LHAHS Chapter 428
"It's bigger than I expected."
"So this is Leo's family home…!"
In front of the mansion on the Plov estate, Lunia muttered as she gazed at the grand entrance. Beside her, Eiran looked tense.
"Eiran, let's go inside."
"Lunia, are you sure this is enough? Leo's parents will be here, after all. What if the gift is too modest?"
"You're the one who said that bringing something too extravagant would only be burdensome."
"Ahh! I can't believe I did something so foolish!" Eiran, overwhelmed by nerves, was now spiraling into self-reproach. "Wait! Let's go back and get another gift…"
"Then we'll be late." Lunia grabbed Eiran by the nape of her neck and dragged her forward.
"Ahh! Lunia, wait a second!"
"Ugh! Stop whining and just come already!"
As Eiran clung desperately to the iron gate, refusing to move, Lunia gritted her teeth and tried to pry her off.
While the two elves were struggling at the mansion's entrance, a triumphant voice rang out from behind them.
"It seems you're afraid of the training camp!"
Lunia turned her head to see a cat beastman with a swishing white tail standing confidently, hands on her hips. It was Aru, exhaling sharply through her nose.
Beside her, Drianna stood with her arms crossed.
"You're here?" Still holding Eiran by the scruff, Lunia rested one hand on her hip and tilted her head, her expression sharp.
Seeing Lunia's usual aggressive posture, Drianna remarked, "I think this every time, but Lunia, you really look like a thug."
"Huh? You mean she's not a thug?!"
"Who are you calling a thug, you perverted dwarf and dumb cat?!" Lunia snapped, her temper flaring.
Eiran muttered quietly, "Sometimes, you do seem like a thug."
"What?"
"Eek!"
As Lunia's eyes flashed dangerously, Eiran clung even tighter to the iron gate. Lunia tried to peel her off, but Eiran, a knight, was physically stronger to begin with.
"Hey, cat, help me pull her off. She's refusing to move!"
"It's a nuisance if she keeps blocking the entrance."
"That's what I'm saying!"
Aru joined Lunia in trying to pry Eiran away.
Creaaaaak!
As Aru pulled, an ominous sound came from the gate. Unlike before, even Eiran started to look strained.
"Why is she so stubborn?!" Aru, growing frustrated, gritted her teeth and pulled harder.
While watching them struggle, Drianna sighed in exasperation. "What are you guys even doing?"
At the same time, a voice called out. "What are you all up to?"
"Kyah?!"
"Ugh?!"
Lunia and Aru, caught off guard, lost their balance and tumbled to the ground.
Unlike them, Eiran stood perfectly composed. After dusting off her clothes, she stepped forward and handed Leo a package. "Leo, have you been enjoying your break? Thank you so much for inviting us! Here… it's not much, but it's a gift!"
Leo smiled as he accepted it. "Thanks, my mother will love it."
Hearing that, Eiran blushed, covering her cheeks with both hands and fidgeting shyly.
Watching her, Lunia and Aru lunged forward without hesitation.
"W-What are you doing?"
"You really don't know?"
"Now it's your turn!"
Eiran yelped and ran for her life as the two chased after her, eyes gleaming with vengeance.
Drianna, watching the chaos, sighed. "And these are the so-called future of our races? I fear for the coming generations."
"You're not really in a position to say that," Leo said.
Drianna ignored him.
"What? The training camp instructors are our academy graduates?!"
"That's what I'm saying. I heard it directly from Senior Torua yesterday. She disappeared later in the evening, though."
By now, many students had gathered at the mansion, and not just from Lumene. There were also students from Seiren, Azonia, and Damien.
Invitations had been sent to the top-performing first- and second-year students from each school.
"Hah! This feels like a school rivalry event!" Eliana rubbed her chin, her eyes sparkling.
Hearing her, Borman, ranked fifth in Azonia, crossed his arms and laughed. "Sounds fun. But of course, the most outstanding school will be Azonia!"
At his declaration, the Azonia students cheered.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Eliana clicked her tongue and waggled her finger. "Sorry, but you guys won't be able to beat us! You know why?"
Lifting her head high, she placed a hand over her mouth and let out a laugh. "Because we have Leo Plov! Hohoho! We'll make sure you taste bitter defeat!"
"Grgh?!" Borman gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.
Watching Eliana, Chelsea muttered, exasperated, "She's not even the one who's strong, so why is she acting so arrogant?"
"Someone stop her, this is embarrassing," Tade groaned, burying his face in his hands.
Sitting in a corner, eyes closed and arms crossed, Duran spoke. "Chen Xia, remove her."
"Me?"
"Should I do it?"
Crackle—!
Sparks flickered around Duran's body.
Seeing that, Chen Xia smiled awkwardly and approached Eliana. "Eliana, that's enough. Come over here."
"Why? I need to intimidate the other schools a little mo—mmph?! Mmph?!"
Before she could finish, Chen Xia swiftly covered her nose and mouth with a white cloth. Eliana struggled for a moment before her eyes rolled back, and she went limp.
"Our school apologizes for the disturbance," Chen Xia said, smiling radiantly.
The students from other schools instantly paled.
"She's not dead, right?"
"She's not even twitching…"
"Lumene's upperclassmen are terrifying."
As the first-years from other schools murmured anxiously, Celia arrived.
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "It's really crowded with so many people here."
Chelsea greeted her politely, "Welcome, Celia."
Celia flinched and frowned. "What? Why are you acting all weird?"
Chelsea was smiling far too kindly, which put Celia on edge.
Ignoring Celia's suspicion, Chelsea maintained her pleasant smile. "You know, I found something interesting."
She pulled out a photograph.
"Tada!"
Celia, who had been eyeing her warily, turned pale the moment she saw it.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You! Where did you get that?!"
"Who knows? Where did I get it?"
"Argh!"
Her face flushed red, Celia lunged at Chelsea, snatched the photograph, and shredded it before burning the pieces with fiery aura. Then she stormed over to Leo.
"Hey! Leo! How could you?!"
Leo, who had been chatting with Chloe and Abad, merely shrugged.
Chloe offered a wry smile, while Abad simply gave his usual gentle grin.
"It suited you quite well," Abad remarked.
"Erase that from your mind this instant, damn it!" Celia shrieked as if she were having a seizure, grabbing Leo by the collar and shaking him furiously. "You promised to keep it a secret! A secret!"
"I wasn't the one who showed it to them, it was Mom."
"Auntie did?" Celia's face crumpled into a pout. If Reina had shown it, there was nothing she could say.
"Grabbing the young master's collar—what an ill-mannered maid."
"Indeed. Celia, such rough behavior is unbecoming of a maid's proper mindset."
Eliza, watching with an obvious smirk, made a biting remark, while Chen Xia, who had just subdued Eliana, smiled sweetly.
Infuriated, Celia lunged at both of them, wrapping her hands around their necks.
"Let go, Celia Zerdinger!"
"Don't be angry, Celia."
Eliza flailed while Chen Xia remained unfazed.
Just as the commotion was reaching its peak, a clear, cheerful voice rang out.
"It's good to see everyone so full of energy."
The voice resonated vividly in every student's ears.
All eyes turned toward the mansion's second floor. There, standing with a veil over her face, was a small girl.
"Dragon Queen."
The Dragon Queen, whom they had seen during the last summit, stood before them. They had all seen her once before, but this was the first time they were seeing her up close.
As the tension spread among them, Melina unfurled a banner over the second-floor railing.
Flutter—!
"Welcome, everyone, to the training camp."
Melina clapped her small hands together with a bright smile.
However, the students remained frozen, staring at the banner.
"Welcome to Hell?" Chelsea muttered with a grimace.
Carl, seeing this, looked as though he had already given up on life. "Of course."
Why is it that bad premonitions are never wrong?
Carl sighed with a sad smile.
As everyone swallowed dryly…
Creeeeak—! Thud—!
The open doors slammed shut with a heavy sound.
"Now then, everyone…"
"Hey, hey, something feels off."
"What's happening?"
As the students murmured uneasily…
"The training camp begins."
With those words, the scenery changed. The students, now suddenly thrown into the middle of a canyon, stared blankly up at Melina. Standing on the cliff's edge, she waved down at them.
"Have a safe trip."
"Kyaaaaaah!"
"Uwaaaaaaah!"
Under the unyielding force of gravity, the students plummeted down the cliff.
Whoooooosh!
As she plunged into the endless abyss, Aru kept a calm expression.
No need to panic. I'll use aura—
The moment she tried to summon her aura, she froze. The aura inside her responded only faintly, far weaker than usual.
She couldn't use her full strength, but she had no time to dwell on it. Aru swiftly reinforced her hands with what little aura she could muster. Then, extending her claws, she slashed at the cliffside.
Scrrrrrrrrrrch—!
Using friction, she forcibly slowed her descent. Just as a triumphant grin spread across her face, however…
Bzzt—!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, her body became incredibly heavy.
Thud—!
Her grip slipped under the unexpected weight.
Scrrrrrch—! Thud! Crack! Slam!
Aru crashed to the ground, groaning in pain. She wasn't seriously injured, but it hurt like hell.
She wasn't the only one who had fallen. Eiran, Celia, and Duran had landed nearby as well.
"Aah, that hurt…" Eiran whimpered as she struggled to her feet.
Celia gritted her teeth, enduring the pain. Duran, though outwardly calm, moved sluggishly due to the impact. Aru also forced herself up.
Each school had sent fifteen second-year students. Among them, Aru had ended up with these three.
"Looks like we've been scattered," Celia murmured.
Aru asked, "Was it random? Or were we grouped like this on purpose?"
"Hmph. It was probably assigned in advance." Duran scoffed. "All four of us are front-liners, after all."
Eiran nodded. "Yeah, our role is to hold the front lines."
"Not quite." A voice came from above.
All four of them looked up simultaneously. Two of them, possessing excellent eyesight, quickly spotted Leo sitting casually on the cliff's edge, gazing down at them.
"In battle, your role isn't just to hold the enemy back. It's to annihilate them. Just like the Brave Hero Aaron."
Their overwhelming firepower stood out even among those with exceptional physical strength and endurance.
"Leo!"
"Hey, Black Rabbit! Why are you the only one still up there?! Get down here!"
"Aren't you participating in the training camp?"
Eiran beamed and waved, while Aru pouted.
Celia, puzzled, asked, "Wait, did you already climb back up there?"
Duran folded his arms. "No, he cleared the task immediately."
"That's right, Duran." Leo chuckled and nodded. "I finished this part the moment it started."
"So? Are you saying you're going to wait for us?" Duran asked.
Leo smirked. "I've been waiting for you all this time."
"What?"
At his cryptic words, not only Duran but the others also looked confused.
"So?" Leo spoke again. "How long are you going to make me wait?"
Staring up at Leo, who stood at an unreachable height, Aru scoffed. "We'll be up there soon. Just wait."
"Good." Leo smiled as he stood. "Then I'll be waiting."
With that, he left the cliff's edge without hesitation.
As he walked away, Melina asked, "You really are looking forward to the day they catch up, aren't you?"
"I am." Leo grinned.
"Do you think they can take the place of the Great Heroes?"
"They can't replace them. Just like you can't, and neither can the Heroes of Dawn."
"…I suppose that's true. We could never compare to them. We could never take their place." Melina shrank back slightly as if feeling guilty.
Leo reached out and ruffled her hair. "That's not what I meant."
"Huh?"
"You're you, and they're them."
Melina looked up at Leo in surprise.
"Just like they can't replace you, you can't replace them." Leo chuckled. "You think we saved the world with our strength alone? We just happened to be a little stronger than others. Anyone with the resolve to put their life on the line to protect the world is a valuable and trusted ally."
Leo pulled his hand away and walked forward. "Now, get up on stage already. We're waiting."
As she watched Leo's retreating back, Melina turned her gaze to the canyon below and called out, "Everyone, you'll have to work hard. The Hero of the Beginning is waiting for you."