Two days later, in the morning.
Leo and Selia strolled toward the pier of Lake Lumeria.
All eyes turned to them, clad in the unmistakable uniforms of Lumeren students.
“Look, they’re newbies from Lumeren.”
“Aren’t they fresh-faced?”
Cheerful smiles and words of encouragement greeted them from the passersby.
Then, a fruit vendor generously threw two apples their way.
Leo deftly caught them and expressed his gratitude with a smile.
“Thank you!”
“Absolutely! Work hard and excel in your studies!”
Crunch!
Leo took a bite of one apple and offered the other to Selia, who politely declined.
“People here seem to have a favorable opinion of Lumeren.”
“We represent the future.”
Heroes enjoyed immense popularity among the public, and the students of Lumeren were prospective heroes themselves. They followed in the footsteps of former heroes, preparing for potential threats to the world.
The crowd cheered for these hero hopefuls.
“While Tarataros has been quiet lately, we can’t predict when they might pose a threat again. Moreover…”
Selia paused in her steps, raising her chin.
“We shouldn’t remain subservient to Seirun forever!”
Humans and elves had a strained relationship. To foster racial harmony, the elf hero academy, Seirun, and Lumeren frequently engaged in friendly competitions, from quiz battles to sports and even simulated combat. These contests, known as Lusejeon, had a centuries-old history and helped reduce tension between the two races. However, due to the students’ strong sense of pride, these exchanges had become fiercely competitive.
In recent years, Lumeren had been losing to Seirun.
“Just wait and watch. We’ll humble Seirun!”
“Absolutely, give it your all.”
Selia’s eyes blazed with determination as Leo, nonchalant, continued to enjoy his apple.
As they approached the pier, they spotted other freshmen.
Some were riding broomsticks, others were mounted on summoned creatures, and a few were armed to the teeth with various weapons.
“People are certainly excited.”
Selia shook her head at the spectacle.
Then, a boy with light orange hair intercepted their path.
“Hey, you two! You make a great pair! Can we chat?”
“Who are you?”
“I’m Karl Thomas, hailing from the Kingdom of Moira.”
“And?”
“It’s not much, but…”
Karl flashed a smile and skillfully handed both Leo and Selia a business card from his pocket.
“For all your needs, from weaponry to potions! Visit Karl’s Shop for anything you require during your school days!”
He winked, laughed heartily, and hurried off to approach another student.
“What a diverse bunch of people.”
Selia, looking somewhat perplexed, tucked the business card into her pocket.
“I’m going to meet some fellow countrymen.”
The Lodren Empire, a formidable nation in the western continent, had a significant presence among the newcomers from the west.
“I’ll explore a bit. We’ll rendezvous later at the pier.”
“Sure thing. I’ll see you at the pier.”
After Selia departed, Leo leisurely roamed the area, observing both the fresh-faced freshmen and the families gathered at the pier to celebrate their enrollment.
The array of cultures on display stirred a sense of nostalgia within Leo.
“It’s just like Guardsron,” he thought.
Guardsron, a city known as the last bastion during the era of disasters, where Risinas and Kyle had ignited the first sparks of resistance against Erebos.
As he dwelled on these memories, Leo came to a sudden halt.
Thud-!
“Eh?”
He had been bumped from behind by a blonde-haired female student who was engrossed in her book and hadn’t noticed him.
“Ah, sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“No worries.”
After offering her apologies, she continued on her way, her attention back on her book.
“If she keeps that up, she’ll run into someone else… Hmm.”
Leo noticed an ID card on the ground. It bore a photo of the girl who had bumped into him, and the name “Chloe Muller” was written on it.
He glanced around, but Chloe had vanished into the crowd.
“I’ll return it when we cross paths again,” he resolved. As fellow freshmen, they were bound to meet.
“Karl’s Shop! Take my business card!”
Karl, the person Leo had seen earlier, was distributing business cards to other newcomers.
Their eyes locked, and Karl approached with a friendly grin.
“We meet again?”
“How’s the marketing going?”
“Eh, so-so. These high-and-mighty nobles barely give me a second glance.”
“Well, considering most Lumeren students come from noble families, that’s hardly a surprise.”
“Exactly. Heh heh.”
Karl shrugged, his laughter easy and infectious.
“Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Karl Thomas, fifteen years old!”
“I’m Leo Plov, from the Kingdom of Delrad, and I’m the same age as you.”
“You’re a noble?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, and you’re not bothered by the fact that I’m a commoner?”
Leo chuckled at Karl’s astonished expression.
“By the way, Delard Kingdom means the western exams, right? I heard those tests aren’t a joke. You passed?”
“It was no walk in the park.”
Leo and Karl continued their conversation.
Thanks to Karl’s friendly demeanor, they quickly became friends.
“What’s your major plan? My family has a long lineage of alchemists, so I’m aiming for the Magic department.”
“I’m also considering the Magic department.”
“Really? Then let’s be close pals from here on out, Leo!”
Karl beamed, clearly delighted.
Of course, Leo intended to study not only magic but also knightly studies and summoning.
As they chatted, a massive ship emerged from the mist on Lake Lumeria.
It was a vessel shuttling between Lumeren and Lumeria.
“Wow, that’s enormous!”
Karl exclaimed.
Shortly afterward, a silver-haired man in uniform disembarked from the anchored ship.
“All new students, gather ’round!”
The freshers, who had said their farewells to their families, assembled in front of the man.
“Time for attendance.”
The people standing behind the man used magical scanners to confirm the students’ identities.
While retrieving his student ID, Leo noticed a female student searching frantically for something.
“Just a moment.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
Karl followed him.
Chloe, looking bewildered, was taken aback when Leo approached her.
“Here.”
“Huh?”
“You dropped this earlier.”
“Oh, thank you!”
Chloe, receiving her student ID from Leo, radiated a bright smile.
“You saved me! I’m Chloe Mueller!”
“Chloe Mueller?”
Karl looked astonished.
“The top student, Chloe Mueller, from the northern exams?”
“Yes. And who are you two?”
“I’m Leo Plov, and this fellow is…”
“Karl Thomas! Whether it’s weapons or potions, I’ve got everything you’ll need for your studies! Here’s my business card!”
Karl promptly handed Chloe his business card.
Chloe, as she received the card, appeared intrigued.
“A store? So, you plan to primarily work as a supporter?”
“Haha, the valedictorian really catches on quickly, huh?”
“I’ve learned from the upperclassmen.”
All students at Lumeren were considered hero candidates and possessed remarkable talents. However, distinctions still existed among them. Some grappled with feelings of inadequacy about their talents as they navigated their school life. These individuals often transitioned into the role of supporters, assisting the heroes in various capacities, from combat support to supplying materials, and more. While these supporters were indispensable to the heroes, most students remained singularly focused on achieving hero status.
It was evident that Karl had already chosen the path of a supporter.
“Well, considering my entrance grade was just barely passing.”
“If your offerings are good, I might become a regular customer.”
“Oh, wow! I’m already making friends with one of the valedictorians. Lucky me!”
Karl chuckled heartily.
“Let’s all become close friends! We’re all part of the Magic department!”
“Magic department?”
Chloe tilted her head.
“I mean, you’re in the Magic department?”
“Yes.”
“Not Knight department?”
Chloe, a top performer, immediately sensed Leo’s aura.
“I plan to dual-major.”
“What? A magic knight? That’s amazing!”
Karl was visibly excited.
Although rare, there were individuals with dual-class abilities, and Lumeren had a significant number of dual-class students.
Chloe simply nodded in response to Leo’s words.
At that moment, a faculty member approached and checked the IDs of the three students.
With the attendance check complete, the faculty members stepped back.
The silver-haired man in uniform stepped forward.
“I am Professor Ain Elrand of Lumeren.”
“Ain Elrand? The Ice Knight?”
“That Ain Elrand?”
“I want his autograph!”
“Shh!”
Ain silenced the enthusiastic students.
“We are now heading to Lumeren. Everyone, board the ship.”
“Yes!”
***
Before the entrance ceremony, the new students busied themselves admiring the view from the deck.
The ship operated by Lumeren Academy boasted a deck of luxurious proportions.
The atmosphere on the deck resembled a grand social gathering.
Renowned chefs had prepared a variety of traditional dishes from around the world, delighting the students’ palates and senses.
Even Professor Ain was leisurely sipping wine on the deck.
Impeccably dressed staff members scurried about, attending to the students’ needs. The aristocratic students reveled in the lavish treatment, sharing laughter and camaraderie.
“As expected, Lumeren Academy is unlike any other.”
“I’m eagerly anticipating our school life. Aren’t you?”
The new students dreamed of their upcoming academic journeys.
Yet, Leo furrowed his brow.
“Something doesn’t feel quite right.”
“What’s wrong?”
Karl, balancing a plate full of food, inquired with a puzzled expression.
“This is supposed to be a hero academy, but it feels more like a social gathering.”
“We’re still in the entrance ceremony phase, you know. Anyway, Leo, I’ve gathered some information.”
“Information?”
“Yes! Look over there!”
Karl grinned and pointed to a large male student with light brown skin quietly dining on one side of the deck.
“That’s Warden Tyden! He was the top scorer in the southern exam and majors in summoning!”
“A spirit summoner, huh?”
“Yeah, you’ve also looked into it, haven’t you?”
Although Leo had recognized it at first glance, he didn’t bother to correct Karl.
“And that one is Chen Shia, the top scorer in the eastern exam!”
A petite female student with black hair and black eyes, possessing an exotic appearance, was sampling dishes from various countries with curiosity.
“She majors in knighthood and apparently knocked out all her competitors in the exam.”
Karl then pointed to the opposite side.
“And that one is the top scorer from the central exam. He’s our kingdom’s third prince, Duran Moira, majoring in knighthood.”
A young man with light blonde hair was gently swirling his wine glass. He was surrounded by students who appeared to be on good terms with him.
Karl gestured next to Leo with a dissatisfied expression.
“And the top scorer from the north.”
Chloe was savoring cake while engrossed in her book.
“The top scorers from the west are two: the renowned Selia Zerdingher and Abad Lewalin.”
“Leo, were you aware of this?”
Just then, Selia approached them.
“Welcome, Selia.”
“Selia? Could it be Selia Zerdingher?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re close friends with Selia Zerdingher? That’s amazing!”
Karl grinned and extended his hand to Selia.
“As I introduced earlier, I’m Karl Thomas!”
“Hmm? You’ve become fast friends, I see? I’m Selia Zerdingher.”
Selia shook Karl’s hand and then turned her attention to Chloe.
“And who is this?”
“I’m Chloe Muller.”
“The top scorer from the north?”
“Exactly.”
Chloe smiled confidently.
Selia, who had been observing with interest, then turned to Leo.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Just that the academy’s image is different from what I expected.”
Lumeren was renowned for its rigorous selection of top talents and its training of heroes. Consequently, life at the academy was known to be incredibly demanding, with a high dropout rate. It was surprising, then, that they were offering such a luxurious cruise.
“Are they really going to subject us to rigorous training even before the entrance ceremony?”
“You might be overthinking it,” Karl agreed with Selia just as—
Boom!
The ship’s hull violently shook.
“What was that?”
Just as Leo mumbled, something emerged from the lake.
Splash!
“Ahhh! What’s happening?”
“Could it be a Kraken?”
“A Kraken out of nowhere? What’s going on!”
Giant octopus tentacles suddenly engulfed the deck, throwing the students into chaos.
“Professor Ain! Help us!”
A female student rushed toward Professor Ain, desperately seeking assistance.
Professor Ain furrowed his brows.
“Help you? Why should I?”
Cliche Novel 