Chapter 559

Lumeiren.

The competition between Lumene and Seiren, boasting a long history and proud tradition.

Although it was an annual event hosted alternately by Lumene and Seiren, Lumeiren always attracted extraordinary attention.

It was only natural that so many eyes turned toward a stage where the talents destined to lead the future of humans and elves demonstrated their abilities.

Moreover, a year in the life of a Hero Academy student was far more intense than a year for anyone else.

Students who had gone unnoticed only a year earlier often delivered spectacular performances at Lumeiren.

That was why Lumeiren also served as a stage for students to display the fruits of their past year.

People were always enthralled by the emergence of a new hero.

As such, the appearance of completely unexpected dark horses was one of the reasons the public looked forward to Lumeiren every year.

Knowing they would be in the spotlight, both Lumene and Seiren devoted themselves fully to preparing for Lumeiren each year.

Substantial budgets and personnel were allocated, and guest lists were drawn up.

“But with so little time left, he suddenly decided to bring in Azonia and Damienne too and gather all four academies in one place! He may be my cousin, but he’s insane!”

One morning, a week after the inauguration ceremony, Celia screamed in the Student Council room.

From Seiren’s perspective, it was not a major problem.

Since Seiren was the guest this year, all they had to do was come to Lumene.

The only difference was that instead of facing only Lumene, they would now have three opponents: Lumene, Azonia, and Damienne.

For Lumene’s Student Council, which had to prepare to receive them, however, it was a living hell.

Student Council officers raced frantically through the Hero’s Tower.

The Hero Academies now had 3,000 years of history behind them.

Over the long centuries, the four academies had built cooperative relationships, but never once had they all gathered in one place to compete.

It was an unprecedented plan in the truest sense.

“Do you really think it’s possible to gather all four Hero Academies in one place?”

Niel, a fourth-year Knights Department student helping Celia organize documents, looked puzzled.

Niel belonged to the Roda family, one of the Zerdinger family’s vassal families, and served as the knight of Celia, a member of Zerdinger’s direct line.

Martina, a first-year Knights Department student who also belonged to the Zerdinger faction, nodded in agreement.

“Contacting Azonia and Damienne alone won’t be easy, will it?”

Celia clutched her head at their words.

“If Leo says he’ll do something, he does it. He’ll push it through somehow.”

“Even so, this is too much. Shouldn’t we try to persuade Young Master Leo?”

Just as Niel spoke with a serious expression—

“Ha. Does a vassal of Zerdinger defy their lord’s command simply because the task is troublesome?”

“What did you say?”

A vein bulged on Niel’s forehead.

The speaker was none other than Matchel Luzia, a fifth-year Magic Department student.

The heir to Luzia, one of the Lewellin family’s vassal families, she was famous for being a sworn enemy of Niel, who was one year below her.

Invisible sparks flew between them.

Thud—

“Ugh? N-Niel Sunbae-nim?”

Niel handed the documents over to Martina and strode toward Matchel.

The already towering pile of documents completely blocked Martina’s view, leaving her flustered.

Niel folded both arms in front of Matchel.

“Who said anything about it being troublesome? I said we should persuade him because it looks impossible from the start.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Then are you saying Lewellin vassals never object to their lord’s commands and simply say yes to everything? Must be nice to have it so easy.”

As Celia watched the two of them growl at each other with a troubled expression—

“Um, Elena Sunbae sent a message.”

Carr stepped between them with a vacant expression.

“She said you’re getting in the way, so take your lovers’ quarrel outside.”

“Who are you calling lovers?!”

“As if I would ever get together with a Zerdinger!”

“Celia and Chelsea get along just fine.”

When Niel and Matchel snapped simultaneously, Carr scratched his head.

“Who says I’m getting together with anyone?”

“Please let it go for now. You’ll only make this worse.”

Carr sighed.

Just then—

“Hey.”

A sinister voice rang out.

Everyone flinched and turned toward it.

Hark stood there, utterly devoid of life.

“Are you slacking off?”

“Hark Sunbae, we aren’t slacking—”

“I asked if you’re slacking.”

Hark leaned in until his face was right in front of Niel’s and demanded an answer with a vicious glare.

“I’m working like this too. I’m in my final year, but those damned juniors still have me working like this. So why are you taking a break?”

“P-Please calm down, Hark Sunbae.”

“Hey, Hark, take it easy. Why are you getting so worked up just because we stopped to talk for a moment?”

Niel and Matchel, who had looked ready to fight only moments ago, hurriedly tried to calm Hark after being overwhelmed by his ferocity.

Hark’s tirade, however, showed no sign of stopping.

“A moment? A momeeent? Must be nice to have it so easy.”

His eyes flared as he pointed at the other students taking brief rests and shouted.

“Don’t eat or drink! Don’t sleep! Don’t even blink or breathe—just work!”

“Hark Sunbae-nim? We’ll die if we don’t breathe.”

“Then die! Just work until you drop de—Mmph?!”

“Yes, yes, that’s enough. Have something sweet and calm down.”

Elena had appeared before anyone noticed and stuffed a piece of candy into Hark’s mouth with a bright smile.

Just as Hark was about to erupt in fury—

“Leo-gun said you should call it a day, rest, and return to the Student Council in two days.”

“Is that true?”

Hark glared at Elena distrustfully.

“Yes. Leo-gun said you’ve worked far too much and absolutely need some rest.”

Hark’s face immediately brightened.

Although he was usually half-asleep and irritable, Hark was a slender, delicate-featured young man.

When he smiled brightly, it felt as though vitality returned to the entire room.

Rolling the candy around in his mouth, Hark left the Student Council room and soon began humming.

The Student Council members watched his retreating back with pity.

Although Hark had terrorized them in every imaginable way over the past week, they still sympathized with him.

They knew all too well that Leo had worked him without even allowing him to sleep.

'To think that makes him so happy.'

'They say that when people are exploited, even basic rights feel like an incredible luxury.'

As every Student Council member watched him sympathetically, Elena asked,

“Why are you all looking at him so pityingly?”

“Even if you two usually don’t get along, don’t you feel even a little sorry when you see him like that?”

When Niel asked reproachfully, Elena smiled sweetly.

“No. Not in the slightest.”

The Student Council members clicked their tongues, thinking, 'As expected of the Witch of Lumene.'

“That’s what we have to look forward to. We’ll be put through exactly the same thing, so why pity him?”

“....”

Every face in the Student Council room stiffened.

“Leo-gun is better at working people than I expected. It’s almost as if he knows exactly how to push someone to the absolute limit.”

Elena spoke with genuine fascination as she reached out.

Carr, who had been slowly edging away from her, was caught by the back of his collar.

“Where do you think you’re going? Hark Sunbae has gone to rest, so you and I have to split his workload.”

“S-Save me!”

“Don’t worry. You won’t die.”

Elena beamed as she dragged Carr away.

Watching them, Celia stared up at the ceiling and lamented,

“When will this hell finally end?”

===

The Student Council was not the only group busy.

The entire student body had been mobilized to prepare for Lumeiren—or rather, the event that now had to be called an inter-academy competition.

They worked during their free periods throughout the morning and afternoon, then continued until late after classes ended.

Thunk—!

“I didn’t enroll at Lumene just to dig holes!”

El Jane, a first-year Knights Department student, screamed as she brought her pickaxe down against the ground.

She was a Shadow candidate from the Shan Empire who followed Chen Xia.

“And why is there no end to this work?!”

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk—!

As El Jane furiously swung her pickaxe, Luke laughed beside her.

“They’re expecting tens of thousands of spectators this time. Even in all of Lumene’s history, we’ve never hosted this many visitors before. We need to build enough accommodations for all of them.”

“Luke, you’re happy with anything Leo-nim orders us to do, aren’t you?”

El Jane narrowed her eyes.

“Jane, you’ll only exhaust yourself if you swing the pickaxe like that.”

“Huh?”

“Relax your lower back a little....”

Luke corrected El Jane’s posture.

“You know what you’re doing.”

“I used to help with farm work back home.”

“Ah, right. You must be used to handling tools. I’ve only ever practiced stabbing people.”

Luke gave an awkward laugh at El Jane’s chilling remark.

“Luke, how is my posture?”

Aina approached Luke and asked.

“I think you should put a little more strength into your wrists.”

“All right.”

Aina nodded at Luke’s advice.

“This could be another form of training.”

“You turn everything into training, don’t you?”

El Jane shook her head at Aina’s muttering.

Although Hero Candidates were all young, they possessed powerful physiques and were elites capable of freely wielding supernatural abilities.

With them put to work on all manner of civil engineering and construction projects—building accommodations for visitors, spectator stands, arenas, and more—the work progressed at tremendous speed.

However, the sheer amount that needed to be done meant there was no end to it.

“I wonder how skilled the first-years from the other academies are.”

“Until now, we only had Seiren to worry about.”

The first-years began chatting about the subject with curiosity.

At every Hero Academy, there were bound to be prodigies who made their mark on the world from their very first year.

Relatively little, however, was known about the other students.

By their second year, skilled students began making names for themselves one after another, but first-years inevitably remained shrouded in mystery.

That made it difficult to compare their abilities with those of students from the other Hero Academies.

“No matter who they are, all we have to do is show the world that we’re the best.”

The first-years nodded at Haviden’s words.

“Yeah! Whether it’s Seiren, Azonia, or Damienne, let’s crush them all!”

“Yeah!”

“Bring them on!”

The first-years shouted enthusiastically.

Aina, who had been watching them with an expressionless face, spoke calmly.

“Finish this first.”

The first-years’ fiery enthusiasm immediately died down as though cold water had been poured over them.

“Did you really have to say that just when we were getting fired up...?”

Luke scratched his cheek, and Aina tilted her head in confusion.

“Hm? Say what?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Luke smiled awkwardly and shook his head.

===

While all of Lumene was consumed with preparing for the inter-academy competition, an invitation arrived at the academy.

Addressed to Lumene’s Student Council President, it had come from none other than Dragonia.

Lumene was not the only recipient.

Invitations had also been sent to Seiren, Azonia, and Damienne.

***