Chapter 653
Chapter Title: A Lesson in Real Combat
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653.
“What? What’s going on?”
“Why are Leo and Xia in the middle of the training ground…?”
“Are they about to spar?”
The first-years gathered around the training ground, their voices buzzing with excitement.
It was the anticipation of seeing none other than Leo Flove fight with their own eyes.
Having become Lumerne's student council president as a first-year and a Hero as a second-year, Leo was already a legendary figure.
Among the seniors who were already like gods to them, he was on a completely different level.
The first-years were already thrilled just by the chance to see him in action.
Meanwhile, the second-years looked back and forth between Leo and Chen Xia with slightly surprised eyes.
They had already felt the terrifying nature of Chen Xia firsthand during yesterday's exam.
“I’m telling you, I had a nightmare about Xia last night.”
“Ugh… I was even scared to walk down a dark hallway.”
The second-years shuddered, the terror of the darkness still fresh in their minds.
At the same time, a question naturally arose.
“But can Xia really take on Leo one-on-one?”
The second-years knew.
Leo's skills were on another level.
Besides, this was broad daylight, not the darkness of yesterday.
While the first and second-years were wondering.
It was the third-years who were the most puzzled.
“Why are Leo and Xia suddenly sparring?”
Chloe approached Celia and Duran with a curious expression.
“She said she's going to teach us a lesson.”
“A lesson?”
Chloe tilted her head slightly at Duran's words.
The outcome of the spar was as clear as day.
But if Chen Xia mentioned a lesson, she surely intended to show them something the third-years had yet to learn.
“Huh? What's going on?”
Chelsea, returning from behind the warehouse, widened her eyes at the commotion in the training ground.
“Ooh! Looks like Leo and Xia are gonna spar! Can't miss a big event like this!”
As Karl began preparing something, Eliza asked with a puzzled look.
“Are you going to do an analysis?”
“You've shared a dorm with Karl for a year and you still haven't figured out what kind of person he is.”
“What did you say?”
Just as Eliza furrowed her brow at Chelsea's remark.
“Popcorn for sale! We have cold juice too!”
Eliza staggered at the sight of Karl setting up a stall from his subspace pocket and running into the crowd of spectators.
“Ooh! Karl! Popcorn for me!”
“I'll have a juice!”
The third-years began to order as if they'd been waiting for this.
“Do you have butter-grilled squid?”
“Of course!”
“You're always so prepared!”
The third-years gave him a thumbs-up.
“Senior! We'd like to order, too.”
“Aww~ Can't you give us a little discount?”
The second-years also bought popcorn and drinks from Karl, as if this were a common occurrence.
The first-years watched, mouths agape in shock.
“The acting student council president... is running a street stall?”
“Y-Yeah, that's the same Senior Karl from yesterday!”
“Aaaah! My image of him is shattering!”
“Where did that cool guy from yesterday go…!”
A few first-years clutched their heads and screamed.
“Huh? Ack! Millia?!”
“What are you doing?”
While the first-years were just cautiously observing.
Millia, the top first-year of the Knight Department, approached Karl.
“Hello, Senior. I'll have one combo meal, please.”
“Yep, you got it~”
Karl handed a cup of popcorn to Millia, his face plastered with a business smile.
“As a bonus, could you give me a catalog of the items the Karl Company handles?”
“Huh? That's only for subscription members.”
“I'm your first first-year customer, aren't I? Thanks to me, the other first-years will feel less hesitant about buying your goods, right?”
Seeing Millia wink, Karl let out a chuckle and nodded.
Millia, humming a tune, took the catalog and opened it.
“What are you going to do with that?”
A first-year Knight Department student gave her an uncomprehending look, and Millia smiled brightly.
“I'm curious.”
With that, Millia began to look through Karl's catalog.
‘They said Senior Karl has been selling necessary items to students since he was a first-year.’
As the heir to the Lolla Company, which controlled the southern merchant guilds, Millia had a firm grasp on the flow of funds and materials across the continent.
And before entering Lumerne, she had thoroughly researched the commercial districts of both Lumerne and Lumeria City.
It wasn't in preparation for getting good grades at Lumerne.
It was something she did out of natural curiosity as a member of a merchant family.
And she was able to discern a shift in the distribution volume of potions and magical tools within Lumerne starting two years ago.
At the center of it was none other than Karl.
In just two years, the potions, magical tools, materials, and so on consumed by students.
Karl had seized control of the commercial market within Lumerne.
‘His products must have been good, but his business acumen is also excellent.’
In a way, he had established himself with no capital.
Millia was impressed, but that wasn't what she was focused on.
‘Selling what students need means that if I just keep track of the items Senior Karl sells, I should be able to predict Lumerne's curriculum to some extent.’
Lumerne was a place where unexpected situations often occurred, but that didn't mean the major framework of the school schedule changed.
Given the wide variety and effects of potions, Millia believed she could prepare for assignments to some degree by looking at the items Karl sold.
‘Of course, it might be useless… but there's also the saying that it's better to be safe than sorry.’
A small difference can determine one's grades.
Especially for top-tier students like Millia.
Millia lifted her gaze from the catalog.
“Haa… Working so hard for money… it's truly wonderful.”
“Sucking up to his juniors for money! What on earth is there to learn from such a pathetic person?!”
“Huh?”
“Huh?!”
Millia looked at Perena, the top first-year of the Summoner Department, who was standing beside her and saying the complete opposite.
For a moment, it seemed like sparks flew between their eyes, then they both scoffed simultaneously.
Meanwhile, in the Magic Department section, the top first-year, Vito, was seriously savoring his popcorn and drink while diligently taking notes.
“Vito, what are you doing?”
“I'm trying to figure out the secret recipe for Senior Karl's popcorn and drinks.”
“What? Why are you trying to figure that out?”
“Senior Karl is a master of alchemy. His expertise must be imbued in this popcorn.”
The first-year magic student recalled what he had heard from the third-year seniors a moment ago.
‘I heard he just buys it in bulk from somewhere and resells it…’
“I've got it! Is this juice only 5% fruit concentrate?!”
The first-year magic student looked at Vito, who was analyzing with a very serious face, with pity and said nothing.
For some reason, he didn't want to make his friend miserable.
Aina, watching the first-years from a distance, muttered.
“I think we've got some strange juniors this year.”
“That Millia girl. She definitely seems weird. Her personality seems bad, too.”
“Perena Hergin is the same. She seemed so nice at the entrance ceremony.”
“And that Vito kid, why is he drinking his juice with such a serious face? He's a strange one.”
Haviden, Sasha, and Juen chimed in, agreeing with Aina.
Luke, watching them from slightly behind, scratched his cheek.
“I don't think you guys are the ones to talk.”
***
“Is this the first time we've properly fought since the department competition back in our first year?”
“Hehe. It brings back memories.”
“That was when you were still wandering, unsure if you were a hero or a shadow.”
Chen Xia nodded at Leo's words.
“You didn't ask for this fight just to feel the gap between us again, I assume.”
Although he had agreed to the spar, Leo was curious about Chen Xia's reason for suddenly requesting it.
Chen Xia smiled at Leo.
“Young Master Leo, you're definitely good at teaching people.”
The Age of Calamity came to an end.
And even after the Age of Heroes began, the threats to the world had not disappeared.
An all-out war with Tartaros.
Only after winning that great war did a true era of peace finally begin.
And at that time, there was Verkia, who shouldered the era, and Bihar, who supported Verkia from the shadows.
The legacy left by Kyle, the Hero of the Beginning.
Verkia was also a disciple of Luna and Ar-on.
But it was none other than Kyle who had guided him to fully make their teachings his own.
‘Ar-on wasn't exactly an outstanding teacher.’
Chen Xia shook her head, recalling Ar-on brightly smiling and saying, "See? It's easy, right?"
Sometimes he leads from the front, and other times he pushes from behind.
The reason the current third-years, Lumerne's golden generation, were able to fully blossom their talents was undoubtedly because of Leo's work behind the scenes.
But even someone like Leo couldn't get down to the same eye level as the other third-years.
Especially when it came to what a real battle was like.
“As their big sister. I want to teach my friends.”
The skills of Chen Xia and the top-tier third-year students were on par.
In fact, in a spar, Chen Xia couldn't guarantee victory against Celia and Duran.
But Chen Xia's true strength shone not in spars, but in real combat.
Not born as a hero, but as a shadow.
Born to stand at the pinnacle of shadows, Chen Xia was different from ordinary hero candidates.
Even before entering Lumerne, she had been hunting down and eliminating traitors.
Her experience was on a different level.
Moreover, the experience of facing a person with malicious intent, rather than a monster, was like the difference between heaven and earth.
In a real fight, she could defeat not only Celia and Duran but even Woreden.
Even in broad daylight, not in darkness.
That was the difference experience made.
‘Young Master Leo's experience must be on a level that others could never comprehend.’
The Great Hero.
On top of that, the experience of the Hero of the Beginning, who had buried traitors in the darkness, was akin to a fathomless abyss.
It would be difficult for the other students to understand Leo's movements, which even Chen Xia couldn't fathom.
That's why Chen Xia wanted to show them how she fights.
“To show them what a real fight is.”
‘My friends will surely walk a different path than I will.’
Chen Xia's desire to become a hero remained unchanged.
But that didn't mean she intended to walk the same path as other heroes.
Where there is light, there must be shadow.
Just as her ancestor, Bihar, had done.
Just as Leo, the Hero of the Beginning, had done.
Chen Xia had also resolved to walk the path they had taken.
Because that, too, was a path befitting a hero.
Being in the shadows doesn't mean you are completely shunned by the light.
‘Young Master Leo taught me that.’
The reverse is also true.
Being in the light doesn't mean you can be ignorant of the darkness.
At some point, the day will surely come when they have to fight humans with malicious intent.
Whether it's Hero Hunters who prey on heroes.
Or those who hold different beliefs from their own.
‘Normally, they would learn this naturally.’
What a real fight is.
What a battle to the death is.
They would come to know it, whether they wanted to or not.
But…
“We… have to become heroes a little sooner, don't we?”
Leo is waiting.
To get there even a little bit sooner.
Chen Xia believed they needed to learn in advance what they would otherwise learn over time.
“So that was your intention.”
“Yes. That's why I intend to fight for real.”
*Clack- Clack-!*
“Huh?”
“Wait… what's in Chen Xia's hands…”
“Daggers?”
Voices filled with bewilderment came from all around.
Two sharp daggers were held in Chen Xia's hands.
‘…Bihar's daggers.’
*Whoooosh-!*
Leo let out a small sigh at the killing intent flowing from Chen Xia's body.
“Even so, isn't trying to actually kill me going a bit too far?”