Chapter 250
“I was hoping to do some sightseeing while we’re here.”
Leo murmured as he strolled through the exotic streets.
“It’s not great to miss too many classes at the beginning of the semester.”
“How about visiting my country again during the summer break? I’ll show you around all the famous spots.”
“If nothing comes up, that might not be a bad idea.”
Leo replied with a faint smile at Chen Xia’s suggestion.
Following behind them, Fritz adjusted his glasses.
“This scenery is certainly worth appreciating. If I get the chance, I’d like to visit again as we—”
“Don’t ever come back. Shoo, shoo.”
Jane interrupted, waving her hand at him.
“Jane.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
“You should get along with your classmates.”
“He’s not even—!”
“Hmm?”
“…I’ll be nice…”
Jane backed down under Chen Xia’s gentle smile.
Watching her, Fritz flashed a smug grin.
Sparks practically shot from Jane’s eyes as she glared at him.
‘I’ll beat him to a pulp when we get back!’
She clenched her fists and trembled with fury.
Meanwhile, passersby began to turn their attention to the group.
It was hard not to notice four students walking around in Lumene uniforms.
“By the way, which dorm am I assigned to?”
“Oh, right—you wouldn’t know.”
Having taken time off from school, Chen Xia wasn’t caught up on the current state of the second-years.
“There aren’t any class divisions for second-years.”
“Huh?”
“Second-years are split into three dorms. The dorms compete against each other.”
Hearing that, Chen Xia’s eyes sparkled.
“That sounds fun.”
“You, me, and Chloe are the dorm heads.”
“I’m in the same dorm as you, Leo?”
Chen Xia laughed, then suddenly paused.
Hearing that she and Chloe were in the same dorm as Leo gave her a feeling.
“What about the other dorm heads?”
“Celia, Chelsea, and Walden are together. Abad, Eliza, and Duran are in the third dorm.”
“…Are those dorms okay?”
It was clearly a chaotic mix of personalities.
Worried, Chen Xia looked to Leo, who chuckled.
“Surprisingly, they seem to be getting along.”
“I see.”
Chen Xia nodded.
Meanwhile, it was their turn to use the warp gate back to Lumene.
The four of them stepped onto the gate, and it activated.
—
Principal’s office, Lumene.
At her desk, Leena was reviewing paperwork.
“That’s unexpected.”
Sedgen muttered in admiration as he watched her.
“What is?”
“I recommended you as Lumene’s principal, but I didn’t expect you to take the job this seriously.”
“You jerk! So that’s what you were thinking?!”
Leena’s eyes blazed as she picked up a bottle of liquor from her desk and hurled it at him.
Thump—!
Sedgen caught it effortlessly and placed it on the table.
“Anyway, I’m worried.”
“Chen Xia?”
“Yeah. She’s not just one of the top students among the second-years. She’s an elegant student with the leadership to guide her peers.”
Sedgen sighed.
“Other students have natural leadership, too.”
“They do, but they’re still immature.”
“Ahh, so grouping the dorm heads like that was meant to foster their leadership through competition?”
“Exactly.”
Sedgen had the biggest influence over how the dorm heads were selected.
“If we’d split up Chloe, Chen Xia, and Leo Plov, it would’ve made a balanced structure. But that might’ve stifled the growth of the other students.”
Though it wasn’t public, and it didn’t affect grades, the faculty had assessed first-years based on their performance as class leaders.
Leo had ranked first.
Chloe and Chen Xia were tied for second.
Among the ten classes, Class 1 was considered the hardest to manage.
It was packed with top students.
And it included prideful elite bloodlines like Celia and Duran.
They could’ve easily clashed and caused chaos.
But Chloe perfectly played the role of mediator and naturally became Class 1’s recognized leader.
Chen Xia was no less impressive.
If Class 1 was the hardest class, then Class 10 was the most problematic.
It had hot-tempered students, many of whom were notorious troublemakers.
It was practically wild.
Chen Xia subdued Class 10 within a week.
Their class average ranked third overall.
After Class 1 and Class 5, they had the highest promotion rate to second-year.
And it was all thanks to Chen Xia.
“So, the so-called big-sister style leadership, huh?”
“Exactly.”
She looked young, but Chen Xia was the oldest among the first-years and had a mature, adult-like personality.
Even the most hotheaded students had a hard time defying her.
Some Class 10 students even called her ‘Big Sis.’
“She also helped mediate between Celia, Duran, Walden, and Eliza during knight and summoning classes.”
Sedgen smirked.
“I see. A student like that would naturally guide others, even among peers.”
Celia, Chelsea, Walden, Abad, Eliza, Duran.
These six students were considered especially outstanding, even within Lumene.
Sedgen wanted them to actively develop their leadership skills.
“They might be rivals, but putting them together could create a positive spark.”
“Got it. But you’ve been avoiding talking about Leo Plov.”
Leena tilted her head.
At that, Sedgen’s face twisted into something almost resentful.
“Leo Plov… he’s on another level.”
He had taken Class 5, the lowest-ranked class, and raised it to second place overall.
And not a single student dropped out.
Most credited Harrid’s strict methods, but in truth, Leo had been the key.
“I know he’s on another level. But what exactly makes him different?”
“He pushes others to do better.”
“Pushes?”
Sedgen narrowed his eyes.
“He’s always one step ahead. Just when you think you’ve caught up, he’s already moved again.”
He sighed deeply.
“For someone chasing him, it wouldn’t be strange to feel hopeless.”
“True.”
“But Leo’s overwhelming ability also inspires admiration in others.”
“Admiration?”
“Yeah. His back pushes them forward—but also comforts them. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘You can do it too.’”
“Why is that?”
“Because he always challenges what seems impossible.”
“Ohh…”
Leena let out a breath of admiration.
“Leo constantly pushes past his limits. And then does even more.”
“I see.”
Leena nodded.
Someone like that couldn’t help but be admired.
To witness such a peer was a blessing for any generation.
“But why do you dislike him so much?”
“You try teaching him. It’s annoying! And that elegance of his just makes it worse!”
Sedgen growled in frustration.
Knock, knock—
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a professor stepped in.
“What is it?”
“Second-year student Leo, along with first-years Fritz and Jane, have returned from their mission.”
“Already?”
Leena blinked in surprise at how quickly they’d completed their assignment.
“And Chen Xia?”
“She’s returned as well.”
“To think they managed to convince that stubborn girl…”
Leena chuckled.
Sedgen crossed his arms.
Then scowled and muttered,
“As expected. Elegant as always.”
—
“Xia! You’re back! We were so worried!”
Chloe beamed as she took Chen Xia’s hand when she returned to the dorm.
It wasn’t just Chloe.
Every student in the lounge welcomed her return.
“We were so shocked when we heard you were suddenly sent on a mission.”
“Hooh—hooh—what was it about?” Eliana asked excitedly.
“Even with new students in tow?”
“It’s a family matter, so it’s a secret.”
“Ugh, don’t be stingy! Tell us!”
Despite Eliana’s whining, Leo remained silent on the sofa.
Eliana scowled at him, then turned back to Chen Xia.
“Xia! Why did you come back so late after break?”
Everyone turned to look.
They had avoided asking out of respect, knowing it was a private matter.
But they were all curious.
Chen Xia smiled faintly.
“My family told me to withdraw from Lumene.”
“What?!”
“That’s ridiculous!”
Everyone’s faces twisted in shock.
“It was the condition from the start. If I wasn’t top of the class in first year, I had to withdraw.”
Everyone looked between Leo and Chen Xia.
They all knew how capable she was.
And the only student she hadn’t been able to surpass in pure skill… was Leo.
“Still! Lumene is insanely hard to get into, and they told you to leave just because you weren’t number one? What kind of family does that?!”
A large male student, a spirit knight from Class 10, shouted in disbelief.
“The royal family of Shan.”
“Even if it’s Shan—wait, what?!”
“S-Shan’s royal family?!”
Everyone was stunned.
Chen Xia smiled and nodded.
Chloe gasped and asked in a hurry.
“Xia, you’re… a royal?”
“Yes. I’m the heir to Shan.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped at the unexpected reveal.
Surely it was a joke?
All eyes turned to Leo.
In response, Leo gave a halfhearted nod.
“Wow… she really was a Shadow.”
“If she’s a Lumene student, then she’s a hero cadet.”
“Shh! Don’t say Shadow or hero right now.”
Confusion spread among the students.
It was understandable.
For thousands of years, Shan’s royalty had been Shadows.
It made sense that the heir might have been pressured to withdraw.
Knowing it could be sensitive, they all watched Chen Xia’s reaction carefully.
That’s when Chloe stepped forward.
“Did everything work out?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Chloe smiled.
Seeing her, Chen Xia smiled brightly too.
“Thanks for worrying, Chloe.”
Then she addressed everyone.
“As you’ve probably guessed, I was a Shadow. But I came to Lumene because I wanted to become a hero. So, even if it’s difficult, I hope you’ll continue to treat me as the Chen Xia you’ve always known.”
The students exchanged glances, then said:
“Yeah. Chen Xia is still Chen Xia.”
“So what if she’s a Shadow? She’s helped us so much.”
“More importantly, without her, we’ll lose to the other dorms!”
“We don’t care about your status!”
“Thank you.”
Chen Xia smiled radiantly.
‘So she chose to face it head-on.’
Leo smirked to himself.
She had fully accepted her identity.
Their eyes met.
‘That’s enough.’
Leo gave a small nod, and Chen Xia smiled even more brightly.
“Oh, right. Chloe, is there a private alchemy lab in the dorm?”
“Hm? Of course there is.”
“There’s nothing this dorm doesn’t have! It’s in the basement—I’ll show you!”
Eliana gave a thumbs up.
Then tilted her head.
“But Xia, can you even use magic?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the alchemy lab for?”
“I want to make poison. It’s safer to use certified equipment.”
“Well yeah, alchemy labs are safer for—wait, what?!”
Eliana gawked at her.
Chen Xia smiled sweetly.
“I never used it before since I had to hide my identity. But now that it’s out, I can start using poisons for aura skills and such.”
Everyone gulped nervously.
“There are other shadow techniques that use poison, too.”
One by one, the students backed away from Chen Xia.
‘Let’s never get on her bad side.’
They all silently agreed.
Leo covered his face with one hand.
‘She’s being way too honest now…’
—
“Hey, Jane, you’ve already been on a field mission?”
“And you went with the student council president?!”
“Fritz! Spill it! What kind of mission was it?!”
First-year lecture hall.
All ten classes were gathered, and the center of attention was Fritz and Jane.
The fact that they had gone on a mission with Leo—the student council president—was enough to stir everyone up.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
Jane smiled at her peers.
“Focus on your studies instead.”
Fritz answered with his usual blank face.
“Tch. Bet they’re just being tight-lipped because it was a big deal.”
A few students muttered enviously.
Around this time, competitiveness among first-years was at its peak.
Jane and Fritz exchanged glances from across the room.
And simultaneously—Hmph!—they scoffed.
“Wow… I’m jealous.”
Luke murmured as he looked at them from afar. Juen crossed her arms beside him.
“I’m not jealous. Not one bit!”
While the entire hall buzzed with envy—
Step—
Someone stepped onto the podium.
The first-years kept chattering.
“If you’re not quiet in ten seconds, I’ll expel you all.”
The eerie voice silenced the entire room.
They suddenly realized—
Harrid was standing on the podium.
“Shut up!”
“Professor Harrid is here!”
“Shut it!”
The clueless newcomers were quickly shushed by the others.
“Last year’s second-years were sharper. They quieted down the moment I appeared.”
Harrid muttered in his usual bored tone.
The first-years flinched.
Seeing their slumped shoulders, he clicked his tongue.
“Pathetic. You get discouraged just because of a simple comparison?”
“B-But Professor Harrid, our seniors are part of the Golden Generation…”
“You all seem way too intimidated by the second-years.”
They couldn’t help it.
During the entrance exam, they’d been completely overwhelmed.
“They’re called the Golden Generation, but to me, they’re no different from you chicks.”
‘Though one of them is a monster.’
He thought, recalling Leo.
“Well then. I’ll give you all a chance to get close with those Golden Generation seniors you admire so much.”
The first-years blinked in confusion.
“For your final exam of the semester.”
The announcement left everyone stunned.
“A-Already?”
“Relax. It’s not your final exam—it’s theirs.”
“Huh?”
Why announce the second-years’ exam here?
“Starting tomorrow, the second-years will become your mentors.”
“Mentors?”
“What’s that mean?”
“They’ll teach us?”
“Until the end of this semester, no one will be asked to withdraw due to low scores.”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
“Instead—”
Harrid grinned coldly.
“Anyone who scores below the cutoff in the final exam’s comprehensive evaluation will be expelled. And on top of that—”
—
At the same time.
Second-year lecture hall.
“If the first-year you’re assigned to receives a withdrawal notice, you’ll be expelled too.”
“WHAAAAAAAT?!”
Sedgen’s sudden announcement sent the entire second-year class into panic.
(T/N: That’s a wrap, folks! Hope you enjoyed my weekly massive chapter drop! It’s been a bit exhausting, and I’d like to shift focus to revamping the site. I figured cutting back on TL time might help speed that up. Also, I believe we’re more or less caught up to where ReaperScans left off, so I think it’s a good time to start slowing down the release rate. Starting next week, this series will be updated with 5 chapters a week instead of the usual 30–50 chapters. This should also give me room to pick up and work on new novels. Enjoy, everyone!)