Editor : Amethyst00



At that moment, Elena had a blank expression for a brief instant.

Seeing her like that, Leo smiled.

“It was a joke.”

‘Are you teasing me?’

Elena let out a short laugh at the cheeky first-year who so casually teased someone known as the queen of the school.

“So, you’re joining the party, right?”

“No. I’ve already decided where I’ll be doing my field training.”

“Did you perhaps receive an offer from another raid party?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then why aren’t you joining the raid party? It would benefit you.”

“How is it a good deal to join a raid party?”

Leo’s puzzled look made Elena genuinely confused.

She had thought it was an offer no first-year could possibly refuse.

After all, it was practically like declaring she would hand over the rewards from conquering a hero’s dungeon.

‘Then why refuse? Don’t tell me he doesn’t understand the value of the Hero’s World?’

Impossible.

Leo was an excellent student—good enough to be class representative.

Someone like him couldn’t possibly be unaware of what conquering the Hero’s World meant, or the value it held.

‘Or is it just pride?’

But from what Elena had seen, Leo didn’t seem like the type to act out of pride either.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll be going now.”

Leo bowed slightly and left.

Watching his back, Elena narrowed her eyes.

“Hmph.”

As if displeased, she twirled the tip of her hair with her fingers.

The Blue Moon party members glared, glancing between Leo and Elena.

He had actually refused the invitation of Elena—the so-called Queen of Lumene!

Other students also stared at Leo with disbelief.

Voices full of anger erupted among the Blue Moon members.

“That arrogant bastard! He dared to turn Elena down?”

“Does he think being grade representative makes him untouchable?”

“Elena-sunbae! Should I teach him some manners?”

Sensing a chance to score favor, the Blue Moon members all rushed to offer.

If they impressed Elena now, maybe they’d be included in the upcoming raid.

Elena, still twirling her hair, gave them a sweet smile.

“Who said you could talk to me so freely?”

At those words, the Blue Moon party members flinched.

Even fourth-years, older than Elena herself, were among them—yet not one dared to speak.

Elena smiled once more at their silence and walked away, her heels clicking—click-click—as she left the first-year dorms.

‘What a humiliation.’

She’d been rejected in front of countless witnesses.

By tomorrow, it would probably be the front-page headline of the school newspaper.

But Elena didn’t care in the slightest.

She wasn’t the kind of person to pay attention to the noise of people with no value.

‘My charm didn’t work at all.’

Her pink eyes gleamed with a mysterious light.

Elena had been born with a charisma that drew people in.

It wasn’t just her background, talent, or looks.

It was something more—an almost cursed allure that could drag both herself and those around her into misfortune.

Yet that curse had merged with her overwhelming heroic talent, turning it into her greatest weapon.

Her gaze alone could make ordinary people obey her.

Even those with strong wills felt a deep attraction toward her.

Those who knew of her ability either feared or hated her.

But Leo—Leo was completely unaffected by her charm.

“Olve.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Find out which region Leo Plov chose for his field assignment.”

At her words, Olve, her attendant, hesitated.

“Investigating a student’s private information is against school policy.”

“You know I’m not the type to care about things like that, don’t you?”

Elena spoke as she lazily twirled her hair.

“…Understood.”

Bowing his head, Olve vanished once more into the darkness.

As Elena walked alone through the quiet night campus, she murmured,

“Leo Plov…”

Her lips curved into a faint smile.

“This is getting interesting.”

bl

The next morning.

The rumor that Leo had rejected Elena’s invitation spread across the entire school.

“Puhahahahaha!”

Fourth-year representative Hark burst into laughter, lowering his eyepatch as he read the newspaper.

Second-year representative Lyl dropped her fork mid-bite, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

“Don’t you think our school newspaper writes their articles way too dramatically?”

Chelsea muttered as she looked at the issue distributed to every class each morning.

Carl shrugged.

“What can you do? The newspaper club’s gotta eat, too.”

The headline blared: [The Queen’s Humiliation].

“The newspaper club’s got guts, though.”

“They do some crazy stuff sometimes,” Carl chuckled, then turned to Leo.

“So, how does it feel to humiliate the queen?”

“Not much to say.”

“Still, after embarrassing her so publicly, aren’t you worried about payback?”

“That won’t happen.”

‘She’s not the kind to ruin her reputation over petty revenge. Not that she even cares what people say anyway.’

The real problem was Elena’s followers.

‘The Queen’s followers are… quite jealous.’

Leo recalled what Lyl had once told him.

‘Well, it’s not like I care if those types make a fuss. Just… a bit annoying, maybe.’

He didn’t care about small fry like that.

‘Though, to access the Forbidden Archives, I do need Elena’s permission.’

To research the Hero Record, he’d been told he’d need the authorization of the Director’s proxy, Elena.

She hadn’t even entertained the idea before, but now, for some reason, she was willing to consider it.

‘Not that it guarantees I’ll get in.’

He’d listen to her proposal first and decide later.

‘Still, I have no intention of getting tied down to school politics just to access the archives.’

Elena was one of the strongest candidates for the next student council president.

Joining her dungeon raid team would inevitably drag him into all sorts of tedious matters.

‘I’m already busy enough as it is.’

Learning why the Hero Record had been divided was important, but his current priority was uncovering the traitor within Lumene.

‘The archives can wait.’

Clatter—

The classroom door opened, and Harrid entered.

The students scrambled to their seats as he stood at the podium.

“Did everyone review the mission requests for your field training yesterday?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. Then write a brief mission plan explaining why you chose your request and submit it.”

“Understood!”

Class 5 quickly got to work on their reports.

Harrid went through them one by one, checking whether the missions were appropriate and within each student’s capabilities.

Then, stopping at Leo’s paper, he frowned slightly.

Usually, first-years chose missions suited to their level for their first field training.

Some got overly ambitious and picked something too hard—but rarely did anyone pick something far too easy.

Choosing an easy mission usually meant an upperclassman who’d already met the performance quota but still needed to fulfill the required number of assignments.

“Are you sure about this—bandit extermination in the Garan region, Leo Plov?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmm. You really are a student who keeps surprising me.”

Harrid stroked his chin.

If a student overreached, it was the professor’s duty to guide them—but this case puzzled him.

‘Well, I’m sure he has his reasons.’

He trusted that Leo had a plan.

Thinking that, Harrid chuckled to himself.

‘Can’t believe I’m putting this much faith in a first-year.’

Shaking his head, he stamped Leo’s mission plan.

After the brief interview, he announced,

“Field training begins in two days. Prepare yourselves.”

“Yes, sir!”

bl

Whoooosh!

A cold wind swept across the land.

A place of eternal winter—

The academy of beautiful elves training to become heroes: Seiren.

“Achoo!”

A red-haired girl, Lunia, sneezed as she walked down Seiren’s corridor.

“Snrf—!”

Rubbing her nose and sniffling, she drew a worried look from Eiran.

“Lunia, are you alright?”

“Yeah. Sniff—!”

The elves were hardy against the cold, having lived in a frigid land all their lives.

Especially Lunia, heir to the Lunda family and wielder of the Phoenix’s power—she should’ve been even more resistant.

But being resistant to the cold and liking it were very different things.

Lunia absolutely hated the cold.

“By the way, didn’t Teacher Herdium say that Leo might come here as an exchange student? What happened with that?”

Eiran asked, her voice a little excited.

Lunia shook her head.

“Probably not happening. They offered for him to stay here for half a semester, but Lumene’s not about to send someone like Leo away that long.”

The name Leo Plov was already famous throughout Seiren.

‘That guy… pulling further ahead again. And he’s not the only talented one in Lumene’s first year, either.’

Thinking of the Lumene freshmen she’d have to compete with from now on, Lunia smirked.

The stronger her opponent, the more her fighting spirit burned.

‘This is going to be fun.’

Her eyes gleamed with excitement when a stern voice interrupted.

“That’s not a very fitting expression for a grade representative.”

Lunia turned to see a male upperclassman and sighed in annoyance.

Eiran hurriedly bowed.

“Hello, Hardin-sunbae.”

“Hmph. Eiran. I hear you’ve finally started to straighten up lately.”

Hardin adjusted his glasses, smiling coolly at her.

“You’re aware that your past behavior as class representative brought shame to Seiren’s name, yes?”

Eiran flinched at his words.

“I trust you won’t repeat actions that tarnish the school’s dignity.”

Eiran could only nod, too timid to reply.

Lunia glared at Hardin with a bored look.

“And you, Lunia. How many times have I told you not to make that face?”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“You look like some street thug.”

As he said that, Hardin’s gaze flicked over her clothes.

Lunia had her uniform shirt partly unbuttoned and untucked, looking extremely casual.

“And again, with that improper attire.”

Hardin Dertian.

honor student of Seiren’s third year—the grade representative.

Proud and uptight, he never missed a chance to lecture Lunia.

“How many times must I tell you? A grade representative should conduct herself properly.”

“Yes, yes, I get it.”

Lunia replied lazily, buttoning up her shirt and fixing her uniform.

“There, happy now?”

“Hmph.”

Hardin adjusted his glasses with a scoff.

“So what brings you all the way to the first-year classrooms?”

“For this mission, you and I will be going together.”

“….”

Lunia’s face instantly looked tired.

“No need to look that thrilled.”

“Do I look thrilled to you?”

“I’ll take this opportunity to teach you what it truly means to behave as a grade representative.”

‘Ugh, annoying. Should I just punch him?’ Lunia ground her teeth silently.

“So, where’s the mission?”

“The Garan region, far southwest of the continent.”

“Garan?”

‘Well, at least it’s warm there.’

“Isn’t that the land of humans and beastkin? Why go there?” Eiran asked, puzzled.

“The vice principal said there might be an undiscovered Hero’s Dungeon there. Anyway, Lunia—depart in two days. Be thoroughly prepared.”

Hardin turned to leave, then paused.

“Eiran. Keep doing as you’ve been.”

“Yes.”

“Hmph.”

He snorted coldly and walked off.

As he disappeared down the hall, Lunia stared after him, then began scooping up snow.

Not forgetting to tuck a small pebble inside, she shaped it into a perfect snowball.

Then she aimed right at Hardin’s head.

Eiran panicked and grabbed her arm.

“L-Lunia-yang! You’ll start a fight if you do that!”

“It’s fine. That annoying guy won’t get hurt from just this.”

“I said no!”