Editor : Amethyst00



“How arrogant!”

“Just because he interpreted Lady Luna’s magic that had remained undecoded until now, does he think he’s something special or what?”

The Seiren students frowned and glared at Leo.

The Lumene students, on the other hand, wore looks of satisfaction.

In the midst of that, Ideen grinned.

“Quite the confidence you’ve got, Leo Plov. But Seiren has long been the wall that Lumene could never climb. Are you confident?”

“Things will be very different starting this year.”

“So confident? The next student council president of Lumene.”

Raynia tok tok approached Leo.

“Are you saying Lumene is different this year because you’re here?”

“Yes.”

Raynia lick ran her tongue across her upper lip.

“When you crush someone this confident, it feels so much more rewarding.”

Seeing Raynia hoo- laugh, Lumene’s 3rd- and 4th-years shuddered.

Raynia.

As Seiren’s student council president, she had been evaluated as the top hero candidate for the past five years.

Her skill and achievements were comparable to Lumene’s Rhys.

But that alone wasn’t the reason the 3rd- and 4th-years trembled at her sight.

It was because of her nature.

Her nickname was “the Hunter.”

Once she marked a target, she pursued them relentlessly until they were utterly defeated.

And beneath her graceful appearance lay a sadistic tendency to crush her opponents completely.

The 3rd- and 4th-year Lumene students, who had experienced that firsthand during past Lumeiren Competition, regarded her as pure terror.

But it wasn’t only Lumene students who flinched at her reaction.

Even Seiren students twitched.

She possessed a charisma that could subdue even the arrogant, proud Seiren students.

Ever since she became president, more than a few who tried to rebel had been completely crushed.

Standing before Leo, Raynia’s golden eyes gleamed as she reached out and lightly grasped his chin.

“To have restored the spell of the Poet and conquered the Poet’s world. You’re definitely worth defeating. Hehe, don’t cry to this noona after I’ve crushed you, alright? Ah, or maybe you should come study at Seiren. Since you’ve restored the Poet’s magic, you’d qualify to enter. How about it? If you come, you could have the trophy you want so badly.”

“That woman… she can’t be left alone.”

At the side of the hall, Elena, who had been twirling her hair disinterestedly, muttered in a chilling voice.

“E–Elena?”

Her pink eyes emitted a cold light.

“How dare she pull such filthy tricks on Leo.”

“C–calm down, Elena! If you get involved too, it’ll be chaos!”

“The Seiren president is just joking, you know?”

The 3rd-years, panicking, tried desperately to calm her, but few could stop the girl known as the Queen of Lumene.

Ignoring her peers, Elena gave a sultry smile and started toward the two.

Then someone slung an arm over her shoulder.

“What’s got our junior so upset again?”

“Torua-sunbae.”

“Watch how Leo handles it. He’s the student council president you chose, isn’t he?”

At Torua’s words, Elena glance- looked toward Leo.

Meanwhile, a similar scene unfolded among the teachers.

“Mm! Mmph!”

“You crazy bastard! Why are you getting involved in the students’ affairs!”

Yura was desperately trying to restrain the frenzied Len.

Behind them, Ain sighed, locking Len’s neck in his arm while covering his mouth with his free hand.

At that moment, Harrid approached.

“Another commotion?”

“P–Professor Harrid!”

Yura straightened up.

Normally, Len would have calmed at Harrid’s appearance, but not this time.

Harrid glanced at Len and motioned with his chin toward Ain.

“Handle it.”

Crack—

Without hesitation, Ain tightened his arm, knocking Len unconscious.

The surrounding Lumene professors looked exasperated.

“What should we do?”

Yura asked calmly. Harrid replied in a flat tone.

“Throw him outside. A bit of cold and snow will clear his head.”

Without hesitation, Ain and Yura dragged Len out.

And so, while the three professors displayed their tear-inducing senior–junior camaraderie—

Leo brushed aside Raynia’s hand from his chin and smiled.

“I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to take things than to be given them.”

“Oh my, we share similar tastes.”

Raynia smiled faintly.

“Then you’ll never get to touch the Lumeiren Competition trophy.”

“I’ll take it and toss it somewhere on display, so I probably won’t touch it much, no.”

As Leo spoke as if it were nothing, Raynia’s expression soured slightly.

All her school years, she had worked hard to protect the Lumeiren trophy, yet this first-year from Lumene treated it like a pebble on the roadside.

And no matter what provocation she threw, he parried each one without flinching. He's so infuriatingly.

‘He’s got quite the composure.’

Slightly irritated, Raynia walked up to the trophy, lifted it, and shook it tauntingly.

“Hmph. You’ll never take this trophy back to Lumene for the rest of your life!”

‘President!’

‘Why are you being so childish!’

At the childish provocation, Seiren students covered their faces.

Leo stared blankly at her, then channeled mana into the Polyum bracelet on his left wrist, restoring it to its original form.

Then he waved it lightly.

“Seiren doesn’t have anything like this, right?”

Seeing him respond just as childishly, Raynia flinched.

“Ahem! W–well then! Since we’ve heard the presidents’ declarations, let’s move to the next event!”

Sensing that both schools were about to devolve into serious childishness, Ideen hurriedly changed the subject.

Lunia, watching Leo casually turn Polyum back into a bracelet, shook her head.

“Our president’s childish enough, but seriously—you’re no better. Why act like that? You’re not a kid.”

“You and I are kids.”

“I’m not, okay? You think I’d get worked up over a petty taunt about something I don’t have?”

As Lunia scoffed, Leo opened his palm.

Poof!

Fiora appeared atop it.

Leo lightly wiggled Fiora and said,

“You don’t have one of these, right?”

At those words, Lunia’s shoulders trembled.

If this weren’t the party hall, she probably would’ve grabbed him by the collar right there.

Clenching her fists, grit- grinding her teeth, Lunia glared at Leo.

“The effect’s excellent.”

“You! Just wait for the Lumeiren Competition! I’ll turn you into pulp!”

Flaring up, Lunia stormed off, dragging Eiran by the wrist, who had been walking toward Leo.

“L–Lunia-nyang?!”

“Eiran! That guy’s the enemy! The enemy! Don’t get close to him!”

“Th–that can’t be…! Leo-nim!”

Eiran called out to him tearfully.

Leo simply waved at the two.

“Oh! Leo! That was perfect provocation!”

“Yeah! You totally won the opening psychological battle!”

Carl and Tade came over laughing.

“In the first-year matches, you’d better stay far away from me.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure Lunia’s going to charge straight at me without thinking.”

At that, Carl and Tade trembled, recalling Lunia grabbing Leo’s collar and raging during the school trip.

bl

“Kalian, the first-years of Lumene this year seem quite extraordinary. Impressive.”

Late at night.

At Seiren’s highest point—

In the Plaza of Stars, Principal Benneth of Seiren spoke calmly.

At his words, Kalian laughed heartily.

“What’s there to be impressed about? It’s thanks to the students and professors who’ve worked hard.”

Sword Saint Kalian.

The First Star of the Poet, Benneth.

Both were heroes who lived in the same era.

Two of the greatest figures of the current age.

And the two were comrades who had fought side by side on the battlefield.

“So, having seen him yourself, what do you think?”

Kalian sipped his tea and looked up at the sky.

At Seiren’s highest place—

Floating above the academy by magic, it was built purely for observing the stars.

Of course, not everyone was allowed here.

It had existed since Seiren’s founding and was mainly used for important meetings.

On clear nights, an endless sea of stars could be seen from here.

Every time Kalian visited, he couldn’t help but be awed.

At his question, Benneth replied flatly.

“Now I understand why you and Lord Rivein chose him.”

Benneth recalled Leo, whom he had briefly glanced at earlier.

“He’s a talent worthy of bearing an era. No wonder Nerzia desires him.”

Nerzia.

The vice-principal of Seiren, dispatched from Dragonia.

And a dragon with an intense ambition to raise a great hero with her own hands.

“Nerzia’s got her eye on him, huh.”

Kalian chuckled.

But he wasn’t overly concerned.

‘Whether it’s Lumene or Seiren, as long as Leo Plov has a place to grow, it doesn’t matter.’

It wasn’t the most proper attitude for a headmaster to take, but Kalian and Benneth had lived far too long to fuss over schools.

They simply wished for the talented youth who could shoulder the times to be born as a true hero.

“So then—why did you call me here before the Lumeiren Competition?”

“Lately, the movement of the ‘Hero Hunters’ in the northern regions has been unusual.”

Kalian’s eyes twitched.

Hero Hunters.

Those who betrayed the surface and sided with Tartaros.

Among them were not a few who had inherited the powers of Hero Records.

In short, a group created in Tartaros for the sole purpose of killing heroes.

“They haven’t dared to invade elven territory yet, but the threat is real.”

“That wasn’t mentioned in your letter, was it?”

Kalian frowned. Benneth let out a deep sigh.

“I wanted to tell you in person, just in case. Letters or magical communications between Seiren and Lumene can easily be intercepted.”

“I see. So that’s why you requested Hero Summon from Lumene, to bring our heroes here.”

Of course, Seiren already had elven heroes.

Even so, they had requested hero deployment from Lumene.

Officially, it was to deter any potential Tartaros activity but some thought it was excessive.

Now, the reason was clear.

“Tell the professors and heroes of Lumene to stay alert. It’s unlikely, but something could happen.”

The Lumeiren Competition couldn’t be canceled.

Calling it off out of fear of Tartaros or the Hero Hunters would only cause greater unrest and confusion.

Instead, Benneth believed it wiser to gather enough power to deter any possible attack.

Kalian nodded and looked up at the night sky.

Under the stars that seemed ready to pour down from above, he let out a long sigh.

‘Let there be no incidents…’