Book 1 Chapter 27
【27】26
The male students, having changed into their gym clothes, headed towards the parade ground.
On the vast parade ground, there were other classes besides Class 5.
All classes whose combatology lessons overlapped were out on the parade ground.
Of course, thanks to the enormous size of the parade ground, there was no overlapping of activity radii.
Professor Sena stepped forward in front of the students gathered on the dirt ground.
Halin de observed Sena's class from behind.
“In combatology class, we train you to apply your abilities. Any questions?”
Illiana raised her hand.
“Yes, Illiana.”
“What exactly does ability application training mean? Is it different from the training done in major subjects?”
“It's different. Shall we take magic as an example? Illiana, create a Fireball.”
Illiana, who aspired to be a Dual Class Blademage, easily created a fist-sized Fireball.
“Alright! Illiana, how will you apply that Fireball to maximize its efficiency?”
“Hmm! First, I'll inject a lot of mana into the spell structure. And if I add a damage boosting spell and a spell copying spell!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Fireball grew in size and then doubled into two.
“This is how I can maximize the Fireball's efficiency!”
“Is that all?”
“Huh? Um… that is. What other spell to add here…”
Professor Sena smiled kindly at the flustered Illiana.
“It's okay. Next, Chelsea?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“What other ways are there to further maximize the efficiency of a Fireball here?”
“I'm sorry, I can't think of any other method besides what Illiana said.”
“Alright. Then next is…”
The magic major students subtly avoided eye contact.
How could they know the answer when even the class's top magic honor student couldn't answer it?
“Leo?”
“Yes.”
“How to maximize the efficiency of a Fireball here?”
“Control. Even if you increase power, you need to be able to hit it to achieve efficiency.”
“That's the correct answer! I'll give Leo 5 question points.”
The students made crestfallen expressions at the surprisingly simple answer.
“You tend to focus more on increasing power than control when training your abilities. That's why most students are clumsy with ability control.”
The students looked confused at the mention of clumsy control.
Themselves, who used their abilities daily, clumsy with control?
“Here's a problem.”
Professor Sena summoned a wind spirit, a Sylph.
“If any of you can capture this Sylph, I will give you bonus points. You can mobilize all your abilities.”
The students, filled with determination, challenged themselves to catch the Sylph.
However, no student caught the Sylph, which was neither fast nor spewed powerful winds.
This was because the Sylph displayed divine-like movement, dodging the students' hands.
A little later, several students rushed at it simultaneously, but still failed to catch it.
“Haa-! Haa! That might not be a Sylph!”
Carl lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
“Hmph! Then what is it?!”
Chelsea sat down and retorted.
“How should I know?!”
At that moment, the Sylph, floating in the air, put its hands on its waist and made an 'Ahem!' expression.
Whoosh-!
An aura of flames surged.
Leo, who had been standing still, charged at the Sylph.
The Sylph tried to escape with a relaxed expression.
Leo sped up, closing the distance with the Sylph and reaching out his hand.
The Sylph dodged the hand with a *whoosh*!
A fiery aura shot up from the back of Leo's hand, blocking the Sylph's path.
As if expecting it, the Sylph turned in the air.
But the wall-shaped aura instantly turned into a rope and pursued the Sylph.
The Sylph, not having expected that, was flustered.
And suddenly, it accelerated, escaping high into the sky before the rope could encircle it.
“Oh, Sylph! That's cheating!”
At Sena's words, the Sylph looked apologetic.
It seemed to have used more power than allowed, out of surprise.
“Anyway, well done, Leo.”
Sena clapped her hands.
“As you just saw, Leo didn't use much strength. Combatology is about training to integrate this kind of application into combat.”
The students of Class 5 could now understand Sena's words about being clumsy with control.
Professor Halin de, who was observing the class from behind, let out a chuckle.
'Indeed, that Ain fellow would drool over this.'
If judging solely by aura control ability, he was undoubtedly expected to be the top among the first-years.
“Huhu, not very elegant.”
Crack-!
With the sound of sparks flying, a flash of golden aura surged, engulfing the Sylph.
Thump-!
Before the Sylph could even react, it was caught by a single hand.
Thwack-!
Duran, the male student who had landed on the ground, glared at Leo.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
“As expected of Duran! Truly excellent skills, befitting the top student!”
“You flatter me.”
Duran said to the middle-aged teacher.
“Oh my? How strange? Halin de, you're the most respected professor in Lumerne, yet none of the students in your class could catch the Sylph, but our Class 1 student caught it easily, isn't that right?”
Halin de looked at the middle-aged teacher in splendid clothes with a tired expression.
“Ah ha! Now that I think about it, wasn't Class 5 the class with the lowest average? Oh dear, oh dear. I must have forgotten that and said something rude.”
“Aren't you teaching? Sedgen?”
Halin de sighed, watching Professor Sedgen apologize with exaggerated gestures.
“Of course! I came here to teach!”
Professor Sedgen spread his arms.
“Class 1 and Class 5! I propose a class competition! Surely you won't back down? Of course, I won't blame you if you do! After all, our elegant Class 1 has no less than three top students! Hahahahahahaha!”
Professor Sedgen laughed jovially, pointing to the three students at the front of Class 1, including Duran.
Leo spoke to two of them.
“Hello? Elegant and beautiful Class 1 students.”
Celia and Chloe, who had been bowing their heads, looked up and glared at Leo with terrifying eyes.
Of course, Leo was not one to flinch at such things.
“Associate Professor. Why is that professor like that?”
Chelsea asked with a bewildered expression.
“That's Professor Sedgen. He's a professor who was a colleague of Professor Halin de.”
“Professor Sedgen, isn't he as famous as Professor Halin de?”
“He's renowned as Lumerne's most excellent professor.”
Unlike Halin de, who was notoriously infamous, Sedgen was a teacher many students wished to be taught by.
However, Professor Halin de was ranked first as the most respected professor by graduates, and Sedgen was second.
Because of this, Sedgen harbored a strong sense of rivalry towards Halin de, as Sena explained.
Upon hearing the explanation, the Class 5 students watched Sedgen provoking Halin de with all sorts of words.
'Professor Halin de isn't flinching at all.'
'Professor Sedgen, he looks rather pathetic.'
Sena, unable to watch Sedgen clinging to Halin de, who ignored all provocations, spoke up.
“Professor Sedgen. Today is the first class, so a sudden class competition is a bit…”
“Oh! Sena Tillia student… no! Associate Professor Sena!”
Professor Sedgen spread his arms and approached Sena.
“It's been so long! I worried about you a lot! Seeing you become an associate professor fills my heart with joy!”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Sena smiled awkwardly and greeted him.
“Anyway, Associate Professor Sena! It doesn't matter if it's the first class! As long as you're a Lumerne student, unexpected situations can happen at any time!”
“Still…”
“Our proud Class 1 students are always ready for a class competition! Aren't they?”
“Yes, sir!”
“As expected, elegant!”
At Sedgen's satisfied words, Carl chuckled and approached Class 1.
And with his unique sociability, he teased the Class 1 students he had become friendly with during the temporary class period.
“Truly elegant! Class 1 students!”
“Do you want to die?”
“Stop teasing us?”
Some Class 1 students, including Celia and Chloe, snarled at Carl.
But Carl's teasing continued.
“What event shall we have for the competition?”
“Hoo hoo hoo! As expected, you won't run away! Are you really sure? Class 5 students are clearly going to lose, aren't they?”
“I'm not interested in winning or losing.”
Halin de said in a dry voice.
“What's important is that students learn something from any outcome.”
“Then your students will learn the feeling of defeat!”
“If they learn defeat, we can teach them how to overcome it. And…”
Halin de curled the corners of his mouth.
“Conversely, they might learn the composure of a winner.”
Watching Halin de retort so coolly, the Class 5 students looked impressed.
“Professor Sena's words were true!”
“Even if he speaks harshly, our homeroom professor clearly cares about us deeply!”
“We respect you, Professor!”
Sedgen smiled cruelly.
“Alright. Then let's make a bet. The losing class will clean the first-year classroom building's bathrooms for a month. And the losing professor will buy drinks for the winning class!”
“No problem.”
At that answer, a scream erupted from Class 5.
“Aaaah!”
“How can you accept such a thing immediately?!”
“Excuse me, beautiful ladies?”
Carl, who had been teasing them to his heart's content, was now sweating nervously.
“No matter what, we're friends, so you'll go easy on us, right? Like aiming for a draw or something?”
“We're definitely going to win?”
“That's right, elegantly.”
Celia smiled chillingly and swept her hair back, while Chloe cracked her knuckles with a malicious grin.
“Leo! Chelsea! We're counting on you! Save our class!”
Carl immediately made a tearful face and clung to Leo and Chelsea.
Among Class 5, the only students who could stand against the top students were Leo, the class representative, and Chelsea, the second-place finisher in the western exam.
“I have no intention of losing.”
“That's right. A wizard from House Rualyn would never learn defeat.”
Leo said leisurely, and Chelsea folded her arms with a "Hmph!"
“So? What event will decide the winner?”
“Hoo hoo hoo! Don't we have a traditional event in Lumerne's combatology class?”
Sedgen gave a meaningful smile at Halin de's question.
“As expected, that one.”
Halin de sighed softly.
Tension also began to flow between Class 5 and Class 1.
“Surely… that?”
“To think we'd actually do it.”
“I've done it before.”
The students gulped nervously.
Only Leo had a puzzled expression.
“Is it a pretty intense event?”
“It's no joke. It's an official event that we even do during exchange matches with other hero academies.”
Chelsea also said in a tense voice.
If it was an official event in an exchange match for the school's pride, it must certainly be a fiercely competitive one.
Clap-!
As Professor Sedgen clapped his hands, Class 1's associate homeroom teacher handed something to Sedgen.
It was a transparent ball the size of a fist.
“One of Lumerne Combatology's traditions! We'll decide the winner with Bastella!”
'They set such a serious atmosphere just to play catch?'
Leo wore an incredulous expression.
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