Alert!: this chapter has been translated by Mangademon / demonicscans.org, this is a premium translation, not mtl
Two days later, in the morning.
Leo and Celia were heading to the dock at Lake Lumeria.
People's attention was drawn to the two wearing Lumerne uniforms.
“Oh? They’re Lumerne freshmen.”
“My, they look so fresh.”
People on the street smiled and cheered for them.
At that moment, a fruit vendor threw two apples to them.
Leo caught them and smiled as he greeted the vendor.
“Thank you!”
“Alright, hang in there and study hard!”
As he bit into one of the apples with a crunch, he handed the other to Celia, but she shook her head.
“I’m good.”
“Lumerne really is amazing. Seeing how much people like it.”
“We are the future, after all.”
Heroes are immensely popular with the public.
And Lumerne students are hero candidates.
They follow the footsteps of previous heroes to prepare for when threats arise in the world.
People cheered for such hero candidates.
“Even though Tartarus has been quiet recently, you never know when it’ll be a threat again. And.”
Celia stopped walking and raised her chin.
“We can’t keep losing to Seirune forever!”
Humans and elves don’t get along well.
Because of that, the elf hero academy Seirune and Lumerne often held friendly exchange matches to promote racial harmony.
Starting with quiz battles, they competed in sports,
and even mock battles testing their strength in various ways.
This exchange match, called the "Lu-Se Battle," has a history of hundreds of years.
The Lu-Se Battle had positive effects and succeeded in easing racial tension to some extent.
But since the pride of each race was on the line, students often staked their lives in the exchange matches.
In recent years, Lumerne had been losing to Seirune.
“Just wait and see. I’ll make Seirune regret it!”
“Sure, sure. Do your best.”
Leo bit into his apple again with a crunch as he gave a half-hearted cheer to Celia, who clenched her fists with burning determination.
As they approached the dock, they saw other freshmen.
Flying through the sky with staffs or riding summoned creatures was common.
Some students were even fully armed with various weapons.
“They’re all trying to stand out.”
Celia shook her head at the sight.
At that moment, a boy with light orange hair blocked their path.
“Wait! You two over there, the boy and girl who look good together! Can we talk for a moment?”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Carl Thomas. I’m from the Kingdom of Moira!”
“And?”
Carl grinned, pulled out business cards from his pocket, and handed them to Leo and Celia with practiced skill.
“Weapons, potions, and more! It’s Carl’s Shop! If you ever need anything for school life, feel free to use it anytime!”
He winked and burst into cheerful laughter before running off toward another student.
“There really are all kinds of people here.”
With an incredulous expression, Celia tucked the business card into her pocket and spoke.
“I’m going to meet some freshmen from our country.”
The Rodren Empire is a powerful nation in the western continent.
Because of that, there were quite a few empire-born students among the western freshmen.
“Go ahead. I’ll be sightseeing for a bit.”
“Alright. See you later at the dock.”
After Celia left, Leo walked leisurely and observed the people.
The dock was crowded with not just freshmen but also families who came to celebrate.
The bustling scene of people from various cultures evoked nostalgia in Leo.
‘It reminds me of Gardeslon.’
A city known as the last line of defense during the age of calamity.
It was also the city where Risinas, with Kyle at the forefront, launched the counterattack against Erebus.
As Leo stood reminiscing,
thud-!
“Ah?”
A blonde girl reading a book bumped into Leo's back, failing to notice him.
“Oh, sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“It’s okay.”
She apologized to Leo and resumed walking while focusing on her book.
‘At this rate, she’ll bump into someone else… huh?’
Leo noticed a card on the ground.
It was a student ID with a photo of the girl from earlier, named Chloe Muller.
He looked around, but Chloe had already disappeared into the crowd.
‘I’ll return it to her later when we meet.’
They were bound to meet again as freshmen.
“It’s Carl’s Shop! Here, take a business card!”
Carl, who he had seen earlier, was handing out business cards to other freshmen.
When Carl made eye contact with Leo, he grinned and approached him.
“We meet again?”
“How’s the promotion going?”
“Not bad. But the high-ranking noble boys and girls don’t even glance at me.”
“Most of Lumerne is made up of nobles, so they probably wouldn’t, huh?”
“Exactly. Haha.”
Carl shrugged and laughed cheerfully.
“Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Carl Thomas, fifteen years old!”
“I’m Leo Plov from the Delrad Kingdom, and I’m the same age as you.”
“You’re a noble, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow, and you don’t seem to care that I’m a commoner?”
Leo smiled at Carl’s curious remark.
“By the way, wasn’t the western exam in the Delrad Kingdom? I heard it was no joke. It’s amazing you passed!”
“It wasn’t easy.”
The two continued their conversation, quickly becoming friends thanks to Carl’s friendly nature.
“What major are you going to choose? My family has been alchemists for generations, so I’m aiming for the Magic Department!”
“I’m planning to take the Magic Department too.”
“Really? Then let’s be good friends, Leo!”
Carl smiled brightly with joy.
Of course, Leo planned to study not only magic but also the Knight and Summoning Departments.
While they were chatting, a giant ship emerged through the mist over Lake Lumeria.
It was the vessel connecting Lumerne and Lumeria.
“Wow, it’s huge!”
Carl exclaimed in amazement.
Soon after, a silver-haired man in uniform disembarked from the docked ship.
“All freshmen, gather up!”
The freshmen, after saying goodbye to their families, gathered in front of the man.
“Check the headcount.”
Those standing behind the man began using magical scanners to verify the students’ IDs.
Leo, taking out his ID, noticed a girl fumbling around as if searching for something.
“Wait a moment.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
Carl followed behind him.
Chloe, looking troubled, noticed Leo approaching her and looked puzzled.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
“You dropped this earlier.”
“Ah, thank you!”
Chloe, receiving her ID from Leo, smiled brightly.
“You really helped me out. My name is Chloe Muller!”
“Chloe Muller?”
Carl looked surprised.
“The top scorer of the northern exam, Chloe Muller?”
“Yes. And you are?”
“I’m Leo Plov, and this guy is…”
“Carl Thomas! Weapons to potions! Everything you need for school life! Here, take a business card!”
Carl quickly handed Chloe a business card, energetically promoting his shop.
Chloe, taking the card, spoke with interest.
“A shop? So, you’re planning to focus on being a supporter?”
“Haha, as expected of the top scorer! You figured it out instantly.”
“I’ve heard some things from the seniors at the Magic Tower.”
All Lumerne students are called hero candidates and are highly talented individuals.
However, even among them, differences in ability are inevitable.
Some students, during their school life, come to feel they lack talent.
Those students often transition to the role of supporters who assist heroes.
From combat assistance to supplying resources and more.
Supporters are essential to heroes, but most students show little interest in the role.
After all, entering Lumerne means their goal is to become a hero.
But it seemed Carl had chosen the supporter’s path early on.
“I barely made it into the school, anyway.”
“If your products are good, I’ll use your shop.”
“Oh, wow! I’ve already made a connection with one of the top scorers! I’m lucky!”
Carl laughed heartily.
“Since we’ve met, let’s be friends! We’re all in the Magic Department, after all!”
“Magic Department?”
Chloe tilted her head in curiosity.
“I get that you are, but you’re in the Magic Department too?”
“Yeah.”
“Not the Knight Department?”
As expected of a top scorer, Chloe immediately recognized that Leo possessed aura.
“I’m hoping to double major.”
“What? You’re a magic swordsman? That’s amazing!”
Carl exclaimed in astonishment.
Though rare, individuals with dual abilities are called dual-class students.
In fact, there were quite a few dual-class students at Lumerne.
Hearing Leo’s words, Chloe nodded as if it made sense.
Meanwhile, a staff member approached and checked the student IDs of the three.
After confirming the attendance, the staff stepped back, and a silver-haired man in uniform stepped forward.
“I am Ain Elrandu, a professor at Lumerne.”
“Ain Elrandu? The Knight of the Frozen Sea?”
“That Ain Elrandu?”
“I want his autograph!”
“Silence!”
Ain quieted the excited students.
“We will now depart for Lumerne. Everyone, board the ship.”
“Yes, sir!”
***
Before the entrance ceremony, freshmen were busy enjoying the scenery on the deck.
The deck, befitting a ship operated by Lumerne Academy, was pure luxury.
The atmosphere on the deck resembled a social party.
Traditional dishes from various countries, prepared by top chefs, delighted the students’ senses.
Even Professor Ain was leisurely enjoying wine while seated on the deck.
Elegantly dressed staff bustled around, attending to the students, while the noble students, satisfied with the treatment, laughed and socialized.
“As expected, Lumerne Academy is different.”
“I’m looking forward to school life!”
The freshmen imagined the exciting school life awaiting them.
Leo furrowed his brow at the sight.
“Something feels off.”
“What do you mean?”
Carl, carrying a plate piled high with food, asked curiously.
“For a hero academy, this feels too much like a social party.”
“Well, it’s before the entrance ceremony. By the way, Leo! I gathered some information.”
“Information?”
“Yeah! Look over there!”
Carl grinned and pointed to a large, tan-skinned male student quietly eating on one side of the deck.
“Warren Tiden! He’s the top scorer of the southern exam, and his major is summoning!”
“A summoner, huh.”
“Exactly. You looked him up in advance too, didn’t you?”
Leo didn’t correct him, even though he had recognized it at a glance.
“And over there is the top scorer of the eastern exam, Chen Xia!”
A small-framed girl with black hair and black eyes, possessing an exotic appearance, was tasting dishes from various countries with a curious expression.
“Her major is Knight Studies, and they say she beat all her competitors in the exam with her fists.”
Carl clicked his tongue and pointed to the other side.
“And there’s the top scorer of the central exam. He’s Prince Duran Moira, the third prince of our kingdom. His major is Knight Studies.”
The boy with light blond hair was swirling a wine glass elegantly.
Students familiar with him surrounded him.
With a displeased look, Carl pointed next to Leo.
“And there’s the northern top scorer.”
Chloe was eating cake while reading a book.
“The western top scorers are two: the famous Celia Zerdinger and Avad Lewallin.”
“Leo, you’re here?”
Celia approached just then.
“Welcome, Celia.”
“Celia? No way! Celia Zerdinger?”
“That’s right.”
“Leo, your friend is Celia Zerdinger? That’s amazing!”
Carl grinned and extended his hand to Celia.
“As I said earlier, I’m Carl Thomas!”
“Hmm? You got close quickly, I see. I’m Celia Zerdinger.”
Celia shook Carl’s hand and looked at Chloe.
“And you are?”
“I’m Chloe Muller.”
“Chloe Muller? The northern top scorer?”
“That’s right.”
Chloe smiled confidently.
Watching her with interest for a moment, Celia turned to Leo.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Just… the academy’s image is different from what I expected.”
Lumerne is a place where the best talents are trained to become heroes.
Because of that, school life is known to be incredibly tough, with a high dropout rate.
It was strange that such a place was offering a luxurious cruise trip before the entrance ceremony.
“Even Lumerne wouldn’t make students work hard before the entrance ceremony.”
“True. You’re overthinking it.”
As Carl spoke and Celia agreed,
boom-!
The ship shook violently.
“Maybe not.”
“W-what’s going on?”
As Leo murmured, something emerged from the lake.
Splash-!
“Aaaaah! What is that?”
“No way, a kraken?”
“A kraken out of nowhere? What’s happening?”
The party on the deck descended into chaos as a giant squid tentacle crashed down, and students panicked.
“P-Professor Ain! Help us!”
A desperate female student ran to Ain for help.
Ain frowned in response.
“Help you? Why should I?”
End Of Chapter
