be caught by Chen Xia again.
For Chen Xia, who wielded the aura of water, the lake was also an advantageous battlefield.
In the end, the second-years were dragged into the water by Chen Xia and lost the key once more. It was only on their fifth attempt that they finally succeeded in opening the gate with the key.
Having been tormented to their limits by Chen Xia, it was only natural for the second-years to be terrified at the mere sight of her.
Watching the brightly smiling Chen Xia, Iliana shook her head.
“I can just imagine what they went through.”
“How about you all?”
At Chen Xia's question, Iliana's expression darkened.
Seeing her face, Chen Xia's gaze naturally shifted to her classmates.
She saw the faces of her classmates, all wearing looks of frustration.
*'It seems it didn't go well.'*
“We succeeded on the third try.”
Iliana's shoulders slumped.
“It was a straight-up confrontation. We were beaten twice.”
At those words, Chen Xia glanced in a certain direction.
Lil was sitting at a table, writing something in a notebook with a serious expression.
*'And Elena?'*
“Hello?”
Elena appeared from behind Chen Xia, smiled brightly, and whispered softly in her ear.
“Now, now, the final bosses should sit together.”
“I want to comfort my friends.”
“That's a nice sentiment, but it's better to leave them be for now. If you had been there, the result might have been a little different. If you try to comfort them, they might just feel worse about themselves, don't you think?”
“Would the result have changed if I was there instead of Karl?”
“Of course, it would have. Your experience is different.”
Although her field was different, Chen Xia had been active on the front lines as a shadow even before enrolling in Lumerne.
It wasn't that the other third-years lacked experience, but none of them surpassed Chen Xia in that regard.
Pondering the reason her classmates had struggled, Chen Xia gave a slight nod.
As she obediently sat at the table, Lil looked up.
“Chen Xia! I heard your performance was magnificent!”
“Who did you hear that from?”
“I heard it from the spirits of darkness and water! Ah! It's truly reassuring to have such incredible juniors, but at the same time, it's a huge pressure. By next year, you might surpass me by a wide margin. I can't let my dignity as a senior falter.”
Watching Lil clutch her head in anguish, Chen Xia made a strange expression.
“What are you doing right now?”
“I was summarizing the mistakes I made and the areas where I fell short this time.”
Lil said, showing her the notebook.
With an endlessly serious expression, Lil spoke.
“I learned a lot from the third-years! I believe I can strive even harder based on today's experience!”
Chen Xia glanced at Lil's appearance.
Her uniform was a mess.
Not just her uniform.
Her hair was damaged, and her face and body were covered in minor cuts and bruises.
She looked like someone who had just returned from a battlefield.
In contrast, Elena looked as neat and tidy as always.
Just from that sight, she could tell.
*'Elena focused entirely on her magic.'*
All attempts to stop Elena before she completed her spells were blocked by Lil.
Elena was the one who wiped out the third-years, but if asked which of the two had put on the more terrifying performance, it would undoubtedly be Lil.
And yet, she wasn't satisfied and was looking for ways to improve.
A word naturally flashed through Chen Xia's mind.
“Monster girl...”
“......!”
Lil's eyes widened, and with a tearful face, she grabbed Chen Xia and shook her.
“You shouldn't say things like that to a senior.”
“Ah, I'm sorry.”
“Yep. You shouldn't say that. Even if it's true.”
“Elena!”
Lil looked at Elena with resentful eyes, but Elena just grinned.
“By the way, where is Young Master Leo?”
If the fourth and fifth-years passed the test first, then Leo should have been here as well.
“Looking for me?”
“Welcome, Leo.”
“Hyung-nim!”
Elena and Lil greeted Leo.
“You're late.”
To Chen Xia's question, Leo replied nonchalantly.
“I had something left to do. What about the first-years?”
The reason the entire student body was in front of the gate was simple.
Today was the day of the entrance ceremony.
The protagonists of this event were the first-years, so everyone was waiting for them.
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! I was able to endure this test thanks to you!”
“Hm? What are you talking about?”
Lil stood enthusiastically in front of Leo, her eyes sparkling.
Although Lil had become Leo's disciple, she publicly called him by the strange title of "Hyung-nim."
To Leo's question, Lil replied.
“After completing all the training assignments you gave me before winter break, my spirit arts skills improved by an unbelievable amount.”
“You finished all of that?”
“Yes!”
The assignment Leo had given Lil was the introductory course for the spirit arts used by Lisinas.
And it was absolutely not the kind of training one could complete during a school break.
“...You really are a monster girl, aren't you?”
“You too, Hyung-nim!”
“Wow! Lil is now a monster officially recognized by Leo!”
“Congratulations.”
Elena and Chen Xia looked at Lil in admiration.
“Don't tease me!”
“We're not teasing. It's a compliment.”
Elena smiled brightly.
“You may not realize it, but it's a truly incredible feat.”
For it to be enough to surprise Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning, it was certainly amazing.
“Ah, really. My mouth is itching to tell Leo's secret.”
“Hyung-nim's... secret?”
As Lil showed interest, Elena asked in a suggestive tone.
“Curious?”
Lil, who had been looking slightly tempted, suddenly met Leo's eyes and shook her head vigorously.
“N-No. As a disciple... I cannot pry into my master's secrets!”
Watching the firmly speaking Lil, Elena made a disappointed face.
Then she approached Leo, her eyes shining.
“Leo... no.”
Standing before Leo, Elena stood on her tiptoes, brought her mouth close to his ear, and asked in a whisper.
“What do you think, Sir Kyle?”
After saying that, Elena stepped back.
She looked up at Kyle with eyes that had found an interesting toy.
“Should I tell? Should I not? This could get very interesting.”
At her mischievous attitude, Chen Xia looked troubled.
*'Young Master Leo doesn't seem to have any intention of revealing his identity yet.'*
Elena wasn't unaware of that fact either.
But this selfish, unruly young lady was the type of person who wouldn't hesitate to reveal it for her own amusement.
Even now, she looked delighted, as if she had caught Leo's weakness.
“If you want to reveal it, go ahead.”
Elena tilted her head.
“Oh my? Playing hardball, are we? Then should I really reveal it?”
Watching Leo's firm stance, Elena pouted.
She looked like she was really about to spill the beans.
Looking at her, Leo said.
“Go on, tell them. But what comes next?”
“Next?”
“Can you handle me?”
Staring intently at Leo, whose tone had suddenly changed, Elena spun around.
“An adult should know how to lose like an adult. You never give in, not even once. Damn old man.”
Watching Elena muttering under her breath, Leo let out a small laugh.
Half a day passed like that.
As the sun was already setting, Iliana shot up from her seat.
“Hey! When in the world are the first-years going to get here!”
They had to hold the entrance ceremony, but there was no sign of the first-years.
“I never imagined Karl would hold out this long.”
Dade, who had been best friends with Karl since their first year, also muttered in a surprised voice.
*Kiiiiiiik—!*
The tightly shut gates opened.
The first-years could be seen trudging into Lumerne.
Seeing them, the entire student body fell silent.
On the day of the entrance ceremony.
It was a kind of Lumerne tradition for the new students to go through a rough ordeal.
Everyone here had gone through the same experience.
And laughing heartily at the sight of the new students' wretched state was also a traditional part of the event.
An annual event.
But not a single person laughed at the sight of these first-years.
That's how miserable the first-years looked.
They looked like defeated soldiers returning from a lost battle.
*Slump— Slump—*
There wasn't even a speck of the pride typical of new students who had just become part of Lumerne.
As they watched the new students steeped in a bitter sense of defeat, the entire student body's gaze turned to the last person to enter.
Karl scratched his cheek and said.
“Was I... a little too harsh?”