After class ended.
Leo headed toward the Hero’s Tower, located at the center of the academy where the student council was based.
Arriving in front of the Hero’s Tower, Leo looked up at the towering structure.
“It’s ridiculously tall.”
Leo marveled.
“He’s a first-year.”
“What brings him here?”
“Oh my, he’s cute.”
Upperclassmen passing by noticed Leo and murmured in surprise.
The Hero’s Tower was a place frequented by upperclassmen.
First-year students generally had an instinctive fear of senior students who had gone through countless experiences.
As a result, most first-years avoided areas where upperclassmen were common.
“Oh? Leo?”
Hearing his name, Leo turned his head.
There stood Towa, a fifth-year student from the Magic Department.
“What brings you here?”
“I have some business with the student council president.”
“With Rhis?”
Towa tilted her head in curiosity before nodding.
“Shall I take you there?”
Towa led Leo inside the Hero’s Tower.
“So, Leo, when are you planning to drop your other majors?”
“I have no intention of dropping my other majors.”
“Leo, as I’ve told you before, time is limited. I know you excel in your other majors, but in my opinion, you’re best suited for magic.”
Though Towa grumbled in dissatisfaction, she didn’t press further.
She had been scolded by the professors for it in the past.
Leo admired the inside of the Hero’s Tower.
The building’s entrance was adorned with numerous portraits of heroes.
All of them were graduates of Lumerne.
The facilities were incomparable to those of the first-year building.
Although the first-year building wasn’t lacking, the Hero’s Tower was overwhelming.
Standing with Towa in the floating elevator powered by levitation magic, they quickly ascended to the upper floors.
They arrived at the floor used by the student council.
“Hello, Vice President. Who’s the first-year student with you?”
“This is Leo.”
“Leo? The famous first-year representative?”
A third-year student council member’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes. He came to see the student council president.”
“Are you interested in the student council as a first-year? That’s admirable.”
Smiling, the student left with some documents.
The student council as a whole seemed very busy.
“By the way, wasn’t the first-year midterm project about developing unique magic?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any ideas in mind?”
“A magic formula system based on non-attribute mana.”
“Non-attribute mana? That’s a concept I’ve never heard of. Can you explain?”
“Mages typically have a primary magic attribute, don’t they?”
“Yes. That’s why the concept of opposing elements exists. Even if you can use all attributes, you can’t use opposing elements simultaneously.”
“Exactly. I want to use non-attribute mana to freely handle all attributes and increase utility.”
“That’s an interesting idea, but it’s unrealistic.”
Towa smirked.
“There’s a reason people haven’t attempted it.”
“I know.”
Leo nodded with a smile.
“But wouldn’t it be better to try something unique?”
Towa crossed her arms and chuckled.
It seemed this junior wasn’t just skilled in magic formulas.
‘For a mage, attempting new things is always important. What a waste of potential.’
A junior so naturally suited to magic was in an all-class major.
‘Those with potential should be guided firmly from the start. I’ll have to seriously discuss this with Professor Ren.’
Determined to steer Leo toward the Magic Department, Towa stopped in front of the student council president’s office.
Knock, knock—
“Come in.”
Click—
“Hi, Rhis. Leo wanted to see you, so I brought him.”
“Leo?”
Rhis, who had been writing with a quill at his desk, stood up with a welcoming expression.
“So, Leo. What brings you to me?”
“Student Council President.”
“When we’re not in formal settings, you can just call me hyung.”
Rhis smiled gently, and Leo nodded.
“Alright, Rhis-hyung. I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I want to access the Forbidden Library.”
“I’m not sure why you want to go there, but students aren’t allowed in the Forbidden Library.”
Towa, reaching for some snacks in the office, chimed in.
“Even the student council president can’t access it?”
“Unfortunately, it’s beyond my authority as well.”
Rhis rested his chin on his clasped hands, smiling.
“Of course, there’s a way for a student to enter, but…”
“What is it?”
“You’d have to conquer a Hero Dungeon.”
“A Hero Dungeon?”
“Yes. It’s customary for those who recover pages from Hero Dungeons to personally return them to the Hero Record.”
“Even then, you can’t freely read the books in the Forbidden Library. So just give up.”
Towa grumbled.
In summary, there was no reason for a first-year to access the library, and even if they did, obtaining the desired information would be difficult.
‘Then I’ll sneak in.’
When told not to do something, it’s human nature to want to do it even more.
Unaware of Leo’s conclusion, Rhis and Towa smiled meaningfully at him.
“How’s your exam preparation going? Aren’t you nervous for your first exam?”
“I’m doing alright.”
Leo answered Rhis’s question calmly.
“Is that enough? You know the representative changes every exam period at Lumerne, right?”
“Yes.”
“There are plenty of students eyeing your position.”
Towa said, munching on cookies.
Since it was still early in the semester, it wasn’t too apparent, but the title of Lumerne’s grade representative came with numerous advantages.
The representative, as the best among the best, stood for Lumerne at internal and external events, reaping significant benefits in return.
They were essentially the figurehead of their cohort.
The grade representative position was also the closest stepping stone to becoming the next student council president.
“You know that your cohort is highly regarded by Lumerne’s upper leadership, right? Do you think you can hold onto the grade representative spot against such strong competitors?”
“I’m not particularly interested in the grade representative position. However…”
Leo smirked.
“I have no intention of giving up the top spot either.”
“Your confidence is impressive. I’ll look forward to it.”
Rhis smiled in satisfaction.
***
The first academic exam since enrollment was enough to make students nervous.
However, all the first-years were also eagerly anticipating it.
Seated in the stands of the first-year training grounds, Chelsea swung her legs as she spoke.
“As Professor Halind said, they’ve improved drastically in just a few months.”
She twirled her staff in the air and murmured softly.
Runic words infused with mana formed in the air and instantly completed a formula.
Watching this, her classmate Tade clicked his tongue.
“You’re always so fast.”
“Quick casting is my specialty. Though, I’ve gotten even faster.”
As predicted by Halind, the first-years had improved rapidly.
Even Chelsea, who had received top-notch education as a member of a hero family, had shown significant growth.
Seeing their progress, the freshmen felt a strange mix of confidence and excitement.
“Still, I’m worried about Leo.”
When Chelsea expressed concern while looking at the training grounds, Tade sighed.
“Well, a lot of people are targeting Leo.”
Since it was still early in the semester, most major classes were theory-based rather than practical.
And in these classes, Leo shone the brightest.
He was recognized as an outstanding student by all the professors.
But even Leo had weaknesses that others pointed out.
“Lumerne exams heavily emphasize practical skills. Will he be alright?”
Aura, mana, spirit energy.
Leo’s foundational strength in these abilities was considered weak.
Moreover, Leo was taking three major subjects simultaneously.
Normally, this would create a gap between him and students who specialized in one field.
This led many to think of Leo as strong in theory but weak in practice.
“Of course, mid-level students wouldn’t stand a chance against Leo, but the top students might be too much for him.”
“This might be a good opportunity for him to focus on one major.”
While Tade muttered this, Professor Ain spoke from the center of the training grounds.
“We will now begin the first-year Knight Department practical exam.”
His voice, enhanced with aura, resonated throughout the training grounds.
Cheers and whistles erupted from all around.
Though two weeks remained until the exam period, the Knight Department’s practical exams began today.
The first-year training grounds were packed with students eager to watch the Knight Department exams.
Among them were not only first-years but also upperclassmen.
“Is Cal really planning to make a business out of this?”
“Where there’s a crowd, there’s money. That’s his philosophy.”
Chelsea spoke with exasperation, and Tade chuckled.
True to her words, Cal had left to sell snacks.
“Professor Sedgen.”
Cal, who had a floating snack stand suspended by levitation magic, approached Sedgen, the homeroom professor for Class 1.
“What is it, Cal?”
Sedgen looked at Cal with a disinterested expression.
Since Cal was one of Halind’s students, whom Sedgen considered a rival, he showed little enthusiasm.
“Would you like some popcorn and drinks?”
“Hah, do you think I’d buy that? Go sell it to Halind and your classmates.”
When Sedgen scoffed, Cal’s expression fell.
“I thought someone with your leadership skills who boosts class morale would set an example by buying some. I guess I was mistaken.”
“Hah. If you think I’d fall for such a shallow trick, you’re gravely mistaken, Cal.”
Sedgen’s disdainful expression remained as students from Class 1 cheered.
“Professor! Are you buying us popcorn?”
“Wow! It looks delicious!”
Sedgen’s ears perked up at the enthusiastic reactions from his students.
“See? Professor Sedgen is the type of leader who knows how to boost class morale!”
Currently, all of Class 1 had come out to cheer under Sedgen’s guidance.
Spurred by his students’ cheers, Sedgen’s lips curled into a proud smile.
“If the students want it, I suppose I have no choice. Go ahead.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Caramel-coated, please.”
“Thank you!”
After completing the transaction, Cal handed out popcorn and drinks to the students of Class 1 with a friendly smile.
He even slipped some dried fish snacks to the students who had cheered earlier.
“Alright, everyone! Let’s shout elegantly! Class 1, fight!”
“Class 1, fight!”
The atmosphere heated up as the Class 1 students cheered enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Cal sighed as he noticed Chloe sitting alone in a corner, reading a black magic book.
“Chloe.”
“…….”
“Hey, Chloe!”
“Huh?”
Chloe looked up.
Seeing his friend’s tired face, Cal sighed.
“Take a break. You’ll collapse at this rate. Sometimes, you need to relax.”
“I don’t have time for that.”
Chloe frowned as she spoke.
Cal scratched his head and handed her a fatigue recovery potion from his pocket.
“I didn’t bring any money.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m giving it to you because I’m concerned as a friend.”
“Here! Popcorn and drinks!”
“Yes, yes, I’m coming! Take a break, okay?”
After waving to Chloe, Cal ran off to deliver an order to a senior student.
Watching his retreating figure, Chloe smiled slightly and sipped the potion.
Then it happened.
“First match: Class 1’s Haul Nape versus Class 5’s Leo Plov. Step forward!”
‘Leo.’
Chloe clenched her fist tightly as she watched Leo.
‘I won’t lose.’
End Of Chapter
