Book 1 Chapter 17

【17】16

The next morning.

Leo, who finished breakfast at the dormitory cafeteria, immediately headed to the Hall of Beginnings, the first-year classroom building.

Today's first major class was a knightology class.

As it was a provisional class, many students from other departments, as well as those from the Knightology department, participated.

Due to the large number of people, the class was divided into groups.

Chelsea and Karl were in the class Leo joined.

Karl actively utilized the provisional class to get acquainted with students from the Knightology department.

Chelsea said she intended to take Knightology as a minor, as she aspired to be a battle mage.

The students gathered at the training ground and waited.

Soon, Professor Ain appeared.

"I've already introduced myself, so I won't do it separately. This is my associate professor, Klaria Livache."

Klaria bowed lightly.

An associate professor can only be someone chosen by a professor from among the Lumern graduates.

They assist the professor in conducting classes and, in emergencies, may substitute for the professor to teach classes.

Naturally, as a graduate of Lumern, they were an elite whose skills were guaranteed.

Professor Ain looked around at the students.

'Leo Flove, Celia Gerdinger, Duran Moira.'

Professor Ain wore a satisfied expression.

With two student representatives and two top students attending the class, he couldn't help but be satisfied.

"Among you, students from the Magic Department and Summoner Department, please raise your hands."

More than half the students raised their hands.

Professor Ain, nodding, pointed to Klaria.

"You all, go to the associate professor. She will teach you how to apply magic power and spiritual power to martial arts."

Ain, having gathered the knight students separately, opened his mouth.

"Today is our first class. So, I will talk about aura, which is the most basic concept in knightology."

At Ain's words, the students' eyes sparkled.

"The three powers derived from mana: aura, magic power, and spiritual power. Among them, aura possesses the most difficult properties to handle. Is there any student who knows why?"

From the very first question, the first-years were speechless.

Aura's properties?

Few were interested in such things.

What knights usually worried about was how to sense mana well and manifest a more powerful aura.

Of course, not all students were unaware of the correct answer.

Celia raised her hand.

"Celia Gerdinger."

"Yes, student Celia. Please answer."

"It's because aura loses mana's properties during the conversion process."

"That's correct."

Magic power is a force created by amplifying mana, and spiritual power is a force that resonates the user's will with mana.

As such, it does not lose the properties of mana in its natural state.

However, aura is a power created by absorbing mana and processing it to suit the physical body.

In that process, it loses its natural fluidity and becomes fixed.

That's why it becomes difficult to handle.

"Then, is there any student who can explain in what form we use the aura accumulated in our bodies?"

This time, even Celia was flustered.

In what form do we use it?

'How do you explain the form in which it's used?'

'It's just… you use it when you exert force, right?'

They simply use it instinctively, according to what they've learned and the flow of the Aura Heart Method.

There was no way to explain the form in which it was used.

Of course, Ain's question wasn't made expecting an answer.

What Ain was talking about was the basic theory of Auric Studies, a subject that didn't exist at Lumern until last year.

Ain was trying to introduce content that had previously only been taught at Azonia, the Beast-Human Hero Academy, to Lumern this year.

So, it was natural for the first-years not to know.

As Ain was about to explain, someone raised a hand.

Professor Ain wore a satisfied expression at the student who stepped forward courageously.

There are few professors who dislike a student who confidently presents, even if they are wrong.

"Leo Flove."

"Yes. Answer."

"We use the power of aura by incinerating mana."

Ain wore a surprised expression.

"That's correct. Then, do you also know what is most important when incinerating aura?"

"Stamina."

"Amazing, student Leo. Have you ever studied Auric Studies?"

"No."

"Then how did you know such a thing?"

"Because it's the most fundamental essence of aura."

People sometimes neglect the fundamental nature of the power they use.

Of course, there's no problem using aura even if you don't know its essence or principles.

However, the difference between knowing and not knowing the characteristics of the power one uses is significant.

Especially, aura is a power much more influenced by the user's will compared to magic power and spiritual power, and for drawing out mental strength, nothing was as good as imagination.

"Excellent. I will give student Celia 5 bonus points. And student Leo will get 10 bonus points."

Their classmates' envious gazes turned towards the two.

"As student Leo said, we use the power generated when incinerating mana."

Professor Ain said seriously.

"From this year, I plan to integrate Auric Studies into my classes and teach you first-years."

"Professor! What is Auric Studies?"

"It is the study of aura. It is one of the mandatory subjects at Azonia Academy."

At the mention of a new field of study, the first-years' eyes sparkled.

"Then, since today is our first class, we will learn how to utilize aura. Today's lecture will be on Aura Step."

Aura Step is a technique that maximizes jumping power by concentrating the force of aura in the legs.

'Aura Step, huh.'

Leo's eyes gleamed.

It was a technique of a concept that did not exist in the era Kyle lived in.

"Anyone who possesses aura can learn Aura Step. However, its effectiveness varies drastically with proficiency."

Professor Ain lifted his foot.

Silver aura shimmered at his toes, and then he stood still in mid-air.

The students gasped in admiration.

Professor Ain walked lightly in mid-air and spoke.

"From now on, I will explain the principles of Aura Step."

Ain's lecture on Aura Step began.

'The principles of aura manipulation aren't vastly different.'

When the body is strengthened with aura, leg strength naturally increases as well.

Aura Step could be seen as focusing that physical reinforcement on the legs.

While Ain was guiding the students for a while, someone who looked like an errand-runner entered the training ground.

"Professor Ain. Professor Betes is looking for Professor Ain and Associate Professor Klaria."

"Professor Betes? I understand."

Ain, nodding, told the students.

"The associate professor and I will be away for a moment, so practice Aura Step."

Leaving those words, Professor Ain left.

"Leo. Shall I teach you Aura Step?"

Celia approached with a sly smile.

Leo asked with an indifferent face.

"Are you going to tell me to call you 'Lady'?"

"Surely you wouldn't be so petty, would you?"

Celia crossed her arms and smiled faintly.

"My birthday is earlier than yours, you know. So, if you call me 'nuna' just once, I'll help you."

"It's too dirty and petty; I won't learn from you."

"What? You're a student representative and you can't even use Aura Step? How pathetic."

Just then, someone interrupted their conversation.

Turning his head, he saw Duran Moira, the top student of the Central Region's exam, standing there.

Duran clicked his tongue as he looked at Leo.

"That such a fellow became the student representative for the year; I really don't understand Lumern's standards."

"Are you dissatisfied with me being the student representative?"

As Leo stepped forward and asked, Duran curled up the corners of his mouth.

"It's not dissatisfaction. It's just lamentable that a guy who can't even use Aura Step is the student representative."

Duran looked at the other students and said irritably.

"It's not just you. There aren't just one or two guys who can't use Aura Step. I'm worried about the dignity of the entire grade."

At those words, some students bristled.

But they couldn't easily challenge him.

No matter what anyone said, he was the top student of the grade.

He was clearly one of the top ten most skilled among nearly 500 first-years.

At Duran's words, Leo spoke.

"If you're aiming to be a hero, why don't you maintain a bit more dignity yourself?"

"Dignity? Are you discussing a hero's dignity with me, who is of heroic lineage?"

The Knight Duchy of Moira, to which Duran belonged, was a nation founded 50 years ago by the knight hero Dior Moira, known as the Golden Sword.

Duran, who had pursued the path of a hero since childhood, prided himself on having stronger heroic qualities than anyone else.

"What does lineage have to do with being a hero?"

"It does matter. Because a hero means a chosen person."

"We think differently. I think a hero is someone who doesn't give up."

"For a guy who's supposed to be the freshman representative to talk such dream-like nonsense, how pathetic."

"Aren't you the one who's too cocky, relying solely on your lineage?"

"Lineage is merely an ancillary thing to me. What I believe in is something else."

"What is it?"

"Skill, Leo Flove."

*Whoosh-!*

Duran closed the distance to Leo in the blink of an eye.

The other students gasped in admiration at his incredible movement speed.

It was a speed that ordinary students wouldn't even dare to imagine.

However, Leo smirked.

"Not that fast."

"It seems I need to show you your place."

Duran laughed savagely.

"If you're that confident, shall we have a match to see who's faster, you or I?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Duran Moira. Do you think it makes sense to compete with someone who hasn't even learned Aura Step to see who's faster?"

As Celia intervened with a frown, Duran spoke as if it was a good thing.

"Celia Gerdinger. There was something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Why did Leo Flove become the student representative for the year?"

"How would I know that?"

"Isn't it because the top students from the West were pathetic that this guy stood out?"

Chelsea, who was among the minor-class students who had gathered to see what was happening, stepped forward.

"Did you just call my big brother pathetic?"

"I merely stated a fact. Chelsea Rewallin. I had high hopes for the two great heroic noble families of the Lodren Empire, but to yield the student representative position to such a fellow. Honestly, I'm disappointed."

Celia gave a cold smile.

"It seems you're quite frustrated about not becoming the student representative, aren't you? But haven't you considered that the only reason you couldn't become the student representative is purely because you're pathetic?"

"If I had been in the same position, this guy would never have become the student representative, would he?"

Duran, wearing an arrogant expression, said in a confident tone.

"This guy only became the student representative purely out of luck."

"Let's go, Leo. There's no need to listen to such nonsense."

"Right."

Chelsea, who agreed with Celia, whom she could call her rival, pulled the skin below her eye with her left index finger and stuck out her tongue, saying "Bleh!"

"To be in a position where you're protected by women."

The Central Region students of Duran's faction booed.

Leo smirked.

"I accept that challenge."

"Leo!"

Celia said reprovingly.

"When he speaks like that, it's hard to just ignore him, isn't it? And besides,"

Leo bared his teeth and smiled.

"One must show such a fellow his place, you see."

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