Chapter 656

That evening, after the first day of classes had concluded.

The Lumerun students gathered in the central hall of Clock Tower Dormitory were engrossed in discussing the World of Legions, which had been announced today.

“The difficulty is way higher than the World of Heroes, and clearing it gives absolutely nothing.”

“Seriously! There ought to be a limit to how unreasonable things can get!”

“Those Tartaros guys really are completely worthless!”

Lighthearted grumbling broke out across the room, though everyone was well aware of the gravity of the circumstances.

It was precisely at this moment, while the students were engrossed in discussing the day’s biggest news.

“Check that out.”

“Wow, does she really intend to go through that entire stack of magical texts?”

“It’s only the very first day of the term… top-tier students truly operate on a different level.”

Gasps of admiration arose from the freshmen as they observed Iliana entering the central hall after eating dinner.

The pupils from the Department of Knights and the Department of Magic, in particular, gazed at her with genuine awe.

They had been completely tricked by Iliana’s performance of acting like a model scholar.

“Austin. What exactly is the reason behind Senior Iliana behaving that way?”

Martina, who led Leo’s knighthood, Slater, questioned with an earnest look.

Naturally, unlike the freshmen, the sophomores were fully aware of Iliana’s actual personality.

“I am clueless as well.”

Austin, who had been mentored by Iliana during his freshman year, shook his head in response.

“She claimed her goal was to seduce Leo.”

Ella remarked with a gentle sigh as she passed through.

“Pardon? Seduce Young Master Leo?”

Martina inquired, looking somewhat taken aback. Ella responded.

“Indeed. This term, Leo is the one holding the reward and punishment stamps, correct? She declared she would charm Leo, secure a massive amount of those stamps, and claim the MVP title for the inter-dormitory competition.”

“So that was her angle.”

“Oh my goodness?”

Ella gasped, quickly masking her mouth as Leo stepped up from behind them.

“I was wondering why she was suddenly putting on the act of an exemplary student.”

“Iliana instructed me to keep that a secret.”

As Ella displayed a slightly conflicted expression, Celia, standing next to Leo, clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“Regardless of whether you speak of it or not, Leo is hardly someone to fall for such a ridiculous scheme.”

“That may be, but Iliana herself was incredibly driven, insisting she could pull it off.”

Nella offered a somewhat helpless grin.

“Stamps, is it.”

Leo retrieved a stamp from inside his pocket.

Looping the end of the stamp around his finger, Leo spun it around before letting out a soft laugh.

“A rather intriguing concept has just crossed my mind.”

Observing the smirk on Leo’s face, Nella’s eyes grew wide.

“An intriguing concept? What would that be?”

“It is just a preliminary thought. I will share it once it becomes more concrete.”

“What a tease. That is completely unfair.”

Hearing his reply, Nella pouted a little bit.

In stark contrast, however, the expressions of Celia and Martina drained of color.

‘What sort of devious scheme is he cooking up this time?’

The grin Leo possessed right now was identical to the one he wore whenever he put them through grueling training.

“Anyway, we can table that for later. How did it go? The discussion regarding the party formation?”

The highest-ranking third-years, with Leo at the forefront, had convened a meeting to organize parties after finishing their daily classes.

A grand party that combined members from all three class years.

Inevitably, the only individuals qualified to act as party leaders were the premier students from the oldest grade, the third-years.

Naturally, the nine individuals who had functioned as dormitory leaders during the previous year stood out as the primary choices for leadership roles.

Other prospects brought up during the discussion included Kyle, who had recently achieved the rank of hero, alongside Jureden, who occupied the third position within the Department of Summoning.

Predictably, no one raised any objections to those selections.

“So, who ended up being chosen as the party leaders?”

There were a total of six leadership positions available.

And finalizing the choice for party leaders was bound to be a challenging endeavor.

‘Because none of them will willingly back down.’

As the top-ranking individuals of their respective departments, each was entirely capable of commanding a party.

It made perfect sense that no one would desire to relinquish the role of party leader.

‘Would individuals like Chelsea and Sia perhaps step aside?’

Nella mused quietly to herself.

Right at that moment, the top-tier third-years entered the central hall.

The first and second-year pupils watched their arrival with anxious expressions.

While the specific party members were not finalized today, the leaders themselves had been chosen.

Given that a party leader possessed the power to influence an entire year’s marks, the underclassmen could not help but pay close attention.

“Leo oppa! Nella unnie! What were you guys gossiping about?”

Nella replied with a warm smile to Chelsea’s inquiry, as she had approached them with nimble steps.

“Heheheh.”

Chelsea placed both hands upon her hips and proudly expanded her chest.

Celia’s face twisted slightly at the sight.

“Chelsea, don’t tell me…?”

“Exactly! You guessed it! I am one of the party leaders!”

“Wow!”

Nella let out an impressed exclamation.

“Leo oppa, myself, Sia, Woreden, Jureden. The final slot originally went to Kyle! However…”

Chelsea clicked her tongue lightly.

“He was hauled away by Senior Elena, who suddenly burst in.”

‘Wait, you are going to lead a party? Have you lost your mind? What about your obligations to the student council? How can you act with such negligence?’

‘No way! Leo is a party leader as well!’

‘Leo holds the position of student council president, whereas you are merely the acting president. Simply put, you are a glorified laborer.’

‘Am I just straight-up a laborer now?!’

Chelsea shook her head, remembering Kyle, who had been dragged off to the echoing student council chambers.

The fate of Kyle, who had fiercely competed for the leader position under the impression that he could evade Elena’s supervision, turned out to be quite sorrowful.

“The remaining party leader position went to Abard oppa!”

After delivering the news, Chelsea cleared her throat—then tilted her head up and spoke.

“With that being the case, Celia. Fetch me a glass of water.”

“Hey! Are you looking for a fight?!”

As Celia shot a fierce glare, Chelsea knitted her brows.

“Is it not completely standard for a subordinate to serve refreshments when their leader is parched?”

“Who are you calling a subordinate?! You annoying little pest!”

“You, obviously.”

“Leo! Please let me transfer into your party instead!”

Celia whined loudly, grabbing hold of Leo and tugging at him forcefully.

The surrounding students who overheard the list of the six designated party leaders expressed astonishment.

“Wow! Jureden! How on earth did you manage to secure a party leader slot?”

“That is incredible shreds!”

“…Is it truly that shocking?”

“Of course it is!”

Jureden put on a thoroughly miserable look in response to his peers’ reactions.

“Keep your head high, Jureden. As a member of your group, I cannot allow my leader to appear disheartened.”

“I appreciate the support, Eliza.”

“Hmm… If I were to eliminate him, would the leadership role open up for me?”

“What did you just mutter?! Eliminate me?! Hey! Wait up! Eliza!”

Jureden gasped out in terror, hurriedly chasing after Eliza as she glided away.

Observing their interaction, the pupils belonging to the Department of Summoning clicked their tongues.

“He is destined to be nothing more than a puppet leader over there.”

As the central hall grew increasingly noisy, Luke made his way toward Leo.

“Senior Leo, congratulations on securing a position as a party leader!”

Leo smiled faintly, gazing down at Luke who was beaming with joy.

“It is not particularly an achievement that warrants congratulations.”

“As expected, such a feat must feel entirely ordinary for someone of your stature, senior.”

“What benchmark was utilized to determine the party leaders?”

Aina’s usually stoic expression briefly flickered with a rare hint of curiosity and intrigue as she approached alongside Luke.

Even for someone like Aina, the current outcome of the leadership selection was rather unexpected.

“The competition was incredibly intense.”

When Leo spoke with an amused grin, Luke’s expression filled with excitement.

“Did the seniors perhaps engage in duels to claim the leader positions? Senior Jureden is truly remarkable as well! To emerge victorious from such a fierce conflict!”

“We settled the matter fairly through rock-paper-scissors.”

“…”

“Everyone was playing with absolute intensity, as though their very lives depended on it. It was brutal. Though, truth be told, Jureden looked like he wanted no part in it.”

“Then why on earth did you refuse to let me withdraw!”

Jureden cried out in despair upon hearing Leo’s comment.

Leo offered a broad grin as he looked back at Jureden.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Deep into the night.

The uppermost level of the clock tower.

A silhouette silently materialized right beside Leo’s bed, where he lay resting with closed eyes.

“What exactly are you doing?”

Leo opened his eyes, questioning Mel with a thoroughly bewildered look as she sat next to his bed, staring down at his face.

“I was simply watching over your sleep, Lord Leo.”

“You have been constantly complaining about how exhausted you are due to the World of Legions, yet it seems you have found some spare time.”

“Spare time? Not a chance. I am completely buried in work. I am merely taking a brief intermission.”

Mel let out a prolonged sigh—and lightly struck her shoulder with her closed hand.

“Oh, goodness me. My entire body is stiff. I feel as though I might have to pass the title of Lord over to someone else.”

“You are sounding like an elderly woman.”

Hearing his remark, Mel narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You treat me like some distant child and then utter such harsh words.”

Leo shook his head, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

“So, what brings you to my quarters at such an ungodly hour?”

Leo moved over to the simple seating arrangement consisting of a table and couch placed right in the center of the spacious, barren chamber, throwing himself down into it.

Mellina, seating herself beside him, spoke up.

“We have received a formal request from Damian.”

“Damian?”

Leo paused momentarily, tilting his head to the side.

Damian, being another Hero Academy, handles assignments from across the globe, akin to Lumerun.

Leo creased his forehead at the revelation that Damian, an institution generally capable of handling the vast majority of its assignments independently, had reached out to Lumerun for assistance.

“Is it a plea for reinforcements?”

“Precisely. They state that they require the specific capabilities of Lumerun’s student council president, Leo Plov.”

“Is there any additional information?”

“Over in Azonia, Miss Ar was summoned as well.”

Upon hearing that, Leo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“It is a scouting operation.”

“How were you able to deduce that?”

“If they specifically requested backing from either myself or Ar, it implies they are in dire need of a powerhouse on par with a hero.”

Lately, the world’s established heroes have significantly raised their readiness levels to brace for any potential aggression from Tartaros.

Because of this, they are unable to deploy easily.

The only individuals possessing the flexibility to act under these circumstances are the students enrolled in the Hero Academies.

Furthermore, within Seirun, there is also Lunia, a student who has successfully reached the rank of hero.

Even so, Lunia was not issued a request for reinforcement.

“Even calling upon Lunia from Seirun would have sufficed, but the fact that the summons was restricted to Ar and myself signifies they require individuals capable of rapid deployment.”

Leo shrugged his shoulders casually.

“Therefore, there can only be one conclusion. A reconnaissance operation.”

“Wow, you truly see through everything, Lord Leo.”

Mellina praised him with admiration before transitioning to a more solemn tone.

“The rate at which monsters are manifesting along the Tartaros border zone of the Eastern Yeonja Continent has skyrocketed. There is a strong likelihood that a Hero Dungeon is about to form, prompting Damian to send out an exploration squad, but all communication with them has ceased.”

“Hmm.”

Leo’s expression turned grave.

“The objective must be to ascertain the current condition of that exploration squad and confirm whether or not a Hero Dungeon has actually manifested.”

“That is correct.”

Leo nodded slowly in response to Mellina’s explanation.

“What is the deadline for my departure?”

“You are expected to arrive at Damian by the day after tomorrow. Coincidentally, the second-year students from Lumerun are scheduled to travel to Damian the day after tomorrow for their Smith contract, meaning you can make the journey alongside them.”

Hearing this, Leo gave an affirmative nod.

“Very well. I shall assemble a party prior to that departure.”

“Do you intend to form a party consisting of students?”

“Yes. It serves as an excellent chance for them to accumulate practical experience.”

Leo rested his chin against his hand, contemplating.

“Perhaps I should select candidates who excel primarily in speed?”