Chapter 259

After the weekend passed—

All second-years gathered in front of the warp gate.

“Everyone’s pretty excited.”

“Well, it’s something they’ve been waiting for.”

At Leo’s comment, Chen Xia smiled.

Unless in special cases, weapons were consumables.

No matter how well one took care of them, they’d eventually break.

Even the longsword Leo had received as a gift from the principal of Seiren last year became unusable after his battle with Sillatna.

Of course, the issue wasn’t the sword’s quality—it was the opponent.

“Well, Leo, you’ll probably receive one of Zerdinger’s heirlooms, so maybe you’re not that interested. Still, the students from Damienne are all exceptional artisans. Having an exclusive smith will definitely be a big help. And I’m sure the Damienne students are curious about you, too.”

Lumene students had gotten somewhat used to Leo, the unprecedented All-Class.

He was still fascinating, but not shocking anymore.

That wasn’t the case for the other hero academies.

Especially Damienne, where students were not just hero candidates but also skilled craftsmen.

They’d be even more intrigued by an All-Class like Leo.

“Come to think of it, Leo. What kind of equipment are you getting from Zerdinger?”

“I decided to take my time choosing.”

“Don’t knights usually get excited about good equipment? Even if you’re not a pure knight, I feel like I’d be thrilled and want to pick something right away.”

If it were an heirloom from the Zerdingers, it must be extraordinary.

Most people would’ve been ecstatic to choose early, but Leo didn’t feel rushed.

Not because he lacked interest in weapons.

‘It’s just that I’ve grown too used to Dweno’s craftsmanship.’

During his days with the subjugation party, Leo had always used weapons made by Dweno without question.

‘He was a weirdo who called himself an artist, but even we agreed he was the greatest blacksmith in history.’

Being accustomed to Dweno’s creations, no other weapon stirred his desire, no matter how impressive it was.

“You seem pretty excited, though?”

Leo turned to Chloe, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course! A magic staff made by a Dwarf craftsman will be amazing!”

Chloe’s eyes sparkled.

Tucked under her arm wasn’t her usual grimoire, but a stack of papers.

‘Probably a list of spell formulas to inscribe on the staff.’

Of course, not all of them would fit.

Magic staves had a capacity limit.

And a Dwarf making a staff would need deep understanding of magic, so they’d have to go through and select the spells together.

For a mage, designing a personalized staff like that was an exciting experience.

Chen Xia giggled as she watched Chloe clasp her hands, eyes glittering.

“Miss Chloe, do you know how adorable you look right now?”

As the students reveled in their expectations—

“Gentlemen! What an elegant morning!”

“Hello! Good morning, Professor Sedgen!”

“Mhm! Yes!”

Sedgen, arms crossed, nodded at the students’ cheerful greetings.

Behind him stood the professors overseeing this external trip.

From dormitory instructors to the department heads for second-years.

All familiar faces—except one.

“Huh?”

“Where’s Professor Len…?”

Surprised murmurs rose among the Magic Department students.

Other students also looked curiously at the professor standing between Ain and Yura.

There stood Mel, who usually handled the Hero Studies special lectures for all grades.

Just as everyone was confused—

“I object!”

Len’s voice rang out.

“Principal! Please reconsider! How could I be excluded from such an important event?!”

The students froze.

Principal Leena was walking in—and Len was being dragged along, clinging to the hem of her robe.

The bizarre scene drew stares, prompting Leena to press her fingers against her temples.

“Professor Len, sorry, but this was the board’s decision. I can’t overturn it on my own.”

“I understand that! But as principal, can’t you use your authority to add me to the roster?!”

“Then who’s going to teach first-year magic theory for two weeks?”

“Assistant Professor Anna can do it!”

Len pointed to Anna, who had followed him.

“I’ve taught these second-years for a whole year! I know them better than anyone! My advice is essential for the smith contracts!”

“Principal, it’s true that Professor Len understands the second-years very well.”

“Assistant Professor Anna!”

Len looked hopeful.

“But I also understand them well, and I can give just as much guidance.”

“Assistant Professor Anna! Are you betraying me?!”

Despite Len’s fury, Anna remained unfazed.

She had been selected to participate in this trip.

Unable to bear it any longer, Leena sighed.

“What are you all staring at? Get this leech out of here!”

Ain and Yura grabbed Len and dragged him away.

His desperate cries soon faded.

“Serves him right.”

Anna muttered under her breath while Mel scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“My apologies to Professor Len.”

“No need to worry, Professor Mel. It was the board’s decision.”

In truth, no one understood why Mel, the first-year magic instructor, had suddenly replaced Len.

But the board’s orders had to be followed.

With the commotion settled, Leena stood before the second-years.

“Did you sleep well, second-year brats?”

Her blunt tone made the students tense.

Having revealed her shadow origins, Leena made the students uneasy.

Duran raised his hand.

“What is it, Duran Moira?”

“Are you the overall lead for this trip?”

“Professor Sedgen is in charge. I’m just going because there’s a meeting of hero academy principals in Damienne.”

“A principals’ meeting, in Damienne?”

“All the academy principals gathering? That’s unusual.”

The students murmured.

Leena addressed them.

“It’s not just the principals.”

“Huh?”

“We got an official letter from Damienne asking us not to announce it until departure, so I’m only saying it now.”

She crossed her arms.

“Lumene isn’t the only one going to Damienne this time.”

That made the second-years look uneasy.

“Seiren and Azonia are also heading to Damienne.”

“But why?”

“Normally, the smith contract periods don’t overlap between schools.”

“Usually, yeah.”

Damienne students had long forged weapons for Lumene, Seiren, and Azonia.

It might seem like a favor on the surface.

But it wasn’t a loss for Damienne.

For a Dwarf craftsman, the greatest honor was having their creation etched into history.

To achieve that, they needed a future hero to wield their weapons.

That’s why they sought contracts with hero candidates from other academies.

The smith contract benefited both sides.

Thus, schools were typically treated separately to reflect mutual respect.

Damienne never evaluated or ranked the other schools’ students.

But now, that tradition had been broken.

The second-years’ expressions darkened.

Being compared directly to other schools was not a pleasant prospect.

“Well, it’s annoying, but I understand why Damienne did it.”

Leena clicked her tongue.

“Why do you say that?”

Emio from Noble Dorm visibly frowned.

“Our second-years is already considered ahead of the other school’s second-years. Surely, as principal, you’re aware of that?”

‘Wow, what a brat.’

‘Is he seriously looking down on her for being from the shadows?’

‘How can he speak like that to the principal?’

‘If Professor Harrid were here, he’d lose it.’

The second-years clicked their tongues internally.

But they also couldn’t deny what Emio had said.

“Of course, you are regarded as ahead of the others.”

Leena smirked.

“But that’s only because of ‘that’ monster.”

She pointed at Leo.

The students’ expressions changed.

“Indeed, you’re considered one of the most elegant golden generations in Lumene’s history.”

Sedgen stepped forward.

“But you’re not the only elegant ones. Coincidentally, the other schools’ second-years are also considered golden generations.”

“Seiren too. Didn’t they match us during last year’s Lumeiren? Their second-year top student is already a candidate for student council president—no easy feat in Seiren. The second place is their rival. Third isn’t weak either.”

Leena said sharply.

“And Azonia’s warriors, led by Ar Tune, are no pushovers either. As for Damienne, they’re hard to evaluate since they rarely leave their workshops—but they wouldn’t make a move like this if they weren’t confident.”

She made it clear.

“Seiren and Azonia probably think Lumene is the top among the schools right now—but only because Leo Plov is here. Without Leo, they’d probably think they’re better than you.”

The second-years’ faces twisted.

“But of course—”

Leena smiled.

“I believe you’re the best.”

All eyes turned to her.

“Still, it’s pretty insulting, isn’t it? Those pointy-eared freaks, beasts, and dwarves thinking we’re nothing without Leo?”

A vein pulsed on Leena’s forehead.

“This is our chance to show them who’s the best—burn it into their skulls! Got it?!”

“Yes, Principal!”

The second-years answered in unison.

Yura muttered quietly.

“Wow, she really knows how to control the crowd.”

“She’s considered a legend in the Shadows.”

In the Shadow world, Leena was regarded as the equal of the Emperor of Shan, known as the King of Shadows.

“No wonder Professors Harrid and Sedgen recommended her as principal.”

“Alright! Let’s go to Damienne!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

—

The extreme cold of the continent’s far north doesn’t care about seasons.

Though it was spring, Seiren’s weather remained bitterly cold.

As snow whirled around, a voice addressed the second-years gathered before the warp gate.

“Descendants of the Founder, listen well.”

The voice was even colder than Seiren’s wind—filled with elven pride.

“Other races foolishly ignore Seiren and dare to discuss who’s best. It’s a pitiful reality, but what can we expect from such ignorant beings?”

More than half the second-years nodded along.

Herdeum sighed deeply as he watched.

‘To think the acting principal replacing Lord Bennet would be Luhagen…’

A few months ago—

After Seiren suffered a large-scale invasion from the Monster Queen—

There had been a major reshuffling.

The biggest change: Principal Bennet stepping down.

Already elderly, Bennet’s health had declined due to overexertion during the invasion.

He had nominated Lune Ersar as his successor.

But since last year, elven society had changed drastically.

‘Who would’ve thought the Founder’s descent would spark such change…’

Herdeum wore a worried look.

“But there is one thing we cannot tolerate.”

Luhagen’s eyes gleamed.

“That is the talk of Leo Plov being the Founder’s successor.”

It was already widely known in the magical community that Leo had restored the spell [Magic that Makes Flowers Bloom]—Luna’s ultimate pursuit.

Because of that, some in the community jokingly called Leo Luna’s true heir.

Of course, that was a rumor among humans, beastkin, and dwarves.

But for elves, who held strong racial pride, it was unacceptable.

Especially since Lumene had recently published beginner techniques for [Star Magic] accessible to non-elves.

Several elven mages were furious.

“Star Magic is the Founder’s legacy. And her legacy belongs solely to the elves. No other race may touch it.”

“Indeed!”

“Go and prove it. That other races have no place claiming our legacy!”

“Yes!”

As their classmates shouted with conviction, Eiran looked uneasy.

‘Young Master Leo…’

Eiran’s expression was full of concern as he thought of the boy he admired.

Meanwhile, Lunia sighed deeply.

‘Let’s just hope we don’t embarrass ourselves…’

—

In the middle of the blazing desert—

A tiger beastkin wagged his tail.

“That Leo Plov guy. He’s super famous, right? Sure, I get it. He’s the unprecedented All-Class and even a first-year student council president. He must be strong. But—”

Azonia’s principal, Zephia, narrowed her eyes.

“Have we ever lost in a straight-up fight to students from the other schools?!”

“No, ma’am!”

“Then how can the world say that kid is stronger than us?! Can you accept that?!”

“No, ma’am!”

“I don’t care if he’s All-Class or whatever! When it comes to pure brawling, we beastkin are the best! Go prove it!!”

“Yeeeeaaaah!!”

Azonia’s second-years roared in unison.

Normally, the goal was to secure a good smith contract—but the simple-minded Azonia students had set their sights on something else.

Beating Leo Plov in a duel.

Normally, Ar would’ve joined the chant—but not this time.

She knew just how monstrous Leo truly was.

Her white tail swayed.

‘There are definitely going to be some hospital visits this time.’