Chapter 550

With the appearance of Rian, a being who claimed to be a god, the world’s attention turned toward Lumene.

“Wow... It’s absolute chaos.”

Early in the morning, Leo watched Eliana read a newspaper in the dormitory lounge with a puzzled expression.

“What’s the occasion? Since when do you read the newspaper?”

Eliana narrowed her eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘What’s the occasion?’ How can you say something so rude?”

She folded the newspaper, straightened her back, and spoke seriously.

“We’re going to be third-years soon, aren’t we? We’ll have even more hubaes looking up to us.”

“And?”

“I have to show them what a proper sunbae looks like.”

Eliana elegantly swept back her hair, imitating a refined lady. A few male students passing through the lounge secretly pretended to gag.

“How about it? Do I look like a noble lady?”

“Stop doing things that don’t suit you.”

Ignoring Leo’s comment, Eliana turned the page with a graceful gesture.

Leo placed one of the two mugs he was holding in front of her.

“Here’s the coffee you asked for.”

“Thanks. Whenever the Class Rep reads the newspaper while drinking it, I’ve always wondered what the coffee made by the Room Leader tastes like.”

Eliana leisurely reached for the cup.

“Mmm, what a lovely aroma.”

Then she took a sip.

“Blech! Ptooey! Ptooey! What is this? Why is it so bitter?!”

“You asked for the same thing I was drinking.”

“Ugh! Why would you drink something this tasteless?”

“I had a friend who enjoyed it.”

Leo took a sip of his coffee.

Five thousand years ago, there had been brief moments of peace even in Guardslone.

On those peaceful mornings, Lysinas would often drink this bitter coffee.

“Eliana, I brought some cocoa. Do you want some?”

“Cocoa!”

Eliana quickly accepted the cup Chloe offered her.

“Exactly! Cocoa is perfect for chilly autumn weather!”

“So much for being a refined lady.”

“She’s a complete child.”

Tongues clicked from all around the lounge.

Eliana completely ignored them and elegantly opened the newspaper again.

“Aren’t you going to say anything back?”

“Chloe, an adult simply pays no attention to what children say.”

Just as Eliana smiled smugly with a relaxed expression...

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning!”

Chen Xia and Eiran entered the lounge.

Having finished her morning training, Chen Xia sat in the empty seat beside Eliana. She poured tea from the kettle on the table into a teacup and took a sip.

“Every time I see you, Xia-yang, all your movements are so graceful. You truly seem like a princess. Well, I suppose that’s only natural since you really are one. Huhuhu.”

Eiran covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Ahem.”

Eliana cleared her throat lightly.

“Eiran-yang, don’t you sense anything from me?”

“Huh? Sense what?”

“Grace, perhaps? Or a princess-like aura?”

“Pardon?”

Eiran’s baffled expression caused laughter to erupt throughout the lounge.

“You people, seriously! I’ve been putting up with this for a while now!”

“I thought adults didn’t care what children said!”

“Do you think being an adult means enduring everything?!”

Eliana shrieked and began chasing those who had mocked her.

“Lively as ever, even this early in the morning. That’s Lumene for you.”

“Lunia-yang, have you finished preparing to return to Seiren?”

“Yes.”

Unlike Eiran, who had come to Lumene as an exchange student, Lunia had to return to Seiren that day.

Leo opened the newspaper Eliana had abandoned.

Lunia leaned against the back of the sofa where Leo was sitting and looked over the contents.

“Since yesterday, it’s been nothing but stories about the god.”

“He’s the first god to appear in 5,000 years, after all.”

“Hmph. There are plenty of articles about the Genesis Heroes too.”

The newspaper prominently featured several articles about the Genesis Heroes.

Lunia carefully scanned them and furrowed her brow.

“But there aren’t any articles about you.”

“Nothing today either?”

Eiran joined Lunia and peered over Leo’s shoulder.

Despite the countless articles about the god and the Genesis Heroes, none of them mentioned Leo.

“Leo-nim is the Hero chosen by a god to face Erebos, so why isn’t there any mention of him?”

“Because the interests of human society are far more intricately intertwined than you think, Eiran-yang.”

Chen Xia set down her teacup.

“The god revealed the truth about the Era of Calamity that we never knew. He told us that the Hero of Beggining was the only person capable of defeating Erebos, and...”

Chen Xia glanced at Leo.

“He also revealed that Leo-nim, who follows in the footsteps of the Hero of Beggining, is the only person capable of defeating Erebos.”

“Then shouldn’t they give Leo-nim even more support? That means he’s the only savior capable of saving this world.”

“Being a unique and special existence naturally causes the masses to follow you. That alone is an immense power. It is what people commonly call authority,” Lunia said with a sigh.

“We’ve already seen people distort the will of their predecessors for their own benefit, haven’t we?”

“Ugh! The Pureblood Society...”

As Eiran muttered under her breath, Chloe shrugged.

“People are the same wherever you go.”

While listening to his friends, Leo noticed an article as he turned the page.

[Rebellion in the Eastern Lordren Empire]

“Hmm.”

His mother’s family was the Zerdinger family, a renowned Heroic House of the Lordren Empire, so he could not simply ignore the article.

'It doesn’t appear to be a major problem yet.'

After reading it, Leo closed the newspaper.

'I should ask the students from the Lordren Empire about it later.'

===

“A god has reappeared in the world! Because of that, we have once again been reminded of what we must do! Student Carr! Tell us what that is!”

Professor Sedgen spoke passionately.

Carr, whom Professor Sedgen had called upon, answered solemnly.

“It means that even if the world undergoes a cataclysmic upheaval, students still cannot escape the tragic fate of studying in a classroom.”

Laughter erupted throughout the room.

“Hmm, hmm! An answer truly worthy of Student Carr! Student Celia!”

“I leave the rest to you.”

Carr gave Celia, who was sitting beside him, a thumbs-up and a wink.

Chelsea sat directly behind him with her chin resting on her hand. Seeing Carr’s shameless behavior, she clicked her tongue.

“Idiot. Professor Sedgen called Celia Zerdinger because he wants her to punish you.”

“Huh? Gah!”

Celia drove her fist into Carr’s side.

As Carr collapsed and rolled miserably across the floor while clutching his side, Celia snorted.

“That’s Student Carr for you. A fitting response from someone who narrowly avoids failing grades. Student Tide of the Summoning Department, who was sitting beside him, may answer instead.”

Tide cast a pitying glance at his friend writhing on the floor before answering.

“To subjugate the Calamity Flame.”

“Correct.”

Professor Sedgen nodded solemnly.

“For us, the complete subjugation of the Calamity Flame has always been a long-cherished wish—one not even the mighty Great Heroes could fulfill. At the same time, however, many of you likely believed it had nothing to do with you.”

The students could not refute his words.

He was exactly right.

“Most people understand that the Demons of Tartarus are dangerous.”

Professor Sedgen’s voice grew solemn.

He was usually easygoing, but as a professor who stood on equal footing with Professor Harrid at Lumene, his charisma was immense whenever he became serious.

“People also know that Erebos will one day be resurrected and bring calamity upon the world. Yet few regard it as a crisis looming directly before them. Does anyone know why?”

The students fell silent.

They knew everything Professor Sedgen had mentioned.

However, none of them could explain why they had never truly considered it an imminent crisis.

They had simply never thought deeply about it.

“Five thousand years have passed since the Era of Calamity ended. Even the Return of the Calamity occurred two thousand years ago.”

Professor Sedgen had not expected an answer, so he continued.

“Through countless records and Hero Records, we all know how horrific those times were. Unfortunately, humans are creatures of habit. No matter how dangerous they know something to be or how certain they are that calamity will strike again someday, they inevitably grow desensitized if the threat is not directly before them—even when a despairing future awaits.”

Professor Sedgen surveyed the students.

“That will not change merely because news spreads that a god has reappeared and the Genesis Heroes are still engaged in a desperate struggle. As long as people cannot see the threat before them, they will inevitably grow desensitized to it.”

The students remained silent before his cold words.

“That is why your roles are even more important at a time like this.”

Professor Sedgen spoke seriously.

“All of you entered Lumene for your own reasons. Each of you dreams of becoming a Hero while pursuing a different goal.”

He took a pocket watch from his coat, checked the time, and continued.

“But from today onward, as Hero Candidates, I want you to reflect once more upon the true essence of a Hero. That concludes today’s class.”

The bell rang the instant he finished speaking, perfectly marking the end of class.

Professor Sedgen calmly gathered his materials and left the room.

The students rose from their seats and began talking among themselves.

“Today’s class really gives you a lot to think about.”

“Hmm... I only thought about becoming the greatest knightly Hero in our kingdom and restoring my family to its former glory. The essence of a Hero, huh?”

“Broadly speaking, isn’t a Hero someone who transforms the era and leads others?”

The students became engrossed in serious discussion.

Watching them, Carr turned to Leo.

“Leo, what do you think a Hero is?”

“The person who suffers the most.”

Carr chuckled at his answer.

“Should we go get lunch?”

“No. I have a Student Council meeting today.”

“Is that so?”

“On that note, Carr.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you look into which second-years involved in clubs outside the Student Council might be interested in Student Council work?”

“That won’t be difficult. Leave it to me.”

When Carr gave him a thumbs-up, Leo patted his shoulder and smiled.

“Thanks.”

With that, Leo left the classroom.

“Carr! Let’s go eat! Leo-oppa went to the Student Council, right? The three of us can eat together.”

Chelsea approached with Eiran.

Carr looked at her with pity.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. It just seems like Leo is already planning next year’s Student Council roster.”

“Really? Well, the fifth-year sunbaes will be graduating soon.”

Chelsea nodded.

Carr continued looking at her pityingly.

“I asked why you’re looking at me like that.”

“It’s nothing. Your school life just seems destined to become much more complicated.”

Chelsea furrowed her brow, her expression clearly asking what kind of nonsense he was spouting.

'All the top students will probably become candidates for slavery.'

Carr shook his head.