LHAHS Chapter 364
"It's summer already," Carl muttered as he gazed up at the scorching sun over the training grounds.
Half of the second-year first semester had passed, and summer had settled over Lumene.
Staring blankly at the sky, he let out a dry chuckle. "On this sweltering summer day…"
Fwoosh!
"…Why the hell am I fighting that massive ball of fire?"
"Brace yourselves, magic students!" Celia's voice rang out as flames surged around her body. Her delicate hands, normally slender and graceful, bulged with veins and raw power.
Seeing this, Carl paled and instinctively tried to flee.
"Don't run!" Chelsea shouted from the sidelines.
"What?"
"Don't run! Fight back!"
"Hey! If I get hit by that, I'm out in one shot!"
Before Carl could finish, Celia swung her arm with all her might. A blazing sphere of aura, as bright as the sun itself, hurtled toward the magic students.
"Uwaaah!"
"There's nowhere to escape!"
Screams erupted from all directions.
Rumble! Fwoosh!
The moment the fireball struck, the battlefield was engulfed in flames.
Watching from the sidelines, Chelsea folded her arms and muttered, "Pathetic."
Celia smirked, flipping her hair back as she surveyed the scorched battlefield, where the magic students had been wiped out in an instant.
Right now, the entire school was participating in a combat studies class.
Today's lesson was Bastera, a department-versus-department battle. Since the start of the second-year semester, most battles had been fought between dormitories, making this a rare and exciting change.
Teams and matchups were assigned at random. Unfortunately for Carl, his team had been chosen as the magic department's vanguard—a supposedly honorable position. Even worse, their opponent included none other than Celia, the knight department's final boss. His team, on the other hand, had no one capable of countering her.
The result was obvious: A complete massacre.
"Well done, Celia." Ain smiled approvingly.
Celia responded with a polite grin. "Thank you, Professor Ain."
"Urgh… We won't let your sacrifices be in vain."
"We'll avenge you… Rest in peace."
While the knight students basked in victory, the magic students, sprawled across the field, drowned in the bitterness of defeat.
Carl groaned from where he lay in the wreckage. "Hey, idiots."
"We're not dead, you know…" his teammates mumbled weakly.
Sighing, Chelsea used levitation magic to gather them up and turned to Len. "What should I do with them?"
"Chelsea, there's one thing our magic department does not need. Do you know what that is?"
"Losers?"
"No."
Still seated, legs crossed, resting his chin on his hand, Len spoke in a chilling voice. "Those who lose to the knight department. Send them to the infirmary."
Nodding, Chelsea promptly transported the defeated students to the medical ward at the edge of the training field.
"Nella! I brought them."
"Alright, lay them down over here."
Waiting inside was Nella.
One of the knight department's top students, she possessed an aura specialized for healing. Because of this, whenever combat classes involved large-scale battles, she often took on the role of a healer.
"Nella, please heal us."
The magic students beamed up at her.
"You guys lost, and you're still happy?" Chelsea frowned.
One of the male students chuckled. "Getting treated by one of the prettiest girls in our grade makes it feel like she's healing our hearts, too."
"So, you're proud of getting obliterated by Celia Zerdinger?"
"Ack! Ow, ow!"
Chelsea jabbed at his burned arm with her staff, making him cry out.
"Chelsea, stop harassing the patients."
"…Fine."
Back in first-year Class 5, there had been only two people Chelsea actually listened to: Leo and Nella.
Having delivered the wounded, she returned to the training grounds and approached Leo, who was watching the matches unfold.
"Who's up next?"
"Chloe's team versus Eliza's team."
"Chloe, go for it! Crush Eliza Hergin into dust!" Chelsea cheered loudly.
Hearing this, Chloe chuckled before gripping her staff and stepping into the arena.
Leo smiled slightly.
"Which department are you fighting for this time?" Chelsea asked.
"The summoning department."
Summoning had fewer students compared to the other departments, so Leo often joined their team to balance the numbers. Of course, he never used the Three Great Summons in these battles. If he did, it wouldn't be fair.
"So, we're enemies again? I wanted to be on your team for once." Chelsea pouted slightly.
Leo laughed. "We can team up next time."
"I wanted to show you how much I improved this past month."
Reaching out, Leo ruffled her hair. "I know."
Chelsea blinked up at him in surprise.
"I already know how much stronger you've gotten."
While Leo had been at Seiren, the second-years had been clearing Hero Worlds. Through that, they had all moved forward. Some had advanced by mere steps. Others had taken great strides.
Chelsea was among those who had significantly grown.
Satisfied, she beamed and rubbed her head against his hand.
Not just Chelsea.
Back during the midterms, Leo had chosen students with the potential to walk the path of heroes. At the time, the gap between them had seemed insurmountable. Yet not a single one of them had given up.
"Hmph. How very relaxed of you." A scoff came from behind. "So, our esteemed student council president thinks he can afford to act all calm and composed?"
Leo turned to see Duran seated nearby. He met Duran's gaze for a moment before looking back toward the field.
"I'm not being complacent," Leo said evenly. "Whether it's Chelsea or you, I think either of you might end up walking the same path as me one day. That's why I want you to grow even stronger."
Duran's eyes flickered. The same path…
He recalled Leo's goal from their first year.
The subjugation of Erebos.
It had always seemed like an absurd notion. No one seriously set such a goal. And yet, at least once… everyone had dreamt of it.
This guy… When he talked about qualifications during the midterms… Was that what he meant?
"You're saying you'll be standing at the end of that path, waiting?"
"Yeah. So if you want to stand on the same stage as me, just chase after me whenever you're ready." Seated with his back to Duran, Leo spoke calmly. "I'll be waiting at the summit."
"…Arrogant bastard." Duran scowled, but the fire in his eyes only burned hotter. His fingers clenched and unclenched before his lips curled into a smirk.
Leo Plov… Fine. I'll chase after you.
After combat class, the next lecture was Mel's special Hero Studies class—one that all second-years eagerly anticipated.
Though she was a new professor this year, Mel had already become the most popular instructor at Lumene. Her special class covered topics on the history of the Twilight Knight Lumene, a subject beloved across all grades. Not only was the class engaging, but she had a knack for listening to students' concerns.
In a school where the curriculum was notoriously grueling, Mel's class was one of the few where students could truly relax. Unsurprisingly, she was adored by students of all backgrounds.
"She's got an entire fan club among the guys, you know?" Carl grinned as he fell into step with Leo on their way to class. "A beautiful professor like her—it's every guy's dream."
Tade, who had been eating lunch with Carl, folded his arms and nodded. "More like a grandma."
"You little—!"
"You dare call Professor Mel a grandma?!"
"Her class is an oasis for us, damn it! An oasis!"
Carl and Tade erupted in outrage.
Leo, unfazed, merely pointed ahead. "And yet, you're late."
"Ahem! Professor Mel has a generous heart! She'll understand!"
"Exactly!"
"Her class is pure healing!"
"Of course, of course!"
Carl threw open the lecture hall door with a dramatic flourish.
"Bold of you, thinking you can afford to be late," a cold voice greeted them.
Carl and Tade stiffened.
Standing inside, checking his watch, Harrid remarked, "Ten minutes late. I hope you have a good excuse for disrupting this sacred lecture time… for the sake of your fellow second-years."
Murderous glares pierced the three latecomers from every corner of the room.
There was nothing Harrid, the Wailing Wall of Lumene, despised more than tardiness, and what made him truly terrifying was that he enforced collective punishment.
Not for any profound reason, but simply because it was an efficient way to discipline late students.
As a result, anyone caught arriving late was automatically despised by their peers.
At the front of the class, a few unfortunate souls were already lined up against the wall, their heads bowed in silent penitence.
Carl and Tade turned ghostly pale.
Before they could try and talk their way out of it, Leo raised a hand. "There was a student council meeting during lunch."
"Pass." Harrid immediately turned to Carl and Tade.
Without another word, the two dejectedly shuffled to join the other latecomers and pressed their foreheads to the wall.
"As much as I'd love to personally reeducate every single one of you, this isn't my class. So, for now, I'll let it slide," Harrid said with a sigh.
The second-years let out a collective breath of relief.
"You lot, get up."
The latecomers scrambled to their feet, barely restraining their cheers…
"Now, come up to the podium and bow your heads there instead."
Their brief joy shattered instantly as they trudged up front with despairing faces.
"There are probably some of you wondering why I'm here in a second-year class. It's because today's lesson will be conducted jointly with the first-years."
The room buzzed with murmurs.
Moments later, the door opened, and Mel entered, leading a group of first-years.
"Alright, everyone, go find your mentors," she said with a gentle smile.
As soon as she spoke, the first-years scattered, seeking out their second-year mentors.
"Professor Harrid," Carl asked cautiously, "can we go to our seats now?"
"Why would that be necessary?"
Carl laughed awkwardly, only for Harrid to smirk and call forward their mentees.
Then, he had the first-years stand beside them.
"What outstanding mentors you are," Harrid said dryly. "Setting a fine example by demonstrating exactly what happens when you're late."
The second-years groaned.
"Senior Carl never fails to meet expectations," Juen remarked.
"That's not exactly a compliment."
"It wasn't meant to be one!"
Juen's retort made Carl chuckle.
With that, mentors and mentees finally settled in.
Chloe raised a hand. "Professor Harrid, Professor Mel, what will today's lesson be about?"
Mel smiled. "Before we begin, we have an announcement."
At her signal, Harrid gave a slight nod.
Clearing her throat, Mel addressed the class. "This concerns the upcoming Field Training Missions for first- and second-years."
"Field training?"
"Are we going on missions?"
The first-years exchanged surprised glances. Normally, field training missions didn't begin until the second semester of first year.
"Yes," Mel confirmed. "Technically, it's a joint mission with the second-years."
She smiled, and Harrid took over.
"This mission will be conducted in teams—each team consisting of a mentor and their mentee."
The first-years let out excited murmurs.
"The objective of this field training," Harrid continued, "is Hero Dungeon exploration."