Chapter 20
“A practical test on the first day?”
“Why only us when other classes are just having introductory lessons?”
Looking at the startled students, Professor Yura spoke seriously.
“I told you, if you’re here with half-baked intentions, leave now. Do you think we’re the same as the other two majors?”
The students fell silent at her question.
“If you’re a summoner, you should already know. Summoning can’t be learned just by having [Mana Sensitivity]. To make a contract with a spirit, you need [Spirit Affinity], and to control a phantom beast, you need [Taming] ability.”
Professor Yura spread her arms wide.
“That’s why the number of summoners is overwhelmingly lower compared to knights or magicians. And there are far fewer who reach the rank of hero.”
With no way to refute her, the summoning students clenched their teeth.
“But! Summoners who have become heroes have achieved even greater feats than other heroes!”
With a face full of pride, she shouted.
“So do you really think it makes sense for you to do things the same way as other majors?”
“No, it doesn’t!”
“You’re chosen ones! Aren’t you?”
“Yes, we are!”
“Then let’s go all out from day one!”
“Yes!”
“Great! Let’s go!”
“Let’s go!”
As Professor Yura pumped her fist, the first-years shouted and did the same.
In an instant, the atmosphere became charged.
Seeing how quickly she had captured the students’ focus, Professor Yura looked satisfied. Then a silver-haired girl raised her hand.
“So what exactly is this practical test on the first day?”
“Good question. Eliza Hergin.”
Students murmured at the name.
The Hergin family.
A renowned summoner hero family from the northern continent.
“All the phantom beasts managed by Lumeln are gathered on this island.”
Phantom beasts are, for a summoner, a kind of weapon.
“I’m going to test your [Taming] skills. Tame and bring back a phantom beast from the forest. I’ll grade you based on which beast you manage to tame.”
When she finished explaining, Eliza spoke up again.
“What if we form a contract after taming?”
At her question, the students swallowed nervously.
[Taming] and forming a [Contract] are completely different.
[Taming] is building a relationship with a phantom beast—it’s the first step toward a contract.
After taming, if you have the ability, you can then form a contract.
At Eliza’s question, Yura grinned.
“If you succeed in making a contract, that phantom beast is yours.”
“Ooooh!”
“This really is Lumeln! They actually recognize a contract made during class!”
There are two ways to make a contract with a phantom beast.
The first is a summoning contract using a catalyst, and the second is forming a contract directly by meeting the beast.
In the latter case, you can even ‘sell’ untamed phantom beasts.
Because of that, phantom beasts are sold at extremely high prices.
Hearing that they could freely contract with such beasts, motivation soared.
“Professor, what about students aiming for [Spirit Arts]?”
This time, Chen Xia asked.
“Summoners are basically expected to handle both spirits and phantom beasts. While there are specialties, Lumeln’s summoning classes are designed to let you grow both skills, so work hard.”
Chen Xia nodded.
‘Phantom beasts, huh.’
In his past life, Leo had also made contracts with powerful phantom beasts.
‘Though they all vanished in battle.’
While remembering past contractors, Professor Yura spoke.
“You have three hours! Begin!”
“Woohoo!”
The first-years dashed off with enthusiasm.
“Huh? You’re all not going?”
Professor Yura tilted her head at Leo, Chen Xia, Warren, and Eliza, who had stayed at the starting point.
The ones to watch among this year’s first-years weren’t moving.
Eliza continued to file her nails as she replied,
“I’m not interested in low-grade phantom beasts.”
Blowing on her fingers, Eliza smiled sweetly.
“……”
Warren, as usual, said nothing.
“Hmm… I only know the theory for [Taming], so I’m still thinking.”
Chen Xia smiled awkwardly.
Finally, Leo, who’d been quietly looking at the forest, began to walk forward.
“Oh my, class representative?”
Eliza called out to Leo.
“I heard about your performance in Knight Studies. Can I look forward to something in Summoning too?”
With a relaxed shrug, Leo replied,
“I’ll just do my best.”
Eliza made a bored face at Leo’s calm response to her provocation.
As Leo walked into the forest, Professor Yura smiled.
“That’s the spirit, youth.”
“Well, Professor, you are getting on in years…”
Whack—!
“Ugh?”
Yura punched Karlo in the side, grinning as she watched Leo’s back.
‘Personally, I’m really looking forward to this.’
That was the feeling she couldn’t shake.
—
‘I never thought it’d be possible to create a phantom beast ecosystem like this.’
As Leo walked through the forest, he marveled inwardly.
He’d never seen such a diverse gathering of phantom beasts in one place, even in his previous life.
To a summoner, this forest was like a treasure trove.
The students combed the woods, searching for beasts.
Some even lost beasts after fighting over them.
If you knew anything about summoning, you’d move very carefully.
The stronger the beast, the less likely it would appear in front of a crowd.
That’s why Warren and Eliza stayed at the starting line.
In terms of skill, Eliza was no less than Warren.
“Isn’t that guy going in way too deep?”
Some students stared in disbelief as Leo ventured deep into the woods.
While the others were noisily combing the forest, they avoided going too deep.
High-grade beasts were often hostile toward humans.
And this was a practical test, not just a class.
In the end, everything would be graded.
If you recklessly went for a high-level beast and failed to tame it, you’d get a zero.
At Lumeln, competition never stops.
There’s no such thing as “bad luck” or “good attempt” here.
“Leave him be. If it doesn’t work out, he probably thinks he can just switch to Knight Studies or something.”
“Yeah, that must be it.”
A few students snickered and lost interest.
Deep in the woods, Leo looked around.
After making sure no one was nearby, he took out the gray feather he’d found upon arriving on the island.
‘Just as I thought, this is…’
With a glint in his eyes, Leo summoned [Aura].
Gray [Aura] from [Phoenix Breath] began to flare.
The [Aura] flame spread to the feather and blazed fiercely, then turned to ash and scattered.
Fwoosh—!
‘Just as I thought, it was a [Phoenix] feather. So there’s even a Phoenix in this forest?’
The Phoenix, one of the mightiest phantom beasts, was especially hard to form a contract with.
The burning Phoenix feather, used as a summoning catalyst, would instantly turn to ash and become unusable as soon as it came into contact with [Mana].
So, the only way to contract with a Phoenix was to meet one directly.
But the Phoenix’s pride made it almost impossible to form a contract, even if you found one.
That’s why, for summoners, the Phoenix was a dream beast.
“Only at Lumeln… This is incredible.”
As Leo’s eyes shone—
Fwoosh—!
“……!”
A crimson flame flared above Leo’s head.
Blinding light and intense heat surged around him, making Leo lower his stance in surprise.
Fwaaaah!
Leo knew what this phenomenon was, but still stared in disbelief.
The intense flames soon took the shape of a massive bird.
Every flap of its wings sent waves of fire billowing.
Leo conjured [Aura Flames] to shield himself.
At Leo’s reaction, the revealed phantom beast, [Phoenix], spoke.
—Is that Gerdinger’s flame? I thought for sure it was Reina’s… The familiar scent of flames drew me here, but I was mistaken. Or was I?
Startled, Leo asked,
“You know my mother?”
—Mother?
The Phoenix’s eyes widened, and it let out a hearty laugh.
—So! I wasn’t completely wrong after all! If she’d had a child, you’d be about this age!
The fierce flames died down.
—Heh heh, do I know your mother? Of course! I owe your mother Reina a great debt.
With beautiful wings spread, the Phoenix settled in front of Leo.
Its gentle demeanor was nothing like the arrogant Phoenixes Leo had heard of.
Leo could only stare in astonishment at the Phoenix’s response.
‘This is nothing like the Phoenix Rishinas had. That bird was a real piece of work.’
No wonder Luna had once suggested they cook and eat it.
—Son of Reina, what’s your name?
“My name is Leo Flove.”
—Very good, Leo. My name is Pirina.
“What’s your relationship with my mother? Didn’t you just say you owe her?”
At Leo’s question, Pirina smiled.
—Reina saved the life of my contractor, Ellen Lunde.
“Ellen Lunde?”
Leo was surprised at Pirina’s answer.
The Lunde family was a renowned elf hero family.
Ellen was the head of the Lunde family and a hero whose name was written in the [Hero Record].
—At the time, Ellen was a dungeon raider on assignment in Seirun.
“A dungeon? You mean a [Hero Record] lost page that created a hero’s dungeon?”
—Exactly.
There are five places known to hold [Hero Records].
But besides that, [Hero Record] lost pages existed somewhere in the world.
Those scattered pages would sometimes go berserk and create a hero’s world.
Those were called [Hero Dungeons].
—[Hero Dungeons] encroach on reality. If left alone, the monsters from the hero’s world cross over into reality. The main job of the Hero Academy is to find and clear these dungeons.
Many countries try to keep the existence of hero dungeons secret.
Clearing a dungeon, like a hero’s world, means inheriting power.
Many nations who hid these dungeons ended up destroyed.
Because [Hero Dungeons] were so dangerous, only the best could take on the mission.
—One day, Ellen was assigned to clear a hero dungeon. She failed, and all her companions died. When Ellen was about to die too, it was Reina who saved her.
With a bitter tone, Pirina recalled the past.
—In the process, Reina lost her flame. If not for that, she could have become a hero herself…
“My mother doesn’t regret the past. She always says the present is what matters most.”
—Heh… She’s still the same, is she?
Pirina smiled gently, and Leo asked,
“Then, why are you at Lumeln, Pirina?”
—I came here at the request of Principal Kallian.
“At the principal’s request?”
—Yes, though I can’t tell you the exact reason.
The secrecy left Leo curious.
—But what about you? There’s no reason for a first-year Knight Studies student to be on this island, is there?
Pirina assumed Leo was a Knight Studies major because he was Reina’s son.
“I’m taking Summoning Studies too.”
—What?
Startled, Pirina realized there was a faint [Spirit Power] in Leo’s body.
‘His [Spirit Power] is weak, but… the vessel is exceptional.’
Judging Leo’s potential, Pirina laughed.
—Heh. So this must be fate.
“Huh?”
—Leo, would you like to form a contract with me?
