Chapter 639

Book 1 Chapter 639

639

“Man, I was aware of his power, but he’s truly formidable enough to leave everyone completely winded, wouldn’t you say?”

Wearing an exhausted look, Runebah from the Department of Summoning, who habitually serves as the master of ceremonies for all functions at Lumen, shook his head.

A number of nearby students nodded along, silently concurring with his statement.

“Tell us, Niel, is there truly no vulnerability to the president at all?”

An exasperated question came from a fifth-year female student belonging to the Department of Knights.

Hailing from a family of vassals to Jerdinger, Niel naturally possessed the deepest understanding of Leo among the group.

Hearing his peer’s inquiry, Niel let out a heavy breath.

“Young Master Leo does not possess a single flaw.”

Those who pursue dual classes typically rely on two distinct skill sets to cover the shortcomings of one another.

Leo, however, occupies an all-class tier.

Because he is capable of neutralizing the vulnerabilities of every single discipline, no apparent blind spot exists within his arsenal.

‘Furthermore, examining his proficiency in any single path reveals he reigns supreme across the entire institution…’

Whether evaluating his skills as a knight, his prowess as a wizard, or his capabilities as a summoner.

Isolating any individual role still places him at the absolute pinnacle of the student body within Lumen.

For fifth-year students who had weathered countless hardships and intense training, uncovering a vulnerability in an opponent of that caliber was a monumental task.

Just as the senior fifth-years began sinking into a state of resignation following Niel’s assessment, a provocative voice chimed in.

“You call yourself a loyal retainer, lowering yourself before someone younger, yet you claim to be ignorant of your master’s shortcomings? Or are you simply playing the loyal dog and keeping it a secret to protect him?”

The tone was thoroughly mocking.

Niel shifted an icy look toward the direction of the speaker.

The one standing there taunting him was Taekon, a fellow fifth-year from the Knight Department.

Observing Taekon’s hostile attitude, Runebah let out a small smirk and whispered quietly to himself.

‘And there it is, things are starting to fall apart.’

His name was Taekon Sejire.

Among his peers, he had consistently maintained an iron grip on the number one rank within the Knight Department.

‘To be precise, he used to be the undefeated champion.’

For a span of four consecutive years, Taekon had never yielded the top spot in the Knight Department.

Yet, during the final assessments at the conclusion of his fourth year’s second term, he was forced to surrender that leading position to Niel.

While Niel had always remained a top-tier achiever since entering the academy, he had previously fallen just short of securing the definitive number one position prior to his fourth year.

Everything shifted when his fourth year commenced; Niel exhibited an explosive surge in progress, ultimately seizing the crown by the time the term wrapped up.

‘In truth, such an outcome shouldn’t shock anyone.’

Lumen serves as a melting pot where exceptional geniuses assemble and hone their capabilities.

‘Reaching the fourth year means everyone present is an elite filtered from an already superior group.’

Consequently, a sudden shift in the hierarchy could occur at any moment without causing surprise.

For someone like Taekon, however, digesting such a reality was an impossible pill to swallow.

‘This exhausting internal discord again.’

Runebah rubbed his scalp in frustration.

Cliques and factions were a natural fixture within every single year.

On a macroeconomic scale, divisions formed along departmental lines, regional origins, or geopolitical alliances representing different nations.

On a micro level, they manifested as internal political friction within a single graduating class.

Such dynamics were inevitable.

A vast majority of the individuals enrolling in Lumen hailed from influential households and aristocratic bloodlines.

Nevertheless, as students advanced into higher years, these internal conflicts generally began to iron themselves out.

‘An unspoken or recognized order establishes itself over time… Besides, spending years surviving together breeds solidarity, even if a handful remain bitter rivals until the very end.’

Sustained academic life side-by-side naturally forced them to lean on one another.

A sense of brotherhood was bound to develop out of shared necessity.

However…

‘The situation with our year is completely inverted.’

At present, the fifth-year cohort stood split down the middle into two distinct camps.

One faction comprised the independent student body centered around Niel, while the opposing force was known as the Blue Moon.

This group consisted of the original members from the Hero Dungeon conquest team, Blue Moon, initially guided by Elena.

‘The loyal retainers of the Queen.’

The official Blue Moon vanguard had actually dissolved once they transitioned into their fourth year.

To put it more accurately, Elena had ceased her excessive and tyrannical conduct.

As the offspring of both the chairman and the acting head of the institution, her position was unique.

Even prior to that period, Elena’s staggering capabilities allowed her to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the elite fifth-years back when she was merely a second-year student.

Leveraging her authority as the acting chairperson, she had monopolized numerous special privileges and personal benefits.

She behaved, in every sense of the word, like an unguided missile.

Those who hovered in the Queen’s orbit reaped a multitude of secondary perks simply by remaining at her side.

‘Naturally, the opportunistic parasites who only sought easy benefits through shallow flattery were weeded out long ago.’

Lumen is far too demanding an environment for superficial flatterers to survive.

‘The real complication lies in the fact that those who stuck around are her genuine, devout believers.’

Their aspirations boiled down to a singular desire.

Earning the validation of Elena.

Ever since her freshman days, Elena had refused to view any peer within her year as an equal.

To be more precise, she never truly accepted them as brothers-in-arms.

It was unavoidable.

‘They operate on entirely different planes of existence.’

The moniker of the Queen wasn’t granted without reason.

Elena’s dominance over them had been absolute.

This made her disciples all the more desperate to be validated as true companions.

To an casual observer, the dynamic might look ordinary.

Elena never treated her peers with outward contempt.

In fact, she frequently engaged in lighthearted banter and shared laughs with them.

Yet, a strict boundary remained right there.

She steadfastly prohibited anyone from crossing that line.

They were never permitted to stand on equal footing with her.

For the individuals who had dedicated themselves to walking in Elena’s shadow, such a barrier was bound to drive them to near insanity.

‘That intense fixation is likely what drove these people to endure and survive within Lumen at all costs.’

Given that psychological backdrop, losing his premier status in the Knight Department caused Taekon to snap instantly.

If she hadn’t given him a second glance when he held the number one spot, why would she notice him now that he had slid down to second? The mounting dread of irrelevance made him reckless.

The sudden friction between Niel and Taekon acted as a powder keg.

The independent students, already constantly stressed over their academic standings, found their suppressed resentment toward the Blue Moon clique bubbling over.

Initially, those outside the Blue Moon circle paid little heed to political blocks.

Nevertheless, because the rival faction consistently maintained a defensive and elitist posture, the unaffiliated students were pushed into a loose coalition of their own, inadvertently creating a counter-faction.

“What’s with that hostile tone?”

A young woman hailing from the Department of Magic shot an aggressive look across the room.

In response, a female student from the same Department of Magic who belonged to the Blue Moon faction let out a derisive snicker.

“Am I wrong? A person like Niel is bound to prioritize his clan’s interests above all else in a scenario like this, isn’t he? That’s just what a subservient follower does.”

“Oh, and I suppose that’s distinct from you people acting as Elena’s obedient hounds?”

“Mind repeating that?”

The tension in the air escalated rapidly toward violence.

Finding the escalating dispute intolerable, Runebah attempted to intervene with his usual amiable demeanor.

“Come on, everyone, cool your heads. Aren’t you embarrassed to put on such a pathetic display right in front of the lower-classmen?”

“Back off, Runebah, this doesn’t concern you!”

“This matter gets resolved right here, right now. Don’t go sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Regardless of Runebah’s efforts to de-escalate, the fury in the room showed no indications of cooling down.

Witnessing their stubborn defiance, the jovial grin completely vanished from Runebah’s face.

“Are you under the impression that my guidance carries no weight here?”

The sheer frostiness of his tone, entirely uncharacteristic of his typically lighthearted attitude, caused both the fifth-years and the observing fourth-year students to tense up in surprise.

After silently surveying his peers with a blank, unreadable gaze for a moment, Runebah’s face suddenly brightened back up with a warm, cheerful expression as he spoke.

“Our primary objective must be devising a countermeasure against Leo.”

While the ultimate valedictorian of the Knight Department remained up in the air until final marks were tallied, the position of overall runner-up for their entire graduating class had been set in stone since their freshman year.

That spot belonged to Runebah Tes.

He stood as the unquestioned second-ranking power of their year, having previously secured the class presidency by outperforming even Elena Jeron.

‘Granted, that only occurred because Elena completely abandoned an entire term under the pretext of being bored with academics.’

“To begin, Taekon, I want you managing the tactical coordination.”

“…Got it.”

“As for our tactical blueprint… Eren, that responsibility falls to you.”

“Understood, Senior.”

By assigning the planning to Eren, Runebah utilized the sharpest tactical mind available among the fourth-year cohort.

Not a single person voiced an objection to these commands.

‘There’s no room for protest. I’ve spent years analyzing everyone’s performances from the announcer’s booth.’

He possessed an intimate understanding of every individual’s strengths and flaws.

When it came to confronting an overwhelming adversary, Taekon’s leadership combined with Eren’s structural planning formed the most effective combination across both upper classes.

With the leadership and intellectual roles firmly established to restore order, Runebah pointed out a handful of additional individuals.

“The rest of you will comprise our scouting unit. Move out with me.”

“Right behind you, Senior.”

Gathering the fourth-years who excelled at information gathering, Runebah went forward to set up early warning measures against Leo’s imminent advance.

Once the younger students fanned out and left him to his own devices, Runebah drifted into quiet contemplation.

Following a brief pause, he gave an understanding nod.

“So that’s what the faculty are trying to accomplish here.”

Even if his fifth-year peers refused to acknowledge the truth of the situation.

Runebah perceived their fundamental weakness with absolute clarity.

“Our fatal flaw is that the moment Elena is absent, our entire structure shatters into pieces.”

He let out a quiet, internal groan.

‘Then there’s the matter of the fourth-years.’

The current fourth-year class, sitting just one step below them, had found themselves dictated to and pushed around by the fifth-years for four consecutive years.

This occurred because Elena’s magnetic authority had routinely crossed class boundaries, dominating not just the immediate juniors but reaching down to the underclassmen as well.

The complication now was that those younger students had evolved into upperclassmen themselves.

‘They are no longer going to blindly submit to our directives.’

They had grown and developed their own agency.

On top of that, years of being forced into subordination had undoubtedly left a bitter taste in their mouths.

‘If this goes sideways, a total fracture will erupt between the fourth and fifth-year blocks.’

Had Lil been present on the field, the situation could have been kept under control, but regrettably, Lil was nowhere to be found either.

Runebah ran his fingers through his hair aggressively once more.

“Sigh, if only I possessed the capacity to act as a proper leader, could I have managed this more effectively?”

While Runebah boasted remarkable academic marks, maintained a pleasant disposition, and excelled in social settings, he simply lacked the commanding presence required to guide a crowd.

It was a personal limitation that he recognized clearer than anyone else.

‘For now, my priority is communicating the faculty’s hidden agenda to the rest of the group…’

“It might have mitigated the chaos slightly. Granted, it wouldn’t have corrected the core issue plaguing your group.”

“Well, look at that. President, exactly how long have you been lurking there?”

“Right around the moment you deduced what the instructors were plotting, Senior.”

Leo offered a profound, knowing grin.

Catching sight of that expression, a sudden chill raced down Runebah’s spine, leaving him covered in gooseflesh.

‘He isn’t leaving… a single vulnerability, is he?’

It mattered little that Runebah held the distinction of being the number two student among the fifth-years.

The person standing before him was Leo.

‘Things would take a different shape if Elena or Lil were standing here instead.’

Up until a couple of years back, the individual occupying the second spot in the fifth-year rankings was universally recognized as the second-most powerful figure in Lumen.

Yet, that unwritten standard had been thoroughly shattered during the previous year.

The hierarchy fell apart because an underclassman had abruptly usurped the crown as the strongest entity in Lumen.

All of it was due to the arrival of an anomaly known as Leo Flobe.

Even in a world where Leo did not exist, Runebah still wouldn’t have held the title of Lumen’s second-in-command.

The reason was Lil, who outclassed him from the class below.

‘Perhaps I ought to appreciate Leo for making my situation feel a bit less humiliating?’

Runebah let out a sudden, self-deprecating chuckle.

Observing Runebah’s reaction, Leo remarked calmly,

“You truly possess zero drive, Senior.”

Runebah merely giggled in response to the observation.

He took no offense to the comment.

Leo wasn’t delivering the line to mock him or cause hurt.

It was an objective fact; he completely lacked ambition.

It matched what the instructors, older students, and even the underclassmen within his own division frequently noted about him.

“Keep a low profile and survive as long as possible. That is the philosophy I live by.”

His actions aligned perfectly with his philosophy.

The underlying explanation for why he never made a lasting splash during his academic tenure, despite maintaining the second-highest rank in his year.

He was entirely committed to identifying and taking the path of least resistance.

Leo gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

The world was filled with diverse personalities.

Be that as it may.

“For an individual claiming to have such low ambitions, you are putting in an impressive amount of effort right now.”

Runebah shattered under the weight of Leo’s expanding smile.

‘He figured it out!’

Having covertly channeled spirit magic to alert the distant fifth-years regarding Leo’s sudden appearance, Runebah swallowed hard.

“Not that it alters my approach, considering my objective was to break through their forces directly from the front regardless.”

“Spoken like a true Student Council President. Your confidence is boundless.”

Runebah offered an amicable chuckle to defuse the tension.

‘There was an era when I harbored a desire to exhibit that kind of grand aspiration myself.’

Though he suffered a crisis of confidence upon witnessing Elena’s genius during his first year, he had still thrown himself into competing against her with fervent energy.

Nevertheless, the moment he observed Lil entering the academy during his sophomore year, he abandoned those dreams entirely.

The sheer disparity made his own lofty goals look utterly foolish by comparison.

‘He may be an underclassman, but he is genuinely magnificent.’

Right as Runebah maintained his wide, pleasant grin while staring at Leo.

“You find this amusing?”

“What?”

“Do you consider our present circumstances a laughing matter?”

The abrupt shift in tone caused Runebah to lock up completely.

The phrasing precisely mirrored the reprimands he used to receive from upperclassmen about to graduate.

“Listen here. Regardless of our difference in skill, I am still your upperclassman, you know?”

“Senior status means nothing when less fortunate people are desperate to possess the talents you waste, while capable individuals who surpass me choose to act like idle bystanders. Do you truly believe that sort of mindset is acceptable? What was your purpose in enrolling at Lumen in the first place?”

The surrounding aura turned incredibly oppressive.

This far exceeded a simple scolding from an underclassman.

The tone was identical to a stern lecture from a faculty member.

Specifically, the institution’s most terrifying professor, Harland.

“I used to ponder why you constantly withdrew from active tournaments just to sit back and provide commentary, and now I see the truth. I am out here attempting to force a group of focused upperclassmen to pull themselves together. Yet, your core attitude is entirely decayed, isn’t it? Step forward. I am going to personally correct that broken mindset of yours.”

“E-E-Eek?!”

“Don’t you dare turn your back on me!!”

Watching Leo’s eyes narrow as he sprang forward, Runebah let out a terrified yelp and bolted at top speed.

He had no inkling as to why Leo had suddenly flown into a rage, but the reality of the situation was crystal clear.

Allowing himself to be captured at this moment would result in an absolute disaster.

“Leo has arrived!”

“Assume your designated defensive positions immediately!”

“Awoooooo!”

A thunderous roar echoed through the area once more.

The clash between Leo and the combined forces of the fourth and fifth-year student body had officially commenced.