Chapter 332
The day after the midterms.
Even though the exams were over, the department schedule showed no mercy to Lumene’s students.
They were already being pushed into another round of tight, demanding coursework.
Still, no amount of assignments could suppress the sense of liberation that came from finishing exams.
Most students wore expressions of relief.
Except for one particular year.
“Ughhh…”
Eliana groaned in agony, her face buried in her desk.
She wasn’t the only one.
Most of the students looked as if their souls had left their bodies.
“My dad—ugh—Mom’s been nagging nonstop!”
“My parents cut my allowance for a month! They said I have to get a part-time job in Lumeria City this weekend…!”
“I swear, our professors must take joy in tormenting us.”
Lamentations echoed across the classroom.
Because of the new mentor system, second-years were no longer at risk of being expelled for poor performance during the first semester.
As a result, most of them had slacked off in written exams.
Of course, they’d justified it by saying they were focusing on “improving their practical combat skills.”
But to their parents, that was just an excuse.
Especially for the students of the Magic Department, whose written scores were disastrous this time.
Parents were always sensitive about grades, so most students hadn’t been able to enjoy last night’s party, spending the entire evening being scolded instead.
And since Magic Department families were usually more academically inclined, their reactions were far worse.
Clicking his tongue, Carr looked around at his suffering classmates.
“That’s what you get for not studying.”
“You bombed the written test too!”
“Puhahaha! My parents’ expectations were rock-bottom to begin with! They’re just happy I’m still alive! Hahaha!”
Carr burst into laughter, only for it to fade into a sigh.
“…Actually, that’s kind of depressing.”
Still, some people were spared from this collective tragedy.
The top students.
“Chloe and Abad got perfect scores again, right?”
“So jealous.”
All eyes turned to them.
Chloe lifted her head from her grimoire with a puzzled expression, while Abad smiled softly as always.
At that moment, Leo entered the classroom.
As soon as he stepped in, silence fell.
The shocking display of power he’d shown during the exams still lingered in everyone’s minds.
Leo took his usual seat near the front, beside Chloe and Carr.
The awkward tension remained until—
“Ah, Leo! Good morning!”
Chelsea entered cheerfully, waving at him.
“Carr, Chloe, did you sleep well?”
“I slept like a rock after the exams.”
“I did too. What about you?”
Carr replied casually, and Chloe smiled faintly afterward.
Chelsea grinned back.
“I slept great.”
She hadn’t attended last night’s party.
“How was I yesterday?”
“You were amazing. You’ve become a proper magician now.”
Leo’s calm praise made Chelsea giggle bashfully.
“See you at lunch!”
She waved energetically and went over to Abad—her usual partner for magic classes.
Carr chuckled.
“Good to see her full of energy as always.”
“Chelsea’s stronger than you think.”
“Oh, I know. She’s ridiculously tough. Even if you stomp her down, she’ll pop right back up—ow!”
“Did you just compare me to a cockroach?”
Chelsea appeared out of nowhere and dropkicked Carr’s side.
Her sudden entrance broke the tension in the room.
Soon, other students began approaching Leo, chatting or asking about the [Dragon Speech Magic] he’d used during the exam.
Leo simply explained that it was an effect of his Original Magic, [Bible].
Chloe, intrigued, joined the discussion.
The classroom filled with lively chatter about magic—
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
“Marvelous, everyone! That passion for magic! That is the true spirit of a mage!”
Professor Len burst through the door, clapping enthusiastically as he strode to the front of the room.
“A true magician shines brightest when discussing magic with passion! Now, behold! The radiant figure of Assistant Professor Anna, who’s preparing for the upcoming Magic Conference in Seiren!”
He gestured grandly toward Anna.
Her hollow eyes lifted toward him—filled with nothing but murderous intent.
“Let us all give her a warm round of applause as she proudly represents Lumene at Seiren’s Magic Conference!”
Len clapped. The students hesitated, but followed reluctantly.
Anna’s eyes only grew darker.
“I feel like someone should stop this.”
Leo muttered, propping his chin on his hand.
Chloe and Chelsea quickly led a group of girls toward Anna.
By now, the second-years were well-trained in handling Len’s manic outbursts.
They’d been confused in their first year, but after a year of exposure, they knew exactly what to do.
Whenever Len lost control, the male students—usually led by Leo and Abad—restrained him.
But ever since Anna had started having meltdowns in response to Len’s madness, the girls had been assigned to calm her down.
Thankfully, Anna’s episodes always came with warning signs.
After helping her settle, Chloe raised her hand.
“Yes, Chloe?”
“Professor Len, can students accompany you to the Magic Conference as assistants?”
Len smiled.
“Of course, of course! However…”
“This time, there won’t be any students attending,” Anna sighed.
Hearing that, many students, including Chloe, looked disappointed.
Anna gave a weary smile.
“If it were any other conference, I’d love your help… but this one isn’t the kind of event you should be exposed to. It’ll be unpleasant.”
Her warning made the students uneasy.
“Then! Let’s leave the conference to the capable hands of Assistant Professor Anna and resume today’s lesson!”
Len clapped again. The students scrambled back to their seats.
“First, let’s announce the top performers of the Magic Department’s practical exams.”
At those words, all eyes turned to Leo.
It was obvious—after his overwhelming performance, who else could it be?
But the name that came out wasn’t his.
“The top score in the Familiar category goes to Chelsea Lewellin.”
Every head turned.
Chelsea blinked in shock, pointing to herself.
Leo merely rested his chin on his hand with an amused smile.
“Professor! Why Chelsea and not Leo?” Eliana shouted.
“I’ll explain that,” came another voice.
The door opened, and Tina—dark circles under her eyes—entered.
Stepping up to the podium, she looked around.
“This practical exam was about how well you could create a Familiar spell. In that sense, Chelsea Lewellin achieved perfection.”
She had summoned a Familiar suited to her elemental affinity, used it to cover her weaknesses, and its power was outstanding.
“She even developed a formula that strengthened her magic through her Original Magic. Brilliant. Far beyond what I expected.”
Tina smiled warmly at Chelsea.
“Leo’s performance was overwhelming, yes. But he didn’t show anything for the Familiar category.”
‘Not that he even needs one, to be fair.’
She glanced briefly at Leo.
Already capable of commanding three Great Summon Beasts, Leo had no real need for a Familiar.
He knew that, too.
That’s why he hadn’t bothered focusing on that part of the exam.
But he kept quiet—there was no need to make his classmates feel worse.
“Next best would be Chloe, I suppose?”
Chloe’s Familiar was an Ice Slime—a construct born from magical engineering.
It specialized in defense, boasting remarkable resilience.
While she cast powerful spells, it covered her openings perfectly.
“Abad took third by a small margin. You know why, right?”
“Because I created a contract spell, not a Familiar.”
“Exactly. It’s an incredible spell, but it didn’t quite fit this exam’s focus.”
“I expected that.”
Abad smiled charmingly, making a few girls blush.
Tina nodded.
“So, the top three of the Magic Department’s practical exam are these students.”
Len crossed his arms.
“And we also selected the top performers from the combat assessment.”
“Oh! That’s definitely Leo, right?” Carr said, stretching behind his head.
“It’s a joint award. Leo Plov and Carr Thomas.” (T/N: Slow fking clap. Well deserved Carr.)
“Eh? Me?”
Carr blinked in disbelief.
The class stared, but Abad smiled knowingly.
“You scored high for tactical leadership.”
Len grinned.
“Wow! My first top score ever!”
Carr’s face lit up.
“Now that the midterm results are done, it’s time for some fun! Let’s begin our lecture!”
Len spread his arms dramatically.
“Today, we’ll continue studying Star Magic!”
—
After class, Len and Tina headed to his office.
“Wonderful lecture today, Professor Len.”
“Not at all. It’s thanks to your help, Professor Tina.”
Len smiled.
Though she was only a visiting professor, Tina’s passion for magic was genuine.
Her presence had made his lectures far more engaging, and student satisfaction had clearly risen.
‘Inviting her was the right call.’
Len grinned proudly at his own decision—
“Professor Len, I have something to discuss.”
“What is it? If it’s within my power, I’ll gladly assist.”
He smiled warmly.
“It’s about Leo.”
“Leo?”
“Yes.”
Tina nodded.
“I want to send him to Seiren as an exchange student.”
For a moment, Len thought,
‘Did I overwork myself? I must be hearing things.’
Thunk—!
Behind him, Anna dropped a stack of papers, her pale face drained of color.
“Assistant Professor Anna, dropping papers? You must be exhausted. Hang in there.”
Smiling gently, Len turned back to Tina.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat it?”
“I want to send Leo to Seiren as an exchange student.”
Exactly the same words.
Len’s smile froze.
He hadn’t misheard.
“Come again?”
“I want to send Leo to Seiren as an exchange student.”
She repeated it a third time, perfectly identical.
Len’s mind went blank.
‘Which idiot thought bringing this damned pointy-eared elf into the academy was a good idea?’
His sanity crumbled as he silently cursed his past self.