Chapter 572

Murmur— Murmur—

Countless people streamed through Lumene.

Chelsea crossed her arms and muttered as she watched them.

“I never dreamed I would live to see such an enormous crowd gather at Lumene.”

Even the second-years, who had long since grown accustomed to Lumene, found the current sight unfamiliar.

Lumene also invited outsiders whenever it held special events.

However, this was the first time they had seen enough people to fill Lumene’s vast campus.

“Even throughout Lumene’s entire history, it’s rare for this many outsiders to be allowed inside.”

As an educational institution that trained heroes, Lumene had many enemies.

Its greatest enemies were naturally the demons of Tartarus.

But they were not the only ones.

There were plenty of factions constantly waiting for an opportunity to diminish Lumene’s influence.

Moreover, many threats targeted individual students.

Political rivals sometimes attempted to assassinate students before they could grow stronger.

For that reason, Lumene had maintained ironclad security for many years.

Aside from the world’s leading figures and the students’ families, everyone else received invitations through an impartial lottery.

Consequently, those who visited Lumene came from every social class and age group.

“Only Lumene could make something like this possible.”

Chelsea was once again marveling at her academy’s influence when—

“Chloe Mueller-yang?”

A boy among the crowd approached Chloe as though he knew her.

Wearing a luxurious robe and carrying a magic staff studded with glittering magic stones, he stopped before her.

“It is an honor to meet you, Chloe Mueller-yang.”

“Who are you?”

“Ah, forgive my late introduction. I am Vito Ingteum, heir to House Ingteum, a family affiliated with the Magic Tower of the eastern continent.”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you.”

House Ingteum was famous even in the north.

“I have read every paper on magic you have published, Chloe-yang. The magical theories you propose never fail to excite me.”

Chloe had already earned tremendous renown in magical academia as the brilliant young mage following in the footsteps of Torua Yan, who had graduated the previous year.

Unlike Abad and Chelsea, who specialized in combat, Chloe had also distinguished herself in magical research.

“Thank you for thinking so highly of my work.”

Chloe smiled faintly.

“Ah! How beautiful!”

At that moment, Vito clutched his head and cried out in admiration.

Chelsea frowned at him.

'What’s with this sleazy bastard?'

“Not only are you intelligent, but you are also a woman of extraordinary beauty! Grant me, Vito Ingteum, the honor of kissing the back of your hand!”

After making that dramatic declaration, Vito abruptly dropped to one knee, seized Chloe’s hand, and tried to kiss it.

Chloe furrowed her brow at his sudden behavior and was about to pull her hand away when—

Wham—!

“Ghk!”

Betty Marste, who had been Chloe’s mentee during the first semester, suddenly appeared and drove her elbow into Vito’s face.

“How dare you act so disrespectfully, Vito Ingteum!”

“That is what I should be asking you, Betty Marste! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“You were disrespectful to Chloe Sunbae-nim!”

“Disrespectful? I merely praised her beauty!”

Betty’s expression turned cold at Vito’s answer, and she jerked her chin toward him.

“Deal with him.”

The first-year Magic Department students emerged from behind Betty.

“Huh? Who the hell is this bastard?”

“What gutter did this worthless nobody crawl out of?”

“How dare he make a move on Ice Queen-nim?”

“Wh-What are you— Aaaaargh?!”

The first-year Magic Department students, boys and girls alike, surrounded Vito and began beating him with their staffs.

Chelsea pulled a small paper bag from her coat, bit into one of the cookies inside with a loud crunch, and spoke.

“Chloe, your followers are acting more and more like thugs.”

Chloe clutched her head at Chelsea’s remark.

Chloe loved looking after others and had taken excellent care of the first-years as well.

As a result, she was the most popular Sunbae among the first-year Magic Department students.

Betty, Chloe’s most fervent follower, hurried toward her.

“Chloe Sunbae-nim! That pervert didn’t do anything strange to you, did he?”

“Calm down. He only held my hand.”

“He touched Sunbae-nim’s hand with those filthy hands?! I’ll cut his hand off right now!”

“That’s going too far.”

When Chelsea objected from beside her, Betty paused, then turned and shouted furiously.

“Beat that pervert half to death! He can’t keep his hands to himself!”

As magical families from the same eastern region, House Marste and House Ingteum interacted frequently. Their heirs, Betty and Vito, had known each other since childhood.

That was why Betty knew very well that Vito habitually flirted with every woman he met.

At Betty’s shrill command, the first-year Magic Department students grew even more menacing.

“What is this disgraceful behavior?! Mages beating someone with their staffs? You should be ashamed to call yourselves mages! I never imagined the upperclassmen at the academy I intend to enter would be so crude!”

Vito shouted furiously.

The first-years exchanged glances at his words, then nodded.

“Oh, so you’re a prospective junior taking the entrance examination next year?”

Their expressions grew even more vicious.

“This is physical magic we learned from a Magic Department Sunbae. Magic Swing!”

“Aaagh!”

“Magical Fist, you insolent prospective junior!”

“Ghk?!”

“Magic Kick, you bastard!”

“Kehk!”

Chelsea furrowed her brow at the increasingly vicious first-years.

“Who taught you that ridiculous nonsense?”

“Eliana Sunbae.”

“So that’s where you picked up such rotten habits.”

Chelsea clicked her tongue.

“All of you, stop.”

Unable to watch any longer, Chloe calmed the first-years.

“He was rude, but this is going too far.”

“Oh, Chloe Mueller-yang... Your heart is every bit as beautiful as your intellect and appearance! Please grant me the honor of kissing your cheek....”

Vito rose and tried to place his hands on Chloe’s shoulders, but she shoved him away without hesitation.

“On second thought, you should let them teach you a lesson.”

The enraged first-years swung their staffs at Vito once again.

“With so many visitors, there are plenty of strange people too.”

“You can say that again.”

Chelsea shook her head while noisily crunching on her cookies.

In truth, the strangest people there were none other than the Lumene students.

The surrounding visitors stared at the scene in stunned disbelief, but the students had grown so accustomed to Lumene that they did not recognize anything strange about it.

Chelsea checked the time on a clock tower along the street and spoke.

“First-years, it’s almost time to prepare for the opening ceremony. Let’s get moving.”

“Yes!”

===

Countless visitors continued streaming into Lumene.

Accordingly, the ships traveling to and from Lumeria City were bustling back and forth.

That was not all. Enormous pillars had risen throughout Lumeria City.

They were magical devices that projected floating screens broadcasting the Festival of Heroes live from its various venues, allowing people to watch from anywhere in Lumeria City.

Even now, the devices were displaying scenes from across Lumene.

Then, without warning, every magical screen switched to a view of Erek, Lumene’s parade ground.

The Lumene students began entering the enormous parade ground.

The spectators watching from the stands erupted into cheers at their appearance.

The students marched in perfect formation according to their departments. At the very front was a white-haired boy carrying Lumene’s flag—Leo.

“It’s Leo Plov!”

“Lumene’s youngest Student Council President!”

“The hero whose name was recorded in the Hero Record!”

The atmosphere grew even more heated with Leo’s arrival.

Just as the entire audience cheered enthusiastically—

A shadow suddenly appeared in the center of Erek.

Startled by the abrupt development, the spectators looked toward the sky.

“...A ship?”

Someone murmured in astonishment.

A massive vessel resembling a warship was flying overhead.

It was the culmination of the finest magical engineering and alchemy in existence.

The entire audience stared in awe at the appearance of a flying warship that seemed as though it could only exist in their imaginations.

“Damienne! That’s Damienne’s flag!”

“Did Damienne build that ship?!”

Exclamations rang out from all around the stands.

Booooom—!

The warship landed on one side of Erek.

Stomp— Stomp— Stomp—

The students of Damienne began marching down from the warship in perfect unison.

Despite their small stature, the sheer force of their presence overwhelmed the spectators.

Crackle—!

Sparks suddenly began flying from another part of Erek.

Bzzzzzt—! Flash—!

The Seiren students appeared amid a brilliant burst of light.

“Hundreds of people teleported here at once without a warp gate?!”

“Was something that absurd even possible?”

“As expected of Seiren... It truly is an academy that trains the greatest mages!”

Just as everyone stared wide-eyed at the magical technology that surpassed their imagination—

Screeeeeech—!

The tremendous cry of a Summoned Beast resounded across the sky.

The spectators looked upward again and saw hundreds of wyverns flying overhead.

“Not dozens, but hundreds of wyverns—among the highest-ranking Summoned Beasts....”

“Incredible... That must be Azonia.”

Just as the spectators cried out in admiration—

Whoosh—!

The Azonia students riding the wyverns suddenly leaped from their backs.

“They jumped?!”

“They’ll use magic to land, right?!”

The spectators screamed as the Azonia students began plummeting from high in the sky.

However, the Azonia students did not use magic as they fell toward the ground.

Thud—!

Cries of astonishment erupted throughout the stands as the Azonia students landed using nothing but their physical abilities and rose to their feet.

Every invited academy had made an overwhelming entrance.

Their distinctive entrances far surpassed ordinary common sense, leaving everyone watching unable to contain their excitement.

Amid the commotion, Leo handed Lumene’s flag to Elena and walked to the center of Erek.

—I hereby declare the Festival of Heroes open.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

Everyone watching erupted into cheers at Leo’s calm declaration.

—The one hundred first-year representatives selected from each academy, step forward.

At Leo’s command, every student except the one hundred selected first-years from each academy began leaving Erek.

Damienne’s enormous warship rose into the sky once more and headed toward Lumeria Lake.

“Carr, are they holding the opening ceremony with only the first-years?”

When Eliana asked curiously, Carr nodded.

“Apparently.”

“What? You don’t know the details either?”

“The Festival of Heroes has to be completely fair. Aside from Leo, only the professors know the full schedule.”

Eliana nodded at Carr’s answer.

Meanwhile, the first-years lined up before Leo with tense expressions.

“First-year representatives, come up to the platform.”

At Leo’s command, four students climbed onto the platform where he stood.

Luke, Lumene’s representative, ascended with terror written across his face.

Azonia’s representative, a bear beastkin named Medvez, clenched his fists as he stared at Leo.

'So this man is Leo Plov—the strongest man acknowledged by Ar Sunbae!'

Medvez studied Leo with a solemn gaze. Then he glanced at Luke, who stood beside him looking extremely nervous and barely reached his shoulder, and furrowed his brow.

'He’s timid. To think he would be frightened merely by standing here. Rumors claimed he was remarkable, but perhaps they were only rumors. There’s no need to be wary of him. Lea Tingel of Seiren remains the greatest threat... Hmm?'

Medvez noticed Lea openly staring at Luke and looked dumbfounded.

In truth, Luke was desperately averting his gaze to avoid making eye contact with her.

'W-Why has this person been acting like this toward me?'

'Unforgivable. Unforgivable. How dare he enjoy the privilege of being Plov Sunbae-nim’s mentee all by himself? Damn him, I’m so jealous! I’ll never forgive him.'

'Lea Tingel is directing such fierce competitive spirit toward Luke Elda.... I was a fool to judge him by his appearance!'

Medvez’s eyes widened.

'Luke Elda! By way of apology, I will face you with all my strength!'

'Eek! What’s wrong with this person?'

When the enormous bear beastkin began glaring at him, Luke grew even more terrified.

Rixen, Damienne’s first-year representative, watched them and thought,

'I should stay as far away from those three as possible.'

Leo addressed the students standing before him.

—First-year representatives, recite your pledges on behalf of your academies.

—As a student of Lumene, I will strive to surpass my limits!

—As a student of Seiren, I will never abandon my faith in myself.

—As a student of Azonia, I will not hesitate to move forward.

—As a student of Damienne, I will not doubt my potential.

After reciting their respective academies’ mottos, the four first-year representatives declared in unison,

—Before the names of our great predecessors, we swear to participate in the Festival of Heroes without ever bringing them shame!

Leo nodded at their declaration.

—This concludes the opening ceremony.

“Waaaaaaaaah!”

The brief yet powerful opening ceremony came to an end.

At that moment—

Snap—!

Leo snapped his fingers.

A scoreboard appeared above Erek.

[Lumene: 100]

[Seiren: 100]

[Azonia: 100]

[Damienne: 100]

“...?”

The entire audience stared blankly at the sudden development.

The first-years on the parade ground looked just as bewildered when—

Flash—!

Craaaaaash—!

Light erupted in the sky as weapons, magic staffs, and summoning orbs appeared and crashed to the ground.

“What in the...?”

Luke murmured blankly.

“What are you doing? I told you the opening ceremony was over.”

Leo spoke calmly.

“Y-Yes... It is. But what is all this?”

When Medvez asked in a daze, Leo answered,

“Once the opening ceremony ends, the opening match has to begin. The first event is a survival match. The academy whose student survives to become the last person standing wins. You understand well enough, right?”

Leo smiled.

“From this moment on, kill one another.”

(T/N: DAMNNNNNNNNNNN!!! Leo is out for a bloodbath! )

***