Editor : Amethyst00



"We f-finally… arrived…"

The first-year students who had wandered through the desert began arriving at the campsite one by one.

As it was the same Azo Desert crossing that had proven difficult even for second- and third-year students, the first-years arrived in a wretched state.

"You've done well."

Lunia, who remained at the camp to guide the students, took care of the Seiren students.

"S-Student Council President!"

At that moment, Radius, the grade representative of the Seiren first-years, rushed over to Lunia.

Radius was a first-year who found it very difficult to approach Lunia.

Though he was a grade representative, he admired Lunia, who had been recognized as Luna's successor, and believed he should not approach her carelessly.

He was a student who, even as human culture was trending throughout Elven society, made an effort not to lose the traditional elegance and manners of the elves.

And yet, he didn't demean other races' cultures either—a proper student, as Lunia remembered.

When that same Radius crawled over and grabbed her ankle, Lunia was startled.

"Radius. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Seeing Lunia's worried expression, Radius spoke in a dying voice.

"I-I'm hungry… And thirsty too…"

At that, Eiran quickly brought some bread and water for Radius.

As Radius stuffed the bread into his mouth, he started coughing as if it got stuck in his throat.

He hurriedly drank water.

"Ugh."

Barely managing to swallow the stuck bread, Radius immediately resumed eating in a rush.

"You'll get indigestion, eat slowly."

"Y-Yes! Cough!"

"You don't need to reply."

Eiran patted the junior's back.

Watching this, Lunia's eyes dimmed.

'Even that dignified, well-mannered kid was reduced to a beggar in a few days.'

Lunia shuddered at Leo's cruelty.

Then she glanced at the Lumene group.

Unlike the other hero academies, many of whose students had not yet arrived, nearly all the Lumene first-years had made it to the camp.

Seeing this, Lunia stroked her chin.

"Lunia! What are you thinking about so deeply?!"

Aru, who had been leading the Azonia students, came over with a puzzled expression and asked.

Lunia responded.

"No, it's just that most of the Lumene students seem to have arrived."

"Oh? Now that you mention it, they have."

Aru widened her eyes.

"They don't seem particularly stronger than our students, though."

Lunia looked at the Seiren students crying and hugging each other for surviving.

Aru glanced at the dejected Azonia students.

"President of Seiren, what are you talking about?"

Dignes, who had been guiding Damien's third-years alongside Drianna, asked with a curious look.

"We're wondering what the difference is between our students and Lumene's."

"Hm. Their combat skills should be about the same. But…"

"But?"

"Lumene's students might be better at handling extreme situations."

At those words, Lunia and Aru fell into deep thought.

At that moment, Drianna approached.

By her side was the roster of Damien's first-years.

"Dignes. Help encourage our kids a bit."

"Got it. But Drianna, can't you fix your way of speaking?"

"Hmm? What's wrong with how I talk?"

"You sound like an old man. It doesn't suit you at all."

"Excuse me! I was mimicking Lord Dweno! Calling me an old man is disrespectful!"

"Well, technically, Lord Dweno is sort of an old man."

"You blasphemer!"

Drianna swung the roster she was about to hand over at Dignes.

"Ugh?!"

Hit on the head by the book's corner, Dignes rubbed his head and grumbled.

"You're cute, can't you just speak like people your age?"

"Why are you so obsessed with how I talk?"

"Because it's embarrassing! Embarrassing! You always go around talking like an old man and asking people to pose nude!"

Dignes clutched his chest as if his heart might burst.

Of course, Drianna ignored him and waved her hand like she was dismissing a guest.

"Stop talking nonsense and go check the juniors."

Muttering, Dignes walked over to the Damien students.

"Oh? Did he just call you cute? Is this what I think it is?"

Aru twinkled her eyes and lifted her pinky finger, to which Drianna replied,

"Dignes is engaged. Don't say such reckless things."

"So it's really because you're embarrassed, huh? Well, if you were our student council president, I'd be embarrassed too."

Clutching her belly, Aru burst into laughter.

Of course, she was immediately silenced by a punch from Drianna to her side.

"Anyway, what were we talking about again?"

"We were thinking we might need to push our students harder—like Leo does."

Lunia sighed as she spoke.

When she first met Leo in their first year, she saw him as a rival.

But now that she knew who Leo really was, she no longer had that competitive fire.

To Lunia and Aru now, Leo was someone who led them as a true leader.

Because of that, both Lunia and Aru wanted to grow quickly and become capable in their own right.

'Only then can we ease Leo's burden.'

"We can't let Leo worry about students from the other academies too."

"So do you really think there's a big difference between Seiren and Lumene students? From what I see, it's mostly just experience."

"Lumene's students stay composed, even after going through the same trials."

"…They look more like they've just given up to me."

Drianna tilted her head.

And said,

"Well, it's natural that there's a difference in leadership ability, not just hero potential."

"…Even so."

"We just need to find our own way. If Leo thought it was necessary, he would've intervened in the growth of the other students already."

With her arms crossed, Drianna spoke sincerely to Lunia and Aru.

"The fact that he hasn't means he trusts you."

"Hm…"

"Dwarves, humans, elves, beastkin—we're all different. Rather than copy Leo's human methods, we should find our own. Leo would want that too. So don't rush."

Hearing Drianna's advice, Lunia and Aru were impressed.

"Drianna, you give surprisingly good advice?"

"In the Great Hero's party, Lord Dweno was the advisor, right? I should become a solid advisor for you, too."

As the sun began to set—

All the first-years from every school had arrived, except one.

"Freyna is missing?"

Leo furrowed his brows after hearing the headcount.

Chen Xia, assisting Leo, widened her eyes.

"Yeah. Every academy's first-years have arrived, except for Freyna. The other students said she went off alone."

As Elena nodded, Leo called someone's name.

"Anya."

After a moment—

Water pooled in Leo's shadow, and Anya emerged from it.

"You called, Lord Leo."

"We're missing someone."

"Who is it?"

"Freyna Hergin."

Anya flinched.

Leo asked at that reaction,

"Do you know something?"

"Yes. She was in danger of failing midway but was helped by a Damien student who was also acting alone."

"Helped by a Damien student?"

"That's strange. According to the Damien students, none of them even made contact with her. Especially the solo ones."

At Elena's comment, Leo asked,

"Anything else unusual?"

"He recognized me as a shadow instantly. Even approached without me noticing."

"Hm…"

"But he was definitely a Damien student. One of my subordinates, Thea, has the mana trait of 'Truth and Lies.'"

Leo asked,

"Is 'Truth and Lies' infallible?"

"…It's not."

Anya bit her lip.

"I was careless. I'll dispatch my shadows at once—"

"Anya, if he could fool your senses and render 'Truth and Lies' useless, then even the shadows won't easily find him."

Leo nodded at Chen Xia's words.

"Chen Xia's right."

"Then what should we…"

"I'll go."

Leo said plainly.

Anya was flustered.

"There's no need for you to move personally over this…"

"I'm the one who insisted the test proceed even when something went wrong. I'll take responsibility."

"If Leo moves, she'll be found quickly anyway."

Chen Xia smiled.

"I'll accompany you, Leo."

At those words, Leo nodded.

"Elena. I'll leave things to you."

"Got it. Come back safely."

Elena smiled.

Melina was currently searching for the Hero's Dungeon entrance.

So only Elena could stand in for Leo at the moment.

"Shadows, stay alert in case something happens."

"Understood."

Leaving those words, Leo headed into the desert.

Chen Xia followed and asked,

"What do you think the motive was for kidnapping Freyna?"

"Can't say for sure. But there must be a purpose if she was kidnapped. It's not the worst-case scenario yet."

Hearing Leo's words, Chen Xia nodded.

Leo lifted the pitch-black cloak wrapped around him.

Chen Xia stepped into it.

Looking down at the Chen Xia tightly hugging him, Leo said,

"You don't need to hold me this tight."

"You'll be moving incredibly fast, right? I might fall off, so I have to hold tight."

Leo chuckled at her words and bent down.

Whoosh—!

Leo shot across the desert at incredible speed.

bl

Crackle—crackle—

In the desert at night.

Eiran stood by the campfire with a worried expression.

"Is it okay to continue the test when a student is missing?"

All the first-years had gone to Raysar.

With the shadows patrolling the area, only five remained at the camp.

Elena answered Eiran's question.

"Leo didn't say otherwise, so we proceed as scheduled."

Then she sparkled her eyes.

"By the way, where's my adorable Aru?"

Elena had taken a great liking to Aru when they met in Seiren.

"She went to the camp entrance to wait for Leo."

"That kid really is a cat in behavior."

Elena giggled while Lunia tilted her head.

"Waiting at the door… isn't that more of a dog thing?"

"Cats do it too. They get lonely."

Lunia looked fascinated by Elena's explanation.

Meanwhile—

Aru, sitting cross-legged at the entrance, swayed side to side.

When a scorpion scuttled by, her eyes rolled over.

Hiss—! Whap—!

She swatted the scorpion with her tail.

Just as she yawned lazily while watching the scorpion fly off, her eyes widened.

Sniff sniff—

Her nose twitched, and she turned her head.

"A beastkin?"

Just then, someone wearing a hood appeared in the distance.

Aru narrowed her eyes.

'What's this smell? I've never smelled it before.'

It was clearly a beastkin scent.

But it lacked the typical beastkin signature.

'It's kind of like a wolf beastkin, but subtly different.'

Judging by appearance, aura, and scent—

Everything was suspicious.

Soon, the beastkin also stopped walking and stared at Aru.

"Ugh. Cat smell. How annoying."

The beastkin woman grumbled irritably.

Aru's tail jolted into a "!" shape.

"And it's mixed with that damn coward's scent? Who are you? A conqueror of the Brave World?"

"That damn coward…?"

Aru's expression instantly changed.

"You mean Lord Aaron?"

The beastkin woman tilted her head with a sneer.

"Yeah, I do."

"You've got some nerve, talking trash like that!"

Aru charged at the beastkin woman with glaring eyes.

In an instant—!

'What?'

The woman's fist was right in front of her nose.

'She's fast!'

Alarmed, Aru crossed her arms to block.

BOOM—!

With a thunderous impact, Aru was sent flying.

'She reacted to my move?'

The beastkin woman hidden under the hood twitched her eyes.

'And she's a conqueror of the Brave World too.'

Just as she stepped forward with clenched fists—

Whoosh—!

Drianna swung her massive axe.

And Eiran's longsword whistled sharply.

Aiming for her neck and waist, the woman watched and waved her hand.

WHAM—!

"…!"

"…!"

When their attacks were caught mid-air, Drianna and Eiran's eyes widened.

'This dwarf carries Lord Dweno's scent. Strange. They're clearly kids, but have this level of skill—and Rodia didn't notice?'

RUMBLE—!

At that moment—

There was the scent of immense flame.

In it, the scent of Luna.

Azonia exhaled through her nose with a deep "Hmph—."

'I see. This is outside the Hero World.'