Book 1 Chapter 251

"It's absurd! Professor Sedjen!"

"That's right! We were only recommended to withdraw in the first year, so why do we have to leave school too?"

"We didn't have this kind of talk when we were in our first year, did we?"

Protests erupted from all directions.

It couldn't be helped.

Even though they were in their second year, there was no room for relaxation in their academic lives.

Students in the middle to lower ranks were still struggling to manage themselves.

And they were being asked to mentor first-year students in such a situation?

Moreover, it wasn't just about being a mentor.

If their assigned first-year student received a recommendation to withdraw at the end of the first semester's final exams, the second-year student would be held responsible and have to leave school with them as a penalty.

It was an outrageously unfair treatment.

Eliza, as if uninterested, sat in the very back of the lecture hall, filing her nails.

Around her sat students from the Summoning Department who followed Eliza.

This was in stark contrast to Abad and Duran, who were seated in the front row.

In truth, Duran's arrogance was a problem, but he was a top student who attended classes very diligently.

Abad, needless to say, was the same.

Conversely, Eliza was notorious for her unenthusiastic class attitude, regardless of her grades.

Of course, an unenthusiastic attitude didn't mean she didn't listen to the lecture.

However, when she felt the content was something she already knew or unnecessary, she would often pretend to listen while openly doing other things.

It was the same now.

After finishing her nail care, Eliza yawned, covering her mouth, and showed a indifferent reaction.

'Lumen is also doing something pointless.'

In any case, those who were meant to survive would survive.

Whether by talent or effort.

'Will anything change even if we mentor them?'

As Eliza crossed her legs with a mental sneer, she suddenly looked at a Noble student sitting in the row in front of her.

It was Cal, the lowest-ranked student among the Nobles.

He was the first dormitory student accepted due to Abad and Duran's high evaluation, but Eliza actually wasn't too pleased with Cal being in the Noble dormitory even now.

"This is the most disadvantageous assignment for you, yet you seem so calm? Have you already given up?"

Eliza said with a chuckle.

"……"

But Cal showed no reaction.

"Hey. You."

"……"

"Cal Thomas."

"Huh?"

When his name was called, Cal finally turned around.

As if he hadn't expected to be called, his eyes widened as he looked up at Eliza.

"Were you talking to me?"

"Yes. Consider it an honor."

"Wow. What's up?"

"I was just curious why you weren't reacting to this assignment that's so disadvantageous to you."

While another student might have reacted defensively, Cal smoothly brushed it off.

'No wonder he's Leo Flob's best friend. He's just as smooth.'

Eliza showed an expression of boredom.

"Well, it's a very disadvantageous assignment for me. But I'm already on the verge of being expelled, you see."

Cal shrugged.

"Besides, even though our school suddenly harasses students like this, they don't do it without giving us a way out."

Cal smiled.

"So you're saying there's a way for you too?"

"They say crises are opportunities, don't they?"

"Hmm."

It was when Eliza's eyes became half-closed.

"Students of the second year. You lack elegance. You must listen to the story until the end."

Sedjen clicked his fingers dismissively.

The students who had been voicing their complaints paused.

"It's not that you must unconditionally become mentors to the first-years."

Sedjen smiled faintly.

"Students who don't want to be mentors don't have to. Becoming a mentor is purely a choice."

At those words, the students' complaints subsided.

Sedjen smiled meaningfully as he watched them.

"Instead."

Sedjen scanned the second-year students and continued,

"There will be benefits for students who become mentors."

"Benefits?"

"What is it?"

"Are you perhaps giving extra points?"

The students began to murmur.

"None of this year's first-year students will be forced to leave school until the end of the first semester. Whether they stay or not will be decided after the final exams."

The entire second-year class gaped.

Not only the current second-year students, but also those in their third, fourth, and fifth years had experienced survival competition since their freshman year.

But now they were saying that the new freshmen wouldn't have to?

From the second-year students' perspective, it was an enormous benefit.

Sedjen spread his arms wide.

"If a student who becomes a mentor leaves midway, that would be strange too. Therefore, students who become mentors will also have their withdrawal postponed until the final exams are over, regardless of their grades!"

"Hah!"

"Th-that's impossible…!"

It was a groundbreaking benefit.

Especially for students in the lower ranks, their eyes practically lit up.

At that moment, Celia raised her hand.

"Professor. So, if the mentees only remain in school, do the mentors automatically stay?"

"No. That could hinder their own growth, so that's not the case. Students who don't meet the cutoff based on their final exam grades will be recommended to withdraw."

It was merely a deferral.

Nevertheless, it remained a tremendous opportunity.

By taking care of their mentees and intensely preparing for their final exams, they could remain at Lumen if they just passed the cutoff.

Not only the low-ranked students, but even the middle-ranked students showed expressions of consideration.

They had already endured a year at Lumen.

They couldn't afford to be complacent just because they were in the lower ranks.

Many students had been forced to leave school due to unforeseen variables during their first year.

"And depending on how much the first-years grow, additional evaluation points will be given."

Sedjen looked around at the second-year students.

"This isn't just for the first-years. You will surely gain something by guiding your juniors."

This was a system that didn't exist when the current second-year students were in their first year.

'This must be the effect of the new principal.'

Such a groundbreaking academic schedule wouldn't have been decided by the principal alone.

It was clearly a decision made after numerous faculty meetings.

"How will the relationships between mentors and mentees be determined?"

This time, Abad raised his hand and asked.

"We will leave that to the discretion of the second-year and first-year students."

Sedjen crossed his arms.

"If you recommend a first-year student to be your mentee, and the first-year student accepts, the relationship is established. The opposite is also true."

This meant that whether it was a first-year or a second-year student, they could designate someone, and if their intentions matched, a mentor-mentee relationship would be formed.

The students' eyes sparkled.

'It's a competition!'

Naturally, it was more advantageous to take in students with good grades.

"Hmm."

Eliza, who had been listening, showed an indifferent expression.

"It turned out the way you said."

Cal smiled at Eliza's words.

"As Abad evaluated, you're quick-witted in these matters."

Saying that, Eliza quickly lost interest in the assignment.

If it was an assignment she didn't have to do, she wasn't very interested.

Although it would be reflected in her grades, it was unclear how much.

'It would be much better to focus on training than worrying about the first-years.'

It was as Eliza thought.

For a student of her caliber, it didn't hold much merit.

"Eliza, what do you think of this assignment?"

"I'm not interested."

Eliza replied curtly to her followers who had cautiously asked.

At those words, the faces of the other students in the Summoning Department's Noble dormitory lit up.

The Summoning Department had fewer students compared to the Knight Department and the Magic Department.

Therefore, if a student like Eliza lost interest in the mentoring assignment, the probability of receiving a more outstanding junior as a mentee would increase.

'Woreden probably isn't interested in this kind of assignment either!'

The students of the Summoning Department cheered inwardly.

At that moment, Leo raised his hand.

"Something."

"There are more first-year students than second-year students, can one student take on multiple juniors?"

"Yes."

The number of second-year students was definitively less than first-year students.

It was, in a way, natural that one second-year student could take on multiple first-year students as mentees.

"What happens in that case? If even one mentee is recommended to withdraw, do they also have to withdraw?"

"That would be too harsh. In that case, Halind will decide after looking at the final grades of the first-years you are responsible for."

When the name of Lumen's Wall of Tears was mentioned, the second-year students swallowed dryly.

On the other hand, they also thought that it would be evaluated fairly.

'Given Professor Halind's personality, he wouldn't automatically disqualify a mentor just because two out of three mentees failed.'

'He would judge based on how much that student has grown compared to the beginning of the semester.'

'It could be advantageous to take on multiple students depending on their abilities, though one shouldn't just take them indiscriminately.'

The students organized their thoughts inwardly.

Meanwhile, Sedjen concluded his speech.

"The process of selecting mentees will take place for one week starting today."

Sedjen smiled.

"I hope you will be good seniors to your juniors. That's all."

***

After the monumental assignment that would influence the entire first semester was given.

The second-year students returned to their respective dormitories.

That was the end of today's classes.

The assignment began today.

Given that it was a sudden assignment, it was to give students some time to prepare.

In the lounge of the First Dormitory, Glory, students were busy debating.

"Who on earth should we take?"

"It's awkward to blindly recommend someone with good entrance exam scores or someone famous."

The Glory students glanced at Leo, who was standing by the lounge window.

"Those kinds of students would want a top second-year student to be their mentor."

"Besides, Leo is an all-class student."

"He can take mentees regardless of department."

"Ugh. Even if Leo only takes one student per department, it would be a huge burden."

While the Glory students were pondering, Leo approached the dormitory window, opened it, and reached out.

Then, a small red chick fluttered and approached.

It was already a well-known fact that Leo was a contractor of a Phoenix.

As a result, after the second year began, Fiora started strutting around the Glory dormitory openly.

"Peep! Peep!"

Fiora flapped her wings and demanded something from Leo.

"You're asking for snacks as soon as you arrive."

Leo let out a dry laugh of disbelief and took out a chocolate from his pocket, placing it on his palm.

Flap-flap-!

Fiora flew onto Leo's palm and elegantly pecked at the chocolate.

Peep! Peep!

But then, as if displeased, she kicked the chocolate with her foot, dropping it on the floor.

"You want something better?"

Leo looked incredulous as Fiora suddenly refused what she had been eating well until recently.

"Fiora~"

"Come on in! Your big sister will give you something delicious!"

As the Glory girls approached with snacks, Fiora, without any lingering attachment, abandoned Leo and flew towards them.

Peep-! Peep-!

Fiora, chirping happily as she ate the snacks the girls were giving her.

The girls squealed at Fiora's appearance.

"Look how cute this is!"

"It's following me like this! Do I have talent as a summoner?"

Fiora had somehow become the mascot of the Glory dormitory.

-That pig chick. It's gotten used to eating delicious food from the girls and has become unnecessarily refined. It's embarrassing the mythical beasts all by itself.

-P-pig chick…? Master! Call me a piglet!

-Behave yourself, Ati.

Kirran grumbled, Ati panted, and Elsie sighed deeply.

"Leo, do you have a first-year junior in mind for a mentee?"

At that moment, Chloe approached and asked.

"Not really yet. I haven't figured out all the first-years yet."

"That's true."

Chloe fell into thought.

Then, Iliana suddenly stood up.

"Ah! Let's go to the first-year classroom building and talk to the juniors!"

At those words, the Glory students nodded and stood up.

As all the students left the dormitory, Leo remained alone.

-Leo.

"Why?"

-Let's pick someone easy to boss around!

At Kirran's words, Leo let out a dry laugh.

***

That evening.

The second-year students returned to their dormitories after meeting with the first-years.

"It's not easy."

"Yeah. Those with a certain level of skill are picky, while those who aren't picky have too little skill."

"This assignment is going to be tough."

The Glory students showed expressions of perplexity.

At that moment.

"Captain! Captain!"

Iliana approached Leo.

"Yes?"

"Someone is here to see you."

"Who?"

"Ayna Benda."

At Iliana's words, the Glory students were impressed.

"Indeed, if it's Leo, the first-year class representative comes to see him."

"Come to think of it, at the entrance ceremony, she boldly declared she would earn Leo's recognition."

"She must really admire Leo."

Leaving the Glory students who were murmuring about Ayna behind, Leo got up and went outside the dormitory.

Ayna bowed deeply upon spotting Leo.

"What is it?"

To Leo's question, Ayna looked up and said,

"Senior Leo, please be my mentor."

Ayna said with a determined voice.

"I am the best among the first-years. If you take me as a mentee, it will surely be beneficial for you, Senior Leo."

Leo replied indifferently to Ayna's words.

"I don't intend to pick only skilled juniors."

At those words, Ayna bristled.

"If it's not me, who else is qualified to be Leo's mentee?"

"Anyone is qualified."

Leo chuckled.

"That's why I'm going to have a test."

"A test?"

"Yes."

"What kind of test is it?"

At those words, Leo, who had been thinking, nodded.

"Hmm. Yes. That would be good."

Leo smiled faintly.

"For the next week, I will take any first-year student who can successfully land one attack on me as a mentee."

At those words, Ayna bit her lip firmly.

"Starting now?"

"Yes."

The moment those words were spoken, a golden aura emanated from Ayna's body.

Seeing that, Leo said,

"I figured you would."