Chapter 42
[So you’ve realized my presence, contractor of the young Phoenix.]
“Tartarus, huh.”
[You even saw through my identity? Interesting. Very interesting.]
“I can already tell what you’re up to.”
Leo, who had dealt with Tartarus enough to be sick of them during the Age of Calamity, knew all too well about their tricks.
“This works out. There’s something I wanted to ask you.”
[The Hero candidate wants to ask me something… All right, what is it you’re curious about?]
“That Fafnir, where did you get it? It should have gone extinct during the Age of Calamity.”
[You know about Fafnir too? Who are you, really?]
“Do you think I’ll answer that?”
[Fair enough. Interesting. Very interesting.]
Fafnir cocked its head, muttering to itself.
[But no, I can’t let this go. As interesting as you are, I think it’s best if you disappear here.]
A black aura surged from Fafnir’s body.
“If you’re not going to answer, then there’s no reason for me to let that disgusting beast live, either.”
Leo smirked and focused his [Aura].
The flames on Fiora’s body burned even brighter.
‘I haven’t learned it yet, but I know the principle.’
Leo recalled the technique Celia used during the entrance exam.
‘Normally, just knowing the principle wouldn’t be enough to use the technique alone. But…’
Leo grinned and poured his [Aura] into Fiora.
A powerful sword technique that only direct descendants of the Zerdinger family can learn.
[Phoenix Breath Secret Art – Prominence. Summoning Ritual.]
Fiery red flames enveloped Fiora.
Kuaaaaaa—!
Fafnir unleashed black flames at Leo.
Fiora charged straight into those black flames.
Fwoosh!
As if purifying them, the black flames met Fiora’s fire and turned crimson.
The transformed flames became Fiora’s own.
Slash—!
Fiora’s wings, sharpened by [Aura], sliced through Fafnir’s neck.
Splurt—!
Black blood spattered as Fafnir’s body crashed to the ground.
Just before that, Fiora stretched out her claws, grabbed the unconscious Sen Ryu by his clothes, and flew to Leo.
Fwoosh—!
Fafnir’s corpse soon turned to black flames and vanished.
It disappeared completely, leaving not even a trace behind.
Fiora placed Ryu on Leo’s griffin, then perched lightly atop Leo’s head.
She inspected herself, striking different poses like a child showing off new clothes in front of a mirror.
‘What was that, exactly?’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
The appearance of an extinct [demonic beast].
A Tartarus [beastmaster] controlling such a [beast].
‘And how did this guy summon that Fafnir?’
Leo’s expression grew serious.
Whatever it was, it was clearly no trivial matter.
‘Is this related to Pirina being at Lumene?’
Leo stroked his chin, thinking of Pirina, the Phoenix who was his mother’s close friend and the principal’s guest at Lumene.
‘I’ll have to ask her.’
Leo sighed and withdrew his [Spirit Power].
Pop—!
Wrapped in flames, Fiora returned to her original form and dropped onto Leo’s head.
Peep! Peep!
Fiora pecked the top of Leo’s head with her tiny beak as if to protest.
“You want me to turn you back to how you were a moment ago? That’s not even your real form.”
Peep! Peep!
As if sulking, Fiora nipped a few strands of Leo’s hair and pulled.
Ignoring the little Phoenix, Leo spotted a black wyvern flying toward him from afar.
It was Yura, the professor in charge of summoning.
Leo scratched his cheek.
“So, what’s going to happen to the match?”
—
“Ahh! In the end, it got canceled~”
Carr grumbled, lacing his fingers behind his head.
The Summoning practical exam, the Spirit Beast Race, was canceled.
Still, since it was an exam, students would be graded based on how they demonstrated their abilities during the test.
“You seem more disappointed than anyone else.”
“Of course! Do you know how much I bet on you? I could’ve made a fortune with the odds flipped!”
“You placed a bet?”
Leo let out a dry laugh at Carr’s genuinely regretful face.
‘Since Carr doesn’t know, it looks like the other students aren’t aware that Sen Ryu made a contract with a [demonic beast].’
After the match ended, Leo, Chen Xia, Walden Thaiden, and Eliza were called in by Yura.
They were told not to talk about anything related to [demonic beasts] to the other students.
‘A Lumene student making a contract with a [demonic beast] is a huge incident. But how did that [beastmaster] from Tartarus give Fafnir to Sen Ryu?’
Leo left the dorm with Carr, wearing a serious expression.
“Come to think of it, Leo, I heard the magic students have been talking behind your back lately.”
“It’s not like that’s a new thing.”
Leo smirked.
As the class representative and unprecedented all-class student, Leo was the most famous among the first-years.
At the start of the semester, people only noticed him for being all-class.
Even with dual-class, handling two abilities properly is difficult.
‘But I stood out in all three.’
For Leo, it was natural, but to others, it wasn’t.
Naturally, this drew the professors’ attention.
Especially Ain Elandieu, Yura, and Len—the first-year head professors.
All three professors were eager to recruit Leo into their departments.
There’s no way the other students wouldn’t notice.
At Lumene, drawing the attention of professors and learning as much as possible is key to school life.
But Leo had become the focus of all three department heads.
Naturally, there were bound to be students jealous of Leo.
Leo understood that, too.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to be nice to them.’
Understanding other students’ feelings and treating them well are two different things.
If anyone talked behind his back right in front of him, Leo was ready to deal with them without hesitation.
“It’s not like it’s anything new. But what’s annoying is that these days, I keep hearing those guys who hang out with Chloe badmouthing you out in the open.”
“The ones who hang around with Chloe?”
“Yeah. You know, the ones from all those prestigious magic families that always stick together.”
“I don’t think Chloe is the type to get along with those guys.”
Chloe was from the northern Magic Tower, but her family wasn’t influential there.
Because of that, Chloe didn’t get along with the so-called prestigious family group at the start of the semester.
“That’s what I’m saying! Those guys used to badmouth not just you but Chloe, too. But now, during exam season, they’re acting all close and sticking to Chloe. Looks like they’re even trying to use her to form a faction.”
“Chloe isn’t the type to let people push her around.”
“That’s true, but I’m worried. With your rivalry with Chloe and how distant she’s been from us lately, it bothers me.”
Carr let out a deep sigh.
While they talked, the two reached a two-story building between the boys’ and girls’ dormitories.
It was a study hall for first-years to gather and study together.
Leo and Carr, having brought their study materials, headed to the room at the end of the second floor.
Inside was a long study table with benches on each side.
Chelsea was lying on one of the benches, legs crossed, staring at the ceiling, one hand holding a book and the other snacking.
“Mm? You’re here?”
Chelsea greeted them with a stick cookie in her mouth.
Crunch, crunch—
Watching Chelsea carefully eat the cream-covered stick cookie, Carr whispered to Leo.
“Leo, I used to have this fantasy about noble girls, you know? Like, they’d have this elegant vibe.”
“And?”
“It all broke down after coming to Lumene.”
As Carr spoke with a sad face, a notebook flew at him.
“Did you even hear what I was saying?!”
“Whatever you’re saying, you said something rude, didn’t you?”
Chelsea stood up with a flick.
Sitting down in front of her, Carr looked at the pile of snacks on the desk and asked,
“Didn’t you have dinner?”
“I did.”
“Then what’s with all the snacks?”
“Dessert.”
“This is dessert? If you keep eating like that, you’ll turn into a pig.”
“Unlike you, Carr, I actually exercise.”
Chelsea hummed a tune as she stood up.
“So, why did you want to meet up tonight?”
“As I said earlier, the reason we’re meeting is to present the original magic we’ve each created ahead of tomorrow’s magic practical exam and give each other feedback.”
“That’s the official reason, but you’re actually asking for our help, right?”
Chelsea teased, crossing her arms.
At her words, Carr put his hands together and bowed his head.
“That’s right! I can’t get my spell to cast properly! Please, give me some good ideas! I’m begging you! Big bro! Big sis! I’m begging here!”
“No helping it, then.”
Chelsea laughed and sat up straight with all the dignity of a young lady from a renowned family of magical heroes.
Carr was awed, watching her with admiration.
Chelsea flashed a sweet smile and clapped her hands.
“Snacks.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear me? Snacks.”
“What’s with that all of a sudden?”
“You’re not planning to ask a favor from the young lady of the Lewellin family empty-handed, are you? Normally, my advice would be expensive, but since we’re friends, I’ll take snacks.”
With that, Chelsea ordered,
“Go to the first-floor cafe and buy every kind of snack.”
“…Excuse me, Lady Chelsea? There’s still plenty of snacks left here.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Damn it! You devil!”
The snacks from the Lumene cafe were all delicious—and expensive.
Chelsea smiled brightly as she watched Carr leave in tears to buy more snacks.
“Come to think of it, Leo oppa, you’ve never told us what kind of original magic you made.”
Carr had created an original alchemy spell for manipulating metal at will.
Chelsea, naturally, was working on an original wind-based magic thanks to her family background.
“You made something amazing, right?”
“It’s a magic system based on non-attribute magic power.”
“A magic system based on non-attribute magic power?”
“Yeah. I created a magic system where you can use all elemental magic without any penalties.”
Every mage has a specialty element.
In Chelsea’s case, she’s specialized in wind magic.
Of course, it’s not that she can’t use other elements, but there are penalties.
The most common penalty is that, when using an opposing attribute, the power is halved and mana consumption doubles.
Leo was saying he created a system that lets you use any magic without such penalties.
“Is that even possible?”
Chelsea was skeptical.
Leo opened his palm.
Vrrrm—!
A magic formation woven from threads of [Magic Power] appeared in his hand.
Chelsea stared in awe at the spell.
“…At this rate, Leo oppa might even get first place in the magic practical exam.”
