Book 1 Chapter 251
251
“This is unreasonable! Professor Sedgen!”
“Exactly! The first-years are the ones who got recommended to withdraw, so why do we have to leave school too?”
“There was no talk of this when we were first-years, was there?”
Protests poured in from all sides.
It couldn't be helped.
Even though they were now second-years, departmental life hadn't become easy.
Mid-to-low ranked students still found it hard to take care of themselves.
And in such a situation, they were told to become mentors to first-years?
Moreover, simply becoming a mentor wasn't the end of it.
If a first-year they were responsible for received a withdrawal recommendation in their first semester final exam, they would also have to leave school, incurring a penalty.
It was an extremely unreasonable measure.
Eliza, as if uninterested, sat at the very back of the lecture hall, filing her nails.
Summoning students who followed Eliza sat around her.
This was in contrast to Abbad and Duran, who were seated in the very front rows.
In fact, Duran's arrogance was the problem; he was an honor student who was very diligent in class.
Abbad goes without saying.
In contrast, Eliza was famous for her insincere attitude in class, regardless of her grades.
Of course, an insincere attitude didn't mean she didn't listen to class.
However, if she thought the content was something she already knew or was unnecessary, she would often feign listening while openly doing other things.
She was doing so now.
Eliza, who had finished filing her nails and yawned covering her mouth, showed a lukewarm reaction.
‘Lumerne is doing something pointless too.’
Anyway, those who are meant to survive, survive, no matter the circumstances.
Whether by talent or by effort.
‘Will anything change just because we act as mentors?’
Eliza, scoffing inwardly and crossing her legs, suddenly looked at the Noble student sitting in the front row.
It was Karl, the lowest-ranked Noble student.
Although he was the first dormitory student Abbad and Duran had accepted after evaluating him highly, Eliza honestly wasn't too pleased about Karl being in Noble even now.
“This is the most disadvantageous assignment for you, but you seem very calm. Have you already given up?”
Eliza chuckled and spoke.
“……”
But Karl showed no reaction.
“Hey. You.”
“……”
“Karl Thomas.”
“Hmm?”
Only when his name was called did Karl turn around.
He looked up at Eliza, wide-eyed, as if he hadn't expected to be called.
“Were you talking to me?”
“Yes. Consider it an honor.”
“Wow. What's going on?”
“I found it strange that you had no reaction to an assignment that's disadvantageous to you.”
“You called me just to ask that?”
It was something that would have made other students flare up, but Karl slyly brushed it off.
‘No wonder he's Leo Flobe's best friend. He's just as sly.’
Eliza made a bored expression.
“Well, it's a very disadvantageous assignment for me. But I've always had grades that were barely passing, you see.”
Karl shrugged.
“Besides, even if our school suddenly harasses students like this, it doesn't harass them without giving them a way out.”
Karl grinned.
“So, there's a way for you too?”
“There's a saying, isn't there? That crisis is opportunity?”
“Hmm.”
It was then that Eliza narrowed her eyes.
“Second-year students. You lack elegance. You should listen to the story to the end.”
Sedgen 'tsk-tsk'-ed and wiggled his finger.
The students who had been complaining paused.
“I'm not saying you must unconditionally become mentors to the first-years.”
Sedgen smiled faintly.
“Students who don't want to be mentors don't have to be. Being a mentor is entirely a choice.”
At those words, the students' complaints subsided.
Sedgen smiled meaningfully as he watched the students.
“Instead.”
Sedgen, after scanning the second-years, continued speaking.
“Students who become mentors will receive benefits.”
“Benefits?”
“What could it be?”
“Are they perhaps giving extra points?”
The students began to murmur.
“No first-year will leave school until the end of the first semester of their first year. Whether they remain in school or not will be decided after the final exams.”
The entire second-year class gaped.
Not only the current second-years but also the third, fourth, and fifth-years had competed for survival in school since their freshman days.
But it was said that this year's freshmen were different.
From the second-years' perspective, it was an enormous benefit.
Sedgen spread his arms wide.
“It would also be strange if the students who became mentors left midway. Therefore, students who take on mentorship will also have their withdrawal deferred, regardless of the grades they achieve, until the final exams are over!”
“Gasp!”
“Th-that kind of…!”
It was an unprecedented benefit.
Especially for students in the lower ranks academically, it was literally eye-opening news.
Then Celia raised her hand.
“Professor. Then, do mentors unconditionally remain in school as long as their mentees remain?”
“No. That wouldn't be the case, as it could potentially hinder their own growth. Students who fail to cross the cutoff line based on their final exam grades will still receive a withdrawal recommendation.”
It was a deferment, nothing more.
Still, it remained an incredible opportunity.
If they cared for their mentees, focused on preparing for the final exams, and just passed the cutoff, they could remain at Lumerne.
Not only lower-ranked students but also mid-ranked students showed tempted expressions.
They had already endured a year at Lumerne.
Even if they were lower-ranked, they couldn't be complacent.
Many students had to leave school during their first year due to unexpected variables.
“And additional evaluation points will be given depending on how much the first-years have grown.”
Sedgen looked around at the second-years.
“It's not just for the first-years. You will undoubtedly gain something by guiding your juniors.”
This system didn't exist when the current second-years were first-years.
‘There's definitely an influence from the change in principal.’
The principal wouldn't have decided such an unconventional departmental schedule alone.
It was clearly a decision made after numerous faculty meetings.
“How will the relationship between mentors and mentees be determined?”
This time, Abbad raised his hand and asked.
“We plan to leave that up to the second-years and first-years themselves.”
Sedgen crossed his arms.
“If you recommend a first-year to become your mentee, and the first-year accepts, the relationship is established. The same applies in reverse.”
In other words, whether a first-year or a second-year, if they designated someone and their intentions aligned, a mentor-mentee relationship would be established.
The students' eyes sparkled.
‘It's a scramble!’
It goes without saying, but the more academically proficient a student they receive, the more advantageous it would be.
“Hmm.”
Eliza, who had been listening to the story, made an unenthusiastic expression.
“It turned out just as you said.”
Karl grinned at Eliza's words.
“Indeed, just as Abbad evaluated. You're quick-witted in this regard.”
Having said that, Eliza quickly lost interest in this assignment.
If it was an assignment she didn't necessarily have to do, she wasn't particularly interested.
Although it was said to be reflected in their grades, it was unclear how much it would affect them.
‘It would be much better to focus on training in the time I'd spend worrying about first-years.’
It was just as Eliza thought.
For a student of her caliber, there wasn't much merit.
“Eliza, what do you think about this assignment?”
“I'm not interested.”
Eliza answered her cautiously asking followers bluntly.
At those words, the faces of other Noble students in the Summoning department brightened.
The Summoning department has fewer students compared to the Knight and Magic departments.
Therefore, if a student like Eliza lost interest in the mentor assignment, their chances of getting a more excellent junior as a mentee would increase.
‘Waredden probably isn't interested in this kind of assignment either!’
The Summoning students inwardly cheered.
Then Leo raised his hand.
“Yes.”
“There are more first-year students than second-year students, so can one student take on multiple juniors?”
“Yes.”
The number of second-years was distinctly smaller than that of first-years.
It was somewhat natural for one second-year to take on multiple first-years as mentees.
“What happens in that case? If even one mentee receives a withdrawal recommendation, do the mentors also get withdrawn?”
“That would be too harsh. In that case, Hallinde will decide after looking at the final grades of the first-years you are responsible for.”
When the name of Lumerne's Wailing Wall was mentioned, the second-years swallowed dryly.
On the one hand, they also thought they would be evaluated fairly.
‘Given Professor Hallinde's personality, even if I took on three and two dropped out, he wouldn't just arbitrarily dismiss the mentor too.’
‘He would judge by how much that student had grown compared to the beginning of the semester.’
‘Depending on the abilities of the students I take as mentees, taking on multiple might be advantageous. Of course, I shouldn't just take anyone indiscriminately.’
The students sorted out their thoughts internally.
Meanwhile, Sedgen concluded his speech.
“The process of selecting mentees will proceed for one week, starting today.”
Sedgen grinned.
“I hope you will all be good seniors to your juniors. That is all.”
***
After a monumental assignment that would influence the entire first semester was given.
The second-years returned to their respective dormitories.
Classes for the day were over.
The assignment began today.
As it was a suddenly given assignment, it was meant to give students some time to prepare.
In the lounge of Glory, the first dormitory, students were busy discussing among themselves.
“Who on earth should we take?”
“It's also awkward to just blindly recommend to someone with good entrance exam scores or who is famous.”
The Glory students glanced at Leo, who was standing by the lounge window.
“Those kinds of students would want top-ranked second-years to be their mentors.”
“Besides, Leo is all-class.”
“He can accept mentees regardless of department.”
“Ugh. Even if Leo only took one from each department, it would be a huge burden.”
While the Glory students were deep in thought.
Leo approached the dormitory window, opened it, and extended his hand.
Then a small red chick flapped its wings and approached.
It was already a well-known fact that Leo was a contractor of the Phoenix.
As such, after the second year began, Fiora openly began to strut around the Glory dormitory.
“Cheep! Cheep!”
Fiora flapped its wings, demanding something from Leo.
“It comes right over and immediately asks for a snack.”
Leo let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded, took out a chocolate from his pocket, and placed it on his palm.
*Flap-flap!*
Fiora flew onto Leo's palm and elegantly pecked at the chocolate.
"Peck! Peck!"
But soon, seemingly dissatisfied, it pushed the chocolate with its foot, dropping it to the floor.
“Asking for something better?”
It was then that Leo made a dumbfounded expression as it suddenly rejected what it had been eating well until recently.
“Fiora~”
“Come here! Big sister will give you something delicious!”
As the Glory female students approached with snacks, Fiora abandoned Leo without hesitation and flew towards them.
“Cheep-! Cheep-!”
Fiora happily cheeped while eating the snacks given by the female students.
At the sight of Fiora, the female students squealed with delight.
“Look how cute it is!”
“To follow me like this! Do I have talent as a summoner?”
Fiora had already become the mascot of the Glory dormitory.
-That pig chick. After getting delicious food from the female students, its palate has become unnecessarily refined. It's bringing shame to all spirit beasts by itself.
-P-Pig chick…? Master! Please call me a pig foal!
-That's enough, Atti.
Kirian grumbled, Atti hissed, and Elsie let out a deep sigh.
“Leo. Do you have any first-year juniors in mind as mentees?”
Then Chloe approached and asked.
“Not really yet. I haven't fully grasped all the first-years yet, you see.”
“That's true.”
Chloe fell into thought.
Then Illiana suddenly stood up from her seat.
“Alright! Let's head to the first-year classroom building first and talk to the juniors!”
At her words, the Glory students nodded and rose from their seats.
With all the students having left the dormitory.
Only Leo remained in the dormitory.
-Leo.
“Why?”
-Let's pick someone easy to boss around!
Leo let out a hollow laugh at Kirian's words.
***
That evening.
The second-years, who had met with the first-years, returned to their dormitories.
“It's not easy.”
“Right. The somewhat skilled ones are picky, and the ones who aren't picky are too unskilled.”
“This assignment. It won't be easy.”
The Glory students wore perplexed expressions.
It was then.
“Class Rep! Class Rep!”
Illiana approached Leo.
“Why?”
“Someone came looking for you.”
“Who?”
“Aina Vadehna.”
At Illiana's words, the Glory students gasped in admiration.
“Indeed, for someone like Leo, even the first-year class representative comes to find him.”
“Come to think of it, she confidently declared that she would gain Leo's recognition at the entrance ceremony, didn't she?”
“She must really respect Leo.”
Leaving the murmuring Glory students who were talking about Aina behind, Leo stood up and went out of the dormitory.
Aina spotted Leo and bowed her head respectfully.
“What is it?”
At Leo's question, Aina looked up at him and spoke.
“Senior Leo. Please be my mentor.”
Aina spoke with a voice full of determination.
“I am the best among the first-years. If you take me as your mentor, it will definitely be helpful to you, Senior Leo.”
At Aina's words, Leo spoke calmly.
“I wasn't necessarily planning on being selective and taking only skilled juniors.”
At those words, Aina flared up.
“If not me, then who is qualified to be Senior Leo's mentee?”
“Anyone can be qualified.”
Leo let out a slight laugh.
“So I'm going to hold a test.”
“A test?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of test?”
Leo, who had been pondering, nodded at her question.
“Hmm. Yes. That would be good.”
Leo smiled faintly.
“For the next week, any first-year who successfully lands even one attack on me, I intend to take as a mentee.”
At those words, Aina bit her lip tightly.
“Starting now?”
“Yes.”
Simultaneously with those words, a golden aura erupted from Aina's body.
Seeing that, Leo said.
“I knew you'd do that.”