Chapter 428
“It’s bigger than I expected.”
“This is Leo-ssi’s main house…!”
In front of the mansion in Plov family territory.
As Lunia muttered while looking at the front gate, Eiran beside her wore a tense expression.
“Eiran, let’s go in.”
“Lunia-yang. Isn’t this not enough? Leo-ssi’s parents will definitely be here too. Won’t the gifts be lacking?”
“You were the one who said that if we buy something too fancy, it might just make them uncomfortable.”
“Aah! To do something so foolish!”
Overwhelmed by nerves, Eiran fell into a confused state and started blaming herself.
“Wait! Let’s go back and get more gifts—”
“Then we’ll be late.”
Lunia grabbed Eiran by the back of the neck and dragged her inside.
“Aah, Lunia-yang! Just a moment!”
“Grr! Stop it and hurry up!”
Clinging to the iron gate and refusing to budge, Eiran was yanked as Lunia shouted.
Just as the two elves were making a scene in front of someone else’s house—
“Looks like you’re scared to go to the training camp!”
A triumphant voice came from behind.
When Lunia turned around, Ar, a beastkin with her hands on her hips and a white tail swishing, snorted out a “Hmph!” through her nose.
Driana stood beside her with her arms crossed.
“You here?”
With a crooked expression, Lunia kept hold of Eiran’s collar, planted one hand on her hip, and tilted her head.
Seeing Lunia’s signature rough posture, Driana said,
“I always feel this, but Lunia, no matter how I look at you, you seem like a thug.”
“Huh? You mean she’s a thug?!”
“Who are you calling a thug, you perverted dwarf and dumb cat?!”
Lunia snapped, bristling.
Watching her, Eiran murmured quietly,
“Sometimes she really does seem like a thug.”
“What?”
“Eek?”
At Lunia’s eyes rolling wildly, Eiran hugged the iron gate even tighter.
Lunia tried to pry her off, but Eiran’s raw strength was far greater to begin with.
“Hey! Cat, peel her off. She’s digging in and refusing to go!”
“If you block the way, you’ll be a nuisance to other people too.”
“Exactly!”
Ar stepped in to help Lunia pull Eiran off the gate.
Creeeak—!
With Ar joining in, an ominous sound came from the gate.
Unlike before, Eiran’s face also tightened, like she was starting to strain.
“Why is she so stubborn?!”
Ar’s pride kicked in, and she bared her teeth as she put in even more strength.
Just as Driana was about to look at them with utter disbelief—
“What are you doing?”
At Leo’s voice, Eiran instantly let go.
“Kyaaah?!”
“Wah?!”
Lunia and Ar, who had been yanking Eiran, couldn’t control their force and ended up rolling pathetically across the ground.
Unlike the two of them, who looked a complete mess, Eiran stood neatly, adjusted her clothes, and stepped in front of Leo.
“Leo-ssi! Have you been well over vacation? Thank you for inviting us! Here… it’s not much, but it’s a gift!”
Seeing Eiran hand over the present with a bright smile, Leo smiled back.
“Thanks. Mother will like it.”
At that, Eiran’s cheeks flushed, and she clutched both cheeks, wriggling awkwardly with no idea what to do with herself.
Seeing Eiran like that, Ar and Lunia lunged at her without hesitation.
“W-why are you doing this?!”
“You seriously don’t know?”
“You should get a taste too!”
Eiran fled with a teary face, dodging the two of them as they came at her with eyes blazing.
Watching that, Driana wore a fed-up expression.
“To think those three are called the future of their races. The future is truly worrying.”
“That’s not something you should be saying.”
Leo shook his head as he spoke, but Driana didn’t listen.
—
“What? Graduated sunbae-nims are coming as instructors?!”
“I’m telling you. I heard it directly from Torua sunbae-nim yesterday. She disappeared around evening, though.”
A lot of students had already gathered at the mansion.
Not just Lumene.
Seiren, Azonia, and Damienne too.
Invitations had already been sent to top-ranking students from each school.
And not only second-years—there were first-years as well.
“Hah! This feels like some kind of inter-school match, doesn’t it?”
Eliana’s eyes sparkled as she stroked her chin.
At her mutter, Azonia’s fifth-ranked student—
Borman—crossed his arms and let out a laugh.
“That sounds fun. Though the best will, of course, be Azonia!”
At that shout, the Azonia students roared in cheers.
“Tsk tsk tsk.”
Eliana clicked her tongue at the Azonia students and beckoned with a finger.
“Sorry, but you’ll never beat us! Because!”
She lifted her chin proudly, covered her mouth with one hand, and burst into laughter.
“Because we have Leo Plov! Hohoho! I’ll make all of you taste the bitterness of defeat.”
“Grrk?!”
Borman gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
Watching Eliana Laden, Chelsea Lewellin looked utterly exasperated.
“She’s not even the one winning, so why is she acting so cocky?”
“Someone stop her. It’s embarrassing.”
Tide Markoa covered his face as he spoke.
Duran, sitting off to the side with his eyes closed and arms crossed, said,
“Chen Xia. Drag her out.”
“Me?”
“Should I do it?”
Bzzzt—!
A small spark crackled over Duran’s body.
With an awkward smile, Chen Xia approached Eliana.
“Eliana-yang, please stop and come with me.”
“Why? I need to crush the other schools’ spirits in advance—mmph? Mmph?!”
Without letting Eliana finish, Chen Xia covered her nose and mouth with a white cloth.
Eliana struggled at the sudden situation, then her eyes rolled back and she went limp.
“Our school’s student has been rude.”
For a moment, students from the other schools all looked terrified at Chen Xia’s bright smile.
“She’s not dead, right?”
“She isn’t even moving.”
“Lumene upperclassmen are scary.”
While the first-years from other schools whispered—
Celia Zerdinger arrived.
“There are so many people. It’s packed.”
As Celia shook her head and brushed her hair back, Chelsea greeted her.
“Welcome, Celia.”
At Chelsea’s words, Celia froze for a moment and frowned.
“What? That feels gross.”
Since Chelsea was wearing an unbelievably kind smile for once, Celia couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Even at that, Chelsea didn’t drop the friendly smile.
“You know, I found something interesting.”
Chelsea rummaged around and pulled out a photo.
“Ta-da!”
Celia’s face turned white as she stared at it suspiciously.
“Y-y-y-you! Where did you get that photo?!”
“Who knows? Where could it have come from?”
“Ack!”
With her face turning red, Celia rushed Chelsea, tore the photo to shreds, and burned it with her flame Aura.
Then she charged at Leo.
“Hey, Leo! How could you do this?!”
Leo, who had been talking with Chloe Mueller and Abad Lewellin, just shrugged.
Chloe gave an awkward smile, and Abad wore his usual gentle smile.
“It suited you pretty well.”
“Delete it from your head while I’m still being nice, Butter!”
Celia reacted like she was about to have a fit at Abad’s words, grabbed Leo by the collar, and shook him back and forth.
“You said you’d keep it a secret! A secret!”
“I didn’t show it. My mother did.”
“Your mother?”
Celia’s face crumpled.
If Reina had shown it, there was nothing she could say.
“To grab the collar of the young master you’re serving. What an ill-mannered maid.”
“Exactly. Celia-yang, such violent behavior isn’t the mindset of a maid.”
Eliza mocked her openly, and Chen Xia—who had subdued Eliana—also said with a bright smile.
Celia, bristling, rushed them and choked them both.
“Let go, Celia Zerdinger!”
“Don’t be angry, Celia-yang.”
Eliza flailed while Chen Xia spoke calmly.
Just as the commotion was in full swing—
“It’s nice to see you all so lively.”
A clear, cheerful laugh rang out.
A voice that reached everyone’s ears vividly.
Everyone’s gaze turned to the second floor.
And there, they found a small girl wearing a veil, and their eyes widened.
“Dragon Lord.”
The Dragon Lord from the World Summit stood there.
Everyone had already seen her once.
Even so, seeing her this close was a first.
While everyone tensed—
Melina hung a banner over the second-floor railing.
Flap—!
“To everyone here, I sincerely welcome you to training camp.”
Melina smiled brightly and clapped her small hands.
But the students who saw the banner only froze.
“Welcome to hell?”
Chelsea muttered in an uneasy voice.
Seeing that, Carr murmured with the expression of someone who’d already lived through it all.
“I knew it.”
Why is it that a bad feeling is never wrong?
Carr muttered to himself, smiling sadly.
Just as everyone swallowed dryly—
And then…
Screeeech—! Thud—!
The open door slammed shut with a heavy sound.
“Now then, everyone.”
“H-hey, something feels really off.”
“What’s going on?”
As the students buzzed—
“We’ll begin the training camp.”
At the same time, the scenery changed.
The students, suddenly tossed into the middle of a mountain valley, stared blankly up at Melina.
Melina was waving down at them from atop a cliff.
“Off you go.”
“Aaaaaaah!”
“Waaaaaah!”
By the law of gravity, the students plummeted toward the bottom of the cliff.
—
Whoooooosh!
As she fell beneath the endless cliff, Ar’s expression turned cold.
‘Don’t panic. Use Aura.’
Just as Ar tried to raise her Aura, her expression shifted in alarm.
The Aura in her body responded only faintly, unlike usual.
She couldn’t draw out her normal strength.
But only for a moment.
Ar quickly used her Aura to reinforce her hands.
Then she spread her claws and raked the cliffside.
Scrraaaaape—!
Using friction, Ar forcibly slowed her fall.
Just as a triumphant smile formed on Ar’s face—
Vwoom—!
“Huh?”
Her body suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
Slip—!
Her grip gave out under the weight, and her hand slid.
Scrraaaape—! Thud! Crack! Bang!
Ar hit the ground and groaned, crying out.
She wasn’t seriously injured, but it hurt like hell.
Ar wasn’t the only one who fell nearby.
Eiran, Celia, and Duran fell together as well.
“Ah… it hurts.”
Eiran rose with difficulty, her face crumpling.
Celia clenched her teeth and endured the pain.
Duran got up calmly, but pain made his movements sluggish.
Ar pushed herself up too.
From each school, fifteen second-years had been invited.
And among them, Ar had fallen together with these three.
“Looks like we got scattered.”
At Celia’s mutter, Ar said,
“Did we drop here at random? Or were we assigned as a team beforehand?”
“Hmph. The odds are higher that we were assigned as a team.”
Duran snorted.
“Aren’t the four of us all vanguards?”
“Yes. Our role is to hold the line at the very front.”
Just as Eiran nodded—
“It’s a little different.”
A voice came from above.
The four of them looked up at the same time.
With their keen dynamic vision, the two of them spotted Leo perched on the cliff, looking down at them.
“In battle, your role isn’t to hold enemies back—it’s to wipe them out, isn’t it?”
Despite outstanding physical ability and stamina, they also possessed overwhelming firepower.
“Like Arron the Brave.”
“Leo-ssi!”
“What the hell, black rabbit! Why are you the only one comfortable up there on the cliff? Get down here!”
“Aren’t you participating in the training camp?”
Eiran waved brightly with a smile, while Ar stuck out her lower lip.
When Celia asked with a puzzled expression, Duran crossed his arms.
“No. He simply climbed up there already.”
“Exactly, Duran.”
Leo smiled and nodded.
“I cleared this assignment the moment it started.”
“So you’re saying you’ll wait for us, is that it?”
At Duran’s words, Leo gave a small laugh.
“I’ve been waiting for you the whole time.”
“What?”
At the sudden remark, not only Duran but the others also looked confused.
“So?”
Leo opened his mouth.
“How long are you going to make me wait?”
(T/N: Double meaning eh? Nice…)
Looking up at Leo far overhead, Ar snorted.
“I’ll be there soon. Wait.”
“Yeah?”
Leo stood with a smile.
“Then I’ll be waiting.”
Leaving those words behind, Leo turned away from the cliff without hesitation.
Melina asked Leo,
“Looks like you’re looking forward to the day those children follow you.”
“I am.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“Will those children be able to take the place of the Great Heroes?”
“They can’t replace them. And neither can you, and neither can the Genesis Heroes.”
“…It can’t be helped. We can’t dare compare to the Great Heroes. We can never replace them.”
Melina hunched her shoulders, looking apologetic.
Leo reached out toward her.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Yes?”
“You’re you.”
Ruffling Melina’s hair, Leo said,
“Just like you can’t replace them, they can’t replace you either.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“You think we saved the world with only our own strength? We just happened to have greater power than others. So if someone has the will to risk their life to save the world, then anyone like that is a reliable and precious comrade.”
Leo took his hand off Melina’s head and trudged away.
“Hurry up and get on the stage. I’m waiting so long my neck will fall off.”
Melina watched Leo’s back, then looked down at the bottom of the cliff.
“You all need to work really hard, okay? The Hero of Beggining is waiting for you.”