The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 261
Chapter 261
“We have to find Black Rabbit first.”
“Who is Black Rabbit?”
As Ar muttered while walking through the streets of Dweronia, the wolf-girl walking beside her tilted her head.
“Who is it? It’s the Lumene student council president.”
“Oh!”
“As expected, it’s the boss!”
The Azonia students trailing behind Ar erupted in exclamations.
“You have great ambitions! Boss!”
“As expected, the top student among Azonia’s second-years!”
“You’re planning to challenge Leo Plov first, right?”
“We’ll fight him, of course.”
Ar adjusted her Azonia school uniform beret.
“We need to stop this pointless brawl before these idiots stir up trouble.”
“Boss Ar is after Leo Plov! Find him!”
“Listen up, you fools!”
Ar shouted at her followers, her frustration evident.
‘Black Rabbit teases me by calling me a simple, ignorant cat, but look at these guys!’
Ar clenched her fists, her forehead muscles tensing.
‘They are truly simple and ignorant idiots!’
The students following Ar were members of her faction.
Ar hadn’t created the faction herself.
It had formed naturally due to Azonia’s school culture.
The Hero Officer Academy operated on a meritocracy.
Lumene provided equal training to all students, expecting those who couldn’t keep up to leave.
Seiren separated students into upper, middle, and lower classes, educating them according to their rank.
Azonia’s philosophy, however, was straightforward: survival of the fittest.
Azonia didn’t use semester-based exams like Lumene or Seiren.
Every moment was a test.
Every grade faced daily duels that determined their rankings.
The weak could challenge the strong at any time and take their place.
The strong received preferential treatment.
Students with lower ranks had to follow the orders of those above them.
Only the top five students in each grade had absolute authority.
That was why students formed factions based on their personalities, aligning with the top students.
Orders couldn’t be given to students in other factions.
Faction formation was thus a natural part of Azonia.
Ar sighed deeply, her face hidden behind her hair as she watched her followers, who wagged their tails like eager puppies.
The leader of Azonia’s second-year class, Ar Tune.
Her faction was especially known for its loyalty.
This loyalty stemmed from Ar’s strength.
From the moment Ar entered school, she had faced constant challenges from those vying for her position.
Even after forming her faction, other groups attempted to systematically overthrow her.
Yet Ar had overcome all these challenges solely through her own strength.
No one dared to challenge Ar’s position now.
Her overwhelming strength commanded respect.
Beastmen admired strength and the strong.
However, Ar did not wield the privileges typical of a leader.
Everyone in her faction were treated as equals.
In Azonia, where the strong naturally wielded their privileges, Ar’s approach was extremely unconventional.
Naturally, students with lower rankings gathered in Ar’s faction.
Other factions would mock Ar’s group behind their backs, calling it a “gathering place for the weak.”
Whenever Ar heard such comments, she made sure to address them.
This was why her faction was so loyal to her.
“Boss! I have a great idea!”
At that moment, a large bear-type male student spoke up confidently.
His cat ears perked up under his beret.
‘I’m sure he’s going to say something strange.’
Durran Tig.
He was the second most thoughtless member of Ar’s faction.
“What is it?”
‘Let’s hear it anyway.’
“I just overheard Wern’s plan.”
“That bear?”
‘This is making me even more anxious.’
Wern Damun.
He was known for being the smartest of the second-year bear-type students.
Of course, that intelligence only applied to “bear-types.”
Among bear-types, they were famous for being the strongest.
They often solved problems with brute force.
Not all bears were like this, but Wern Damun was both clever and typical of his kind.
In other words, he was good at tricks but didn’t consider the consequences.
“We’ll find a student close to Leo Plov and bring them to our den.”
“Negative!”
“Why?”
“Are you trying to kidnap a Lumene student?!”
Durran shook his head at Ar’s outburst.
“No, Boss. Kidnapping will only make things worse. I know that much! Just take him politely and treat him well!”
“What if Black Rabbit refuses to come?”
“Um… with a little force…”
“That’s kidnapping! You idiot!”
Ar kicked Durran in the face, making him flinch.
“Wait. If you came up with this terrible plan… doesn’t that mean you’ve already put it into action?”
“I guess so?”
Ar grabbed the back of his neck, frustrated.
‘Principal, why are you offering up a prize like this!’
The Azonia students were so eager to defeat Leo.
It wasn’t just because of Leo’s fame.
The Azonia principal, Zephia, had offered a prize for defeating Leo.
‘Whoever defeats Leo Plov in a martial arts duel and raises Azonia’s reputation will have the chance to conquer Arron’s Hero’s World!’
Arron, the Brave, was the object of all beastmen’s desire.
Azonia students aspired to become the strongest warriors like him.
To these beastmen, even the opportunity to conquer his Hero’s World was a treasure beyond compare.
It was no wonder all the second-year students were shocked by such an offer.
“First, find Dion.”
“Why Dion?”
Dion Den.
Ar’s childhood friend and the undisputed second-in-command of Azonia’s second-year class.
He was considered Ar’s greatest rival.
And Wern was in Dion’s faction.
‘The idiot in my faction is about to cause trouble, so I need to stop him…’
“Ar Tune!”
An urgent voice called from afar.
Ar turned her head.
Fifth in the Azonia second-year class.
A student from the tiger-beast Borman faction.
“We’re in trouble! The Lumene students have invaded our base! Ugh, they kidnapped our students…”
Ar looked up at the sky in frustration.
‘That bear bastard. I’ll find him and beat him senseless.’
* * *
Leo was leisurely touring Dweronia alone.
Statues of Dweno were erected throughout the city.
As the world’s wealthiest city, the statues were all made of gold.
They were so beautifully crafted that it seemed they might come to life at any moment.
Leo chuckled as he observed them.
‘This city is paying homage to Dweno.’
Even the city’s name was derived from Dweno.
It was clear that the city was built to honor him.
‘What would Dweno think of this city?’
Leo laughed at the thought.
There were many instances where his friends were remembered differently than they truly were.
Dragons spoke of Lysinas as a wise and fair sage.
While she had those qualities, she was also quite the fraud.
‘She lied a lot too.’
Luna and Arron were the ones she deceived the most.
When Luna complained about Lysinas’ deceit, Arron would timidly agree.
‘She also gave people false hope through lies. Well, most of those hopes became real, so it’s hard to call them lies now.’
Lysinas was known for deceiving people with white lies while giving them hope.
In reality, she wasn’t as righteous as the dragons remembered.
‘And Luna.’
Once considered gentle and kind.
‘In truth, she was a fierce female thug with a swindler’s streak.’
Why else would Dweno say that ‘if she just kept her mouth shut,’ she was a divine work of art?
‘And Arron…’
A brave and strong man.
In reality, he was a timid coward and extremely weak.
That was why the entire punitive force was always surprised in major battles.
‘How that coward could possess such courage remains a mystery.’
Leo smiled bitterly at the thought of Arron.
Finally, Dweno.
‘Dweno was portrayed exactly as he was.’
As the eldest member of the party, he was the spiritual pillar for the group.
His strong will and unyielding spirit provided steadfast support.
If Lysinas was the leader of the punitive force, Dweno was the pillar holding it up.
‘After Arron’s death… If Dweno hadn’t been there, everyone would have fallen apart.’
Dweno was the one who suffered the most from Arron’s death, bearing the greatest shock and guilt.
However, Dweno took care of the other party members even in that dire situation.
“Get a grip, Lysinas! What will we do if our leader falters?”
After barely defeating Erebos, Dweno was furious.
“Luna, stop your crying! We made a choice! Arron made his decision, too! Forget your sorrow! Forget Arron’s death! Focus on the task at hand!”
He was particularly stern with Luna, who was struggling the most.
Luna was deeply angered by Dweno’s harsh words.
But Dweno willingly accepted the role of the villain.
“Kyle.”
Dweno’s resolute eyes came to mind.
“It’s not your fault; it’s because the weapon I crafted was flawed.”
He shouldered the blame for Arron’s death alone.
Calming down, Dweno gazed at his hands before the next battle and murmured, “Now that I look at them… Luna, you were right. My hands… are indeed ugly.”
Dweno had always taken pride in his hands.
He claimed they were the hands that created beauty.
He boasted that they were the most exquisite hands in the group.
In response, Luna would tease him, calling them “ugly dwarf hands.”
Embarrassed, Luna would protest.
“Oh, no. Your hands are quite cute too!”
Dweno laughed heartily at her words, and they reconciled.
That was their final conversation.
Reflecting on it, Leo thought, ‘I always handled things as an adult would. That’s why Dweno’s personality was the most accurate representation in historical accounts.’
Big brother.
‘Well, the term ‘pervert’ was omitted from the history books at least.’
Leo chuckled.
If Dweno had seen this city, he would likely be enraged.
Dweno pursued beauty and despised gaudy opulence.
He would have smashed his own golden statue with his pot-lid-like hands.
Lost in memories of Dweno, Leo was interrupted.
“You.”
A voice called out to him.
Turning around, Leo saw a small woman standing there.
She was petite, reaching only to his waist.
Clearly a dwarf.
But there was something about her that didn’t quite fit the typical dwarf mold.
Her fashion was notably flashy.
“You’re a man, but you possess a unique beauty unlike any other.” She scrutinized Leo and asked earnestly, “Have you ever considered becoming a nude model?”
‘Who is this? The woman version of Dweno?’