Chapter 381

381.

Street of Dobella.

As it was a place where mercenaries from countless races gathered from all over the world, it was also a place where fights never ceased.

However, the Street of Dobella was eerily quiet now, like a graveyard.

“Hmm… I heard this place was supposed to be a dirtier, rougher neighborhood.”

“It’s not just less rough and dirty—this street is spotless.”

Kal murmured in a tone of disbelief, eliciting a casual shrug from Chelsea.

The street that should have been filled with beer bottles, drunkards passed out everywhere, and piles of refuse was so pristine and devoid of anything at all that it was almost barren and desolate.

Not a single drunk, nor the loud chatter of patrons drinking inside the taverns could be heard.

“I get it now,” Chloe mumbled as she glanced around the street.

“What is it?” asked Betty, her eyes gleaming as she turned toward Chloe.

Betty held Chloe in the highest regard and wanted to learn everything she could from her mentor.

At Betty’s question, Chloe pointed her finger at certain buildings.

Burn marks from lightning could easily be seen.

Upon closer inspection, similar marks covered building walls and the pavement.

“The prince was here.”

“He sure did clean up this place, the way one would expect from Duran’s personality.”

Kal and Leo’s remarks caused Juen to furrow his brows.

“Why would Senior Duran go through all that trouble?”

At this question, Leo shrugged and glanced at Kal, who had already resumed a blank expression but with a subtle twist of his lips.

Confused, Juen pulled back, asking, “What does that weird look mean?”

“It’s the smug, arrogant expression of someone.”

Chelsea giggled at this and mimicked Kal as he imitated the tone of Senior Duran.

“What a messy street. It’d be best to clear the filth from my sight immediately. Otherwise… Zzzzap!”

Kal even replicated the sound of Duran discharging an aura of lightning and used hand gestures to mimic the sparks. The freshmen, unable to contain their laughter, quickly covered their mouths.

Iliana and Chelsea laughed openly, clutching their stomachs, while Chloe sighed, grabbing her head.

“Didn’t I tell you not to mimic that ridiculous version of Duran?”

“Why? This is my personal take—created after thoroughly analyzing and investigating our prince.”

“Why’d you thoroughly analyze Senior Duran in the first place?”

“We were rivals with his class, the first-year class, when we were freshmen.”

Chelsea chuckled.

“One day Kal started analyzing the behavior patterns of notable individuals from the first class, saying it would help predict what they were thinking. Celia Zerdinger’s version was hilarious.”

As Chelsea spoke, Kal straightened his back and adopted the characteristic hair flick of Celia Zerdinger.

“Duran, don’t cause trouble on the streets for no reason.”

“Hmph. Don’t order me around, Celia Zerdinger.”

At this 1-man, 2-role performance, even the freshmen couldn’t hold back their laughter any longer.

Kal’s impression was strangely realistic while also exaggerated, which was enough to trigger a burst of laughter.

Kal could even do three roles, including Chloe’s, but restrained himself after being trapped in ice once before when he attempted it in front of her.

Austin, a member of the Zerdinger family and from the Department of Knights, let out a bitter smile. Meanwhile, Luke, who held all seniors in high regard, looked flustered and didn’t know how to react.

“A! Really funny! Hahaha!”

“What’s so funny, Iliana Laden?”

“Of course it is… hic?!?”

Iliana gasped as a cold voice rang out from behind her. Other students who had been laughing uncontrollably quickly closed their mouths.

The only exception was Chelsea, who still laughed while clutching her stomach.

“Hmm? Do the first-year students from the Department of Magic think they can take the Knight seniors lightly?”

Celia emerged from behind Duran, flicked her hair, and smiled.

Juen and Betty’s faces immediately turned pale.

Even though she belonged to a different department, a senior was still a senior. Moreover, Celia and Duran were among the top three students in the second-year Department of Knights. If reported, their school life could become quite troublesome.

“Uh… that is… uh…”

Kal, knowing he was in the wrong, broke into a cold sweat and searched for an excuse.

“Fufu. Let’s forgive them this time.”

Xia Chen, standing beside Leo, covered her mouth and giggled softly.

Seeing this, both Celia and Duran turned to her.

“After all, Kal was just trying to lighten the mood, right? I can’t imagine Celia or Duran would let something so trivial get under their skin.”

She smiled maturely, calming Celia and Duran down.

“That’s right. We are seniors, after all. Let’s forgive them generously.”

Leo chimed in, and Celia flicked her hair again.

“If you say so, Leo…”

Duran shot Kal a cool look and scoffed.

“Phew… that was close…”

“Didn’t I tell you not to?”

Kal exhaled in relief as Chloe gave him a look of disdain.

By then, Leo had approached Celia and Duran.

“I heard there’s some unusual situation in the Forest of Monsters.”

“Hmph, you’re well-informed.”

Duran sneered.

Celia nodded. “It’s convenient you’re here. We were about to contact the class leaders and ask them to come to Dobella.”

“Celia, did you really find traces of a Hero Dungeon in the Forest of Monsters?”

When Chloe asked, Celia nodded.

“Yes. And, although it’s not confirmed yet, it seems like there isn’t just one Hero Dungeon.”

“What?”

“Let’s go to our established base first. I’ll share what we’ve discovered so far.”

An hour after leaving the castle, Leo met with the students from Azonia in front of a warp gate.

Upon hearing Leo’s explanation, the representatives from Azonia who had come to Dobella wore serious expressions.

“Leo Flove, you mean to say there might be more than one Hero Dungeon?”

The third-ranked student in Azonia’s second year, a beastman with fox-like features named Ruwen, narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

“Yeah.”

“There’s going to be a huge battle! My heart is pounding!”

“You’re just thinking about fighting. Idiot.”

“This cursed fox…”

“Stop fighting.”

The second-ranked wolf beastman, Dion, interjected with a cold tone just as Ruwen sneered at her nemesis, ranking fifth, Boran.

But as Boran and Ruwen scoffed in return, Tabon spoke out.

“Still, it troubles me. We’re revealing Azonia’s shame to Lumeran.”

This caused both Ruwen and Boran to hesitate, while Dion let out a low sigh.

Watching them, Arga spoke.

“I already mentioned this, but the Black Rabbit knows about it.”

What Tabon referred to as Azonia’s shame was deeply tied to why Azonia students had come to Alehem.

The ultimate purpose of the second-year students from Azonia traveling to Alehem was none other than to pursue the “Hero Hunters” that were discovered there.

Azhonia had begun aggressively hunting Hero Hunters from this year.

Together with Lumeran, Azonia, one of the great pillars of the world, focused all its resources on pursuing Hero Hunters with the ability of ‘Elemental Transformation.’ To Azonia, these people were a shame they wished to erase from existence.

For five thousand years since the Era of Heroes began, beastmen had revered the great hero Aron and claimed to be his descendants.

Throughout that extensive history, no beastman other than Aron had been able to freely perform Elemental Transformation without the presence of a full moon.

Even Azonia, who established Azoia, had been incapable of this feat.

Yet, these so-called “Hero Hunters” were able to perform Element Transformation even without a full moon.

This was something Azonia desperately wanted to keep hidden.

The four students present had been deeply shocked when they first heard of this.

In such a situation, collaborating with Lumeran means this fact would inevitably become known to others.

“There’s a big difference between a few people knowing something and everyone knowing.”

Ruwen spoke somberly.

“I believe resolving this matter quietly on our own terms is the best way to preserve Azonia’s honor.”

“Still, we need to ensure that cooperation guarantees catching these individuals…”

“Only you, Ar, could say that.”

At this, Ruwen stared directly into Ar’s blue eyes.

“You, who can transform like the great Aron, cannot possibly understand our feelings, can you?”

Ar looked flustered.

Leo silently watched the Azonian students, excluding Ar, who looked utterly deflated.

It was different from the image he usually associated with Azonian students, who always exuded confidence.

They always respected Aron deeply and worked tirelessly to become like him as they imagined him.

But now, it was different.

‘They must feel they’ve hit a wall in front of Ar.’

And they seemed not only deflated but as though they had completely lost their fighting spirit.

It was a stark contrast to when he had last seen them determined to beat Ar.

Leo chuckled.

“What’s so funny, Leo Flove?”

Tabon asked, his brows furrowed, to which Leo replied.

“Nothing. It’s just… all of you seem to resemble someone.”

“Resemble? Who?”

“Who else but…”

Kal’s random comment made the Azonian representatives look confused. Ar turned pale.

“You! Black Rabbit! What’s your issue?!”

“Your fear and loss of spirit are exactly like Aron.”

At this, laughter escaped Leo, and Tabon scowled.