Chapter 466

1

“It’s been nearly a whole year since I last embarked on an assignment with Leo!”

Lil cried out, her tone filled with pure excitement.

The previous year, when Leo had been given the responsibility of encountering Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss—a Great Spirit of Darkness brought over from Lumerne—he had assembled a team specifically because Lil had asked to join.

“And it’s an assignment concerning enigmas! I never imagined Leo would share the exact same pastime as me!”

With an expression of genuine delight, Lil fished an item out of her pocket.

“What do you think, Leo? Why don’t you sign up for our club? There isn’t any regulation preventing the student council president from taking part in club functions.”

Watching Lil offer him a club registration sheet, Leo asked a question.

“We actually have a mystery club at our academy?”

“We do! It’s an organization dedicated to investigating urban myths and bizarre occurrences across the globe! We also conduct studies on numerous riddles linked to the history of heroes!”

“It doesn’t strike me as an officially recognized club.”

“That’s only because our roster consists of just two individuals!”

Lil declared with an air of pride.

Hearing this, Leo responded calmly.

“I don’t hold a particular fascination for mysteries. This is merely a commission that happened to spark my personal curiosity.”

“Oh, I see.”

Following his reply, Lil’s shoulders dropped slightly in disappointment.

However, she managed to recover her cheerful demeanor almost instantly.

“By the way, I caught wind of everything Leo accomplished during the summer break. Wow, achieving the status of a hero at such a young age! Speaking as your senior, I feel incredibly proud of you!”

Observing Lil celebrate her junior’s achievements as though they were her very own, Leo couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“I was informed that Senior Lil’s own endeavors were quite extraordinary as well.”

Lil Luce was the representative for the third-year class.

She was an exceptionally gifted spirit user, possessing such immense capability that her upperclassmen had given her the moniker ‘Monster Girl.’

Even during her second year, her proficiency with spirit magic was astonishing, and ever since she stepped into her third year, her talents had been expanding at an incredible velocity, almost as if she had undergone a sudden awakening.

In response to Leo’s praise, Lil dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

“In comparison to Leo, I am genuinely far behind. Why, even Wareden, who is a junior in the Summoning Department, stands out much more than I do.”

“Wareden?”

“Yes. He managed to forge a pact with the Great Spirit of Earth, didn’t he? Honestly, seeing such gifted underclassmen leaves a senior feeling rather overwhelmed.”

At this point in time, within the ranks of Lumerne’s Summoning Department, the student who enjoyed the highest level of public fame was Wareden.

Leo was generally viewed as an anomaly, since the consensus was that he had already risen far above the standards expected of a student.

Consequently, it was only natural for the public’s focus to land squarely on Wareden, who had successfully bound himself to a Great Spirit while still only a second-year student.

Even throughout the long history of Lumerne, summoners capable of securing contracts with either one of the three great mythical beasts or a Great Spirit during their second year were incredibly rare.

‘Yet, if you look past the superficial brilliance and judge her strictly on raw combat capability, the reality is entirely different.’

She carried the title of ‘Spirit User of the Gale,’ though that was merely a designation she received because of her fondness for utilizing wind-based elements.

In truth, Lil had formed pacts with spirits spanning every single attribute.

‘In contrast to Wareden, who restricts himself to controlling the spirits of the four great elements, she is capable of deploying a far more diverse array of offensives.’

On top of that, her mastery of spirit magic across each distinct attribute was top-tier.

She was a consummate all-rounder, perfectly capable of shifting between frontline combat, backline artillery, or a supportive role.

The sheer combat effectiveness born from that adaptability was truly breathtaking.

It was true that Lil lacked a certain showiness.

That made sense, given that her techniques didn’t rely on cataclysmic destructive force or highly unique mana properties.

‘But that is precisely what makes her dangerous. She doesn’t have one singular area of specialization, because every single trait she possesses is developed to a spectacular degree, leaving her with no vulnerabilities whatsoever.’

Furthermore, Lil’s spirit magic, which had already commanded attention during her freshman and sophomore terms, had fully blossomed upon her transition into her junior year, resulting in a meteoric rise in power.

Even the instructional staff within the Summoning Department estimated that her current level of mastery had already outstripped the fourth-years and was on track to challenge the fifth-years.

[With a degree of capability like that, wouldn’t she rank as the third finest in Lumerne?]

Hearing Elsie’s comment, Larael tilted her head in thought.

[Shouldn’t she be fourth?]

[Leo really ought to be set apart as an exception.]

[Ah, that makes sense.]

Eavesdropping on the exchange between the Great Spirits of Darkness and Light, Leo silently agreed.

‘She is without a doubt the third.’

From Leo’s perspective, the velocity of Lil’s advancement was nothing short of breathtaking.

‘I can’t quite tell if she is just exceptionally modest, or simply lacks confidence.’

While Leo pondered this in silence—

“Student Leo, Student Lil. The path is ready for you.”

The mage tasked with supervising the warp gate stepped forward to inform them.

“Shall we proceed first?”

The moment Lil placed her foot onto the warp gate, Leo moved to walk alongside her.

A brief instant later, accompanied by a brilliant surge of radiance, the pair vanished from sight.

Flash—!

The warp gate discharged a vivid glare of illumination.

Stepping out from the magical threshold, Leo tilted his head slightly as he took in the details of the environment around them.

“These are ruins.”

“They certainly are.”

Nodding calmly at Leo’s observation, Lil stepped down from the stone platform of the warp gate.

‘A one-way passage.’

Leo could tell without difficulty that the warp gate they had just traveled through was completely unmaintained.

A warp gate isn’t a device that functions indefinitely by itself once it has been set up.

It demands constant upkeep; if it is abandoned, it eventually loses its functionality.

Regarding this particular node, while it retained enough energy to receive incoming travelers, it lacked the stability required to transport anyone back out to another destination.

Leo scanned their surroundings.

The decay wasn’t confined solely to the transport circle.

As a rule, warp gates are only constructed within affluent, thriving settlements.

Yet, a decimated urban landscape stretched out before them as far as the eye could see.

The cheerful expression completely faded from Lil’s features.

“A conflict must have broken out here very recently.”

Plumes of dark smoke were drifting upward from various quarters of the settlement.

The shattered remains of buildings were still smoldering from pockets of active fire.

A minimal amount of time had slipped away since the agonizing fires of conflict had torn through this place.

Gazing upon the grim spectacle, Lil drew a deep breath, consciously suppressing her rising distress.

Turning her attention back to Leo, her eyes filled with admiration.

“Just as I thought, Leo, you are truly remarkable.”

“In what way?”

“Even though I’ve grown accustomed to locations like this, my emotions still get shaken up. Yet, I don’t see even a flicker of disturbance in you.”

“I am merely doing my best to remain composed.”

“It feels like something deeper than just trying.”

“Is Senior Lil highly experienced with combat zones?”

“I am,” Lil confirmed with a nod.

Born into a family with a long lineage of martial service, she had been thoroughly instructed in the realities of warfare from her earliest years.

“Our Luce family originates from the Kingdom of Thebern, which sits in the southeastern territory of the continent. It is a martial nation renowned across the lands for its military prowess.”

Lil explained as she began guiding their steps toward the devastated area.

“While it doesn’t experience quite as much turmoil as this northeastern sector, it remains a region plagued by recurrent conflicts. My father held the conviction that as a daughter of the Luce family, it was vital for me to grasp the reality of war, so he ensured I visited active combat zones during every single vacation since I started attending Lumerne.”

Hearing this piece of her past, Leo knit his brows slightly.

“Senior Lil, you aren’t the designated successor to the family line, correct?”

“That is correct. Nevertheless, my father seemed to believe that I ought to be prepared to serve as a reliable pillar for my brother. Besides, it is a duty that anyone born with the Luce family name is expected to fulfill without question.”

Lil spoke without a hint of self-pity.

In that moment, Leo fully understood the secret behind the explosive rate of Lil’s development.

‘Actual battlefield experience.’

Regardless of anyone’s opinion, surviving real combat serves as the absolute greatest catalyst for personal growth.

The only difference was that the engagements Lil had faced were not directed against Tartarus, but against fellow human beings.

“Does Senior Lil actually enjoy doing that?”

“I despise it.”

“In that case, you aren’t obligated to force yourself onto the battlefield.”

“I don’t have that luxury,” Lil replied with absolute resolve.

“True heroes are forged within the crucible of combat. It makes no difference whether it is a struggle against Tartarus or a clash between nations.”

At those words, Leo fixed a steady, intense gaze upon Lil.

With her features remaining perfectly still and unreadable, Lil kept her eyes locked onto the destruction left behind by the recent violence.

A few heartbeats later, Lil turned her head to meet Leo’s stare.

“Leo, I am determined to become a hero. And not just an ordinary one, but a hero who radiates a magnificent brilliance, precisely like you.”

“What drives your desire to become a hero?”

“You promise you won’t mock me?”

“I won’t.”

Reassured by Leo’s promise, Lil brought her hand up to her mouth and cleared her throat self-consciously. “Ahem—!”

“I intend to bring about global harmony.”

Leo simply continued to look deeply into Lil’s eyes as she made her declaration.

Sensing his silent scrutiny, Lil felt compelled to expand on her statement.

“I wish to build a world where conflict no longer exists.”

It was a dream of boundless proportions.

Yet, despite speaking of an objective that many would deem utterly absurd due to its staggering impracticality, Lil was completely, entirely earnest.

She also gave the impression that she cared very little about how the rest of society might view her ambition.

The vast majority of individuals would likely look at her with skepticism or dismiss her words with mockery.

Because of that, she had undoubtedly conditioned herself to expect any kind of negative response.

“That is a magnificent aspiration.”

A gentle smile appeared on Leo’s face.

Witnessing that reaction, Lil, who had been peering up at Leo with a rigid, expressionless face, widened her eyes in astonishment.

Lil was fully aware of the truth.

She knew her ambition was borderline impossible.

Consequently, whenever she chose to share her motivations for pursuing the path of a hero, people invariably snickered or assumed she was merely joking around.

Even those who chose not to outright dismiss her would never truly validate her words.

They would offer nothing more than hollow pleasantries just to maintain polite appearances.

Which was exactly why Lil recognized the truth instantly.

She recognized that Leo had genuinely validated her dream.

“Don’t you find my ambition bizarre and unrealistic? Everyone else has laughed it off.”

“I used to mock someone else’s aspiration once before.”

His mind drifted back to Licynas, who had boldly proclaimed her intention to rescue the entire world.

“Yet, it was that exact dream I once ridiculed that ultimately preserved my life. From that moment onward, I swore to myself that I would never again cast judgment on another person’s dream.”

A warm smile touched Leo’s lips as he thought of Licynas.

“Furthermore, I believe the world truly requires at least one hero who harbors a desire like that. Besides, my own objective is equally absurd, wouldn’t you say?”

Lil reminded herself of what Leo’s ultimate purpose was.

It was an ambition that had already become legendary across the entire academy.

‘The absolute annihilation of Erebus.’

A monumental task that neither the Great Hero nor the Hero of Genesis had ever managed to fulfill.

And yet, Leo had already taken a decisive step toward transforming that impossible goal into reality.

“When you look at it that way, Senior Lil’s aspiration and my own could be considered pieces of the very same puzzle.”

Leo had witnessed it firsthand.

He had seen the person who snatched the world back from the absolute edge of total ruin.

He had stood right beside his companion as they turned a seemingly impossible ideal into a tangible reality.

“I honestly don’t know what to say… my heart is racing right now.”

Seeing Lil looking so overwhelmed with happiness that she seemed completely lost, Leo instinctively extended his hand and gently patted the top of her head.

Leo held a deep, sincere respect for Lil because she possessed a goal that was rooted in genuine affection for the well-being of the world.

‘If only Licynas were still with us, she would have been incredibly overjoyed.’

Slightly startled by Leo’s sudden gesture, Lil lightly touched her own cheek.

“To be honest, if an underclassman treated me this way under regular circumstances, I ought to feel slighted, but…”

Ever since their very first interaction, Lil had consistently made it a point to highlight her seniority over Leo, attempting to guide and protect him.

While Lil naturally took pleasure in looking after those around her, that behavior was largely driven by a strong desire to maintain her proper standing as an upperclassman.

“My apologies.”

When Leo began to pull his hand back while offering an apology, Lil shook her head to dismiss it.

“It isn’t an unpleasant sensation at all. In fact, it actually feels quite nice. It makes me feel as though I am receiving praise from an older brother.”

Lil casually ran a finger through her hair before offering a soft smile.

“Well, we can’t simply stand around in this place indefinitely. Shall we make our move?”

Leo nodded in agreement and retrieved a map from his garments.

“Let us orient ourselves first. We are currently standing within the perimeter of the Canel Kingdom, correct?”

“That is correct. Historically, this region belonged to Viscount Tibune, the individual who submitted the request to the academy. However, it is presently being overrun by the forces of the neighboring Kingdom of Petiman. Our initial priority should be to locate Viscount Tibune so we can sync up with our client…”

Boom—boom—boom—

Right as they were preparing to map out their next course of action, the rhythmic thudding of war drums began to echo through the air.

Leo and Lil immediately went still, pausing mid-sentence to lift their gazes toward the horizon.

Hooooorn—!

The distinct, sharp blast of a war horn began to resonate across the distance.

Lil extended her arm.

Swirling currents of wind immediately started to coalesce around the tips of her fingers.

“This is bad.”

Lil’s expression instantly turned grim.

“What do you perceive?”

“The vanguard of the Petiman Royal Army has launched an assault.”

“Students of Lumerne are strictly forbidden from participating in international conflicts, aren’t they?”

“They are. However, the forces of the Petiman Royal Army aren’t engaging the active troops of the Canel Kingdom. They are descending upon the fleeing refugees.”

Hearing her assessment, Leo narrowed his eyes as he threw his sensory perception wide open.

An immense torrent of situational data regarding the surrounding territory instantly flooded into Leo’s consciousness.

It was an ironclad rule that Lumerne students were barred from meddling in the geopolitical conflicts of sovereign nations.

Yet, a deliberate assault carried out against helpless civilians fell under an entirely different category.

Shring—

Drawing his blade from its sheath, Leo spoke with absolute clarity.

“Let’s move.”

“Right behind you, Leo.”

With incredible speed, Leo and Lil vaulted forward, racing directly toward the site of the unfolding slaughter.