LHAHS Chapter 441
Chen Xia looked up at Aaron as he gently patted her head. With a hint of embarrassment, she muttered, "I'm actually older than Sir Leo, you know?"
"R-Really?" Aaron looked a little flustered.
Chen Xia huffed and stood up. "Still, thanks to your advice, I've been able to think things through again." She bowed her head slightly. "And Instructor Akan, don't be too hard on yourself either. I'm sure your friend wouldn't want that."
"That's true."
"Even if you gave up back then, there will definitely be another chance."
"Another… chance?"
"Yes. Sir Leo taught me that. He told me not to despair and keep my head down just because I was in the darkness." Chen Xia smiled brightly. "If I lift my head and move forward, reaching out my hand… there will surely be light waiting for me."
"…That sounds just like Leo."
"Right? Seriously, what does he even think of me? He keeps treating me like a kid."
"What did he say?"
"He told me that since I'm a kid, I should just focus on dreaming. Can you believe that? He's two years younger than me!"
Aaron laughed. "That's good advice."
"How are the kids doing?" Torua, seated in the instructors' lounge, asked while reading a magic tome.
"Perfect," Jamua grinned in satisfaction. "No matter what school they're from, they're all following my systematic training perfectly."
"Systematic, my ass. You're just beating them up with punches and kicks like a brute," Torua remarked sharply.
Jamua shrugged. "Punching and kicking require more finesse than you think. Just like how hammering metal to forge weapons is a skill in itself."
"As expected of Lee Jamua, last year's toughest man in Lumene," Derow, the former vice president of Azonia's student council, nodded, arms crossed.
Torua, however, shook her head. "What are you talking about? The toughest man in Lumene last year was Rhys."
"No, Rhys was the third toughest."
"Then who was second?"
"You."
"I'm a woman, you beast."
Derow even gave her a thumbs-up. "Hah! Be proud, Torua Yan! You're more manly than most men!"
Torua seriously contemplated which spell she should use to roast him alive. He probably thought he was giving her a compliment, but to Torua, it was anything but.
As she was lost in thought, Jamua spoke up. "And what about you, Torua? Are you training the juniors well?"
"Of course. I'm letting the students with weak resistance to magic experience various types of spells firsthand."
"You mean you're using them for magic experiments?"
"Hmph. Two birds with one stone, right?"
Torua was in charge of training students particularly vulnerable to magic.
"Recently, I've been researching a spell that uses neural magic to create a curse effect. This is the perfect opportunity to test it."
"As expected of Lumene's madwoman," Vanir remarked.
"Why the hell am I a madwoman?"
Vanir scoffed. "You even have to ask? When it comes to magic, you do all sorts of crazy things. What was it this time? You said you wanted to dissect Leo Plov and Lunia El Lunda, didn't you?"
"It's all for the sake of magic. And if I stitch them back up nicely, there's no problem, is there?"
"That's exactly why you're a madwoman."
"Hmph. And you're no better, throwing kids off cliffs and torturing them. Freaking lunatic rabbit."
Torua and Vanir growled at each other.
Watching them, Jamua muttered, "They're still the same."
"Back in school, Vanir was even more competitive with Torua than she was with Rhys," Derow added, shaking his head.
As the two reminisced…
"Hmph. You all lack love," Ulta declared, spreading his arms dramatically.
Jamua glanced at him and spoke. "Ulta, you only have two students under your care, right? I heard things aren't going well with them."
"I am spreading love. Love is something difficult to recognize at first."
"…Uh, sure."
Deciding that conversation was pointless, Jamua simply shook his head.
At that moment, Raynia, the former student council president of Seiren, said, "Aren't you all slacking off as instructors? Having fun for yourselves, indulging in personal interests…"
"You have no right to say that."
"You literally put them through some bizarre hellish training."
"And you enjoy tormenting the juniors, don't you? You sadist."
As complaints poured in from all sides, Raynia cupped her cheeks. "But it's fun when they scream."
"…No matter how I think about it, Seiren is the most insane among the hero academies."
"Yeah. They act all refined, but they're the weirdest bunch."
"I heard the next student council president candidate, Lunia, is a total delinquent?"
The graduates murmured among themselves, but Raynia remained unfazed.
Just then, the door opened, and a young man with black hair—Rhys Zerdinger—walked in.
"Rhys, how are the first-years?"
"They're all obedient. This year's first-years seem especially well-behaved. And they get along well with each other."
"Even though they're from different schools?" Vanir asked.
"Yeah. This year's first-years socialize a lot and make friends easily."
"Hmm? So they're sociable?"
Typically, hero academies had a strong sense of rivalry among schools. Especially among first-years, that rivalry often turned into outright hostility.
Even among the second-years, it was only because they had bonded during the Exclusive Smith Contract Workshop at the beginning of the semester that they were able to get along.
If not for that, they likely wouldn't have spoken to one another at all.
In fact, during the Exclusive Smith Contract Workshop, interactions between schools were minimal.
Yet, this year's first-years seemed to be forming friendships at an unusually fast pace.
"They're not quite at the second-years' level, but they're all above average. Usually, the more talented a generation is, the more arrogant they are, making it hard for first-years to bond."
"Like us?"
"Exactly."
The graduates chuckled. Now that they had all graduated and spent five years clashing with each other, they had developed a sense of camaraderie, but back when they were in their first and second years, tensions had been much higher.
"Why are they like that?"
"Probably because their seniors are so overwhelmingly skilled. It's hard to be full of yourself when you're constantly feeling inferior."
"Yeah, if those guys were my seniors, I'd feel humbled too."
The current second-years were considered one of the strongest cohorts in history, regardless of school.
"Honestly, after observing them, I don't think the top of their class is at a second-year level."
"Normally, when you reach that level, you get a little complacent, but they show no signs of that."
"Why are these terrifying juniors never letting their guard down? It's nerve-wracking for us seniors."
Hero academies were places where only the best gathered. Every student was considered a genius, and among those geniuses, the ones who reached the top naturally became arrogant. However, the second-years showed not a single trace of complacency.
"That's because there's a monster among them," Rhys said with a grin.
Raynia narrowed her eyes. "Leo Plov. Even though he's only a second-year, he's already beyond the level of a student. The strongest among the second-years… No, it's more accurate to say he's the strongest student across all the hero academies."
Everyone present was close to reaching the level of a hero, and some were even expected to have their names recorded in the Hero Record in the near future.
Receiving such recognition less than half a year after graduating was something rare, even in the long history of heroes. Yet, they all instinctively understood that Leo was on a different level than them.
"Was he that strong in his first year too?"
"He wasn't exactly human back then either, but he wasn't this bad."
Everyone encountered a wall at some point in their growth, but not Leo.
In fact, Leo's growth is accelerating. He's only getting stronger, faster, Rhys mused.
Derow wondered aloud, "Just what the hell is he?"
Jamua crossed his arms and smirked. "I think he's just a monster."
"I'm guessing he's the sixth race." Torua added her own speculation.
"Leo is simply overflowing with love." Ulta spread his arms and laughed.
Rhys shrugged. "Whatever he may be, if his presence helps our juniors, who will one day share the responsibility of this world's future, grow, then that's the best outcome possible."
Vanir asked, "But are you just going to sit back and let him surpass you?"
"Of course not." Rhys shook his head. "I have to make sure I don't get left behind."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Just then, Rhys asked, "By the way, what do you guys think about that Akan guy?"
Since Aaron was mainly in charge of first-years, Rhys hadn't had much interaction with him.
Torua crossed her arms and tilted her head. "He's incredible. It's honestly strange that someone of his caliber is completely unknown."
"Could he be a Shadow?"
"I don't think so."
"Do we have any information on him?"
Torua shook her head.
Vanir began, "Well, for starters, he looks a lot like Sir Aaron."
"Hah, who knows? Maybe he really is Sir Aaron," Ulta added happily.
Everyone froze.
Then, they exchanged glances for a moment, before bursting into laughter.
"Come on, that's impossible!"
"Sure, Seiren pulled off a miracle, but it only lasted a brief moment."
"And it's already been two weeks since he appeared, hasn't it? If he were really Aaron, he wouldn't still be here."
To be honest, when the training camp first began, the instructors had their doubts. The atmosphere around Akan was far too similar to Aaron's.
But now, it had already been two weeks. If he was Aaron, revived by the miracle of the Hero Record, there was no way he'd still be here.
Most of all…
"Every time I see him, he always looks nervous."
"Mmm! Mmm! He lacks a man's spirit."
"He kinda reminds me of a frightened prey animal."
Each of them shared their impressions of Aaron.
Rhys fell into thought.
Akan, huh… His first impression felt similar to Leo.
His appearance, personality, and race were completely different, but the endless and unfathomable depth in his eyes was the same.
Who exactly is he…?
Late at night, Rhys quietly stepped out of his dorm.
Raynia, who was already outside, grinned. "Heading off for training?"
"You caught on fast."
"We've been rivals for years, representing Lumene and Seiren. I can tell what you're thinking." Raynia winked playfully. "Watching your cousin all this time has made me itch for a fight too. Want to spar?"
"I'm not Leo's substitute, you know." Rhys let out a dry chuckle.
"Then let me join in." Emerging from the darkness, Vanir stepped forward. "It's been a while since I last fought you two. I'd like to see how we compare now."
Rhys, Raynia, and Vanir. All three were knights and warriors who wielded powerful aura.
"If that lunatic rabbit is involved, I doubt this will be a casual spar."
"Were you planning to take it easy against Rhys?"
Vanir narrowed his eyes, and Raynia chuckled.
And so, on this quiet night, the three of them moved to a place where they wouldn't disturb the others and began preparing for a duel.
Step— Step—
"…!"
At the sound of small footsteps, they turned to see Aaron stepping into the moonlight.
"Are you guys fighting? Perfect timing. I was just looking for a warm-up myself. I needed a sparring partner, care to oblige?"
"That sounds great." Rhys grinned. "I've been curious about you, Instructor Akan."
"Is that so?"
"Who would you like to spar with first?"
Aaron smiled gently. "All three of you."
"What?"
"I want to fight all three of you at once."