Editor : Amethyst00



The opening ceremony.

While the students were lined up by year, only the first-years stood with distinctly unpleasant expressions.

The second-years standing beside them looked puzzled at the sight.

“What’s wrong with them?”

“I heard they got put through the wringer on the first day back.”

“They look like that after getting roughed up just a bit on the first day? They were treated like the ‘Golden Generation,’ but I guess they’re nothing special.”

“I heard the vice principal personally handled them.”

“What? The vice principal?”

The second-years who had been sneering right next to the first-years were startled.

The vice principal.

Even among the upperclassmen, he was a mysterious figure.

Hearing that such a person had personally trained the first-years, the second-years felt dissatisfied.

“So only the first-years get special treatment now, huh?”

“That’s discrimination. How are we supposed to stay motivated to study here?”

During the break, no matter where one went, talk of Lumene’s first-years was everywhere.

And the ones they were compared to were none other than the second-years, one year above them.

In that situation, hearing that the vice principal had instructed the first-years made it feel like only the juniors were getting special treatment, stirring discontent among the second-years.

Meanwhile, Leo was in the representative waiting room, changing into the school representative uniform.

The other grade representatives hadn’t arrived yet, so he was alone.

Just as he finished changing and stepped out of the dressing room—

“So you’re saying you don’t like Elena?”

“Hark-sunbae, you’re from one of the Three Great Houses too, aren’t you? You could just use your family’s influence like Elena-sunbae.”

“You think I’d stoop that low?”

Second-year Lyl and fourth-year Hark entered the waiting room.

“Leo! Did you have a good vacation?”

Lyl beamed brightly when she saw Leo.

“Yes.”

“Your performance in the Inter-Department Tournament was impressive! To be squeezed between outstanding seniors and an outstanding junior—what terrible luck I have.”

Sigh! Lyl let out a deep sigh, and Hark gave him a look of disbelief.

“What are you saying? You’re the undisputed number one in the second year.”

Lyl Luce, who thought of himself as nothing special despite being the year representative.

But from the moment she enrolled, no one had ever threatened his top position.

First in written exams.

First in practical exams.

First in all combat and mission evaluations.

A 100% success rate in conquering Hero's Worlds.

She was a honor student setting astonishing records.

Among the upperclassmen, there wasn’t a single student who had held their year’s top position as consistently as Lyl.

She was, in every sense, a solid wall.

“You do know people call you the ‘Monster Girl,’ right?”

“Hark-sunbae! Why would you bring up such a weird nickname in front of Leo!”

Lyl’s face twisted up as Hark chuckled and ruffled her hair.

Always giving her all, Lyl was also a beloved junior to the senior representatives.

Even Hark, who normally didn’t show much interest in others, liked teasing her from time to time.

After laughing heartily at Lyl, Hark pulled the blindfold hanging around his neck over his eyes.

“Anyway, I’m going to sleep. Wake me before the ceremony starts.”

And with that, he was out cold.

“He really does sleep easily.”

“Tell me about it.”

Leo was impressed, and Lyl sighed deeply.

Of course, Leo knew full well that Hark wasn’t simply someone who slept a lot.

‘His aura trait is accumulation—quite a rare one.’

Accumulation.

As the name suggests, it was the ability to store energy in ordinary times and unleash it all at once in battle.

‘Though he really does seem to sleep a lot, too.’

As Leo thought to himself, Lyl hurriedly spoke, her face red.

“Leo! That ‘Monster Girl’ nickname—senior students made it up just to tease me! I have a proper nickname, you know! ‘Elemental Master of the Gale’!”

Just as Lyl was desperately trying to shed the strange image and appear as a dignified and cool senior—

“‘Elemental Master of the Gale’ sounds too plain, doesn’t it?”

Elena entered the waiting room with a bright smile, floating lightly in midair as she approached Lyl.

Then she pulled Lyl’s head into her arms.

Lyl froze stiff like a mouse before a snake.

Watching her trembling junior, Elena chuckled softly.

“So ‘Monster Girl’ suits you perfectly.”

Lil’s face scrunched up, and Elena, finding it adorable, gently patted her head before turning to Leo.

“Leo, I heard about you over the break. You attended Azonia’s entrance ceremony, didn’t you?”

At that, Lyl’s eyes went wide as she turned to look at Leo.

“Our junior is full of surprises. Wherever he goes, something extraordinary happens. Should I call that the sign of a big shot?”

Her pink eyes sparkled with amusement as she gazed at Leo, while Lyl held her breath.

Elena was known for her unpredictable personality.

Called the Queen of Lumene, but also a witch.

No one ever knew what she would do next, and she was infamous for being harsh in her evaluations of others.

‘To be exact, she looks down on anyone she doesn’t acknowledge.’

As far as Lyl could remember, the only student Elena had ever called a “big shot” was Rhys Zerdinger.

With her pink eyes glinting and a smile that made even another girl’s heart flutter, Elena was breathtakingly beautiful.

But Leo only smiled calmly.

“I’m honored that you think so highly of me.”

Elena narrowed her eyes at his composed smile.

“Leo, you said you had a favor to ask of me, right?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s now, I might just grant it. But in return—”

Elena smiled brightly.

“You’ll grant me a favor too, won’t you?”

‘What kind of favor is Leo going to ask Elena-sunbae for?’ Lyl wondered, glancing between the two.

“You’ve really tried to pull something on a first-year?”

The voice came from the couch.

Hark had lifted his blindfold and was staring at Elena with a cold look.

“Mind your own business, Hark.”

Elena’s lips smiled, but her eyes didn’t.

Hark Rigard.

One of the few students who could stand on equal footing with Elena, the Queen of Lumene.

While the Zeron family had long served as Lumene Academy’s directors, the Rigard family had ruled Lumeria City itself.

As heirs to two of the Three Great Houses, Hark and Elena were equals.

The two seniors glared at each other until Lyl hurriedly intervened.

“S-sunbaes! Please don’t fight!”

“Yeah, what kind of example is that for your juniors?”

The one who backed Lyl’s plea appeared just then.

It was none other than the student council president, Rhys.

At his arrival, Elena’s face relaxed back into her usual calm smile. She gave Leo one last grin and gently pushed Lyl’s back.

“Lil, let’s get ready.”

“Don’t pull any weird stunts like last time.”

“I’ll decide after I see how you do.”

Lyl sighed deeply and went into the dressing room.

“Hark, let’s get ready too.”

“Yes, sunbae.”

Rhys went in first, and Hark followed—but not before glancing back at Leo.

“Leo Plov, right?”

“Yes.”

“You’d better be careful.”

“…?”

Hark made a troubled face.

“She’s had this habit since she was a kid—she tends to treat people around her like toys.”

“I already know she’s unpredictable.”

“Yeah, but the problem starts when she finds a ‘special toy.’”

He sighed.

“She gets bored easily, so it usually doesn’t go too far. But since she seems interested in you, you’d better be cautious.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“Sure. Anyway, I’m looking forward to you.”

“Looking forward?”

“Yeah. Outstanding juniors are always welcome.”

Leaving those words behind, Hark entered the dressing room.

Leo realized anew that many people’s attention was on him.

Back in the first semester, most people’s interest had been simple curiosity—but now, it was recognition.

‘From now on, even Tartaros will start paying attention to me.’

As someone of the same All-Class as Kyle and showing increasingly unusual progress, Leo was sure Tartaros would start viewing him as a threat.

‘The traitor inside Lumene might even try to harm me directly.’

Leo took a deep breath.

‘I need to stay sharp from here on out.’

bl

After the opening ceremony, the first-years immediately moved to their classrooms.

Most schools would give students the day off for the opening, but Lumene was different—classes started right away.

The first class was none other than Hero Studies.

Gathered once more in the large lecture hall by class, the first-years all looked exhausted.

It was the aftereffect of having endured the curse, Nightmare.

Just then—

“Everyone! Long time no see! Did you have a good break—ack!”

Artienne, entering with a bright smile, tripped and fell flat.

As clumsy as ever.

Of course, the first-years, who still remembered the terror she once inspired, didn’t laugh—they all tensed up.

Groaning, Artienne stood at the front of the hall and smiled brightly.

“Did you all rest well over break? I missed you all so much I was counting down the days until school started!”

Some students actually looked touched.

She was undoubtedly a terrifying professor.

But she was also sincerely devoted to her students.

For that reason, despite the fear, she was quite popular.

“Oh? You too?”

Artienne suddenly began mumbling to herself.

It seemed she was talking with her contracted spirits.

“My spirits say they missed you all too!”

“Really?”

“So they do like us, even if they always sound so harsh!”

The true source of Artienne’s terrifying reputation—her spirits.

Hearing they wanted to see them again, the students grew excited.

They’d grown attached through fear.

“Yes! They said they’ve been eagerly waiting for this day—so they can punish any students who slacked off on their Hero Studies homework!”

The students froze as Artienne smiled innocently.

Even she seemed startled for a moment, then hurried to the corner of the room to scold her spirits.

“Hey, come on now! You’re scaring them! Don’t say stuff like that!”

Watching her, Carl muttered.

“I did work hard on that homework, seriously.”

“Same.”

Tade let out a long sigh.

After calming her spirits down, Artienne cleared her throat and stood back at the podium.

“Anyway, please submit your homework after class. Today, we’ll discuss the major issue that shook the academic world of Hero Studies over the break!”

The students exchanged puzzled looks.

“A new issue in Hero Studies?”

“What could it be? Maybe a new Hero Dungeon was discovered?”

“Or maybe a Hero’s Relic was unearthed.”

Issues in Hero Studies often changed the entire world’s balance.

“I’m sure you’ll all be surprised! During Azonia’s entrance ceremony, the prologue page of The Brave Aaron—which had never once been conquered before—was finally cleared!”

Everyone already knew the story—it had been all over the papers.

Especially for the first-years, hearing that another academy student from their generation had already conquered a Great Hero’s World made them feel even more pressure.

But the content and rewards of that world had not been publicly revealed.

As the students grew tense, Artienne continued.

“And during that conquest, a certain name was mentioned.”

She picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the board.

Tack-tack-tack—

Only the sound of chalk filled the hall.

As soon as they read the name on the board, the students began murmuring among themselves.

Leo recalled what had happened in the Hero's World.

‘Now that I think about it, Agon did mention my name to Aru.’

The name on the board was one Leo knew all too well.

[The Surviving Hero, Kyle]

Setting down the chalk, Artienne turned to face them.

“Whether it’s the same person as the Hero of the Beginning, we don’t know yet—but for the first time in the history of the Great Hero’s World, the name ‘Kyle’ has been officially spoken.”