Chapter 093
Chapter Title: The Cursed Land of Neigrang
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“Who are you?”
“My name is Elena.”
“Senior Elena? Is it really you?”
Chloe’s eyes widened.
“Yes.”
“I’ve been enjoying all of your theses on magic!”
“Hmm?”
“I found the part about the influence of mana vibrations in the atmosphere on magic especially fascinating!”
“You understood that difficult material?”
“Yes!”
“My goodness, to think such an adorable junior has enrolled.”
Floating gently with magic, Elena cupped Chloe's cheeks with both hands and leaned in close.
Seeing Chloe's slight bewilderment, Elena's eyes curved into a smile.
Just then, Chloe felt a slight shiver run down her spine from that gaze.
“What are you doing here, Elena?”
“Uncle!”
Elena flew over to Albi.
“I heard you were teaching a class, Uncle! I thought I’d come listen!”
“I'm not teaching anything special. Just giving some advice to the first-years. Besides, you can't attend a first-year class. Go to your third-year class.”
“Such a boring class. It's not even worth attending.”
Elena said with a scoff.
“Then don't disturb the class and leave.”
At his words, Elena narrowed her eyes.
And just as she was about to leave, muttering ‘how boring’ under her breath…
“Senior.”
“What is it, Leo?”
“I have a favor to ask. May I visit your estate after school?”
“A favor?”
Tilting her head, Elena crossed her arms with an indifferent expression.
“Why should I grant your favor? Didn't you just refuse mine?”
“That was a favor?”
“Of course, it was.”
Sitting with her legs crossed in mid-air, Elena gave a bright smile and floated up.
“I'm leaving before the other professors swarm me with their nagging.”
With a flippant wave, Elena flew off somewhere.
Watching her go, Chloe wore an expression of disbelief.
For a model student like her, skipping class to go play around was a culture shock.
“Is… is she allowed to do that?”
“She's not. There are more than a few professors who have their eyes on her.”
“But you're not saying anything? She's your niece.”
“It's her choice, so I have no reason to interfere. She's not one to listen anyway. You all should ignore it and continue your practice.”
With that, Albi returned to his original spot.
Leo looked in the direction Elena had disappeared.
To enter the forbidden archives, he needed Elena's permission.
‘From the looks of it, she's incredibly self-willed.’
It was clear that even if he showed her Albi's letter of recommendation now, she wouldn't be very interested.
‘For now, I'll focus on the interdepartmental competition.’
It was time to concentrate on the school event right in front of him.
***
About two weeks after the academy lockdown was declared.
During a free period, Iliana, who was studying in the classroom, grumbled.
“How can we not even have refreshments during study hall? Does this make any sense?”
Most Lumerne students were nobles or from the upper class, so they were used to studying with tea and snacks during their free periods.
Of course, since the lockdown, there were no refreshments, not even a crumb of a cookie to be found.
“Why do you need cookies and tea to study?”
“Class president! Studying requires a source of energy!”
“By the way, where's Karl?”
Just as Nella wore a puzzled expression.
*Creeak—*
The classroom door opened, and Karl came in pushing a refreshment cart.
Chelsea and Iliana shot up from their seats.
“Karl! What is that!”
Seeing the two girls' eyes sparkle, Karl bowed elegantly like a top-notch butler.
“Although I was unable to procure any cakes or cookies.”
*Click—*
“Ooh!”
When he opened the lid of the cart, a teapot and teacups were set up inside.
“My ladies, I have painstakingly brewed...”
“Ooh! Black tea!”
“Just black tea is more than enough!”
Getting tea leaves right now was like plucking stars from the sky, so they thought this alone was sufficient.
*Pour—!*
A clear, transparent liquid was poured into the teacup.
“It's plain water.”
“...”
“...”
“Pfft! Pwahahahahahaha! Look at your faces! Did you fall for it? You fell for... Gack?”
Seeing Karl teasing them, Chelsea's face turned vicious as she landed a dropkick squarely in his stomach.
Then, along with Iliana, she started kicking the fallen Karl mercilessly.
“W-Wait! You hit my bone... Aack! Sorry! I'm sorry!”
A round of Karl's desperate screams passed.
“I have some big news.”
“What is it?”
“The location for this year's interdepartmental competition has been decided!”
“What? Where is it?”
The students of Class 5 swarmed over.
At that, Karl cleared his throat with a loud "Ahem!" and spoke in a serious voice.
“Neigrang.”
“Neigrang?”
“Isn't that a restricted area?”
Neigrang.
A city in the southeastern part of the continent, it was famous for being destroyed overnight due to a Hero Dungeon's rampage.
The tragedy of Neigrang, which had concealed the Hero Dungeon, became a cautionary tale known throughout the continent.
The dungeon was later cleared, but due to the Hero Dungeon's influence, the land became cursed, making it uninhabitable for humans.
“Are we really allowed to go to a place like that?”
The students swallowed nervously.
“I heard that even though it's a restricted area, it's not overwhelmingly dangerous.”
At Chelsea's words, Nella nodded.
“That's right. It's dangerous, but mostly just because of mid-to-low-level monsters and curses scattered around.”
It was a tremendous threat to ordinary people, but for hero cadets, it was a danger they could certainly overcome.
Once the battleground for the interdepartmental competition was decided, all of Class 5 brought out their geography books and began to study.
Unlike in the World of Heroes, there were unpredictable threats, so the students studied Neigrang more seriously than ever before.
Leo also opened the geography textbook he had received and looked for a map of Neigrang.
‘Neigrang... Neigrang... Here it is.’
Leo froze as he opened the book.
‘This place is?’
The place names Leo remembered and the ones from Kyle's era were different.
Considering the centuries that had passed between the two eras, this was only natural.
However, he remembered what had happened in this region in the past.
‘This is where Lisinas and I defeated a Legion Commander for the first time.’
***
Time passed while student complaints about the school lockdown piled up.
The first-years, in particular, were spending their days in a frenzy.
*Crackle! Sizzle!*
Duran looked at the aura gathered in his hand and clenched his fist tightly.
*Fshhhhhhh—!*
Responding to Duran's power, an electric current exploded outward in all directions.
“A-Amazing! Duran! You've almost mastered the Breath of the Brave Hero!”
When a student from Duran's faction shouted in an excited voice, Duran replied irritably.
“What do you mean, mastered? I can't even use it naturally yet, and besides...!”
*Crack—!*
Duran snapped the wooden sword he was holding in frustration.
“Compared to the sword strike that bastard Leo Flove unleashed back then, this is pathetic!”
“That might be true, but if Leo Flove uses an attack that powerful, he takes recoil damage himself, right?”
A female student said with her arms crossed.
“There's a limit to such a destructive method. At best, it's a trump card to be used in a crisis.”
At the female student's analysis of Leo, Duran scoffed.
“This time, I'll defeat Leo Flove and show everyone who the real number one is. And...”
Duran's eyes flickered as he turned his head slightly.
“I'll defeat Celia Jerdinger, too.”
*Fwoosh—!*
“Amazing, Celia. To think you can control the flames of aura to this extent.”
At her classmate's words, Celia swept her hair back.
“This much is basic.”
With a confident expression, Celia extinguished the flames.
For the past month, Celia had focused her training on the delicate control of her aura.
After retracting the flames, Celia's eyes met Duran's.
Celia made a sullen face, then pointed at Duran and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Provoked, Duran responded by giving her a thumbs-down.
Meanwhile, at the magic practice grounds…
*Whoooosh!*
Chelsea's eyes widened as she watched Abad.
‘Amazing. That's my brother for you.’
The sight of him meticulously controlling wind magic was enough to make her jaw drop.
*Thud— Thud—!*
When Abad released his magic, the rocks that had been swirling in the air fell to the ground.
“To be able to control this much power so delicately! You're amazing, brother!”
Seeing Chelsea approach with a bright smile, Abad wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke.
“Chelsea.”
“Yes!”
“How does it compare to Leo?”
“...!”
At Abad's question, Chelsea fell silent.
From Chelsea's perspective, in terms of pure magical ability, Abad had the upper hand.
But when viewed comprehensively…
‘Who should I be rooting for?’
Abad, whom she respected as a mage.
Leo, whom she respected as a hero candidate.
Watching the conflicted Chelsea, Abad smiled.
“So Leo has the advantage.”
“O-Oh, brother! It's just that, I... uh!”
“That's not bad.”
“Huh?”
“To have someone to challenge.”
Chelsea was surprised to see Abad's deep smile.
Meanwhile, Leo was sitting in the library, a large pile of books about Neigrang stacked before him.
‘There are a total of five large lakes within Neigrang.’
As it was a large city, it had five big lakes.
“Which one of these is Lake Erdiana?”
Leo scratched his head roughly.
While the other students were busy preparing for the interdepartmental competition, Leo was focused on something else.
A memory from long ago had surfaced.
‘Considering how much time has passed, I doubt it's still there, but...’
Leo crossed his arms.
In a place called Lake Erdiana, which used to be here, a spirit was sleeping.
A spirit no one even remembers now.
But a great spirit who, until the Age of Calamity, was revered for its immense power.
Lisinas's lost contractor.
‘The Great Spirit of Radiance, luminous.’
Closing the book, Leo stood up from his seat.
‘I guess I'll have to check all five places.’
***
At Erek, the grand training ground in the center of Lumerne Academy, a huge crowd had gathered.
Not only Lumerne Academy students but also numerous visitors had assembled.
“Oh! Let me see my daughter! How has school been?”
“It's been fun!”
“Son! You are the pride of our family!”
“I know!”
“Refrain from any actions that might tarnish the family's honor.”
“Yes.”
Normally, no one except authorized personnel could enter Lumerne Academy.
However, for the large-scale event that was the interdepartmental competition, the families of those involved were permitted to visit for today.
Of course, this was also a way to dispel the negative public opinion surrounding the month-long academy lockdown.
Thanks to this, Lumerne was enjoying an unexpected festival atmosphere.
Naturally, a large number of outside guests meant there were also problems.
“Hmph! I want to see where my son studies, and you're telling me I can't?”
“Due to security regulations regarding student research and other matters, outsiders are not permitted entry. Please remain in the designated areas.”
“Tsk! Do you know who I am!”
As Lumerne was normally closed to outsiders, quite a few people were curious and tried to enter areas beyond the designated zones.
Of course, such individuals were stopped by the teaching assistants, but many were stubbornly persistent.
The Hero's Tower, at its peak.
From a spot with a panoramic view of the academy, Kalian was looking down at Erek.
“Letting in so many outsiders at once like this, I'm worried an intruder might sneak in.”
As Professor Yura spoke with a worried expression, Kalian heaved a deep sigh.
“Fortunately, a powerful deterrent has returned, so what happened then won't happen again.”
At Kalian's words, Yura cautiously glanced at the red-haired woman sitting on the guest sofa, enjoying her tea.
It was Phoenix Pirina.
‘I'd love to have a conversation with her, but!’
As a summoner facing the strongest of summoned beasts, Yura was itching to talk with Pirina.
Unlike Leo's Piora and Ulta's Eiria, that one was a fully grown adult.
The very legend and ideal for a summoner, capable of wielding absolute power.
‘I can't hide this fact forever. We must announce it publicly in cooperation with Seirun.’
Kalian's eyes took on a grave light.
‘So that those bastards from Tartaros can't run wild anymore.’