Lumeran 1st Year Faculty Room.
Nine men and women stood with tense expressions.
They were waiting for someone with stiff postures.
At that moment.
Patter- patter-
A middle-aged professor with a sharp impression walked towards them.
Upon seeing the professor, the nine men and women grew even more tense.
“Are you the temporary teachers selected this time?”
“Yes! That’s correct!”
The Lumeran professor scanned the nine with piercing eyes.
Then, folding his arms, he dragged a chair over with a scrape and sat down in front of them.
What tremendous pressure!
The professor in charge of us at Lumeran is said to be Professor Halind, so that must be him.
Is this someone who is one of Lumeran’s best professors?
The promising and young professors from Ikot, Emerald, and Skoun steadied their trembling hearts.
All of them had come to Lumeran to train as temporary teachers at Hero Academy.
It was an opportunity to possibly be appointed as an associate professor.
They braced themselves and listened attentively to the words of the Lumeran professor.
“Alright. Then you, sir.”
“Yes, yes?”
He gestured with his chin at the female professor Ikot on the far left.
“Speak about the mindset of being a professor.”
“A professor is someone who helps students. It’s about understanding what students want…”
“Wrong! Next!”
“A professor is someone who leads students…”
“You’re wrong too! Next!”
The temporary professors in the back wore tense expressions while watching the ruthless Lumeran professor.
Indeed, this is Lumeran…!
There must be a profound philosophy behind their educational values!
Everyone swallowed dryly and racked their brains.
However, none of the nine managed to give a satisfactory answer to him.
“Hmm- I expected great things from outstanding professors, but this is disappointing.”
“W-we apologize.”
“No. There’s no need to apologize. Aren’t you all still in a position of learning? No. In truth, humans are creatures that learn something from birth until d*ath. Even I sometimes learn from my students.”
He wore a softer expression than before.
Seeing the professor, the temporary professors looked touched.
I heard that Professor Halind is very intimidating…
The rumors must have been wrong.
His character is exceptional. I can learn so much from him.
“Then what is the mindset one must possess as a professor? That is simply!”
The professor folded his arms.
“Elegance.”
“Excuse me?”
“Elegance! That is the mindset a teacher must have! A teacher should always be a figure to be admired by students! They must be prepared at all times to be looked up to! Now! From now on, introduce yourselves! Everyone, appeal to us elegantly!”
“What are you doing, Sedgen?”
“I’ve arrived, Halind.”
“Aren’t you in charge of the students?”
“Just came to teach for a bit since I heard promising young teachers were here. Please wait for about an hour.”
“Take him away.”
Seeing the enthusiastic Sedgen, Halind spoke without mercy.
Then Ain and Ren, who had come along, grabbed Sedgen and dragged him out of the faculty room.
“Ain! Ren! It’s because of my teachings that you are who you are now! You are all bright young professors with a promising future! Surely there are many things you can learn from me… Argh! Let go! Let go! You dogs of Halind! I said to let go!”
Sedgen’s desperate cry echoed, but Ain and Ren mercilessly dragged their mentor out of the faculty room.
“Is this really okay?”
At that moment, Emerald’s professor cautiously asked, and Yura, who was with Halind, smiled brightly.
“It’s the norm, so you’ll get used to it.”
Despite the ruckus that had just occurred, the other professors carrying out their duties in the faculty room didn’t even blink.
Seeing that, the temporary professors looked on in amazement as Halind took a seat in the chair Sedgen had occupied.
“From now on, I will announce the department’s schedule.”
“Um… do we not have to introduce ourselves?”
The female professor on the far left raised her hand and cautiously spoke, and Halind’s cold gaze turned to her.
“Why would we do something like that?”
“Eek!”
Overwhelmed by Halind, her expression turned fearful.
Taking his gaze off her, Halind began to read off the schedule.
While Halind spoke, one of Skoun’s professors, looking very flustered, hurriedly raised a hand.
“P-professor! Do we have time to take notes…!”
“I heard you are all young and capable professors.”
Halind replied indifferently.
“You should be able to grasp this much immediately, right?”
After saying that, Halind started talking about the schedule again.
The nine professors did their best to cram Halind’s words into their heads.
Halind narrowed his eyes as he finished speaking quickly.
“Any questions?”
At that question, the temporary professors couldn’t muster a single one.
They were too busy organizing Halind’s words that had made their way into their heads.
“Indeed, excellent professors. To understand so quickly.”
With the corners of his mouth upturned, Halind gestured.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Saying that, Halind returned to his place.
The temporary professors looked distressed as they gazed at Yura.
Receiving their stares, Yura smiled brightly and said, “It’s the norm, so you’ll get used to it.”
Just like before, not a word was changed in Yura’s speech, leaving the temporary professors looking perplexed.
“Professors from Skoun, please follow me. After lunch, there’s a class in Summoning Studies.”
Hearing Yura’s words, the Skoun professors followed her out of the faculty room.
Ain and Ren, who had returned after escorting Sedgen out, also took Ikot and Emerald professors to prepare for class and left the faculty room.
Halind, sitting at his desk, squinted his eyes.
Is there a spy among them?
During the semester, Tartarus had been conducting various operations against Lumeran.
Behind every major incident, Tartarus was always present.
And the upper echelons of Lumeran were still unable to grasp Tartarus’s tail within the school.
In such a situation, they accepted hundreds of external personnel.
It wasn’t unusual for Tartarus to engage in more schemes.
Their objective is likely to slowly and surely shake Lumeran.
Due to incidents that occurred during the first semester, Lumeran’s position had indeed been shaken.
The result of that was this joint class.
Of course, Lumeran’s reputation and influence remained unblemished.
However….
A small shake will eventually create a small crack, and a small crack can turn into a massive rupture.
In this situation, it might be one of the best strategies to cut off exchanges with the outside and focus internally.
But Lumeran had accepted external students.
This must be the principal’s intention to challenge them.
The greatest hero of the current era.
The hero who defeated the commander of Tartarus.
Sword Saint, Kalyan Baidan.
Kalyan held this joint class to reaffirm his position.
A declaration of intent to step forward to the front lines should any incident occur.
I must assist him well.
Halind sighed deeply and unfolded the student roster.
In practice, managing students from other academies was Sedgen’s role, but background checks fell to Halind.
Thanks to that, the personnel from Lumeran’s upper echelons were currently attached to Halind.
Sedgen’s sudden assumption of teaching roles earlier was also a consideration to alleviate some of Halind’s burden.
Halind began flipping through the student roster with sharp eyes.
Lunch Break.
Leo was leisurely strolling around Lumeran’s grand library.
Aside from Leo, many other academy students were also present.
They were uttering exclamations as they toured Lumeran’s grand library.
After lunch, Chen Sia, who would attend the class on Summoning Studies with Leo, approached him with a smile.
“There are a lot of people in the Hero’s Hall.”
The Hero’s Hall, also referred to as the relics warehouse.
It was a place where numerous legendary weapons used by active heroes lay in slumber.
And now, the Hero’s Hall exhibited the sword of Sword Saint Kalyan.
Even though he’s the principal, Kalyan is someone Lumeran’s students hardly see.
For that reason, students from other academies flocked to the grand library to catch a glimpse of Kalyan’s achievements and his famed sword.
“Speaking of which, Lord Leo, you’ve talked with the principal several times, right?”
Chen Sia’s eyes sparkled.
“What kind of person is he?”
“He seemed just like an old man from next door.”
“I think you might be the only person in the world comparing the Sword Saint to an old neighbor.”
Chen Sia burst into laughter as she took a book from the shelf.
It was a book about the Hero of Beginning, Kyle.
“Just in time. These days, books about the Hero of Beginning are popular and it’s hard to find them since many other students have borrowed them.”
“Are you interested too?”
“Of course. Speaking of which, Lord Leo, didn’t you say you were going to start a club related to the Hero of Beginning?”
“Yeah. Once I get the members, the approval should come through.”
While proceeding with the department schedule, Leo had steadily prepared for the club.
“Well, everyone has joined clubs early on, so there’s no one left among my close friends who can sign up.”
At Leo’s words, Chen Sia paused and then smiled brightly.
“I don’t participate in club activities, but would you like me to join?”
“Oh? Would you really?”
“On one condition.”
Chen Sia smiled brightly and tilted her head slightly.
“Call me ‘older sister’ once.”
“…Do I really have to?”
“Of course. You always treat me as younger, but I’m actually two years older than you. I’m officially older.”
Chen Sia raised her chin and slowly brushed her hair back.
Then, with a strangely enchanting gaze, she said, “Can you feel the charm of an adult?”
“It seems more like a little kid trying to mimic an adult.”
Chen Sia pouted her lips.
At that moment.
Buzz- buzz-
The grand library became noisy.
Leo and Chen Sia looked towards the entrance with puzzled expressions.
What unfolded there was a rather peculiar scene.
A blonde female student wearing Skoun’s uniform was entering the grand library, accompanied by Lumeran students.
Moreover, the following Lumeran students were from different years.
Who is that person to have everyone following her? Huh? Wait a moment. Some familiar faces are there too.
Leo spotted a few familiar faces among the student crowd.
They were fellow students who had taken the Western Entrance Exam together as well as upperclassmen who had also taken it.
The commonality was that they were all nobles from the Rodren Empire.
As Leo looked at the interesting group of students, the girl scanning the interior of the grand library eventually made eye contact with Leo.
She smiled brightly and approached Leo.
“Are you Leo Flove?”
A girl around Chelsea’s age asked Leo with an elegant voice.
“Yeah, but. Who are you?”
“Don’t you know me?”
The girl asked with a slightly flustered tone.
“I just saw you for the first time today, so of course I wouldn’t know. Are you someone famous?”
Leo said in a nonchalant voice as the 1st years beside him looked flustered and seemed to be trying to convey something.
However, before them, a second-year student, Barden, a distant relative of Zerdinger, scowled and shouted.
“Don’t speak so arrogantly, Leo Flove. This lady is Princess Shasha Ciene Rodren of the Rodren Empire.”
At Barden’s introduction, Leo made an “Oh!” expression.
The Rodren Empire’s two great heroic families.
Zerdinger and LeWalyn.
They have long supported Rodren and have lived as retainers of one family.
It was exactly the Rodren imperial family.
The Rodren imperial family had bestowed immense power upon their retainers, yet the master-retainer relationship remained unshakable even after many years.
That is because the Rodren imperial family is also a heroic family that has produced numerous heroes.
If Zerdinger and LeWalyn are knights and wizards respectively, Rodren stands for “Summoner.”
When the empire is in crisis.
The emperor of Rodren steps forward as the last hero to protect the country.
That being said, the next emperor is solely decided by ‘capability.’
And 14-year-old Shasha had already taken the position of princess four years ago, surpassing her siblings.
Leo had already heard from Celia and Chelsea about Shasha.
“What brings you here, Your Highness?”
“I came to meet a future minister.”
With Shasha’s words, the entire grand library began to buzz.
The three prestigious academic academies had many offspring from powerful figures capable of changing the world.
Shasha was one of them.
In that sense, by declaring before everyone that she would accept Leo as a talent for the empire in the future, it was akin to a public declaration.
Everyone held their breath and focused on Leo and Shasha.
Students from the Rodren Empire also looked extremely flustered, as if they hadn’t expected such a situation.
“In that sense, Leo Flove. No, since I will also become a student of Lumeran next year, I’ll address you as ‘senpai.’ Leo-senpai.”
Shasha gracefully extended her hand towards Leo and said, “Will you escort me to the next summoning class?”
Even if achievement is prioritized in Lumeran, she is the princess of the Rodren Empire.
Moreover, as a crown princess, she cannot be treated carelessly.
Especially as she is set to become a Lumeran student next year.
Everyone noted how Leo would respond.
Declining here would create an awkward situation.
In any case, this means she is trying to deter other forces that have their eye on Leo Flove, right?
She’s clever.*
As the students admired her, Leo said in an indifferent tone.
“What is this cocky little brat saying?”
![[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")
