Book 1 Chapter 157

The sound of chalk hitting the blackboard echoed throughout the cafe.

Giggles – the Emerald students, stifling their laughter, wore increasingly dazed expressions as time passed.

*Tap-*

Leo, putting down the chalk, stepped back from the blackboard.

And he saw Shila, her mouth opening and closing.

"How is it?"

"Y-you can approach it this way too?"

Startled, Shila snapped back to reality and hurried towards the blackboard.

*What in the world is this? How did he interpret it? Can this magic actually be activated?*

The Emerald Academy conducts group project research with teams of 20 students each.

And the problem Leo had just solved was the group project for Shila's team.

He had solved it with ease.

From the Emerald students' perspective, their jaws practically dropped.

To be honest, even after watching Leo's spell unfolding right beside her, she couldn't understand even half of it properly.

*Damn it! How did he do it!*

She understood that the spell could be activated.

But she had no idea how it was activated.

Shila, staring intently at the blackboard, glanced at Leo, who was calmly twirling a piece of chalk, and gritted her teeth.

She wanted a detailed explanation, but her pride wouldn't let her ask.

"But you know."

"Uh, yeah?"

"Instead of approaching it this way, it seems like we could activate the magic more efficiently?"

"What?"

Leo smiled faintly, erased everything on the blackboard, and began to write down a new spell.

"The magic just now was a magic spell to obtain a lot of output using a small amount of heat magic, right? Heat means fire magic, so a lot of fire spells are bound to be involved. But that increases mana consumption. So, we'll use wind magic for compression."

Leo began writing down the magic spell on the blackboard.

Seeing that, the Emerald students' jaws dropped.

Complex magic that was hard to even understand.

*How is that more efficient!*

*My head is going to explode!*

"By compressing it with wind spells like this, you can further increase the firepower. Then you can also reduce mana consumption."

Leo shrugged.

"Wait! Wait! If you do it this way, you can definitely reduce mana consumption! But efficiency isn't just about that! The time it takes to cast the spell, its simplicity, all these are also considered!"

Shila's pointed remark made Leo chuckle.

"Isn't there a good thing called activation spells in the world now?"

"Turning this complicated spell into an activation spell is no ordinary feat, you know?"

Shila's eyes narrowed slightly.

Seeing Shila like that, Leo chuckled again.

"It's not that difficult."

"What?"

Leo instantly cast the magic he had just interpreted.

Flames flickered in Leo's hand, and then, compressed by the wind, they transformed into a mass of energy.

Seeing that, Shila's jaw dropped.

"It still lacks practicality for combat, but if we research it a little more, it seems like we could get some pretty good results?"

As Leo dispelled the magic and shrugged, Shila's body trembled.

Then, she nodded as if she understood.

"Oh, I see! You were researching this kind of magic too? Right! As expected of Lumern! You're already researching magic in this area."

Shila forced an awkward laugh.

"Ahahaha! To think I just copied what they're researching at Lumern. How embarrassing."

"We don't really do research like this at Lumern?"

"What?"

"Lumern does research on various experimental magic theories, but not at the school level. Instead of developing new magic, Lumern primarily specializes in adapting existing magic for combat or applying it."

Leo shrugged.

That was indeed true.

The ultimate goal of Lumern's magic department was the training of heroes.

Therefore, they mainly focused on adapting existing magic spells and using them in actual combat.

Although Professor Ren emphasized an academic approach, it did not become the mainstream.

As such, such unique experiments were not commonly conducted at Lumern.

"So, wait. Then how did you interpret this spell and convert it into an activation formula? Did you do it on the spot just now?"

Shila's eyes widened.

"Yes."

Leo calmly nodded, and Shila took a step back.

The other Emerald students also began to murmur.

"Don't make me laugh! You just glanced at it and solved it? Unless you already knew it, there's no way that's possible… Wait. If you did it with mental calculation, it might be possible, but that's impossible…"

"I did it with mental calculation."

"……!"

*Crrrack-*

The faces of all the Emerald students, including Shila, stiffened.

"It's a lie… It's a lie! There's no way a person can do that! Waaaaaaaah!"

Shocked, Shila fled the cafe as if running away.

"Hey! Where are you going, team leader!"

"L-let's go together!"

"Eeeek?"

The Emerald students who hurriedly fled after Shila made eye contact with Leo and recoiled in fear.

Seeing the Emerald students looking at him as if he were a monster, Leo scratched his cheek.

"Was that a bit too much?"

***

It was time for assembly.

The 600 external students gathered in front of the pier to go to Lumern.

"I heard all the students who came this time are first-years?"

On the pier bench, Celia sat to Leo's left, and Chelsea sat to his right.

"Celia. Did anyone pick a fight with you while you were wandering around Lumelia City?"

"Pick a fight? Not really."

"Chelsea, you?"

Chelsea, who was sitting on the bench and tapping her leg, shook her head as she looked at the Emerald students.

"I didn't either. Why? Was there some fool who picked a fight with Leo oppa?"

"Yes."

"Those guys are really unlucky. Why would they pick a fight with you, of all people?"

Celia said indifferently.

Leo folded his arms, looking at Celia.

"Why me?"

"Many students from our school are also despairing when they see you, so you've disheartened them before the joint classes."

Chelsea covered her mouth and giggled, looking at Celia shrugging.

At that moment, the supervising professors appeared at the pier.

Ain, Yura, and Ren.

Seeing the three professors, Chelsea said with a serious face.

"I sometimes don't understand our school. Why do they always put these three professors together for big events when they cause incidents and accidents when they're together?"

The three professors, who caused chemical reactions when two were together and even bigger chemical reactions when three were together, often moved as a group.

Hearing Chelsea's words, Celia nodded in agreement.

"All instructors, assemble."

As soon as Ain spoke, ten students stepped forward.

The curious gazes of students from the three academies were fixed on them.

"So pretty."

"Celia-nim…! You're beautiful!"

"Is that Chelsea Lewalin?"

"Who is that girl from the Magic Department?"

"Is that small girl from the Knight Department?"

"The heir of the Hergin family seems unapproachable."

The male students stared blankly at the Lumern female students.

However, the Lumern female students' reactions were indifferent.

Celia swept her hair back as if uninterested.

Chelsea crossed her arms and wore a sullen expression.

Chloe was reading her grimoire as usual, seemingly uninterested, and Eliza was tidying her fingers without a glance.

Only Chen Xia waved with a smile.

Meanwhile, the female students had similar reactions.

"Wow… they look like they're out of a painting."

"Wow. He's incredibly handsome."

"He looks scary."

The striking Abad, Duran, and Warden monopolized the attention of the female students.

"Is that white-haired guy Leo Flov?"

"All class!"

"It's like, he's a cute young man. I thought he'd be more burly."

At that moment, a few female students let out shrieks.

Instantly, Chelsea, Chloe, and Chen Xia looked in that direction.

Meanwhile, Celia crossed her arms and said.

"What's so great about that butterball?"

"Why is my oppa butterball!"

Chelsea retorted.

"Be quiet."

Ain said coldly.

Seeing Ain like that, the students from the three academies fell silent for a moment.

"These students are fellow students, but they have been appointed as instructors. Therefore, you must follow their commands."

At Ain's words, a female student raised her hand.

"Professor! I like that instructor! I want that instructor to lead us!"

The one who raised her hand was none other than a female student from the Knight Academy, Ikott.

Pointing at Abad with her finger, Ain said to her.

"Abad Lewalin is from the Magic Department. He has nothing to do with you Ikott students."

At that, the female student chuckled.

"What does that matter? We're all Lumern students anyway? What's the difference if the departments are a bit different?"

The Lumern students stared at the female student with wide eyes.

Those who seemed to be her followers also crossed their arms and nodded.

Even Duran's jaw dropped.

In Lumern, it was unheard of to whine and defy a professor's legitimate words.

Especially if it was Professor Ain!

"Wow… amazing."

"She looks like she wants to die."

As Chelsea marveled, Eliza's lips curled up.

However, Yura and Ren looked as if they had expected this.

"What's your name?"

"Sirina Pia! I'm a princess of the Cheya Principality!"

Sirina puffed out her chest and wore a proud expression.

The Cheya Principality.

It was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the continent, a fairly large principality.

At Sirina's words, Ain said.

"Student Sirina. This is a warning. If you accumulate three warnings, you will pack your bags and return to school, so be aware of that."

Professor Ain said calmly and was about to explain the schedule.

"Wait a minute! Why do I have to be warned? And pack my bags! Do you know who I am!"

Sirina bristled.

"That's your second warning. Don't let it happen a third time!"

"No! Seriously! Why do I have to be warned!"

Sirina wore a hysterical expression.

Lumern was a school everyone envied.

Even though it was a joint class, attending classes there was an incredible event.

Sirina was annoyed at the fact that she was warned and would have to leave the school even before attending the class.

"That's your third warning. I will expel you."

Ain took out a list from his pocket.

"Hey! No matter how much of a Lumern professor you are, you don't have the right to kick me out!"

Agitated, Sirina pointed at Ain and approached him.

Yura muttered, seeing that.

"She's crossing the line."

"There have always been students like that. But this year, it's a bit more severe."

Ren sighed.

*Grasp-*

"Huk?"

"Listen carefully, Sirina Pia. Whether you are a princess of the Cheya Principality or the princess of any kingdom, I do not care one bit."

At Ain's cold voice, Sirina's face turned pale.

"This is Lumern, and at Lumern, the professor's word is absolute. It might be different for Ikott, but such petty power is completely ineffective here in Lumern. So, get out of my sight."

*Whoosh-*

"Kyaaaaaaaak!"

*Splash-*

Ain, who threw Sirina into the water, spoke to the stunned students from the three academies.

"I will warn you. This is not Ikott, Emerald, or Scawn. This is Lumern. Students are nothing more than students, and there is no hierarchy among them. From this moment on, I will treat you the same as Lumern students. So, if anyone intends to flaunt their petty family, get out of here right now. That is all."

At Ain's words, the students from the other academies held their breath.

Seeing that, Chelsea muttered.

"It seems to be worse than we heard."

"What?"

Leo asked with a puzzled expression, and Chloe, who was beside him, closed her grimoire and said.

"Students from the three prestigious academies don't have their rankings determined by ability like Lumern."

"What?"

"Many children of high-ranking officials from various countries enroll. Of course, it's the same for our school, but those students tend to have stronger influence from those in power."

Chelsea crossed her arms and clicked her tongue.

"That's why I heard there are a lot of immature brats who rely on their families and act cocky despite having no real ability. I even heard that professors have to tread carefully around them?"

At that, Leo muttered.

"It's going to be noisy for a few days."