The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 258
Chapter 258
“You’re going to Damienne this week.”
“Come to think of it, the third-years also left for a group trip around this time, right?”
“The Exclusive Smith contracts… I’m looking forward to it!”
That weekend.
The second-year students boarding the regular ship to Lumeria City buzzed with excitement over the announcement from yesterday.
It was an official notice that the entire second-year class would be heading to Damienne for two weeks starting next week, right after the weekend.
As the long-awaited moment drew near, the second-year students were practically vibrating with anticipation.
The reason for their trip was simple.
The Exclusive Smith Contract.
In other words, they would be signing contracts with blacksmiths responsible for their weapons while they continued their studies.
Damienne was different from the typical hero cadet school.
The dwarves of Damienne were not only powerful hero candidates, but also renowned blacksmiths like Dweno.
These dwarf heroes often took charge of other heroes’ weapons.
It was one of the biggest events on the second-year schedule, as it set the stage for future relationships.
Unable to contain their excitement, the second-year students headed to Lumeria City to prepare before traveling to Damienne.
Hustle—bustle—
Lumeria City on the weekend was among the most vibrant places in the world.
It was the center of the world, but what set Lumeria City apart wasn’t just its geographical location.
Adjacent to Lumene, the city naturally attracted many visitors eager to glimpse the future hero candidates.
This was a unique trait of Lumene.
Seiren, located in the northern part of the continent, was in a land so cold it seemed to freeze any visitor to the bone.
Moreover, no race other than elves could enter the elven territory.
Seiren students rarely left school unless on a mission, making them the most elusive and mysterious students among the four Hero Academies.
Azonia was similar.
Although other races could roam the land of the water people and Azonia students often ventured outside, they were still hard to find.
Azonia Academy was situated in the middle of a desert, swarming with monsters.
Azonia deliberately avoided large-scale monster subjugation to enhance students’ abilities.
Lastly, Damienne Academy.
Located in a vast mining area in the east, most of its students were locked in their rooms, focused on their craft, making them hard to encounter outside of the campus.
Unlike the other three academies, Lumene’s Lumeria City was geographically accessible.
With many students arriving in Lumeria City on weekends, it was relatively easy to meet them.
This accessibility led to frequent visits by those hoping to see the hero candidates, generating substantial tourism revenue.
Today, more students than usual had come to Lumeria City.
Most were first and second-year students.
The second-year students had come with their juniors to get to know their mentees better before heading to Damienne.
“First, we need to get uniforms.”
Celia, who had come to Lumeria City with Leo, spoke to Luke.
“Huh? Uniform?”
Luke looked puzzled.
“Yeah. Not the one you picked up second-hand from a graduate.”
Luke scratched his head at Celia’s words.
“The Lumene uniforms are expensive.”
“Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m getting you new uniforms.”
“Why?”
“You’re Leo Plov’s mentee. Leo is my cousin and a direct descendant of the Zerdinger family. That means it’s no exaggeration to say you’re related to the Zerdingers.”
Celia fidgeted and pulled out a card with the Zerdinger emblem.
The card, held between her index and middle fingers, gleamed.
“You need to wear something that fits the Zerdinger name.”
Luke laughed at Celia’s words and scratched his head.
“I appreciate the gesture, but I’m okay. Financial support is great, but I don’t think I deserve it yet.”
Celia blinked at his polite response.
“If you say so.”
Whoosh—
Celia slipped the card into her pocket and smiled.
“Being independent isn’t a bad thing. Well, as for my mentees…”
Celia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“They’re so independent it seems like they won’t need much care.”
Two girls stood where her gaze landed.
Aina and Martina.
Though not as strong as Leo, they had become Celia’s mentees after a rigorous test.
‘This kid seems to have other intentions.’
Celia studied Aina, who was staring at Luke with a blank expression.
On the last day to choose a mentor, Celia had been surprised when Aina agreed to become her mentee.
‘She has the skills, so I accepted her.’
Celia knew well that Aina had no intention of learning from her.
‘She seems quite obsessed with Leo. How should I guide her?’
While Celia pondered, Chelsea bought a chocolate-coated stick candy from a street vendor and said to Luke while eating it, “Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Celia Zerdinger bragging about how rich she is—doesn’t that seem a bit off?”
“No, that’s not true.”
“Yeah, respecting your senior is good, but sometimes you have to be honest. I’ll take responsibility.”
Chelsea smiled brightly.
“Isn’t that a little weird?”
“Why are you arguing?”
Chelsea stuck out her tongue as Celia frowned.
“Leo, don’t worry about your mentees. Take care of your own!”
“You don’t have any mentees, so stop slacking and go away!”
Luke was flustered as he watched his rivals bicker, while Martina stopped them as if she were used to it.
Aina looked at the two seniors with a blank expression.
“Leo! Why did you bring that damn Lewellin girl with you?”
“I have a favor to ask you.”
“Please? What favor? I’ll do it for you, so get her away from me!”
“It’s about sorcery.”
“Ugh?!”
Celia’s face twisted.
There was nothing Celia could do about sorcery-related matters.
Celia shot Chelsea an annoyed glance before leaving with Aina and Martina.
Chelsea watched Celia’s retreating figure, then looked puzzled.
“By the way, Leo has something to ask me about sorcery. What a surprise.”
Even at the start of the first semester, Leo had received considerable help from Chelsea, who was in the same class, regarding sorcery.
Chelsea’s theoretical knowledge proved invaluable to him, especially since he wasn’t up-to-date with the latest sorcery trends and techniques.
However, Leo’s ignorance was limited to the latest advancements.
His knowledge of sorcery was exceptional, surpassing even the best sorcerers.
Even if the world’s top sorcerers were summoned, it wouldn’t be enough to bring him down.
After Leo became somewhat acquainted with the latest sorcery, he rarely sought help, though he did receive assistance when needed.
‘But now he has something to ask me?’
Chelsea’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.
On one hand, she was curious, and on the other, she hummed with anticipation.
“I’m thinking about buying some sorcery books and items.”
“Ah! Then let’s head to Kuraju Street’s Sorcery Street!”
Kuraju Street was the most bustling area in Lumeria City.
The section dedicated to sorcery items was called Sorcery Street.
It was a place where everything needed for sorcery was sold, including books and catalysts for research.
Leo had hardly ever visited Sorcery Street.
‘Because Leo is a purely practical sorcerer.’
Leo was a formidable sorcerer, but he wasn’t a typical sorcerer in the traditional sense.
The essence of sorcery lay in exploration and research, whereas Leo’s focus was on ‘battle.’
This wasn’t necessarily a flaw.
A sorcerer specialized in battle didn’t necessarily have shallow sorcery.
Leo’s unique sorcery, including the Sorcery of the Stars he learned, was beyond the comprehension of even the most experienced sorcerers.
Chelsea, though also a sorcerer, shared more of Leo’s personality.
Yet, she had an interest in non-combat sorcery research, a field Leo had little involvement with.
‘Leo could be an extraordinary talent in sorcery research.’
Chelsea licked her lips with anticipation.
In the past, she had no connection to Sorcery Street.
Everything Leo needed for sorcery was available in Lumene.
During their first year, whenever Chelsea, Carr, or Chloe tried to take Leo to Sorcery Street, Celia would intervene.
‘Huh. She must have feared Leo would become obsessed with sorcery.’
Chelsea snorted at the memory.
But things were different now.
‘Maybe Leo asked me to help because he’s interested in non-combat sorcery research, not combat sorcery. Leo restored Luna’s flower-blooming sorcery, right? He must be interested in non-combat research! He couldn’t focus on it during his first year due to his busy schedule, but he might have free time in his second year and want to study sorcery!’
Chelsea chose to remain optimistic.
Of course, if he was interested in that, he could have asked Chloe, an expert in the same dorm.
But Chelsea hadn’t considered that possibility.
The three of them hummed as they arrived at Sorcery Street.
Luke’s eyes widened at the world of sorcery unfolding before him.
“Wow…”
A broom swept the floor on its own.
It was clear that this street was infused with magic, with various wizards using spells to move objects.
Everything was happening through sorcery.
In Lumene, school rules prohibited the use of magic in daily life, making such scenes quite rare.
That was why this kind of spectacle was unfamiliar.
“That’s amazing.”
“Huh? That’s a common sight.”
Chelsea shrugged at Luke’s amazement.
For Chelsea, from Lewellin, the leading sorcery powerhouse, this was nothing new.
“Oh! Chelsea!”
At that moment, the owner of the ice cream shop near the entrance of Sorcery Street spotted Chelsea and waved with a bright smile.
“Hello, mister. How are you?”
“Good! I’m testing a new product. How’s everything with you?”
“I’ll take three!”
Chelsea held up three fingers, shouting her order.
The shop owner laughed heartily and conjured a three-tier ice cream cone with telekinesis.
“Oh, I…”
“As your senior, I can cover this much for you, so enjoy.”
Chelsea winked, and Luke gave a polite “thank you,” before digging into the ice cream.
“Hmm! This will definitely sell well!”
“Oh, your opinion is music to my ears. Sales should go up, then?”
The store owner chuckled.
Chelsea continued down the street, greeting various shopkeepers.
“You’re quite well-known here.”
“I’m a bit famous.”
Chelsea smiled and asked, “What can I help you with?”
“I’d like a recommendation for an introductory book on sorcery. I learned sorcery on my own, so I don’t know much about the basics.”
Even in his previous life, Leo had taught himself sorcery.
He learned sorcery theories from observation, knowing very little about the fundamentals.
‘Austin also taught himself almost on the fly.’
He taught himself the practical sorcery needed immediately.
However, in terms of pure sorcery skills, Austin lacked the basics.
‘I’ll leave that to Eliana.’
“An introductory book on sorcery? Who are you teaching?”
“Yeah.”
“Who? Is there someone else among Leo’s associates with sorcery talent?”
Chelsea looked puzzled, and Leo shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Leo pointed to the side in response to Chelsea’s question.
Luke, still eating his ice cream, widened his already large eyes.
He glanced to the side but saw no one there.
“Uh… Me?” Luke asked hesitantly. “Uh. I don’t know how to use sorcery.”
“You didn’t learn it, but you have talent as a sorcerer.”
“Huh? Me?” Luke asked, bewildered.
“Yeah. So you’re going to train in sorcery together.”
Luke felt his heart pounding.
“By the way, keep the fact that you’re learning sorcery a secret until the final exam.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because it’ll be your trump card.”
“That’s right,” Chelsea chimed in. “The more Jokers, the better.”
Leo laughed.
Luke’s mana trait was more suited to sorcery than Aura.
His mana amplified with emotion.
While wizards often struggled to boost their sorcery power, Luke had a natural talent for it.
“That’s right! If you learn sorcery, your chances of surviving your first semester will increase!”
“Of course they would,” Chelsea added with a smile.
“Survival? What are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
Chelsea and Luke looked at Leo with puzzled expressions.
“Your goal for the first semester is to be at the top of your class.”
“Huh?”
“Leo, that’s not possible…”
“It is possible.” Leo smiled softly. “I’ll make it happen.”
Luke was so shocked he could hardly grasp the situation.
Thump!
Chelsea placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder with a sympathetic look.
“I hope you survive.”
Luke gulped at her words.
“What kind of school life will I have?”
Chelsea smiled at the question.
“I don’t know. What’s clear is it’ll be hell.”