Chapter 133
For a moment, Elena looked blank.
Seeing her like that, Leo smiled. “Just kidding.”
‘Is he teasing me?’
Elena, who was called the queen of the school, let out a short laugh as she watched the audacious first-year who teased her so casually.
“So, you’re joining the party then?”
“No. I’ve already decided where I’m doing my mission fieldwork.”
“Did another raider party invite you?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Then why aren’t you joining a raider party? It’s to your advantage.”
“Why would joining a raider party be an advantage for me?”
Elena was genuinely flustered by Leo’s puzzled expression.
She had thought it was an offer a first-year couldn’t possibly refuse.
After all, it was basically promising to hand over the rewards from a hero dungeon raid.
‘Then why did he refuse? Does he not understand the value of the Hero’s World?’
That couldn’t be.
Leo was so outstanding that he was the class representative.
Someone like that would definitely understand the significance and value of raiding the Hero’s World.
‘Or is it just pride?’
But from what Elena could tell, Leo didn’t seem like someone to insist on that kind of emotion.
“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going now.”
Leo bowed his head and left.
Elena narrowed her eyes as she watched him go.
“Hmph.”
Unhappy, Elena twisted the ends of her hair with her fingers.
Blue Moon party members stared wide-eyed, glancing between Leo and Elena.
He had refused the invitation of Elena, the so-called queen of Lumene!
Other students also stared at Leo in disbelief.
A furious voice burst out from among the Blue Moon party members.
“That arrogant punk! How dare he refuse Elena’s invitation?”
“Does being class representative make him think he’s above everyone else?”
“Elena! Want me to teach him a lesson?”
Blue Moon party members jumped at the chance, eager to impress Elena in hopes of being included in the next raid.
Elena, still twisting her hair, gave them a faint smile.
“Who said you could talk to me without permission?”
The Blue Moon party members flinched at her words.
There were even fourth-years in Blue Moon who were older than Elena.
But none could say anything.
Elena smiled once more at them before clicking away from the first-year dorm in her heels.
‘How humiliating.’
She had been rejected in front of so many people.
By tomorrow, it would be plastered all over the school newspaper.
Of course, Elena didn’t care in the slightest if that happened.
She wasn’t the type to pay attention to the chatter of people she considered worthless.
‘My charm doesn’t work at all.’
Elena’s pink eyes glimmered mysteriously.
She was born with an innate charm that drew people to her.
But that wasn’t just about her background, talent, or looks.
She was born with a bewitching allure—a curse that brought unhappiness to herself and those around her.
Yet that curse, combined with her overwhelming talent as a hero, became her greatest weapon.
Just a glance from her could make ordinary people submit.
Even those with strong minds felt drawn to her.
People who understood this ability either feared or resented her.
But Leo was completely unaffected by Elena’s allure.
“Orbe.”
“Yes, milady.”
“Find out where Leo Plov is going for his mission fieldwork.”
Hearing her order, Elena’s attendant, Orbe, hesitated.
“It’s against school rules to investigate a student’s personal matters.”
“You know I don’t care about things like that, right?”
Elena spoke as she twisted the ends of her hair.
“Understood.”
Bowing his head, Orbe disappeared back into the darkness.
Walking alone through the nighttime school, Elena muttered,
“Leo Plov…”
A smile curled on Elena’s lips.
“How interesting.”
—
The next morning.
The rumor that Leo had refused Elena’s invitation to join her party had spread throughout the school.
“Pwahahaha!”
Hark Riguard, the fourth-year representative, burst out laughing as he read the newspaper, lifting his eye patch.
Second-year representative Lily Luce dropped her fork and gaped at the article as she read it over breakfast.
“Don’t you think the newspaper club writes their articles way too sensationally?”
Looking at the school newspaper delivered to every class every morning, Chelsea murmured, and Carr shrugged.
“What can you do? The newspaper club has to make a living too.”
The headline screamed [The Queen’s Humiliation] in huge letters.
“The newspaper club is brave, at least.”
“They do crazy things sometimes.”
Carr chuckled and then asked Leo, “How does it feel to humiliate the queen?”
“Not much.”
“Still, you embarrassed her so publicly—aren’t you worried about revenge or something?”
“That won’t happen.”
‘She’s not the type to ruin her reputation over something like revenge. She wouldn’t care what others say about her anyway.’
The real problem was Elena’s followers.
‘The queen’s followers are fiercely jealous.’
He remembered something Lily had told him once.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter if those kinds of people act up. It’s just a little annoying, that’s all.’
Leo didn’t care about nobodies.
‘But I do need Elena’s permission to enter the restricted archives.’
To research the Hero Record, he needed permission from Elena, the director’s proxy.
Last time, she hadn’t even listened, but now—on a whim—she’d agreed to hear him out.
‘That doesn’t mean I’ll actually get access.’
She could still refuse after hearing his request.
‘Besides, I’m not about to tie my whole school life up just to get into the restricted archives.’
Elena was a powerful candidate for the next chairperson.
If he joined her Dungeon Raider party, he’d only get tangled up in trouble.
‘And I’m busy enough as it is.’
Figuring out why the Hero Record was split was important, but right now, finding the traitor inside Lumene took priority.
‘I’ll just take my time with the restricted archives.’
Creak—
The classroom door opened and Professor Harrid entered.
The students hurried to their seats as Harrid took his place at the podium.
“Did everyone check the mission requests for fieldwork yesterday?”
“Yes!”
“Then write a simple mission plan explaining why you chose your mission and submit it.”
“Yes, sir!”
Class 5 quickly wrote their mission plans.
Afterward, Professor Harrid checked carefully to see if anyone had chosen missions that were too much for them or if they had the ability to handle their chosen missions.
He paused when he read Leo’s mission plan.
Usually, first-years doing fieldwork for the first time picked requests that matched their abilities.
Occasionally, some got overzealous and bit off more than they could chew, but almost no one picked missions far below their ability.
Only upperclassmen who had already accumulated enough fieldwork points but were required to do a set number of missions chose easy requests.
“Are you sure about the bandit subjugation mission in the Garan region, Leo Plov?”
“Yes.”
“Hm. You really are a surprise in many ways.”
Professor Harrid stroked his chin.
He was supposed to guide students who tried missions beyond their skill, but this case left him wondering what to do.
‘Well, I’m sure he has his reasons.’
Harrid trusted Leo had a plan.
Thinking that, Harrid let out a small laugh.
‘Never thought I’d end up trusting a first-year this much.’
Shaking his head, Harrid stamped Leo’s mission plan.
When the short meeting ended, Harrid announced,
“Mission fieldwork starts in two days. Make sure you’re ready.”
“Yes, sir!”
—
Whoooooosh—!
A cold wind howled.
A land of winter all year round.
The place where beautiful elf students studied to become heroes: Seiren.
“Achoo!”
Walking through the corridors of Seiren, the red-haired girl Lunia sneezed.
“Nnng—!”
Rubbing her nose and sounding stuffy, Lunia made Eiran look at her with concern.
“Are you all right, Lunia?”
“Yeah. Sniff—!”
Elves were strong in the winter, given where they lived.
Especially Lunia, heir to the Lunda family, who wielded the power of the Phoenix, should be even more resistant to the cold.
But being resistant to the cold and not liking it were different things.
Lunia, in particular, really hated the cold.
“By the way, didn’t Professor Herdeum say Leo might come here as an exchange student? What happened with that?” Eiran asked, a bit excited.
“It’s not happening. They suggested he spend almost half a semester here, but there’s no way Lumene would let someone like Leo go for that long.”
By now, Leo Plov’s name was famous even in Seiren.
‘That guy. He’s pulled ahead again. And it’s not like Leo’s the only first-year in Lumene either.’
Lunia grinned, thinking about having to compete with Lumene’s first-years for the rest of her school life.
The more worthy her opponent, the more fired up she got.
‘Sounds fun.’
She was smiling fiercely when—
“You don’t look like a class representative.”
A sharp voice interrupted.
Lunia looked annoyed as she saw the boy in front of her.
Eiran bowed hastily. “Hello, Senior Hadin.”
“Hmph. Eiran. I hear you’ve finally come to your senses these days.”
With a cold smile, Hadin adjusted his glasses, looking at Eiran.
“You know you’ve disgraced Seiren’s name as a class representative, right?”
Eiran shrank at his words.
“I hope you don’t do anything to tarnish our school’s reputation anymore.”
Eiran couldn’t say anything.
Lunia glared at Hadin with a sullen face.
“And Lunia, how many times have I told you not to make faces like that?”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“You look like a street thug.”
Hadin glanced over Lunia’s outfit.
She’d unbuttoned a few buttons on her uniform and worn it out over her skirt—very casual.
“And you’re dressed like that again.”
Hadin Dertean.
Top of the third years at Seiren.
In other words, the class representative of the third years.
He was proud to be a Seiren student and constantly nitpicked Lunia.
“How many times have I told you that you should set an example as class representative?”
“Yes, yes, I get it.”
Lunia replied with a cheeky smile, buttoned up, and straightened her uniform.
“Happy now?”
“Hmph.”
Adjusting his glasses, Hadin scoffed.
“So, what brings you to the first-year classroom?”
“We’re going together for this mission.”
“….”
Lunia looked exhausted.
“No need to be so happy.”
“Do I look happy to you?”
“This is a good chance for me to teach you, as your senior, what kind of conduct befits a class representative.”
‘Ugh, how annoying. Should I just deck him?’
Lunia ground her teeth inwardly.
“So? Where are we going for mission fieldwork?”
“A place called Garan, in the far southwest of the continent.”
“Garan?”
‘Well, at least it’s warm.’
“Isn’t that in the territory of humans and beastkin? Why are we going all the way there?” Eiran asked.
“The vice principal said there might be an ‘undiscovered hero dungeon’ there. Anyway, Lunia, we leave in two days. Be thoroughly prepared.”
With that, Hadin left.
Then, suddenly, he added,
“Eiran. Keep doing things right.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hadin snorted coldly at Eiran’s reply and walked away.
Watching his retreating back, Lunia paused for a moment, then started rolling a snowball.
She didn’t forget to put a small stone inside as she carefully made the snowball.
Then she aimed right at Hadin’s head.
Eiran, panicked, clung to Lunia’s arm. “L-Lunia! If you do that, you’ll get in a fight with your senior!”
“It’s fine. That annoying guy won’t get hurt by something like this.”
“I’m telling you, don’t do it!”