LHAHS Chapter 552
"What? A date?"
That afternoon, Celia, hearing the news during Combat Studies class, wore an expression of disbelief.
"So you're saying he skipped class to go on a date?"
"Yeah, apparently there were many witnesses."
"That's unbelievable." Celia, arms crossed, let out a dry laugh.
Leo was undeniably the strongest second-year, no, perhaps the title 'Lumene's Strongest' suited him better now. However, if asked whether he was a perfect honors student in all matters like Celia, the answer was no.
In practical subjects related to combat, like Hero Dungeon raids and mission execution, he was the undisputed best, but other subjects were a different story.
Even though it was a hero preparatory school, Lumene was still distinctly an academy where teenage boys and girls received education. History, social studies, math, language, music, art, etiquette, liberal arts and so on.
While Leo's grades in those subjects couldn't be called terrible, he wasn't top-tier either.
It was a clear contrast to the department tops who competed for top scores in every single subject.
Even so, Leo had never skipped class since enrolling.
Let alone for a date with a girl? That's not like Leo.
Celia narrowed her eyes.
Elena Zeron.
Certainly, even to Celia, another woman, she was astonishingly beautiful. Moreover, she was currently ranked among the top three most skilled individuals at Lumene. On top of that, her background was nothing to scoff at either.
Celia also knew that Leo was popular with the female students. However, there had never once been a rumor about him dating anyone.
Still, Leo is a guy, so if it's Elena Zeron…
She fretted over her cousin's deviation.
"What's the big deal? Leo's a guy too. He might want to enjoy a date with a beautiful woman," Abad remarked.
"Shut up, Butterball. You think Leo is like you?" Celia scowled fiercely, shooting Abad a sharp glare.
Abad, the universally acknowledged top pretty boy of the second year, was also famous for being kind to all the female students. Thanks to that, he spread the most romantic rumors among the second-years.
Seeing Celia grinding her teeth, arms crossed and glaring daggers, Abad raised both hands in surrender. "Whoa whoa, calm down, Celia. You're getting too worked up, aren't you?"
"I'm in a position where I have to consider things between the Zerdinger and Zeron families!"
"No matter how much of a perfectionist you are, isn't that going too far?"
"Hmph." Celia snorted, brushing her hair back.
Besides that, the news that Leo had skipped class to go on a date with Elena sent ripples of chatter through the entire second year.
"Come to think of it, some first-years saw Leo and Senior Elena heading to the docks earlier."
"What? You mean they went to Lumeria City?"
"Well, it's not like Senior Elena hasn't skipped class once or twice before."
"Are they dating?"
"Next year, they'll be the Student Council President and Vice President, right?"
"Position-wise, they do suit each other."
Other people's love lives were always interesting gossip, wherever you go, especially if the subject is the world-famous Student Council President of Lumene.
"Xia, did something happen?" Carl quickly asked Chen Xia, who worked with Leo in the student council, to swiftly grasp the source of the rumors.
"Sir Leo asked Senior Elena to take the Vice President position. In return for accepting the Vice Presidency, Senior Elena asked Sir Leo for a date."
"Ooh?" Carl's eyes sparkled.
That rumor also quickly spread throughout the entire second year via the second-year student council members.
Meanwhile, class time arrived, and the Combat Studies professor approached, looking puzzled as he did a role-call. "Student Leo is absent? That's unexpected."
"They say he skipped class to go on a date," Eliza said nonchalantly while tidying her nails.
"Well now, that's a common reason, yet unlike Student Leo." The Combat Studies professor looked surprised, but he didn't bring up the topic further.
Whether students skipped class or not was their individual freedom, and since falling behind due to attendance or progress was also the student's responsibility, most professors didn't pay much mind to absences.
"Then let's begin class. Today's lesson plan is to play Bastera in teams of eight to foster cooperation."
"Yep!" The students replied energetically.
Still, even after that, talk about Leo and Elena didn't cease.
"Still, it's surprising. Senior Elena asking for a date first. I can't imagine it, she's so aloof," Eliana muttered.
Duran, who was on the same team, let out a chuckle, "It's the natural order for the strong to take more. People are naturally drawn to the strong."
Watching Duran clench and unclench his fists, Howl, also on the team, muttered.
"Anyway, looks like we've met a formidable opponent right from the start?"
"Hm! Chelsea, Chloe, Carl, Chen Xia, Eiran, Tade, Nella, Eliza." Eliana, hand shading her eyebrows, stood on tiptoe, peering at the opposing team's formation as if looking into the distance. "Our team… Celia, Duran, Abad, Walden, Jurden, Howl, Turka, and me."
Excluding Carl, purely in terms of combat power, the strongest of the second year were gathered here.
"The strongest forces clashing right from the start? I like it." Turka cracked his knuckles with a belligerent smile.
CRACKLE, CRACKLE…
Abad smiled faintly. "That's not all."
"What?"
"Our team characteristics are complete opposites too," Celia added.
Jurden, Turka, and Howl blinked in confusion.
"Hmph, you couldn't even figure out something that simple? Pathetic," Duran sneered.
"What?" Turka flared up.
Howl and Jurden sighed as if they were used to this.
"Our team is entirely focused on offense, and their team is entirely focused on defense," Eliana stated calmly.
Everyone stared at her with surprised eyes, even Walden, who usually showed no interest in others' affairs.
"Why are you all suddenly looking at me?" she asked, bewildered.
Celia made a deeply moved expression. "The idiot who only knew how to charge forward actually analyzed the characteristics of allies and enemies first! Eliana! I'm so touched!"
Celia, as an honors student, was someone who took exceptionally good care of students in the same department, but in a different way from Chen Xia. While Chen Xia was kind and caring, Celia was the type to find shortcomings, point them out, and study together.
Even though Eliana was a dual class, she belonged to the Knight Department and took classes with Celia. Since the first time they met, Celia had tried really hard to correct Eliana's tendency to rush in recklessly without thinking.
However, even recently, it hadn't been corrected. Thus, for Eliana, who would charge the moment combat began, to actually survey the battlefield situation, Celia couldn't help but be moved.
"Looks like Celia's hard work paid off," Howl exclaimed in admiration.
"You guys! What on earth do you take me for!" Eliana shouted.
Turka replied curtly, "Idiot."
"Xia! Chloe! These guys are treating me like an idiot!" Eliana complained tearfully.
Just then, Carl's voice came from the opposing team's side. "They say that betrayal is the best form of revenge."
"Oh?" Eliana stroked her chin in deep thought.
"Don't fall for it! You idiot!"
"Who betrays someone during class!"
Howl and Jurden yelled irritably.
"As Eliana said, the difference between their team and ours is that they specialize in defense while we specialize in attack respectively. It's almost extreme. They wouldn't have formed the teams like this for no reason."
"A battle of spear versus shield." Howl crossed his arms with a serious expression.
Duran said calmly, "First, to break through that defense, we need to collapse the opponent's formation. We also need to note that the enemy has Carl Thomas, who is quite skilled in strategy. If we press them using our strengths, there's a high probability we'll get caught in his schemes."
Eliana looked intrigued. "You rate Carl pretty highly, huh?"
"Because it's true." Duran glanced briefly at Carl, who was talking amongst his teammates. "Regardless of his magic skills, that guy has survived at Lumene until now. He's almost a third-year. Even if he's somewhat lucky, there's no way a person can survive that long on luck alone. He's here with us now clearly because he has skill."
"I agree with Duran." Abad smiled gently. "Right now, the one I'm most concerned about on their side is Carl too."
In a team battle, Carl was an extremely annoying opponent.
"There's nothing scarier than a strategist with the best cards in hand."
Carl had always played the role of a variable in critical situations. As a combatant, he wasn't much, but in terms of grasping the flow of battle, command ability, or unpredictability, as far as Abad knew, Carl was the best strategist at Lumene.
Although it seems he doesn't have much confidence in his strengths.
"So, first, I'd like to make the opponent attack us aggressively. So their team can't utilize their strengths."
"To make the opponent attack aggressively, we'd have to leave our goal open. The risk would be too great."
"Hm. Isn't there a clever plan?"
The entire team was pondered Abad and Celia's conversation.
Suddenly, Walden, who had been watching the situation silently, called out, "Eliana Raden."
"Huh? Why?"
"You need to stand at the very front of our formation."
"Huh?"
"Because you are the key to this Bastera game."
"Me?" Eliana widened her eyes and pointed a finger at herself.
Walden nodded.
"Hmph, I expected more since it was you, but that's an ordinary strategy," Eliza said, looking bored.
"Thanks for rating me highly. But it's not like I'm some genius strategist. How can I cook up a special strategy every time?" Carl shrugged. "If our strengths are similar, it's best to maximize our own advantages. So, for now, defense is the best strategy."
"Hmph." Despite his explanation, Eliza still looked at Carl with slightly displeased eyes.
Carl laughed mournfully inside. Seriously, haven't the expectations for me gotten too high recently? I'm the weakest at our school. It wouldn't be strange if I got expelled anytime.
"It seems we'll reach a stalemate."
"Yeah. However, if there's a variable…"
"If?"
"It's that the opposing side has Eliana."
"Eliana Raden? Why is she the variable?"
"If I were on their team, I would have assigned Eliana the role of bait and have her taunt us."
"I know Eliana Raden is usually flighty, but I don't particularly think she'd be good at provocation?"
"That much is true, but the situation is a bit special right now."
"Hmm?"
"Well, Celia, Abad, Duran. All three are smart, but they aren't really the types for petty tricks. They wouldn't use Eliana for provocation… Huh?"
Eliana walked out to the very front line.
Chelsea, standing at the very front, smiled softly as she faced Eliana opposite her. "Get ready."
"Yeah, but Chelsea. About the class president…"
Chelsea's eye twitched slightly. Not only Chelsea, but Eiran, positioned right behind her, pricked up her ears, and the expression vanished from the face of Chen Xia standing nearby. Even Chloe, positioned at the very rear, wore a gentle smile.
Amidst this, Eliana continued to chatter excitedly about Leo and Elena by herself for quite a while before the match began.
Only finally, a while later, did she adopt a serious expression, crossed her arms, and mutter, "Hm, but surely the class president isn't planning to stay out overnight too, right?"