Chapter 434

“That special instructor, his name was Arkan, right? Didn’t his face look familiar?”

Chelsea said, handing a wooden bowl to Leo.

“He looked like Arron-nim, didn’t he?”

“Cough, cough.”

At Leo’s words, Carr—who was drinking water beside him—started coughing violently as if it had gone down the wrong pipe.

The students nearby backed away from Carr.

“Oh! Now that you mention it, he did look like him.”

Chelsea exclaimed in admiration.

Leo ladled stew from a stone pot made with alchemy magic and handed it to Chelsea.

“Wow! This looks delicious!”

Chelsea cheered at the smell wafting up from the stew.

This morning’s breakfast duty had fallen to none other than Leo.

In his past life, mealtime during expeditions was one of the few moments they could enjoy some peace and quiet.

As such, even the great Heroes wanted to eat the most delicious food they could during their meals.

They had taken turns preparing food, but the most popular turns among the great Heroes were Kyle’s and Luna’s.

Kyle, having been a mercenary, was used to camping and living outdoors, and Luna would use her experience in brewing elixirs to create wonderful dishes.

‘Lysinas was hopeless at cooking, and Arron was happy as long as you just grilled him some meat.’

Still, when those two were on cooking duty, they managed to produce something edible.

The real problem was the dwarf.

‘Cooking is also an art! I have prepared an original dish for you all!’

Despite having a deeper knowledge of alchemy than Luna, he would create something horrendous in the name of art.

Whenever he stood before the bonfire and started doing something suspicious, claiming he was cooking, Luna would run over and kick him away.

“Mmm~!”

After taking a spoonful of stew, Chelsea held her cheeks with the spoon still in her mouth and smiled blissfully.

The way she tilted her head from side to side made it clear how good it was.

“Is it any good?”

“Yeah! It’s delicious! Super delicious! I’ve been thinking this for a while, but you’re a great cook too, Leo! Is there anything you can’t do?”

At Chelsea’s bright reaction, the students lined up in front of Leo gulped.

“Leo! Hurry up and give me some!”

“I think I need to eat something delicious to be able to face that horrible training from yesterday again!”

The hungry teenagers, right in the middle of their growth spurts, hurried Leo along.

The students who received stew from Leo began their meal with a clamor.

“I’m saved! I’m saved because I’m in the same group as Leo!”

Tide cried as he shoveled stew into his mouth.

After last night’s meager meal had left them mentally exhausted, Leo’s cooking was literally rain in a drought.

“Make sure Chelsea never even touches the cooking. Anything she makes is poison.”

As Carr warned while eating his stew, a provoked Chelsea kicked the back of the person sitting in front of her—Carr—hard!

Even as he was shoved forward, Carr stayed stubborn.

“What she makes could probably kill a Demon.”

As breakfast began in earnest, boisterous cheers erupted from here and there.

“Here, everyone, eat up.”

Chen Xia smiled brightly as she handed out bowls to Chloe and Celia.

The students in the same cooking group as Chen Xia also received their bowls.

And then, everyone’s expression turned peculiar.

“…The stew is green?”

As Chloe asked with a slightly stiff face, Chen Xia replied, “I added some herbs that are good for fatigue recovery. Plus, they taste great if you prepare them well. It might look a little strange, but it should be delicious.”

Celia bravely took a sip.

“Mm. It’s good. There’s no way Xia would give us something weird, right?”

At her words, the other students also put Chen Xia’s signature stew into their mouths.

“Wow, this is actually delicious?”

“I feel like my fatigue is melting away.”

“The visuals are a bit off, but this is excellent?!”

“But what on earth did you put in it to make it green?”

“I prepared some Atrophy Weed and added it.”

“Ooh, Atrophy? So this is what it tastes like. I had no idea.”

The students, who had been nodding in admiration, froze all at once.

“Wait, Atrophy Weed is a poisonous plant, isn’t it?”

“And not just any poisonous plant, but one famous for its potent venom, right?”

“If you prepare Atrophy Weed well, it helps with fatigue and tastes good, didn’t you know? There’s plenty, so everyone eat up and get your strength back.”

Watching Chen Xia cheer them on in a bright voice, the students struggled to continue their meal.

They knew how much effort she had put in, gathering ingredients and cooking the stew since early morning, so they couldn’t bring themselves to refuse.

But this case was still far better than some others.

“What is this?”

“Stew.”

As Eliza’s eye twitched at the unidentifiable object in her bowl, Eliana answered confidently.

“It might look like this, but it’s delicious. Probably.”

“Probably? Probably?! You didn’t even taste it?”

“It’s still going to be much better than what you made yesterday!”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me first thing in the morning?!”

“Duran, where are you going?”

“To find something to eat.”

“I’m coming with you.”

The area where Eliana was in charge of the meal was already a mess.

Not just among the Lumene students, but among students from other schools as well, there were plenty of places where commotion was breaking out.

Just then—

“Black Rabbit!”

Ar, who had been sent rolling on the ground first thing in the morning by Riennia, ran up and shook Leo violently.

“Because of you, what is all this suffering I’m going through since the morrrrrning!”

Watching Ar explode with rage, Leo said, “Then who told you to act up?”

“I didn’t act up!”

“You were about to, weren’t you?”

When Carr chimed in from the side, Ar’s eyes shot up.

“I was no—! Oof?!”

Leo shoved a spoonful of stew into the mouth of the shrieking Ar.

Ar’s eyes, at first wide with shock, soon turned sharp.

Her ears and tail stood on end, and she flexed her claws as if to say, ‘What do you think you’re doing!’

Ar, like an angry cat, was about to throw a tantrum.

But after tasting the stew, she meekly began to chew what was in her mouth.

When Leo passed his own bowl to her, she ate the stew quietly, looking pleased.

Watching the scene, Nella smiled cryptically.

“Every time I see her, I feel like the President of Azonia is quite happy. Should I say she forgets unfortunate things quickly? She’s very positive.”

“Kekeke—It’s because she’s simple, so simple. Keok!”

Carr, who was snickering at Nella’s words, got kicked in the side by Ar.

“What are you doing, giving away your portion, Leo?”

Chelsea let out a deep sigh, then scooped up some stew and offered it to Leo.

“Ah-!”

“I’m fine. I’ve already cleared that training.”

At Leo’s words, Chelsea made a disappointed face and popped the stew into her own mouth with a nom.

“Anyway, I wonder how long we have to do that training from yesterday.”

“Probably until we clear it.”

As Tide muttered like he was sick of it, Leo chuckled.

“We have to pass that to get proper training from the instructors.”

“Whaat?!”

Ar, who had been happily eating her stew, shot her eyes wide open and shoveled the rest into her mouth at incredible speed.

Then she jumped to her feet, swallowed with a gulp, and shouted, “Then we have to beat that training right away!”

The Lumene students looked on with puzzled expressions at the suddenly motivated Ar.

“Black Rabbit! I’m going to get ready for training!”

As Ar dashed off, Chelsea looked bewildered.

“What’s with her all of a sudden?”

“She must have her reasons.”

Carr replied with a spoon in his mouth, then whispered to Leo, “You’re 100% sure it’s him, right?”

“Seems like it.”

“What on earth happened?”

“Something must have happened without us knowing. Since I already passed the first day’s training, I’ll ask him when I see him.”

Carr nodded at Leo’s words.

“How come not a single person suspects him?”

“His impression is completely different, so they probably think he’s just someone who looks similar. There are actually many Beastmen who imitate the Hero’s style. They can’t even imagine it’s really him.”

“True.”

Even if Luna and Seiren had revealed themselves in the present age, it wasn’t a miracle that would happen over and over again.

“What are you two whispering about?”

Chelsea narrowed her eyes and leaned in close.

“We were talking about today’s training. Asking if there were any secret methods.”

“Hmph?”

At Carr’s nonchalant reply, Chelsea looked slightly suspicious but soon nodded.

It was then.

“Hurry up and finish your meals! How long are you going to dawdle!”

Riennia shouted sharply.

“I really don’t want to get caught by her.”

Carr shivered as he looked at Riennia.

Leo clicked his tongue, glancing at Carr.

‘Come to think of it, Carr’s instructor is Riennia, isn’t it?’

Leo considered telling his friend about his future, but then shook his head.

And so, the morning of the second day of the training retreat dawned.

—

“Hyaaaaaaaah!”

Ar’s eyes widened as she began to scale the cliff at a tremendous speed.

“What’s with her all of a sudden?”

Celia looked flustered at the sight of Ar climbing the cliff with that kind of momentum.

But before she could reach the top, her strength seemed to give out, and she slid down—shoooosh.

“Miss Ar, are you alright?”

As Eiran cautiously asked the limp Ar on the ground, Ar sprang right back up.

“I’m going to climb this damn cliff and get to the next stage, fast!”

With a dirt-streaked face, Ar began climbing again.

“I’ll get to the top before the President of Azonia.”

“There you go again, burning with that useless competitive spirit.”

As Duran scoffed, Celia shook her head.

“Hmph. Just you wait, Celia Zerdinger. I’ll be looking down on you from the summit.”

“What was that?”

Celia’s eyes sharpened, and after growling at Duran, she started climbing the cliff.

“E-everyone. Please take it easy.”

Eiran pleaded with the three, tears in her eyes, but they didn’t listen.

“I felt this earlier, but the kids these days are amazing.”

Arron, watching the cliff from far away with a hand shielding his eyes, muttered.

“Can you see those children with your naked eye without using magic?”

“Yeah.”

When Melina asked with a surprised face, Arron nodded as if it were nothing.

While Melina was marveling at the physical abilities of a great Hero who had long surpassed his limits, Leo spoke.

“What do you think?”

“They all possess strength that belies their age. Especially that child named Ar. She’s become incomparably stronger than when I last saw her. Didn’t you say only about a year has passed since then?”

Arron looked at Celia and Duran with admiration.

“That human boy and girl are amazing too. The breathing they use—it seems a bit similar to my breathing.”

“It was created by later generations based on your breathing.”

“Aha. I see, so it can be applied in that way. I never would have thought of it.”

Arron sounded impressed.

Then he tilted his head.

“If we apply that breathing method, would it be possible for other children to learn Transcendental Senses?”

Transcendental Senses.

The sensory technique Arron used.

It was Arron’s signature technique—one that even Leo could only imitate.

“If that’s possible, it would be a great source of strength for the Beastmen.”

Melina said, her face slightly flushed.

“I’m glad it would be helpful.”

Arron said with a happy expression.

“By the way, that elf girl looks like Velkia-nim. Though her vibe is completely different.”

Sniffing the air, Arron tilted his head.

“She smells similar too.”

“Ah, that child is a descendant of Lady Velkia-nim.”

“What?”

Arron’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.

“I see. So she left behind descendants too.”

At the mention of his disciple’s descendant, Arron couldn’t hide his delighted smile.

“What should I say, I’m happy. It makes me feel so clearly that our efforts were not in vain.”

Arron said, his tail wagging slightly.

Watching Arron lick his lips, Leo said, “Among them, keep a close eye on the one named Ar.”

“She’s a little scary… Is there a reason?”

As Arron asked, shrinking his neck slightly, Leo replied, “She’s a child who has the power to make other Beastmen undergo Beast Transformation with her Howling.”

“What?”

Hearing that she possessed the ability he had wanted so desperately, Arron’s eyes widened as he stared at Ar.

“Now that’s something to look forward to.”

Arron’s eyes gleamed as he smiled.