Chapter 335
Whooooosh—!
A cold wind swept through the land.
Then, a surge of mana flared from the warp gate.
Flash—!
As the light faded, Leo stepped out.
It was the middle of spring, yet this frozen northern continent knew no warmth.
“Whew.”
He exhaled lightly, a white mist escaping his lips.
Carrying a travel bag packed with supplies, Leo stepped off the warp gate platform.
He was the only passenger traveling from Lumene to Seiren.
‘It’s not conference season yet, so Assistant Professor Anna will arrive later, once her schedule starts.’
Step—step—
His boots clicked against the marble floor as he looked around.
It was already late.
Seiren’s classes for the day had ended, and the only people in sight were the mages maintaining the warp gate.
‘I thought at least Lunia or Eiran would come to meet me.’
Leo knew Seiren wouldn’t welcome him warmly.
Still, Lunia and Eiran were his close friends, and even among the professors, Herdeum held him in good regard.
He hadn’t expected ‘no one’ to show up at all.
Puzzled, he approached one of the elven magicians managing the gate.
“Excuse me.”
The elf glanced at him, clearly unsurprised.
Apparently, Seiren had already been notified about Lumene’s exchange student—no shock, no curiosity.
“Yes?”
“I’m Leo Plov, the exchange student from Lumene. Is there anyone here to meet me?”
“No.”
Shaking his head, the elf gestured toward the snowy campus beyond the gate.
“You’ll probably find a staff member waiting near the main entrance of Seiren’s academy grounds.”
Leo nodded and stepped outside.
As he left, the elf hesitated, then murmured softly,
“Um… good luck.”
Leo paused, glancing back.
The elf quickly turned away, pretending to sweep snow at the gate entrance.
‘His magical ability’s decent, but his mastery of Star Magic isn’t.’
Star Magic—Luna’s original magic system, now a defining mark of elven identity.
Every elf could use it.
But not every elf could excel at it.
Some had great magical talent in other fields yet achieved little in Star Magic—and such elves were treated poorly.
‘Especially here in Seiren, that kind of discrimination runs deep.’
Founded by the Comet Mage himself, Seiren prized Star Magic above all.
No matter how gifted one was in aura or summoning, without Star Magic, you couldn’t even pass the academy’s entrance exams.
That’s why even those specializing in aura or summoning were, by default, dual-classed.
Seiren’s pride in Star Magic was immense.
Leo’s name was known far beyond human lands—his deeds, legendary.
That elf must have understood what awaited him here in Seiren, hence those quiet words of sympathy.
‘Judging by that reaction, even talking to me might get him punished.’
Yet, despite the risk, he’d spoken kindly.
‘Wherever you go, there’s always someone with a good heart.’
Leo smiled faintly.
Lysinas had once said that such people were reason enough to risk one’s life for the world.
Crunch—crunch—
His boots pressed into the snow, leaving a trail behind him.
Before long, he reached Seiren’s main gate.
There, an elf woman stood waiting—sharp-eyed, with glasses resting on her nose.
“Welcome, Leo Plov of Lumene. I am Orlen Azel, instructor in etiquette for Seiren’s second-years.”
“I’m Leo Plov. I look forward to your guidance this month.”
Leo bowed politely.
But before he even finished speaking, Orlen turned sharply on her heel.
Soon, they arrived inside the academy’s grand castle.
The heavy doors opened to reveal a vast, silent hall.
All the way to the small guest room within, Leo hadn’t seen a single other staff member or student.
The entire castle felt dead quiet.
Inside the small room, Orlen finally turned to face him.
“Though your stay will be short, as an exchange student, you are expected to uphold Seiren’s strict code of conduct.”
With a flick of her finger, a wardrobe opened. A set of uniforms and textbooks floated onto the table.
“No outside books or personal belongings are allowed. Leave them here.”
Leo nodded and set his bag down on the table.
“One more thing, Leo Plov. You came to Seiren to study, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Then I expect you not to flaunt your status as an exchange student.”
Adjusting her glasses, she continued coldly,
“To study at Seiren, you must also look the part. While you’re here, you are to conduct yourself as an elf—appearance included. Your presence could cause confusion among our students.”
Leo’s brows lifted slightly.
“But wouldn’t the students already know about the exchange program?”
“No. They do not.”
He blinked.
“Even if I disguise myself, I doubt they won’t recognize me.”
“Your arrogance is unnecessary, Leo Plov.”
Orlen smirked faintly.
“This isn’t Lumene. It’s Seiren—an elven society, not a human one. Whatever fame you enjoy among humans, don’t assume it holds weight here.”
Her tone was laced with disdain.
“Change into the uniform and wear the necklace with it. Then, I’ll give you a map of the campus. You’ll stay in the dormitory indicated.”
With that, she left the room.
‘What nonsense… every second-year in Seiren already knows my face.’
Leo sighed, glancing toward the textbooks—and stopped.
After flipping one open, he let out a quiet laugh.
“So that’s what she meant.”
Now he understood Orlen’s intentions.
The textbooks she’d given him were those of Seiren’s first-years.
‘Guess she really doesn’t like me.’
She clearly didn’t want him attending the same classes as the second-years.
Probably wanted to keep him away from Lunia and Eiran too.
‘They must think I’m a bad influence.’
Back during the Smith contract, Lunia had been reprimanded by Seiren’s staff.
To them, she’d become a delinquent—a disgrace.
They’d even declared, in front of everyone, that she’d never again be considered for student council.
‘But since then, she’s changed everything.’
Lunia had conquered Dweno’s world, obtained a divine relic crafted by Dweno himself, and inherited the Phoenix King’s Flame—
a power long thought extinct since the Era of Calamity.
It was unprecedented.
Her value had become far too great to discard.
And now, they were desperate to reshape her into their ideal “model student.”
“…Even after five thousand years, you people still cling to the same rotten habits.”
Leo chuckled dryly, remembering the High Elves of old.
He changed into the white Seiren uniform and placed the necklace around his neck.
The enchantment woven into it—Star Magic and Illusion Magic—activated at once.
When he looked into the mirror, his ears had become those of an elf.
A perfect image of a Seiren student stared back.
“Looks like I’ll be pretending to be a first-year.”
Leo smirked.
“This should be fun.”
He hadn’t come to study anyway.
Tina had asked him to help Seiren grow—to bring positive change in exchange for Kirran’s wings.
She’d also asked him to teach her niece, a newly admitted student.
‘Might as well see what the first-years here are capable of.’
Picking up the textbooks, Leo left the room.
—
Following the map Orlen left, he headed toward the dormitory.
Though she’d practically abandoned him, Leo had no trouble navigating Seiren.
Before long, he arrived at the dormitory building.
Even at this late hour, two students sat chatting in the lounge.
“Hey, did you hear?”
A male elf crossed his arms, leaning back on the sofa.
“About Lumene’s midterms—their student council president.”
“You mean Leo Plov?” a female student asked, sipping her tea.
“Yeah. They say he summoned a fairy during the exam.”
“Pfft! You actually believe that?”
The girl burst into laughter.
“He’s already contracted with a Phoenix, isn’t he? And now a fairy? Please.”
The surrounding students chuckled too.
“That’s not all. They say he also summoned a Pegasus.”
The boy kept his serious expression.
“Come on, that’s even worse! No way a second-year could form contracts with all three Great Summoned Beasts!”
The girl clicked her tongue mockingly.
The boy frowned.
“Even if it sounds absurd, it’s worth considering. We have to prepare for the upcoming Lumeiren. Information on Lumene is hard to get. Even small details matter.”
He seemed the cautious type—clearly wary of Leo.
The girl chuckled softly.
“Well, I get that Leo Plov’s impressive. But among Lumene’s first-years, I haven’t heard of anyone noteworthy. Maybe that Sword Star’s great-granddaughter, but that’s it.”
She took another sip of tea, smiling slyly.
“Besides, do you know who’s ranked first in our class this year? Lea Tingel.”
A confident grin spread across her face.
“She’s the first in thousands of years to successfully summon the Fairy King. With Lea and upperclassmen like Lunia and Eiran, our victory in the Lumeiren is guaranteed!”
“Sorry to interrupt.”
“Eh—?”
The girl froze as a calm voice came from behind her.
Leaning against the back of the sofa, chin resting on one hand, Leo smiled.
“Who did you say summoned a fairy?”
In this world, there was only one story that truly drew his attention—the story of a friend who had once shared the same time as him.