Chapter 53
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Volume 3 + Chapter 53: A Chance To Become A Hero
When she saw the girl walk in, Xia Yi stood up from the sofa.
Huh?
Why is it… Hill!?
Hill, dressed in a high-level teacher’s uniform, stepped into the principal’s office.
“Principal, I’m here.”
“This is… a teacher?” Yue Liu blinked in surprise.
She hadn’t attended the opening ceremony, so naturally she didn’t know who Hill was. The girl who looked barely an adult was surprisingly wearing the elite instructor’s uniform of Laurel Academy—it was indeed unexpected.
“Student Yue, you didn’t attend the opening ceremony, did you?” the principal asked.
“That’s right.”
“This is your main subject instructor, Hill Gibran, a senior teacher in the swordsmanship department.”
“Student Yue, I’ve heard of you. The principal told me about you—he said your swordsmanship talent is quite impressive,” Hill looked at Yue Liu as she spoke.
“Hello, Teacher Hill.”
Out of courtesy, Yue Liu also stood and greeted Hill.
She had entered Laurel Academy precisely to use this path to find masters of swordsmanship and refine her skills.
Naturally, she was curious—just how strong would a senior swordsmanship teacher at Laurel Academy be?
“Please allow me to ask bluntly—how strong is Teacher Hill?” Yue Liu asked directly, without any detours.
Hmph?
Is that even a question!?
Xia Yi laughed. This was her student, after all.
Do you even understand how prestigious it is to be a direct disciple of the Human Sword Saint?
Before Hill or the principal could respond, the black-haired loli interjected proudly, “Isn’t it obvious? When it comes to swordsmanship, of course she’s incredibly strong!!”
“Eh? I was asking Teacher Hill. Arch-rival, why are you butting in?” Yue Liu looked confused.
Even Hill blinked in surprise.
Huh?
Only then did Xia Yi realize everyone was staring at her. She quickly came up with an excuse.
“Student Yue, you really are out of the loop. Teacher Hill is a direct disciple of the Sword Saint himself—how could she not be amazing? Everyone knows this!”
“She’s really a direct disciple of the Human Sword Saint?”
Yue Liu’s eyes widened in delight.
She had always been fascinated by the Human Sword Saint and had long wanted to spar with them. But she never had a way to get close.
That’s why she used her Fox Clan privilege to enter Laurel Academy. And what luck—the Sword Saint’s student just happened to be a swordsmanship teacher here.
Now she was really looking forward to it.
“Teacher Hill’s strength is unquestionably trustworthy. She’s the Sword Saint’s disciple,” the principal said. “Student Yue, you’ll have many opportunities to learn in the future.”
Phew.
Finally managed to deflect the topic.
Xia Yi wiped away some sweat.
But just then, she noticed Hill looking directly at her.
“Truly unexpected, Xia Yi—so you really like girls,” Hill chuckled, “and your girlfriend’s so pretty. Anyone would be happy to have such a girlfriend, don’t you think?”
“I—I’m not… with my arch-rival…!”
Yue Liu’s cheeks flushed red. She wanted to explain but couldn’t quite get the words out.
“Xia Yi, don’t you think your girlfriend is very beautiful?” Hill teased.
Xia Yi froze.
Hill, what are you talking about!?
I’m your teacher—how can you be so disrespectful?
You’re asking for a lesson.
As your teacher, I’m seriously mad now!
“Alright, Teacher Hill, let’s not tease these two lovebirds anymore,” the principal interrupted. “We should get down to business now.”
“Are we… going to be punished?” Xia Yi asked nervously.
“Hehe, before we talk about that, I want to ask you both a question. Do you know the true purpose of Laurel Academy’s existence?” the principal suddenly asked a strange question.
Xia Yi thought for a moment. The origins of Laurel Academy were so ancient they couldn’t be traced anymore, but it had been around for a very long time.
“To cultivate talent, right? Many graduates of Laurel Academy have left their names in history.”
“The educational resources here far surpass any other academy in the human world,” Yue Liu commented. “It’s like the gap between a shining sun and dim fireflies—an unbridgeable gulf!”
“Yes. The conditions at our academy are unmatched. With abundant resources, we can better develop students’ potential and nurture outstanding talent. But those are only the means—not the purpose.”
The principal drew the curtains, and the room darkened.
He snapped his fingers, and a screen descended. He also brought out a projector.
Xia Yi recognized the device—it could record images with magic stones and project them.
These strange magical technologies—who knew how humans came up with them?
The billboards in Corolle, for example, weren’t developed by the dragon race. They were imported technologies brought in by the new aristocracy from foreign lands.
“Watch the screen.”
As the principal spoke, the screen lit up with projected images.
It showed students from Laurel Academy battling with magical beasts—but these beasts clearly weren’t normal. They seemed to have mutated, and some weren’t recognizable species at all.
“What… is this?” Xia Yi frowned.
The principal said nothing and continued playing more footage—all of the students fighting mutated beasts.
“These don’t look like normal magical beasts. They seem trained, like soldiers following commands,” Yue Liu observed keenly.
“Correct. These aren’t ordinary magical beasts. These mutated monsters are influenced by a certain will. They’ve lost their sense of self and now act solely under that will’s command.”
The principal’s tone had changed. His gaze, locked on the screen, was as sharp as an eagle’s.
“This is… Calamity!”
Xia Yi’s pupils shrank.
Calamity.
That word carried enormous weight for her.
The Black Tide of Golde.
The Seventy-Two Demon Pillars of the Great Tree Sea.
Behind every calamity was a legendary beast capable of shaking the world.
“Since the dawn of this land, calamity has always existed—hidden in the shadows, waiting to bring death to life on this earth,” the principal said gravely. “Laurel Academy has been destroyed by calamity multiple times throughout history—but it has always been rebuilt.”
“So the academy exists to fight calamity?” Xia Yi asked.
“Yes. We train students to fight calamity. Someone must step forward to shoulder that responsibility,” the principal explained. “That is the true purpose of Laurel Academy—to protect life. It’s also why we established the Calamity Response Division.”
“But doesn’t the Holy Templar Order handle this?”
“The Templars deal with the most dangerous calamities. But the ones you saw—those are within the scope our students can handle. The reason the Rhine Kingdom allows Laurel Academy to be an autonomous region is precisely because of the responsibility we take on.”
“However, handling calamities is dangerous—it carries real risks. Not every student participates. We respect their free will. For those who do volunteer, we give them full support.”
“Still, because of the casualties, fewer and fewer students volunteer for this duty every year. It takes courage to face calamity.”
By this point in the speech, Xia Yi and Yue Liu had clearly understood what kind of “example” was being asked of them.
“Among each new batch of students, almost no one joins the Calamity Response Division right away. Most only consider it in their second year—and even then, very few. But you two—”
The principal looked at them intently.
“Do you want to become Heroes?”
