Chapter 651
Chapter Title: An Uncharacteristic Morning
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The day after the entrance ceremony.
Students began to pour out into the central hall of the clock tower, quite literally.
As it was now a dormitory for the entire student body, the building itself was bound to be bustling.
Naturally, the most common sight was the new first-year students.
Although the freshmen had seemed downcast during yesterday's entrance ceremony, they had recovered overnight and regained some of their energy.
Seeing the first-years chattering in groups with their department classmates, Luke wore a tense expression.
“Luke. Why do you look so nervous?”
Habyden, his classmate and rival in the Knight Department, asked with a puzzled look.
Luke answered in a trembling voice.
“W-Well. They’re our juniors. As their senior, I have to set an example… Phew… I’m nervous!”
Habyden frowned at the flustered Luke.
“I say this all the time, Luke, but you’re the representative of our year. Acting like that will make them look down on you.”
“B-But. You know. To get your juniors to follow you, you have to set an example.”
“Hmph. Example or not, the fact that we’ve advanced to the second year is enough to qualify us as seniors.”
Habyden scoffed and called out to a passing Knight Department freshman.
“Hey, you there.”
“Yes, sir!”
Seeing the freshman snap to attention with a tense face, Habyden pointed at Luke.
“You know who this is, right?”
“He is the second-year representative, Senior Luke Elda!”
“What do you think of him?”
“I respect him! And I respect you too, Senior Habyden!”
“Alright, you can go.”
“P-Please work har…”
“Ahem!”
“H-Hey, work hard!”
“Yes! Thank you!”
When Habyden shot him a glare, Luke, who had unconsciously started to speak formally, jumped in surprise and changed his tone.
At his words, the freshman looked touched and ran over to the friends he had made overnight.
“I just talked with Senior Luke and Senior Habyden! Senior Luke told me to keep up the good work!”
“Whoa!”
“You’re so lucky!”
“Should I try talking to them?”
“I don’t know, they seem hard to approach!”
Habyden smirked as he watched the now-buzzing first-years.
“See how happy they are over one word of encouragement from you? Have some confidence.”
“Th-Thanks.”
Luke looked moved.
Seeing him, Habyden’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Because I can’t tolerate our year’s representative being looked down on.”
“Yeah. I’ll become someone more fitting of the representative title…”
“Since that position will be mine soon.”
“…”
“Keep your neck clean and wait, Luke.”
“Hey. Keep my neck clean? That sounds so threatening…”
“What’s wrong, Luke?”
“Aina! Habyden told me to keep my neck clean and wait for him!”
At those words, Aina’s expression hardened.
She then glared sharply at Habyden.
“I will never allow that.”
“Aina…”
Luke looked slightly touched.
“I’ll be the one to take Luke’s neck.”
“…”
Luke could only remain silent.
“What’s with the atmosphere?”
“You shouldn’t be making such a long face on the first day, Year Rep.”
Juen and Shasha approached Luke.
“Aina and Habyden told me to keep my neck clean and wait.”
“Being in the Knight Department, you guys sure talk scary.”
“Right?”
“Yeah. I’ll be putting a hole right through your forehead.”
“That’s scary too.”
“Oh, my. Taking necks, putting holes in foreheads. Everyone, your words are so harsh. You should try to soften them a bit.”
Shasha said in a gentle tone, covering her mouth with a fan.
“How would you soften it?”
As Juen narrowed her eyes, Shasha put on a bright expression.
“Execution.”
“You seem like the most bloodthirsty one here.”
‘Why do they all talk so violently?’
Luke grimaced as he looked at his friends, who were all eagerly eyeing his position.
From a distance, the first-years watched the second-years with eyes full of admiration.
It was then.
*Clack— Clack—*
The sound of heels echoed.
The first-years’ gazes turned toward the source of the sound.
“Oh! It’s Senior Iliana.”
“Wow!”
“She’s so pretty.”
Gasps of admiration erupted here and there at the appearance of Iliana, one of the top-ranking students among the third-years.
The third-years were already famous as the greatest golden generation in Lumerne’s history.
Within that golden generation, Iliana, whose skills were nearly unmatched by anyone except the very top students, was naturally an object of admiration for the new students.
“But I heard she was a bit, how should I put it? Frivolous?”
“Huh? I heard that rumor too.”
“Was it a false rumor?”
“It must have been! How could someone so cultured have such a rumor spread about them?”
The first-years tilted their heads and whispered among themselves.
Just as they were talking, their eyes met Iliana’s.
The first-years froze, unsure of what to do.
Iliana gave them a gentle smile.
At that smile, the first-year male students instantly blushed.
Seeing their reaction, Iliana gently swept her hair back and headed toward the cafeteria.
Chelsea, who had just left the dormitory and witnessed the scene, wore an indescribable expression.
She then approached Nella, who was coming from the Knight Department’s section, and asked.
“Nella. What’s with her? Did she eat something bad last night?”
“I don’t know. She was saying something strange about having a secret plan to win the Dormitory Competition, and she’s been acting like this since morning.”
Nella wore a deeply concerned expression.
“Maybe she hit her head during the fight with the seniors yesterday? She didn’t seem to have any external injuries.”
“If she suffered a major impact to the head, how should we treat it?”
Nella, a user of healing aura, was not only the third-year’s representative healer but also a master of healing arts.
After pondering Chelsea’s question for a moment, Nella spoke.
“You just need to apply a strong impact to the head… Should I try hitting her once with my morning star?”
“…She might actually die if you do that, Nella.”
“You think so?”
Unaware of her friends’ morbid conversation, Iliana entered the cafeteria and looked around.
She spotted Leo eating at a table and her eyes lit up slightly.
“So, you’re saying this ring just popped out of the subspace in your cloak for no reason?”
“Yeah.”
At Karl’s question, Leo nodded, sipping coffee from his mug.
Karl examined the ring in his hand, marveling at it.
“Whoa~ This is seriously beautiful, though. I’d believe it if you told me it was a work of art.”
The ring was a beautiful silver, looking as if it might flow like liquid at any moment.
A small sapphire was embedded in it.
Inside the sapphire, a magic circle, almost invisible to the naked eye, was engraved.
The inner band of the silver ring was also adorned with an intricate flower pattern.
Just as Karl said, it could easily be called a work of art.
“You could probably buy a decent-sized castle with this thing alone.”
“Well, Dweno made it.”
“Ah, that explains it. A ring made by Master Dweno.”
Karl nodded in understanding, then clicked his tongue.
“This thing is probably worth more than some entire countries. Man, I’d be too scared to even hold it.”
Karl joked as he handed the ring back to Leo.
Leo placed the ring on his palm and stared at it intently.
“It’s not a ring with any special meaning, is it?”
Karl asked cautiously.
He was recalling Luna’s confession from before.
At his words, Leo let out a small laugh.
“It’s just one of the many magic rings that Luna used to have.”
Besides her magic staff, Luna possessed countless magical artifacts.
This ring, named Snow Flower, was one of them.
“It’s just a ring that enhances the power of ice-based magic. It was one of the last mementos Luna left behind. That’s why it was stored in my cloak.”
“Oh? Then you should be able to use it.”
“Most of Luna’s magic items were incredibly powerful but tricky to use.”
They were items Dweno had created at Luna’s request.
“In the case of this ring, an ice-attribute mage would be needed to draw out its full potential.”
Even if Leo used it, he could draw out a sufficient amount of the ring’s original power.
But doing so would diminish the power of his other elemental magics.
For Leo, it was actually a disadvantage.
‘Only someone like Luna could use magic rings like this and still wield magic at its full power.’
“This ring would be perfect for Chloe.”
“If it’s a memento, isn’t it precious?”
When Karl asked carefully, Leo chuckled.
“It’s a fake I got as a reward for clearing the World of Heroes, anyway. The real ring disappeared long ago.”
Leo flicked the ring into the air—*ping!*—then snatched it with a *smack*.
“Almost none of the mementos our comrades left behind were passed down to future generations.”
The keepsakes his friends had left were all consumed by fire along with him in his final moments.
“What do you mean you and the Great Heroes left nothing behind?”
“Huh?”
“It’s right here.”
Karl pointed down with his finger.
“The world.”
“You’re looking unusually serious.”
“I’m a proper hero now, too. I have to be serious when it counts.”
Leo burst out laughing at Karl’s words.
“Actually, I couldn’t give it to Chloe even if I wanted to. This ring’s abilities only activate when it’s with me. In anyone else’s hands, it’s just an empty shell.”
“Hmm. That’s a shame.”
Karl crossed his arms.
“Is it because you have Master Dweno’s mana?”
“Could be.”
Items made by Dweno would react to his power, briefly returning to their most brilliant state.
This ring was likely influenced by that as well.
Just as Leo and Karl were eating.
“Class Rep, Karl. Good morning.”
Iliana, carrying a tray, greeted them with an elegant smile.
“Good morning.”
Leo greeted her back with a grin.
“Did you eat something weird? Why are you acting so prim and proper this morning?”
“Hm? Did I? Hehehe.”
Karl narrowed his eyes at Iliana, who covered her mouth and smiled softly.
“Why are you imitating Nella? Ah, I’m taking one.”
Karl speared a sausage from Iliana’s tray with his fork and ate it.
Normally, Iliana would have lunged at him with fury in her eyes, but instead, she gave him a compassionate smile.
“Karl, you must be very hungry. Would you like some more?”
“…”
At Iliana’s question, Karl made a sour face and rubbed his arms vigorously.
“Ugh, goosebumps.”
Iliana giggled at Karl and began to eat demurely.
She then struck up a conversation with Leo.
“I’m looking forward to combat class today. I heard it’s a joint session with the first and second-years.”
“You’ve already checked that?”
“Yep. It was on the central hall’s bulletin board.”
Leo gave Iliana, who was acting like a model student, a peculiar look.
“Where’s Nella? Nella!”
Karl stood up from his seat and hurriedly looked for Nella.
“Karl is so noisy in the morning.”
Iliana shook her head with an expression that said she couldn’t be helped.