Chapter 131 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Gardsrone
-----------------------------------------------------------------
131.
Watching Leo effortlessly dispel the clone's attack, Albi muttered to himself.
*'What a monster.'*
The three students who had defeated their Mirror Force clones before Leo—Chelsea, Chloe, and Abad—had won for a very simple reason.
*'It's because they understand themselves better than anyone else.'*
The deciding factor in their victories was their complete understanding of themselves.
But Leo had surpassed that level.
*'It means his mastery over the magic he wields has reached its absolute peak. And he's only fifteen.'*
This was not merely a matter of talent.
*'Ren seems to think Leo Flove is simply a tremendous genius... but I'm not so sure.'*
Albi couldn't quite figure out how to define the first-year student before him.
In the meantime, Leo began to cast his spell.
An incredible number of fireballs materialized around Leo.
Albi could tell at a glance that they were no ordinary fireballs.
*'They're plastered with power amplification formulas.'*
Albi wore a puzzled expression as he observed the heavily modified fireballs, which boasted power greater than most high-level flame spells.
*'But they're still just fireballs. He should know better than anyone that something like this won't work.'*
A clone created by Mirror Force possesses the exact same specs as the original.
Just as Albi thought, the Mirror Force clone of Leo instantly dispelled the fireballs.
*Fwoosh-!*
But the fireballs weren't aimed at the clone.
"Gasp!"
A wave of shock rippled through the students.
The fireballs were aimed at none other than Albi.
"This isn't a duel with my clone, is it? It's a duel between you and me."
He was right.
The students' opponent was, in fact, Albi himself.
Albi burst into laughter at Leo's words.
Then, he instantly dispelled the fireballs targeting him.
The fireballs vanished in what was literally a fraction of a second.
But for Leo, that brief moment was all he needed.
Leo instantly closed the distance to his clone.
*Fwoooosh-!*
The clone conjured a massive wall of fire with its magic.
Seeing this, Leo quickly cast a spell of his own.
"Flame Explosion."
*Flicker-*
A bomb of fire formed in Leo's left hand.
"Wind Storm."
The fiery bomb was enveloped by a tempest.
As Leo completed his spell, the wall of flames created by the clone surged toward him.
Seeing it, Leo unleashed his magic.
*Booooom-! Fwoooooosh-!*
The compressed bomb of fire boasted immense destructive power, blasting the wall of flames away.
Gasps of admiration erupted from all around at the sight.
Combining magic spells was not a difficult technique for Lumerne students.
However, controlling a spell whose power was amplified through combination was not easy.
Especially with that level of power, controlling the magic would be quite a struggle.
But Leo had done it with ease.
Ren watched the scene with a puzzled expression.
*'He dispelled more complex magic without difficulty, so why go through the trouble of countering a structurally simpler Fire Wall with another spell?'*
The moment that question crossed his mind, Leo, having reached his clone, extended his hand.
Seeing this, Albi's eyes twitched.
He had spotted the dispel incantation imbued in Leo's hand.
Albi tried to alter the formula's structure to counter Leo's dispel.
But Leo's hand reached the Mirror Force clone first.
The fleeting moment Leo had created with his fireballs was a setup for this.
Ren's eyes widened, and Anna's face was a mask of astonishment.
The clone, touched by Leo's hand, was instantly undone.
"He defeated the clone?"
"What kind of magic was that?"
The students murmured amongst themselves, their faces filled with confusion.
As the Mirror Force vanished, Albi withdrew his mana.
The moment the clone was defeated, the duel was over.
"Do you know about Fae magic?"
"Yes."
"Ren has praised your formula analysis skills to no end, so I was aware they were quite exceptional."
Albi said, glancing at Ren, who was trembling with emotion.
*'If he knew about Fae magic, dispelling the formula wouldn't be difficult. Even so, to meticulously set the stage just to dispel my magic….'*
"The other professors seem to regard you as a mere genius."
Albi narrowed his eyes.
"I've had my questions about you since the entrance exam. Leo Flove, what exactly are you?"
No matter how great one's talent, there are things that can and cannot be achieved by talent alone.
There was something about Leo's ability that couldn't be explained simply by talent.
"Well now, what am I?"
Albi gazed for a moment at Leo, who responded playfully to the sharp question, then shook his head.
"I misspoke. Forget what I just asked. My part in this class is over. Go on and attend Ren's lesson."
"Yes, sir."
Following Albi's instructions, Leo headed toward Ren.
Watching his retreating back, Albi thought.
*'I thought he had the makings of a hero, but… his potential is unfathomable.'*
Even if one showed the potential to be a hero, not everyone became one.
*'There are many cases where even the most outstanding students fail to attain the title of hero.'*
It was a position reserved for a select few.
But seeing Leo now…
*'It's as if he were born to be a hero.'*
That unique charisma possessed by those who have become heroes.
Leo had it.
*'Perhaps… he might even surpass me before he graduates.'*
***
"What are you looking at so intently?"
At the very top of Lumerne's Hero Tower, Kalian, seated in the headmaster's office, asked his old friend.
Looking at Kalian, Riven replied.
"I am watching the first-years."
The figures of the first-year students walking across the campus grounds below were clearly visible in Riven's eyes.
"So, what do you think of them?"
To Kalian's question, Riven answered.
"They are exceptionally brilliant students. Among the generations I have seen during my time at Lumerne, they are one of the finest."
"You see? Didn't I tell you they were outstanding?"
Riven flicked a note from his sleeve toward Kalian.
The paper, unfolded by magic, fluttered over to Kalian.
"This is…?"
"These are clues about Hero Dungeons that I've gathered while traveling the world for the past four years."
Hearing Riven's words, Kalian's expression turned to one of surprise.
The vice headmaster of Lumerne had traditionally been a dragon.
And not just Lumerne.
The hero academies of other races had all appointed dragons as their vice headmasters.
During the Age of Calamity, after the King of Wisdom, Lisinas, united the Great Heroes to defeat Erebos, selecting heroes became a tradition among dragons.
Each hero academy had maintained a close relationship with the dragons since its founding.
Dragons, under the command of the Dragon Lord, were dispatched as vice headmasters to the hero academies to aid in the birth of heroes.
Riven, too, had once passionately carried out his duties, but at some point, he seemed to have abandoned his mission.
Yet for the past four years, he had been steadily scouting for Lumerne.
"It's not certain that a Hero Dungeon is there, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to dispatch the students."
"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Riven."
Kalian smiled at his friend.
Looking at Kalian, Riven spoke.
"Kalian."
"Hm?"
"I know you didn't call me here just because of the first-years."
"Indeed. The movements of Tartaros have become quite unsettling."
A traitor within Lumerne.
No, not just Lumerne.
A traitor had already been discovered within Seirun.
The clutches of Tartaros had likely extended to all the hero academies.
*'After all, the hero academies are the biggest obstacle for Tartaros.'*
The long-standing peace was beginning to tremble.
The fact that Tartaros, which had been lying low, was now openly showing itself was proof of that.
"I suppose I've grown old."
The old hero, Kalian, let out a deep sigh.
"I ask you, as one who carries the weight of this era."
The dragon who had chosen the young Sword Saint eighty years ago asked in a serious tone.
"Are you prepared to entrust the era to the next generation?"
There were many heroes.
But if one were to ask if there was any hero with the same influence as Kalian, none would dare answer.
The reason he was hailed as the greatest hero was that his presence had halted Tartaros's overt activities for many long years.
His existence alone exerted a powerful deterrent against Tartaros.
But the Sword Saint's deterrent was weakening.
Tartaros knew that the era of the Sword Saint was coming to an end.
And so, the dragon who had chosen him as a great hero was asking.
Was he ready to end his own era?
"Though not to the same extent as you, I too have watched over the students for a long time as Lumerne's headmaster."
Kalian smiled faintly.
"I have always been ready."
"Good. Then I shall follow your will."
The hero and the dragon who had once changed the world exchanged meaningful smiles.
***
A week after the second semester began, after school.
Halind spoke.
"Starting today, mission practicals will begin."
At his words, the students of Class 5 began to murmur.
"Mission practicals?"
"That's right."
Halind continued with an indifferent expression.
"Missions will be posted on the bulletin board on the first floor of the classroom building."
Heroes were also problem-solvers for issues arising all over the world.
Thus, those in need of help would submit requests to Lumerne Academy.
The Lumerne administration would evaluate the requests from around the world, and if a place was deemed to be in need of help, students would be dispatched.
In these cases, there was no request fee, and the school covered the students' mission expenses.
However, if a client wished to post a private request, they had to offer a fee and request a dispatch.
Although it cost money, it had the advantage of a swift dispatch of Lumerne students.
Students staked their all on these mission practicals, where they could gain experience, earn money, and even secure academic credits.
Even if their midterm or final exam results were poor, their grades could change depending on the mission practicals they undertook, making them, in a way, as important as exams.
As such, the first-years' attention was immediately captured by the announcement that mission practicals were starting.
Looking at his excited students, Halind spoke.
"The requests are graded. It goes without saying, but accept a request that matches your skill level. I say this every year, yet there are always students who overreach. Mission practicals are real combat, unlike other academic activities."
Halind's icy gaze swept over the students in the class.
"You could lose your life."
At those words, the students flinched.
The excited atmosphere instantly cooled.
Having given the students a warning, Halind said.
"That's all for today's announcements. All of you, go and check the mission details."
With that, the students of Class 5 left the room.
They headed for the central hallway on the first floor of the classroom building.
Since Halind tended to dismiss class early, the students of Class 5 were the first to check the mission details.
"Yes! This means we can grab the good missions first! Professor Halind really has a knack for this stuff!"
Karl laughed with satisfaction.
"Let's see. Oh! There are even missions we can do in Lumeria City!"
At the same time, someone quickly reached out a hand.
"Hey! Iliana! I saw that first!"
"Yep. First come, first served."
Dade shot a pathetic look at Iliana and Karl as they bickered.
"Is the location what's important? It's the content that matters."
While the other students were chattering over the mission requests, Leo reached for a request that no one else was paying attention to.
Seeing this, Chelsea looked puzzled.
"Leo. That's a total backwater village, are you really going there? The mission is just subjugating bandits, so it seems like you'll just be putting in a lot of effort for nothing."
Subjugating bandits.
It was far too humble a mission for Leo, the class representative.
In fact, it was obvious that no other student would want to go.
Leo smiled at Chelsea's question.
"I've wanted to visit this region for a long time."
"Huh? It's just a neutral territory in the southwestern part of the continent. Why would you want to go there?"
Even when Karl, who had been bickering with Iliana, asked with a curious face, Leo just kept smiling.
This place Leo wanted to go to.
It was the site of a legendary city whose exact location was unknown even in the history books.
A city that existed here 5,000 years ago.
A place that could be called the land of beginnings.
*'Gardsrone.'*
The land where Kyle and Lisinas had met.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Read 1006 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/legendary-hero-is-an-academy-honors-student
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━