Chapter 653

Book 1 Chapter 653

“What is going on over there? What is happening?”

“Why have Senior Leo and Senior Sia taken the center of the training ground…?”

“Are those two actually going to have a match?”

The newly arrived first-years gathered around the training ground, their voices filled with excitement.

It was entirely due to the thrill of potentially witnessing Leo Plov engage in combat with their very own eyes.

Leo, who had secured the position of Lumerne’s student council president during his freshman year and attained the status of a hero by his sophomore year, was already regarded as a living legend.

To the underclassmen, he was quite literally an existence from another realm among seniors who already seemed out of reach.

The freshmen were deeply energized simply by the prospect of watching such an individual.

Meanwhile, the sophomores shifted their gazes between Leo and Chen Sia with expressions of slight astonishment.

These second-years had already vividly experienced the sheer terror of Chen Sia during the previous day’s examination.

“I’m telling you, Senior Sia literally appeared in my nightmares last night.”

“Ugh… just walking down a dim corridor gives me chills now.”

The second-years trembled, the memory of that suffocating darkness still fresh in their minds.

Naturally, a collective doubt began to form.

“But can Senior Sia truly stand against Senior Leo in a direct confrontation?”

The sophomores were well aware.

Leo’s capabilities existed on an entirely separate plane.

Moreover, the sun was shining brightly right now, unlike the absolute obscurity of the day before.

As the first and second-years remained skeptical, the ones experiencing the greatest confusion were, predictably, the third-years.

“What prompted Leo and Sia to suddenly face off?”

Chloe walked over to Celia and Duran, looking utterly bewildered.

“They mentioned providing us with a bit of instruction.”

“Instruction?”

Hearing Duran’s response, Chloe tilted her head in confusion.

The final result of this duel was already a foregone conclusion.

However, if Chen Sia spoke of instruction, she clearly meant to demonstrate something the third-years had yet to uncover.

“Wait, what is happening here?”

Chelsea, returning from the back of the storage area, blinked in surprise at the raucous environment surrounding the training ground.

“Wow! It looks like Leo and Sia are about to clash! An event this massive is mandatory viewing!”

As Karl busied himself arranging some equipment, Eliza questioned him with a perplexed look.

“Are you planning to analyze their movements?”

“You’ve shared a dormitory with Karl for a whole year and you still don’t comprehend his true nature.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Just as Eliza scowled at Chelsea’s remark, a loud voice interrupted them.

“Fresh popcorn for sale! We also have ice-cold juice available!”

Eliza nearly stumbled as she watched Karl manifest a vending stall from his spatial storage and dart through the crowd of spectators.

“Oh! Karl! Give me an order of popcorn!”

“I’ll take a juice!”

The third-years began shouting their orders immediately, as though they had been anticipating this exact moment.

“Do you happen to have grilled buttered squid?”

“Naturally!”

“As expected, your inventory is flawless!”

The third-years gave him enthusiastic thumbs-up signs.

“Senior! Please serve us as well.”

“Come on~ Could you spare a small discount for us?”

The second-years also began purchasing snacks and beverages from Karl, completely accustomed to the routine.

The first-years could only watch with wide-open mouths, thoroughly stunned.

“The person serving as the acting student council president… is running a food stall?”

“Yeah, that is definitely Senior Karl from yesterday’s events!”

“Nooo! My grand illusions are completely shattered!”

“Where did that majestic presence from yesterday vanish to…!”

Several freshmen gripped their heads, letting out dismayed cries.

“Wait? Oh! Millia?!”

“What is she planning?”

While the rest of the first-years watched hesitantly, Millia, the top-ranked student of the freshman Knight Department, strode directly up to Karl.

“Greetings, Senior. I would like one combo set, please.”

“Coming right up~”

Karl, donning a flawless customer-service expression, slid a container of popcorn toward Millia.

“Would it be possible to receive a complimentary catalog of the merchandise offered by Karl’s Merchant Guild?”

“Huh? That privilege is strictly reserved for registered members.”

“Am I not your very first customer from the freshman class? Because of my purchase, the other first-years will find it much easier to buy Senior Karl’s goods, won’t they?”

Karl offered a dry chuckle at Millia, who gave him a subtle wink, before ultimately nodding in agreement.

Humming a light melody, Millia accepted the document and opened it up.

“What do you intend to do with that?”

When a fellow freshman from the Knight Department looked at her in confusion, Millia offered a gentle grin.

“I am simply intrigued.”

With that, Millia began scanning through the pages of Karl’s inventory catalog.

‘Senior Karl is rumored to have been supplying student necessities since his very first term.’

As the heir to the Lola Merchant Guild, which dominated the southern trade networks, Millia possessed an intimate understanding of capital flow and resource distribution across the lands.

Before even arriving at Lumerne, she had meticulously mapped out the commercial sectors of both Lumerne and Lumeria City.

This wasn’t done to secure superior marks within the academy.

It was a habit born of innate curiosity from growing up in a prominent merchant lineage.

Through her research, she had confirmed that a distinct shift had occurred in the distribution patterns of restoratives and enchanted implements within Lumerne starting two years prior.

At the absolute center of that shift was Karl.

In a mere two years, the essential supplies consumed by the student body—such as tonics, magical tools, and basic components—had fallen under his influence.

Karl had effectively monopolized the internal market of Lumerne.

‘The quality of his merchandise must be exceptional, but his business mind is truly remarkable.’

In essence, he had built a commercial empire entirely from scratch.

While Millia felt immense respect, her primary focus lay elsewhere.

‘By identifying the specific items Senior Karl distributes to the student body, I can fundamentally anticipate Lumerne’s upcoming training regimens.’

Though unpredictable variables were frequent within Lumerne, the core architecture of the academic calendar remained largely consistent.

Given the vast array of available elixirs and their varying purposes, Millia reasoned that reviewing Karl’s sales trends would allow her to prepare for practical tests ahead of time.

‘Naturally, it might turn out to be completely redundant… but as the proverb goes, “preparation prevents disaster.”’

A minor advantage could dictate whether one achieved elite marks or fell behind.

This was especially true for top-tier students like Millia.

Shifting her eyes away from the text, Millia looked upward.

“Wow… seeing him apply himself so diligently for profit… it is genuinely respectable.”

“Flaunting himself before the underclassmen just for coin! Sister, what could possibly be worthy of respect regarding that thoroughly unremarkable individual?!”

“Pardon?”

“What?!”

Millia blinked at Ferena, the top student of the Summoning Department, who was voicing a completely polarized opinion right beside her.

For a brief second, invisible sparks seemed to collide between their gazes before both young women simultaneously turned away with a sharp huff.

Meanwhile, over in the Magic Department section, Vito, their top freshman student, was diligently scribbling notes while tasting his popcorn and juice with an incredibly solemn demeanor.

“Vito, what exactly are you working on?”

“I am attempting to deduce the hidden composition of Senior Karl’s concessions.”

“What? What purpose does that serve even if you figure it out?”

“Senior Karl is an elite practitioner of alchemy. It is entirely obvious that his advanced methodologies are infused even within this simple snack.”

The nearby freshman from the Magic Department recalled a piece of information he had just overheard from the third-years.

‘I am pretty sure they said he just buys it in bulk from a random supplier and resells it…’

“I’ve unlocked it! This contains precisely 5% actual fruit concentrate?!”

The other freshman opted for silence, casting a look of pure pity at Vito, who was conducting his analysis with utmost intensity.

For some reason, he felt it would be cruel to shatter his companion’s delusion.

Watching the underclassmen from a distance, Aina spoke softly.

“It appears a rather eccentric batch of freshmen has arrived.”

“That Millia student. She strikes me as incredibly unusual. Her temperament seems rather problematic too.”

“Ferena Hergin is no different. She certainly projected a polite demeanor during the orientation.”

“And why is that Vito fellow analyzing a basic beverage with such a grim expression? What a bizarre individual.”

Habidun, Shasha, and Juen readily agreed with Aina’s assessments.

Luke, who was standing just a step behind the group, gave his cheek an awkward scratch.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t believe any of you are qualified to judge others on eccentricity.”

“Is this our first proper duel since the intra-departmental tournament during our freshman year?”

“Haha. Those were certainly interesting times.”

“Back then, you were still adrift, caught between the identity of a hero and that of a shadow.”

At Leo’s remark, Chen Sia gave a slow nod.

“You certainly didn’t request this match merely to evaluate the gap between us once more.”

Though he had willingly accepted the challenge, Leo remained curious about Chen Sia’s motivation for suddenly initiating a confrontation.

Chen Sia offered a gentle smile as she looked at Leo.

“Young Master Leo truly possesses a remarkable gift for instructing others.”

The Era of Calamity had drawn to a close.

Yet, even with the dawn of the Era of Heroes, the perils threatening the realm had not vanished entirely.

The total conflict against Tartarus.

Only after emerging victorious from that cataclysmic war did a genuine period of tranquility finally arrive.

Within that historical epoch stood Berkia, who carried the immense weight of the generation, and Bihar, who provided vital support to Berkia from the depths of the shadows.

This was the legacy established by the First Hero, Kyle.

Berkia had also been trained under the guidance of Luna and Arion.

Nevertheless, it was Kyle himself who ultimately directed him to truly integrate those core principles into his own being.

‘In hindsight, Lord Arion was far from a conventional teacher.’

“How does it feel? Isn’t it straightforward?” Chen Sia shook her head slightly, remembering Arion, who always offered a bright grin while uttering those words.

At times guiding from the vanguard, at times offering a push from the rear.

The current third-years, widely recognized as Lumerne’s pinnacle generation, had seen their capabilities truly flourish primarily because Leo had been quietly orchestrating things from behind the scenes.

Even so, Leo could not consistently engage with them on a conventional peer level in the same manner he did with the third-years.

Furthermore, there was the reality of what a true life-or-death struggle entailed.

“As a senior, and as an older sister figure. I desire to impart a lesson to my peers.”

The combat proficiency of the elite third-year students was objectively equal to Chen Sia’s own.

In truth, Chen Sia could not absolute guarantee a victory if she were to engage Celia or Duran in a regulated match.

However, Chen Sia’s maximum capabilities were realized not within the boundaries of a duel, but in the chaos of genuine warfare.

She was nurtured not to be a celebrated hero, but to exist as a shadow.

Chen Sia, destined to reign at the absolute apex of the unseen world, was fundamentally distinct from standard heroic prospects.

She had been tracking down and eliminating defectors long before ever setting foot in Lumerne.

Her foundational background was entirely unique.

Moreover, the psychological weight of combating corrupted human adversaries, rather than mere beasts, existed in an entirely different realm.

In a true survival scenario, she possessed the capacity to overcome not only Celia and Duran, but even Wareden.

This held true under the bright sun, not merely within the cover of night.

Such was the profound divergence in practical experience.

‘Young Master Leo’s depth of experience must reside at a level that no ordinary mortal could hope to fathom.’

A Legendary Hero.

Furthermore, the accumulated trials of the First Hero, who had consigned countless traitors to the absolute void, resembled an immeasurable abyss.

It was exceedingly difficult for normal students to even perceive Leo’s patterns, which even Chen Sia struggled to fully comprehend.

For this precise reason, Chen Sia wished to display her authentic methodology of combat.

“I intend to show them the true nature of real combat.”

‘Undoubtedly, my companions will walk paths distinct from my own.’

Chen Sia’s aspiration to serve as a hero remained entirely steadfast.

Yet, that did not mean she purposed to tread the exact same terrain as conventional champions.

Wherever a brilliant light casts its glow, an accompanying shadow must inevitably form.

Just as her predecessor Bihar had demonstrated.

Just as Leo, the First Hero, had done.

Chen Sia had firmly committed herself to walking the very path they had forged.

Because that, too, represented a genuine heroic journey.

Existing within the darkness did not equate to being abandoned by the light.

‘Young Master Leo was the one who imparted that truth to me.’

The inverse was equally precise.

Those who operate within the light must never remain oblivious to the realities of the dark.

Eventually, a moment would inevitably arrive where they would have to face adversaries driven by pure malice.

Whether those opponents were Hero Hunters dedicated to eradicating champions.

Or individuals whose core convictions clashed violently with their own.

‘Under ordinary circumstances, they would acquire this knowledge over time.’

What an unscripted battle actually felt like.

What it meant to engage in a struggle for survival.

They would be forced to comprehend it, regardless of their desires.

However…

“We… must ascend as heroes a bit sooner than expected, must we not?”

Leo was waiting.

To guide them to that destination even a fraction faster.

Chen Sia maintained that it was vital for them to grasp ahead of time what they would otherwise only learn through future hardships.

“So that was the motivation behind your request.”

“Precisely. Therefore, I intend to engage you with every ounce of my capability.”

Clack- Clack-!

“Huh?”

“Hold on… what is that gripped in Chen Sia’s hands…?”

“Are those daggers?”

Perplexed murmurs rippled through the surrounding audience.

Chen Sia now wielded a pair of razor-sharp daggers in her hands.

‘…The twin blades of Bihar.’

Goooooooh-!

Leo released a quiet breath as a tangible aura of lethal intent began to emanate from Chen Sia’s form.

“Even with that explanation, projecting genuine intent to end my life seems a bit excessive, don’t you think?”