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The watchtower set up by Gloria to protect its fortress wall gleamed under the moonlight.
Iliona, leaping out of the watchtower with her arms crossed, burst into raucous laughter, “Hahahahaha!”
“As long as I’m here, no one will be able to breach the fortress walls of our glorious house!”
In a manner reminiscent of the valorous hero from the tale, Iliona strutted proudly as she observed students from other dorms retreat, a self-satisfied smirk lighting up her face.
But then, she suddenly became uneasy and halted her laughter.
“That’s strange? By now, someone should have come to put me down…”
Perceiving an unfamiliar silence from her peers, Iliona’s eyes swept over the students from her dormitory with a curious gaze.
The students standing atop the wall had their eyes affixed to a singular point.
Turning her head toward the direction they were gazing, Iliona waved cheerfully.
“Ah! Class Leader! Did you manage to intercept those from the rear flank?”
Greeting Iliona with pleasant surprise, Leo smiled as he returned to Gloria’s headquarters.
The sight of returning Leo stirred whispers among Gloria’s students.
“Celia, Abad, and Chelsea… All three at once…?”
“Whatever happened to Warden, Duran, and Eliza who took the rear position?”
“Didn’t I hear that the scouts were declared dead?”
“So, did you personally receive d*ath judgments against all five members of the top-tier first years?”
“Is Leo’s power really that immense?”
Listening to these murmurs, Iliona, too, wore an astonished expression.
‘Class Leader took on all the dorm leaders by himself?’
Certainly, not all at once.
Even so, the fact that he managed to prevail against three opponents alone was already a chilling achievement.
Murmurs echoed through the crowd.
“…That level of domination?”
“The Hero of Beginning… all classes…”
“Handling both the Phoenix and the Fairy at once… can that even be real?”
From the stands, a voice of bewilderment broke into the quiet.
Back when Leo and Warden first engaged in earnest, the audience erupted into cheers.
The battle between the Phoenix, one of the three legendary familiars, and Titaum, the Great Spirit of Earth, was an unexpected blockbuster that managed to excite not only the students but also spectators from the outside.
However, the battle that followed was utterly shocking.
An overwhelming force that no one had anticipated.
Leo’s displayed combat ability was nothing short of stunning.
Especially among the freshmen in the stands, their faces all bore an expression of shock.
Shasha clenched her jaw tightly, pressing her lips shut.
A secret only she knew.
“…Phoenix… Fairy… and now, even Pegasus.”
Arti Pegasus, the entity who, for generations, had been bound to the imperial family of Rodren.
Shasha was aware that Arti had entered into a contract with Leo.
Forming a contract with one of the trio of legendary familiars was already an unimaginable dream for a regular familiar sorcerer.
Yet Leo had somehow formed contracts with all three.
There was no way Shasha could not be shocked.
Juen also gritted her teeth.
“Who is this person?”
A wizard typically specializes in one particular field.
But Leo had no such restrictions.
“Free and easy command over the Magic of the Stars, and even the Incantation Magic…”
On top of that, Leo’s original magic, Bible.
It was a spell that caused a great upheaval in the magical academic world last year.
It contained all the elements of an ideal wizard’s aspiration.
The fact that there was such a senior in their grade was more than enough to make others feel inferior.
Havidden, too, was visibly troubled.
Luke clenched his fist.
“Senior Leo.”
Not just the freshmen but students from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades were equally stunned by Leo’s prowess.
Even those students who, deep down, were dissatisfied with Leo’s role as student council president were rendered speechless.
Even the professors were at a loss.
The revelation of Leo’s true strength was sufficient to leave a deep impact on everyone associated with Lumeran.
“…This is serious.”
Ain muttered seriously.
Reina, too, was uncharacteristically focused as her gaze remained fixed on the screen.
The former master of Celia’s Flame Storm was none other than Reina.
Consequently, Reina understood better than anyone the implications of Flame Storm’s breaking.
“His sword… wasn’t it damaged?”
Flame Storm was a sword made of flames. If its master’s will revives, it can return to its original form.
“But once extinguished, it’s not easy to reignite.”
Reina sighed.
“Besides Celia…”
It wasn’t just Celia who had fallen.
“Almost as if trying to crush his juniors.”
At Ain’s muttering, Reina responded.
“Indeed, that seems exactly what he’s trying to do.”
“Deliberately so? Leo, as I know him, isn’t exactly the kind to crush others. There was no reason for that.”
“You’re right. Leo isn’t such a person.”
Reina rested her chin on her hand, narrowing her eyes.
“But isn’t there a reason for him to do so now?”
“A reason?”
“Yes.”
Reina emitted a thoughtful “Hmm” sound before continuing.
“Our son always acted too maturely; from a young age, he lacked the charm of innocence.”
Ain listened intently to Reina.
“So from an early age, he often considered those around him. Naturally, his school life reflected that too. Perhaps, he wasn’t hiding his power—he was just trying to be considerate to his juniors.”
The endless resilience of Leo had been evident.
Would students have been motivated to compete with Leo knowing the gap between them?
“Probably not.”
Ain narrowed his eyes.
“But, he couldn’t keep on being considerate forever. With his classmates always approaching him genuinely, this might be his way of finally showing his true colors.”
“Indeed. He’s just trying other students by revealing the gap.”
“Exactly.”
Reina’s expression lightened as she smiled faintly.
“Teachers can’t teach everything. You know that better than anyone.”
“True, when you face a setback against someone you aimed to surpass, it opens up new perspectives too.”
“Absolutely.”
Reina’s face softened with nostalgia.
“Even you, remember? After the first-year midterm exams, you cried bitterly to me, crushed completely.”
“…”
Ain’s expression turned grim.
Reina and Ain shared a secret that only they knew.
During his first year, Ain scored second place in the knight’s discipline exams. Even during the first semester’s midterm exams, Ain finished in second, losing again to Reina.
Unable to accept it, he challenged her to a duel after the exam, which ended in failure so bitter that Ain burst into tears.
“It wasn’t a complete loss. I lost by a slim margin.”
“Hmm. Should I tell Yura and Ren about it?”
“…”
Ain clenched his teeth in frustration at Reina, who was using his past to threaten him.
“You… you’re still a witch, Reina Zerdinger.”
“It’s Reina Flob now. Don’t worry. I won’t tell the younger students.”
With a snicker, Reina’s expression returned to normal as Ain sighed deeply.
Then he turned his eyes to the screen again.
“It’s okay to feel defeated. It’s fine to falter. After all, students have the privilege of having numerous opportunities. Just…”
Ain’s voice grew somber.
“Don’t lose sight of your goal.”
“Huff! Huff! Lord… I almost died there.”
The sword grazed his heart.
Looking at the devastation within the Noble dorm’s base, he displayed a weary expression.
“Eliza… th-tha… Thank you! If you hadn’t come, Kal might have been in trouble.”
“Uh… We… did our best.”
“…”
Seeing Eliza with a bowed head and an unsettling look upon her face, the Noble dorm’s students muttered hesitantly.
With Eliza defeating Chan Sia, it seemed like she would explode at any moment.
It was then that Kal brushed the dust off his bottom and rose to his feet, shaking with chills upon feeling the relentless attacks of Chan Sia, whose very presence was terrifying.
“You know… thanks, Eliza. Without you…”
Swish!
“Don’t get angry. We’ll be more vigilant next time… Eliza?”
Seeing Eliza abruptly turn and walk towards him, Kal flinched.
Then, looking at her trembling hands, Kal faltered.
“Did you… battle with Leo?”
“Yes.”
Eliza answered, her head bowed deeply.
“Warden, Duran, and I… the three of us fought Leo Flove.”
“Three on one?”
“Whoa…”
“So unexpected. You three teamed up on one person?”
As the Noble dorm students expressed their disbelief, Duran shuffled into the gathering.
Duran’s unusually heavy presence had the Noble students fidgeting uneasily.
“What’s wrong?”
“Anything happen?”
Always brimming with confidence, neither Duran nor Eliza said a word.
How could they not panic after allowing Chen Sia to infiltrate their base?
As they remained silent amidst questioning eyes, the students of the Noble Dorm finally asked:
“Did you lose… to Leo?”
This question shocked the other students.
“Hey, Kal, no matter how great Leo Flove is, surely it’s impossible for Duran, Eliza, and Warden… combined… to be beaten?”
“Yeah.”
“…”
“…”
But despite their claims, Duran and Eliza remained silent.
The Noble students’ faces hardened with disbelief.
“Hey, seriously?”
“No way!”
“Alright, everyone gather here.”
As the dorm leader Abad returned to the base, he called out the Noble dorm students.
They gathered, confused.
“We need to change our strategy.”
Looking around at the Noble dorm’s students, Abad instructed.
“Avoid battling with Leo at all costs. Engaging in a fight against Leo will only result in handing points to the Gloria Dormitory.”
As Abad gave his instructions, the Noble dorm’s students glanced at Duran and Eliza, who, contrary to what was expected, remained silent.
Subsequently, as more students returned from battle, the story of Leo’s prowess spread, making everyone’s faces pale from shock.
The fact that even Dorm leaders, when paired, failed twice against Leo was nothing short of shocking.
“Handling both the Phoenix and Fairy?”
“An absurdly defensive magic that nullifies three-person team attacks…”
“Overpowering Abad and Celia?”
Hard to believe, yet absolutely true.
It was then that Kal, deep in thought, spoke.
“Didn’t Leo head out alone to attack the rear flank at the start?”
“That’s right.”
Abad nodded.
“Chen Sia infiltrated our base to identify the king while the other students were occupied with base defense.”
Thinking deeply, Kal concluded.
“That clarifies. Gloria’s king is Leo.”
Abad gave him a slight smile.
“Why do you think so?”
“If he stayed back to protect the base, he would’ve had to deal with you all, making him more exposed. By sending him to the front line, they’re diverting suspicion that Leo could be the king. Besides…”
Kal’s expression turned serious.
“If Leo is causing this much chaos alone, the probability that he is the king increases.”
“Wait. Wouldn’t such boldness increase risk rather than safety?”
A curious student piped in.
“That’s true. But wouldn’t his excessive daring instead make people less suspicious of him being the king? I think what Leo did was akin to a display of power.”
Kal looked at Abad.
“Right now, Abad is creating a strategy to avoid fighting Leo entirely. If dorm leaders start avoiding Leo, there will be no one left to take him on. We’ll lose overwhelmingly.”
Taking a deep breath, Kal stated firmly.
“Leo’s intent is clear. He’s preparing to completely crush us.”
“Why did he suddenly act like this after holding back his skills so far?”
Duran asked, his face contorted with frustration.
He couldn’t imagine defeating Leo, no matter what.
Even if the dorm leaders combined their forces, it would probably result in the same outcome.
With such a glaring power gap…
Even with four people, victory couldn’t be guaranteed.
‘At least five of us would be required.’
That’s how Duran gauged the skill disparity between Leo and them.
But…
‘There’s not just Leo Flove on their side. Chloe and Chen Sia are also powerful.’
Thanks to Leo’s sole presence, the power balance had completely shifted.
Given this situation, defeating Gloria was near impossible.
“Maybe he underwent some personal changes? The reasons are unclear, but one thing is certain—he is taking us seriously.”
Kal’s expression turned severe.
“The dorm leaders I know—snarky, uncouth, and annoying as they are…”
He glanced at Abad, Duran, and Eliza.
“But never afraid of a challenge.”
Kal’s voice grew weighty.
“We always knew there was a gap. Now it’s just wider. Will you throw in the towel just because of that? Absolutely not! And to begin with!”
Kal shouted in frustration.
“Hey! I’m at the bottom of the second grade, yet I have intentions of defeating Leo. What gives you three the right to throw in the towel? Aren’t you proving to be even worse than me?”
Duran’s face twisted, while Eliza, whose shoulders were already trembling, grabbed Kal by the neck with her whip, dragging him closer.
“Who do you think you are, Kal, to say something like that?”
“EEK!? P-PLEASE FORGIVE ME!”
Seeing Eliza’s ominous look, Kal’s confidence faltered as he begged for mercy.
Watching this interaction, Abad burst out laughing.
“The bottom-ranker is thinking of defeating the top-ranker?”
“Yeah. Though obviously, if I fight him directly, it’d be suicidal.”
Snicker- Having escaped Eliza’s grasp, Kal continued.
“But you three saying it’s impossible doesn’t sit well with me.”
“Impossible?! Leo Flove has no flaw. He was nothing but a perfect monster. You expect to defeat such a perfect monster?”
Eliza’s voice lacked strength.
“…So there’s a surprisingly feminine side to you. Thought you were tough until you got thoroughly beaten and decided to act like a fragile maiden.”
“…I’ll k*ll you.”
“STOP! STOP! If I d*e, our dorm is finished!”
Kal cried out in desperation.
Abad managed to calm down the enraged Eliza whose face had turned crimson while Duran crossed his arms.
“Do you have faith in this?”
“Of course not.”
Kal shrugged and smirked.
“But if we let Leo run free, we’ll definitely lose. So why don’t we try knocking down this flawless monster once?”
![[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")
