Chapter 127

The opening ceremony.

While students were lined up by year, only the first-years stood with notably grim expressions.

The second-years standing beside them looked on with puzzled faces.

“What’s wrong with them?”

“I heard they got put through the wringer on the very first day.”

“They look like that just from getting worked a bit on opening day? Everyone hypes up the so-called golden generation, but I guess they’re nothing special.”

“I heard the vice principal personally put them through it.”

“What? The vice principal?”

The second-years who had been sneering at the first-years were startled.

The vice principal.

Even among the upperclassmen, he was a mysterious figure.

When the second-years heard that the vice principal had directly instructed the first-years, they became disgruntled.

“Are they playing favorites with the first-years or what?”

“Total discrimination. How are we supposed to keep going to this school?”

Throughout the break, everywhere you went, people were talking about the first-years at Lumene.

In all that chatter, the ones they were compared to were none other than the second-years.

So hearing that the vice principal had guided the first-years made the second-years feel even more like only their juniors were getting special treatment, and complaints broke out among them.

Meanwhile, Leo was in the class representatives’ waiting room, changing into his class representative uniform.

He was the only one there since the other representatives hadn’t arrived yet.

He had just finished changing and stepped out of the changing room when—

“That’s why I don’t like Elena.”

“Hark, you’re from one of the Three Great Houses too, aren’t you? Why not just use your family’s influence like Elena?”

“You really think I’d do something that embarrassing?”

Second-year Lily and fourth-year Hark entered the waiting room.

“Leo! Did you have a good break?”

Lily spotted Leo and smiled brightly.

“Yes.”

“Your performance at the Department Competition was impressive! Getting squeezed between excellent seniors and outstanding juniors… I really have no luck.”

With a big sigh, Lily looked at Hark, who could only stare in disbelief.

“What are you talking about? You’re the undisputed number one in the second year.”

Lily Luce, who always thought of herself as too ordinary for a class representative.

But ever since she entered, no one had ever threatened her spot as class representative.

First place in the written exam.

First place in the practical exam.

First in every combat and mission evaluation.

A top student with a 100% success rate in conquering the [Hero’s World].

There wasn’t a single upperclassman who’d managed to hold onto their representative position like Lily had.

Rhys had fierce competition with Ulta, and Hark and Elena had both lost their spots, even if only briefly, to others.

Unlike those seniors, Lily had been in her position for a long time.

She was, in every sense, a fortress.

“You do know the kids call you ‘Monster Girl,’ right?”

“Hark! Why are you saying weird nicknames like that in front of Leo!”

As Lily pouted, Hark ruffled her hair with a chuckle.

Always doing her best, Lily was a junior who was doted on by the senior class representatives.

Even Hark, who normally didn’t care much for others, often teased Lily.

After a good laugh at Lily, Hark pulled down the eyepatch hanging around his neck to cover his eye.

“Anyway, I’m going to sleep. Wake me up before the opening ceremony starts.”

He immediately dozed off after saying that.

“He really can sleep anywhere.”

“Isn’t that right?”

Leo remarked in admiration, and Lily let out a deep sigh.

Of course, Leo could see right through it—Hark wasn’t just someone who slept a lot for no reason.

‘His [Aura] trait is [Accumulation], a rare one.’

The [Accumulation] trait.

It literally meant storing up power normally and unleashing it all in battle.

‘Though it seems like he really does sleep a lot.’

While Leo mused to himself, Lily, her face flushed, hurriedly spoke.

“Leo! That ‘Monster Girl’ thing is just a nickname my seniors use to tease me! I have a proper title—I’m the Spirit Master of the Gale…!”

Just then, as Lily tried to shed her odd image to appear as a cool senior, someone cut in.

“Isn’t ‘Spirit Master of the Gale’ a bit too plain?”

Elena entered the waiting room, smiling brightly as she floated through the air toward Lily.

Then she hugged Lily’s head to her chest.

Lily stiffened, like a mouse caught by a snake.

Elena chuckled at her and said,

“That’s why ‘Monster Girl’ suits you perfectly.”

Lily pouted as Elena teased her.

As she patted Lily’s head fondly, Elena turned to Leo.

“Leo, I heard about you over break. You attended Azonia’s entrance ceremony, didn’t you?”

At that, Lily’s eyes grew wide as she looked at Leo.

“Our junior is amazing. Wherever he goes, something big happens. I wonder if he’s destined for greatness?”

With Elena eyeing him curiously, Lily held her breath.

Elena was a willful person.

Called the queen of Lumene, she was also known as a witch.

No one ever knew what she’d do next, and she was famous for being harsh in her judgments of others.

‘To be exact, she ignores anyone she doesn’t recognize.’

As far as Lily could recall, the only student Elena had ever called a “big shot” was Rhys Zerdinger.

Her pink eyes sparkled with a playful smile, so beautiful even Lily, as a fellow girl, found her heart fluttering.

But Leo just smiled calmly.

“I’m honored you think so highly of me.”

Seeing Leo smile so calmly, Elena narrowed her eyes.

“Leo, you said you had something to ask me, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“If you ask now, I just might grant your request. In exchange…”

Elena beamed.

“Would you do me a favor, too?”

‘Lily wondered, What could Leo possibly be asking Elena for?’

As Lily glanced between Leo and Elena—

“Seriously, hitting on a first-year now?”

Hark, who’d been napping, pushed up his eyepatch and glared at Elena with cold eyes.

“Mind your own business, Hark.”

Elena said with a smile, though her eyes weren’t smiling.

Hark Riguard.

He was one of the few students who could stand up to Elena, the so-called queen of Lumene.

If the Zeron family had been running the Academy for generations, the Riguard family had ruled over Lumeria City for just as long.

As heirs of two of Lumene’s Three Great Houses, Hark and Elena stood on equal footing.

As the two seniors glared at each other, Lily jumped in, flustered.

“S-seniors! You can’t fight!”

“Yeah. What do you think you’re doing in front of the juniors?”

A man joined in, backing up Lily.

It was none other than the student council president, Rhys.

With Rhys’s appearance, Elena returned to her usual relaxed demeanor, gave Leo one last smile, and pushed Lily toward the changing room.

“Lily, let’s get ready.”

“Don’t do anything weird like last time.”

“I’ll see how you do.”

Lily sighed deeply and entered the changing room.

“Hark, let’s get ready too.”

“Yes, senior.”

Rhys entered the changing room first.

As Hark followed, he glanced at Leo.

“You’re Leo Plov, right?”

“Yes.”

“You should be careful.”

“…?”

Hark looked troubled.

“She’s always treated the people around her like toys ever since she was young.”

“I know she’s strong-willed.”

“Yeah. But the problem is when she gets a ‘special toy.'”

Hark sighed.

“She gets bored easily, so usually nothing major happens. But since she seems interested in you, you should be careful.”

“Thank you for the warning.”

“Sure. Honestly, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll do.”

Hark flashed Leo a grin.

“Looking forward?”

“Yeah. Outstanding juniors are always welcome.”

With that, Hark entered the changing room.

Leo realized anew just how many people were watching him.

Until the first semester, people only looked at him out of curiosity, but now, those gazes were filled with recognition.

‘Now even Tartarus will start paying attention to me.’

As an [All-Class] student, and with his unusual path, Leo was bound to become a target for Tartarus.

‘The traitor in Lumene might even try to harm me directly.’

Leo took a deep breath.

‘I have to keep my guard up from here on.’

—

After the opening ceremony, the first-years immediately moved on to their classes.

At most schools, the first day would be a break, but at Lumene, classes began right away.

The first class was none other than [Hero Studies].

Gathered by class in the main lecture hall for the first time in a while, all the first-years wore exhausted expressions.

It was the aftereffect of being hit by the [Nightmare] curse.

Then—

“Hello, everyone! It’s been a while! Did you have a nice break—ah!”

Artianne, entering with a bright smile, tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her face.

She was as clumsy as ever, just like in their first year.

But, remembering how scary Artianne could be, not a single first-year even thought of laughing and instead sat up straight, tense.

Groaning, Artianne stood at the front of the hall and smiled brightly.

“Did you rest well over the break? I’ve been looking forward to this day, counting down the days to see you all again!”

Some of the students looked genuinely moved at those words.

Artianne was certainly a strict professor.

But when it came to her attitude toward students, she was sincere.

For that, she was a highly popular professor, even if she was strict.

“Oh? You feel the same way.”

Artianne suddenly started muttering to herself.

It seemed she was talking with the spirits she’d contracted.

“The spirits I’m contracted with wanted to see you too!”

“Really?”

“See? Even the spirits pretend to be harsh, but they actually care about us!”

The very reason Artianne was so scary.

When the spirits said they’d wanted to meet the students, everyone got excited.

They’d grown attached, even through the beatings.

“Yes! They said there’s bound to be at least one student who did their [Hero Studies] homework half-heartedly, and they’ve been waiting for this day so I could punish them!”

As Artianne smiled innocently, the students’ faces went stiff.

Artianne, who had been relaying the spirits’ words without thinking, grew flustered and went to the corner to scold them.

“Everyone! You’re scaring the kids! How could you say that?”

Watching this, Carr spoke.

“I really worked hard on the [Hero Studies] homework.”

“Me too.”

Tide let out a long sigh.

After scolding the spirits, Artianne cleared her throat and returned to the podium.

“Anyway, turn in your homework after class. Today’s lesson will be about issues in the field of [Hero Studies] that came up over the break!”

Hearing that, the students looked puzzled.

“Issues in the [Hero Studies] field?”

“What could it be? Did they discover a new [Hero Dungeon]?”

“Or maybe they found a [Hero Relic].”

Any issue in [Hero Studies] could be an important event that would shake the world.

“You’ll all be surprised, I’m sure! At Azonia’s entrance ceremony, for the first time ever, the prologue page of [Hero] Arron was conquered.”

It was such a major event that it had been splashed across the front page of the newspapers, so every student already knew.

Especially for the first-years, it was impossible not to care that a student their age at another hero academy had already conquered the page of a [Great Hero].

But nothing about the contents or rewards of the [Hero’s World] had been announced.

As the students’ tension grew,

Artianne spoke.

“And in this latest challenge, a certain name was mentioned.”

She picked up a piece of chalk and started writing on the board.

Tap— tap— tap—

With only the sound of chalk echoing through the main hall,

The students started murmuring as soon as they saw the name written on the board.

Leo also recalled what had happened in the [Hero’s World].

‘Come to think of it, Ar mentioned my name to Agon.’

The name written on the board was all too familiar to Leo.

[The Surviving Hero, Kyle]

Artianne put down the chalk and turned around.

“Whether he’s the same person as the [Hero of Beginnings], we don’t know for sure… but for the first time in the world of the Great Heroes, the name ‘Kyle’ has been officially mentioned.”