Chapter 576

Book 1 Chapter 576

576.

Following the conclusion of the welcoming event, the onlookers who had attended the Festival of Heroes were buzzing with immense enthusiasm.

“I never imagined I would actually behold a Phoenix in my lifetime!”

“It was magnificent… yet truly terrifying at the same time.”

“Gosh, for a second I genuinely mistook it for an actual monster!”

“Are you serious, buddy? How can you refer to a holy legendary creature as a mere monster? The heavens will surely punish you!”

The visitors from abroad gossiped with high energy.

In the middle of the crowd, a massive gathering of young adolescents drew the most attention.

“The way he completely obliterated that Lava Golem with a single strike is still mind-blowing to think about!”

“If I manage to enter the school next term, does that mean I’ll be beneath him in rank?”

“He seems so petite and adorable, yet he possesses such overwhelming power… sigh~”

Guiding this flock of approximately one thousand youths was Artian, the freshman instructor from Lumern’s Summoning Department, flanked by his assistant faculty members.

“P-Please, everyone. Do not crowd each other; walk in single file~”

“Word has it that Luke Elda comes from a regular family. It’s truly mind-boggling.”

“Surely Lady Aina is capable of achieving the exact same feat, right?”

“The same goes for Lord Habidun. That other guy simply stepped into the spotlight first, is all.”

Artian tried to guide them with a hesitant, borderline begging tone.

Nevertheless, the youths who seemed to belong to high society completely ignored him, continuing their self-absorbed conversations.

“Social class means nothing here at Lumern; talent is the only thing that reigns supreme!”

Hearing this, a young noblewoman grew furious and marched to the front.

“Excuse me? You ordinary peasant. Are you seriously talking back to a member of the aristocracy?”

“Hmph. Throwing your weight around instantly proves you hail from the Western territories. This is precisely why individuals under the sway of the Rodren Empire fail to comprehend basic reality.”

“What did you say? Are you, a mere civilian, insulting the Rodren Empire? Surely you haven’t forgotten that Lumern’s very own student council leader is Lord Leo, an elite bloodline member of the Gerdinger family?”

“Amusing. And what of it? Do you think you are Leo Flobe yourself?”

“Gah!”

“Whoa, chill out, both of you.”

“Look at that boy. He happens to be the successor to the Lola Merchant Group.”

“Are you serious?”

The Lola Merchant Group.

It was an all-powerful trading conglomerate established across the southern lands.

They held a total monopoly over every human trade network across the southern hemisphere, and through that economic dominance, they commanded incredible authority over the entire civilized world.

Even though they possessed a non-noble lineage, their vast leverage was enough to make monarchs of minor kingdoms bow before them.

The intimidated youth from the Rodren nobility quickly grew defensive once more.

“Regardless of that, he is nothing more than a wealthy peasant! Name a single elite student currently attending Lumern who is a commoner!”

“The first-year top scholar Luke Elda is one! And the temporary student council leader Kal Thomas is another!”

At that moment, a different civilian youth raised his voice in anger.

“Pfft, isn’t Kal Thomas just a legacy placement? His academic standing is absolutely dreadful…! cough—!”

Crack—!

The mocking aristocrat from the Rodren region was struck by a heavy kick to his ribs, sending him tumbling through the air.

“Have all you brats… grown deaf to my commands? You refuse to pay attention when I treat you kindly, don’t you?!”

The chilling undertone in Artian’s voice caused the youths to break out in goosebumps.

“W-What just happened…?”

“When I speak, you open your ears! You disrespectful little brats!!!”

“Eek!”

“S-Spare… cough!”

The full weight of Artian’s anger crashed down upon the applicants who had disregarded his guidance to bicker amongst themselves.

“Who are those kids getting reprimanded by Professor Artian?”

Iliana tilted her head to get a better look through the classroom pane, prompting Kal to clarify.

“Those are the applicants for admission.”

“Applicants? What sort of applicants?”

“While we were organizing the current Festival of Heroes, we were simultaneously managing the entry assessments for the upcoming school year. Those are the final candidates who made it past the third phase of the evaluations.”

“How did I not hear a single thing about this? Were you aware?”

“I was completely in the dark too.”

“They managed the newcomer entrance evaluations at the exact same time they arranged the Festival of Heroes?”

The sophomores expressed clear amazement.

“It makes total sense that it slipped past you. All of you were entirely focused on organizing the Festival of Heroes, right? Leo, myself, Senior Elena, and the faculty members put the entry evaluations together as a team.”

‘Naturally, the dragons provided a massive hand as well.’

Kal thought back to the pupils from Wisdom that Leo had recruited.

Since Kal was aware of Leo’s true background, nothing the young man achieved truly shocked him anymore.

Even so, Elena had remained entirely unfazed when Leo initially dragged the Wisdom students along to act as manual labor.

‘Oh wow~ I was completely drained from organizing the Festival of Heroes, but this finally gives me some breathing room. My prior appreciation to all of you, dear dragons.’

She was genuinely thrilled just to have extra hands on deck.

‘Hmph. So you are Elena Zeron? It is an honor. My name is Ridden. If you run into any trouble, merely notify me. As your counselor, I shall assist you.’

A dragon going by the name of Ridden had spoken with a rather haughty demeanor.

And yet…

‘Kal! Please tell that terrifying woman to stop giving us additional duties! How is it that the harder we labor, the more tasks seem to multiply?!’

Before long, Ridden along with the other Wisdom dragons were gripping Kal’s clothing, begging for mercy.

Naturally, Kal himself was close to breaking down in tears.

The truly terrifying aspect of Elena wasn’t that she demanded hard labor or pushed workers to their absolute limits.

It was her habit of launching entirely new projects the absolute moment she cleared even a tiny bit of free time.

Kal trembled as he envisioned Elena, who had beamed with joy the moment she laid eyes on the Wisdom students, declaring, ‘Now we have the capacity to run the entry assessments right in the middle of the Festival of Heroes.’

“Senior Elena possesses truly incredible organizational skills. That is a trait I deeply wish to replicate.”

“Absolutely not, Nella.”

“What?”

“Listen to me very carefully, Nella.”

Kal gripped Nella’s shoulders firmly and brought his face right up to hers.

“That woman is a sorceress. Under no circumstances should you ever copy her behavior.”

The rest of the classmates fell entirely quiet, observing Kal deliver his warning in a genuinely horrified tone.

“Leo! Say something to back me up here.”

“Well, I actually found her to be quite charming.”

When Leo, resting near the window frame, replied with an amused grin, the neighboring second-years all gasped in unison.

“Wow, Leo truly operates on a different level.”

“How can he possibly view Senior Elena as charming?”

“Class leader, are you viewing Senior Elena as if she’s just a little kid too?”

Leo merely gave a nonchalant shrug to the chatter around him.

In all honesty, compared to the far more cruel Lisinas whom Leo had dealt with in the past, Elena was practically harmless.

“In any case! You must never try to become like that sorceress…”

Kal, who had been issuing his firm warning, suddenly went silent as he noticed every single one of his peers shifting their gaze directly behind him.

A cold perspiration began to drip down his spine.

“…Is she standing right behind me?”

As Nella gave a silent nod to confirm his fears, a delicate, graceful palm dropped thud onto Kal’s shoulder.

“Kal-kun. What exactly were you discussing with such passion? Could it be that you were gossiping about your senior?”

The gesture was gentle and the voice was melodious and pleasant, but the underlying words caused Kal’s knees to give out as he dropped to the floor.

He looked back with wide, shaking eyes to see the sovereign of Lumern gazing down at him with her distinct pink eyes.

“P-Please forgive my—”

“Do not worry about it, it is perfectly fine to speak ill of your upperclassman.”

Elena offered a radiant grin while gently patting Kal on the head.

“However, the reassurance I gave you about getting some rest after the Festival of Heroes is officially revoked.”

“N-No, wait…!”

Kal fell into utter despair, his complexion turning entirely white.

Stepping away from the despondent Kal, Elena maintained a soft smirk as she moved back toward the exit of the room.

Observing her departure, Leo stood up from his desk.

“Well then, everyone, make sure you are fully prepared.”

With those parting words, Leo stepped out of the room.

Elena, who had been lingering near the doorway, fell into step right behind Leo.

“Watching them walk away like that, Senior Elena almost looks like his personal assistant.”

“They hold the positions of student council president and vice-president. It makes total sense for their dynamic to look like that.”

“To be honest, whenever I observe Leo these days, he doesn’t really feel like a classmate in our year. It feels like he possesses an immense lifetime of experience.”

The pupils muttered quietly among themselves as they watched the duo leave.

“It feels as though our class leader has moved to a completely different realm.”

Iliana sighed, her posture slumping in disappointment.

The second-year group had begun to sense a growing gap between themselves and Leo of late.

This sentiment wasn’t restricted to the average sophomores either.

The elite representatives from each specialized track were equally troubled by how rapidly the distance between them and Leo was expanding.

Chloe gripped the magical tome she was studying with greater intensity, while Celia placed a tight hand on the hilt of the blade at her side.

Duran let out a sharp click of his tongue, and Waredden, who sat with crossed arms and closed eyelids, uncharacteristically released a muted sigh.

Observing their reactions, Chen Shia spoke softly to herself.

‘It seems everyone is feeling the immense gap separating them from Young Master Leo.’

There was no changing it.

Leo and the rest of them existed on entirely separate planes.

The years they had lived and the trials they had faced were completely different.

They couldn’t even be considered to be starting from the same baseline.

Yet Chen Shia was fully aware of this reality, whereas the others remained completely in the dark.

Chelsea, who held knowledge regarding Leo’s true identity, spoke up in an attempt to break the tension.

“Why is everyone looking so incredibly miserable?”

“I hate showing any vulnerability, Chelsea, but seriously… looking at Leo just brings a sense of total hopelessness.”

Abad offered a melancholic smirk while gently stroking his sister’s hair.

“Brother, don’t you start acting like this too! Hey! Celia! Wipe that expression off your face, you look like a campfire completely put out by a rainstorm!”

“…That is a ridiculous comparison.”

Celia knit her brows and cast a brief glare at Chelsea, though her usual fiery demeanor was completely missing.

Seeing this lack of spirit, Chelsea stamped her feet in frustration.

Chelsea understood the truth.

She knew that Leo deeply desired companions who would refuse to back down and would stand firmly by his side when the final conflict arrived.

And the people in this room were the prime prospects for that role.

That was precisely why Leo had been quietly pushing for the advancement of everyone around him.

But they couldn’t simply rely on Leo’s guidance indefinitely.

‘What is the best course of action?’

Chelsea bit down hard on her lip.

‘I gave my word to Lord Arion.’

She had vowed to be of use to Leo.

She had vowed to stand by him.

But she couldn’t accomplish that task entirely on her own.

Eliza let out a soft mock as she observed Chelsea’s clear internal struggle.

“How bizarre, Chelsea Rwallyn. Why are you radiating so much anxiety?”

“Remind me, who exactly goes out of their way to receive private training from Leo in the dead of morning because they are terrified of falling behind?”

“Eeek?!”

Eliza let out a sharp shriek as Kal, who had approached behind her without making a single sound, muttered the secret into her ear.

She ground her teeth in fury, wrapping her whip securely around Kal’s neck as she hissed under her breath.

“I specifically ordered you to never utter a single word about that, didn’t I?”

“T-That is why I kept my voice down… cough! P-Please let go…”

Eliza released her grip on Kal, her chest heaving and her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Eliza, even if he caught you off guard, taking it that far is uncalled for. Look, you’ve actually left a visible mark.”

As Chen Shia offered a gentle scolding, Eliza froze for a second before clicking her tongue, pulling a tiny container from her garments, and tossing it directly at Kal.

“I crossed the line. That is a high-grade salve I use for treating skin injuries. Put it on.”

“…….”

“…….”

Both Chen Shia and Kal simply stared at Eliza in absolute shock.

“What are you looking at?”

“Miss Eliza is actually admitting a mistake and offering a premium medicine?”

“Could it be that you are suffering from some kind of incurable sickness?”

Eliza’s hands began to shake with rage as she aggressively struck out at Kal with her weapon once more.

“Why am I the only one getting lashed?!”

“Chen Shia never gets targeted regardless!”

Following a brief period of chaotic shouting, Kal finished applying the salve to his neck and spoke up.

“Why is everyone acting so out of character today? Since when has Leo being an insurmountable obstacle been a new revelation?”

“Hmph. Easy for you to say since you don’t care about competing.”

Eliza offered a cold, mocking smirk.

“You are just an underperforming student who barely manages to stay afloat, which allows you to casually joke around with Leo Flobe without a care, right? Do you have even the slightest inkling of what we are going through?”

Overcome with a sudden wave of emotion, Eliza’s words came out far sharper than she intended, causing her to immediately look regretful.

Kal merely offered a gentle smile as he looked back at Eliza.

“You’re completely right, it really isn’t my concern.”

Kal gave a light shrug of his shoulders.

“At the end of the day, I am indeed a struggling student who could realistically be expelled from this academy at any given moment.”

“No. That wasn’t what I meant to say…”

“I mean, I am never going to turn into a legendary hero or anything of the sort.”

Kal shrugged once more.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m putting in zero effort. I have fought tooth and nail just to survive this long. And honestly, watching all of you continuously challenge Leo without ever giving up has given me a great deal of motivation myself.”

“…….”

Eliza found herself completely lost for words.

“The rest of the class probably feels the exact same way I do. In the same manner that you are constantly striving to reach Leo, the ordinary students are constantly striving to keep pace with you. As long as you refuse to stop chasing after Leo, nobody else in this school will stop trying either.”

Just as Leo served as a guide for them.

They were serving as guides for the people around them.

“So stop showing any signs of defeat. Because I intend to keep standing right behind you to offer my full support.”

With those final words, Kal squeezed his hand into a tight fist and strooode out of the learning space.

“Where are you heading off to?”

In response to Chelsea’s inquiry, Kal gave an incredibly dramatic shrug.

“The restroom.”

Thud—Click—!

The moment the door shut behind Kal, every single gaze shifted directly onto Eliza.

“I, what I meant was…”

“You went way too far with your words, Eliza.”

As Chen Shia delivered her soft reprimand, Eliza bit down tightly on her lip before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.

Watching her departure, Chelsea tilted her head in confusion.

“Where is she running off to now?”

“She is almost certainly going to offer a proper apology to Kal.”

“With how incredibly prideful she is?”

“Despite her stubborn pride, Eliza possesses a genuinely kind heart. It’s a bit of a shame that she struggles to express her true feelings directly… but that aspect of her is rather endearing too.”

“Shia, your baseline definition for what counts as ‘kind’ seems to be incredibly broad.”

“Naturally~ I refer to Chelsea as being kind as well, don’t I?”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“Kind~ You are so kind~”

“Stop treating me like a toddler!”

Chen Shia let out a series of giggles as she watched the flustered Chelsea squirm.

Whoosh—Creak—

Kal finished splashing his face at the basin, shut off the flowing water, and let out a small, self-critical chuckle.

“What is wrong with you, Kal? Normally you can just laugh this kind of stuff off.”

Speaking directly to his own image in the glass reflection, Kal took a slow, deep breath.

“It turns out I still hold onto foolish attachments. Look at yourself. You have already accomplished plenty of incredible things. It wouldn’t have been a surprise at all if you had flunked out during the first-semester midterms of your freshman year, yet here you are on the verge of completing your sophomore year, aren’t you? Let’s stay grounded. Alright? Let’s stop being ridiculous and entertaining hopeless fantasies.”

Right as Kal was muttering these thoughts to himself while drying off his hands.

“How fascinating.”

“Cough?!”

Kal let out a startled gasp at the voice that had materialized directly behind his back without making a sound.

“M-My goodness?!”

“Truly unique.”

Rian, cradling a sack of confections purchased from an outdoor vendor, crunched down on a piece from the bag as she looked up at Kal.

“Throughout the entire chronicle of Lumern Academy, you, Kal Thomas, are the single student who bears absolutely zero resemblance to the spirit of Lumern.”

“Haha.”

Kal scratched his head and gave a self-conscious laugh.

Gazing intently at Kal, Rian used her tongue to lick away the remaining sugar grains from her hand before speaking again.

“And yet, it is quite intriguing.”

Rian broke into a wide smirk.

Kal felt a sudden chill run down his spine the moment he locked eyes with her.

Those were, without a shadow of a doubt, the eyes of a supreme entity peerlessly gazing down from an incomprehensible altitude.

“You possess attributes that Lumern itself could never provide.”

“What?”

“Two distinct traits, to be precise.”