Chapter 254

254

“Hey, have you decided on your mentee?”

“Yeah. Yesterday.”

In the Lecture Hall of the second-year classroom.

Today was the day for the joint Hero Studies class.

The second-year students gathered in one place before the class and were chatting with their friends.

Naturally, the hottest topic over the past few days was the newly introduced mentee system.

And before they knew it, the day to choose mentees and mentors was approaching quickly.

Most of the second-year students who were interested in accepting mentees had already chosen first-year juniors as their mentees.

“Where are you at? Didn’t you say something about them being too arrogant and not wanting them?”

“That’s right! But listen! At first, I thought they were arrogant, but after talking a little yesterday, I found them kind of cute with their sparkling eyes?”

The second-year students were enthusiastically discussing the junior students they had chosen as mentees.

Looking at their lively chatter, Chelsea commented in amazement.

“Surprisingly, the reactions are good.”

“It’s bound to be that way.”

“What? What do you mean, Leo-bro?”

“Think about when we were freshmen.”

Kal, who was sitting nearby, crossed his arms.

“Did you ever make eye contact with a senior because you were scared?”

“I— wasn’t scared at all? In fact, they were incredibly kind.”

“That’s why those from hero families are like that.”

Kal made a tragic face.

After pondering with a finger in his mouth, Chelsea nodded.

“Yeah. Clearly, the students in our class were really scared of seniors.”

The summoning department has the most strict hierarchy between classes.

However, even though it’s not as strict, in other departments, there are often cases where students can’t even start a conversation with seniors in the early semesters.

“When you’re a freshman, you’re so preoccupied with getting used to school life, and you’re too busy worrying about what the seniors think of you. Second-year students don’t feel the need to get close to the freshmen who might leave the school anytime.”

Kal rested his chin in his hand.

“As a result, except for classmates, you see each other for a long time but don’t get to know well. In the worst cases, the relationship between grades can get pretty bad. Just look at the fourth-year and fifth-year seniors. Even with our own third-year seniors, we can’t say our relationship is good.”

In Lumeran, the relationship between seniors and juniors of a grade apart is often extremely poor.

The current fifth-year students, led by Elena, known as the Queen of Lumeran, do not get along with the fourth-year students who have been threatening their positions.

The same goes for the current second-year and third-year students.

Although Leo and Lil, the representatives of the grades, didn’t have a bad relationship, the third-year students have regarded the so-called “Golden Generation” of the second year as thorns in their sides.

Until now, the freshmen have been shaking with fear observing the seniors, but now, as second years, quite a few students harbor significant resentment toward the third-year students.

“We have an opportunity to get along with the freshmen before things go that way.”

At least until the end of the first semester, there’s no plan to separate.

Because of this, it was easier for the second-year students to form bonds with the first-year students.

“People are generally weak against the word ‘senior,’ so they naturally want to take care of their juniors.”

As Leo said with a wry smile, Kal stared at him in disbelief.

“Aren’t you still a kid?”

“That’s why Leo-bro sometimes sounds too much like an adult.”

Chelsea also shrugged.

“Class Leader! You shouldn’t be close with students from other dorms! They might try to steal our dormitory’s information!”

At that moment, Iliana hurriedly ran up and warned them.

Seeing that, Chelsea and Kal exchanged bored looks.

“How could anyone possibly extract information from Leo?”

“Well, maybe not someone as dumb as you.”

“Class Leader! They’re calling me dumb!”

“That’s the truth though.”

“Ted! Are you saying that too?”

“Still, it’s lively because you all keep coming together.”

Ted delivered a sharp comment and approached alongside Nella, who had her usual laid-back smile.

Six core members of the 5th Grade Class 1 finally gathered in one place after a long time.

“By the way, have you all decided on your mentees?”

As Ted crossed his arms and asked, Iliana proudly replied.

“Of course! I’ve chosen a kid named Austin!”

“Austin? Never heard that name before?”

“Knight department? Magic department?”

Nella and Ted both tilted their heads.

Iliana, having consistently ranked highly as a second-year student, could have chosen any of the well-known first-year students.

So it was naturally surprising to hear she had chosen an unknown first-year.

“Sword mage. You heard right! Don’t be shocked! He’s from the Zerdinger trainees and serves as the Class Leader’s knight.”

Iliana wore an arrogant expression.

“Would the class leader not train him himself if he were under consideration for an academic dismissal?”

“How is someone who acts so foolish usually so sharp sometimes?”

Kal expressed his amazement, and Iliana bristled.

“Hey, I’m smart! I’m pretty good too!”

“But what does that matter? You’re simple-minded.”

“Kal, of all people!”

Iliana bristled and lunged at Kal, but Nella held her back.

Observing this, Leo said,

“I’ll let you know that I won’t be taking special care of my own knights.”

“Whaaa?!”

Iliana turned stiff at once.

“I might offer advice, but their training will be left to their own discretion. If Austin wants to survive in Lumeran, he’ll have to rely on himself.”

“Uuuuuuuuuuuh!”

Iliana cried out in despair, clutching her head.

Ignoring her, the others continued the conversation.

“Nella, what about you?”

“I’ve taken on two juniors from the Knight Department. How about you, Ted?”

“Just one Familiar Magician.”

Ted looked around at the three of them.

“You guys haven’t chosen one yet, right? Kal, it seems like no one wants you as a mentor.”

“Please don’t say it. It hurts.”

Kal wore a melancholic expression.

“Speaking of which, the dormitory heads haven’t taken mentees, unusually, right?”

Nella asked with a curious face.

“Well, you know. Leo’s the center of chaos. Chloe said she’d select students from those who submitted their reading comprehension homework today. And I heard Chen Sia took quite a few?”

At Nella’s tilt of the head in response to Iliana’s answer,

“Chen Sia? That’s unexpected. I thought no one would since she’s from the Shadows, but it looks like she did.”

“Yeah.”

‘Even they mostly took students from the Shadows.’

Leo muttered to himself.

“Chelsea, how about you?”

“I never intended to take any. Selya is choosing carefully, and as for Warden…”

Chelsea crossed her arm.

“There are a lot of students who want to be his mentees. Though he doesn’t seem to care much.”

Warden’s unique ability to use spiritual magic to activate magic arrays with spirits is highly unconventional.

Of course, this result is due to Warden’s own talent and sense, but without a deep understanding of spiritual magic, it wouldn’t be possible.

Because of this, there are a large number of first-year students majoring in spiritual magic who want Warden’s guidance.

“What about Nobile?”

“My brother has already chosen.”

“Abad? Who might that be?”

When Illyana questioned, Kal was the one to reply.

“A kid named Fritz.”

“Whom I’ve never heard of? Why did he choose him? Is his skill incredible?”

“The skill is one part, but the reason Abad chose that kid as a mentee is because of his magic.”

Kal explained.

“Apparently he uses bl**d as a medium in his magic.”

“bl**d? That’s quite a rare characteristic, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. That’s why my brother wanted to research further and asked him to be his mentee.”

‘Your characteristics are interesting. May I study them? Would you like to be my mentee?’

‘Yes.’

Fritz was said to have replied with his usual expressionless face while adjusting his glasses against Abad’s characteristic gentle smile.

“Hohoho! So unusual! What about Duran and Eliza?”

Kal shrugged.

“Our prince gets a ton of requests for mentorship, but you know his personality, right? He wouldn’t bother with anyone who doesn’t meet his standards. And Eliza…?”

After speaking up to this point, Kal immediately slapped his hand over his mouth.

“No one is even requesting Eliza as a mentor?”

“Not a single person? They’re not even rejecting?”

Everyone looked astonished.

“Well, I mean, her personality is well known, isn’t it?”

“Still, her nasty personality is on par with Duran, right?”

As Chelsea tilted her head in confusion, Kal giggled.

“Duran’s at least somewhat known as a top student, but Eliza? She’s a good academic, but she’s completely a delinquent; who would want her as a mentor? People around here are avoiding her for fear of being treated like servants or handmaidens if they become her mentees. Hahahaha!”

Shrrrrk! Crack!

“Yo… gack!!”

Suddenly, a whip flew and wrapped around Kal’s neck.

Everyone’s gaze immediately turned to the one holding the whip.

There, Eliza stood with her face flushed bright red, her shoulders quivering violently.

“Follow me.”

“H-Help!”

With bulging eyes, Eliza dragged the terrified Kal away.

After a little while, an anguished scream echoed throughout.

“Leo-bro, you’re not taking anyone, right?”

“Chelsea, aren’t you worried about Kal?”

Ted asked, bewildered, but Chelsea grinned.

“Kal’s got a resilient life. He’ll come back fine after a bit.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with what Chelsea said.

“Leader Leo’s popularity has faded a lot, hasn’t it?”

At the start, nearly all the first-year students swarmed to become Leo’s mentee.

However, now, there were only a few students challenging Leo for mentorship, as they had given up believing it’s impossible to land a hit on him.

“There are only five kids with tenacity who stuck around from the beginning. If you’re thinking of taking mentees, wouldn’t it be good to start accepting them soon?”

To Illiana’s words, Leo responded.

“I don’t need mentees. The kids need me, not the other way around. If they need something, they’ll have to take it themselves.”

“True, true.”

Just as Chelsea agreed with Leo’s words, the Lecture Hall door creaked open, and someone walked in.

Immediately, the students quickly took their seats and turned their heads.

Standing there was a professor none of them had ever seen before.

“Who’s that professor?”

“Is this a new professor?”

To start with, she was an incredible beauty.

Rare silver hair and eyes added to her overall impression of warmth, and her aura brought calmness to the heart.

Still, what stood out most was the eye patch on her left eye.

“That’s Professor Mel, isn’t it? Why is she here?”

Kal, who had been stepped on by Eliza, widened his eyes.

Eliza, who had also paused momentarily, asked,

“Do you know her?”

“Yeah. Oh yeah.”

Kal dusted off his clothes while standing and said,

“I know she’s the first-year magic theory professor, but why is she here in the second-year hero class?”

Standing in front of the podium, Mel smiled.

“Nice to meet you all. My name is Mel, and I will now oversee first-year magic theory as well as special hero studies lectures for all grades.”

Clap clap clap clap—

The second-year students applauded Mel’s introduction, looking incredibly surprised.

Typically, teachers at Lumeran only handle one subject.

So, why was someone who taught first-year magic theory also taking on special lectures for all grades?

‘How deep could her expertise in hero studies possibly be?’

Everyone looked at Mel curiously.

Hero Studies.

It’s one of the most important studies in an age where the Hero Record exists.

And this field’s Mecca, so to speak, is the Hero Academy.

If one of the Hero Academies, Lumeran, invited her in as an exceptional guest lecturer, she must have extensive knowledge.

Mel smiled and opened an aether space, then placed cookies on the podium.

The nutty aroma of the cookies spread through the lecture hall.

The girls, with their refined senses due to the Lumeran dessert culture, instinctively knew:

‘Those cookies must taste incredible.’

Sitting down and swinging her legs, Mel asked,

“Is there anyone curious about me?”

At that question, several students raised their hands simultaneously.

“Yes, Duran Moira.”

Mel, having already memorized the second-year names and faces, smiled as she called upon Duran who had raised his hand first.

“You said you’ll lecture on hero studies. About which heroes shall we learn?”

“I intend to lecture about heroes who were active during the Cataclysm era.”

Mel responded calmly.

But all the second-year students were taken aback.

The Cataclysm era.

The era after the Great Heroes defeated Erebus is known as the Era of Heroes.

However, the Era of Heroes is divided into early and late periods.

In between those periods lies a very brief era called the Cataclysm.

This is the age when the existence of the Hero’s World, the true power of the Hero Record, was revealed.

“Wait a moment! If you’re going to lecture on the Cataclysm era, surely…!”

In the Era of Heroes, many heroes were born.

However, among them, there were five very special heroes.

Heroes born during the Cataclysm era.

They are known as the Heroes of the Cataclysm, who, like the Great Heroes, only number five.

“Right.”

Mel smiled.

“The heroes I will lecture about are the Dragon of the Cataclysm, the Knight of Twilight, the Comet Wizard, the Great Warrior, and the Invincible.”

The second-year students swallowed hard.

Crunch.

Mel took a bite of the cookie and continued speaking.

“First, let’s start with our school’s founder, the Knight of Twilight, Lumeran.”