The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

"Prepared to die?"

Eliza narrowed her eyes and looked at Leo.

"I’m well aware that you put Celia Zerdinger and Chelsea Lewellin through some harsh training."

Having said that, Eliza curled the corners of her mouth upward.

"Do you really think I haven’t already done that level of training?"

Even now, Celia and Chelsea continued to train.

However, they no longer trained with Leo like they used to.

This was because they each trained on their own without Leo having to constantly watch over them.

And after seeing the intensity of Celia and Chelsea’s training, other students had also increased the intensity of their personal training.

As a result, Eliza had also undergone training just as harsh as Celia and Chelsea’s.

Leo crossed his arms as he watched the scoffing Eliza.

"I never really gave those two what I’d call harsh training, though?"

"What?"

"I gave them some difficult training, but I never pushed them so far that it could be called harsh."

Eliza’s eyes trembled at those words.

'This man.'

He was someone who had always pushed himself to the extreme while pretending it was nothing.

Hearing Leo call that "a bit difficult" made her grit her teeth.

"Well, it looks like you could use some physical training too, but the training you need to risk your life for isn’t that kind."

"Then what are you planning to make me do?"

At Eliza’s question, Leo spread his palm.

Crackle—!

Eliza’s eyes widened as she saw the pure white Divine Lightning manifesting from Leo’s hand.

"The power of Pegasus? But this level of purity?"

The Hergin family had formed contracts with powerful Summoned Beasts for generations.

As such, those born with the talent to form an oath with one of the Three Great Summoned Beasts were assigned an Oathbound partner.

Eliza was no exception.

Her Spirit Power had a high affinity with Pegasus.

Because of this, Eliza’s future Oathbound had been decided since she was young, and she had met that Oathbound several times.

Of course, they had never spoken.

The Three Great Summoned Beasts were fundamentally prideful beings.

Even if someone was their future contractor, they would not deign to speak with someone who did not yet have the qualifications.

But even so, she could recognize that the Divine Lightning residing in Leo’s hand was incomparable to the power of other Pegasuses.

As Eliza gulped, Leo spoke.

"This is the Essence of Lightning."

"The Essence of Lightning? Wait a minute, that’s..."

Eliza’s eyes were filled with shock.

"Right."

Leo withdrew the Essence of Lightning.

"It’s the essence of the power of the Pegasus Kings, whose lineage was cut off at the end of the era 5,000 years ago."

"How on earth do you have that?"

"It was a Conquest Reward from the Hero Record."

"Just when did you get that?"

When Eliza asked with a serious face, Leo answered calmly.

"That’s a trade secret."

At those words, Eliza narrowed her eyes and glanced toward Carr.

Carr simply shrugged and shook his head.

'So even Carr Thomas didn’t know. Still, the Essence of Lightning...'

It was hard to believe.

However, Eliza knew that Leo was at least not the type of person to lie about such things.

Furthermore, there was the precedent of Seiren’s Lunia reviving the power of the Phoenix King for the first time in 5,000 years as a Conquest Reward from the Hero Record.

'There’s no reason Leo Plov couldn’t do the same.'

"You really have no limits, do you?"

As Eliza let out a short laugh, Leo said,

"That’s not true. That’s why I need strong comrades."

Looking down at his hand, Leo spoke calmly.

"If it’s the same case as Lunia El Lunda, why are you hiding it?"

"To be precise, it’s different from Lunia."

"How is it different?"

"In Lunia’s case, she overcame the trials given by the Phoenix King and obtained that flame. Though she isn’t the Phoenix itself, she is essentially the successor to the Phoenix King."

Because of that, Lunia’s flame was the Flame Emperor itself.

It was a power she could obtain because she was the successor of a family that had passed down the Flame of Purification, which burned away impurities, for generations.

"In contrast, mine is literally just a Conquest Reward."

At first glance, it might not seem like there was a big difference, but the reality was different.

In Lunia’s case, she possessed the flame of the Phoenix King itself.

She could emit the Phoenix King’s flames using only her own pure Spirit Power.

In addition, she could strengthen the power of her contracted Phoenix and further maximize that power by imbuing it into her magic.

Unlike her, Leo needed a Pegasus to properly draw out the power of the Essence of Lightning.

'Besides, it’s a power that inflicts considerable pain even on the Pegasus I have an oath with.'

This was the limit of someone who had obtained power through a shortcut like the Hero Record rather than being a legitimate user.

"Most importantly, Lunia can pass that power to someone else if she wants to, but I can’t."

"Hmm, so? It seems like helping me definitely has something to do with that Essence of Lightning."

"Right. Even if I can’t handle it perfectly, I can accelerate your growth."

"In other words, you can forcefully awaken my potential?"

"Yes."

"Hmph. So that’s why you asked if I was prepared to die."

Eliza curled the corners of her mouth.

She understood Leo’s intention perfectly.

'A shortcut.'

Shortcuts were not always a good thing.

'There’s no such thing as a safe shortcut.'

Eliza was a Summoner.

And unlike Aura and magic, the essence of a Summoner was the contract.

That was why she knew it well.

Balance existed in this world.

The faster one advanced, the greater the price.

And in the case of a Forced Awakening of talent, the price for failure was horrific.

'Either becoming a total wreck or, in the worst case, death.'

It was standard for Forced Awakening to carry risks.

In the first place, forcing power to awaken was a deviation from the proper path, so there was no way it could be safe.

'If such a thing existed, it would be a true scam.'

Eliza looked down at her hands.

'Is it right to receive help from Leo Plov?'

From Eliza’s perspective, it was a disgrace.

It cracked her pride.

But...

'I also hate falling behind on my own.'

Just as Leo said, time might solve everything.

But what about the others by the time she finally leaped over the wall?

Perhaps they would hit a wall just like her, and she would be able to catch up.

But on the contrary, they might leap over that wall... or smash it and move far ahead.

'I hate that even more than dying.'

Eliza’s eyes flashed.

'I am the successor of the Hergin family.'

Celia, Duran, Chen Xia, Chloe, Abad, Chelsea, and Walden flashed through her mind.

Finally, she looked at Leo’s face before her.

'If I’m not the best, there’s no point.'

It was not the childish obsession of a teenage girl.

'I must reach the highest stage. Both as a Summoner and as a Hero.'

That was the goal the Hero Candidate named Eliza Hergin lived for.

Before her was an opponent she might not reach even if she chased him for a lifetime.

He was literally a wall akin to vast despair.

But in another sense, it meant there was a goal she could keep running toward for the rest of her life.

'I don’t have time to sit around here. Even at this very moment, this man is getting farther away.'

Standing still just because it was dangerous when there was a way to avoid getting lost.

That was a greater humiliation than receiving help.

"What do I need to do?"

At those words, Leo held out his hand.

Crackle—!

The Essence of Lightning manifested.

"Grab it."

At those words, Eliza took a deep breath and grabbed Leo’s hand.

"Ugh?!"

And at that moment.

Eliza’s electrocuted body stiffened, and her eyes rolled back as she fainted on the spot.

In her fading consciousness, she heard Carr’s urgent voice.

As she lost consciousness, Eliza muttered to herself.

'This... won’t be easy.'

"Isn’t it too dangerous?"

After Carr had taken the unconscious Eliza back to the dormitory.

Leo was sitting alone on a bench when Chen Xia, who appeared from behind, asked with a slightly worried face.

"It is dangerous," Leo said calmly.

"You don’t have any intention of adjusting the intensity of the training, do you?"

"No. If I did that, Eliza would take it as an insult instead."

Leo asked Chen Xia, who sat down beside him,

"Imagine yourself in the same situation as Eliza. Would you feel good if I went easy on you while training you?"

"...No. I’d probably be angry instead."

"See? Even though you’re all kids, you’re so desperate to act like adults."

"Are you openly acting like an old man now? And we’re not acting like adults, we are mature. Don’t treat me like a child."

When Chen Xia, who had moved closer to Leo’s side with narrowed eyes, sent him a reproachful look, Leo said flatly,

"Adults don’t get angry even when their feelings are hurt by someone’s consideration, kid."

Leo pinched Chen Xia’s nose with his hand.

Chen Xia covered her nose and pouted.

"It’s late. Aren’t you going in?"

"My mind is a bit troubled. I want to enjoy the night air a bit longer."

Chen Xia gave a bitter smile.

'He must be lonely and having a hard time because Luna-nim left.'

It was only natural.

He had met a friend he had saved the world with at the cost of his life after 5,000 years, only to part ways again.

Furthermore, Luna had special feelings for Leo.

'Though I can’t be sure about Leo-nim’s feelings.'

Leo surely had complex feelings for Luna as well.

'Leo-nim must be having a hard time too. Should I offer some words of comfort?'

Even though he was called a Great Hero, Leo was also human.

He was bound to show a weak side when his heart was troubled.

'How should I comfort him?'

===

'Because of Luna, I think I’ll have to ask a bit of a troublesome favor of you.'

'A troublesome favor because of Luna-nim?'

Chen Xia’s eyes shifted slightly.

'Eiran-yang, this book called If the Heart is Lonely, the Body Becomes Lonely Too... no matter how I look at it, this is a book banned from Lumene.'

'H-H-H-How did you find that?!'

'And this book History is Made at Night is the same.'

'Kyaaaaaah!'

===

Recalling the books she had found when she went to visit Eiran’s dormitory room, Chen Xia slightly lifted her hips and moved closer to Leo.

"Leo-nim, I am an adult. It’s okay to ask a troublesome favor. No, I will follow any order from Leo-nim."

"Is that so? I’d like to borrow the power of the Shan Empire."

At those words, Chen Xia blinked her large eyes a few times and then smiled brightly.

"...So it’s a job as a Shadow."

"Right."

'This is bad. I think I’ve been influenced too much by Eiran-yang. My head feels a bit strange.'

Chen Xia licked her lips and sighed.

"I think Velkia has been resurrected as an undead."

But at Leo’s next words, her face stiffened.

"Velkia-nim...?"

"Yeah."

Leo continued with a grim expression.

"It seems she’s operating in the shadows. If she’s been resurrected as an undead... she won’t be doing anything good. So, can you find her traces?"

"Yes. I understand."

After answering, Chen Xia immediately disappeared into the darkness.

Sitting on the bench, Leo took a deep breath as he gazed at the full moon.

***

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