Chapter 202
“There’s one thing I’m certain of.”
Carr said with a meaningful smile.
“What is it?”
Chelsea looked at Carr with a puzzled expression, and Carr gave her a thumbs-up.
“The desserts sold in Seiren are definitely worse than the ones in Lumene.”
The students of Class 5 nodded in agreement at his words.
“That’s true.”
“It’s not that they taste bad… but compared to our school, they’re lacking.”
Nod, nod.
Eliana nodded, and Nella gave her signature lazy smile.
It had already been a week since Lumeiren began.
The students from Lumene had become somewhat accustomed to Seiren’s bitter cold.
But there was one thing they still couldn’t get used to—Seiren’s desserts.
And desserts were a serious matter, especially for the female students.
“Why is there such a difference in quality?”
Carr spoke as he watched Chelsea munching on a cookie with her head tilted in thought.
“All the cafes and bakeries in Lumene have to compete from the moment they open, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And even after opening, they have to keep competing. So naturally, they pay more attention to new menu items and taste. Seiren might have top chefs too, but since there’s no real competition here, it’s only natural there’s a gap.”
As Carr explained the economics behind it, the girls nodded, going, “Oooh!” in agreement.
“Thanks to that, the desserts we prepared are selling like crazy—not just to the Seiren students but to the elf spectators too.”
Carr shook his coin pouch with a jingle, grinning in satisfaction.
“You Lumene students get to eat stuff this tasty every day? I’m jealous.”
Eiran, who had come to see Leo, was happily munching on cookies with her ears fluttering like wings.
“I thought it before, but I have to admit it now.”
Lunia nodded with her hands on her cheeks.
“So, what brings you here?”
Chelsea asked with a curious look, and Lunia replied.
“I heard the one representing Lumene in this round’s chess match is a first-year?”
The next event was Battle Chess.
With all eyes of the audience focused—
Rumble—
A small tower began to rise over the arena.
At the top of the tower were a desk, chairs, and chess pieces.
Lumeiren was a competition where the two schools measured both strength and intellect.
Chess was the pinnacle of brain sports.
And a first-year was participating in such a match, so Lunia couldn’t help but be curious.
“Was it Chloe Mueller?”
At Lunia’s question, Carr nodded.
“That’s right.”
“How good must she be to beat Torua Yan, a fifth-year? Chess has always been a close match, but now a first-year’s in? Or is it a generational shift in preparation for the future?”
As Lunia showed interest, Carr replied.
“Leo said she’s really good.”
“Leo? He plays chess?”
“During the selection match, Leo beat Senior Torua.”
Lunia’s eyes widened.
“And Chloe beat Leo.”
“Wow.”
Lunia clicked her tongue.
“Just how good is she?”
“Leo said she’s as good as someone he knows.”
“Who?”
“He didn’t say.”
Carr shook his head.
“Anyway, where’s Leo?”
Lunia asked with a puzzled expression, and Carr shrugged.
“No idea. Said he’d be watching from the very back of the stands.”
“Why would he go all the way back there when he could sit in a good spot?”
Lunia looked genuinely confused.
—
“Let’s have a good match.”
“A first-year, huh? I was expecting Torua Yan. This is going to be dull.”
As Chloe bowed her head, Seiren’s fifth-year representative, Markia, sighed and sat down.
Chloe took her seat across from him.
Moments later, with a bright light, the chess pieces emerged from the board’s surface.
Vooom—!
At the same time, the arena below the tower lit up.
A huge square space appeared, and a checkered chessboard began to form.
“Ooooooh.”
“It’s starting!”
The battlefield was twice the size of a normal chessboard, and there were more types of pieces.
Chloe began arranging the white pieces as if it were second nature.
“You’re familiar with elven-style chess.”
“I’m from the North.”
“Oh?”
Each race had its own subtle variations in chess rules.
Elven chess was famously the most complex.
But if she was from the northern regions where elves resided, it made sense she was accustomed to elven chess.
“In that case, maybe this won’t be so boring.”
Just as Markia smiled in satisfaction—
Step, step—
Students from Lumene and Seiren walked onto the center of the arena.
Wearing helmets and wielding weapons symbolizing chess pieces, they headed to their positions.
This was Seiren’s Battle Chess.
And elven-style chess was known for its diverse terrain.
Depending on the terrain, the effectiveness between pieces would change.
Additionally, pieces didn’t always die from a single hit.
It was a game filled with so many strategic elements that it couldn’t even be compared to standard chess.
The students playing the roles of the pieces lined up.
After exchanging greetings, they took their positions on the vast chessboard, and the match began in earnest.
Tap— Thud!
Chloe, playing black, made the first move.
In response, a Lumene student moved across the giant chessboard.
—
“Watching them bash each other around does seem entertaining.”
Sitting in the very top row of the stands, Leo let out a dry chuckle as he looked down at the massive chessboard.
It was clear that chess played this way made for a thrilling spectacle.
But Leo couldn’t concentrate on the match.
‘Why didn’t Luna’s World react to me?’
The events from a few days ago lingered in his mind.
No matter how packed the audience was for Lumeiren, the back rows were quiet and empty.
Thanks to that, he could sit alone in silence and think.
Leo glanced down at the bracelet on his arm.
‘Could that Luna page be broken? But according to Seiren’s vice principal, it was definitely a Hero’s World that had been cleared not long ago…’
“Not watching the match? What are you doing, Leo Plov?”
Someone spoke to Leo.
Turning his head, Leo saw Vice Principal Lieven sit beside him and gave him a puzzled look.
“What brings you here instead of the VIP seats?”
“I wanted to talk with you.”
Unlike Leo, Lieven kept his eyes on the Lumene students.
“I heard Nerzia called for you.”
“Yeah. She asked me to transfer to Seiren.”
“I figured.”
Lieven laughed.
“So? What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“Why? Nerzia’s a greedy one. She must’ve promised you the best support.”
“I just didn’t feel the need.”
“You really are a strange one.”
Lieven chuckled and shook his head.
“As Nerzia said, the fact that Lumene has been falling behind Seiren these past few years is largely due to my own neglect.”
Lieven let out a deep sigh.
“I told you the first time we met, didn’t I? That I was disappointed in the students.”
He had been disheartened by students who couldn’t dream beyond becoming mere heroes.
“But meeting you made me realize I’d been disappointed for no good reason.”
Now, unlike before, Lieven looked at the Lumene students with warmth.
Seeing that, Leo gave a faint smile.
“Your face has changed a lot.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Just now, you looked like the Wise King.”
Lysinas also used to look at children the same way Lieven did.
“I’ve been wondering, Leo Plov.”
“Yes?”
“Are you really just an ordinary boy?”
As Leo gave a faint smile at that question—
Crackle—
A gray spark flashed from Leo’s body.
“…!”
“…?”
Both Leo and Lieven looked shocked.
[Hero Record: Opened.]
A familiar message appeared above Leo’s vision.
“What?”
Leo’s face contorted in disbelief.
[Luna’s World. Chapter: Battle of Heavy Armor – Zegdiac.]
Fwoosh—!
“…!”
Leo vanished in an instant, and Lieven’s eyes widened.
“What in the…!”
But Lieven’s cry was drowned out by the roar of the cheering crowd.
He jumped up from his seat, looking around.
‘Teleportation? No… There was no magic pulse. That light just now—it looked like the one from entering a Hero’s World!’
Lieven’s face contorted in confusion.
‘But there’s no Hero Record here…’
Rumble—!
With his dragon’s sharp senses, Lieven felt the earth tremble.
His expression hardened.
‘What is this?’
The crowd had yet to notice.
But the heroes, professors, and a few students deployed across the arena for security began to sense something was wrong.
Drip— drip-drip—
Suddenly, raindrops began to fall from the sky.
Drip-drip-drip—! Shwoooo—!
Everyone froze at the unexpected downpour.
Lieven stared in disbelief.
“Rain…?”
This was the northernmost region of the continent.
A place where rain never fell.
Yet now, a torrential storm was pouring.
As everyone reeled in shock—
Boom—!
Lightning struck from above.
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
Voooom—!
The faces of those who saw the giant dark red symbol forming in the sky turned pale.
Every hero cadet had been taught what that symbol meant.
Queen of Demonic Beasts, Sillatna.
That terrifying creature was about to reveal herself here.
—
“That Hell Kaiser…”
Sillatna emerged through the clouds, brushing back her hair.
“He made such a fuss like he was going to take care of things himself.”
She appeared to be a beautiful woman, but inside, she was a cruel and terrifying general of Tartarus’s army.
A dreadful high demon who existed even before the Age of Calamity.
“Now he’s dumping this on me just because his plan went sideways? That guy’s been rude forever, but this is really annoying.”
As Sillatna muttered in irritation, the man beside her spoke.
“My Queen, in that case, why not simply ignore the insolent Necromancer King’s words?”
“True. But…”
Sillatna licked her lips as she looked down at Seiren.
“I have a much stronger desire to crush those insects.”
Ever combative, Sillatna had long wanted to attack the hero academies.
But she’d held back because of the interference of the Necromancer King and the Giant King.
This time, however, the Necromancer King hadn’t stopped her.
And so, Sillatna had no reason to restrain herself anymore.
“My legion, show those insolent worms what true despair looks like.”
Sillatna grinned viciously.
“Let’s teach them what real despair is.”