LHAHS Chapter 466
"It's been almost a year since I last went on a mission with you, Leo!" Lily shouted excitedly.
Last year, when Lumene had invited the Elemental Lord of Darkness, Ignis, Leo had once partnered with Lily to meet it.
"And now it's a mission related to a mystery! I never expected Leo to have the same hobby as me!" Looking genuinely delighted, Lily pulled something out of her bag. "What do you think, Leo? Would you like to join our club? There's no rule saying the student council president can't participate in club activities."
Leo looked at the club registration form she handed him and asked, "Our school has a mystery club?"
"Yes! We investigate urban legends and mysterious incidents! We also research a lot of unexplained phenomena related to Hero Worlds!"
"It doesn't sound like an official club."
"That's because we only have two members!" Lily declared proudly.
Leo responded flatly, "I'm not particularly interested in mysteries. This request just caught my attention for personal reasons."
"I see." Lily slumped her shoulders for a moment but quickly perked up again. "By the way, I've heard all about your achievements over summer break, Leo. Ah, to reach the rank of hero at your age! As your senior, I'm truly proud!"
Leo smirked at how Lily celebrated his success as if it were her own. "I heard you've been making quite a name for yourself as well, Senior Lily."
Lily Luce, the third-year representative. An outstanding elemental summoner, she was so overwhelmingly skilled that even other seniors called her the Monster Girl.
She had already possessed remarkable elemental summoning skills as a second-year, but in her third year, her abilities grew at an astonishing rate, as if she had undergone an awakening.
At Leo's words, Lily waved her hands dismissively. "Compared to you, Leo, I'm still lacking. Even my junior from the summoning department, Walden, is more impressive than I am."
"Walden?"
"Yes. He signed a contract with the Elemental Lord of Earth, after all. Ah, having such outstanding juniors makes a senior feel rather small."
Currently, the most publicly recognized summoning student at Lumene was Walden.
Leo was considered beyond a student's level, so he was excluded from the discussion.
Naturally, people's attention gravitated toward Walden, who had achieved a contract with an Elemental Lord as only a second-year student.
But if we assess them purely by combat ability, the story changes.
Lily had the nickname Storm Elemental Summoner, but that was merely because she frequently used wind-based elementals. In reality, she had contracts with elementals of all elements.
Compared to Walden, who only uses the four great elemental elementals, she can use a much wider range of attacks.
On top of that, she excelled in every elemental summoning technique. She could act as a frontline fighter, a rearguard, or even a supporter—there was nothing she couldn't do. That versatility made her combat prowess formidable.
Of course, Lily lacked the dazzling spectacle of overwhelming firepower or unique mana traits.
But that's precisely what makes her terrifying. She may not have a singularly outstanding strength, but she has no weaknesses either.
Most importantly, Lily's summoning ability, which had already stood out in her first and second years, had fully matured in her third year, resulting in an explosive growth in power. Even the professors in the summoning department speculated that her skill had surpassed fourth-year students and was now reaching the level of fifth-years.
[With her skills at that level, wouldn't she rank third at Lumene?] Elsie's voice rang out.
Laruel tilted her head. [Not fourth?]
[Leo doesn't count.]
[True.]
Listening to the conversation between the Elemental Lords of Light and Darkness, Leo also nodded inwardly.
She's definitely third.
From Leo's perspective, Lily's growth speed was remarkable.
I can't tell if she's just being overly modest or if she's genuinely timid.
As Leo silently shook his head… a mage managing the Warp Gate approached them.
"Leo, Lily. It's your turn now."
"Shall we get going?" Lily asked, stepping onto the Warp Gate.
Leo followed right behind her.
A moment later, a bright light engulfed them both, and they vanished.
Flash!
A blinding light burst from the Warp Gate.
As Leo stepped out, he surveyed his surroundings and tilted his head. "It's in ruins."
"It is." Lily, unfazed by Leo's observation, nodded as she stepped off the Warp Gate.
It's a one-way trip.
It didn't take long for Leo to realize that the Warp Gate they had used was no longer maintained.
A Warp Gate wasn't a permanent structure that could function indefinitely. It required constant upkeep, and if neglected, it would become unusable. This one allowed travel into the area but was no longer operational for outbound journeys.
Leo scanned the area. The Warp Gate wasn't the only thing in ruins.
By default, Warp Gates were only constructed in flourishing cities. Now, the ruined cityscape was clearly visible.
"It hasn't been long since a war took place here," Lily remarked solemnly, her excitement dampened.
Smoke was still rising from various parts of the city. Buildings continued to smolder, the embers of destruction not yet fully extinguished.
The scars of war were fresh.
Gazing at the desolate landscape, Lily took a deep breath to steady herself. Then, she turned to Leo in admiration. "As expected, you're incredible."
"What do you mean?"
"Even though I'm used to sights like this, it still unsettles me. On the other hand, you don't seem affected at all."
"I'm just trying not to let it shake me."
"No, I think it's something fundamentally different."
"Are you used to battlefields, Senior?"
"Yes." Lily nodded. She was from a military family and had been exposed to warfare from a young age. "Our Luce family belongs to the Tevern Kingdom in the southeastern continent. It's a renowned military nation."
As she walked through the war-torn city, Lily continued, "It's not as bad as the northeast, but wars happen frequently there. Since I enrolled in Lumene, my father has taken me to battlefields every school break, saying I needed to understand war as a member of the Luce Family."
Leo furrowed his brows. "But you're not the heir, are you?"
"No, but my father believes that I should support my older brother. Such things are simply expected of a Luce family member," Lily replied impassively.
Leo now understood why her skills had advanced so rapidly.
It's real combat experience.
No matter what anyone said, nothing propelled growth better than actual combat experience.
However, Lily's battles had not been against Tartaros but against other humans.
"Senior, do you like war?"
"I don't."
"Then why not avoid the battlefield?"
"I can't." Lily said firmly. "Heroes are born on the battlefield, whether it's a fight against Tartaros or a war between humans."
Leo stared at her, but Lily's face remained unreadable as she fixed her gaze on the war-ravaged ruins before her.
After a moment, she turned her eyes back to him. "Leo, I have to become a hero, and not just any hero, I want to shine as brightly as you."
"Why do you want to be a hero?"
"You won't laugh, will you?"
"I won't."
Lily brought her fist in front of her mouth and cleared her throat. "I will achieve world peace."
"……" Leo stared at Lily in silence.
Receiving his gaze, Lily added, "I want to create a world without war."
It was an endlessly grand dream. One so absurdly impossible that it sounded ridiculous, yet Lily spoke with absolute seriousness, showing no concern for how others might react.
Most people likely found her words laughable or dismissed them outright. She had probably grown used to such reactions.
However, Leo smiled. "That's a wonderful dream."
Lily, who had been looking up at him with a blank expression, widened her eyes slightly.
She knew better than anyone how unrealistic her dream was. Whenever she spoke about why she wanted to become a hero, people either mocked her or assumed she was joking. Even those who didn't outright deny it never truly agreed. At best, they would offer insincere words of encouragement, just to be polite.
That was why Lily understood immediately. Leo genuinely acknowledged her dream.
"Isn't my dream strange and impossible? Everyone else laughed at it."
"I once laughed at someone else's dream," Leo replied, recalling Lysinas, who had boldly declared that she would save the world. "And then, I was saved by that very dream. Since then, I promised myself I would never laugh at someone else's dream again."
He smiled. "Besides, I believe there should be at least one hero who dreams of something like that. And… my own goal is just as absurd, isn't it?"
Lily thought about Leo's goal, which was already well known throughout the entire school.
The complete eradication of Erebos.
Something that even the Great Heroes and the Heroes of Dawn had failed to accomplish, and yet, Leo had already taken the first step toward it.
"In a way, Senior Lily's goal and mine might not be so different."
Leo had already seen it. He had witnessed, firsthand, the one who led the world to salvation at the brink of destruction. He had stood beside a friend who made an impossible dream a reality.
"My heart's racing." Lily, overcome with joy, couldn't hide her excitement.
Leo, unable to help himself, reached out and gently patted her head. He was genuinely proud of Lily for having a goal that was truly for the sake of the world.
If Lysinas were alive, she would be so happy.
Slightly startled by his touch, Lily ran a hand over her cheek. "Normally, I'd be annoyed at being treated like this by a junior."
From the moment they met, Lily had always emphasized her seniority over Leo, taking care of him in her own way. She enjoyed looking after others, but more than that, she didn't want to lose her dignity as a senior.
"My apologies."
Leo withdrew his hand, but Lily shook her head.
"It's not unpleasant. In fact, it feels nice. Like being praised by an older brother."
Absentmindedly toying with her hair, Lily gave a small smile. "Well then, we can't stay here forever. Shall we get moving?"
Leo nodded and pulled a map from his coat. "Let's figure out where we are first. This is the borderland of the Carnel Kingdom, right?"
"Yes. This land originally belonged to the Viscount Tiben, who commissioned the request. However, it was recently invaded by the neighboring Petimen Kingdom. First, we should find Viscount Tiben and…"
Doom-doom-doom!
Just as they were discussing their next steps, the deep echo of war drums filled the air.
Both Leo and Lily halted, their heads snapping up.
Bwoooooo—!
The low sound of war horns followed.
Lily raised a hand, and wind gathered at her fingertips.
Her expression hardened. "This is bad."
"What is it?"
"The Petimen Kingdom's army is attacking."
"Lumene students are forbidden from interfering in wars."
"Yes, but their target isn't the Carnel Kingdom's soldiers, it's the refugees."
At those words, Leo narrowed his eyes and activated Hyper Perception. An overwhelming flood of information rushed into his mind.
Shing—
Leo unsheathed his sword. Lumene students were not allowed to participate in foreign wars, but protecting civilians from an attack was a different matter.
"Let's go," he said.
"Yes, Leo."
Leo and Lily swiftly took off toward the battlefield.