Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 678

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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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678

“Ah. I really hate these one-on-one duels.”

Cal let out a sigh and looked ahead.

In front of him was a slightly short beastkin girl stretching her body.

Her eyes burned with motivated fighting spirit.

Looking at each other like this, there was something he could feel.

‘How fierce.’

He had seen many belligerent students at Lumern.

Not just at Lumern.

During his three years at Lumern, he had several opportunities to interact with Ajonia students as well.

And the aura emanating from the beastkin girl in front of him was different from even the Ajonia students.

‘Much rougher.’

It was far from simply being about personality.

‘More wild.’

Cal assessed his opponent.

Under Cal’s gaze, the beastkin girl wrinkled her nose.

She could feel Cal observing her closely.

“That’s unpleasant.”

“Ah, if it bothered you, I’ll apologize.”

Cal smiled and raised both hands.

“I was looking to see if there were any weaknesses or something.”

“Do you think you can find something like that without fighting?”

“Usually it’s difficult. But I’m not very good at fighting, you see.”

Cal shrugged his shoulders and spoke cheekily.

“I need to observe my opponent even a little to increase my chances of winning, don’t I?”

“You’re clearly weaker than me.”

“I know.”

“But you still think you can win?”

“Of course.”

Watching Cal grin, the beastkin girl stared at Cal intently and then opened her mouth.

“You’re frivolous and light.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“But I think I misunderstood you based on just that. My name is Kanea. Yours?”

“Cal.”

When Kanea revealed her name, Cal also smiled and introduced himself.

Watching Cal, Kanea curled up the corners of her mouth.

“Are you ready? Cal?”

“Yeah.”

With those words, Kanea charged straight at Cal.

Watching Kanea, Cal put both hands into his coat and pulled them out.

Long, thin potion bottles were fitted between Cal’s knuckles.

Swish-!

Cal threw the potion bottles toward Kanea.

“Those appear to be alchemy bombs.”

Eliza, who had summoned a fluffy-looking familiar and was sitting on top of it, spoke with an indifferent expression.

Then Driana, who had taken her position, crossed her arms and shook her head.

“I don’t think so.”

“What?”

Kanea dodged the potion bottles.

Crash-! Hissss-!

When the potion bottles broke on the ground, smoke rose up.

Seeing this, Kanea snorted.

“Poison?”

“That’s right.”

Cal smiled wickedly, bit the cork stopper of the potion bottle in his other hand with his teeth, pulled it out, and poured it into his mouth.

It was an antidote.

“Ugh… what are you all gathered here doing?”

“Huh? What? Why is Cal fighting?”

Ar and Iliana appeared with voices that sounded almost dead.

Then they were startled to see the duel before their eyes.

“This should be interesting.”

Dweno, who came with them, stroked his beard and laughed.

“Did that fellow use poison?”

“Poison, you say.”

“Seems a bit cowardly.”

“Very cowardly.”

Luke, Havedon, and Aina shook their heads.

“Hmph. That’s a very Cal-like tactic.”

“Not a bad strategy.”

“A decent plan.”

When Eliza, Chelsea, and Duran praised him, the 2nd years looked confused.

The 2nd years looked at their seniors with bewildered faces.

“Isn’t that a bit underhanded?”

At Havedon’s words, Driana said.

“Isn’t it the fault of the one who got caught?”

“Right. Right.”

Ar also nodded as if agreeing.

At that reaction, the 2nd years looked to the other side.

“That poison. It’s a poison I’ve never seen before?”

“Even though it’s a sudden duel, he prepared an antidote too. He’s well-prepared!”

“He’s an enemy, but he’s excellent!”

Even from the Isvaldi warrior candidates’ side, they could see praise for Cal.

Finally, they spoke to Dweno and Ennitha.

“Seems like tricks are his specialty.”

Ennitha narrowed her eyes.

‘Ah, as expected, the adults evaluate it negatively…’

“Excellent.”

“Yes. Excellent.”

When Ennitha agreed with Dweno’s words, the 2nd years shrank their necks.

‘Are we the strange ones?’

“It’s not particularly that you’re strange.”

Leo, who was nearby, smiled and said.

“When you become 3rd years, you’ll become exactly like your seniors.”

The 2nd year academic life is never easy.

‘Being a hero isn’t as romantic as one might think.’

The image of a hero who defeats enemies fair and square is just a fairy tale story.

In reality, they do anything to survive.

Great achievements are only given to those who overcome trials.

“Leo Flobe.”

“What, Duran.”

“You said that Suin has something we don’t have, and that it’s the resolve to die at any moment, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I find your words hard to accept.”

Duran narrowed his eyes as he looked at Cal and Kanea.

“As long as I attend Lumern. No, as long as I aim to be a hero, life-threatening crises will come countless times ahead. Of course, I have no intention of dying. I plan to struggle as much as I can even in crisis situations.”

“I suppose so.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’m not prepared to die.”

Duran looked at Leo.

“How is my resolve different from that woman’s resolve?”

At Duran’s question, Leo looked at Kanea, Dit, and the other warrior candidates and said.

“Because you were born in different eras.”

“Different eras?”

“I think everyone has the same mindset when it comes to fighting spirit and resolve when entering battle.”

Leo looked at Kinea.

“But people born in a bright world and people born in a dark world are fundamentally different.”

“Fundamentally different?”

“Yes. Duran. What is your goal?”

“You should already know.”

“Right.”

Leo burst into laughter and said.

“Those kids don’t have that goal.”

“…”

“Not only the sense of achievement from accomplishing something, but they probably don’t have many experiences of jumping with joy or even happy memories.”

From the moment they were born, such things had already disappeared from that era.

“Failure is not permitted.”

It’s different from the current hero candidates who can retry multiple times.

Death was as natural as breathing.

A generation that didn’t know when it might perish.

‘It’s not just the children.’

The adults are the same.

They just live day by day in debauchery.

Because it’s an era where tomorrow could disappear at any time.

The Age of Calamity was a world where you couldn’t say such things were wrong.

“Duran. Could you make an effort if the result of your efforts was failure?”

“I’d just make sure not to fail.”

“What if that’s not up to you? What if the outcome is already predetermined?”

“…”

Duran couldn’t answer.

“The current era is that kind of era.”

An era that those born in a bright world could never understand.

“But even so, there are always some. Fools who struggle even when they can see the outcome.”

Moths rushing toward an obvious future.

Those who struggle to survive each day.

Those who couldn’t make their names known to future generations.

Those who were called heroes in an era when Hero Records didn’t exist.

‘I was like that too. So was Luna, and Arron and Dweno were the same.’

All the heroes in the world at that time knew the ending.

‘No, we thought we knew.’

Except for one person.

There was only one person who truly shouted that he would save the world.

Even Luna couldn’t think such thoughts until she met that one person.

‘That’s why he’s special.’

“Watch that little one called Kinea carefully.”

Leo said.

It wasn’t directed at Duran.

It was directed at all the hero candidates.

“That kid is someone who makes an effort even though she’s already been sentenced to a future of destruction.”

“Are you saying you know what that feels like?”

“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t born in this era either.”

He wasn’t lying.

The era Leo was born in was an era of peace.

It was similar yet different from the Age of Calamity generation.

However.

“I’ve seen more kids like that than you have. That’s how I know.”

He had watched while living through the Age of Calamity.

But the others except Chelsea recalled that Leo had conquered the World of the Great Heroes multiple times.

While everyone nodded with doubt.

Leo looked at Kinea.

A meaningless struggle.

But that’s what made it special.

Although she was weaker than any hero candidate here.

Kinea represented the warriors, no, the hero candidates of this era.

‘Kids like that grew up to become Arron later, and became Berkia and Bihar.’

Seeds that couldn’t sprout.

Lives that would eventually disappear without leaving anything behind.

But that will alone is steadily passed down to future generations.

Leo looked at Dweno.

‘Failed?’

Dweno, who had blamed himself for being a failed leader.

‘Where exactly did you fail?’

Leo looked at the warrior candidates including Kinea.

You can tell by looking at those children.

‘You can tell just by looking at the warriors who fought against the Giant King’s legion yesterday.’

Leo exhaled.

‘There wasn’t a single one who was broken by Ivaldi.’

Among the fortresses that survived when Ivaldi existed, if you were to pick the most desperate place, it would undoubtedly be Ivaldi.

Fortresses like Gardstron and Reishar could interact with each other.

The elven resistance forces were the same.

But Ivaldi was isolated alone in the middle of Tartaros forces.

They couldn’t even hope for help.

The fact that the Arhee party led by Risinass could reach Ivaldi was also close to a miracle.

Even in such desperate circumstances, Ivaldi’s warriors burned with fighting spirit.

Even Gardstron, which had relatively better circumstances than Ivaldi and stronger forces, was full of those who had no will to fight.

It was really difficult for Risinass to instill hope in Gardstron.

That’s how full it was of only despair and lamentation.

But Ivaldi shows no such signs.

Because they saw starlight?

‘If they weren’t prepared from the beginning, it would have been impossible to block yesterday’s invasion.’

Certainly the Arhee party led by Leo was also a great help.

But ultimately, what blocked yesterday’s invasion was the underlying strength of Ivaldi’s warriors.

In the end, they all die.

The outcome might already be predetermined as failure.

But….

‘The leader of warriors who can fight like this even in this despair is a failed leader? Then what the hell am I, damn Old Man.’

Leo clicked his tongue as he recalled his pathetic past self who had no interest in anything but surviving day by day.

‘You didn’t fail. Dweno.’

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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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