LHAHS Chapter 341
"The first-year students are all currently preparing for their midterms. Since our teachers and seniors have helped us adjust to school life, we will do our best to achieve results that meet their expectations. Thank you."
A clear voice echoed through the hall. As the first-year representative finished her speech, applause rang out.
The young girl on stage gave a graceful bow before straightening her back and stepping down with poise.
Watching her, Lunia muttered, "She's the real deal."
Beside her, Eiran widened her eyes and tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," Lunia replied, resting her chin on her hand. "She's exactly the kind of top student Seiren wants."
The two of them were in the Comet Sanctum—the heart of Seiren. It was where Seiren's Hero Record was stored, along with countless other legacies left behind by the Comet Mage. In many ways, this place was the embodiment of Seiren's history itself.
It was also where the Student Representative Meeting was held. With the student council president at the center, each year's representatives gathered here. The top students of Seiren met to discuss academics—at least, that was the official reason. In reality, it was more of a networking event, a gathering of the most elite students.
Today's meeting had concluded with a speech from the first-year representative, Lea.
"Lunia, you're a top student too," Eiran pointed out.
"Not really. I'm a delinquent, remember?" Lunia chuckled.
"Lunia, Eiran. Focus on the meeting," a male student said sharply.
Lunia gave him a lazy glance. "I am."
"Don't take this lightly. We're here as second-year representatives," Tebson said firmly.
Eiran smiled awkwardly. "Tebson, this isn't such a rigid meeting. It's also a chance for juniors and seniors to build connections, so there's no need to be so tense."
That much was true. While the meeting was officially about academics, that was just the surface-level explanation. In reality, it was a social gathering. It wasn't meant to be overly formal.
Even after Eiran's explanation, Tebson remained stiff.
He's really desperate to be a student representative. Well, I guess that makes sense since he didn't get the position based on skill.
There were plenty of students in second-year Class 1 who were just as skilled as Tebson, if not more. Since becoming second-years, their class's representative had changed multiple times.
Lunia and Eiran's ranks had remained the same. Only third place had constantly shifted.
Most students had similar skill levels, which meant the representatives were often chosen based on what the teachers wanted rather than pure ability.
After Lea's speech, the social portion of the event began.
Tebson eagerly approached the third, fourth, and fifth-year representatives, enthusiastically introducing himself. But their reactions were lukewarm at best. Unlike Tebson, who was desperately trying to build connections, the upper-year representatives had little interest in speaking with him.
The reason was simple.
They don't think he deserves the position. Really, our seniors are quite the oddballs for elves.
Lunia had learned something after becoming a second-year. Anyone good enough to be a student representative had at least one strange quirk.
Even last year's graduate and former student council president, Raynia, had been a sadistic pervert.
"I just love bullying my cute first-years! Come to your big sister already!"
Lunia let out a dry chuckle as she recalled Raynia charging toward them for a hug.
And then there's Senior Hardin.
She glanced toward Hardin, the fourth-year top student and current student council president.
She hadn't liked him at first. He was the model Seiren student—the kind who constantly criticized her every move.
But in their second semester of first-year, when they had worked together to clear Luna's World, she had come to understand him better. Now, they had a decent relationship.
Hardin even believed Lunia was the most suitable candidate for the next student council president. Once he entered his fifth year, he planned to hand over the position to her.
Marven didn't show up again.
Lunia clicked her tongue at the absence of Marven, the fifth-year top student.
He was one of the few students openly dissatisfied with Seiren's current system. Being the fifth-year top student meant he was the strongest student in the academy.
Even Raynia had originally intended to pass the student council presidency to him. But Marven had refused.
His reason was simple—he didn't fit into Seiren's system. He lacked proficiency in Stellar Magic, which was the foundation of Seiren's current ideology.
He might have been the school's strongest fighter, but there were plenty of students with far greater Stellar Magic aptitude.
Yet despite this, his reputation outside of Seiren was so great that it was almost strange he wasn't the student council president.
Especially since, during the recent hero dungeon expedition, Marven had successfully recovered Seiren's Hero Record.
Seiren had almost no Hero Records left. Retrieving even one was an incredible achievement.
Even the extremist Pureblood Society that controlled Seiren had been forced to acknowledge his value. And yet, Marven had voluntarily declined the position.
The Pureblood Society keeps saying he stepped aside for the sake of the next generation.
But that didn't stop outsiders from finding it suspicious.
Most of the student representatives had their own grievances with the system.
The first-years are important. From the Pureblood Society's perspective, we're already tainted, but those kids are still blank slates.
Lunia shifted her gaze toward the first-years, who seemed awkward in their first representative meeting. They were still fresh, easily influenced.
Especially Lea Tingel. The Pureblood Society is probably keeping close tabs on her.
Lea carried immense symbolic weight. She was a direct descendant of Seiren and had recently succeeded in communicating with the Fairy King.
If I act rebellious, they'll probably push her even harder as the new symbol of Seiren. Maybe they'll even try to make her first-year student council president just to counter Leo.
Lunia clicked her tongue.
As she was lost in thought, the meeting concluded.
She and Eiran were about to head back to the second-year classrooms when…
Lea blocked their path in the hallway.
She stood firmly, not a single crease in her expression.
Lunia tilted her head. "You have something to say?"
"Yes."
Eiran smiled. "What is it, Lea?"
Lea, her face serious, asked, "What do you think about Seiren right now?"
At the sudden question, Lunia narrowed her eyes, while Eiran looked startled.
What do I think about Seiren? Obviously, it's a mess.
But given the circumstances…
With Lea being closely monitored by the Pureblood Society…
Lunia couldn't help but wonder.
Is she testing me?
Judging by Eiran's reaction, she was thinking the same thing.
"My opinion doesn't really matter, does it? Let's go, Eiran."
Lunia swept her hair back and turned to leave.
Grab.
Lea suddenly grabbed the hem of her uniform skirt.
"Please answer! It's my homework!"
"Hey! Let go!"
Lunia scowled, pulling at her skirt as Lea clung on.
"It's the homework Senior Plov gave me!"
"What?"
Lunia and Eiran froze.
Then they turned to look at each other.
"Leo gave you homework? What are you talking about?"
"Senior Plov is at Seiren right now."
Lea puffed out her chest proudly.
"And I'm going to be his personal disciple."
Leo had only agreed to teach her magic.
But somehow, Lea was already calling herself his apprentice.
"…Why is Leo at Seiren? Where is he now?"
"Oh! That's a secret between Senior Plov and me! I can't tell you!"
Lunia gave her a look of disbelief.
"…Is it possible that Leo came here as an exchange student?"
At those words, Lea flinched. Lunia folded her arms, nodding.
"Ah, so that's how it is."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a small grin.
"Then Leo must be in the first-year dorms."
"Why would he come here as a first-year exchange student?"
"Considering the state of our school, it's obvious."
Lunia's cold remark made Lea hesitate.
"A-anyway! Hurry up and tell me what you think about Seiren right now."
Lunia answered without hesitation.
"It's a mess."
"Huh? Why?"
Lea looked shocked, and Eiran let out a bitter laugh.
"It's gotten strange lately. The discrimination among students has gotten way too severe."
"Yeah. Compared to last year, Seiren is basically a garbage heap now."
"G-garbage heap?!"
"Lunia."
Eiran scolded her, but Lunia simply shrugged.
"I'm just stating the truth."
"Even so, that phrasing is a bit much."
"Then what should I call it?"
"Um… um…"
After thinking for a moment, Eiran cautiously suggested, "A failed school?"
"In a way, that sounds even worse."
Hearing their blunt assessment, Lea muttered seriously, "Maybe I should have applied to Lumene instead."
Lunia stared at her in shock.
She never expected to hear something like that from a direct descendant of the Tingel family.
"Well, first things first, I need to meet Leo."
"Huh? But that won't be easy."
"Then I'll meet him in secret."
Lunia grinned.
"In secret? How?"
"I'll sneak into his room at night."
"B-but at night…?"
Eiran's face instantly turned bright red.
"…You're thinking something weird again, aren't you?"
"N-no, I'm not!"
Eiran protested loudly.
Watching them, Lea spoke up.
"Seniors, I want to come too."
"…Why?"
"I'm curious about what Senior Plov's pajamas look like."
Hearing her dead-serious response, Lunia let out a deep sigh.
Even if I tell her not to come, she'll definitely show up.
Seeing the persistence in Lea's eyes, Lunia ended up telling her the time for their late-night meeting before sending her off.
"She's quite the energetic junior," Eiran said with a bright smile.
"This confirms it."
Lunia folded her arms.
"Every Seiren student representative is weird."
"Huh? I'm not weird."
"Oh? But I do know your hobby is reading those scandalous novels. What was the title of the one you were reading recently? The Younger Man Who Holds My Leash—"
"Mmmpf!"
Eiran, on the verge of tears, clamped a hand over Lunia's mouth.
After that small commotion, the two of them walked back to their classroom.
As they walked, Eiran wore a worried expression.
"…We're going to have to break school rules, huh?"
"Like that's anything new for us."
Lunia shrugged.
Eiran thought about it for a moment, then smiled.
"…That's true."
Unknowingly, she was steadily becoming more and more of a delinquent.
The highest floor of the Comet Sanctum.
This was the tallest place in Seiren, a space reserved only for the most important meetings and discussions.
At Star Plaza, the acting headmaster of Seiren, Lehagen, was speaking with someone.
"This is a joyous occasion. Not long after the return of the Nebula Pioneer, Seiren's Hero Record has come back to us as well."
Lehagen's voice was filled with emotion.
Hearing his words, Tion, who had just arrived at Seiren, let out a deep sigh.
"Mr. Lehagen. Are you certain that this Hero Record truly belongs to Seiren?"
"It is, Sir Tion."
"…Did you summon me because you need a key to unlock the Hero Record?"
The Tingel family was the lineage of the Comet Mage Seiren.
It was highly likely that their heirlooms contained an item capable of unlocking Seiren's Hero Record.
"Yes. Almost none of Seiren's Hero Records remain. The few that do are stored in Dragonia. But now, at last, Seiren's Hero Record has officially returned to our academy. It means that our students can inherit Seiren's power."
Lehagen smiled.
"This is an opportunity. After all, an elven hero is the most superior kind of hero…"
"Mr. Lehagen. Heroes are not superior beings."
Tion cut him off immediately.
"A hero is someone who moves forward with those around them. They are simply a little more exceptional than the rest."
"…I've always thought that your view of heroes differs greatly from mine, Sir Tion. Discussing it further would only lead to unnecessary conflict."
Lehagen's smile didn't waver as he dismissed the topic.
"What matters now is that the Comet Mage's Hero Record has returned to Seiren."
Tion nodded.
"Then, do you need the key to unlock Seiren's Hero World?"
"Before that, Mr. Lehagen—do you know why Seiren's Hero Records have almost completely disappeared?"
"…I only know that they were lost in the process of distributing the Hero Records 3,000 years ago."
"Since then, we have successfully recovered many of Seiren's Hero Records. Not only Seiren's but also those of the other Heroes of Dawn."
Lehagen's eyes widened.
This was information even he hadn't known.
"Then why do none of them remain? Did those greedy dragons take them?"
His voice was filled with anger, but Tion shook his head.
"This is the last letter Seiren left at the academy."
Tion pulled out an old envelope from his coat.
"Oh… A letter personally left behind by Seiren…!"
Lehagen's face lit up with reverence.
Accepting the letter with utmost care, he unfolded it, his hands trembling slightly.
But as he read the contents, his eyes widened in shock.
To the elves of future generations, the moment you discover my Hero Record, destroy it completely, leaving no trace behind.
—Seiren.
"This… What is the meaning of this…?"
"As per this will, all of Seiren's Hero Records, along with those of the other Heroes of Dawn, were destroyed the moment they were found. That is why their Hero Records no longer exist."