Chapter 639

639

“Wow, I knew he was strong, but seriously, he’s overpowering to the point where it’s suffocating!”

Runba from the Department of Summoning, who provided commentary during events at Lumeran, looked utterly stunned.

In agreement with his words, several students nodded their heads.

“Niél, doesn’t the President have any weaknesses?”

A fifth-year female student from the Department of Knights asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

As a member of the Zerdinger family’s retainer family, Niél was the one who knew the most about Leo out of everyone.

In response to his peer’s question, Niél sighed.

“Young Master Leo doesn’t have any noticeable weaknesses.”

Dual-class users utilize two abilities to offset the weaknesses of each.

However, Leo is an all-class user.

Given that he can compensate for the weaknesses of all classes, he doesn’t possess any clear vulnerabilities.

‘Not to mention, if you look at his classes individually, he’s already at the top level in the school…’

As a knight, as a wizard, as a summoner—anyone of these by itself already ranks him as the top among the students at Lumeran.

Even for a fifth-year student who had experienced everything from mountain battles to water wars, finding weaknesses in someone like that isn’t easy.

As Niél’s words sank in, the fifth-years exchanged exasperated looks.

“Playing the obedient retainer and bowing down to the juniors, yet you don’t even know your own master’s weakness? Or is it because you’re a retainer that you’re hiding it?”

A scoffing voice interrupted.

Niél’s cold gaze turned toward the source of the voice.

There stood Takon from the fifth-year Department of Knights.

In response to Takon’s provocations, Runba chuckled softly to himself.

‘Ah, as expected, it’s escalating.’

Tacon Sejer.

A student who had consistently ranked first in his department throughout his four years.

‘Well, rather, until now.’

Until his fourth year, Takon held the top spot in the Department of Knights.

But during the second semester’s final exam of his fourth year, he lost his number one position to Niél.

Although Niél was always near the top since enrolling, his slight shortfall kept him from competing for the top rank until the fourth year.

Starting from the fourth year, however, he began to show incredible growth and eventually secured the top spot by the end of the semester.

‘Actually, it’s not surprising.’

Lumeran is a place where the most talented gather to further develop their skills.

‘By fourth year, these are the carefully filtered talents.’

If their strengths can be overturned anytime, that’s perfectly reasonable.

But surely Takon wouldn’t be able to stomach that.

‘That factional fight among them.’

Runba scratched his head vigorously.

In every grade, factions existed.

On a larger scale, they formed between departments, regions across the continent, or even national interests.

On a smaller scale, power dynamics formed within the grades themselves.

It’s understandable.

There are many students from influential families at Lumeran.

However, the higher the grade, the more these factional disputes tended to reconcile.

‘In one way or another, ranks stabilize… and after all, they’re comrades who’ve suffered and thrived together. Occasionally, someone becomes a lifelong enemy.’

Through long-term schooling, it becomes unavoidable to rely on each other.

Friendships forged in battles that weren’t there before inevitably grow.

But…

‘Not in our grade.’

Currently, the fifth-year students were split into two factions.

On one side was Niél and the regular students, and on the other, the Blue Moon faction.

The group from the Blue Moon party that had been part of Elena’s Hero Dungeon raid.

‘The Queen’s loyal followers.’

The Blue Moon party was disbanded once they reached their fourth year.

To be more precise, Elena stopped using her privilege as Vice Director.

As the daughter of the principal and the Vice Director herself, Elena, who had been among the top students even as a second-year, had leveraged her position to gain all sorts of conveniences.

In short, she was a wild card.

The Queen’s followers had enjoyed various perks by her side.

‘Of course, the opportunists who merely wanted privileges were all expelled.’

Lumeran wasn’t an easy place for such people to endure.

‘The problem is that the ones left are true loyalists.’

What they wanted was one thing.

To be recognized by Elena.

Since the first year, Elena hadn’t considered anyone her equal.

More accurately, she hadn’t recognized anyone as a peer.

It couldn’t be helped.

‘The Queen isn’t called that for nothing.’

Elena had thoroughly reigned over the others.

This was why the followers aspired to be recognized as comrades.

It seemed like nothing to outsiders.

Elena had never disrespected her peers and often joked with them.

But it stopped right there.

She wouldn’t allow anything more.

No one could stand beside her.

It must’ve been frustrating for those who had walked with Elena through the years.

‘That’s the reason they cling desperately to survive at Lumeran.’

In that context, Takon reacting sharply to losing the top spot in knight skills was natural.

Even when he was first, he didn’t care much about Niél, but now, being pushed down to second place, an anxiety crept in, causing him to become restless.

The sparks flying between Niél and Takon served as a signal.

Students who weren’t part of Blue Moon had long been irritated by the always-on-edge Blue Moon students chasing grades.

The Blue Moon-averse students were originally indifferent to factions.

But due to constant provocation from the other side, they unconsciously grouped together and formed their own faction.

“What do you mean by that?”

A female student from the Department of Magic narrowed her eyes.

At this, a Blue Moon-allied female magic student sneered.

“What? Niél would naturally prioritize his family in this situation, right? A loyal subject would.”

“Like you’re Elena’s loyal dog?”

“What did you just say?”

The atmosphere grew increasingly hostile.

Seeing things getting out of hand, Runba interjected with a carefree smile.

“Hey hey, stop fighting. Don’t you feel embarrassed with the juniors watching?”

“Back off, Runba!”

“I intend to settle this today; do not interfere, third party.”

Even as Runba tried to intervene, there was no sign of their anger subsiding.

Runba’s smile disappeared as he observed this.

“Is my word meaningless to you right now?”

Contrary to his usual cheeky demeanor, his icy tone shocked not only the fifth-years but also the fourth-years.

Runba, who had maintained a blank expression as he surveyed his peers, broke into a spring-like smile as he spoke a moment later.

“Let’s prioritize the strategy against Leo.”

It would only be resolved at the end of the semester which of them would graduate as the top knight, but who would graduate as second-in-command among the peers had already been settled in their first year.

Runba Tes.

Undoubtedly the solid second-place holder, he had once even outperformed Elena Zeruing in the year where she decided to skip an entire semester due to lack of interest.

‘Of course, that was a rare situation given Elena’s general disinterest.’

“Let’s have you command, Takon.”

“…Understood.”

“The strategy… Eren, I leave it to you.”

“Understood, Senior.”

Runba delegated the role of strategist to Eren, a fourth-year known for his exceptional planning skills.

There were no complaints from the students.

‘How could there be any? I’ve been giving commentaries for a few years now.’

Runba has a deep understanding of the students.

Takon and Eren are known to have the best tactical and strategic skills among the fourth and fifth-year students.

After appointing leaders to manage the situation, Runba selected a few more students.

“You guys are the reconnaissance team. Follow me.”

“Yes, Senior.”

Runba took the lead and gathered the talented fourth-year scouts, preparing their defenses against Leo’s potential attacks.

Left alone after the juniors dispersed, Runba fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he nodded to himself.

“I see the professors’ intentions.”

Though the fifth-years wouldn’t admit it, Runba clearly identified the problem at hand.

“The issue is that we become utterly useless whenever Elena’s absent.”

Runba sighed internally.

‘And the fourth-years.’

The current fourth-years are the juniors who have been overshadowed by their seniors for the past four years due to Elena’s charisma, which stretched from the third year down to the second year.

The problem is that now these juniors are upperclassmen in their own right.

‘They won’t blindly follow everything we suggest anymore.’

They’ve matured enough.

Moreover, there’s likely resistance after having been controlled for so long.

‘This could lead to a fracture between the fourth and fifth years.’

If Lil was around, she might mediate, but unfortunately, Lil was absent too.

Runba scratched his head in frustration.

“If only I were a little wiser, things might’ve been better, right?”

Though academically excellent, personable, and amicable, Runba wasn’t cut out to lead.

He knew this fact better than anyone.

‘At least I should share the professors’ intentions with the others…’

“It would have improved things somewhat… though the root issue would remain unsolved.”

“Ha-ha, President. When did you arrive?”

“Since I realized the professors’ intentions.”

Leo chuckled deeply.

At the sight of his smile, Runba felt a chill run down his spine.

‘There won’t be any loopholes… will there?’

No matter how capable Runba was as the second-in-command among the fifth-years.

His opponent was Leo, after all.

‘If it were Elena or Lil, things might’ve been different.’

Until two years ago, the second-in-command in Lumeran automatically meant the top student among the fifth-years.

But this formula has been broken since last year.

After all, it was a second-year who claimed the title of the strongest in Lumeran, Leo Flove.

Even without Leo, Runba wouldn’t have been second at Lumeran.

There was Lil, a year younger than him.

‘At least with Leo around, I don’t feel too embarrassed, so maybe I should thank him?’

Runba burst into laughter.

Watching Runba chuckling, Leo commented:

“Senior, you really lack enthusiasm.”

At Leo’s remark, Runba laughed without feeling too offended.

Leo wasn’t mocking him; he was simply observing the truth.

This was a sentiment shared not just by the professors, seniors, but even the underclassmen of the same department.

“To live long, stay thin. That’s my motto.”

And that was indeed true.

The reason Runba, who was second in the year, didn’t leave a significant mark on school life was because he deliberately sought the path of least resistance.

At that, Leo nodded.

People come in all shapes and forms.

However…

“You seem to put in a lot of effort despite that.”

Leo’s grin made Runba flinch.

‘d*mn! Exposed!’

Runba hastily swallowed, realizing he had secretly used spirit magic to alert the fifth-years of Leo’s approach.

“Anyway, you were planning to trample us, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Still, fitting of a Student Council President. You’ve got a big heart.”

Runba laughed off the comment with a broad smile.

‘There was a time when I too wanted to fight with all my might.’

As a first-year, Runba suffered a setback after meeting Elena but continued to challenge her with fervor.

However, upon witnessing Lil as a second-year, he gracefully stepped aside.

To achieve what he dreamed of, he realized how small he truly was compared to her.

‘The juniors, they’re truly admirable.’

While reflecting this, Runba smiled at Leo, who reminded him of those days.

“Are you laughing?”

“Huh?”

“Is the current situation funny?”

Caught off-guard by the random inquiry, Runba froze.

This pattern was familiar—how seniors used to scold him when he was younger.

“Hey, even if that’s the case, I’m still your senior!”

“Senior this, senior that! When other people envy abilities they could never have, there are still guys like you who act superior, telling me I should just be part of the audience. Does that make sense? Why did you come to Lumeran?”

The tension in the air thickened.

This went beyond the usual senior-junior dynamic.

This was professor-level.

Among professors, the most terrifying: Halind.

“Is this why you’ve been dropping out of various competitions and sticking to commentary? Efforts to enlighten the confused seniors, perhaps… You’re not the least bit self-aware, are you? Come here, I’ll fix your thoroughly rotten mindset.”

“EEEEK?”

“Where are you running to!!”

Seeing Leo charge towards him with bloodshot eyes, Runba panicked and fled.

Though he didn’t understand why Leo had flipped out, one thing was clear.

If caught now, there would be serious consequences.

“Leo’s here!”

“Set the battlefield as per the plan!”

“HAHAHAHHA!”

Once again, cries of chaos erupted.

The real battle between Leo and the fourth and fifth-years had officially begun.