Chapter 433

Book 1 Chapter 433

433.

The break of dawn.

With the initial rays of sunlight creeping over the horizon, the second-year pupils slowly and groggily dragged themselves awake.

“I really need a wash.”

“Man… my stomach is completely empty.”

“I barely got a wink of sleep.”

Complaints and whimpers echoed from every corner of the camp.

These aspiring hero cadets, who had arrived at the special training grounds brimming with anticipation upon being summoned by the Dragon Lord, had been reduced to a wretched mess within a single day.

“Honestly, we look like a makeshift refugee settlement at this point.”

“Please, refugees probably look better off than this. We look like an absolute sanctuary for vagrants, a total hobo camp.”

Karl, who had miraculously secured a brief period of deep, restful slumber, actually appeared remarkably rejuvenated compared to the others.

Letting out a massive yawn, Karl muttered his complaints.

To be fair, before turning in the previous evening, their condition hadn’t been quite so pathetic.

Every single hero academy incorporates wilderness survival drills into its curriculum.

By the time these youths advance to their sophomore year, they are fully equipped with the skills necessary to survive and return safely even if abandoned in the depths of a barren wasteland or the open sea.

The sole reason these elite pupils, handpicked from an already exceptional pool, had been pushed to such extremity was because of a singular factor:

Melina’s highly unusual Guardian legion.

Furthermore, the trials weren’t limited to the physical-vulnerable Guardians that had plagued the spellcasters the previous afternoon; automated wardens boasting incredible physical resilience had subsequently manifested as well.

Enduring such an intense regimen the prior day, coupled with an absence of real sustenance and a severe lack of rest, naturally left them looking utterly exhausted.

As Leo shook his head in pity, a subtle sound caught their attention.

Flutter~

“Wait, what’s that?”

A stray scrap of parchment drifted through the air, landing right before Leo and Karl.

Karl smoothed out the note, revealing a brief, elegant message penned in tiny, meticulous, and graceful script.

“Cadet Karl, report immediately to the western edge of the woods, ensuring you are not spotted by your peers. From the Dragon Lord?”

Inhale! Karl sucked in a sudden breath of air.

Leo discovered an identical note waiting for him as well.

“Leo, does your paper say the exact same thing?”

“It does.”

“Incredible, what could this possibly mean?”

“For now, let’s head over.”

Leo, already anticipating the situation, serenely accompanied the thrilled Karl toward the location specified by Melina.

Stepping away from the main camp and slipping into the dense greenery of the western woods, they discovered that Lunia, Eiran, Ar, and Driana had gathered there as well.

“Oh?! M-Master Leo?”

Catching sight of Leo, Eiran flinched in surprise and hurriedly ducked behind Lunia’s back.

“What’s the matter with you?”

At Lunia’s questioning glance, Eiran whispered back.

“I am simply far too mortified to let M-Master Leo see me looking so unkempt.”

“Please, Leo has already witnessed you at your absolute best and your absolute worst.”

“When have I ever presented myself in an unflattering manner before Master Leo?”

“How about those bizarre, imaginative rants of yours?”

“P-Please stop talking!”

Whining softly, Eiran reached out in frustration to clamp her hands over Lunia’s lips.

“Were you all summoned by the Dragon Lord as well?”

“We were. Looking at this lineup, it honestly feels like the ultimate Dwayno-nim world domination squad, doesn’t it?”

Karl mused, tilting his neck sideways.

Ar, who was frantically using her fingers to smooth down her tangled locks, chimed in.

“Do you think she intends to offer us personalized instruction?”

Ar grimaced when her unruly hair refused to settle properly.

“Regardless of her reasons, my priority is getting cleaned up as soon as possible.”

Feline beastfolk were notoriously obsessed with cleanliness compared to other demi-human tribes.

Observing Ar’s struggle, Karl teased her.

“Since you’re basically a kitty, can’t you just perform a quick cat bath?”

“Are you mocking me? Do you genuinely believe that I, the successor of the prestigious Tune family, would merely throw some water on my cheeks and call it a day? Besides, even for a quick rinse, you still require access to water, don’t you?”

“No, I didn’t mean splashing water. You know, what’s it called… grooming? Don’t you normally lick your coat to clean it? Gack?!”

Ar’s knuckles slammed hard into Karl’s ribs right in the middle of his chuckling.

Though it appeared to be an ordinary punch, the force behind it made him feel as though he had just been blindsided by a flying kick from Chelsea.

As Ar scoffed, watching Karl writhe on the grass.

“Good morning, everyone. Did you manage to rest well?”

With the exception of Leo, the entire group stiffened upon hearing the voice filtering in from behind them.

Rustle- Rustle-

Karl’s mouth hung open as Melina stepped into view, a warm, soft expression gracing her features.

Even with her countenance obscured by a delicate veil, Melina exuded an incredibly potent and commanding aura.

“I believe this marks our very first private conversation with Miss Eiran and Mr. Karl, correct? It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Melina, the Dragon Lord.”

“Oh, greetings, esteemed Sovereign of the Dragons. My name is Eiran Ersar.”

“Hehe, there is absolutely no need to be so formal and anxious.”

Eiran’s cheeks flushed crimson at the sight of Melina’s gentle demeanor.

As an avid enthusiast of legendary tales, Eiran was thoroughly well-versed in the historical achievements of the Silent Dragon.

It was entirely expected for her to feel intimidated when standing directly before an individual universally hailed as the preeminent living legend of their age.

“My name is Karl Thomas, Your Excellency.”

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Karl.”

Beneath her sheer face covering, Melina’s mouth parted into an amused smile.

Noticing this, Karl, despite his initial apprehension, hesitated for a moment before offering a cautious query.

“Your Excellency… is it possible that our paths have crossed in the past?”

“Hehe. Is this your attempt at wooing me?”

“No, no, that isn’t it at all.”

Karl, having posed the question entirely on instinct because of a strange sense of recognition, looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Following her lighthearted Chapter with Karl, Melina shifted to the main topic.

“The reason I requested your presence here is that I require a small favor from you all.”

“A favor for us to perform?”

“Correct. Shortly, I shall present the training staff tasked with guiding you through this seminar. When that happens, you must promise me that you will absolutely, under no circumstances, lose your composure. Do we have an agreement?”

“What could possibly happen that would make us lose our composure?”

“Do we have an agreement, Miss Ar?”

Melina leaned her smiling countenance directly toward Ar, whose features were locked in confusion, ensuring her point was clear.

“Understood.”

Melina gave an approving nod as Ar offered a somewhat flustered affirmation.

“Excellent. In that case, kindly make your way back to the main gathering area. We shall convene again shortly.”

Dismissed by Melina, the small group retraced their steps back to the training grounds, their expressions mirroring a collective sense of bewilderment over the brevity of the meeting.

—What was the purpose of keeping things so deliberately vague?

Leo inquired via a localized acoustic spell directed solely to Melina’s ears.

—Unanticipated revelations are simply far more entertaining, wouldn’t you agree?

Leo offered a helpless, quiet laugh as Melina responded in an upbeat, cheerful tone.

“What possessed you to even attempt to smoothly charm the Dragon Lord?”

“Listen, I only brought it up because I genuinely had the distinct impression that I’d encountered her at some point in the past.”

Lunia chided Karl with an expression of utter disbelief, prompting Karl to cross his arms and reply with absolute gravity.

“Leo! Tell her, you got that exact same familiar vibe from her, didn’t you?”

“Can’t say that I did.”

Leo secretly laughed to himself while offering a dismissive head shake.

‘He really does have an incredibly sharp intuition, though.’

Regardless of his flaws, Karl possessed tracking and perceptive capabilities that easily outmatched his peers.

They arrived back at the main encampment feeling a lingering sense of apprehension.

In the clearing, the diverse student body had already organized themselves into ranks according to their respective academies.

Standing prominently before the crowd were several highly recognizable individuals.

“Incredible! It’s not just upperclassman Liss, but upperclassman Ulta and upperclassman Zamua are here as well!”

Karl cried out in astonishment, recognizing the legendary figures from Lumern who had achieved great renown within the previous year’s cohort of graduates.

“Lady Lunia! Look, upperclassman Riennia has shown up too!”

“Honestly, there was zero chance that particular upperclassman would pass up an occasion like this. Still… what on earth is she wearing? Dark shades combined with a sports cap?”

In stark contrast to Eiran’s unadulterated excitement, Lunia experienced a mixed cocktail of affection and mild exasperation upon spotting Riennia, who had served as the student council president during the prior term.

The young woman was notorious for her highly unpredictable and unconventional antics.

Throughout the events of the Ruse War the previous year, she had brazenly baited Leo using the victor’s prize, only to find herself thoroughly outmaneuvered and baited by Folium shortly thereafter.

On this day, her presentation remained characteristically bizarre, standing with her limbs tightly locked across her chest and her gaze cast downward beneath her peculiar attire.

Surrounding them, several notable alumni from Seirun could also be spotted among the ranks.

Representing the contingent from Azonia, naturally, was a group of former students spearheaded by Vanir, the previous year’s student council head.

“What could possibly be the reason she ordered us to keep our tempers in check?”

Ar restlessly twitched her feline tail, her features locked in utter confusion.

Driana similarly canted her head to the side, scanning the assembled veterans.

“It truly is as you pointed out; there appears to be absolutely nothing out of the ordinary here.”

Right at that moment, just as the crowd of pupils finished falling into formation.

“Observe your own pacing! Look at how sluggishly you move! Why is everyone shuffling along like sloths?!”

Without warning, Riennia snapped her neck upward and bellowed at the top of her lungs.

The entire assembly froze in place, thoroughly blindsided by the sudden outburst.

“Double time, move it!”

Sprinting under the weight of the sudden reprimand, the trainees began scrambling frantically into position.

“Straighten out those rows! Is this pathetic display truly the absolute best that the future protectors of our world can muster?!”

An anxieties-ridden young woman from Seirun began to tear up as she watched Riennia scream until the blood vessels in her neck protruded visibly.

“U-Upperclassman… you are terrifying right now. Did something happen?”

Despite her past oddities, the formerly benevolent student leader’s current aggressive posture had evidently struck terror into the girl’s heart.

“Who exactly do you think you are addressing as ‘Upperclassman’?! I stand before you as an appointed drill master charged with molding you raw recruits. Effective immediately, you shall address us solely as instructors! Do I make myself clear?!”

“U-Upperclassman…”

The weeping Seirun girl let out a sob, deeply shaken by Riennia’s tone, which carried a chill far sharper than the frozen gales of Seirun itself.

“Trainee Tilena. Step forward.”

“M-Me?”

“Advance to the front line immediately.”

Tilena reluctantly shuffled out of her rank.

“Drop to the earth, prone position.”

“Pardon? But the dirt is completely bare and filthy?”

“I do not repeat my directives thrice. Drop.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, Tilena threw herself onto the soil.

“Revolve to your left. Revolve to your right.”

The unfortunate Tilena, penalized simply for showing weakness, found herself rolling across the dirt patch without the slightest inkling of what she had done wrong.

Watching this display unfold, a collective look of sheer distaste spread across the faces of the observing pupils from every academy.

“What sort of place do you imagine this to be that you think crying is acceptable?! Toughen up!”

Riennia’s voice escalated into an even more intense screech.

“My deepest apologies!”

Tilena, thoroughly broken down by Riennia’s harsh handling, rapidly brushed her damp eyes clean and bellowed back.

Observing this bizarre scene, Torua leaned over to consult a Seirun alumnus with whom he shared a good rapport.

“What on earth has driven her into such a frenzied state all on her own?”

“To be honest, I’m baffled. She’s been pouring over some bizarre tactical manuals for the past several days, constantly muttering about transforming herself into the flawless drill master. She honestly appeared quite thrilled about the prospect.”

Riennia’s peer responded, shaking their head in absolute bewilderment.

“Oh? Perhaps we ought to adopt a similar approach? It looks rather entertaining, doesn’t it?”

Torua’s gaze gleamed with sudden interest.

In the meantime, Riennia, deciding her lowerclassman had performed an adequate amount of ground rolls, assumed a rigid posture before the collective group and declared:

“Your drill master is fundamentally not a cruel individual. However, based entirely upon your individual conduct, this academy camp will transform into either an absolute inferno or a paradise. Is that understood?!”

“Understood.”

“That response lacks volume!”

“SIR, YES SIR!”

Lunia released a profound sigh as she watched Riennia’s imposing, tyrannical performance.

“I fully anticipated that she would pull something like this.”

“That upperclassman of yours is genuinely terrifying.”

“I have absolutely no relation to that individual.”

Lunia immediately disowned any connection to her senior in response to Ar’s commentary.

Leo also let out a silent, bemused laugh, thoroughly entertained and baffled by Riennia’s behavior.

‘I’ve noticed it in our past encounters, but she truly is an exceptionally bizarre individual.’

Just as a tense, freezing aura enveloped the entire training area.

“Greetings to you all.”

Melina made her entrance.

Upon witnessing the arrival of the legendary Dragon Lord, the collective second-year student body let out an involuntary gasp of awe, though they instantly forced themselves back into rigid military posture beneath Riennia’s watchful, threatening glare.

Melina canted her head slightly, noting their extraordinarily orderly conduct, before launching into her standard welcoming speech.

“It brings immense joy to my heart to stand before aspiring heroes possessing such brilliant prospects. My sincere wish is that each of you derives invaluable lessons from this seminar.”

Following the conclusion of her entirely conventional and somewhat tedious address, Melina continued.

“Prior to commencing our primary curriculum, I have extended an invitation to a highly unique guest educator.”

The seasoned alumni exchanged perplexed glances upon hearing mention of this mystery trainer, while the younger trainees’ eyes illuminated with intense curiosity.

Thud— Thud—

Suddenly, the collective gaze of the crowd locked onto an approaching figure—a youthful male of the beastfolk race.

“Allow me to present Lord Akan, the specialist educator I have personally requested to join us.”

“G-Greetings, one and all.”

Karl, who had been fighting back the urge to let out another yawn, suddenly stiffened up the moment the guest trainer came into view.

“Agh?!”

“Wait, what’s the matter with you?”

As Karl choked on his own breath, Teide, standing just ahead of him, turned around with a bewildered look.

Lunia and Eiran likewise stared with wide, open mouths.

Driana blinked repeatedly, rubbing her eyelids to ensure she wasn’t seeing things.

The young demi-human advanced with extreme care alongside Melina, his gait visibly rigid and awkward, appearing thoroughly cowed by his surroundings.

A wave of confusion swept through the rest of the student body.

“He seems to completely lack any sort of presence or intensity, doesn’t he?”

“Well, if he was personally selected by the Dragon Lord herself, he has to be an incredibly formidable figure.”

In the midst of the general confusion.

Pant— Pant—

Ar began to breathe heavily, her chest heaving.

Her feline ears snapped straight upright, and her pupils dilated entirely like an agitated cat.

Every single fiber of her body locked tight, adopting a coiled posture as if she were preparing to launch herself forward.

Right as Ar’s tail began to twitch back and forth with subtle intensity.

Snatch!

“Yowl?!”

Leo had stealthily crept up from behind Ar without a sound and delivered a sharp, firm tug directly to her tail.

“What on earth do you think you are playing at, Black Rabbit?!”

Ar shot a furious, murderous glare toward Leo, who had already managed to slip back into his original position after the deed, and barked out her grievance.

Simultaneously, Riennia’s thunderous reprimand echoed across the field.

“Quiet in the ranks! The Sovereign is currently addressing the assembly!”

“I-It was him! The Black Rabbit did it!”

Ar cried out in passionate defense of her innocence, but Riennia remained completely unmoved.

“Step out of the formation!”

“You are going to pay for this, Black Rabbit!”

Ar wailed with a tone dripping with pure spite as Riennia marched her away from the group.

Ar’on, observing Ar being hauled off, appeared visibly unsettled and slightly intimidated by the scene.

Witnessing this display while maintaining a perfectly blank, innocent expression, Leo clicked his tongue when he spotted Ar being forced to roll across the dirt under Riennia’s strict supervision.

‘Ar’on truly has an immense amount of growth ahead of him.’

Regrettably, the individual who was meant to act as the instructor was currently terrified of his own student, Ar.

‘There is certainly a massive mountain left to climb.’

Leo let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head at the sheer absurdity of the situation.