Chapter 69
The next morning.
The students of Lumene and Seiren gathered in the middle of the dorm.
Professor Harrid and Herdeum each managed their groups of students.
Leo and Lunia were helping lead as class representatives.
“Wait? Isn’t that Eiran?”
A Seiren student spoke in a surprised voice.
At those words, Lunia widened her eyes and turned her head.
She saw Eiran timidly following behind Lune.
The Seiren students began murmuring as they noticed Eiran.
“Eiran!”
Herdeum also approached Eiran with a surprised expression.
“Ah, hello, Professor Herdeum.”
“Eiran! So you decided to come back to school after our talk!”
Eiran gave an awkward smile at her homeroom teacher’s proud grin.
Since arriving here, Herdeum had had private conversations with Eiran, his assigned student.
He felt regret when the talented Eiran suddenly refused to attend school.
“Thank you for caring, Herdeum.”
“No, thank you, Professor Lune. Ah, you’re Council Chair Lune now.”
“Eiran, do you know how worried we were when you returned home without saying a word?”
“Lunia… I, um…”
“Are you feeling better?”
At school, it had been announced that Eiran was at home resting due to illness.
As Lunia, with a blank face, came over and asked a barrage of questions, Eiran was flustered. That’s when Leo approached.
“Are you taking part in this commission too?”
“Ah! Leo.”
Dressed in the Seiren uniform, Eiran looked every bit the proper hero cadet.
As Eiran gave Leo a bright smile, Lunia paused, frowning.
‘She barely talks to me, but she’s so friendly with him?’
“I’ll go say hi to the Lumene students.”
“Go ahead.”
Lunia watched Eiran walk over to greet the Class 5 students she’d gotten close to in just one night with a hint of satisfaction.
Meanwhile, seeing Eiran warmly chatting with the Lumene students, Lunia’s face twisted slightly.
“Leo.”
Suddenly donning her honor student mask, Lunia called out to Leo with a sweet smile.
“Can we talk alone for a minute?”
With a look that said, “What now?” Leo followed her to a quiet alley.
“Hey. How did you do it? Why is Eiran friendlier with you than with me?”
Leo looked at her with interest and answered,
“I guess I’m just easier to be around than you.”
“How does that make sense? How long have you even known Eiran?”
“Two days, tops?”
“That makes even less sense! I’m her school friend!”
“She says she’s scared of you.”
“What? No way.”
“She thought you hated her after what happened at the duel evaluation because you seemed so scary.”
“I was just focused on the duel. Eiran’s skills were so good, I couldn’t guarantee a win.”
“Then why didn’t you look out for her? I think she wanted to be close to you too.”
Leo explained that Eiran admired Lunia’s confidence.
“Look out for her? She’s a talented student. Wouldn’t that be insulting to her instead?”
For elves, helping others was a virtue, but offering help to an equal could be seen as looking down on them.
Lunia had accepted Eiran as a rival and stopped looking out for her.
‘Their personalities are complete opposites.’
It seemed that difference was a major obstacle to friendship.
“You should still look out for her. She seems like she needs someone like you.”
Lunia still looked confused at Leo’s words.
As they returned to where the students were gathered, Lunia asked,
“By the way, are you really an All-Class?”
“Yeah.”
“Seriously? Is that even possible?”
“Why ask if you don’t believe me?”
“It’s just something that only happens in fairy tales.”
At her words, Leo released [Aura], [Mana], and [Spirit Power] all at once.
Lunia’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
Leo smiled at her stunned expression.
“Looks like we’ll have to properly test our skills one of these days.”
“I won our duel, didn’t I?”
“That wasn’t a real duel.”
Lunia smiled and crossed her arms.
“I don’t rest until I see things through with a strong opponent.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll face you if I get the chance.”
As Leo and Lunia chatted and returned,
Step—step—
Students in Seiren uniforms appeared in the distance.
They were none other than Seiren’s upperclassmen.
All twenty lined up neatly in front of the first-years.
A boy who seemed to be the leader stepped forward.
“Professor Herdeum, all second-years have arrived in response to the commission request.”
“Oh! You came too, Rauta?”
“Yes.”
“Your recent paper on Star Magic was fascinating!”
“I’m glad you liked it, Professor Herdeum.”
“It’s your skill, Rauta.”
“Yes, but I heard something strange. Professor Herdeum.”
“What’s that?”
“I heard a Lumene student solved the Founder’s magic.”
“Rauta, it’s just a rumor.”
“Why would you trouble Professor Herdeum with that?”
Other second-years chuckled at Rauta’s question.
“That rumor is true.”
“What?”
“Here’s Lumene’s first-year representative, Leo Plov. He succeeded in interpreting the spell.”
Professor Herdeum introduced Leo with a smile.
The Seiren second-years looked incredulous.
After a moment, Rauta composed himself and gave Leo a relaxed smile.
“You’re Leo, right? Solving the Founder’s magic is amazing. I’m Rauta Algraia, second-year, Advanced Class 2, Seiren.”
“I’m Leo Plov.”
Leo shook Rauta’s outstretched hand, introducing himself.
“…?”
Leo noticed the black ring on Rauta’s finger.
As Leo glanced at it, Rauta quickly let go of his hand and looked at Lunia.
“And you must be Lunia El Lunda? It’s an honor to meet the famous first-year representative.”
“You flatter me.”
“I’ll be watching your skills in this commission.”
Rauta patted Lunia on the shoulder and returned to the second-years.
“Doesn’t seem like a good senior.”
“You could tell at a glance?”
“His face was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.”
At Leo’s words, Lunia sighed.
“I heard he looks down on the lower and intermediate classes and acts like a model student in front of the teachers.”
“There are people like that everywhere, I guess.”
Leo gave a wry smile.
Meanwhile, the Seiren second-years mingled warmly with the first-years.
“My club’s second-years only tease me.”
“Are first and second-years usually this close?”
Class 5 looked envious of the second-years looking out for their juniors.
When Leo returned to Class 5, he looked puzzled.
“What’s up with everyone?”
“You wouldn’t know since you don’t do club activities, but our school’s second-years only see us as playthings or free labor.”
Carr shook his head.
“Compared to them… I’m jealous. Really jealous.”
Most of the class cast envious glances at the Seiren students.
Professor Harrid and Herdeum called everyone together.
“We’ll begin forming groups now. The groups will be chosen by lottery, and the leader will be a Seiren second-year.”
Once Professor Harrid finished, the first-years drew lots.
Each group was formed with four first-years and one second-year.
“Leo! Which group did you get?”
“Group 1.”
“Oh! Me too!”
Carr, looking pleased, went over to the group leader.
The group 1 leader was none other than Rauta.
“So you’re the Lumene group 1. Let’s work well together.”
“Looking forward to it!”
Carr cheerfully greeted him.
A moment later, the Seiren first-years arrived.
It was Lunia and Eiran.
“You’re group 1?”
“Leo, are you in group 1 too?”
“Yeah.”
Eiran’s face brightened as she saw Leo.
“Let’s work well together, Eiran.”
“Nice to meet you too, Carr.”
Lunia frowned as she watched.
‘Just a moment ago, she looked terrified around me, but as soon as she sees Leo, her face lights up.’
She remembered Leo’s words about looking out for Eiran.
‘I can do it too!’
“Eiran, come here. Greet your senior first.”
“S-sorry!”
Eiran hunched her shoulders and bowed, making Lunia frown.
“Eiran, don’t act so timid. You’re a class representative, too. Be more confident…”
“S-sorry for acting timid! I’m sorry I’m even a class representative!”
Lunia, who was trying to encourage Eiran, was flustered as her words backfired.
“Class representative? Eiran, you’re a class representative too?”
“Yeah. Eiran is Seiren’s first-year runner-up.”
“Wow, impressive!”
Unlike Lumene, where only the overall top student is a class representative, Seiren makes the top three students class representatives.
After calming Eiran, Lunia greeted Rauta.
“Senior Rauta, please take care of us.”
“P-please take care of us, senior.”
“It’s an honor to mentor the class representatives.”
Rauta smiled.
“Well, although two of the first-year class representatives have shamed our school.”
Eiran’s face turned pale.
Lunia’s face hardened.
“Senior, isn’t that going too far?”
“Lunia, you’re certainly an outstanding student. But Eiran and Luca aren’t.”
Rauta stated flatly.
“A class representative who refused to attend school and a mixed-blood class representative—do you even know how the second-years see this year’s first-years?”
Lunia’s face twisted.
‘Ugh! If he wasn’t a senior, I’d punch him right now!’
Lunia knew well how the first-year representatives, except for herself, were viewed by the second-years.
It was true that in status-conscious Seiren, there were a lot of rumors about Eiran and Luca.
‘But Eiran and Luca earned their positions on pure ability!’
“All second-years, gather up.”
“I’ll be back. Get ready.”
As Rauta left, Lunia stomped her feet in frustration.
“He’s so annoying! One day, I’ll smash his face in!”
“Wow, so fierce!”
Lunia turned to see Carr giving her a thumbs up with a grin.
“So the honor student act was just a mask, huh!”
“What made you think that?”
“I could tell from the first day, when you grabbed Leo by the collar.”
Carr chuckled and held out his hand.
“I’m Carr Thomas.”
“You’re a funny one. I’m Lunia El Lunda.”
Throwing away the honor student mask, Lunia shook hands with Carr without hesitation.
“Still, that guy really is annoying, right, Leo?”
Carr grumbled, hands laced behind his head.
“He really is harsh.”
“Hmph! Just a bundle of inferiority complex.”
“Why would an advanced student have an inferiority complex?”
“He was apparently in the lower class until first year. Seems he suddenly grew into an advanced student in second year.”
At Lunia’s words, Leo paused.
“He suddenly got stronger?”
“Yeah. It’s been a huge topic at Seiren since the start of the semester. He’s the most talked about student this term.”
‘Suddenly got better grades?’
Recalling the incident during midterms, Leo narrowed his eyes at Rauta.
‘No way…’