Let's Train Heroine

Chapter 197: No Heroine

"Yawn... Thanks to the handsome priest, I'm starting to sober up. With this, I might be able to go bar-hopping again." The drunk woman stretched lazily, blinking a few times to shake off the drowsiness as she stumbled down the street.

The drunk woman who had parted ways with Lucan was not deterred. She began to search for another place to continue drinking.

"Well, I was all drunk from the strong drinks earlier, so let's switch to something sweet this time. The priest said not to drink too much, after all?" She giggled to herself, swaying as she looked around for another bar.

"Could you stop that? We're about to start working, you know?" A sharp voice called out from behind her, cutting through her drunken musings.

"Hmm?" The woman turned around, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Standing there was a woman wearing an apron, arms crossed as she frowned at her.

"Jaima, If you want something sweet, try this," the apron-clad woman said, holding out a small pastry.

"Hmm... Is this Fula Cake?" Jaima squinted at the pastry, tilting her head.

"It's a Flurenberry Cake, Jaima," the vendor replied with a sigh. She was one of the vendors from earlier who had been selling Flurenberry Cake at a stall.

"That's right. Don't drink before work," came another voice, deeper this time.

Another man joined the conversation. He was a middle-aged man holding a long, knife-like blade, wiping it absentmindedly. He was the vendor who had been selling Kyrilan Meat Warp earlier.

"Heh, being a little tipsy is more reliable. You can't do a good job if you're too tense." Jaima grinned, waving off their concerns as she took a bite of the cake.

From a nearby alley, a clown appeared, juggling knives in an effortless display. He was one of the performers who had been showcasing acrobatics in the park earlier. His colorful outfit swayed as he approached the group.

Although they had narrowly missed Lucan and his group, these four were not ordinary citizens. They were professionals dealing in illegal activities—known as the "Four Darken."

They were experts in theft, assassination, kidnapping, espionage, and all kinds of villainy.

"Well... I guess it can't be helped. Let's consider the drinks a reward for after the job," Jaima shrugged, her voice light despite the weight of their plan.

The alley where the four had gathered was now deserted. It was as if people had either coordinated their departure or sensed some ominous presence and fled.

"So... what's the job in this country?" Jaima asked, her tone casual as she wiped cake crumbs from her lips.

"To infiltrate the royal castle and steal national secrets and confidential information. To assassinate the king's brother. And..." The meat vendor leaned in, speaking lowly.

"Kidnap the saintess! Hahaha!" The clown laughed, twirling one of his knives in his hand.

Despite the challenging nature of these tasks, they had repeatedly handled similar missions before. They were well accustomed to dangerous situations.

"Let's get going... To enjoy some fine drinks, we'll need to make sacrifices among the people of this country." Jaima shrugged again, setting off into the dark streets, her steps steady despite her earlier drunken state. The vendor and the clown followed closely behind, their expressions unreadable.

The Four Darken was on the move, engaging in their usual nefarious activities in a different location.

They were indifferent to the bloodshed their actions might cause. Whether people cried or the country descended into chaos, they were set on completing their mission.

"They're here! The assassins!" A soldier's voice rang out.

"Capture them! Don't let them escape!" Another shouted, swords drawn. Read chapters at mvl

"Eeeeeeeeeeeh!?" Jaima yelped in surprise.

Despite their imposing entrance, the four were swiftly captured by soldiers lying in wait after infiltrating the castle only a few minutes later. They exchanged confused glances, wondering how their infiltration had been anticipated as they were thrown into a prison cell.

The Four Darken did not know that their capture was due to the information Lucan had provided. They were unaware that the seemingly kind young man they had nearly crossed paths with was the cause of their failure.

Even considering it might be a prank, the soldiers who had been keeping watch had captured the evil professionals without fail.

---

The Next Day.

"Teacher, it's bad!" A voice suddenly broke the calm of the staff room, followed by the sound of the door slamming open.

While Lucan was chatting with his fellow teachers, a boy he didn't recognize burst in, panting and out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Grayson asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

"There's a fight! Upperclassmen are fighting on the field!" The boy answered between gasps, his voice shaky.

"We couldn't stop them... Please, come quickly!" He pleaded.

"What? Lead the way!" Grayson stood up swiftly, already heading for the door.

"I'll come with you," Lucan said, pushing his chair back and following Grayson out.

Guided by the boy, Lucan and Grayson ran toward the field. When they arrived, they found a small crowd gathered in one corner.

"Don't boss me around! Just because you're the prince's lackey, you think you can act all high and mighty as a leader?!" A student with a buzz cut yelled, his fists clenched tightly.

"Who's the lackey? Apologize!" Another voice barked back.

Lucan recognized the second voice. It was Alec.

"What are you two arguing about?" Grayson pushed his way through the crowd, his booming voice immediately silencing the students.

The two boys stopped arguing, but their glares remained locked on each other, the tension still thick in the air.

"What happened!? Explain!" Grayson demanded, his arms crossed as he looked between them.

"This guy came at me for no reason, telling me not to boss him around and act like I'm better than him," Alec said, pointing accusingly at the other student.

"It's true! I don't care if you're a student council member or the knight commander's son, you've got no right to talk down to me!" The buzz-cut student snapped back, his posture rigid.

"I only pointed out that your swordsmanship was off. I didn't do anything wrong!"

"When did I ask for your input?! Just because your family is well-off doesn't mean you can act like a knight commander!"

"Family background has nothing to do with swordsmanship! When did I ever mention my father's name?!"

"Stop it! It's disgraceful!" Grayson yelled, stepping between the two of them.

"If you both have complaints, settle them in a mock battle! That's the unwritten rule for aspiring knights!"

The buzz-cut student fell silent, his jaw clenched in frustration. Alec, however, seemed ready to take up the challenge.

"What's it going to be? If you're up for a fight, I'll oversee it!" Grayson's eyes darted between the two, waiting for an answer.

"Damn it!" The buzz-cut student muttered under his breath, before turning and stomping away toward the school building.

"Tch..." Alec clicked his tongue but didn't pursue him. He watched the boy's retreating back with a mix of anger and annoyance.

"Hey, you there. Can you explain what happened?" Lucan asked, pointing to a nearby student who had been quietly watching.

"M-me?!" The student stammered, caught off guard by Lucan's question.

"Well... We were all training for the martial arts tournament. During the training, Alec-senpai advised Kiran-senpai to loosen up his shoulders, saying his sword technique was off. Then... Kiran-senpai got angry and attacked him for being so bossy..." The student explained nervously.

Lucan nodded thoughtfully. It seemed the conflict had indeed been started by Kiran's frustration, with Alec only trying to help.

"Is that enough? Let's resume training. The tournament is soon," Grayson said, glancing at Alec.

"...Fine." Alec muttered, still glaring in the direction Kiran had gone.

"However, make sure not to cause any more trouble. If you create more problems... don't expect to participate in the tournament, regardless of your skills!" Grayson warned as he turned and headed back toward the school.

Lucan followed after him, his interest in the matter fading now that the situation had been defused.