Chapter 405

“World Summit?”

Carl’s gaze snapped toward Leo as the words hung in the air.

The sentiment wasn’t isolated; a wave of astonishment rippled across the entire dinner table.

World Summit.

The title spoke for itself—a grand assembly drawing in the absolute peak of global authority.

Its origins stretched back three millennia.

The inaugural gathering took place within the borders of Dragonia, initiated by Rodia, the Dragon of Genesis, who had summoned the leaders of civilization to a singular location.

The catalyst for that first assembly had been the sudden resurgence of Erebus.

Among those who answered the call were Lumerne, Seirun, Azonia, and Damian—figures revered today as the Heroes of Genesis—alongside the legendary warriors under their command.

From that era onward, whenever catastrophic shifts threatened the balance of the world, a World Summit was convened.

Five specific venues were designated for these historic events.

While Dragonia remained the ultimate destination, the remaining four were hosted by the Great Hero Academies.

“Incredible, an actual summit! Does that mean every major political powerhouse is descending upon Lumerne?”

Iliana let out a sharp breath.

“Most likely,” Chloe replied, keeping her focus steady. “While attendance isn’t technically mandatory, skipping out sends a message of irrelevance. It means missing the shifting tides of international politics. Almost everyone who matters will show up.”

“Chloe, how on earth do you know all of this?”

“From reading.”

In response to Iliana’s bewildered expression, Chloe simply motioned toward the text she was holding.

“But the campus archives are completely locked down right now.”

“True. I just happened to store a historical volume concerning the World Summit inside my subspace.”

“…You actually use your subspace to carry around books?”

For Iliana, who strictly limited her reading material to mandatory textbooks, spell archives, or combat disciplines, such a lifestyle choice was completely alien.

“But these events are incredibly rare, aren’t they?”

“Absolutely. Given the immense political weight and the global ripples they cause, the prerequisites for calling one are exceptionally rigid. It demands the unanimous accord of the four Great Hero Academies and, above all else, the direct authorization of the Dragon Lord.”

Carl leaned back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“If I recall, wasn’t the most recent one roughly a century ago?”

“Ninety-seven years ago, to be precise,” Chloe clarified.

“Wow.”

A momentous occasion that many went an entire lifetime without witnessing.

And here they were, positioned to watch history unfold right before their eyes.

“I can actually feel my pulse racing a bit,” Carl murmured.

Iliana let out a frustrated sigh at his enthusiasm.

“Your pulse might be racing, but look at the reality. We’ve just been handed an incredibly tedious burden. Won’t we be completely swamped with the logistics of hosting dignitaries?”

“She’s right. A massive crowd will be looking to evaluate the capabilities of our student body during this visit.”

“We’ll probably be forced to put on some sort of demonstration for the guests.”

“We’re already drowning in preparation for our final exams, and now we’re expected to perform like sideshow attractions?”

A chorus of agreement and irritation echoed around the table following Iliana’s complaint.

It was an undeniable truth that whenever the institution hosted a massive function, the student body bore the brunt of the stress.

Amid the rising complaints, Celia chimed in.

“If the World Summit is truly being called, does this imply that the ‘Silent Dragon’ has finally ended her isolation?”

The table instantly fell quiet, everyone’s attention shifting.

The Silent Dragon.

That was the moniker belonging to Melina, earned through her prolonged absence from the public eye spanning years.

“This gathering promises to be significant on multiple fronts.”

The sudden realization that the gears of global history were turning was almost tangible.

Turning her attention to Leo, Chelsea spoke up.

“You’re going to have the heaviest workload of all, Leo oppa.”

“Me? Why?”

“You hold the title of student council president. Isn’t the burden of preparation going to fall squarely on you?”

Chelsea emphasized her point by driving her fork into a slice of dessert cake, bringing it to her lips.

Leo couldn’t help but smile, watching her cheeks puff out like a rodent as she happily chewed.

“There are plenty of highly competent upperclassmen ahead of me. Why would I need to stress over it?”

“But isn’t the vice president still away on that extended assignment?”

“He is.”

“Then until his return, shouldn’t you be the one managing the logistics, Leo oppa?”

“There’s really no need. Senior Hark will take care of the heavy lifting. He’s the type of person who functions best when pushed right against a deadline.”

The group looked on in sheer disbelief at Leo’s casual disregard for his senior’s sanity—words that would surely cause Hark to lose his temper on the spot.

‘Is Leo completely fearless when it comes to Senior Hark?’

Even after completing a full year at Lumerne and gaining incoming freshmen beneath them, a significant portion of the sophomore class remained intimidated by their elders.

This was doubly true for Hark, who stood as the apex combatant among the fifth-year elite and commanded respect as the successor to one of the three great noble lines of Lumerne.

Yet, Leo viewed him primarily as an asset to delegate tasks to.

A collective sense of exhaustion settled over the group as they watched him.

As Leo stood up to return his meal tray, Iliana quickly spoke out.

“I am incredibly grateful to be in the same graduating class as Leo.”

“Agreed. If we were positioned as his seniors or his juniors, he would have run us into the ground by now,” Chelsea chimed in, nodding vigorously.

“A student council president’s authority usually stems from their administrative drive. But Leo functions completely outside that norm.”

Celia rested her chin in her palm, contemplating aloud, while Chloe offered a nod of agreement.

“Exactly. He has Senior Hark completely managed. While the actual institutional power lies with the senior, it always ends with him being completely outplayed by Leo.”

“Let us keep our upperclassmen in our thoughts and prayers,” Iliana teased, pressing her hands together in mock reverence.

Carl let out a sharp whistle, looking over at his peers.

“You all are missing the bigger picture here.”

“What do you mean?” Chelsea asked, her brow furrowing.

“Think about it. What is the actual reason Leo passes all his duties off to the upperclassmen?”

“Because he dislikes labor and prefers a life of leisure,” Iliana answered instantly.

The rest of the table offered her looks of profound pity.

“Do you honestly think Leo operates on your frequency?”

“Even if you want to look at it that way.”

“Chloe! The students from the other dormitories are picking on me again!” Iliana wailed, turning a tearful expression toward her friend, though Chloe only offered a look of silent agreement with Carl.

Carl shook his head and continued.

“Leo delegates to the seniors solely because they possess the competence to handle it. What happens when that graduating class leaves? Who do you think is next in line for his workload?”

The realization hit the table like a physical blow, their expressions instantly turning grim.

“The current plight of those fifth-years is a direct preview of your own future,” Carl laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. “Fortunately, that’s a burden reserved for top-tier, high-achieving prodigies. Hahahaha! I’ll never have to worry about Leo targeting me because my performance is safely average.”

Carl’s booming laughter filled the space.

The surrounding students narrowed their eyes, staring him down.

‘Out of everyone here, you look like the exact person who will be driven to absolute exhaustion.’

Anyone who had spent significant time around Leo knew his true nature—he was a master at identifying an individual’s hidden potential, drawing it out, and utilizing it to its absolute limit.

“Should we break it to him? That Carl is almost certainly going to be worked to the bone?” Iliana whispered, a smirk forming as she watched Chelsea.

“Let him have his moment of joy.”

“Why? He’s being incredibly arrogant.”

“His academic ranking is at rock bottom, yet he’s destined for the most grueling tasks. It’s honestly tragic.”

Chelsea blinked, processing Iliana’s logic for a moment before nodding in silent agreement.

—

A palpable energy began to spread among the first-year dormitories as the monumental reality of the World Summit drew closer.

“This is the ultimate stage to display my capabilities to the entire world.”

“Honestly, what if a foreign empire offers me a massive recruitment package that eclipses my home kingdom?”

“Do you think corporate sponsorships will be on the table? I know several upperclassmen who secured life-changing deals that way.”

The freshman tiers were alive with animated chatter.

Confidence—and a fair amount of vanity—radiated from the majority of the students.

The timing of the World Summit, falling directly alongside their final evaluations, served to supercharge their imaginations.

Even within a prestigious institution for heroes, the chance for a first-year student to showcase their martial prowess before the ultimate architects of global power was almost unheard of.

The upcoming examinations were the definitive platform to display every ounce of progress achieved over the prior term.

Having witnessed their own rapid advancement over the past months, the freshman class was brimming with certainty.

Consequently, the expansive hall within the first-year academic building was deafening, packed with teenagers projecting their grandest aspirations.

Luke observed the spectacle before turning to his companion.

“Everyone seems remarkably enthusiastic about the upcoming trials.”

“Are you suggesting you aren’t?” Habiden replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked over at Luke’s subdued demeanor.

“Personally, I’d just be profoundly grateful if I manage to retain my enrollment at Lumerne for the following semester.”

Luke offered a fragile, self-deprecating laugh.

His comment didn’t stay private for long; muffled laughter and sharp whispers instantly broke out nearby.

“Pfft, did you actually catch that?”

“His grand ambition is simply surviving until the second term.”

“Wow, the sheer lack of shame is staggering. Imagining a future here with academic marks that abysmal.”

“He only speaks with that much confidence because he believes the student council president will shield him.”

“Without a doubt.”

“But even with executive favoritism, allowing a failing student to remain on the roster is completely cheapening the academy’s standard.”

“Agreed.”

“Do you think the president might end up dragged down and expelled right alongside that anchor?”

“Now that would be a spectacle worth watching.”

“Please. There’s no way. The administration will just cut the dead weight loose.”

“The whole situation is a farce either way!”

Derisive remarks and snide chuckles drifted across the seating rows.

“Quiet down and keep your mouths shut. The noise is irritating.”

Habiden’s tone was razor-sharp, instantly causing the group who had been mocking Luke to stiffen with hostility.

“What did you just say to us?”

“Watch your mouth.”

Habiden held the definitive second-place ranking within the Knight Department.

Across the entire freshman demographic, his combat capability easily placed him within the elite top five.

Under normal circumstances, average students would never dream of challenging him, but this specific group possessed a distinct source of confidence.

They were members of what the campus referred to as the Aina line.

In essence, they were a faction that had coalesced around Aina’s prestige.

Within the walls of Lumerne, the formation of student factions was an enduring custom.

When an institution gathered the most exceptional prodigies from every corner of the map, it was inevitable that certain figures would emerge with overwhelming, transcendent talent.

Naturally, the general student bodygravitated toward those central pillars.

Among the fifth-years, Hark’s assembly was the most prominent, while the fourth-year ranks were largely influenced by Elena’s circle.

In the third-year tier, Lil held an undisputed position of power, though her detached demeanor combined with the fierce independence of her peers meant no formal faction had truly solidified around her.

The sophomore class possessed such an abundance of monstrously talented individuals that their early days were marked by fractured internal rivalries.

The administration had openly worried that the group would disintegrate into an uncooperative, chaotic mess before ever realizing their potential as a ‘golden generation,’ but they had ultimately evolved into the most unified class on campus.

Then came the current freshman tier.

Among them, the dominant force was the faction claiming allegiance to the freshman vanguard, Aina.

The core irony, however, was that Aina herself harbored an absolute apathy toward political maneuvering and exerted zero effort into directing or organizing the group.

The individuals identifying as her followers had simply attached themselves to her reputation without invitation.

Because Aina remained entirely consumed by her own rigorous training regimens and academic pursuits, the behavior of her self-proclaimed faction had steadily grown more erratic and aggressive.

Habiden let a cold smile touch his lips as he evaluated the hostile glares directed his way.

“Entertaining. I suppose we can test right now whether Aina Vadena is actually willing to step in and save you from a beating.”

The provocative statement caused the self-proclaimed loyalists to falter, an uneasy tension settling over them.

Within the confines of the Knight Department, Aina was truly the singular force capable of keeping Habiden in check.

“You’ll regret this.”

Muttering threats through clenched teeth, the faction members turned on their heels and walked out of the hall.

Habiden let out a dismissive snort as they departed.

“I appreciate you stepping in like that,” Luke said, offering a tense smile.

Habiden shifted his gaze, his eyes narrowing significantly as he stared down at Luke.

“You can drop the act as well, Luke Elda. Stop pretending to be a helpless, incompetent failure.”

“…What?”

Luke’s expression faltered, caught entirely off guard by the sudden shift in tone.

Habiden rose to his feet, looming over him.

“You speak as though my vision, and the vision of everyone else in this room, amounts to nothing more than background decoration,” Habiden stated, his voice devoid of warmth. “I am fully aware of how you observe me—how you observe all of us. It is an incredibly infuriating perspective.”

Habiden wasn’t blind.

He recognized that this supposedly struggling student was quietly keeping his sights locked on the role of class representative.

The individual who had initially brought that reality to his attention was Duran.

‘If your goal is to secure the class representative position, you would do well to keep an exceptionally close eye on Luke Elda.’

Initially, the warning hadn’t made sense to him.

‘The mere fact that Leo Flove placed his bets on him guarantees there is a hidden variable. Look at his gaze—those are the eyes of a predator mapping out a ascent.’

Duran had smiled thinly.

‘Do not limit your focus to the rivals directly beside you or ahead of you. The real threat is advancing from the rear.’

When Habiden took the time to study Luke’s eyes after receiving that counsel, the truth became undeniable.

Even though Luke kept it buried deep beneath a passive exterior.

The drive to overtake him was entirely real.

‘The most frustrating part is that he doesn’t even seem consciously aware of his own ambition.’

And during their recent field assignment.

Habiden, along with the rest of the freshman elite holding the front lines, had witnessed it firsthand.

The sheer precision and force behind Luke’s blade in that critical instant.

“Your persistent kindness might just be an unalterable facet of your personality, and there’s nothing to be done about that. But if you truly intend to challenge the hierarchy here, at least have the conviction to show your teeth.”

Habiden delivered the words like an official ultimatum, letting out a sharp breath.

“That way, when I ultimately break your stance, I can do so without a shred of hesitation.”