Chapter 14

14

Two days later, morning.

Leo and Celia were heading towards the dock at Lumeria Lake.

The gazes of many people were drawn to the two figures clad in the Lumeran uniforms.

“Oh? Freshmen from Lumeran.”

“Goodness, they’re so fresh and innocent.”

The people on the street smiled and gave them encouraging words.

Then, the owner of a fruit stall threw two apples at them.

With a smile, Leo caught them and thanked the man.

“Yes, thanks!”

“That’s right, work hard and study diligently!”

Crunch! As Leo bit into the apple, he handed the other one to Celia, but she shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

“Lumeran is extraordinary, isn’t it? Just look at how these people favor us.”

“We are the future.”

Heroes are highly popular among the masses.

And students at Lumeran are candidates to become Heroes.

As they prepare themselves for threats to come, they follow the footsteps of previous heroes.

People cheer these hero candidates on.

“Until recently, Tartarus had been lying dormant, but we don’t know when they’ll become a threat again. Moreover…”

Celia stopped walking and lifted her chin.

“We can’t keep losing to Seirun forever!”

The relationship between humans and elves isn’t good.

Because of this, Lumeran Academy and the elf hero school, Seirun, often hold friendly matches to promote racial harmony.

These events start with quiz battles, followed by sports and mock combat, under the name of the Ruse Tournament. This prestigious exchange has a history of several hundred years.

The Ruse Tournament has had a positive effect, easing tensions between the two races.

However, since it’s all about racial pride, the students often risk their lives during the matches.

In recent years, Lumeran has been lagging behind Seirun.

“Just wait. I’ll flatten those Seirun guys!”

“Yeah, yeah. Keep going.”

Celia clenched her fists with burning determination while Leo casually responded, then took another bite from his apple.

As they approached the dock, they saw other freshmen.

Some were flying around with their staves, others riding their familiars, and there were even students who had equipped their entire bodies with various weapons.

“They’re all so eager.”

At that moment, a boy with light orange hair stepped in front of them.

“Excuse me! You two who look like you belong together! Would you have a moment to chat?”

“What do you want?”

“My name’s Kal Thomas. I’m from the Moira Kingdom!”

“And?”

“It’s nothing much.”

Kal smirked and took out a card that he nimbly handed to Leo and Celia.

“From weapons to potions! Kal’s Shop has got you covered! If you need anything during your school life, don’t hesitate to visit!”

He then winked and burst out laughing as he rushed off to other students.

“There are all kinds of weirdos here.”

Celia, who looked amused yet exasperated, tucked the card away and said,

“I’ll go meet some freshmen from our country.”

The Rodren Empire is a powerful nation in the western part of the continent.

Naturally, many students from the west are from the Empire.

“I’ll see you later. I’ll just hang around.”

“Alright. Let’s meet at the dock later.”

As Celia left, Leo leisurely walked around, observing the bustling scene.

The dock was packed not only with freshmen but also their families who had come to celebrate the occasion.

The lively atmosphere filled with diverse cultures was enough to make Leo nostalgic.

“It’s like Guardstron.”

The city known as the final line of defense during the Era of Catastrophe.

It was also the starting city where Lissinas led Kyle in firing the first counterattack against Erebus.

While Leo was reminiscing, something unexpected happened.

Puck!

“Huh?”

A blond girl walking while reading a book had failed to notice Leo and crashed her head against his back.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t see where I was going.”

“It’s fine.”

After apologizing, the girl focused her gaze back on the book and resumed walking.

“If she keeps this up, she’ll bump into someone else…”

Leo caught sight of a card lying on the ground.

The student ID that fell earlier had a picture of the girl and the name Chloe Mueller written on it.

Looking around, Chloe had already disappeared into the crowd.

“I’ll return this if I see her later.”

Since they’re in the same batch of freshmen, they’re bound to meet eventually.

“Kal’s Shop! Here’s my card!”

Kal was handing out cards to other freshmen nearby.

Noticing Leo’s gaze, Kal grinned and approached him.

“See you again?”

“Is your promotion going well?”

“Decent. Although, the noble families’ children have been ignoring me.”

“Lumeran does have more nobles than commoners, so most probably wouldn’t care, huh?”

“That’s true. Hehe.”

Kal shrugged and laughed happily.

“Let me introduce myself again. I’m Kal Thomas, fifteen years old.”

“I’m Leo Flove. I’m from the Delrad Kingdom, and I’m the same age as you.”

“Are you a noble?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you’re not at all bothered by the fact that I’m commoner?”

Incredulous at his own words, Kal laughed, and Leo grinned in response.

“Anyway, Delrad Kingdom, right? Weren’t you supposed to take the western exam? I heard that test was brutal — you must be amazing to have passed it!”

“It wasn’t easy.”

From that point onward, Leo and Kal conversed.

Thanks to Kal’s easy-going nature, they quickly became friends.

“What will you choose as your major? Our family has been alchemists for generations, so I intend to enter the Department of Magic.”

“I’m planning to join the magic department too.”

“Really? Sounds like we’ll be great friends then, Leo!”

Kal grinned cheerfully.

Of course, Leo planned to study not just magic but also knighthood and summoning.

As they were chatting, a massive ship cutting through the mist of Lumeria Lake finally appeared.

It was the ship that traveled between Lumeran and Lumeria.

“Wow! It’s so big!”

Kal gasped in awe.

After the ship docked, a silver-haired man in a uniform descended.

“All freshmen, gather here!”

The freshmen who had said their farewells to their families gathered before the man.

“Count the numbers.”

Behind the man, other individuals stood ready, using a magic device to verify the student IDs.

As Leo was taking out his ID, he noticed a girl frantically searching for something.

“Just a moment.”

“Huh? Where are you going?”

Kal followed him.

Looking troubled, Chloe appeared surprised upon seeing Leo approach her.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

“You dropped this earlier.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Chloe smiled brightly as she took the student ID from Leo.

“Sorry for the trouble. I’m Chloe Mueller!”

“Chloe Mueller?”

Kal looked astonished.

“Chloe Mueller, the top scorer in the northern exams?”

“Yeah. And you?”

“I’m Leo Flove, and this guy is…”

“Kal Thomas! From weapons to potions! Anything you need for school life, I’ve got it covered! Here’s my card!”

Kal quickly handed Chloe his card as well, swiftly advertising his business.

Taking the card, Chloe said with interest,

“A shop? So you’re planning to be a main supporter?”

“Haha, as expected from a top scorer, you caught on quickly.”

“I heard this from some senior mages at the Magic Tower.”

Every student at Lumeran is referred to as a Hero candidate, each possessing exceptional talents.

However, even among them, differences exist.

Some students realize their talents aren’t enough once they enter the school.

These students often switch to becoming supporters of heroes.

From combat assistance to supply logistics, supporters are essentially necessary for heroes.

But most students don’t pay much attention to being supporters since their goal is to become a hero.

Judging from his earlier approach, Kal seemed to have chosen the path of support early on.

“Since my admission score was just barely enough anyway.”

“If your products are good, I’ll frequent your shop.”

“Wow! I’ve already got a connection with one of the top scorers! What great fortune!”

Kal laughed heartily.

“This is also destiny. Let’s be friends from now on! Since we’re all in the Department of Magic!”

“Department of Magic?”

Chloe tilted her head.

“Well, you obviously, but aren’t you in the Department of Knights?”

“Yeah.”

“Rather than the Department of Knights?”

Chloe, who had secured the top spot with her impressive skills, immediately recognized that Leo possessed aura.

“I’m intending to double major.”

“What! Are you a sword-mage? That’s impressive!”

Kal was astonished.

It’s rare, but students with two exceptional talents are called Dual Class.

Even at Lumeran, there are quite a few Dual Class students.

On hearing this, Chloe slightly nodded in understanding.

At this moment, a faculty member came by to confirm their IDs.

Once the headcount was finished, the faculty member stepped back, and the silver-haired man approached the gathered students.

“I am Ain Elrandu, a professor at Lumeran.”

“Ain Elrandu? The Knight of the Glaciers?”

“Is that the real Ain Elrandu?”

“I want his autograph!”

“Settle down, everyone!”

Ain quieted the excited group.

“From now on, we will be heading to Lumeran. Everyone, board the ship.”

“Yes!”

*

Before the entrance ceremony, freshmen were busy admiring the view from the deck.

True to Lumeran Academy’s reputation, the deck was luxurious and grand.

The atmosphere on the deck was like a social party.

The finest chefs from various nations had prepared traditional dishes, delighting the palates and senses of the incoming students.

Professor Ain himself was even lounging on the deck, leisurely sipping on wine.

The impeccably dressed silver uniformed staff were bustling around serving the students, and the noble students were happily socializing, satisfied with the high level of service.

“Definitely different from what I expected from Lumeran Academy.”

“Can’t wait to see what school life will be like here.”

The freshmen were dreaming of their potential school life ahead.

Seeing this, Leo frowned slightly.

“Something feels off.”

“What?”

With a plate full of food in his hand, Kal looked puzzled.

“Considering it’s a Hero Academy, the social party vibe doesn’t quite fit.”

“It’s before the ceremony. It might be alright. But hey, Leo! Let me share some information I gathered.”

“Information?”

“Yeah! Check it out!”

Kal grinned as he pointed to a tall boy with light brown skin in a corner of the deck.

“Warden Tyden! He’s the top scorer from the southern exams and is specializing in Summoning!”

“He’s a spirit magician then.”

“That’s right. Guess you did some research beforehand?!”

Rather than researching, Leo had instantly identified it, but he didn’t bother to clarify.

“And over there is Chen Sia, the top scorer from the eastern exams!”

The petite girl with black hair and dark eyes had an exotic look and was curiously tasting various dishes from other countries.

“I heard her major is Knighthood. She seemed to have beaten her competitors with her fists during the exams…”

Kal clicked his tongue and pointed in the other direction.

“And over there is the top scorer from the central exams. His majesty, the third prince of our kingdom, Duran Moira. He’s also specializing in Knighthood.”

The blond boy was casually swirling his wine glass. Around him were friends he had made.

Kal, frowning a little, pointed beside Leo.

“And the top scorer from the north.”

Chloe was quietly munching on cake while reading.

“As for the top scorers from the west, there’s the famous Celia Zerdinger and Abad LeWalyn.”

“Leo, you’re over here?”

At that moment, Celia approached.

“Welcome, Celia.”

“Celia? What?! Could it be Celia Zerdinger?”

“That’s right.”

“Leo, you’re friends with Celia Zerdinger? That’s quite impressive!”

Kal grinned as he extended his hand to Celia.

“I already introduced myself but, I’m Kal Thomas!”

“Hmm, you two seem to have become fast friends. I’m Celia Zerdinger.”

Celia shook Kal’s hand and glanced at Chloe.

“And you?”

“I’m Chloe Mueller.”

“Chloe Mueller, the top scorer from the north?”

“Yeah.”

Chloe smiled confidently.

After observing her for a moment, Celia turned to Leo.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Nothing. Just that the academy is different from what I expected.”

Lumeran is a place that carefully selects the best talents to cultivate them as heroes.

For this reason, the school life there was famously harsh, with an astronomically high dropout rate.

Considering that, the luxurious cruise felt oddly unexpected.

“Even Lumeran might not exhaust the students before holding their welcoming ceremony.”

“Yeah, you’re overthinking things a bit.”

Just as Kal and Celia agreed on this,

Booming!

The ship lurched violently.

“Not quite.”

“What, what’s going on?”

As Leo murmured his thoughts, something erupted from the lake.

Swishing!

“Kyaaaah! What is it?”

“Could it be… a Kraken?”

“Suddenly a Kraken? What is happening!”

The giant tentacle of an enormous squid had disrupted the party. Within moments, the festive atmosphere turned chaotic as students panicked.

“Ah, Professor Ain! Help us!”

A female student rushed anxiously to Ain for help.

At this, Professor Ain frowned.

“Help? Why should I?”