Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 53: The Eater’s Soul
Lu Mingfei handed the heavy, eight-sided Han sword used for practice back to the equipment manager. The moment the sword left his hand, the manager visibly staggered, his arm muscles tensing as he barely managed to hold it up.

This is almost the heaviest piece in the training equipment arsenal.

While mixed-race individuals may possess physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, wielding heavy weapons weighing twenty or thirty kilograms is not difficult for them, but the tide of the times has already turned.

There's an old saying that goes:
From seven paces away, the gun is fast; within seven paces, the gun is both fast and accurate.

Firearms dominate the battlefield, so portability is the top priority.

No one would carry a battle axe around town—it's too big to fit even a cello case.

Caesar's "Dick Tide" is a hunting knife, Chu Zihang's Murasame can be hidden in a tennis bag, and most agents would choose weapons like tactical daggers or wakizashi. People like Lu Mingfei who are good at two-handed greatswords are really an anomaly.

So much so that after Lu Mingfei stated his weapon requirements, the administrator had to drag the sword out from the far corner of the warehouse.

"It's still a bit too light."

Lu Mingfei muttered to himself.

The administrator was startled, but since the person in front of him was the academy's only "S-rank," he could only reply cautiously:

"If you feel the weapon doesn't suit you... perhaps... you could go ask the equipment department? They might be able to order one."

"The Equipment Department? They take on custom orders?"

Lu Mingfei was somewhat surprised.

"Theoretically speaking, those lunatics don't care about anyone."

The administrator lowered his voice:

"But you are an S-class, possessing the highest authority..."

Lu Mingfei was somewhat tempted, but then he remembered his experience in Watlheim a few days ago and couldn't help but shudder.

"Never mind. We'll talk about it later."

He shook his head and turned to leave.

The gazes of the surrounding first-year students remained complex.

The mixed-race people revered power, and this reverence inadvertently created a chasm between them and Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei lowered his head, wanting only to escape this suffocating sense of alienation as soon as possible.

He walked through the training area to the entrance of the passageway, where the light had dimmed slightly.

A slender figure stood quietly in the shadows by the wall.

is zero.

She was wearing the usual girls' uniform skirt from Kassel College, and had a petite figure. She was holding a clean white towel in her hand.

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment. He hadn't expected Zero to be here.

The two left get out of class together. However, Zero was usually quicker to change out of his protective gear and left earlier than Lu Mingfei, so they rarely bumped into each other.

Zero didn't speak, but simply took half a step forward and handed over the towel. The movement was natural and fluid, his face calm and composed, as if it were just a casual gesture.

"For me?"

Lu Mingfei felt somewhat awkward.

Ling nodded slightly.

Lu Mingfei accepted the towel almost obsequiously, hastily wiping the sweat from his forehead and the back of his neck. The warm towel absorbed the sweat, bringing a refreshing feeling.

"Why didn't you leave?"

he asks.

“Caesar asked me to find you,” Zero’s voice remained calm and even, “to convey some words.”

Lu Mingfei was even more puzzled.

He and Zero were both in the student council, so why didn't Caesar contact him directly if he needed something? Even if a message needed to be relayed, wouldn't Fingel be a more suitable person? His relationship with Zero wasn't particularly close.

It can't be some ridiculous reason like "two dragons never meet," right?
Caesar was certainly not bored, but he was too busy. As the student council president, he had a whole host of responsibilities to manage.

Zero holds a high position in the student council, has an extremely high attendance rate, and... in Caesar's view, she has a "close relationship" with Lu Mingfei, making her the best candidate.

“After Project Bronze,” Zero looked at him, her icy blue eyes calm and unwavering, “you haven’t attended any student council meetings or activities. They think you’re deliberately absent.”

She paused for a moment: "But I think you just forgot."

Lu Mingfei slapped his forehead.

It seems that's really the case. He hasn't checked his email in a long time.

"Only Caesar and Chen Motong know your contact information. Given your 'S-class' status, they can't approach you in person, as it might seem like they're interrogating you."

Zero's voice was clear and calm:
“After being absent for so long, some fools will inevitably complain.” Caesar suppressed this and proposed changing your status to a permanent “honorary member” of the student council.

Retain all benefits, exempt from all obligations. He told me to ask you if you agree.

Lu Mingfei held the warm towel in his hand.

Honorary member? Retain benefits, exempt from obligations?

This is like a perfect pillow when you're sleepy!

Those lengthy meetings, boring social events, and tedious paperwork (although he had never done them before) can all go to hell!

He just wanted to be a nominal member, enjoy the benefits, and then devote all the time he saved to the endless exploration of the borderlands.

"Agreed! Of course I agree!"

Lu Mingfei breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Zero Ice's blue eyes looked at him calmly, seemingly taking in his slight relief and smugness.

She showed little expression, only nodding very slightly to indicate that she understood.

"Ah."

It was still that clear and crisp note.

Lu Mingfei looked at the towel in his hand, which was already stained with sweat, and handed it over somewhat embarrassedly:
"Uh... the towel, here you go? I'll wash it and then..."

"No need," Zero interrupted him, her voice flat. "It's yours."

Lu Mingfei paused, looking down at the ordinary white towel in his hand. What...is this? A gift of comfort?
"Oh... okay, thank you."

He subconsciously rolled up the towel and clenched it in his hand.

Zero said nothing more and turned to leave. Her movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"that……"

As Lu Mingfei watched her retreating figure, he inexplicably called out to her.

Zero stopped, turned to the side, and silently questioned with her icy blue eyes.

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, but he didn't really know what he wanted to say.

Should I thank her for the towel? Or should I thank her for relaying the message? Both seem a bit contrived.

In the end, he just scratched his head and managed to utter a sentence:
Where are you going next?

As soon as he said it, even he himself felt that the question was inexplicable and of questionable quality.

"Canteen, eat."

Zero's voice rang out:

"go?"

Her tone was flat, not like a girl inviting a boy to dinner, but more like stating a predetermined, taken-for-granted procedure.

It was as if they were friends who had known each other for a long time, or... just an ordinary couple in college who would go to the cafeteria together.

Lu Mingfei, a straight-laced man, scratched his head.

Having been single for nineteen years and almost completely oblivious to romance, he didn't delve into the meaning behind this action at all.

After all, he was indeed hungry. The training just now had taken a lot of energy, and it was indeed dinnertime. His original plan was to go to the cafeteria.

So he casually draped the towel around his neck and replied:

"Ah."

　The timelines and settings of Dragons 4, Dragons 5, and the new Dragons 4 are just too confusing... I have absolutely no idea how to use them.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)