Chapter 253
“Push him!”
“Attack!”
Countless first-years charged toward Leo.
There was not the slightest hesitation in their movements.
It was clearly different from the entrance exam.
Back then, getting hit by Leo meant immediate failure.
But not now.
All of the first-years actively launched attacks on Leo.
And every one of them had the same thought running through their heads.
‘If we keep pressuring him like this, even someone like Leo Plov is bound to get tired! Then we’ll have a chance!’
They were all waiting for the moment Leo would wear down.
“Place your bets! Who will become Leo’s mentee?! Current betting odds are up!”
Carr quickly held up a board showing the betting status.
“Oho? I’ll bet on Aina Beidian.”
“Yes, sir!”
As the chaos unfolded, first-years eager to become Leo’s mentees flooded the Magic Department building.
It was a highly entertaining spectacle, attracting not only the second-years but also the third- and fourth-years who weren’t away on missions like the fifth-years.
“What do you think will happen?”
Watching from a distance, Abad asked.
“What do you mean?”
Duran, who had come to watch as well, scoffed.
“There’s no way any of those first-years can land a hit on Leo Plov. Especially in this kind of chaotic state.”
“True.”
Abad nodded.
“Leo Plov doesn’t get tired. And once he starts using guerrilla tactics… the first-years will just end up defeating themselves.”
And he was right.
Leo casually dodged or blocked attacks while weaving through the first-years.
Each time he moved, the first-years ended up attacking each other.
Some were even deliberately trying to eliminate their competition.
“Honestly, they’re not even worthy of being called real hero candidates yet.”
The first year of Lumene was when students’ abilities grew the most rapidly.
It was common for overlooked talents to emerge or for students who ranked low in the entrance exam to climb into the top tier.
But for these inexperienced newcomers, landing a hit on Leo was practically impossible.
“They’d have better chances in a one-on-one match.”
Duran was right.
The attackers were more confused than anyone.
It also meant they couldn’t properly track Leo’s movements.
Fwoosh—!
Leo soared into the air.
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
Shasha, riding her flying Summoned Beast, darted toward him.
Seeing her, Leo smirked and activated [Fly Magic].
Whooosh—!
“Gah!”
The incredible mobility and speed left Shasha stunned.
“Y-you can move like that with Fly Magic?”
The first-years gaped.
“They’re not used to Lumene standards yet, huh?”
“Well, they’re still just first-years.”
The upperclassmen watched the shocked first-years with amused expressions.
Some of the attacks even strayed toward the spectators.
Of course, none of the upperclassmen got hit.
By the time the lunch bell rang, no first-year had landed a single hit on Leo.
“Huff! Huff!”
“I-I can’t move anymore… ugh!”
“Kegh! Keh-hehk!”
Collapsed across the floor, the first-years were drained of both [Mana] and stamina.
The upperclassmen chuckled and dispersed.
“Ah~ That was fun.”
“This semester sure started off with a bang.”
The third- and fourth-years snickered as they returned to class.
The second-years gave the first-years a pitiful glance and also headed back.
Leo looked over the exhausted first-years sprawled on the ground and asked,
“Isn’t your next class the joint Heroics lecture with Professor Artianne?”
“Yes…”
“B-but, Leo…”
“Then you’d better hurry.”
Leo glanced up at the clock tower on the Magic Department building.
“If you’re all late at once, it won’t end well. Get moving.”
“B-but we can’t even budge…”
“Professor Artianne is nice. Maybe she’ll let it slide if we’re a bit late?”
Groans and moans rose among the first-years.
The second-years paused.
“They really don’t know what Professor Artianne is like, huh?”
Last year, Artianne had been the one to guide the new students during entrance ceremony.
And they had experienced her terror firsthand on day one.
So they hadn’t dared step out of line since.
But the current first-years clearly didn’t know what she was capable of.
She was on par with Professor Harrid.
Or in some ways, even worse.
All the second-years thought the same thing.
‘They’re doomed.’
* * *
That evening.
While resting in the Glory dormitory, Leo stepped outside to meet a group of visiting first-years.
It was five students from the Knights Department.
“Hello, Young Master Leo. Sorry we’re only greeting you now, things have been hectic.”
Martina, the representative among them, greeted him with a smile.
They were none other than members of the Slayer Order—Leo’s own knights.
“I see. By the way, none of you came at me during lunch, did you?”
Leo smiled as he looked over his knights.
At his question, they flinched.
“You guys don’t want to be my mentees, huh?”
Julian and Carin hurriedly waved their hands.
“N-no, that’s not it!”
“You helped us so much before we even enrolled! We didn’t want to rely on you again!”
“Yes! We want to make it on our own here at Lumene!”
Hearing Julian and Carin, Martina, Austin, and Valerie all nodded fervently.
And they meant it.
The five had rapidly grown under Leo’s personal training before the entrance exam.
That training was what got them into Lumene.
But they also feared the idea of being his mentee.
Having experienced Leo’s training, they were already intimidated.
‘After that sea of flames, I can’t even imagine what’s next!’
Leo chuckled as he watched his flustered knights and sat down on a bench.
“How was it after lunch?”
“It was chaos.”
Martina looked pale.
“I had no idea Professor Artianne was that terrifying.”
Apparently, fewer than fifty students had made it to her Heroics class on time.
It may have been a temporary class with no important content yet, but a mass tardy like that wouldn’t be forgiven.
At first, Artianne had seemed unusually subdued.
But the moment the late students poured in, she snapped.
‘Huhhh?! You were LATE because you were messing around with Leo Plov?! If you like brawling so much, I’ll turn this lecture into a BRAWL!’
Having been possessed by a short-tempered hero through [Necromancy], Artianne had gone berserk.
Already drained from fighting Leo, the first-years had no chance against her fury.
“It was terrifying…!”
“Now I understand why Lady Celia warned us about Professor Artianne…”
Carin shivered, clutching her arms, and Valerie was drenched in cold sweat.
Leo sighed knowingly.
“By the way, Young Master. Are you planning to take any first-years as mentees?”
Martina asked politely.
Having trained under Leo, the Slayer Order knew his abilities better than anyone.
Most first-years still believed Leo would eventually show a gap in his defense.
‘But there are no gaps in Young Master Leo.’
His movements were nearly divine, with no blind spots.
With [Hyper Sense] inherited from Arron, Leo had no weaknesses.
‘And he never gets tired.’
Many first-years believed they could become his mentee through luck or persistence, but to Martina, it seemed impossible.
‘It’s basically his way of saying he won’t take any.’
Martina looked puzzled.
Leo smirked at her expression.
“Well, there are five who might stand a chance.”
“Let me guess—the imperial princess, the Birsen crown prince, the southern Magic Tower lord’s daughter, and the Sword Star’s granddaughter.”
“Correct.”
Martina nodded.
She agreed that those four were on another level entirely.
Especially Aina Beidian—having seen countless sword prodigies as a trainee under Zerdinger, Martina herself was still awed by Aina’s talent.
“Who’s the last one?”
Carin asked, eyes sparkling.
“There he is.”
Leo smirked and pointed.
The knights turned to look.
And were stunned.
“Luke Elda?”
The lowest-ranked first-year was timidly approaching Leo.
* * *
Leo stood on the training field near the second-year dormitory buildings.
In front of him, Luke held a wooden sword, visibly nervous.
‘He was there during lunch too.’
And Luke hadn’t made a single move to attack.
He had simply observed Leo from a distance the whole time.
“Th-thank you for giving me your time.”
“I’m the one who said you could challenge me anytime. Don’t worry about it.”
Leo smiled at the clearly intimidated Luke.
Seeing that smile, Luke looked almost starstruck.
‘This isn’t the entrance exam anymore. I’m a Lumene student just like Leo!’
The person he had admired from afar was standing right in front of him.
Back in his remote village, the name Leo Plov had only reached him through old newspapers.
To Luke, Leo had become a symbol of pure admiration.
Like the great heroes he read about in storybooks as a child.
Of the five great heroes, Luke’s favorite had always been the Hero of Beginnings, Kyle.
Most people dismissed Kyle as fictional.
But to someone like Luke, from the countryside, whether Kyle existed or not didn’t matter.
Leo was just like Kyle.
An All-Class student with heroic deeds that made hearts race.
Leo was like a hero who stepped right out of a fairytale.
The purest form of admiration.
And now, they were in the same place.
‘Can someone like me really be here?’
Luke smiled awkwardly.
But still, he wanted to talk to Leo.
“Huff…”
He took a deep breath and readied his stance.
Fwoosh—!
Luke closed the distance and swung his sword.
His movements were fast.
And he was definitely tracking Leo’s movements.
‘This kid really is the weakest among the first-years.’
Leo easily dodged the attack.
‘His swordsmanship is crude, and his Aura control is lacking.’
As Luke swung his Aura-infused blade toward Leo’s neck, Leo flicked his finger.
Boom—!
“Urgh?!”
Just blocking the attack was enough to shake Luke to his core.
Normally, when you witness such a gap in skill, you lose the will to fight.
You fall into despair.
Luke was no different.
All the first-years had worn the same expression at the end of lunch.
Crushed by the overwhelming difference in power.
And yet—
Gritting his teeth, Luke swung his sword again.
Leo smiled.
‘Of course his skills are poor. He learned everything on his own.’
Luke had made it into Lumene purely through self-study.
And…
Whooom—!
Luke’s [Mana] stirred.
‘I felt it during the entrance exam, but now it’s certain—his [Mana] trait.’
His [Aura] grew larger.
‘He amplifies his Mana through emotion.’
Even in despair, he kept moving forward.
Channeling his emotions, he charged again.
No one taught him that.
He did it instinctively.
‘The world calls people like him heroes.’
* * *
“Huff—huff—ugh!”
Luke clutched his mouth, barely holding back vomit.
He didn’t have the strength to lift a single finger.
Even after giving it his all, he hadn’t come close to landing a hit.
‘Amazing.’
Luke looked at Leo, who sat casually before him, and felt nothing but awe.
“Leo…”
“What is it?”
“Do you think… I can become a hero too?”
“Who knows?”
Leo smiled faintly.
“But as long as you don’t stop challenging the impossible, anyone can achieve great things.”
“Oh, that’s what Lysinas said!”
“Yeah. I don’t care whether I take on mentees or not, but give it your best shot.”
Leo smirked.
“Overcoming your limits makes you a hero. But turning the impossible into reality—that’s what a hero must do.”