Editor : Amethyst00



After a 2-day, 1-night mission, Leo and Lyl returned to Lumeria City.

As soon as they entered Lumeria, Ignite vanished without a trace.

“Where did Ignite-nim go?”

“Even if you two managed to persuade him, he’s someone who’s never liked people much.”

Seeing Lyl’s flustered face, Jean pointed toward the bustling crowd filling the streets.

“A place like this would be pure torture for him.”

“Ah.”

Lyl nodded as if she understood.

“Anyway, good work on completing your mission. It must’ve been quite a troublesome one, but you did well.”

Lyl scratched her head as Jean smiled with his arms crossed.

“I didn’t really do much. Leo did all the work this time.”

Lyl drooped her shoulders.

Seeing that, Jean chuckled.

“Don’t be so modest. From where I’m standing, you’re a monster too, you know?”

Still smiling, Jean crossed his arms again.

“It’s reassuring to have such excellent juniors! I’ll be looking forward to this year’s Lumeiren Competition. Keep up the good work!”

“Jean-sunbae, where are you going?”

“I’ve got some business to take care of here in Lumeria City. You two go on ahead.”

Jean waved his hand and disappeared into the crowd.

Watching his back, Lyl spoke in admiration.

“Heroes really are amazing.”

“Indeed.”

“Anyway, Leo. Since you helped me with the mission, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”

“You don’t have to trouble yourself.”

“No, that won’t do. I wasted your precious weekend, so I must properly repay you.”

Speaking firmly, Lyl pulled Leo along as they walked down the street.

After a short while, they arrived at a restaurant in an alley.

“Isn’t this a tavern?”

“Yes, but they also have non-alcoholic dishes. And the food’s amazing! It’s a favorite spot for Lumene students of all grades!”

Leo nodded and followed Lyl inside.

Just as she said, there were many Lumene students in the tavern.

They recognized Leo and Lyl and waved to them.

Settling down at a table in the corner, Leo rested his chin on his hand and looked around the tavern.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been somewhere like this.”

“So you’ve been to places like this before, Leo.”

‘Yes, about 5000 years ago.’

Leo chuckled inwardly.

“I thought, since your mother’s side is from the Zerdinger family, you wouldn’t have much connection to places like this.”

“That’s true, but I didn’t even know about that until I entered Lumene.”

“Really?”

“Yes. My family situation is… rather complicated.”

“Ah, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Lyl looked apologetic.

“It’s complicated, but it’s not something rude to talk about.”

Leo shrugged his shoulders.

Ding-ling— Ding-ling—

The restaurant door opened, and a group of students walked in.

“Carl, are you sure it’s okay for us to come to a place like this?”

“I’m telling you, it’s fine! I came here before with some seniors from the Commerce Club — the food’s amazing!”

“If anything happens, it’s your fault.”

Led by Carl, about ten students from the Magic Department entered the tavern.

“I’m telling you, nothing’s going to happen! And we’re from Lumene — it’s not unusual for us to come to places like this during missions— huh? Leo!”

Carl, who had been trying to reassure a reluctant Chelsea, spotted Leo and waved.

Chloe and Chelsea immediately turned their heads toward Leo.

With a bright face, Carl approached him.

“What a coincidence! Ah, Lyl-sunbae! Hello!”

“Yes, we meet again, Carl.”

Lyl greeted him with a smile.

The other 1st-year magic students followed and bowed to Lyl.

“Hello, Lyl-sunbae.”

Being one of the most famous students at the academy, it was only natural that all of them recognized her.

Lyl smiled at the polite greetings.

“Seeing you all gathered like this, I assume you’re preparing for the Lumeiren Competition.”

“Yes.”

“There’s a lot to prepare — especially the representative selections.”

Carl clicked his tongue.

“Seiren is the strongest in magic among the four Hero Academies, so everyone’s working really hard.”

“Hehe. When I was a 1st-year, I was so busy preparing that I didn’t even have time to feel nervous before the Lumeiren Competition itself.”

‘Of course, once the day came, I was so nervous I had to take stomach medicine.’

Lyl didn’t mention that part.

She always wanted to seem composed and dignified in front of her juniors.

At that moment—

“By the way, Lyl-sunbae and Leo-oppa, why were you outside the academy for a whole day and night?”

The 1st-year magic students gasped and looked at Chelsea.

Chelsea blinked her large eyes and looked back and forth between Leo and Lyl.

She couldn’t stand curiosity and it also bothered her that the two had spent a night outside the academy together.

Lyl smiled and answered.

“I had a mission, and Leo helped me.”

“I see.”

Chelsea nodded with a satisfied smile.

Chloe, who had been watching anxiously, sighed in relief.

Then her eyes met Carl’s.

“What?”

“So, are you relieved now?”

Carl grinned teasingly, and Chloe blew a cold breath toward him.

“Kkaaaaah! M-my face is freezing off!”

Holding his face, Carl screamed, and the other magic students whispered among themselves.

“Don’t you think Chloe’s turning more and more into the Ice Queen from a fairy tale lately?”

“I heard the seniors call her ‘Ice Princess’ these days — not for her personality, but literally.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“Nothing!”

“Yeah! We were just saying Carl deserved that!”

When Chloe asked with a smile, her classmates hurriedly responded.

Seeing that, Lyl spoke.

“Anyway, since you’re all Leo’s friends, why don’t we join tables? I owe Leo for his help, so I’ll treat you all.”

“Oh! Thank you, sunbae!”

“Lyl-sunbae, you’re the best!”

“Unniiii~”

The 1st-years cheered and acted playfully, making Lyl laugh brightly.

Once the tables were set and the food and drinks ordered, the conversation quickly turned to the Lumeiren Competition.

“Who’s the Seiren 1st-year that everyone’s most wary of?”

“Lunia El Lunda.”

Abad replied while wiping his mouth with a napkin.

The sight looked oddly sophisticated for a tavern, and Lyl nodded, finding it charming.

“Indeed. Even the Summoning Department is wary of Lunia El Lunda.”

Lunia was not just an exceptional magician but the heiress of the Lunda family — destined to form a contract with Phoenix.

Her summoning skills were second to none, making her one of the top threats.

“Leo, Chelsea, Carl — you’ve met Lunia El Lunda before, haven’t you? What’s she like?”

“Well, if I had to describe her…”

Chelsea folded her arms, tilting her head.

“A thug?”

“Isn’t Lunia famous for being the perfect honor student, in both skill and conduct?”

Abad asked, puzzled, and Chelsea nodded.

“Yes, Oppa, but that side of her felt… completely fake.”

“Oh! You’re good at pretending too, so you’d recognize that kind of— Guhk!”

Carl, who had been teasing, got elbowed in the ribs by Chelsea and fell to the floor.

Stepping on him, Chelsea said flatly,

“I don’t pretend.”

Chelsea was harsh toward others, but calm when facing Leo and Abad.

Of course, that didn’t mean she was any less fierce to others.

“I surrender! I surrender!”

Carl wailed under her foot.

“Eiran shouldn’t be underestimated either.”

“Yeah, that’s right — Eiran-unnie’s there too.”

Chelsea recalled Eiran, whom she had grown close to during the school trip.

As a magic knight and the second-ranked 1st-year of Seiren, she was also a major threat.

Lunia drew the most attention, but Eiran’s skill was high enough to challenge even Lunia’s top spot.

“She’s a magic knight, right? How does she compare to Eliana?”

Turka from Class 10, another magic student, tilted his head.

Among Lumene’s 1st-year magic knight, Eliana’s skills were the best.

“Just comparing them would be an insult to Eiran-unnie.”

“Yeah, you can’t compare her to that battle maniac.”

Chelsea and Carl said bluntly, making Turka look dumbfounded.

“Isn’t that too harsh? You’re in the same class.”

“Turka, you should be even more objective with classmates.”

“Yeah. If Eliana hears you compared her to Eiran-unnie, she’ll get even more full of herself.”

At their firm tone, the magic students nodded in agreement.

Watching them talk about the Lumeiren Competition, Leo rested his chin on his hand.

“Seiren, huh.”

The Hero Academy that sought to carry on Luna’s will.

‘I wonder what kind of place it really is.’

He had met students from other Hero Academies before but had never visited one himself — so Leo, too, looked forward to the Lumeiren Competition.

bl

After midterms, the selection matches for the Lumeiren Competition representatives began.

Countless students competed fiercely to earn their place — with one goal only:

Defeat Seiren.

Lumene had lost to Seiren for several consecutive years, so their determination this time was unmatched.

And watching them closely were those who had come to Lumene under the Hero Summons program.

They had enrolled in Hero Academies to become heroes themselves, and now, their idols were watching them. Their spirits burned brighter than ever.

Soon, the selection matches concluded.

All grades gathered at the Warp Gate, ready to depart for Seiren.

“The day has finally come.”

Standing on the platform, the student representative, Rhys, looked down at the assembled students.

“For us 5th-years, the Lumeiren Competitions of the past were a history of defeat. We did our best, but we couldn’t surpass Seiren.”

A shadow fell across Rhys’s face.

“For someone like me, who always claimed Lumene was the best, those defeats were our greatest humiliation. And now, this will be our final Lumeiren Competition.”

The faces of the second-, third-, and fourth-years darkened.

Having been defeated by Seiren themselves, they felt guilty toward the 5th-years who had always led them to victory in inter-grade contests.

“As student council president, I won’t say anything chivalrous like ‘don’t mind the result.’”

Rhys spoke firmly.

“To avoid passing on a history of defeat to you, we 5th-years will give our all. So this time, let’s win!”

“Yes!”

All the students shouted in unison.

Smiling fiercely, Rhys raised his voice.

“Then let’s go! To Seiren!”

“Let’s go!”

“Waaaaaah!”

The fired-up Lumene students roared with excitement.

The ground glowed, and the Warp Gate activated.

Hundreds of students were transported in an instant.

And then—

Whooooshhhhh!

“It’s so cold!”

“Uwaaaah! What is this?!”

The students screamed.

The harsh weather of the northernmost part of the northern continent struck them.

Caught in an unexpected snowstorm, the entire Lumene delegation fell into chaos.

Of course, everyone had dressed warmly, anticipating Seiren’s cold.

But the blizzard was far beyond anything they had imagined.

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. You’re just unlucky — a blizzard happened to hit today.”

Cutting through the snowstorm, a girl in Seiren’s uniform appeared.

“Raynia.”

Rhys smiled at Seiren’s student council president, 5th-year Raynia.

“The blizzard came out of nowhere. We knew you were arriving, but we couldn’t handle it with magic in time. Just bear with it for a bit, we’ll—”

“No need.”

Rhys shook his head.

In an instant, the snowstorm subsided.

Raynia’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

‘He’s gotten stronger.’

She realized Rhys had interfered with the severe weather using aura manipulation.

As the blizzard calmed, the previously hidden scene came into view.

The Lumene students, brushing off snow and sniffling, now had fire in their eyes.

In front of them stood the Seiren students, waving their academy flags, waiting.

Crossing her arms, Raynia smiled confidently.

“Students of Lumene! Welcome — to Seiren!”

Thump— Thump—

“Welcome!”

The Seiren students stomped the ground in unison, shouting with precision.

Watching them, Carl muttered,

“This is supposed to be a welcome? Looks more like intimidation.”

At that, Leo chuckled.

“It means the Lumeiren Competition has already begun.”