Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 571
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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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571.
“Come! Choose! Choose! These are Lumeria City’s specialties!”
“From the distant Southern Continent! From the desert lands, the beastmen’s rare delicacies have arrived!”
“Come see the gems crafted by dwarf artisans!”
“This is mithril cloth woven by elves.”
Countless merchants filling Lumeria City continuously engaged in soliciting customers.
Originally, as the city housing Lumern at the center of the world, it was always bustling with many merchants and crowds, but this time the atmosphere was quite different.
Usually, most of the merchants in Lumeria City were human.
However, now merchants from many races had set up shop.
Nowhere else in the world would you see merchants from various races gathering on such a scale.
But now was a special situation with the Festival of Heroes, a world celebration, and the fact that four Hero Military Academies were gathering to compete made all races flock here even more.
Where people gather, merchants gather.
So it wasn’t unreasonable for this many merchants to congregate.
Even among the same race, conflicts inevitably arise when countless crowds gather.
Much less when multiple races with entirely different values gather, disputes were unavoidable.
“Hey! Hey! How many times do I have to tell you not to come over here before you understand!”
A human merchant was threatening a beastman merchant with a menacing voice.
“I just put it down temporarily because I have a lot of luggage! Besides, I’m cleaning it up quickly now, isn’t this too harsh?”
“Harsh my foot! If you’re going to do business on someone else’s land, you should at least show basic courtesy!”
The human merchant irritably kicked the boxes the beastman merchant had stacked up.
Crash!
All the food ingredients the beastman merchant had prepared spilled out.
Seeing this, the beastman merchant’s eyes turned fierce.
“What are you doing!”
The excited beastman merchant bared his fangs and sharpened his claws.
At that sight, the human merchant momentarily flinched and trembled, but soon made a groaning sound.
“Oh my~ A beastman is threatening a person!”
Both merchants were running food stalls selling street food.
However, since beastmen were globally famous for their culinary skills, customers rarely came to the human merchant’s stall.
Moreover, the beastman’s prices were much cheaper.
For him, who had been doing business at high prices every year during Lumeria City events hoping for special profits, the beastman merchant’s stall drawing customers was bound to be an eyesore.
When the human merchant made groaning sounds, the beastman merchant showed a flustered expression and stepped back.
“No, no! You were the one who caused trouble first…!”
“Oh my~ Oh my! The existing merchants are all dying because of outside merchants!”
Just as the human merchant was raising his voice as loud as possible to create a big commotion.
“It seems like something happened?”
Someone appeared through the crowd.
“What’s going on?”
The human merchant smiled triumphantly upon confirming the outfit of the boy with light orange hair.
Conversely, dismay appeared on the beastman merchant’s face.
“Oh my~ Lumern student! Look at this! That beast-like beastman is causing trouble for me who’s doing honest business!”
“You, you were the one who caused trouble first!”
When the beastman merchant protested, the Lumern student, Cal, raised his hand.
“Let me hear the whole story. Could the beastman merchant explain the situation first?”
At those words, the beastman merchant explained the situation.
“Hmm. Hmm. I see.”
Just as Cal was nodding and about to listen to the human merchant’s story.
“Before the explanation, you’ve worked hard. First, take this as pocket money.”
“Oh my, what’s all this.”
Cal smiled slyly while looking at the human merchant who was stuffing a money pouch into his chest.
The beastman merchant looked at that scene with disgust.
After listening to the human merchant’s lengthy explanation, Cal nodded.
“I see. That must have been troublesome.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying!”
“Then please apologize.”
“Excuse me?”
“You might be angry about losing customers, but you still shouldn’t do that. If you didn’t overcharge in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened, right? The Festival of Heroes is a festival held to promote harmony between races and for everyone to enjoy, isn’t it?”
Looking at Cal who was smiling brightly, the human merchant’s shoulders trembled.
“If you’re a Lumern student, you should take the side of fellow humans! What is this!”
“Heroes aren’t people who take sides with specific races, though?”
“But you just took the money pouch and ate it up…”
“Huh? Wasn’t this pocket money?”
Cal hung the money pouch on his finger and spun it around while making a sly expression.
“Ugh! Even if you’re a Lumern student, a mere 2nd year is going too far! What’s your name! The Lumeria City Merchant Association will formally protest!”
Finally, the enraged merchant exploded in anger.
No matter how much of a Lumern student he was, an unknown student could face quite troublesome situations if reported to the Lumeria City Merchant Association.
Moreover, since Cal acted politely, he secretly seemed easy to deal with, so he looked down on him.
At the merchant’s words, just as Cal was scratching his cheek.
“This is unbelievable. Is a street vendor threatening a Lumern student right now?”
From behind Cal, a southern girl with light brown skin, Juwen, appeared.
Looking at Juwen who crossed her arms and glared, people around began murmuring.
“Isn’t that Juwen Torbina?”
“Lumern 1st year Department of Magic top student?”
Those who recognized Juwen began murmuring.
Seeing this, the human merchant became flustered.
“How brave, threatening the Lumern Student Council President’s deputy.”
“Isn’t that Eliza Herginn?”
“The heir of that Herginn family?”
“But wait, what? That student is the Lumern Student Council President’s deputy?”
People who heard Eliza’s words showed shocked expressions.
As the situation turned that way, the merchant’s face turned pale.
“So, so. I am…”
Looking at such a merchant, Eliza said irritably.
“Tell the Lumerian City Merchant Association representatives. To appear at Lumern immediately.”
“Oh my! I didn’t recognize you! Please forgive me just this once!”
The merchant prostrated himself on the ground, but Eliza only snorted.
“Now, let’s go quickly. Cal senior.”
Juwen also pushed Cal’s back and left the scene.
Eliza, who returned through the crowd, said with a pathetic expression.
“Unable to properly utilize your own status. How foolish, Cal Thomas. Well, it’s natural since you’re a commoner.”
“Are you looking down on Cal senior right now? He just doesn’t flaunt his authority randomly!”
Eliza looked at Juwen, who was opposing her words, with cold eyes.
At this, Juwen slightly shrank her neck but soon defiantly lifted her chin.
Looking at such Juwen, just as Eliza was clenching and unclenching her fists.
“Now, now, stop getting excited.”
Cal stood behind Eliza and placed his hands on both her shoulders.
“Let go.”
Eliza slightly showed irritation and shook off Cal’s hands.
Looking at such Eliza, Cal slyly raised both hands and shrugged his shoulders.
“I did that on purpose just now.”
“What did you say?”
“Merchants are originally the type of people who would risk their lives for money.”
Since Cal came from an alchemy family that engaged in commercial activities, he was well-versed in merchant behavior.
Cal was originally a member of the merchant club, and most of the current Lumern 1st and 2nd year students would use Cal’s distribution network whenever they urgently needed something.
“Since this is an unprecedented festival in history, the merchant association will want to make excessive profits.”
Cal shrugged his shoulders.
“But the Heroes’ Festival isn’t just a simple competition. The Heroes’ Festival is also a place of harmony that everyone can enjoy.”
Cal recalled Leo’s words.
He had said he wanted to create a festival where everyone could gather and enjoy themselves.
Cal stopped walking.
The streets of Lumeria City, where countless races came and went, were quite different from usual.
‘Yes… it’s somewhat similar to Gardstron that I saw in Dweno’s world.’
A city from the distant past where everyone helped and harmonized with each other.
A legendary city that had now disappeared into the pages of history.
‘Maybe Leo truly wants to create a world of harmony.’
Not simply to prevent division in the face of a great threat.
‘Maybe he wants to overcome the crisis by joining forces and pass this unity on to future generations.’
“Surprisingly, division and conflict often start from small things.”
Cal shrugged his shoulders.
“If you come to enjoy yourself but get ripped off, it feels bad, right?”
“Is that so?”
“You could just pay that small amount of money.”
When Juwen and Eliza made expressions showing they didn’t understand, Cal clicked his tongue.
“This is why young ladies from good families…”
“Did you just treat me like a spoiled brat?”
“You’ve got some nerve, Cal Thomas.”
Juwen glared and shook Cal vigorously while Eliza smiled coldly.
“Anyway! Even doing business fairly would bring enormous profits, but we can’t let them ruin the festival atmosphere by taking excessive profits! The head of our small business family, my father, said so! To create a festival that everyone can enjoy, we must first eliminate price gouging! Elena agreed with this too.”
Cal clenched his fist.
“A merchant from the Lumeria City merchant association picked a fight with the acting student council president so nicely, so Elena will probably use that as an excuse to pressure the merchant association. The reason I could come out to Lumeria City during this busy time of final preparations was to create grounds to pressure the merchant association.”
***
“Any method is fine, so create an excuse to pressure the merchant association.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“You have to figure that out yourself.”
“Couldn’t Hark just say one word and it would be over?”
Cal said while looking at Hark who was working on business nearby.
“The mayor of Lumeria City isn’t a king. He’s not in a position to give orders to the merchant association. He can only persuade them through moderate methods.”
“What’s this moderate method?”
“Pick a fight. Find some trivial fault.”
“That sounds good. It seems like there won’t be any consequences.”
Cal sighed at the methods of the two people, which seemed far from moderate no matter how he looked at it.
‘Right, what force in Lumeria City would dare hold a grudge against the successors of Jeron and Ligard? I’m different though.’
As a commoner, Cal felt burdened by making enemies with the Lumeria City merchant association, which wielded powerful influence worldwide.
***
Cal shrugged after finishing his explanation.
“Now I’ll slip out of the middle and Elena and Hark will catch them in the act and destroy the merchant association.”
“Is that why you brought me and Juwen Torna?”
“Yes. I knew that the moment a fight started, you and Juwen would know how to retaliate in ways that would make the opponent suffer. And for the same reason as Elena and Hark, there’s no reason for you to get caught in the crossfire.”
“So you used me? How cunning.”
At Cal’s words, Eliza curled up the corners of her mouth.
‘I thought I was being played like a fool.’
Though she had been used, Eliza somehow smiled with satisfaction.
“Anyway, now that we’ve made some money, shall we go eat something delicious?”
Watching Cal smile with an “Uhahaha!”, Juwen muttered.
“Cal, you look really happy.”
“Hey hey! I’ve finally become free, so of course I’m happy! When the Heroes’ Festival starts, I’ll be liberated from that work hell too!”
“But that’s only for a limited time.”
Cal’s future, already chosen by Elena as a high-performance talent, was obvious.
Even after the Heroes’ Festival ended, he would be worked to the bone.
To this, Cal smiled refreshingly.
“Hey. With my grades, there’s no way I could make it to 3rd year anyway. The acting student council president position wasn’t bad as a way to mark the end of my time at Lumern! I could even say I was lucky!”
‘This is the first time I’ve seen someone look happy about getting expelled.’
Juwen made an expression of disbelief.
‘But with Cal’s grades, 3rd year would be difficult.’
On the other hand, she was worried.
Cal had revealed that his original goal was just to survive the first semester of first year.
But he had survived until the second semester of second year, so from Cal’s perspective, it must be an incredibly satisfying school life.
But for Juwen, it was regrettable.
Terrible magical power by Lumern student standards.
Not very good magical talent either.
His alchemy was amazing, but as a Magic Studies Department student, he was full of flaws.
Even so, Cal’s abilities outside of grades were outstanding.
‘Isn’t there some way to help Cal?’
While Juwen was stamping her feet.
Eliza also stared intently at Cal’s back.
***
Elena, who had destroyed the merchant association representatives who came running in a hurry, muttered with a serious expression.
“He accomplishes whatever I give him to do. This guy is really all-purpose.”
Elena, who had been stroking her chin, sparkled her eyes.
“Leo. How can I work Cal harder?”
Elena asked with a serious face in the student council room.
To that question, Leo, who was reviewing documents, said.
“That’s a problem Cal needs to solve.”
“There’s an easy way too. I also have acting director authority.”
Looking at Elena who was smiling brightly, Leo grinned.
“That won’t do.”
“Why? It would be nice to stay with your closest friend, right?”
When Elena narrowed her brow and spoke, Leo said calmly.
“If he’s simply going to end up as a junior that Elena can easily work, that wouldn’t be too bad either.”
“You’re saying that’s not the case?”
“You need to develop better judgment of people.”
“What?”
At Leo’s words, Elena made an indignant expression.
Elena was always composed, but her peace of mind often crumbled in front of Leo.
Elena, who had been looking at Leo for a moment, snorted and twirled her hair.
“Are you saying that in Leo’s view, Cal can make it to 3rd year on his own?”
“Well, that’s unknowable. But overcoming limits is our school’s motto, isn’t it?”
Leo chuckled.
“If it’s Cal, he’ll surpass his limits and achieve results that everyone will find convincing.”
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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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