Book 1 Chapter 257

Juwen, watching Luke's back as he stood before Leo, spoke.

"Senior. Can't you take him as your mentee?"

"He's from the Knights' Department, and I'm from the Magic Department?"

"There's no rule against taking students from other departments as mentees, is there? And Senior Kal. You don't have any mentees right now anyway, do you? Shouldn't you at least take Luke?"

"That's true."

Kal let out a deep sigh.

But then he chuckled.

"However, he probably won't come to me."

"Huh?"

"You guys."

"……?"

"Didn't you give up too easily?"

Juwen scowled at Kal's words.

"Excuse me, Senior. What have you been watching so far? We've truly done everything we could to struggle!"

"Yes. Juwen, especially you, you unleashed a barrage of dazzling magic that I wouldn't even dream of."

Not only Juwen.

Aina, Harvey, and Sasha also unleashed their best attacks on Leo.

"But didn't you all learn something too?"

Kal laughed.

"That the stronger the attack, the more openings there are?"

Clang-!

Luke's sword was blocked by Leo's sword.

"At first glance, the assignment Leo gave the first-years seems too easy. But soon you realize. It's an insurmountable wall. Then, all the mediocre ones naturally give up."

Kal smiled as he looked at the four people.

"And when only amazing guys like you are left, you end up trying every attack you possibly can."

"That's right."

Juwen, with his arms crossed, nodded.

"Then let me ask you one thing. Have you guys ever closely observed Leo's movements in the past week?"

"Of course…"

Juwen's face hardened as he began to answer.

Not just Juwen.

The other three were the same.

"And one more thing."

Kal grinned.

"Have you ever closely observed this Luke kid sparring with Leo?"

'No.'

The four people hurriedly observed Leo and Luke's movements.

To them, Luke was not a rival.

They hadn't ignored him, but they thought comparison was impossible.

And it was.

Defeating Luke was too easy.

But…

'When did he grow this much?'

Luke's movements had changed drastically from a week ago.

Aina and Harvey were particularly shocked.

'His swordsmanship… it's incomparable to a week ago.'

They were still no match for them.

But considering the speed of their growth, it was astonishing.

It was also clear whose movements they had referenced to build their skills.

'Senior Leo, and… Harvey and I.'

Aina's hands trembled slightly.

Aina was conscious of Luke.

She couldn't help it.

At the entrance exam, Luke had clearly been recognized by Leo.

But at the same time, she had ignored him.

Yet the lowest-ranked first-year, who hadn't even been on her radar, was now following Leo's movements better than they were.

It wasn't because Leo was going easy on him.

Leo had basically only defended and dodged for the past week.

'I was focused on landing a blow, so I only thought about the best attacks I could do.'

Aina clenched her fist.

'I've never… never once observed the opponent.'

If the opponent is impossible, you must observe their movements and devise a strategy.

A very basic thing.

But for a week, she hadn't properly observed Leo's movements even once.

Her face flushed with shame.

Kal smiled warmly at their expressions.

'We were like that too.'

It wasn't particularly a problem with the first-years right now.

Even the second-years had been heavily criticized by professors for this.

'Well, in this case, Leo is doing what the professors should be doing.'

Meanwhile, Leo chuckled as he watched Luke following his movements.

It was a challenge that would have been impossible otherwise.

But Luke was slowly catching up to Leo's movements with his ability and persistence.

And then, for a moment.

Whoosh-!

Luke's aura became abnormally strong.

Luke's mana characteristic.

Mana amplification through emotions.

It served as a finishing move that could turn the situation around at any time if there was the will.

Swish-

"Hooh."

Leo uttered an exclamation of admiration at Luke's sword, which had lightly shaved off the ends of his hair.

"I did it… Ugh!"

Luke, who had been smiling brightly at that, tripped and fell clumsily to the ground.

"Your finish is clumsy."

Leo, with a smirk, looked at the four people who were frozen.

'It will be good stimulation for those little brats.'

They probably wouldn't dare to challenge after seeing Luke succeed.

It was a result Luke had barely achieved by observing Leo's movements for a week.

However, the four of them had not.

The fundamental principle of turning the impossible into the possible is not miracles, but effort.

Leo extended his hand to Luke, who was struggling to get up.

Luke hastily pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

It was the section for the mentor's name.

Leo wrote his name there.

"Th-thank you, Leo. I'll do my best as your mentee!"

Leo smiled gently at Luke, who was smiling brightly.

If Celia and Chelsea, or the Slayer Knights, had seen it, they would have told him to run away immediately.

***

Juwen, with his arms crossed, stood before Kal with a "Chuk-!"

"Huh? Why?"

"Please become my mentor."

"What are you talking about?"

Kal looked dumbfounded.

"After hearing what you just said, Senior, I realized there's a lot I can learn from you."

"You seem to have a fever. Cool your head. Well, I'd be happy to take you as my mentee, but you should find someone better to be your mentor… Hey, hey, hey!"

Juwen pulled out a piece of paper, wrote Kal's name in the mentor section, and dashed off.

"Please take good care of me starting tomorrow~ Hohohoho!"

This was when Kal was looking dumbfounded.

"Senior."

This time, Aina approached Kal.

"What is it?"

"Could I know the name of the senior knight from the Knights' Department who is closest to Senior Leo?"

"It's Celia."

"Thank you."

Aina bowed her head and left.

"Let's go together, Aina. I also have business with Senior Warden."

Sasha went with Aina.

"Senior Kal."

"What is it now? Prince."

"I would like to meet Senior Duran."

'Is this a prince combo?'

Kal let out a wry laugh inwardly and nodded as if he understood.

Kal took Harvey to the Noble dormitory and approached Duran, who was resting in the dormitory lounge.

"What is it, Kal Thomas? Do you have any suggestions for me, the dormitory head?"

"You have a junior who looks just like you waiting outside."

"Harvey. A useful person has arrived."

Duran chuckled.

"Hmph. You were thinking of me as Leo Flov's second, weren't you?"

Eliza scoffed beside him, and Duran's face contorted fiercely.

Seeing that, Kal soothed Duran.

"Hey, it's fine. The important thing is that Harvey, who is among the top three first-year knights, chose you as his mentor."

In truth, he wanted to side with Eliza and tease him, but it would be tiring for Kal if Duran got angry.

"Hmph."

Kal got up and left the dormitory.

"Hmm hmm."

At that moment, Eliza cleared her throat.

Kal, not realizing Eliza had something to say to him, was about to return to his room.

Swish! Crack-!

"Gasp!"

Eliza's whip wrapped around Kal's neck.

"What again!"

"Kal Thomas. Are there no first-years who came to see me? Like Princess Sasha, for example."

"Sasha? She went to Warden."

Eliza's shoulders trembled.

Eliza, enraged, shot sparks from her eyes.

"Why did that beast tamer go to that human! Why on earth!"

"How would I know?"

"This is a humiliation! Why is no junior requesting me as a mentor!"

"Were you secretly expecting it?"

"Expecting? Expecting?! Don't make me laugh! This is a matter of pride as the successor of the Hergin family!"

Given her personality, Eliza seemed to find mentees bothersome, and she actually did find them bothersome. However, she had secretly been expecting it.

Considering her reputation, she thought juniors would flock to her.

But no one came.

She had pinned her hopes on Sasha, but she had gone to Warden, whom she had a rivalry with.

Eliza's immense hysteria made the Noble students scream.

Third dormitory, Noble.

It is a dormitory basically comprised of students from prestigious families who have strong pride in themselves.

However, even so, an angry Eliza was too terrifying.

'Good heavens, why do they become so petty in front of Eliza?'

Only Kal clicked his tongue in front of Eliza.

Despite the ferocious Duran and the prickly Eliza, Kal's friendliness shone in front of both of them.

"In my opinion…"

Eliza's eyes widened at Kal's words.

Seeing Eliza give him a look that said she would not let him go if he spouted nonsense, Kal said calmly.

"Isn't it because you're too amazing?"

At those words, Eliza's eyes twitched.

Eliza, with her arms crossed, sat down and gestured with her chin.

"Speak."

"The first-years thought, 'With my skills, how dare I become Senior Eliza's mentee?' Of course, if there was a student who passed your high standards and became your mentee, you would have made that person the best in the Summoning Department. But the first-years, intimidated, couldn't come to you."

"What about Princess Sasha?"

"She was toyed with by Leo's spirit magic this time. So she seemed quite offended. She probably wants to learn from a spirit magic expert to prepare for spirit magic."

"Hmph. How cunning. Are you trying to appease me with plausible words?"

"While that's true, it's also a fact."

Kal shrugged.

'Hmph. Avad and Duran certainly have a good eye for people.'

Eliza looked at the students in her dormitory who were intimidated by her with a look of exasperation.

Then she clapped her hands lightly.

Her followers quickly rushed over and set up refreshments.

"Yes, I thought it would be bothersome anyway, so it's easier for me to not have any mentees."

Eliza, having regained her composure, chuckled.

"Kal Thomas. You don't have any mentees either, do you? Struggle as you can. You seem more useful than I thought."

Although the words were arrogant, Eliza meant them as encouragement.

Of course, Kal flinched at those words.

'If I say I unexpectedly took Juwen as my mentee, she'll throw a fit.'

After pondering, Kal said.

'Ah, I don't care. It's obvious she'll make a bigger fuss if I tell her later.'

"I received a mentee."

"Hooh? Who is it?"

"Juwen Torvina."

Eliza's eyes trembled.

"Why is she your mentee…"

"I don't know. She said she had something to learn from me."

After saying that much, Kal quickly fled.

He couldn't stop himself now.

If he, who had taken the top student of the first-year department as his mentee, were to stop them, it would only be teasing.

'I did my best. You guys handle the rest.'

Kal inwardly cheered for the dormitory students and quickly went up to his room.

***

Riina, the principal of Lumerne, rested her chin on her hand.

And she looked down at the ornate stationery.

Knock-knock- Creak!

"Riina. It's about time for the second-years to go to Demian, isn't it? Haven't you heard from them yet?"

"They just arrived."

Riina lightly shook the envelope in her hand.

"But they've made a rather presumptuous request."

"A presumptuous request?"

"Yes."

Riina tossed the letter onto her desk and smirked.

"They want to 'evaluate' the students from the three hero academies at Demian."