[Translator – Aine ]
[Proofreader – Ash ]
Chapter 80
Three professors strolled through the Tower of Heroes’ corridors.
Professors Ain, Len, and Yura, the overseers of the first-years in their respective departments.
The three Lumene legends seemed unusually tense.
Summoning all first-year students for an announcement hinted at something significant.
Ordinarily, they wouldn’t be this apprehensive.
But this year’s first-years were different.
That was because among the students of each department, there existed one student who had the potential to disrupt the balance of the departments.
‘Leo Plov…’
The wildcard in the inter-departmental competition, the only all-class student, who was notorious for his competence in each field.
His choice would tip the scales in any department’s favor.
However, the professors were each confident Leo would choose their own department.
‘Leo would surely pick the Knight Studies Department.’
Ain, long aware of his skill in wielding his flaming Aura, was convinced.
‘Leo has an overwhelming talent for sorcery. He was able to complete a spell once incomplete for millenia during his class trip! Given Leo’s prowess in sorcery, he’ll obviously opt to fight for the Sorcery Department.’
Len, despite also being aware of his sorcery abilities, had no doubt, either.
‘Having contracted a Phoenix, where else would his allegiances lie?’
Yura, too, couldn’t even imagine him betraying her department.
Their unity was rare, given their usual clashes.
Their expressions fell upon reaching the auditorium.
“Why’s Leo alone?”
“He’s decided to be a one-man army.”
Torua responded to Len’s question.
“Everyone has heard the announcement, right? Today, we gather for the Majors Competition.”
The first-years snapped to attention.
“Before that, I will explain the presence of the upperclassmen. Allow me to introduce Jamua.”
Jamua stepped forward.
“Hello! I’m Li Jamua!”
His booming voice filled the room.
“You’re all here for a joint class! But once you take that class…”
Jamua’s presence exuded authority.
“You’ll all choose to dedicate your lives to Knight Studies! I think even the dual-class students among this class will decide to forgo their other major for Knight Studies!”
Some students nodded
“Knights endure hardship with their bodies alone! Discipline is paramount! For any Knight Studies majors here, I’ll train alongside you for another month! Can’t wait to see you on the training field!”
The students buzzed with excitement.
“Training with Jamua? That’s incredible!”
The Knight Studies majors were particularly thrilled.
Training with a respected senior for a month felt like a great opportunity.
Torua Yan, after Jamua’s introduction, greeted the first-years.
“Hi, first-years. I’m Torua Yan. I hate lies, so here’s the truth.”
Her tongue-in-cheek expression intrigued the students.
“I find your sorcery skills lacking.”
The unexpected critique stirred some anger amongst the first-years.
“I’ve reviewed the sorcery papers you’ve submitted before midterm season. While some were interesting, most fell short.”
One student dared to question her, raising his hand.
“You said you’ve read them all? What about ‘The Efficiency of Mana Conversion from Flame to Light’?”
“Of course. 17 pages, right? It’s common sense to convert flame into an intermediate pool of thermal energy for the sake of conserving energy.”
“…”
Her immediate answer shut the student right up.
Torua effortlessly answered the ensuing series of first-years’ questions about their papers.
The sorcery students were left astonished, unable to believe that she had read and remembered all of their work.
“Sorcery demands creativity. Exploration. You can only grow as a sorcerer if you recognize and embrace your own style—your own personality within your spells. Admittedly, that is hard in this day and age. But merely inheriting past knowledge and techniques built up by our predecessors won’t cut it. You must reinterpret it to make it your own.”
Torua smiled.
“Over the course of the next month, I will extend to you all of the values of sorcery as your mentor.”
“So, that means we can learn directly from Torua?”
“I won’t teach; I will only provide perspective.”
The sorcery students were surprised but intrigued.
After internalizing Torua’s spiel, the energy was high in the room.
Ulta stepped forward next.
“Hello, juniors. Let me ask—what does a summoner need most? Let’s hear from you two.”
Eliza looked up at Ulta’s request.
“I think it’s charisma that can have the greatest impact.”
“Wrong.” Eliza’s proud eyes wriggled in embarrassment.
“Overwhelming force, no?” Walden answered with an expressionless face.
“Wrong.”
Ulta shook his head, opening his arms up to the audience.
“No, no. What a summoner needs most… is love.”
“…”
“…”
Eliza and Walden were taken aback by Ulta’s unexpected answer.
“A summoner must embrace spirits with love. Love fosters motivation. Ah! What a beautiful ripple effect!”
Torua, watching Ulta’s exaggerated gesturing while talking about love, groaned.
“I get what he’s saying, but he doesn’t have to be so weird about it.”
“You seem normal compared to him, our number two nerd.”
“Muscle head.”
“Sorcery geek.”
Jamua and Torua exchanged childish insults.
Meanwhile, Yura sighed, intervening and taking the stage.
“To interpret him for you, you must embrace the essence of each spirit and summons.”
“Ah—”
The Summoning students collectively grasped the concept.
“Yes! Precisely! For the next month, I’ll teach you all you need to know about love!”
The Summoning students exchanged puzzled looks at Ulta’s declaration.
“Thank you, Ulta. Now…”
Professor Yura captured the first-years’ attention once more.
“Why are your seniors mentoring you all for a month? Points to the department for a correct answer.”
Hands shot up, a sudden beginning to their competition.
“There, from the Sorcery boy!”
“To prepare for the Majors Competition!”
“Wrong. Next!”
“So we can improve our abilities!”
“Wrong!”
Many answers were given, but none were correct.
Even the most cautious answers given by the leading students of each department couldn’t muster the approval of Yura.
Once there were nearly no students left to answer, Leo raised his hand.
“Leo, go ahead.”
All eyes turned to him.
His peers seemed surprised.
They were excited to see if he could answer it, seeing as he could do practically everything else, too.
“To prepare for the Hero’s World.”
The professors and upperclassmen were intrigued.
“More precisely?”
“The knights’ discipline, sorcerers’ creativity, and summoners’ empathy—all of these skills are fundamental,” Leo elaborated calmly.
“My understanding is that from the second semester on, Lumene students travel into the Hero Records to inherit the powers of our predecessors.”
The first-years listened intently.
“So I think that the upperclassmen want to mentor us so that we won’t be overwhelmed by that power.”
“That’s correct.”
Yura smiled approvingly.
Len, watching the scene, turned to Ain.
“Ever seen a freshman nail it like that?”
“Never.”
Ain burst into laughter.
‘That’s the answer of someone who knows what it is to be a hero.’
“Leo Plov got it. They’ll be preparing you to lead the charge in the dungeons, attempting various Hero Worlds for significant rewards.”
The students’ eyes lit up with anticipation.
Gaining new power through exploring the Hero Records crafted by students in their discipline before them!
It was a long-held dream for many.
Coming to Lumene for this purpose was common among students.
“You must know how a hero handles their powers. This is what your upperclassmen will impart to you over the next month.”
Their eyes sparkled at the prospect.
“Professor, what about the Majors Competition?”
The competition was a little different every year.
The events typically took place in the form of a sports competition, where their abilities were evaluated on an individual and team basis.
Sometimes there were more strings attached.
And in some years, working in the Hero’s Worlds was incorporated into the competition, too.
“It hasn’t been decided yet. We’re still waiting for details, too.”
Ain’s response left the students surprised.
Not only the first-years, but the fifth-years, too.
“They haven’t been decided yet?”
“I guess they don’t love us enough.”
“Don’t start with love. You’re so weird.”
Ulta looked crestfallen at Jamua’s comment.
“The principal said he would be announcing it today. He’s on his way.”
Ain’s announcement was followed promptly by the principal’s entrance.
The first-years tensed at Kalian’s imposing presence, strong and spirited, unfitting for an elderly man.
Kalian, standing before the podium, spoke in a stern voice.
The first-years all swallowed their dry throats at the sight.
“The principal’s always intense.”
Carr’s comment reminded Chloe of her meeting with Kalian the other day.
‘He felt like a neighborly grandpa then.’
“I struggled in selecting the format for this year’s Majors Competition.”
Kalian’s grin swept over the students.
His gaze settled on Leo, sitting alone.
A significant expression crossed Kalian’s face.
“This year’s first-year competition will be conducted in a slightly different way than others. In a sense, it could even be considered an individual competition, rather than that of the departments.”
The first-years were buzzing.
The professors, who were waiting in the background, also looked nervous.
Kalian slammed his fist on the podium.
“This year’s Majors Competition shall be a Battle Royale!”
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