Chapter 552

552.

“What? A date?”

That afternoon.

Celia, having heard the news in Battle Studies class, looked utterly flabbergasted.

“So you’re saying he skipped class to go on a date?”

“Yeah, seems like there were quite a few eyewitnesses.”

“I can’t believe this…”

Celia let out a hollow laugh with her arms crossed.

Leo is undoubtedly the strongest in the second year.

No, by now, he would be better described as the strongest in all of Lumeran.

But if you were to ask if he’s the perfect overachiever like Celia… that wouldn’t exactly be true.

In subjects related to combat, such as hero dungeon strategies, mission completions, and other similar practical courses, there’s no denying his superiority.

However, when it comes to the other subjects…

Even in Hero Academy in Lumeran, it’s still an academy that educates teenagers in their teens. Subjects like history, society, math, language, music, art, and etiquette are all taught as part of the liberal arts curriculum.

While Celia couldn’t exactly call Leo’s performance in those classes atrocious, he’s certainly not in the top tier either.

His performance contrasts sharply with the top students of the department, who compete for the highest marks in all subjects.

Still, since entering the academy, Leo had never skipped a class.

“Much less to go on a date with a girl? That’s not like Leo at all.”

Celia frowned slightly.

Elena Zeruon.

Even Celia, who’s a girl herself, was astounded at how beautiful she was. Moreover, Elena was undoubtedly one of the top three strongest individuals in Lumeran right now.

Add to that her influential family background.

Celia knew Leo was popular among the female students, but she had never heard any rumors about him even dating anyone.

“Leo is just a guy after all. If someone as beautiful as Elena Zeruon…”

As Celia pondered her cousin’s unusual behavior, she heard a voice.

“What’s wrong with that? Leo is a guy, isn’t he? He might just want to enjoy a date with a beautiful woman.”

“Shut up, Butter. You think you’re Leo?”

Celia glared coldly at Abad who had just teased her, her expression turning sour.

Abad, widely regarded as the second-year’s top pretty boy, was also known for his kindness towards all the female students.

As a result, he was the one with the most gossip swirling around him.

Seeing Celia grinding her teeth and crossing her arms, he raised his hands and said,

“Whoa, calm down, Celia. You’re getting too worked up.”

“I have to consider things between the Zerdinger and Zeruon families here!”

“Isn’t that a little too much, even for a perfectionist like you?”

“Hmph.”

Celia gave a dismissive snort and brushed her hair back.

Meanwhile, news of Leo skipping class to go on a date with Elena had spread, causing a stir among the second-year students.

“Come to think of it, some first-years saw Leo and Senior Elena heading to the dock earlier.”

“What? They went to Rumelia City?”

“Well, Senior Elena has skipped class more than a few times anyway.”

“Are they dating?”

“They’re going to be president and vice-president of the student council next year, right?”

“Judging by their positions, they do seem like a match.”

Nothing entertains people like a good love story, and when it involves the world-famous student council president of Lumeran Academy, it’s even better.

“Sia, is there anything going on?”

Kal quickly asked Chen Sia, who worked alongside Leo in the student council, to find out the source of the rumors.

“Lord Leo asked Senior Elena to become the vice-student council president. In return, Senior Elena invited Lord Leo on a date.”

“Ah, I see.”

Kal’s eyes gleamed.

This story too quickly spread among the second-year student council members through the ranks, reaching everyone.

As classes began, the professor in charge of Battle Studies arrived.

The professor, while calling the roll, raised an eyebrow when he noticed Leo’s absence.

“Leo missing? Unexpected.”

“There’s gossip that he skipped class to go on a date.”

“That’s an oddly Leo-unlike reason.”

The professor glanced curiously at Eliza, who calmly continued filing her nails.

Professors generally didn’t pry too much as skipping or attending class was considered a student’s individual freedom.

And since absences or falling behind in lecture progress only affected the students’ individual standings, many professors didn’t dwell too much on attendance.

“Alright, let’s begin the class. To build teamwork today, we’re forming eight-member groups for the Bastera exercise.”

“Alright!”

The students responded energetically.

However, the chatter about Leo and Elena continued.

“But this is surprising. Senior Elena proposing a date? She’s always been distant and aloof, so it’s hard to imagine.”

Iliana muttered this, causing her group member Duran to chuckle.

“Simple laws of nature: the stronger ones get the most. Humans are naturally drawn to power.”

Haul, who was paired with the same group, murmured, seeing Duran flexing his fists.

“Seems like we’ve already got a tough opponent right away.”

“Chelsea, Chloe, Kal, Chen Sia, Eiran, Teid, Nella, Eliza.”

Iliana, with her eyes squinted, peeked at the other team while balancing on her toes.

“And we are… Celia, Duran, Abad, Warden, Juraden, Haul, Turkah, and me.”

Excluding Kal, if you looked purely at raw combat power, the strongest second-year students were gathered in their team.

“So it’s a showdown already between the top forces? I can dig that.”

Turkah, cracking his knuckles and grinning, made Abad smile back.

“That’s not all.”

“What?”

“The nature of the teams is completely opposite.”

Abad’s words were seconded by Celia, making Juraden, Turkah, and Haul look puzzled.

“Tsk. You couldn’t even figure that out? Pathetic.”

“What?”

Duran’s mocking tone made Turkah flare up.

At that moment, Haul and Juraden sighed, knowing this would happen.

“We’re a team focused solely on offense, and they’re an all-defense group.”

Iliana stated flatly, making everyone look astonished—even Warden, who was usually uninterested in such things.

“What? Why are you all looking at me?”

Celia, seeing this, couldn’t help but be touched by the unexpected insight.

“That reckless idiot who only knows how to charge is now analyzing the characteristics of allies and enemies! Iliana, I am deeply moved!”

Celia, as a top student, cared a lot about nurturing her fellow classmates. Unlike Chen Sia, whose style leaned more toward comforting others, Celia excelled in identifying deficits and helping others improve them through study.

Even though Iliana belonged to the Department of Knights for dual-class training, she was part of Celia’s classes, and Celia had invested considerable effort into changing her reckless nature.

So far, she hadn’t really succeeded in doing so.

But now, as Iliana began assessing the battlefield instead of blindly rushing into combat, Celia couldn’t help but feel proud.

“Celia’s efforts have finally paid off.”

Haul remarked in admiration.

“What’s with you people thinking of me as?”

Iliana, scowling, let out a shout.

“Idiot.”

Turkah retorted without missing a beat.

“Jeez, they think I’m an idiot!”

“Highest revenge is betrayal, they say.”

“Who would betray in a class exercise!”

As Iliana touched her chin in mock thought, Haul and Juraden yelled at her in exasperation.

“Like Iliana said, the difference between the two teams lies in their specialization: we are heavily focused on offense, and their team leans completely towards defense. It’s extreme, which suggests there’s a reason for this arrangement.”

“Battle between spear and shield.”

Haul, crossing his arms, wore a serious expression.

“To break through their defenses, we need to collapse their team completely. Plus, we’ve got a master strategist on their side: Kal Thomas. If we rely too much on our strengths, we’d fall into his trap.”

Duran spoke matter-of-factly, prompting Iliana to look impressed.

“You have a high opinion of Kal.”

“Because it’s true.”

Duran glanced briefly at Kal, who was currently discussing strategies with his teammates.

“Though he isn’t a master mage, the fact that he’s still in Lumern after almost reaching the third year suggests he’s highly capable. It’s not about luck. The only explanation for him being here with us is that he clearly has the skill.”

“I agree with your analysis, Duran.”

Abad smiled lightly.

“The most concerning element of the opposing team for me is Kal too.”

In group battles, Kal was a particularly dangerous opponent.

“There’s nothing scarier than a tactical genius holding a strong hand.”

Throughout many intense situations, Kal had proven himself as a major variable.

He may not contribute much as a combatant, but in terms of recognizing the flow of battle, leadership, and surprise tactics, Abad considered him the best in Lumeran so far.

‘I doubt he realizes his own strengths as much as we do.’

“So, for now, I’d like us to provoke the enemy into aggressive actions rather than sticking to their strengths.”

“To provoke an aggressive response, we’d have to leave our goal unguarded, which would be too risky.”

“Hmm. Let’s brainstorm.”

As Abad and Celia discussed this with the team, Warden, who had silently observed the situation, spoke up.

“Iliana Laden.”

“Eh? What’s up?”

“There’s something I need you to do upfront.”

“Eh?”

“You’re the key to this Bastera battle.”

“Me?”

Iliana, her eyes wide open, pointed at herself as Warden nodded.

*

“Hmph, I was expecting something creative, but this strategy is pretty standard.”

Eliza wore a bored expression.

“I appreciate the compliment, but I’m no genius in strategy planning. I can’t come up with something special every time. When the power balance is roughly equal, prioritizing our strengths is the best approach. In this case, defense makes for the optimal strategy.”

“Hmph.”

Even as Kal explained, Eliza looked slightly dissatisfied.

‘Not to sound too arrogant, but aren’t people expecting too much from me recently? I’m still one of the weakest in the academy; I should’ve been expelled years ago.’

Kal inwardly sighed.

“As the match progresses, it’s likely going to become a stalemate.”

“Unless there’s a variable?”

“Exactly, someone like Iliana is that variable.”

“Iliana Laden? Why would she be a variable?”

“If I was on the other side, I’d assign someone like Iliana to stir up trouble.”

“I know Iliana’s usually talkative, but I doubt she would be good at goading others. Right?”

“True, normally. But this situation is a bit special.”

“Hmm?”

“For example, Celia, Abad, and Duran. Smart individuals, but not exactly the type to think about underhanded tactics. They wouldn’t likely think to provoke using Iliana…”

“Then?”

At that moment, Iliana stepped forward to the front line.

Chelsea, facing her directly, smiled faintly upon seeing her.

“Get ready.”

“Huh. Oh yeah, Chelsea, you’re the Class Leader right?”

This comment made Chelsea’s eyes twitch slightly.

Not only Chelsea, but Eiran, who stood right behind her, perked her ears up, while Chen Sia beside her became expressionless.

From the furthest back, Chloe smiled gently.

In the middle of all this, Iliana continued enthusiastically talking about Leo and Elena for quite a bit until the match started. She then adopted a serious demeanor, crossing her arms while muttering,

“Hmm, surely the Class Leader isn’t skipping classes and going on overnight stays, right?”