135.
“Escape!”
Lunia, after stretching her arms, shouted as they emerged outside the city.
“I thought I’d d*e from the suffocation!”
“Wasn’t it agreed that we wouldn’t put up pretenses when we’re just among students?”
“Pretenses? Your word choice is weird.”
“So, what is it then?”
Lunia grinned with an elegant smile.
“It’s about not shattering people’s illusions.”
Leo shook his head.
“Anyway, weren’t you the one mocking me earlier? Huh?”
Lunia raised her eyebrows, but Leo didn’t blink as he calmly questioned her.
“Shouldn’t we act like good honor students in front of our seniors?”
At this question, Lunia’s face turned sulky.
“Most of the upperclassmen barely know my personality.”
“Most?”
“Yeah. There are a few seniors who do. You know that bespectacled senior who was the leader of our recent group? He knows me well.”
Lunia scratched her head.
“So, I thought it’d just be him, and I came here freely. But then, other 2nd and 3rd year seniors showed up, and it was exhausting.”
“It wouldn’t be exhausting if pretending were your everyday thing, right?”
“Just leave me alone, and there’d be no exhaustion!”
Lunia crossed her arms and pouted.
“But you keep causing trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Yeah. Those 2nd years kept subtly asking me out on dates and all!”
“Why not just reject them?”
“They didn’t give me a chance for a direct refusal, constantly circling around; it’s so frustrating!”
With that, Lunia hysterically kicked the nearby tree.
It seemed her stress had piled up quite a bit during the journey.
Seeing this, Leo chuckled.
“Are you getting mad on my behalf because they insulted me?”
Hesitating for a moment…
Lunia stopped kicking.
She then glanced at Leo and smirked.
“Hmph! It’s just that it felt wrong to see my rival ignorantly bashing you!”
“Got it. Got it.”
Leo nodded as Lunia raised her chin and spoke smugly.
“How’s Eiran doing?”
“Yep! She’s done adapting to school now. Nobody’s bullying her!”
Lunia happily talked with Leo about what happened after their school trip.
Though they had exchanged letters, there’s nothing quite like conversing face-to-face.
‘Conversations with him flow fairly naturally, I must admit.’
Lunia thought to herself while talking to Leo.
Despite being of a different race, somehow, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with Leo.
In this atmosphere, Leo casually asked:
“So, if you’re here to survey the Hero Dungeon, would joining me to clear out a bandit hideout be alright?”
“Yeah. We’re just doing a survey anyway. Not like I’m going to enter the Hero Dungeon without you…”
“Huh!?”
Realizing she had let something slip unintentionally, Lunia clasped her hands over her mouth in shock.
“So?”
“W-What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Hero Dungeon? Hahaha!”
Leo looked at the now awkward Lunia and said,
“If it’s nothing, then I can contact Lumeran immediately, right? We have students from Seirun here.”
Leo pulled out the communication amulet provided to students when they go out on missions and shook it.
Seeing this, Lunia sighed deeply after darting her eyes around.
“Fine! Our principal said hero dungeons could be around this region. Happy?”
Since the very moment Seirun students appeared in this area, it was easily predictable that a hero dungeon might exist here.
Deciding that concealment wasn’t possible, Lunia confessed freely as Leo nodded.
Watching Leo, Lunia gave a slightly sullen expression.
“Let’s head out.”
Without probing further into the hero dungeon topic, Leo pulled out a map from his coat and announced,
“The bandits’ lair seems to be in the ruins at the eastern end of the Garan region.”
Hearing this, Lunia nodded in agreement.
“Alright. Let’s go and sweep them out.”
Cracking her knuckles, Lunia gave a fearsome smile.
“Villains who harm the innocent—unforgivable.”
As a Hero Candidate, Lunia was fundamentally a girl with a strong sense of justice.
“Alright.”
Behind Lunia, Leo knelt down with his back turned.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Get on.”
“What? Why should I?”
Lunia’s face slightly reddened as she questioned him, but Leo calmly replied,
“Don’t we need to head to the bandits’ lair quickly?”
“But we can fly with magic!”
“Even so, carrying you while running would probably be faster.”
Though the daughter of a noble house might consider it improper, she hesitated for a moment then sighed and climbed on.
“Just so you know, if you have any funny ideas, it’ll mean your d*ath.”
“What funny ideas could I even have?”
“You… Never mind. Ugh.”
Lunia sighed and wrapped her arms around Leo’s neck.
Once Leo stood up, she tightened her grip around his neck.
“…If you’re having strange thoughts, I’m warning you.”
“Strange thoughts? What for?”
As Leo prepared to leap, Lunia rested her chin on his shoulder, thinking,
‘Now that I think about it, has this guy grown taller?’
Realizing how much taller the boy she previously considered her younger peer had grown, she tightened her hold around his neck with a sense of peculiar sentiment.
“So we intend to scout the surrounding region for ecological research purposes for a while.”
“Certainly! Please stay as long as you wish! We’ll be sure to make your stay comfortable!”
Hardin spoke courteously.
Upon hearing this, the lord of Garan nervously wiped his hands.
Witnessing this from a distance, a second-year female student from Seirun scoffed.
“He’s incredibly obsequious. Honestly, humans are all like that.”
Elves, known across all races for their pride in their own culture, were naturally full of arrogance.
Additionally, since Seirun students were considered the chosen ones, they tended to be quite arrogant.
Of course, not all students were like that.
However, the upper-class students who were often admired did tend to harbor ethnocentric values.
All three students present were from the upper classes of their years.
This dungeon exploration team consisted of two third-year and two second-year students, along with one first-year.
Hardin, the third-year leader, participated as a dungeon raider, while the other students were candidates to become dungeon raiders.
This mission training was also a sort of test designed to evaluate the students’ abilities as potential dungeon explorers.
“So, Miss Lunia going off to punish bandits instead of focusing on her mission is due to her still having some youthful traits, even though she’s quite outstanding?”
At this question from the female student directed at her seniors and peers, a second-year male student replied,
“It’s probably her overflowing sense of justice.”
This student had openly shown interest in Lunia since the start of the training mission.
“Still, why didn’t Lunia join us to defeat the bandits but chose to go with a Lumeran student?”
Confused by this, the second-year male student grumbled. Then, a third-year male student spoke up.
“I’ve heard that Lunia regards Leo Flove as her rival?”
During the first semester, the first-year students of Lumeran and Seirun had a temporary joint class, which was a well-known story.
The praises that senior teacher Herdium lavished on the Lumeran first-year students during that time were also quite famous within Seirun.
Being a highly respected elite teacher, the Seirun students couldn’t easily dismiss his words.
“Well, if we think about the Gigantes incident this year, they do have some prowess. However, our first-years were surely capable of that too, weren’t we?”
The second-year female student said snippishly.
“That’s right, Senior. There’s no way Seirun students couldn’t achieve what Lumeran students did.”
It seemed that this student didn’t like the idea of Leo going off alone with Lunia, and he openly displayed hostility on his twisted face.
“Isn’t it obvious that Seirun will win the academy championship this year? The second-year students of our generation were mediocre, and even the third-year seniors weren’t a match for their predecessors, right?”
At this from the second-year juniors, a third-year student at Seirun stiffened his face.
“It’s not entirely like that. Lumeran’s third-year has a monster.”
“Monster?”
“Are you talking about Elena Zeruon?”
The second-year students tilted their heads and asked, and the third-year nodded.
Upon hearing this, the Seirun second-year students laughed,
“So what if it’s only one person? Aren’t the other third-year Lumeran students mediocre too?”
“That’s right. We’ll have no problem this year. The current Lumeran second-years are nothing special.”
In the past three years, especially last year’s first years, who are now second-years, were heavily defeated by Seirun’s first years.
“Still, last year, Lumeran’s first-year representative was quite skilled, so don’t let your guard down.”
“Oh, you mean that odd-voiced girl, Lil, or something, right? She’s just outstanding among the other students.”
“That’s right. It’s embarrassing for her to be the class representative. Lumeran has truly gone downhill.”
“Ah my goodness. What’s wrong with our cute Lil?”
At this unexpectedly heard voice, Seirun students flinched and turned their heads.
There stood a beautiful girl smiling.
The face of the third year student grew rigid,
“Elena Zeruon? Why are you here?”
“Hello, Seirun students.”
Elena smiled while twirling the ends of her hair with her fingers.
“I like people who work hard.”
Confused by her sudden statement, the Seirun students were startled.
“Our cute Lil always works hard. She’s also kind. Last year, she couldn’t showcase her full abilities because she was too busy caring for her classmates. Recently, she’s really been working hard to restore Lumeran’s honor.”
Elena smiled fondly while reminiscing about her favorite junior.
“It’s not like I care if you gossip about another school from somewhere discreet, but…”
Smiling widely,
“I’m a little hurt by hearing such gossip, so I’m giving you a chance to apologize. If you kneel down properly and bow, I might forgive you.”
At Elena’s words, a second-year male student was slightly firm in his response.
“It’s just the truth. I don’t think it requires kneeling.”
“That’s right! If you’re unhappy with this evaluation, then prove it with skill!”
“I’ve given the reason for my hurt feelings and offered you a chance to apologize.”
A wickedness crept into Elena’s eyes, known as the queen of Lumeran.
“You’ve rejected my offer?”
Simultaneously with her words, a bright light erupted.
BOOM!
The lord’s mansion was destroyed in an instant.
Startled by the sudden explosion, Hardin and the lord rushed over.
Seeing the familiar face stepping on the head of the second-year junior, Hardin’s face stiffened.
“Well, it seems you shouldn’t mock our school so confidently.”
“Hardin?”
“Hello, Elena.”
Elena warmly greeted the third-year representative of Seirun, with whom she had been in competition for three years.
“Maybe you need to educate your juniors a little more?”
“Run away! There’s a witch!”
“Are you kidding? Have you ever seen a witch that looks this innocently pathetic?”
“I’m not pathetic, am I?”
“What? Do you want to d*e first?”
Lunia shot a glare at Leo.
At the same time, Lunia’s magic relentlessly targeted the bandits.
Bandits swept by the surging waves of fire screamed.
Lunia chased after them, laughing while they tried to flee, yelling,
“Villains who torment good people! I will send you all to hell!”
‘Looks like a witch for sure.’
Leo chuckled and shook his head,
‘This side of her really resembles Luna.’
Leo glanced at the distant outline of the fortress entrance, thinking that Lunia would be pleased if she heard this and Luna would be upset.
‘Complete ruins.’
The entrance of the fortress had completely lost its former fortitude.
Leo followed Lunia into the fortress. Inside, Lunia was eliminating the bandits with her magic.
The skills of the first-year representative of the Seirun Academy were overwhelming.
Despite the bandits being relatively sizable, they were no match for her.
“I, we have hostages! We have hostages!”
The bandits, having discovered Leo, rushed toward him en masse.
“Isn’t this usually the other way around?”
Smiling mockingly, Leo casually raised his hand.
Flash!
In an instant, Leo completed the magical incantation and hurled a fiery vortex at the bandits.
“Aaaaaaah!”
The bandits screamed and scattered.
The annihilation of the gang occurred in the blink of an eye.
“Hmph! You pathetic guys are making a fuss over nothing.”
Lunia turned her hand and glanced at Leo.
‘What is he doing?’
With a puzzled expression, Lunia approached Leo.
On the other hand, Leo was on his knees, brushing the ground.
‘…somehow… it seems as if the entire Guardstron fortress is buried underground.’
Even after thousands of years, it was the final stronghold, which acted as the last defense line of the world.
The fact that no trace of this fortress remained, leaving only textual records, seemed strange.
However, after stepping into the faint remains of the fortress ruins, Leo understood.
‘This place is the top of Guardstron’s fortress wall.’
Guardstron had been an incomparably large city, vastly exceeding the refugee city of Leisar.
As Leo stroked the ground, he realized a faint energy flowed beneath.
“Dark magic…so it is.”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Is this because Tartarus engulfed Guardstron?’
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
