Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 216

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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216

Jerdinger trainees start their day from early dawn.

Being selected as a Jerdinger trainee itself is proof of considerable aptitude and talent as a knight.

However, no matter how much aptitude one has, failing to work hard in a place where peers of similar level gather often leads to being weeded out.

That’s why Martina started her day earlier than other trainees.

Martina got up from her spot with a disheveled face, yawning lazily as she got down from her bed.

Then she shook awake her roommate Carin, who was sleeping soundly.

“Hey, Carin. Wake up.”

“Mmm?”

Carin, who had been burrowed under the blankets, poked her head out and stretched like a cat.

Then she jumped up from her spot and finished preparing to go out after washing her face.

When they went outside, Austin, Julan, and Valerie were also waiting.

They were all members of Leo’s Knight Order.

These five trainees had started waking up earlier than other trainees to train ever since becoming Leo’s Knight Order.

It was a natural decision for the five who keenly felt they were lacking to be Leo’s Knight Order.

Especially since yesterday, they had been burning with even more motivation.

‘Young Master Leo accepted us.’

Among the trainees, there are plenty of people with better skills than these five.

They had tried to leave the knight order, worried about damaging Leo’s reputation, but he said he would take the five who chose him along.

Martina clenched her fist tightly.

‘Let’s work even harder to become knights worthy of Young Master Leo.’

It was when Martina was steeling her resolve like this.

“Oh, looks like those guys are going to train?”

“Hero candidates really are different, huh?”

“Hehe. They must be pretty desperate. Considering they said such things to Young Master Leo.”

Other trainees who normally wouldn’t be awake were looking at Martina’s group and giggling.

“Why are they acting like that from dawn?”

Carin grumbled.

“Ignore them.”

Austin said calmly.

“Right. They’re top-tier students. The fact that they woke up at this crack of dawn when they normally don’t means they’re doing this to look good to Young Master Leo.”

Julan smiled and agreed with Austin’s words.

Like that, Leo’s Knight Order headed to their promised training location.

And seeing Leo already there waiting, the five showed very flustered expressions.

“Young Master Leo?”

“Ah, it’s still earlier than our promised training time?”

Austin and Carin looked flustered.

“You’re here?”

Perhaps due to the cold air of early winter dawn, his breath was visible.

The five trainees hurriedly stood before Leo.

Looking at such trainees, Leo said.

“From today, I’m going to awaken your abilities.”

At Leo’s words, the trainees stood at attention.

“Yes!”

“You said you wanted to have skills befitting my knights, right? Then just follow my training well.”

“Understood!”

Leo’s knights answered powerfully.

“The goal is to pass this year’s Lumern Entrance Exam.”

“Yes! We’ll work hard…!”

The trainees who were shouting enthusiastically stopped short.

Then they looked at Leo with bewildered faces.

“Lu, Lumern entrance?”

“How could we possibly enter Lumern?”

It was an impossible story.

Students who enter Lumern are literally a chosen few.

The hurdle is so high that only a very small number among the top students of Lumern trainees can pass.

But Lumern entrance!

Looking at their bewilderment, Leo said.

“You can all handle aura, right?”

“Yes.”

“I passed the exam even though I couldn’t handle aura.”

‘That’s because Young Master Leo is special!’

All the knight order members found themselves reflexively objecting to the words of Leo, whom they admired.

But it wasn’t wrong.

Leo also knew his words were nonsensical.

Yet Leo shamelessly used himself as an example.

“Do you guys know this saying?”

“Which one?”

“If it can’t be done, make it happen.”

‘That’s an incredibly scary saying.’

The five knights including Martina shuddered.

Leo’s eyes truly had the look of someone who would make the impossible possible.

Of course, everyone could instinctively sense that they would be the ones dying in the process.

While everyone was gulping nervously, Leo crossed his arms.

“Of course, if you’re not confident, you can quit. Even so, I won’t abandon you who chose me.”

Leo continued speaking calmly.

“I’ll guide you so you can become stronger. But if you enter Lumern, you’ll be able to climb even higher.”

At Leo’s words, the trainees flinched and trembled.

“I made this proposal because I thought there was possibility.”

Looking at Leo speaking calmly, the knight order felt their hearts trembling.

They had been overjoyed just to become Leo’s knights.

But Lumern.

Now is the age of heroes.

That’s why everyone dreams of being a hero at least once.

The five were the same.

But while training as Jerdinger trainees, they naturally realized.

That they couldn’t become heroes.

But Leo’s words seemed to make them dream again of dreams they had abandoned long ago.

“I’ll do it.”

Martina said powerfully.

“I’ll follow Young Master Leo.”

Starting with Martina, the other trainees also ignited their will.

“I’ll do it too!”

“Me too!”

“Please train us!”

“We beg you!”

Seeing that sight, Leo smiled.

“Yes, that’s a good attitude.”

Leo nodded and said.

“Then shall we all start with body modification?”

“?”

At the mention of body modification, the five looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

They should have realized it then.

They should have run away at that moment.

***

Two weeks had passed since Leo’s training began.

And Selia was climbing a mountain on the Jerdinger Family’s property.

“Just how much does he plan to torment his knights that he came all the way to this back mountain to train?”

Selia clicked her tongue.

On the day the five had burned with determination for Lumern admission.

Leo packed his bags and left Jerdinger Castle.

The reason was simple.

It was for training.

With permission from Jis, who was in charge of overseeing the trainees, he had taken the five on a training journey.

Following behind Selia was none other than Niel, a fourth-year student from Lumern’s Knight Academy.

As Selia’s knight, she had followed to assist her lord who was leaving the main estate.

And she had also become interested after hearing that Leo planned to make all of his knights into Lumern admission candidates.

“But even if it’s Leo, can he really turn five trainees with mid-level grades into Lumern admission candidates?”

Niel tilted her head.

In fact, Leo’s achievements were almost mythical even among the upperclassmen.

The unprecedented all-class performance.

His activities in the Gigantes subjugation during the first semester.

On top of that, in the second semester, he had boldly claimed the position of student council president.

But even so, this declaration was far too absurd.

Being a former Jerdinger trainee herself, Niel knew well.

She knew how vast the gap was between students with mid-level abilities among the trainees and Lumern admission candidates.

Leo himself might be one thing.

But Niel thought it was impossible to bring others to that level within a few months.

“Besides, it’s questionable whether this would be more efficient than training at the Jerdinger Training Ground.”

Hearing Niel’s words, Selia said.

“Sister Niel still doesn’t know much about him.”

“Pardon?”

“When he says he’ll do something, he does it.”

Selia shuddered.

Selia knew well just how harsh Leo’s training was.

She and Chelsea were the ones who had suffered the most under Leo for a whole year.

Of course, recently she had somewhat adapted to Leo’s training intensity.

But in the early days, she had to suffer from muscle pain every weekend.

And thanks to that, despite having powerful competitors like Chen Xia and Duran, Selia had been able to maintain her first place position in the Knight Academy for a year.

As the two were searching the mountain, a scream of ‘Kyaaaaaaah!’ echoed in their ears.

Hearing that sound, the two looked at each other and quickly moved their feet.

Selia and Niel, who had run toward where the sound came from, were left speechless at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

“Swing it. If you can’t swing it, you die.”

Leo making terrifying sounds with an expressionless face.

And Austin was shouting ‘Uooooo!’ as he swung his bastard sword.

The massive rock that had been falling toward his head was sliced with a thunk.

Julan was trapped in a giant water droplet, making gurgling sounds.

Carin, trapped in the darkness of the abyss, was screaming ‘Kyaaaaaaah!’ while Valerie was being beaten by a golem Leo had created, her entire body bound in chains.

Finally, Martina was crawling on the ground, crushed under tremendous gravity.

“…What is this hell?”

As Niel muttered in a dazed voice, Selia covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

“I knew this would happen.”

While the scene was beyond Niel’s imagination, it was a perfectly predictable scenario for Selia.

And Selia hated her own imagination.

Because she had suffered so much under Leo, she could imagine such things.

As Selia was letting out a sorrowful laugh, Leo, who had spotted the two, approached them.

Even during this, the trainees’ training didn’t stop.

“…I don’t want to hear it, but I’m curious, so I’ll ask. What exactly are you doing?”

To Selia’s question, Leo said.

“I’m in the middle of body modification.”

At the bizarre term, Selia narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you modifying bodies?”

“To awaken each person’s talent.”

“Talent?”

“That’s right.”

Leo himself knew best that Lumern admission wasn’t easy with just effort alone.

Even in Leo’s judgment, all five would find it difficult to pass the Lumern entrance exam with their current abilities as ‘knights’.

But Leo was still confident about the five passing the entrance exam.

The reason was simple.

Leo had the eyes of a Great Hero and an all-class student.

And through those eyes, he could see that his knight order members had talents other than just knightly abilities.

“Austin has talent as a mage.”

Leo pointed to Austin, who was swinging his sword in an almost dying state.

That sword was one that sealed aura abilities.

“The sword has cutting magic formulas that Austin created himself written on it.”

Therefore, Austin had to spend ten out of the past two weeks not training at all, but studying magic formulas until his head hurt.

And he was being forced to awaken his magic power in a life-threatening crisis.

“Julan and Caren have talent as spirit mages. That’s why they’re trapped in water and darkness to awaken the spirit affinity they possess.”

Of course, they weren’t simply trapped in water and darkness.

That place was a space filled with spirit power, created by the spirits’ power.

It was optimal for awakening dormant spirit power.

“…What about Martina and Valerie?”

When Niel asked with a reluctant expression, Leo shrugged his shoulders.

“Those two don’t have talent as mages or summoners. So they’re awakening their aura characteristics.”

“Aura characteristics?”

“That’s right, Valerie’s aura characteristic is very rare. It’s the same ‘accumulation’ as senior Hark.”

Leo grinned.

Hearing this, Niel showed a surprised expression.

“Really?”

“Yes. The difference is that while senior Hark accumulates power through ‘sleep’, Valerie accumulates power through ‘impact’. That’s why she needs to build up her endurance, so I tied her up and am having her beaten like that.”

“How simple and crude.”

“Originally, training is best when it’s simple and crude. You know that well too, don’t you?”

Seeing Leo grin, Selia wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered.

“What about Martina?”

“Martina is purely strengthening her physical body.”

She doesn’t have magical talent like Austin, nor does she have talent in spirit arts like Julan and Caren.

Nor does she possess special aura characteristics like Valerie.

She only had talent as a pure knight, nothing more.

“…She probably doesn’t feel good about it.”

Niel made a pitying expression.

Others have hidden talents, but he doesn’t.

Having lived as a trainee at Jerdinger and as a student at Lumern, Niel knew well how shocking that realization could be.

Being the only one who isn’t special.

At Niel’s words, Leo chuckled softly.

“Yes. But she’ll be fine.”

“Why are you so certain?”

At Selia’s question, Leo smiled.

“Because she knows how to overcome limits.”

Overcome your limits.

That was also Lumern’s teaching.

She was different from the other trainees.

Austin, Carin, Julan, and Valerie were discovering new abilities through Leo’s insight and rapidly developing them.

As a result, they were showing rapid growth.

But Martina was different.

She had no other option besides strengthening her existing abilities.

However, Martina was keeping up with Leo’s hellish training without falling behind.

She gritted her teeth and didn’t hesitate to clash head-on when facing walls.

“That’s the greatest virtue for becoming strong.”

Leo said while watching Martina grit her teeth, overcome his gravity magic, and shakily rise to her feet.

“She’ll become strong. That one will.”

At those words, Selia looked at Martina with a “Hmm.”

Selia and Martina were the same age.

So they had trained together as trainees.

‘She’s definitely a hard worker.’

She hadn’t known that such characteristics as a hard worker would bloom after meeting Leo.

“But if you focus on other abilities like this, won’t there be no development in knightly abilities? She’s still supposedly a Jerdinger trainee.”

When Niel made a regretful expression, Leo picked up a stone rolling on the ground.

“Don’t worry about that.”

Then he released the spirit arts and magic that were tormenting the trainees.

The trainees who suddenly regained their freedom flinched and trembled.

Toward them, Leo threw the stone he had picked up without hesitation.

Whiiiiish-!

Thwack-!

“Kyaak!”

Carin, hit in the shoulder by the stone, screamed and rolled on the ground.

Though she had defended with aura instantaneously, it hurt enough to kill.

“This way I can help develop aura control abilities through surprise attacks. Carin! Can you handle it?”

“You! I’ll kill you someday!”

Even at Carin’s furious cry, Leo smiled and threw another stone at her.

“Kyaaaak!”

‘He’s a demon. This person is a demon.’

Niel was convinced inwardly.

“So, what’s the reason you came to find me? I told you not to look for me for about a month.”

Leo asked while throwing stones at his knights.

Amid the trainees’ screams echoing around, Selia spoke.

“An announcement came from Lumern.”

“From Lumern?”

“Yeah. Some of those scheduled to advance to 2nd year received summons to the Rodren Empire.”

“You and I are included, right?”

“That’s not all.”

Selia handed the list to Leo.

Receiving it, Leo scratched his cheek.

“An integrated exam… But they’re gathering these members?”

“Yeah.”

Leo looked at the supervising professor’s name and muttered.

“It seems like we’re the test subjects.”

“Huh?”

“I think they’re planning to have us catch the admission candidates.”

“Come on. Even if it’s the Lumern entrance exam, would they do such a thing?”

“Right. Right.”

Niel said with a laugh.

Looking at Niel, Selia nodded.

The difference in skill between entrance exam time and 2nd year advancement students was like heaven and earth.

Especially the current Lumern 2nd years were a golden generation that could be counted on one hand in Lumern’s history.

Even excluding Leo.

The 2nd year top class led by Leo and Selia was not at a level that entrance exam students could handle.

“The supervising professor is Professor Hallind.”

Leo said with an indifferent expression.

“If I were Professor Hallind, I think I’d do this.”

Lumern Wall of Lamentations.

The students’ absolute terror.

Leo, who had experienced Hallind for a year, was certain.

Hearing Leo’s words, Selia and Niel looked at each other.

“Then what will you do if you meet your order of knights in the exam?”

At Selia’s question, Leo said calmly.

“I’ll use my full power to defeat them.”

Going easy wasn’t in Leo’s dictionary.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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