Chapter 568

Riden stared at Chelsea in disbelief as she stood before him, facing Lysinas without hesitation.

'What is this? Chelsea Lewellin... Does she feel no fear?'

Chelsea’s decision to stand against Lysinas seemed utterly reckless.

Even if she was a fake, their opponent was still a Great Hero.

Chelsea might be praised as a member of Lumene’s Golden Generation, but compared to Lysinas, she was no more than a firefly beneath the moonlight.

'How... How can she possibly stand against her?'

Riden clenched his fists.

Although questions filled his mind, he quickly moved his friends beyond the battle’s reach.

“Aren’t you going to stop him?”

“They won’t be able to escape anyway.”

Lysinas smiled broadly.

“Fighting an opponent who is willing to resist is far more worthwhile than fighting someone too terrified to put up a proper struggle.”

Lysinas’s eyes narrowed.

“Besides, I have another reason to punish you.”

'Maybe calling her ugly really was a mistake.'

Chelsea’s expression turned uneasy.

Lysinas raised her hand.

Flash—!

Countless particles of light formed in the air.

Wind billowed from Chelsea’s body when she saw them.

Fwoosh—!

The particles transformed into a rain of light that poured toward Chelsea.

She flinched and hurriedly manipulated the wind.

'This is in a completely different league from Eliana’s magic!'

Chelsea screamed inwardly as she thought of her schoolmate, whose specialty was light magic.

'The attacks themselves are simple! They only travel in straight lines!'

Chelsea’s eyes darted rapidly.

She activated her Original Magic, Heatwave, increasing her mobility and swiftly evading Lysinas’s attack magic.

Flash—!

A beam narrowly grazed Chelsea’s cheek, causing cold sweat to bead across her forehead.

'Even a single hit would be fatal.'

At a glance, the projectiles looked little different from Magic Missile, the most basic form of attack magic.

However, the power contained within them far surpassed that of most high-level magic.

Whoosh—!

Chelsea shot into the sky.

“Gasp!”

The moment she arrived, she found a beautiful white finger directly in front of her face.

The sculpted hand belonged to none other than Lysinas.

Light flashed from the tip of her finger.

Chelsea hurriedly jerked her head back.

Flash—! Rumble—!

An enormous flash erupted behind her, accompanied by a deafening explosion.

The resulting shock wave sent Chelsea flying.

Whoosh—!

“Urgh!”

“You seem confident in your speed, child.”

Chelsea barely regained her balance before crashing into the ground, only for the voice behind her to make her shoulders jolt.

She turned and found Lysinas standing there.

“However, if you rely too heavily on speed, you will quickly reach your limits when faced with someone faster than you.”

Grab—!

Thud—!

“Ghk?!”

“Just like now.”

Lysinas seized Chelsea by the hair and mercilessly drove her knee into Chelsea’s solar plexus.

Chelsea’s body lifted into the air before hurtling toward the ground.

At that moment—

Whoosh—!

“...!”

Chelsea’s body transformed into wind and scattered.

“A clone?”

Lysinas’s eyes widened slightly.

“Wind Breaker!”

Rooooar—!

The blade of wind Chelsea unleashed engulfed Lysinas.

“You’re right. There are plenty of people faster than me. But speed isn’t my greatest strength!”

Chelsea’s greatest strength was her freedom, unbound by anything just like the wind itself.

Using that freedom to confront her opponents with unpredictable movements was her greatest specialty.

Chelsea gritted her teeth when Lysinas emerged unscathed from the dense cloud of dust.

'I have to hold out longer!'

She had no chance of winning.

Their opponent might be a fake, but she was still an illusion created by Leo.

She had been created by the person who knew Lysinas, the Wise King, better than anyone else in the world.

'It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her Lysinas-nim herself!'

Chelsea had deliberately called Lysinas ugly to steel herself.

It was a desperate attempt to deny that she was real and squeeze out whatever courage she could muster.

But that changed nothing.

Her hard-won courage barely allowed her to move, while her opponent remained powerful enough to finish her whenever she wished.

Even so, Chelsea had to resist.

'I don’t know what Leo Oppa wants to see from me.'

However, he had clearly sent her into the illusion because he wanted to show those dragons something.

'Then I have to do what I’ve learned.'

The lessons she had gained while admiring and following Leo.

The things she had come to understand after meeting Arron and Luna.

Now was the time to put everything Chelsea had seen and accepted into practice.

She had no time to despair over the overwhelming difference in strength between herself and her opponent.

Chelsea inhaled.

Then—

A beautiful voice flowed from her lips.

The surrounding wind resonated with Chelsea.

Whoooooosh—!

Sensing the wind being drawn toward Chelsea, Lysinas let out a thoughtful hum.

'My voice can no longer reach the wind spirits as easily.'

The wind grew fiercer.

Yet the space immediately surrounding Chelsea was astonishingly still.

Watching Chelsea steadily seize control of the wind, Lysinas murmured,

“It resembles Luna’s magic.”

The sight of the girl, still far too young to be called a hero, captivated her.

“Excellent.”

Lysinas’s lips curved into a gentle smile.

“Let us see whether you can evade this as well.”

Lysinas’s shadow shot upward like a blade.

Rooooar—!

The blades of shadow sliced through the wind and rained down upon Chelsea.

Whoosh—!

Chelsea manipulated the wind to evade them.

Her movements resembled the wind itself.

She calmly avoided the attacks while closing the distance between herself and Lysinas.

When Chelsea swung her staff, a massive blade of wind swept toward Lysinas.

“That is far too reckless. Is it mere foolhardiness?”

Lysinas questioned Chelsea.

However, Chelsea had no room to answer.

Lysinas met the eyes of the girl who was gritting her teeth and squeezing out every last scrap of courage.

She saw the profound fear within them.

'Arron....'

The face of her friend naturally flashed through her mind, and Lysinas’s smile deepened.

Rumble—!

The shadows shredded everything around them.

Rumble—!

The surrounding ground shattered and collapsed.

“Ugh....”

Chelsea lay on the ground and groaned.

Her body, torn apart by Lysinas’s magic, refused to obey her.

Her staff had fallen from her hand long ago.

Gritting her teeth, Chelsea tried to force herself upright.

“It’s no use. I severed most of your tendons.”

Step— Step—

Lysinas spoke as she walked toward Chelsea.

Still, Chelsea desperately tried to raise her unresponsive body so she could face her.

The sight reminded Lysinas of someone else.

'...Kyle.'

“Ugh....”

Lysinas extended her hand toward Chelsea as the girl struggled to rise while groaning in pain.

Hummm— Flash—!

Brilliant light erupted from Lysinas’s hand.

The moment Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut—

Lysinas crouched before her and gently placed a hand on her head.

“Excellent.”

“Pardon?”

Chelsea opened her eyes and looked up.

Lysinas was smiling so beautifully that Chelsea could only stare in a daze.

Hummm—!

Soft, warm light flowed from Lysinas’s hand and enveloped Chelsea’s body.

Chelsea’s wounds healed in an instant.

Lysinas carefully helped her to her feet.

“That must have hurt terribly. I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would fall for it unless I was convincing.”

The overwhelming charisma Lysinas had radiated moments ago had vanished.

Now, she exuded only a comforting warmth that naturally put anyone who saw her at ease.

Chelsea gave a hollow laugh.

“Well... It never made sense for me to evade Lysinas-nim’s attacks in the first place. It was all an act.”

“Yes, of course.”

Pinch—!

“But I still cannot forgive you for calling me ugly.”

“Ow! It hurts! It hurts, Lysinas-nim!”

“I am pinching you because it is supposed to hurt, you cheeky little lady.”

Lysinas covered her mouth and laughed elegantly, but her fingers were merciless.

Apparently still unsatisfied, she soon began pinching both of Chelsea’s cheeks with her hands.

After finally being released, Chelsea cupped her bright red cheeks with tears in her eyes.

The students of Wisdom approached them.

“Lysinas-nim....”

Riden stood at the front, at a complete loss for what to do.

Lysinas looked at him.

“Are you the children who will follow in my footsteps?”

None of the students from Wisdom could answer.

Chelsea, whom they had secretly looked down upon, had stood proudly against Lysinas and even earned her acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, they had fallen into a panic and accomplished nothing.

Chelsea had even been the one to guide Riden in that situation.

Lysinas smiled gently at the silent students.

“It appears you have something to be ashamed of.”

“...Yes.”

“Then that is a relief.”

“Pardon?”

Riden had answered in a voice so small that he wanted to crawl into a hole, but he now stared at Lysinas with wide eyes.

“Being ashamed means you understand what you must reflect upon. Would it not be enough to learn from it so that you will have nothing to be ashamed of next time?”

“Ah....”

“Lysinas-nim.”

The students of Wisdom were deeply moved.

They knew this place was an illusion.

However, the Lysinas before them closely resembled the ideal Lysinas they had always imagined.

The moment Lysinas gave them a benevolent smile, the surrounding space began to distort.

It appeared the illusion was coming to an end.

“It seems our time together is over.”

Lysinas gently patted Chelsea’s head.

“Continue as you have been, Chelsea Lewellin.”

“Ah, yes!”

Chelsea answered with a flushed expression, and the entire space was swallowed by darkness.

'Are we waking from the illusion now?'

Riden felt disappointed.

'Even if she was only an illusion, I wanted to speak with Lysinas-nim a little longer—'

Whack—!

“...?”

Something struck Riden’s head, and he looked around blankly.

Whack—! Whack! Whack!

The blows against his head grew increasingly powerful.

“S-Stop! P-Please, st...op...!”

Riden’s consciousness began to fade as he was beaten without even managing to resist.

“Who gave you the right to spout such arrogant nonsense about becoming his Guide?”

A beautiful voice filled with unmistakable spite echoed around him.

“He is the hero I chose. If you set your sights on him again, I won’t let you off this easily.”

Unable to understand the words he heard through his fading consciousness, Riden passed out.

===

Whack—!

“Ghk?”

“Wake up.”

Driana’s small hand mercilessly struck Riden’s head.

Her hand was tiny and adorable, but as expected of a dwarf, being struck by it felt like taking a hammer to the skull.

Riden instantly regained consciousness and sprang upright.

“You’re awake?”

Leo approached the students of Wisdom.

“How was the test?”

The students lowered their heads.

“We were foolish, Leo Plov. We were narrow-minded and arrogant.”

“Don’t blame yourselves too much. Everyone goes through that.”

Leo smiled faintly.

“Even the Wise King was once called a fool. What matters is that you learn.”

“....”

Riden let out a hollow laugh.

'In the end, I’m the one being guided. I cannot believe I tried to guide someone like him.'

Ashamed of how he had acted moments ago, Riden spoke.

“I have learned a great deal from you.”

“There’s an opportunity for you to learn even more.”

“What?”

Leo gestured toward Driana with his eyes.

Driana pulled several sheets of paper from her coat and distributed them among the students of Wisdom.

Siren looked at them curiously.

“What are these?”

“Contracts. Lumene will soon host an inter-Hero Academy competition called the Festival of Heroes. If you attend, you’ll be able to meet many Hero Candidates.”

The students of Wisdom stared at Leo with wide eyes.

“See more of the world and broaden your horizons. That is what you need right now.”

“You’re giving us such an opportunity?”

As Riden stared in astonishment, Driana personally turned to the last page and showed it to him.

“All you need to do is sign here.”

Riden closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

'Our positions have completely reversed.'

If he accepted, he would unquestionably be the one receiving guidance.

That was humiliating for Wisdom students who aspired to become Guides.

However—

'This will undoubtedly become the foundation for my growth.'

With that thought, Riden signed without hesitation.

The other students of Wisdom felt much the same and signed as well.

The moment they finished, Driana snatched the contracts from their hands.

Clap, clap, clap—

The sound of applause came from behind them.

The students turned, and their eyes widened before they dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.

“Greetings, Lord!”

When the students greeted her in unison, Melina laughed.

“There is no need to be so formal, everyone.”

Melina walked toward them.

“I believe the many lessons you learned today will become a great source of strength for you in the future.”

The students were too ashamed of themselves to raise their heads.

Melina looked at Leo.

—Are you satisfied now?

—Yes! Thank you very much, Leo-nim!

Leo and Melina conversed within their minds through magic.

'This man... truly is Lysinas-nim’s companion.'

The way Leo taught the students of Wisdom reminded Melina of Lysinas.

That was only natural.

The two of them could not help but resemble each other.

'As I thought, Lysinas-nim is the only one who could ever be Leo-nim’s Guide.'

Melina smiled faintly before a question suddenly occurred to her.

—But Leo-nim.

—What?

—Why did you use contracts to invite the Wisdom students to the Festival of Heroes?

—Ah, I decided to try that damned lizard’s specialty.

—....

An inexplicable sense of unease crept over Melina after hearing Leo’s answer.

“Driana-yang, please show me those contracts.”

She practically snatched them away from Driana.

After examining their contents, Melina stared blankly at them.

—Leo-nim.

—What?

—This is nothing but a slave contract.

—Exactly. We’re entering a busy period, and I just secured some excellent labor.

—Isn’t this fraud?

—Move them to tears, then stab them in the back. That was Lysinas’s specialty. Make sure Wisdom adds contract drafting to its curriculum from now on.

—...And what is this clause about nude modeling?

—I thought it was strange when Driana volunteered to write the contracts.

Leo clicked his tongue.

“Give them back. Please return them.”

In the meantime, Driana retrieved the contracts from Melina and clutched them tightly to her chest.

She looked as though she were embracing a priceless treasure.

Melina looked at the deeply moved students of Wisdom and murmured inwardly,

—There is no way... No way this was Lysinas-nim’s method.

—Have you ever seen Lysinas scam someone?

—....

—I’ve seen it plenty of times.

At Leo’s answer, Melina silently looked up at the sky.

'I’m already far beyond adulthood and growing old, so why do I feel as though I’m only now learning what it means to grow up?'

Melina felt as though she had lost something precious that day.

(T/N: Hahahahaha. WTH. But im really proud of Chelsea's growth!! Looking forward to seeing more of her new "song" magic!)

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