Editor : Amethyst00



“An admission recommendation letter to Azonia?”

“Yeah. When I was younger, I helped Azonia once. Back then, I kind of… got forced to take the recommendation letter.”

Scratching her head, Reina spoke to the spirit.

“My son is already attending Lumene, so he can’t enroll in Azonia.”

[Understood.]

The spirit nodded as if comprehending.

[After signing the admission notice, please come to Azrek in three days.]

“You’re not making much sense.”

“It’s a messenger spirit.”

“Well, I suppose it only delivers orders as instructed.”

“By the way, how did you even know I turned fifteen and pick me as an admission candidate?”

“When I received the recommendation, I did something like a contract with the spirit. Through that blood-engraved contract, it must have known when you turned fifteen.”

Leo clicked his tongue as he looked at Reina grumbling.

"You shouldn’t make contracts carelessly."

"Like I knew it would turn out like this?"

As Reina grumbled, Leo chuckled and examined the letter from Azonia. Then he stroked his chin.

“So this means I’m qualified to attend Azonia’s entrance ceremony?”

“Right. You can just ignore it, though. If you don’t register, they’ll find another recommended student.”

Leo looked at Reina shrugging her shoulders.

"Sounds interesting, though?"

“What?”

Reina stared at Leo, surprised by the grin spreading across his face.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s a rare opportunity.”

“With your skills as Lumene’s class representative, you’d definitely pass the entrance exam, you know?”

“It’s an experience too. If I quit halfway, the admission will be canceled anyway. And I just won’t reveal that I’m Leo Plov.”

“I thought I could finally enjoy the vacation with my son for once.”

Reina grumbled.

“I’ll head to Azrek in three days.”

At Leo’s words, the messenger spirit nodded and vanished on the spot—summoning released, returning to its contractor.

“Azonia, huh. I wonder what kind of beastman hero candidates they have.”

bl

Azrek, the city of sea and desert at the southernmost end of the continent, was one of the largest cities on the continent.

All trade between the western and eastern regions passed through here, and naturally, the city had become rich.

It was a grand metropolis with influence rivaling even Lumeria City, known as the largest human city.

The key difference between the two was that multiple races resided here.

Arriving in Azrek through the warp gate, Leo strolled through the bustling streets with a faint smile.

‘How peaceful.’

To Leo, sights of a lively, thriving city like this were a kind of joy.

This vibrancy itself was proof that Kyle and his companions had saved the world.

As he walked, he soon reached the central plaza—filled with a large crowd.

Everyone was laying flowers before a statue at the plaza’s center—of a wolf beastman.

Sharp eyes, protruding fangs, claws raised, roaring with valor.

The figure was all too familiar to Leo.

‘Aaron.’

Aaron, the Hero of the Beastmen.

A racial hero, and one of the Great Heroes who had once saved the world.

Looking up at the roaring Aaron, Leo chuckled.

“How unfitting for him.”

In the current age, Aaron was remembered as a man of great courage.

Even the gods had called him “the Hero,” so perhaps it wasn’t strange.

Leo bought some flowers from a nearby vendor and stepped up to the statue.

Before it was an inscription:

In honor of Aaron, the Hero of Indomitable Courage.

“Indomitable courage, my ass. He was trembling with fear like a leaf in every battle.”

Leo smirked as he laid down the flowers.

Aaron had been a coward more than anyone, yet when it came to protecting his friends, none were braver. And seeing that courage, the Great Heroes had found their own.

‘Guys… cough. Don’t cry. Protecting you was my role. And… I’m sorry… for breaking my promise to keep you safe till the end.’*

Remembering Aaron’s last words of apology as he died, Leo smiled bitterly.

After paying his respects, Leo left the plaza and began walking toward the lodgings where Azonia’s admission candidates stayed.

‘The exam begins in three days, right?’

The notice had arrived two days ago—if he didn’t register by tomorrow, his admission would be cancelled.

‘Where should I go?’

After a moment of thought, Leo decided to go where most kids his age were gathered.

Since Azrek was the exam site and lectures were held freely among the beast nations, that place naturally became the registration site.

As expected, a crowd that looked like Azonia’s admission candidates had gathered ahead.

And when Leo saw the building, his expression froze for a moment.

‘A colosseum?’

The students were all heading toward Azrek’s colosseum.

“Move, half-breed.”

Leo ignored the voice behind him, thinking it wasn’t directed at him.

‘Why a colosseum, of all places?’

Thud!

“I said move!”

Someone shoved his back roughly. Frowning, Leo turned around.

Three wolf beastmen around his age were standing there, sneering.

“What did you just say?”

“I said half-breed. Got a problem with that?”

“Derkin, stop. The half-breed might get offended. Hehe.”

“You’re worse!”

At the boy’s remark, the two others—a boy and a girl—snickered.

Leo reached up to scratch his ear… and paused.

The ears that should’ve been there weren’t—instead, rabbit ears were perched atop his head.

Leo was perfectly disguised as a half-beastkin, thanks to Kiran’s help. His white hair had even turned black.

And why a rabbit, you might ask? Simple—Reina’s taste.

Sighing at the thought of his mother, Leo said,

“Try choosing your words more carefully, yeah?”

“Oh, really?”

The large wolf boy on the left twitched his eye.

“A gutsy little half-breed rabbit, huh? You picked the wrong people to defy!”

Grab!

“We’re attending Azonia’s entrance ceremony, you hear!”

He gripped Leo’s rabbit ear and glared.

Attending Azonia’s entrance was a matter of great pride among beastmen—it meant they’d survived those hellish open lectures and earned qualification.

“So?”

Leo’s reaction was indifferent.

To Lumene’s class representative, being an Azonia candidate was neither impressive nor threatening.

“What?”

“You think attending the ceremony makes you students already?”

The wolf boy blinked in confusion.

“You’re not even Azonia students yet, so what’s there to brag about?”

“You little—! Gah!”

Before the boy’s punch could connect, Leo’s foot slammed into his stomach, bending him double.

Then Leo struck his back with his elbow, dropping him instantly.

Looking down, Leo muttered,

“If that’s the skill level of Azonia’s candidates, I’m a bit disappointed.”

“You damn half-breed!”

The atmosphere turned tense. The remaining two raised their auras, and curious gazes from the crowd turned their way.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

A clear, commanding voice rang out—a girl with white cat ears and tail stepped swiftly between Leo and the wolf beastmen.

“Who are you!” the wolf girl snapped.

“My name is—”

“Wait, isn’t that Aru Tune?”

“From the Tune family? Yeah, that matches her looks.”

“She’s one of the recommendation candidates, right?”

Hearing the murmurs, Aru paused mid-introduction, ears twitching.

With a proud, catlike expression, she flicked her tail happily at being recognized.

But then her tail stiffened as she turned to the wolves.

“Three on one—don’t you think that’s cowardly?”

“He—he attacked my friend first—”

“I saw who picked the fight first. And besides…”

Aru’s eyes turned cold.

“You call one of your own kind a ‘half-breed’?”

Contempt flickered in her gaze.

Seeing that, Derkin flinched and stammered, "I—I just remembered something urgent!" and ran away in a hurry.

"L-let’s go!"

The girl, terrified, dragged away the fallen big one and followed him.

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

Aru snorted watching the scene.

“I wonder how they even passed the open lectures.”

As the crowd dispersed, Aru approached Leo.

“You’re a candidate too, right?”

“Yeah.”

“H-hm! You’ve got spirit! Taking on three at once without flinching!”

She puffed out her chest, hands on hips, nodding approvingly.

“Not like I had any reason to flinch.”

Even without Aru’s help, those three would’ve been no trouble for Leo.

“I was worried it’d all be boring pushovers, but this is great! You’ll definitely pass the entrance ceremony, Black Rabbit!”

Her catlike smile deepened—her eyes narrowing into feline slits as she spotted a desert butterfly fluttering by.

Without thinking, she swiped at it with her left hand—but the butterfly slipped past her grasp.

With her tail sticking straight up, Aru chased after it, calling out,

“See you later then!”

Watching her dash away after the butterfly, Leo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“They’re still a race true to their instincts.”

Other races might’ve thought her behavior ridiculous, but the beastmen watched her with serious eyes.

Among the admission candidates, two emotions clashed strongly—reverence and rivalry.

‘This is… different from Lumene or Seiren.’

To humans, Lumene’s students were objects of admiration and support.

To elves, Seiren’s students were successors of their noble founders.

And to beastmen…

‘They’re objects of worship.’

Before anything else, heroes were beings of overwhelming strength—symbols of power and transformation.

Thus, beastmen viewed hero candidates in two lights:

either as foes to challenge, or as powers to revere.

‘Truly unique.’

Arms crossed, Leo’s eyes gleamed.

This atmosphere was completely different from Lumene.

‘Glad I came.’

Smiling faintly, Leo walked off toward the candidate lodging to register for the entrance ceremony.