REAPER SCANS
[The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student]
[Translator – Aine ]
[Proofreader – Ash ]
Chapter 17
The students split into two groups, with Leo and Duran at the center.
There was intense anticipation for the showdown between the freshman representative and the captain of the Central region’s exam.
“Who do you think will win?”
“I’m betting on Duran!”
“Of course, he had quite the reputation even before coming here.”
“But he’s up against the freshman representative. Won’t he be one to put up a fight?”
“But he wasn’t the top scorer from his region, was he? And I heard he hasn’t even mastered the Aura Step.”
All the first-year students seemed to bet on Duran’s victory.
Meanwhile, Celia voiced her concern.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“You’ve only learned the Aura Step in theory.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come out on top.”
Duran gestured towards a large tree growing out of a wall on the far end of the training grounds’ field.
“The rules are simple. Whoever circles that tree and gets back here first wins.”
“Sounds good.”
The two warmed up before getting ready to race.
Leo took off the bracelets from his wrists and ankles, recalling the theory Professor Ain had just taught them.
As they stood at the starting line after the warm-up, the student refereeing their race raised his hand high.
“Ready.”
Leo tensed his muscles.
“Go!”
They both burst off the line simultaneously.
Initially, Leo took the lead.
Duran scowled at Leo’s back.
‘He’s quick for someone so inexperienced.’
“Go for it! Keep it up, Leo!”
“Let’s go, Leoooooo!!!”
Carr cheered, fists clenched, while Chelsea jumped with excitement.
But Celia’s expression remained somber.
‘Duran hasn’t even used an Aura Step yet.’
At the moment, both were relying solely on their physical prowess.
Leo’s athleticism was impressive enough to outpace most.
But it was only a temporary advantage.
Once Duran activated his Aura, he quickly closed the gap.
Crackle, pop!
A golden Aura enveloped Duran’s legs.
His Aura was lightning-infused.
“I’ll take the lead now.”
Duran laughed as he surged forward.
Turning around the tree, Duran accelerated tremendously.
It seemed like Leo’s defeat was imminent.
Then, Leo, too suddenly surged forward like an explosion towards the training grounds’ furthest wall.
“Aura Step? But you said you’d never done it before!”
“I didn’t lie?”
The students buzzed with excitement.
Celia’s eyes widened in astonishment.
‘How is he learning so quickly?’
Leo showed no signs of slowing down, even as he neared the wall.
Thump thump thump thump
“Wait, what if they can’t stop in time?”
“They’re going to crash into the wall!”
The students screamed in alarm as they watched Leo hurtle towards the wall at breakneck speed.
And then…
Then Leo concentrated his strength on his legs, leaping forward.
He glanced back at Duran, his eyes fixed on the wall.
Thunk!
Leo surged forward, leaving a crack in the wall as he chased after Duran.
The students were amazed by the spectacle.
Duran’s expression stiffened as he noticed the commotion behind him.
Thump thump thump thump thump
Leo soared through the air like a bullet.
‘You little—!’
Though taken aback by the unexpected chase, Duran quickly regained his composure.
‘I must’ve lost my momentum at the turn!’
Duran kept his pace, confident he wouldn’t be overtaken.
But Leo burst up from the ground once more.
With his Aura Step firmly activated, his speed was unmatched.
Yet, he couldn’t close the gap with Duran.
They were halfway back to the starting line.
“Come on, Leo!”
“Run, Duran!”
The students cheered, divided in their support.
Celia bit her lip anxiously.
‘I don’t think Leo can catch up in time.’
Leo was aware of the challenge.
Sizzzzle
A flame appeared at the tip of Leo’s toes.
‘Just like Professor Ain demonstrated.’
He recalled Professor Ain’s aerial demonstration.
Though he couldn’t quite replicate it, he could mimic the technique.
Activating Phoenix Breath, Leo focused his Aura on his toes.
Sizzzzle
And…
‘I’m gonna hit the ground!’
Crash! Crackle!
The students paused at the sudden impact.
Celia’s jaw dropped.
‘Phoenix Step? Leo hasn’t mastered that yet, has he?’
Crackle! Crackle!
A series of small explosions echoed across the field.
Leo accelerated rapidly.
Burning up a magnificent burst of Aura, he caught up to Duran, just behind him.
“What? You punk!”
“I’ll be coming in first, Duran.”
Leo laughed and kicked off the ground with force.
Crackle!
“Go, Leo!”
Duran watched Leo closely, his eyes ablaze with determination.
Though only an arm’s reach away, he couldn’t quite catch Leo, surging ahead.
Leo’s flaming Aura and Duran’s lightning Aura streaked through the air.
Then Leo crossed the starting line first, by a narrow margin.
“Woooooooooaaaaah!”
“This is crazy! How are they so fast!”
The students exclaimed in amazement.
Wheeze, wheeze
Duran panted heavily, eyeing Leo.
Leo, also catching his breath, leaned on his knees, drenched in sweat.
“Wow! That was fast. You’re probably the fastest in our year, Leo!”
As Carr made a fuss, Celia interrupted.
“You wouldn’t win in a long-distance race.”
“What?”
“Celia’s right. Duran’s Aura capacity is much higher.”
Leo nodded in agreement with Celia.
“But I won. Remember, I said I’d win.”
“Oh, right. You’re incredible.”
Celia shook her head, while Leo let himself be flattered by her forced compliment.
“Leo! Here’s some water!”
“Thanks.”
Leo smiled gratefully as Chelsea handed him a bottle of water.
“He’s quite the catch, isn’t he? Must be a hit with the ladies. Is this what chivalry is?”
Carr admired Leo as Chelsea shook her head.
“That’s not chivalry.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“He threatened to singe my butt during the entrance exam just to get me to cooperate.”
Chelsea’s face turned sour as she recounted the incident.
Carr chuckled in response.
“A prototype of chivalry.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Aine]
[Proofreader – Ash]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
“I sensed it yesterday, but I see now that Professor Albi didn’t recommend him as the freshman representative for nothing.”
Professor Ain remarked, gazing out from the rooftop.
“Isn’t it your duty to intervene in student conflicts, Professor Ain?”
Ain chuckled when Claria, the associate professor, pointed this out.
“Isn’t it just tradition?”
Lumene attracted students from diverse cultures worldwide, each with varying status.
In the early days, such incidents happened like clockwork.
“This year’s freshmen show great potential. That’s why they’re each gaining so much attention at the academy. That’s why I felt it necessary to set some boundaries from the start of the semester.”
While Lumene’s ethos was equality, personal attachments were inevitable.
Despite his outward coldness, Ain’s passion for his students was evident.
This earned him respect from his students even post-graduation.
Though proud of his students, however, he lamented that none had reached hero status yet.
“You’ll raise a hero, Claria. You know how much I hope for it, right?”
“That’d be wonderful.”
Claria sighed, pulling out a notebook.
“So, what’s our move?”
While it was against school rules to engage in conflict without permission, this wasn’t quite a fight.
“It’s not worth intervening. Seems you’re quite fond of Leo.”
Professor Ain, though strict on rules, let this slide.
Claria chuckled, watching Leo, post-”battle,” chat with his friends.
* * *
After class, Leo sat in the student cafe.
Word of Leo and Duran’s showdown had already spread across the school.
“You’re the talk of the town on day one!”
Carr praised Leo with a thumbs up, while Chelsea sipped her fruit juice through a straw.
“Leo really nailed it back there.”
“Hey, Chelsea Lewellin. I’ve been wondering, when did you get so friendly with Leo? What about me?”
“It was just fate, I suppose.”
Chelsea teased with a playful grin.
“Summoning class is up next. Anyone going?”
Carr checked his schedule, prompting a glance from the others.
“I am.”
They all turned to Leo, curious about his choices.
The knight classes taught combat skills and sorcery classes helped enhance magical abilities.
However, summonology classes weren’t very useful unless naturally talented.
Leo mumbled to himself as he sipped his drink, earning puzzled looks from the group.
‘I wonder how they’d react if I triple-majored.’
After parting ways with them, Leo headed straight to the lecture room.
Then, he recalled the reward he received during the entrance exam.
Rewards in the Hero’s World were normally related to the powers of the hero who defeated the World.
Though, rewards were also rare to come by.
‘But I was given something unusual.’
Moreover, there was another mystery surrounding his reward.
‘Did Albi make a pact with the Fairy King or something?’
Rewards typically aligned with one’s magical abilities, and Leo’s reward was a tool for summoning, not sorcery.
The last known contractor with the Fairy King was Luna.
And that contract had been forged long ago.
Leo’s connection to the Fairy King, dormant since then, was now reawakened.
‘But I can’t form a contract with just words.’
To cement a pact, a catalyst related to the pact’s origin was required.
The summoning catalyst for a fairy was a leaf from the World Tree, all of which were destroyed by Erebos during the Age of Despair.
To forge a pact now, Leo needed to journey to the Land of the Fairies, a realm inaccessible to humans.
“But the Land of Fairies falls under the domain of the elves, off-limits to humans. Even if I go, there’s no guarantee I’ll meet the Fairy King.”
For now, it seemed like a useless reward.
“Are you also taking summonology?”
Leo was startled by a voice behind him.
Turning, he saw a fellow student standing there, tilting her head with a puzzled expression.
‘Where have I seen her before… oh… was she the captain from the East?’
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