Chapter 135
“Freedom!”
Lunia stretched and shouted as she stepped outside the city.
“I thought I was going to suffocate in there!”
“Weren’t you supposed to drop the act when it’s just us students?”
“Act? You have a weird way of putting things.”
“Then what do you call it?”
Lunia gave a bright, elegant smile. “Consider it a courtesy—so I don’t shatter people’s illusions.”
Leo shook his head.
“By the way, you teased me back there, didn’t you?”
Lunia glared, but Leo didn’t even blink as he asked, “Do you always act like the perfect honors student around your seniors?”
Lunia made a sulky face at that.
“The upperclassmen hardly know what I’m really like.”
“Hardly?”
“Yeah. There are a few who do. The one in glasses who was leading our group earlier? He knows what I’m like.”
Lunia scratched her head.
“That’s why I thought I’d be fine if it was just him, but then a bunch of other second- and third-years showed up, and it was exhausting.”
“If acting is your usual thing, it shouldn’t be tiring.”
“I wouldn’t be tired if they’d just leave me alone!”
Lunia folded her arms and made a face.
“But they kept making moves.”
“Moves?”
“Yeah. That second-year guy kept hinting at asking me out on a date!”
“Couldn’t you just say no?”
“He kept beating around the bush so I couldn’t refuse outright! It was so annoying!”
Lunia hysterically kicked at a nearby tree.
She must have been under a lot of stress during the trip.
“And everyone’s so elitist! The way they talk—ugh, it was unbearable!”
Lunia, Seiren’s first-year representative, had been famous since the day she entered the academy.
A prestigious family, beautiful looks.
And while her personality was like this, she always played the perfect honors student, so the teachers and upperclassmen all had high hopes and expectations for her.
There were rare cases like the traitor Rauta, but that was just a minority.
Usually, upperclass students viewed their juniors very favorably.
“So what bothered you so much?”
“They wouldn’t stop talking about you! Saying you only interpreted the Founder’s magic because you were lucky, that your interpretation was wrong! If they think that, why don’t they come up with their own interpretation? And if they can’t, then they should just keep it to themselves instead of talking trash about you in front of me! It pisses me off!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Apparently, just thinking about it made Lunia angry again, and she kicked at the tree some more.
Leo laughed at her fierce display.
“So you got angry on my behalf because they badmouthed me?”
Pause—
Lunia stopped kicking and glanced at Leo, then scoffed.
“Hmph! I just don’t like people putting down my rival without knowing anything!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Leo nodded as Lunia raised her chin and acted prim.
“How’s Eiran doing?”
“Great! She’s finally adjusted to school. No one’s looking down on her anymore!”
Lunia cheerfully chatted with Leo about what had happened since the school trip.
They’d exchanged letters, but talking in person was still the best.
‘Somehow, I always have good conversations with him,’ Lunia thought.
Even though they were from different races, there was something about Leo that felt familiar.
As they walked, Leo asked offhandedly, “So, you came to investigate the hero dungeon, but is it okay for you to come hunt bandits with me?”
“Sure. It’s just an investigation anyway. It’s not like I’m actually going to enter the hero dungeon without—wait!”
Lunia stopped mid-sentence, clapping a hand over her mouth.
“Really?”
“W-what do you mean? Hero dungeon? Ha ha ha…”
Watching her try to play it off, Leo said, “So it’s not a big deal? Then I can contact Lumene right now and let them know Seiren students are here?” He took out the communication orb provided for fieldwork and waved it at her.
Lunia rolled her eyes, then let out a deep sigh.
“Fine! The vice principal said there might be a hero dungeon here! Satisfied?!”
It was obvious from the moment Seiren students appeared in the region that there might be a hero dungeon here.
Deciding it couldn’t be helped, Lunia came clean, and Leo nodded.
Lunia made a slightly sulky face at him.
“Let’s get going.”
Without pressing further about the hero dungeon, Leo pulled out his map.
“The bandits are using the ruins on the eastern edge of the Garan region as their base.”
Lunia nodded. “All right. Let’s hurry up and wipe them out.”
Crack—crack—
Lunia stretched her fingers, smiling fiercely.
“Villains who prey on innocent people—I’ll never forgive them.”
As a hero candidate, Lunia had a naturally strong sense of justice.
“Come on.”
Leo knelt down in front of her with his back turned.
“…? What are you doing?”
“Get on.”
“What? Why would I?!”
Lunia asked, face flushing, and Leo answered matter-of-factly, “Don’t you want to get to the bandit hideout fast?”
“I can just fly using magic!”
“Even then, I bet I could get there faster carrying you.”
Even though she was feisty, as a young lady from a noble family, being told by a boy her age to get on his back made her hesitate.
But with a sigh, she climbed onto his back.
“If you try anything weird, you’re dead.”
“What would I even try?”
“You—never mind. I’m not even going to bother.”
With a deep sigh, Lunia wrapped her arms around Leo’s neck.
Leo bent his knees, then sprang forward with incredible speed.
Feeling the rush of wind, Lunia closed her eyes for a moment.
But once she got used to it and opened her eyes, she realized how fast they were moving.
‘He really is fast.’
Lunia pouted, then rested her chin on Leo’s left shoulder as she thought,
‘Come to think of it, did he get taller again?’
Realizing that the boy who used to be about her height had shot up, Lunia tightened her grip around his neck, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
—
“So, we’ll be exploring the area for ecological research for a while.”
“Yes! Yes! Stay as long as you need! We’ll make sure you’re comfortable while you’re here!”
Hadin spoke politely, and the Garan lord rubbed his hands together obsequiously.
Watching from a distance, a second-year Seiren girl sneered.
“Pathetic. Well, that’s humans for you.”
Elves, more than any other race, were proud of their culture.
And because Seiren students were considered chosen, they tended to be arrogant.
Of course, not all students were like that.
But upperclass students were put on a pedestal, so many had a strong sense of racial superiority.
All three here were upperclassmen.
This dungeon exploration group consisted of two third-years, two second-years, and one first-year.
Hadin, the third-year leader, was an active dungeon raider for Seiren, and the others were candidates.
This fieldwork was also a sort of test to evaluate their abilities as dungeon explorers.
“Still, for Lunia to neglect her mission and go off to hunt bandits… Even if she’s exceptional, she’s still just a kid, isn’t she?”
She asked her peer and the senior male student.
The second-year Seiren boy replied, “She’s just got a strong sense of justice.”
He’d been openly interested in Lunia since fieldwork began.
“Even so, why not just hunt bandits with us? Why go with a Lumene student?”
He grumbled, not understanding, and the third-year said,
“I heard Lunia considers Leo Plov her rival.”
It was well-known that Lumene and Seiren’s first-years had joint classes last semester.
And how the first-year homeroom teacher Herdeum had lavishly praised the Lumene first-years—everyone in Seiren knew.
Since Herdeum was a highly respected elite teacher, his words carried a lot of weight.
“Well, after what happened with Gigantes, I guess he’s something. But I think our own first-years could have done the same,” the second-year girl said with a huff.
“That’s right, senior. There’s no way a Lumene student could do something a Seiren student couldn’t.”
He grimaced, revealing obvious hostility at the thought of Leo and Lunia together.
“Anyway, Lumeiren’s ours this year, isn’t it? The current second-years at Lumene are nothing special. Even the third-years are no match for you seniors.”
At the younger student’s words, the Seiren third-year’s face darkened.
“That’s not quite true. There’s a monster in Lumene’s third year.”
“A monster?”
“You mean Elena Zeron?”
The second-years tilted their heads, and the third-year nodded.
The second-years laughed at that.
“But that’s just one person, isn’t it? The other Lumene third-years are nothing.”
“That’s right. We’ll win for sure this year. The Lumene second-years are really nothing.”
In the past three years of first-year matches, last year’s first-years—now the current Lumene second-years—lost badly to Seiren’s first-years.
“Still, last year’s Lumene first-year representative was pretty skilled. Don’t get overconfident just because you won easily last year.”
“Oh, you mean Lily Luce, that weird-talking girl? Still, among the others, she was the only impressive one.”
“Yeah. If someone like her is a class representative, Lumene’s really gone downhill.”
“My, what’s wrong with my cute Lily?”
A sudden voice made the Seiren students flinch and turn around.
There stood a beautiful girl, smiling.
The Seiren third-year’s face stiffened.
“Elena Zeron? Why are you here?!”
“Hello, Seiren students.”
Elena twisted the end of her hair around her finger as she spoke.
“I like people who work hard, you know.”
The Seiren students were flustered by her abrupt statement.
“My dear Lily is always working hard. And she’s so sweet. Last year, she couldn’t show her full skills because she was busy looking after her classmates. After that, she worked so hard to restore Lumene’s honor.”
Thinking fondly of the only junior she truly cared for, Elena smiled gently.
“I don’t care if you badmouth other schools where I can’t hear it.”
Smile—
“But since I overheard you this time, I’m a little upset. So I’ll give you a chance to apologize. If you kneel and bow your heads politely, I’ll forgive you.”
The second-year Seiren boy, a bit flustered, stiffened his tone.
“I only said the truth. I don’t think this warrants kneeling.”
“That’s right! If you don’t like it, prove us wrong with your skills!”
“I told you why I’m upset and gave you a chance to apologize.”
The so-called queen of Lumene, Elena’s eyes glinted with menace.
“You’re the ones who threw away your chance.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a burst of bright light exploded.
Boom—!
The lord’s mansion was reduced to ruins in an instant.
Hadin and the lord, who’d been talking nearby, rushed over at the sudden blast.
Hadin’s face stiffened at the sight of a familiar face with her foot on his junior’s head.
“My, my. You don’t seem to be in a position to mock our school anymore, do you?”
Squish—!
Normally, Elena looked down on those around her, but she would never allow anyone to look down on Lumene.
She was the daughter of Lumene Academy’s chairman.
And its next chairman.
She couldn’t tolerate anyone insulting her alma mater.
“Elena… Zeron.”
“Hello, Hadin.”
Elena smiled brightly at the Seiren third-year representative she’d been competing with for three years.
“Looks like I need to give your juniors a little lesson.”
—
“R-run! It’s a witch!”
“Wanna die? Have you ever seen a witch as pure and delicate as me?!”
“Not exactly pure and delicate, are you?”
“What? Want to die first?”
Lunia glared at Leo, but kept targeting the bandits with her magic.
Bandits screamed as they were swept up in rolling waves of flame.
As they fled in terror, Lunia burst out laughing and chased after them.
“Villains who torment innocent people! I’ll send you all to hell!”
‘Judging by her face alone, she really does look like a witch.’
Leo shook his head with a faint laugh.
‘She’s just like Luna in that way.’
If Lunia heard that, she’d be happy; if Luna heard, she’d be furious. Leo looked ahead to the entrance of the distant ruins.
‘Completely in ruins.’
The entrance had lost all its former sturdiness.
Leo followed Lunia into the ruins.
Inside, Lunia was using magic to wipe out the bandits.
As Seiren Academy’s first-year representative, her power was truly overwhelming.
Even with their numbers, these country bandits were no match.
“It—it’s a hostage! Grab a hostage!”
The bandits swarmed toward Leo.
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Leo said with a wry smile, raising his hand lightly.
Flash—!
In an instant, Leo completed a magic formula and sent a whirlwind of fire at the bandits.
“Gyaaah!”
The bandits screamed and scattered.
The bandit gang was wiped out in no time.
“Hmph! Those nobodies thought they could mess with us.”
Lunia dusted off her hands and looked at Leo.
‘What’s he doing?’
Puzzled, Lunia walked over to Leo.
Meanwhile, Leo knelt and swept his hand across the ground.
‘…It looks like… Guardslone itself is buried underground.’
Even after thousands of years, this had been the world’s final stronghold.
It was strange that a fortress like this would be left only in old records, with no trace aboveground.
But inside the faint ruins, Leo realized—
‘This is the upper part of Guardslone’s wall.’
The height and thickness of the Guardslone wall were unimaginable by modern standards.
Guardslone had been an enormous city, incomparable even to the refugee city of Reysar.
As he brushed the ground, Leo felt a faint energy flowing beneath the earth.
‘Dark mana… I see.’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Did Tartaros bury Guardslone?’