Editor : Amethyst00



Carl, who had seen Leo’s special physical training, ran away on the spot.

On the very first day of training with Leo, Chelsea realized that something was terribly wrong.

But by then, it was already too late to turn back.

Celia, who at first had refused, gave up and joined Leo’s training as well.

The only fortunate part was that she had already experienced it before, so compared to the first time, it was at least somewhat bearable this time.

“Th-this… does this really have any effect?”

“It does. Leo’s training may be brutish, but it’s unnecessarily systematic too.”

Celia answered with a lifeless face as they returned to the girls’ dormitory in response to Chelsea’s question.

Then she smiled at Chelsea with a grin full of malice.

“Welcome to hell, Chelsea Lewellin.”

At that smile, Chelsea wore a terrified expression.

“Judging from how you two can still chat, looks like you can handle it?”

“Don’t joke! You devil!”

When Leo laughed and spoke, Celia grabbed his collar with trembling arms and shook him.

And so, while some enjoyed a sweet weekend, for others it was hell itself.

That weekend passed, and the second week at Lumene began. Carl looked at Chelsea, who was collapsed face-down on her desk, her limbs twitching.

“Chelsea, are you alive?”

“No… I think I’m dying.”

“Here. For you, I went into Lumeria yesterday and bought the best pain relief patches.”

“For me?”

“Yeah, we’re classmates, aren’t we?”

Carl handed Chelsea a muscle recovery patch.

Chelsea, slightly moved, took it.

Then Carl held out his palm.

“And what does this mean?”

“I’ll sell it to you with a special 30% discount. Because we’re friends.”

“Drop dead.”

Chelsea threw the patch back at Carl’s face and spoke coldly.

Carl chuckled and left the patch on Chelsea’s desk anyway.

“Still, hang in there. You wanted to be a battle mage, right? You have to go through this.”

“You want to join? I could ask Leo-oppa to let you train with us.”

“N-no, I’m good.”

Carl laughed awkwardly, shook his head, and then whispered to Leo.

“Why don’t you go easier on them?”

“I already went easy.”

“That was you going easy?”

Carl swore to himself he’d never train with Leo again.

“Anyway, I wonder what kind of professor we’ll have as our homeroom teacher.”

Carl leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands behind his head.

“I hope it’s a pretty woman professor.”

Creak—

Before he could even finish, the classroom door opened. A middle-aged man in shabby clothes walked in with the attendance list. With dark circles under his eyes, he looked so worn-out that the students quickly scrambled back to their seats in shock.

He set the roll the book roughly on the lectern, picked up chalk, and wrote his name on the blackboard.

Tap— tap tap.

The students of Class 5 went pale as they read the name.

“Nice to meet you. I am Harrid Edmond, your homeroom professor.”

He was one of the most famous professors at Lumene.

He usually taught seniors—fourth and fifth years!

His nickname was The Wall of Lamentation!

The professor who expelled more students than anyone else in Lumene!

That was Harrid Edmond.

Sensing the unusual reaction of the class, Leo quietly asked Carl in the front row.

“Is he that famous?”

“More than famous. He’s been a professor at Lumene for nearly 20 years.”

Carl whispered back, swallowing hard.

“Sure, many of his students have risen to become heroes… but just as many were expelled. He usually only takes upperclassmen, so why’s he our homeroom…!”

Harrid opened the attendance book.

“Let’s begin roll call. Carl Thomas.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“Eliana Raden.”

“Here.”

Even though it was just roll call, every student in Class 5 looked tense.

Leo’s name was the last of the forty-five.

“Leo Plov.”

“Yes.”

Thud!

Closing the roll book, Harrid spoke with a weary face.

“Some of you must be wondering why I’ve taken a first-year class.”

With one hand shoved lazily into his coat pocket, he spoke without enthusiasm.

“This year’s intake scored higher on the entrance exams than previous years. That’s why the Lumene academy higher-ups have high expectations of you.”

The students were surprised by this unexpected news.

Hearing that expectations were placed on them, the classroom instantly heated with excitement.

Then a girl raised her hand.

“What is it, Eliana Raden.”

“Were the other classes’ professors also ones who usually don’t teach first-years?”

“That’s correct.”

“Were homerooms assigned randomly?”

“No. Each of us chose a class, and I chose you.”

Harrid was not only known for expelling students—he was also a highly capable professor who had raised many outstanding graduates.

Hearing that such a professor had chosen them, Class 5 couldn’t help but be thrilled.

“Is there a special reason you chose our class?”

“Because among all ten classes, your average entrance score was the lowest.”

The excited mood froze instantly.

“Do you know why I expel so many students? Eliana Raden.”

“N-no, sir.”

“For efficiency.”

Harrid stared at Eliana with lifeless eyes.

“It’s better to weed out the hopeless early and focus on those with potential. Don’t you agree?”

Meeting Harrid’s gaze—one that could make even 5th-years tremble—Eliana’s eyes welled with tears.

All of Class 5 held their breath, except Leo.

Just then, salvation came in the form of a young woman in glasses, mid-twenties, entering through the door.

“Professor Harrid! You can’t scare the students on their first day like that!”

She sighed and stood beside him.

“Hello, Class 5! I’m Sena Tillia, your assistant homeroom professor.”

With her light brown hair and cheerful personality, Professor Sena looked to be Harrid’s complete opposite.

“Everyone! Don’t think Professor Harrid is too scary! Even if he talks like that, he actually cares deeply about his stude—”

“Sena Tillia. Step outside.”

Called out mid-sentence, Sena left the room.

“You still haven’t changed since you were a student. How many times did I tell you to fix that frivolous attitude?”

“Sorry, sir! I’ll fix it! I’ll never do it again!”

Through the cracked-open door, the students could see Sena bowing frantically, pale-faced.

“I like the Associate Professor.”

“Same here. At least with her around, we can breathe.”

Chelsea said with a smile, and Carl nodded.

The mood in class lightened a little.

Soon, both professors returned to stand in front of the blackboard.

“As I said earlier I took your class because your entrance scores were lowest, right?”

“Yes…”

The students answered dispiritedly. Harrid’s face remained flat.

“At Lumene, entrance exam scores mean nothing after three months.”

The students’ eyes widened.

“Whatever education you had before coming here, Lumene teaches beyond it. That’s why first-year grades fluctuate wildly. It’s common for honor students to sink to the bottom, and the opposite as well.”

Harrid slammed the lectern. Bang!

“By the midterms, the number one in the entire year could come from this very class.”

The whole class buzzed.

“But remember this well. Conquering the Hero's World is not only your privilege as student of a hero academy—it’s your duty. Who knows why it’s a duty?”

Chelsea raised her hand.

“Chelsea Lewellin, answer.”

“Because we could lose our lives.”

“Correct.”

Harrid’s voice was cold.

“In my twenty years at Lumene, I’ve attended far too many students’ funerals.”

The sound of swallowing echoed around the room.

“As Lumene students, you cannot refuse the Hero World conquests. It’s a life-risking endeavor. I only want to send students who have the ability to survive. Those who don’t…”

Harrid’s voice rang firm.

“…I will expel them before they die pointlessly. That is why I took the class with the lowest average.”

With that, he handed the attendance book to Sena.

“That’s all I have to say. Now, we’ll begin combat training. Change into your gym clothes and assemble on the training ground.”

And he strode out of the classroom.

“Alright then, everyone! See you on the training ground!”

Sena smiled brightly and followed him out.

The students grabbed their gym clothes from the lockers at the back and headed to the changing rooms.

“He doesn’t seem like he’s only scary.”

Carl spoke as he entered the boys’ changing room.

“True. Come to think of it, Professor Harrid is also one of the most respected teachers in Lumene.”

A classmate walking beside him added.

'What was his name… Tade, right?' While Leo recalled the name, Taid continued.

“His student mortality rate is the lowest.”

Every year, many students die at Lumene. Not because the academy throws them into danger recklessly.

On the contrary, Lumene prioritizes student safety above anything.

But still, deaths occur—because the path students pursue is that of heroes.

Heroes step into trials to save others.

Conquering the Hero's World and the Hero's Dungeons.

And resolving incidents across the globe.

Life at Lumene was inevitably filled with danger.

“Professor Harrid scared us at first just to remind us of that reality. That’s why we should work hard.”

At Tade’s words, everyone nodded seriously.

Then, a soprano voice drifted through the open window.

“Oh my? You actually look slimmer in gym clothes?”

Girls’ giggles followed.

Come to think of it, the girls’ changing room was right next to the boys’.

Hearing voices from outside, the boys kept solemn faces.

Then they huddled in the center of the room, whispering.

“Who do you think she meant looks slimmer in uniform?”

“Eliana?”

“No, that was Eliana’s voice just now.”

Their debate grew more intense than before.

“Maybe it's Nella?”

When Carl mentioned the slender beauty Nella Caven, the boys gasped.

“That makes sense!”

“Yeah, Nella probably has that hidden charm!”

As the adolescent boys spoke with ridiculous seriousness, Leo shook his head.

'Are these guys really hero candidates?'

Anyone else would laugh at the idea of such “hero candidates.”

But Leo remembered someone who’d seriously debated things like this even on the brink of death.

A hero.

Not just any hero—but a Great Hero.

The Divine Blacksmith, Dweno.

How come a guy like that is remembered and respected, while I ended up forgotten?

Leo once again felt a surge of injustice.