In the center of the vast Lumerne Academy was a massive training ground called Ereke.
This was where major school events, such as the entrance ceremony and graduation ceremony, were held.
And at Ereke, all the students of Lumerne Academy had gathered.
“You’ve arrived?”
“As expected, you’re completely soaked!”
“Hahaha! See? I told you there wouldn’t be many students who made it through unscathed!”
Some upperclassmen with bad attitudes jeered at the freshmen.
A few proud freshmen trembled with shame, but no one lashed out.
In the middle of the Ereke training ground, Artian Nier, who had escorted the freshmen, spoke.
“Line up by region. And top scorers, step forward as representatives.”
At her command, the students formed five orderly lines by region.
Naturally, there were noticeably fewer students from the western region.
From the platform, the professors observing the scene clicked their tongues.
“As expected of Professor Albi, the number of students from the western region is truly lacking.”
One professor, with a disapproving expression, addressed Albi Jeron, who sat with an impassive face.
However, Albi did not react in the slightest.
Leo stood at the very back.
“Oh! Leo! Hello!”
Chelsea Lewallin, who had been on the same team with him during the entrance exam, approached with a bright smile.
“It’s been so hectic I’m only seeing you now!”
Leo smiled faintly at Chelsea, who spoke to him cheerfully.
“Get in line quickly.”
“Okay!”
Standing next to Leo, Chelsea began chatting away.
“I was so inspired watching you fight back then that I’m thinking of taking Knight Studies as a minor.”
“Hmm? Come to think of it, your goal was to become a Battle Mage, right?”
“Yes!”
Leo looked at Chelsea briefly before speaking.
“Then you should focus more on your magic training for now.”
“Huh? I’m already good at magic. Why do I need to train more?”
Leo was about to reply to the slightly flustered Chelsea when,
“We will now begin the entrance ceremony. First, the headmaster will address you.”
Hearing the professor on the platform, Chelsea closed her mouth.
A moment later, an old man appeared in the center of the platform.
The freshmen tensed up.
There was no one here who didn’t recognize that old man.
The one hailed as the greatest among the current human heroes.
The Sword Saint, Kalian Baydan.
“Well done making it here, fledgling soldiers.”
Kalian spoke with a vigor that belied his age.
“I won’t speak for long. Let me tell you about the path you must walk!”
Bang-!
Kalian struck the podium with his fist.
“If you dream of becoming a hero, always put yourself on the line! And surpass your limits! Those who can’t…”
The Sword Saint’s booming voice made the freshmen hold their breath.
“Are not needed at Lumerne.”
With those words, he stepped off the podium without hesitation.
A moment of silence followed.
And then…
“Waaaaaaah!”
The freshmen erupted into thunderous cheers.
The brief speech, though barely qualifying as one, had a powerful effect on them.
Turning his back to the crowd, Kalian made a V sign with his fingers toward the professors, maintaining a solemn expression.
Several professors clutched their heads in exasperation.
‘Headmaster!’
‘If only you had stayed dignified, you would’ve been so cool!’
‘Sigh, the longer I work at Lumerne, the more my illusions about the Sword Saint shatter.’
The professors couldn’t deny it anymore.
The greatest hero everyone admired was, in reality, a playful old man.
The presiding professor, also holding his head, announced.
“Now, we will hear a speech from the freshmen representative.”
At those words, everyone in the Ereke training ground focused on the professor.
The freshmen representative.
Among the geniuses gathered at Lumerne, this student was the absolute best.
In other words, they were the strongest hero candidate among hundreds of others!
The top scorers standing at the front looked visibly tense.
As everyone waited with bated breath, the professor spoke.
“Freshmen representative, Leo Plov.”
“Leo Plov?”
“Who’s that?”
“The freshmen representative isn’t one of the top scorers?”
The freshmen murmured and looked around.
The six top scorers standing at the front also appeared bewildered.
Even the professors who hadn’t known who the representative would be looked surprised.
At that moment, the professor continued.
“Leo Plov, please come up to the podium.”
At those words, Leo stood up.
Chelsea stared wide-eyed at Leo as he moved.
In another row, Carl Thomas mouthed silently in shock.
It was highly unusual for a non-top scorer to be named the representative.
The upperclassmen also showed confused reactions.
Everyone’s attention was on Leo.
‘I’m the freshmen representative?’
Leo himself was puzzled.
While he had performed impressively during the entrance exam, he thought Celia Zerdinger and Avad Lewallin would have scored higher than him.
In fact, the two had performed best in the exam, earning joint top-scorer titles.
As Leo ascended the podium, he made eye contact with Albi Jeron, who had been the proctor for the western exam.
Albi, usually expressionless, gave Leo a small smile.
It seemed likely that the proctor had recommended him.
Setting aside his doubts, Leo stood on the podium.
A prepared speech lay waiting for him.
“Honored professors and seniors, thank you for welcoming us freshmen so warmly. As freshmen, we will now proudly carry the name of Lumerne…”
Without a hint of nervousness, Leo read the speech.
As he spoke, various emotions filled the gazes directed at him.
Curiosity and questions about why a non-top scorer was the representative.
Envy and jealousy for the honor of standing in that position.
“…Freshmen representative, Leo Plov.”
Clap, clap, clap, clap-!
Applause erupted as Leo concluded his speech.
“Well done, Leo. Now, as the freshmen representative, please share a word of aspiration.”
The professor smiled mischievously as he spoke.
A word of aspiration as the freshmen representative.
This was a tradition at Lumerne’s entrance ceremony.
It was an opportunity for the representative, who had triumphed over fierce competition, to address everyone at the school.
At the same time, it was a way to provoke other first-years.
‘Is it meant to challenge those who thought they deserved this spot?’
Leo smirked faintly.
Many students would undoubtedly covet this position, especially those who had always been the best.
Turning to face all the freshmen, Leo looked down at them.
“Freshmen representative, Leo Plov.”
Leo greeted politely, and the professor looked slightly disappointed.
‘This year’s representative is a reserved student. Well, an honors student’s aspiration isn’t bad either.’
In truth, even bold students often found it hard to speak freely when standing in this position.
‘This year’s entrance ceremony should be uneventful…’
“If you want this position, take it.”
The professor in charge widened his eyes in surprise.
The other freshmen stared with their mouths agape.
Leo gave a small smile and stepped down from the podium.
Leo had perfectly understood and played along with the school’s intention.
‘But that was a bit much!’
The professor internally screamed.
Even the upperclassmen let out a few chuckles.
“This year’s entrance ceremony is one for the books.”
“We’ve got a bold new freshman.”
All eyes were on Leo.
Yet Leo descended the podium without batting an eye.
On his way back to his seat, his gaze met Celia Zerdinger’s. She smirked lightly and raised her chin.
Sitting next to her, Avad Lewallin looked at Leo with a faint smile.
“Wow! Wow! Leo, you were the representative?”
When he returned to his seat, Chelsea Lewallin whispered excitedly.
“A shame Avad wasn’t chosen, don’t you think?”
“It’s disappointing my brother wasn’t chosen, but we both saw Leo fight firsthand.”
Crossing her arms and nodding confidently, Chelsea added.
“Even though he hasn’t said anything, my brother must acknowledge Leo too.”
“Is that so?”
Leo glanced at the back of Avad’s head, who was seated ahead of him.
Soon after, the entrance ceremony came to an end.
***
After the entrance ceremony, the freshmen were immediately guided to their dormitories.
The dorms were, of course, separated by gender.
Each dormitory resembled a grand mansion and stood side by side.
In the center was a garden, and training grounds were positioned around the area.
In front of the gathered freshmen, one of the dorm managers spoke.
“Each of you will have your own room. There is a curfew in place, but exceptions can be made for special circumstances. However.”
The dorm manager sighed briefly.
“Entering the opposite gender’s dorm is strictly prohibited.”
The dorm manager’s expression turned stern.
“We understand you’re at an age where you’re curious about the opposite gender. However, please maintain proper boundaries.”
“Yes~”
The freshmen responded cheerfully.
The dorm manager gave a wry smile at their answer.
Despite their promises, some energetic teens inevitably broke this rule at least once a year.
‘Of course, they never do it again after that.’
“Now, find your luggage and unpack in your assigned dorm rooms. Return here in one hour.”
The dorm manager pointed to the luggage that had been delivered during the entrance ceremony.
The freshmen chatted with their friends as they searched for their bags.
Afterward, they checked their assigned dorm rooms.
“Oh! Leo! Your room is right next to mine!”
“Really? That’s great.”
Carl Thomas spoke brightly, and Leo smiled.
“I was surprised, though. I didn’t think you’d be the representative!”
“Neither did I.”
“You must’ve done something impressive during the exam?”
“The proctor seemed to think well of me.”
Leo and Carl carried their bags to their assigned rooms on the second floor.
The other freshmen’s gazes followed them.
“Is that the freshmen representative?”
“Why was he chosen over the top scorers? Does he have connections or something?”
“Would connections even get you named the representative?”
‘Looks like I’m drawing attention from day one.’
After changing clothes in his room and regrouping, they spent a busy time together.
First came class assignments.
Although Lumerne focused on major-specific courses, there were also common classes shared by students.
First-years were divided into ten classes, from Class 1 to Class 10.
Leo, Chelsea, and Carl were all assigned to Class 5.
Afterward, they were guided through the facilities of Lumerne Academy.
As one of only four hero academies in the world, Lumerne’s campus was vast.
Even a quick tour of the key facilities took half a day.
When they returned to the dorms after the tour, the dorm supervisor was waiting.
“Welcome. I am Oberio, the dorm supervisor for the first-year dormitory. You’ve worked hard today. Starting tomorrow, you’ll begin a week of trial classes.”
During the trial class period, students could attend any class they wanted.
Even Knight Department aspirants could take Magic or Summoning classes.
Sometimes, students discovered talents they hadn’t known they possessed.
“Since classes start tomorrow, don’t get too excited and make sure to sleep early tonight.”
When Professor Oberio dismissed them, the students returned to their dorm rooms.
“Phew~ What a hectic day!”
Carl stretched with a tired expression.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow! Anyway, Leo, goodnight!”
“Goodnight.”
After bidding each other goodnight, they entered their respective rooms.
Leo changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed.
As he felt the comfort of the mattress, he drifted off to sleep.
End Of Chapter
