Chapter 134 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Encounter
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The day for the first-years' mission practicum had arrived.
For the week the mission practicum was held, there were no classes.
Therefore, students who finished their missions early could return to the academy and enjoy some free time.
Additionally, students who were undertaking missions with upperclassmen departed a little later.
In front of the warp gate, the first-years leaving for their missions were chatting amongst themselves.
"Looks like you're the only one heading to the Garan region."
"Seems so."
"I know you can handle yourself, but… I still don't get why you chose a mission that isn't even worth many points."
Celia wore a look of incomprehension.
Then, when her turn came, she waved her hand.
"Anyway, see you after the mission practicum."
"Have a safe trip. Be careful."
"Who do you think I am? Don't worry."
Smiling brightly, Celia swept her hair back with her usual confidence and stepped onto the warp gate.
One by one, the students ascended the warp gate.
Leo was the last one to step on.
Flash—!
With a brilliant light, his vision shifted.
Arriving at the warp gate in the Garan region, Leo saw the desolate interior of the gate.
Warp gates were typically splendid, no matter where you went.
But since the Garan region itself was underdeveloped, it seemed even its warp gate hadn't been properly maintained.
"What's this? It's rare to see someone using the warp gate in this region."
The old mage looked puzzled for a moment before recognizing Leo's uniform and letting out a gasp of admiration.
"Ha! You're not a Lumerne student, are you?"
"Yes, I am."
"What brings a great hero candidate to a backwater place like this?"
Leo smiled at the old mage, who was asking with a look of wonder.
"I'm here to resolve a request in the Garan region."
"A request? Ah! You must mean those bandits!"
The old mage's face brightened.
"Excellent! The people of this region have been suffering because of those wretched fiends!"
The Garan region, situated between the western and southern parts of the continent, was a neutral territory ruled by a lord unaffiliated with any kingdom.
Although the lord of Garan claimed it was a kingdom, in reality, it was far from deserving such a title.
Because of this, they lacked the national capacity to subjugate large-scale bandit groups even when they emerged.
Leo clicked his tongue at the old mage's reaction.
'Looks like the bandits are more rampant than I thought.'
Although his main purpose for coming to the Garan region was to investigate the old castle ruins of Gardsrone, he had no intention of slacking on the request.
'I'll have to wipe out every last one of them.'
Leo despised bandits.
In his past life, amidst the world's destruction, while some tried their best to save and help as many people as possible, there were others who shamelessly trampled on others for their own gain.
To Leo, bandits were that kind of people.
The old mage gave Leo detailed directions to the lord's castle.
Receiving his warm send-off, Leo left the warp gate.
As he stepped out, the cityscape unfolded before him.
As expected of the countryside, the city had a very underdeveloped feel.
'In the past, this entire area was Gardsrone.'
Leo mumbled to himself as he surveyed the city.
As Gardsrone was once called the last line of defense on the continent, the scale of the city had been unimaginably vast.
As Leo headed toward the lord's castle, the eyes of the people around him gathered on him.
Outsiders were rare, so everyone watched Leo with curious eyes.
When he arrived in front of the lord's castle, the gatekeepers looked at him with strange expressions.
"Who are you? Never seen you before."
"Looks like an outsider. What's your business at the lord's castle?"
"I'm here to see the lord."
Hearing this, the gatekeepers looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Why would an outsider want to see the lord?"
"You think the lord is someone you can just meet whenever you want?"
At their reaction, Leo pulled the request form from his coat.
"I'm here on a bandit subjugation request."
"Bandit subjugation? Ha! What's a brat like you going to do about bandits?"
"What is this scrap of paper anyway, talking about bandit subjuga—"
The faces of the gatekeepers, who had been snorting at the request form Leo handed them, began to turn pale.
Their bodies trembled as they read the text on the form.
"Lu-Lumerne Academy?"
"A hero candidate?"
As they stared wide-eyed, alternating between the request form and Leo, he spoke.
"Will you call the lord for me?"
"P-Please wait!"
One of the gatekeepers scrambled inside.
The remaining gatekeeper spoke with a face white as a sheet.
"M-My apologies for the disrespect! I didn't realize you were a Lumerne student!"
"There's no need for such an apology. It's an easy mistake to make. Just don't be so quick to judge people by their appearance in the future."
Leo said calmly.
In the meantime, someone who appeared to be a servant came rushing out from inside.
"It is an honor to meet the great hero candidate!"
At the excessive reaction, Leo sighed inwardly.
'The title of Lumerne student really is something.'
Since everyone around Leo was a person of considerable standing, he had never directly felt the external prestige of being a Lumerne student.
But coming out alone on a mission practicum, he felt it keenly.
Leo was politely guided by the servant toward the lord's office.
"My, my! For a great hero candidate from Lumerne to grace us with your presence in such a humble place! It is an honor!"
The scrawny lord rubbed his hands together, bowing repeatedly to Leo.
"Come, come! Esteemed Lumerne student! Please have a seat here."
The lord pointed to the guest sofa by the office window.
As he sat down, the lord promptly sat across from him and said.
"You must be tired from your long journey. I shall immediately arrange for you to rest…"
"No, that's alright. Just tell me where the bandits are."
At Leo's words, the Lord of Garan paused.
Then, he gestured with his eyes to a servant waiting nearby.
The servant hurriedly brought a map and spread it on the table.
A familiar terrain unfolded at a glance.
The massive city that had once stood there was gone without a trace, but the topography remained unchanged.
"The bandits have taken up position in the ruins of an ancient castle."
"Ancient castle ruins?"
"Yes. We don't know from what era the building is, but there are castle ruins at the eastern edge of the Garan region. Well, they're mostly just crumbling ruins."
The lord pointed to a location on the edge of the map.
Leo's eyes gleamed as he stared at the spot.
'This is where Gardsrone's defensive line used to be.'
The line of defense was built to hold back Tartaros's army.
It was the area where Kyle had spent most of his time in the past, and it was outside these walls that Kyle and Lisinas had met.
Just as Leo was focusing on the map.
Slam!
"M-My lord! There's trouble!"
"What is it! I am with an important guest right now!"
"W-We have visitors!"
"Visitors? What visitors?"
'Who could be more important than a Lumerne student!'
As the lord's face contorted, the servant who had burst into the office said.
"S-Students from Seirun are here to see you, my lord!"
For a moment, the lord couldn't comprehend the servant's words.
'Students from Seirun? The Elven Hero Academy? No. Why would Seirun come to a rural place like this? Then what on earth is a Seirun student?'
He pondered for a moment, but he couldn't think of any Seirun other than the Elven Hero Academy.
Leo stood up from his seat and looked out the office window next to the sofa.
"It really is Seirun."
"Pardon?"
The lord made a dumbfounded sound and looked out the window.
He spotted five elves at the entrance of the mansion and gasped.
"W-Why is Seirun here?!"
"Who knows. They must have their reasons. You should go greet your guests, my lord."
Leo said with a smirk, stowing the map in his coat.
"I have a rough idea of the bandits' location. I'll be off to subjugate them now."
There was no reason to linger in the lord's castle anyway.
The reason Leo had come to this region was to explore the ruins of Gardsrone.
This region was once the base city for Leo and Lisinas, a place where the heroes of old lived and breathed.
He had come here with the small hope of finding something related to that time.
The mission practicum had to be completed within a week, so Leo wanted to finish the request as quickly as possible and search for the Gardsrone ruins.
The lord looked flustered at Leo's words.
He desperately wanted to form a connection with Leo, a hero candidate.
But he couldn't help but be taken aback by Leo, who was getting straight to the point as if he were in a hurry.
'This boy has no intention of staying here any longer! Hmm!'
The lord's eyes darted around.
'It might be better to get on the good side of the Seirun students!'
Though they were a different race, it was still a hero academy.
Building connections would surely be beneficial.
"Understood! Then I leave the bandit group in your capable hands!"
'This lord. He changes his tune pretty fast.'
Leo let out a dry laugh.
'Well, is it better than him clinging to me annoyingly?'
With that thought, Leo left the office.
"Prepare to receive the Seirun students! Hurry!"
Leaving the sounds of hurried activity behind him, he headed for the mansion entrance.
The gatekeeper who had apologized to Leo earlier was in an even greater panic at the sudden appearance of the Seirun students.
It was understandable; in a rural place like this, they never saw ordinary elves, let alone students from Seirun.
Elves themselves rarely ventured into human territory.
The townspeople, too, were murmuring and gathering at the sight of the elves.
Amidst it all, Leo stepped out of the mansion gate.
"Oh?"
A small gasp came from the group of Seirun students.
Leo turned his head.
Spotting a familiar face, Leo's expression mirrored the girl's.
"Leo?"
"Lunia?"
The first-year representatives of Lumerne and Seirun looked at each other with slight surprise.
At Lunia's reaction, the other Seirun students' gazes also fell upon Leo.
"A Lumerne student?"
"Miss Lunia, didn't you just say Leo?"
Leo Flove.
Though it hadn't been officially announced, it was already famous among the Seirun students that Leo had deciphered the magic of the Progenitor of the Nebula.
The magic that made flowers bloom.
Hadin's cool gaze turned to Leo.
'So this human is Leo Flove?'
"What brings you here?"
Lunia asked Leo with a bright smile.
Leo looked at Lunia with a peculiar expression.
He glanced at Lunia's companions.
Not a single one of them looked like a first-year.
'Looks like it's time for her to put on an act.'
Leo smiled at Lunia.
"Just be yourself."
"I don't know what you mean, Leo."
"Bottling up your real personality will make you sick."
Throb—!
A vein pulsed on Lunia's forehead for an instant as she saw Leo teasing her.
"Hohoho— Leo. I thought this before, but you do have a mischievous side."
'Aargh! This guy! If there weren't so many people watching, I'd grab him by the collar and shake him!'
"So, Leo. What brings you all the way out here?"
"I'm on my mission practicum. I have to take care of the bandits in this area."
At those words, Lunia's eyes gleamed.
'This is it!'
Lunia exclaimed inwardly.
"Oh my? Bandits? That's terrible."
Leo clicked his tongue, watching Lunia cover her mouth and let out an elegant gasp.
The sight made Lunia flinch again, but she barely managed to hold it in.
Then, she put on a worried expression.
"The residents here must be having such a hard time."
To any observer, she looked like a delicate flower—pitiful, yet kind-hearted and strong-willed on the inside… In other words, Lunia was playing the part of a typical Seirun female student, a role that didn't suit her in the slightest, and the town's residents gasped in admiration.
"Leo. I will help you."
"Miss Lunia, what are you saying?"
"But, seniors, the people here are suffering because of a group of bandits. As a student of Seirun, I cannot simply stand by and watch!"
Lunia said firmly, meeting Leo's eyes.
"Leo! Therefore, I will help you!"
'Take me with you! Take me! Take me! Please, take me with you! Please! Take me!'
Leo let out a dry laugh as he saw Lunia sending him an incredibly desperate look.
"If you say you want to help, well."
'Yes!'
Lunia cheered inwardly and looked at her seniors.
'Goodbye to these stuffy people!'
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