Book 1 Chapter 234

The day after the opening ceremony and entrance ceremony.

2nd-year Magic Grand Lecture Hall.

2nd-year Magic department students gathered and were waiting for Ren.

"It's nice that we can still take magic classes with the same members as in our first year!"

Karl said with a cheerful expression.

Although their dormitories had changed, their departments had not.

They could attend classes together like this during integrated department classes.

Leo chuckled, resting his chin on his hand, at Karl's words.

"Why? Is dormitory life really that tough?"

"Listen! Leo! It's terrifying!"

Karl complained to Leo.

"The entire dormitory is full of guys with strong pride! It's like they've gathered people with the same tendencies as the dormitory leaders!"

Dormitory 3.

Noble, which means noble, was generally composed of students from prestigious families.

The dormitory leaders alone were successors of heroic noble families.

As a result, students with strong pride naturally gathered there.

"So Emiyo's kid also ended up in our dormitory."

Karl sighed with an "Ugh-".

"Anyway, there are so many people who are just full of a sense of authority. They look down on commoners at the drop of a hat. Tsk!"

"It must be hard in a place like that."

Karl was a commoner, not from a prestigious family, and not even a noble.

Moreover, his grades were at the very bottom.

It was bound to be difficult among the Noble students.

"Well, there are some good points too."

"What are they?"

"Everyone's families are well-off, so their pockets are also well-off!"

Karl chuckled and stroked his chin.

For Karl, who was very interested in commerce, the Noble students with good financial situations and strong purchasing power were truly appreciated.

"What about Glory?"

The name of the 1st dormitory was Glory, meaning honor.

"Already gathering information about your peers?"

Chloe asked, her gaze fixed on a thinner book than usual.

"I was just curious. By the way, what are you reading?"

It clearly wasn't a textbook.

Nor was it a magic book, which she was always carrying.

She was reading a rare book of general knowledge.

Chloe showed him the title.

"History of Shadows?"

"Yeah. I suddenly became interested."

"Shadows. Well, the new headmaster did boldly declare himself to be a shadow, didn't he?"

Karl shook his head.

Shadows.

It wasn't the exact term.

Since the Age of Heroes began, those who fought against Tartarus and protected world peace were called heroes.

But that was only for those who operated in the bright world.

Where there is light, there must also be darkness.

And the path to peace cannot always be met with public acclaim.

There are those who live in the dark.

"A headmaster from the shadows. The board of directors somehow allowed it."

"There are shadows among the Lumern graduates too."

"Still, everyone doesn't really want to become a shadow."

Karl licked his lips, and Chloe nodded in agreement.

Shadows, like heroes, are essential beings for maintaining world peace.

Especially in their role of tracking down and eliminating traitors who betrayed the world and sided with Tartarus, their importance is comparable to that of heroes.

It is also the shadows who hunt down hero killers, who aim to take the lives of heroes, from the unseen.

Despite this, the perception of shadows was not good.

Living in the dark, they often had to do dirty work.

Even those who hunt down hero killers, who aim for the lives of heroes, are essentially people whose purpose is to kill.

Therefore, people feared shadows and did not want to get close to them.

'Shadows.'

Leo squinted, resting his chin on his hand.

During Kyle's era.

Leo also did similar things.

He ferreted out and eliminated traitors.

He did not inform his companions of this fact.

Only Lisina and Deweno knew that Kyle was doing such things.

'Because it was something someone had to do.'

Lisina and Deweno said that Kyle didn't need to bear it all alone.

But Leo meticulously stained his own hands with blood.

'There was no need for everyone to be stained with blood.'

Leo looked down at his hands.

'I wish there weren't guys like that in this era…'

He gave a bitter smile.

'Speaking of which, what happened to that guy afterward?'

Leo thought of a girl.

Bihar.

She was a girl who learned swordsmanship from Kyle, like the elf Berkia, who was known as a disciple of Luna, the progenitor of the constellations.

She had her life saved by great heroes and would often accompany Kyle when he went to hunt traitors.

'Did Bihar eventually walk a different path than Berkia?'

Unlike Berkia, who worked to rebuild the world as an elven leader, Bihar did not leave her name in world history.

Leo let out a small sigh, thinking of the disciple whose name was not even in the Hero Record.

"So, have you found out anything about shadows?"

Normally, hero candidates don't pay attention to shadows.

All the students were aspiring heroes.

They had no great interest in shadows, who could be considered the opposite of heroes, and did not try to find out about them.

"Yes. The nation with the most powerful shadows is the hegemonic power of the Eastern Continent, the Shan Empire."

"The Shan Empire…"

Karl stroked his chin.

Along with the Rodren Empire, it was one of only two empires of the human race.

"I heard the Shan Empire also has many problems?"

"That's right. Don't you remember the incident 100 years ago when the nascent Hero Kingdom of Trihan was destroyed by shadows dispatched from the Shan Empire?"

"The Trihan Kingdom. In the end, they were indeed traitors."

"Yeah. But the problem was that they destroyed a country based solely on suspicion, without any evidence."

Hearing Chloe's words, Karl tutted.

"Does that mean a hegemonic power like an empire can do whatever it wants?"

"Perhaps it's possible because it's the Shan Empire?"

Shan is not merely the hegemonic power of the East.

It is also a country boasting a profound history of 4,000 years.

"Leo, what do you think?"

"Destroying a country based on suspicion is indeed too much."

This was when the three of them were talking about shadows.

*Creeaak-*

The door to the grand lecture hall opened, and Ren appeared.

Anna followed him, holding the attendance book.

*Thump- thump- thump-*

As the students' gazes converged, Ren, standing at the lecture hall desk, scanned the students.

"Welcome, everyone."

Ren smiled with his characteristic charisma.

"I am Ren, and I will be teaching your magic theory classes again this year."

"Professor Ren~"

"Nice to meet you!"

"Please take good care of us this year too!"

The students cheered enthusiastically.

Ren, who was young and talented, was a highly popular professor among the Magic department students.

Nodding at the students' reaction, Ren received the attendance book from Anna.

"I will now call out the roll. Chloe Muller."

"Yes."

"Karl Thomas."

"Yes! Professor!"

"Leo Frobe."

"Yes."

'Student Leo!'

Ren covered his mouth and wore an expression of deep emotion.

Of course, the other students couldn't see it.

'How hard I worked to study with you…'

Anna, who was watching Ren's expression in real-time, looked up at the ceiling and lamented.

In fact, the selection of professors for the 2nd-year departments was very fierce.

It was understandable, as all the professors of Lumern wanted to teach the 2nd-year students, who were evaluated as the most outstanding generation in history.

And Anna had witnessed everything Ren had done.

After much effort, he secured the position of 2nd-year department professor.

It was all to mentor Leo.

While it was a touching situation for Ren, Anna, who had to go through hardships because of Ren, felt like crying.

'Should I quit?'

As she seriously considered submitting her resignation, Ren, who had finished calling the roll, spoke.

"Before we begin, everyone."

Ren swept his gaze over the students.

"Is there anyone who wants to talk about what the strongest existing spell is?"

At his words, the students began to murmur.

There were countless powerful spells in this world.

Various answers could be given depending on the mage's tendency, primary attribute, and affiliation.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know."

"It's difficult."

The students discussed amongst themselves.

At that moment, Chloe raised her hand.

"Yes, student Chloe."

"The strongest existing spell is the Star Magic, 'Apocalypse'."

At her words, Ren nodded.

"Correct."

Ren said, scanning the lecture hall.

"At first glance, it might seem like a subjective answer, but there is no spell more powerful than Apocalypse in this world. In terms of power, magic efficiency, and crucially, the casting time is not short."

Ren smiled.

"Apocalypse is a perfect work of art created by the progenitor of the constellations."

Ren said, spreading his arms wide.

"During the last Luce War, I became even more convinced of this thought after witnessing her defeat the Monster Queen."

Listening to Ren's words, the Magic department students swallowed dryly.

How could they forget?

Although the exact reason for the appearance of the legendary hero was not revealed, everyone present had witnessed the miracle firsthand.

The great mage, whom everyone in this world had only heard of in stories.

The greatest genius in magic history.

Everyone present was at the scene where Luna Rubynance, the progenitor of the constellations, descended.

And they had personally witnessed her use 'Apocalypse'.

"However, Apocalypse is a tricky spell to use."

Ren walked towards the blackboard with a *thump- thump-* sound.

He picked up chalk and began to write the magic formula for Apocalypse on the board.

A complex and difficult formula filled the blackboard.

"Powerful might, excellent magic efficiency, and short casting time. It is a perfect spell if you can use it, but to use it, you need to understand all the complex magic formulas created by the progenitor."

Seeing the magic formula, the students wore expressions of weariness.

At that moment, a student raised their hand.

"Recently, the activation method has been developing. Isn't it possible in the distant future to simplify the formulas using the activation method?"

"Simplifying the formula for Apocalypse is very easy."

"Yes?"

"This is the result."

Ren smiled slyly.

'This is simplified?'

'No way!'

'Even after the formula was expanded, I don't understand it at all!'

The students clutched their heads.

"This is the result of elves who learned Star Magic in later generations independently simplifying the formula. If it's simplified further than this, the magic itself won't activate. Therefore, it's impossible to simplify it as much as the activation method. Crucially, the magic won't activate just by simplifying the formula. The most important thing is to learn Star Magic."

The students nodded.

Star Magic.

Only by learning the unique magic of elves can one finally learn Apocalypse.

"We will never learn Apocalypse in our lifetime."

"Ugh. I tried Star Magic too… but it was no good."

Several students shook their heads.

Star Magic is the unique magic of elves.

Of course, it is not impossible for other races to learn it.

However, their magic must match the wavelength of Star Magic, and exceptional magical talent and sense are required.

Seeing the students shake their heads, Ren smiled.

"Certainly, so far, Star Magic has been a matter of talent and sense for humans. But you all know that last year, Senior Ain distributed the Breath of the Hero to the Knights department students in Azonia."

At his words, the students looked puzzled.

And a moment later, they understood the hidden meaning of his words and looked at Ren with faces full of disbelief.

"N-no way…"

"Did you succeed in making Star Magic more widely applicable?"

Making Star Magic widely applicable had remained in an unfinished state for a long time.

Although the magic formulas left by the progenitor were modified to be learnable by elves, other races couldn't even dare to attempt it.

By now, it was considered the unique magic of elves, and academics concluded that it was impossible for other races to use.

"During the winter break last year, a groundbreaking and miraculous magic thesis was published in Lumern."

"I-impossible!"

"Who on earth did that?"

"Could it be Senior Torua, who graduated…?"

"No! It could be Senior Elena!"

"Or did the other professors achieve it?"

The entire student body was filled with excitement.

It was inevitable.

Star Magic?

To be able to directly use the progenitor's magic, which had been blocked by the barrier of race for so long!

As mages, what could be more exciting than this?

"Hehehe. You must be curious about who the author of that great thesis is!"

The students held their breath.

"The co-author of the thesis is here!"

Ren raised his hand.

The students' gazes turned to his fingertip.

And at his fingertip was…

"What? Me?"

Leo couldn't help but ask Ren, hearing something he had never heard before.

"Hehehe. Student Leo. The moment I first saw you last year, I was convinced. That you would leave a significant mark on the world of mages in a short period."

"So… me?"

"Hehehe. As expected, you are the greatest talent in the history of Lumern's Magic department."

"…"

Seeing Ren, who kept saying his own thing no matter how much he asked, Leo wore an expression of disbelief.

"When did you write such a thesis?"

At Karl's question, Leo wore a displeased expression.

"I never wrote such a thesis."