Chapter 223
“What is she thinking?”
Aina frowned with her arms crossed.
Aina Beidian.
This year’s most anticipated applicant in both reputation and skill.
Not because she was the great-granddaughter of the Sword Star.
She had long since proven her skills and talent beyond any doubt.
‘But if her opponent is Leo… that’s far too reckless.’
Aina narrowed her eyes.
It was reckless, and for good reason.
Her opponent was none other than Leo Plov.
A student recognized as one of the monsters in Lumene’s entire history.
Aina, on the other hand, wasn’t even a Lumene student yet.
Some might say it’s just a one-year gap.
But the difference between someone who has survived a year at Lumene and someone who hasn’t is staggering.
That’s exactly why Lumene is called a Hero Academy.
Harrid chuckled faintly as he watched the scene on the screen.
Seeing that, Professor Ain asked,
“Professor Harrid. What will you do if Aina Beidian gets taken down by Leo like this?”
“Why ask something so obvious? She fails.”
If Professor Sedgen had been the exam supervisor, he might have passed her for her potential and future promise.
Sedgen was the kind of professor who valued ambition and boldness.
But Harrid was not.
To begin with, this exam was already overwhelmingly unfair.
Even someone like Carr, the weakest of the second-years, had the ability to hunt down examinees.
No matter how talented an applicant was, charging at Leo—the strongest second-year—was pure recklessness.
The reason Professor Harrid designed this test was to see how applicants would respond when faced with an uncontrollable situation.
Life in Lumene’s departments was harsh.
Even among the most gifted students who passed the entrance exam, over half were advised to withdraw during their first year.
Especially now, with the fall of the [Monster Queen], it was unclear how Tartarus might retaliate.
Moreover, this year’s so-called Golden Generation of first-years had already faced unusually severe trials.
There was no guarantee this year’s batch would be any different.
That’s why Harrid put more value on survival.
If an applicant didn’t have the ability to survive, Harrid had no intention of accepting them.
To attack Leo Plov under those conditions wasn’t courage or boldness—it was hubris.
‘Unless Aina Beidian has a way to escape from Leo…’
In Professor Ain’s view, one of Leo’s greatest strengths was his composure beyond his age.
Over the past year, many students had tried to catch him off guard in sparring matches in the Knights Department, but Leo had never once shown surprise.
Strangely, Leo’s level of experience was drastically different from his peers.
Professor Ain folded his arms again.
‘What will you do, Aina Beidian?’
—
Leo looked down at the girl staring up at him and spoke.
“Reckless actions won’t earn you any points, you know?”
“I don’t care. What matters more is gaining your recognition.”
“From me?”
A girl he was seeing for the first time had suddenly declared she needed his approval. Naturally, Leo was puzzled.
Shrrk—!
Aina didn’t respond and simply drew her sword.
“Draw your blade, Leo Plov.”
‘Whatever the reason, she sees me as some kind of test to overcome.’
Leo chuckled and replied,
“Shouldn’t you make me draw it, then?”
“That’s true.”
Someone confident in their strength might’ve taken offense at Leo’s words.
But Aina calmly agreed and lowered her stance.
Fwoosh—!
In an instant, a blinding thrust shot toward Leo’s forehead.
Leo leaned back and dodged.
He then attempted to counter by kicking her wrist with his heel.
Aina pulled back her sword, as if anticipating the move, and prepared her next strike.
Vwooom—
Golden [Aura] flared from Aina’s body.
Rooooar—! Crack-crack-crack—!
Leo’s eyes widened.
‘That level of output?’
[Mana] capacity and [Mana] output were two different things.
Simply put, mana capacity is like stamina, while mana output is power.
No matter your class, greater mana capacity and output allow you to use stronger skills, spells, and summoned beasts.
Even from Leo’s perspective, Aina’s mana output was at a shocking level.
Purely in terms of offensive capability, she rivaled Celia and Duran—top second-years from the Magic and Knight Departments.
Of course, high output alone didn’t guarantee strength, but it was still impressive.
Her aggressive swordplay surged toward Leo.
Fwaaaash—!
Her blade suddenly changed.
It wasn’t just powerful—it was dazzlingly unpredictable.
Her sword surrounded Leo from all directions.
Leo looked into Aina’s face.
Despite her advantageous position, her eyes remained cold and composed.
‘So that’s it. She’s not here to pass the exam.’
Vwoom—!
Gray [Aura] formed in Leo’s hand.
‘I’m her goal.’
Without hesitation, Leo stepped into the whirlwind of slashes.
Then, without pause, he reached out his hand.
Grab—!
Amidst the blinding flurry, Leo caught the tip of her sword between his fingers.
Their eyes met in midair.
“You’re the principal’s granddaughter?”
“Great-granddaughter.”
Her [Aura] carried the same presence as Kalian’s.
As Aina answered plainly, she flared her [Aura] to its maximum.
The swirling surge forced Leo to release the blade.
Then she pressed in rapidly.
Fwoosh! Slash! Ssst! Swish—swish—swish!
Her countless sword strikes tore through the air.
Leo evaded or blocked every single one.
Vroooooom—!
Suddenly, a massive wave of [Aura] surged from the tip of her sword.
A different level of power from before.
Crack—!
The fierce golden slash drove Leo to lift his leg.
Crash! Boom!
“…!”
Leo stepped on Aina’s sword.
Her blade slammed into the ground.
She put strength into her hands to shake him off.
But the sword didn’t budge.
Crack—!
Leo pressed down hard with his foot.
Snap! Crunch—!
Aina’s sword shattered.
For the first time, emotion flickered across her face.
“Whatever your reason is—”
Leo spoke coldly as he looked at Aina, who now had blood trickling from the corners of her mouth and eyes.
“This is the Lumene entrance exam. If you’re not interested in getting in, don’t waste my time.”
Leo had seen right through her—she didn’t care about the exam at all.
Aina grit her teeth.
‘The gap between us is this wide?’
No one understood better than Aina herself that she couldn’t defeat Leo.
But she thought she could at least gain recognition.
Yet the man before her didn’t acknowledge her in the slightest.
The gap between Leo and Aina was hopelessly vast.
‘Grandfather…’
By the time Aina could remember things, her grandparents and parents were already gone.
They had died in battle against the Demons.
Her great-grandfather, Kalian, was her only remaining family.
To Aina, Kalian was both someone to admire and someone she wanted to become.
But a few months ago, Kalian too lost his life fighting Demons.
Even if it had been a noble death, it brought no comfort to the one left behind.
Aina inherited everything the Sword Star had built.
The wealth he had amassed. His vast collection of arms.
As his rightful successor, she could have lived a life of luxury.
And no one would have blamed her.
But Aina chose the path of battle.
She vowed revenge against Tartarus, who had taken everything from her.
But a problem arose.
Kalian’s will was discovered too late.
Its contents were simple:
[All my possessions shall be conditionally inherited by my great-granddaughter Aina Beidian.
However, I cannot allow her to use what I leave behind in any fight against Tartarus.
If she wishes to live a life of battle, she must gain the approval of Leo Plov and become the master of Claesis.]
Before departing for Seirun to participate in Lumeiren,
Kalian’s will took effect.
The symbol of the Sword Star.
A seal was placed on Claesis.
Bound by a powerful magic restriction, Claesis became a sword Aina could never wield.
The only way to lift the seal was to earn Leo’s recognition.
It was Kalian’s way of protecting his beloved great-granddaughter from becoming consumed by vengeance.
Aina clenched her teeth.
As Leo raised his hand—
Fwoooosh—!
[Aura of Flames] roared around him.
Just as Aina shut her eyes—
Crack—!
Someone charged at Leo’s back at incredible speed.
Leo, as if expecting it, swung his arm backward.
Boom—!
Screeeee—!
The boy who had rushed him collided with Leo and was thrown back.
Leo’s eyes glinted strangely.
“S-sorryyyyy!”
The boy screamed in panic and grabbed Aina’s wrist, pulling her into a run.
“Hoooh?”
Leo wore an intrigued expression at the impact he felt in his arm.
‘That was stronger than expected. Is it his Aura trait?’
Flexing his hand, Leo turned to where the two were fleeing.
He smirked and dashed after them.
—
“Who was that boy?”
When Harrid asked in his usual flat tone, Yura quickly pulled up the roster.
From the looks of it, it was a situation where no one should have interfered.
But the boy had jumped into the fray without hesitation to save Aina.
A courageous act, but one that would cost him points as an examinee.
“Let’s see… Luke Elda. Just a normal countryside kid. From a commoner family.”
Yura’s words made Harrid stroke his chin.
“Is something wrong?”
Len asked curiously.
It was the first time Harrid showed interest in an examinee.
Dozens of [Hero’s Worlds] were being broadcast in the air.
Harrid was monitoring them all.
And he had seen Luke Elda pop up several times.
“That kid’s helped others several times during the exam.”
“Oh, he’s a good one, huh?”
Yura let out a sound of admiration.
“Or an idiot.”
Harrid said dryly.
“But if he grows stronger, he might become the ideal image of a hero.”
Someone who can show courage when helping others.
That’s the fundamental quality of a hero—and the hardest to maintain.
“Oh? Then does he pass?”
Yura, knowing how rare it was for Harrid to speak this favorably, asked with excitement.
But Harrid just gave her a look, as if to say ‘why even ask?’
“No. If he doesn’t survive, he fails.”
Yura shook her head knowingly.
“For conviction to have value, it must be backed by the strength to carry it out.”
A cold truth, but one an educator must embrace.
“Let’s see if that boy has the strength to go beyond his limits.”