Book 1 Chapter 106
“I didn’t know you were an all-class talent.”
“I found out when I went to school, Father.”
Leo said casually while talking with his father, Dayd, at dinner.
“Even though you’re my son. How did such a monstrous child come out.”
Reina also shook her head in disbelief.
Reina, who had seen the makings of a genius knight in her son, never dreamed Leo would be an all-class talent.
She had doubted her ears when she heard the story.
Enjoying dinner with his parents for the first time in a while, Leo told them about what had happened at school.
“There are many familiar names.”
Reina smiled brightly, recalling her school days.
“Ain, is he still as taciturn?”
“You know Professor Ain?”
“Yes. He was my classmate.”
Leo was amazed by Reina’s casual remark.
“Come to think of it, you two are the same age.”
“Yes. By the way, Ain… hehe.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, nothing. I thought it would be fun to meet him at the parent-teacher conference in the second semester. No! Professor Halind said he’s coming this vacation, right? I should tease him!”
Reina, back in her school days, looked like a young girl and was delighted.
“Professor Halind? Even your old students are intimidated and can’t do anything, yet you can tease him carelessly?”
“Huh? Why would they be intimidated? Professor Halind is so kind.”
“……”
Leo made a strange face at the word ‘kind,’ which did not suit Halind, known as the Wailing Wall of Lumern.
Leo had nothing to fear in front of Halind, but other first-year students besides Leo trembled before Halind.
In fact, even older students and professors trembled.
‘They’ll deal with the consequences themselves.’
Leo shrugged and enjoyed the home-cooked meal he hadn't had in a long time.
Dayd watched him with a fond smile.
“Oh, speaking of which, I met Pirina too.”
“What? Pirina?”
Reina was surprised.
“Why is Pirina in Lumern?”
“She said it was for personal reasons.”
“Really?”
“And I made a contract with Pirina’s daughter.”
Reina’s jaw dropped.
“What? You made a contract with a Phoenix?”
Reina and Dayd were surprised, as this was not publicly known.
Seeing their reaction, Leo evoked spiritual energy and drew a summoning circle.
After a moment, Fiora, in her true form, crossed the summoning circle.
Peep?
“Oh my? What a cute baby bird. Come here?”
Reina exclaimed in admiration and beckoned.
Fiora tilted her head but approached Reina without much suspicion.
Then she pecked at the steak in front of Reina.
Reina, watching her with amusement, asked Leo,
“So, where is the Phoenix you made a contract with?”
Peep! Peep!
Pirina chirped, flapping her wings in protest.
Seeing that, Leo said calmly,
“She is the Phoenix.”
At those words, Fiora gracefully folded her wings and lifted her chin.
“……She’s a chick?”
Chirp-!
And protested with displeasure.
“She is a Phoenix. Her name is Fiora.”
“I see.”
As Reina accepted Leo’s words, Fiora bowed her head again in a graceful gesture, as if to greet him.
“But wasn’t Pirina’s daughter supposed to make a contract with Ellen’s daughter?”
“I made a contract with her by chance. I’ve already met with the successor of Lundia and finished our talks.”
“Ellen’s daughter? Ah! You must have met her during the school trip?”
Reina, who had been surprised, nodded.
Then she let out a hollow laugh.
“My, you’ve had a hectic semester, haven’t you?”
“Isn’t Lumern always like this?”
“No matter how tough Lumern is, it’s not easy to have such a spectacular semester as yours.”
Reina, who was from Lumern, shook her head.
“Anyway, you must have had a hard time this semester, so rest well during the vacation.”
After dinner and dessert, Reina, who had a long conversation with her son for the first time in a while, returned to her room humming a tune.
Dayd, who had finished washing up and preparing for bed, came into the room and looked at Reina, who was looking at something at her desk with a puzzled expression.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
“My school days album.”
Dayd smiled softly and sat next to Reina.
“Are you finally ready to look at it?”
“Yes. Hearing Leo’s stories made me miss it all of a sudden.”
Reina, who had lost her flames in an unfortunate accident.
Although she smiled casually, her days as a Zerdinger, including her time at Lumern, were like a painful scar to Reina.
Therefore, she had tried to avoid anything that reminded her of those times.
Dayd, knowing that, never asked Reina questions that would bring back the past.
“How am I? My teenage self?”
“Beautiful.”
“More than now?”
“No, as much as now.”
“You’re dodging well?”
Reina chuckled and turned the pages of the album.
Dayd looked at the other races in the album with a puzzled expression.
“Are these students from other Hero Officer Schools?”
“Yes, this elf is Allen, this beastkin is Berga, and the dwarf is Jack.”
Hearing those names, Dayd shook his head in disbelief.
They were all heroes whose names were recorded in the Hero Records, or individuals with similar renowned skill.
“I heard that Azonia, the Beastkin Hero Officer School, has its entrance ceremony in the summer, unlike other schools?”
“That’s right. They have their entrance ceremony in the hottest part of the summer.”
“Is there a reason for that?”
“Yes. Azonia’s entrance ceremony is famous for being the most difficult.”
The entrance ceremony of the Beastkin Hero Officer School, Azonia, was very unique.
It was a desert crossing marathon.
“Well, it’s called an entrance ceremony, but it’s actually the final entrance exam.”
“Final entrance exam?”
“Yes. Azonia holds open lectures during the season when other schools have their entrance ceremonies.”
“Open lectures?”
“Yes. Anyone can attend the lectures when they turn fifteen. Other races are welcome too. If you want to, you can attend. So, surprisingly, there are human and dwarf students among Azonia’s students.”
“What about elves?”
“Elves hate Azonia’s atmosphere, so they’d never go there.”
Reina rested her chin on her hand.
“Anyway, they study like that and take exams intermittently. Only those who pass can continue to attend classes. Finally, the students who survive until summer are given the chance to have their entrance ceremony. And if they complete the marathon, they officially become students of Azonia. That’s why the entrance ceremony is also called the final entrance exam.”
“That’s unusual.”
“It is, isn’t it? Well, it’s a test to select the talent that suits their school.”
“Do all students have to attend the open lectures equally?”
“No. Students from heroic families or those with recommendation letters can skip the open lectures and go through recommendations for the entrance ceremony. Of course, even with a recommendation, they can’t be admitted if they fail the entrance ceremony.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, if they are selected by recommendation, they are prospective Azonia students, so they can participate in the entrance ceremony…”
Rustle-!
Reina, who was turning the album pages, stopped.
Instead of a photo, a letter envelope was tucked into the page she had turned.
Confused, Reina took out the envelope and looked behind her.
Then, upon seeing the wax seal on the seal, she let out a cry of “Ah!”
“What’s wrong?”
Reina scratched her cheek.
“I forgot I received a recommendation for Azonia’s entrance ceremony a long time ago.”
“What?”
Dayd was surprised.
“I helped Azonia Academy with a dungeon raid. They asked me if I was thinking of enrolling my child if I ever had one. I refused, but they forced it on me, and I ended up accepting it inadvertently.”
Beastkin are a race that worships strength.
As such, they tend to actively accept warriors with outstanding combat power into their academies.
At that time, Azonia, seeing Reina’s strength, paid homage to her power and offered her a recommendation letter.
“Well, it’s been about 20 years.”
“Then it doesn’t matter, does it? They probably forgot they gave you the recommendation letter too.”
“Um, yeah, probably?”
Reina casually tucked the recommendation letter between the album pages.
“Anyway, let’s go to bed for today, Reina.”
“Okay.”
Dayd and Reina lay in bed.
Covered by the blankets and staring at the ceiling, Reina suddenly remembered something.
‘Come to think of it, at that banquet, I remember making something like a contract with a spirit when I was tipsy and in a good mood with Berga.’
Then she remembered dripping blood when writing the contract.
Feeling uneasy, Reina chuckled.
‘Eh, Leo is already a student at Lumern, so what could possibly happen?’
***
Upon returning home, Leo enjoyed a leisurely vacation.
Of course, he didn’t forget to do his homework consistently.
For Leo, there was one assignment for each department.
He had a total of three assignments, so his workload was immense compared to other students.
However, he managed to complete his homework without any major issues.
Meanwhile, noble families continued to send him invitations to parties.
Some even came to his mansion to meet him.
‘They didn’t even care when I attended Delan Royal School. Such fickle humans.’
Tsk, tsk, Leo clicked his tongue and refused the invitations.
He knew that attending such events would only lead to troublesome things.
However, the letters were not only for nobles.
“Son! Son!”
“Yes?”
“Who are these children named Chloe, Chen Xia, Nella, and Iliana! They sound like girls from their names?”
At breakfast, Reina, who had received Leo’s mail, exclaimed excitedly.
Letters to Delad didn’t have direct delivery, so they came through Lodren.
Therefore, letters from friends in other regions were delivered all at once.
Reina rejoiced, “My son is this popular!”
There were also letters from male friends he had become close with, including Kale and Teyd, but Reina showed no interest in them.
“Aren’t you going to ask about the boys?”
“I have no interest in boy talk.”
As Leo sighed, looking at his mother, who was solely interested in her son’s romantic life.
“Madam.”
“What is it?”
A maid hurried over.
“We have a guest for Madam and Young Master.”
“A guest? If it’s a noble guest, refuse them, saying you’re busy.”
“Well.”
The maid hesitated and then said cautiously,
“They said they are from Azonia Academy.”
“Azonia?”
Leo looked puzzled.
Reina groaned!
“Just let them in.”
“Yes.”
Seeing Reina let out a deep sigh, Leo asked,
“Why are they looking for you and me from Azonia?”
“It seems a bit of a troublesome matter has arisen.”
At those words, Leo furrowed his brow.
The door opened, and someone entered.
It was someone wearing a robe pulled down deep on this hot summer day.
Seeing that, Leo looked puzzled.
‘A spirit?’
[You are Reina Zerdinger, correct?]
“I’m not Zerdinger anymore, but yes, Reina is correct.”
[Hello, I am a messenger spirit from Azonia.]
The spirit bowed politely and handed over a rolled parchment.
Reina, after looking at it, scratched her head and handed it to Leo.
Upon checking the parchment, Leo’s face changed strangely.
[Congratulations, Ms. Reina Zerdinger. Your child has been selected as a candidate for Azonia’s recommended admission.]
The content of the parchment was simple.
It requested attendance at Azonia’s entrance ceremony, to be held in two days in Azurek, a giant marine city in the southern region.
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