Book 1 Chapter 315

315

"It's Lumeria City!"

The regular ferry traveling between Lumern and Lumeria City.

Eliana shouted with a bright voice as she disembarked at the pier.

Following Eliana, students who had been in class 5 during their first year disembarked.

"Today, we're here to have fun. So, no scouting around dorms, okay?"

When Nella smiled, Eliana grinned.

"Why are you asking such an obvious thing!"

"Right. Right."

Karl also nodded.

"You're the most suspicious one, you are."

Eliana narrowed her eyes and poked Karl's side.

"By the way, these assignments for this semester. Aren't they too tough?"

Tade mumbled in an exhausted voice.

Yura, the second-year professor for the Summoning Department, had given the summoning students an incredibly difficult challenge.

"For summoners of phantom beasts, it was strengthening phantom beasts using spirits. For spirit users, it was strengthening spirits using phantom beasts, right?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"How was it? The summoning department kids stayed after school and struggled."

"…How was it?"

Tade's face was painted with terror as he recalled yesterday's events.

***

"Basically, if you have talent in summoning, you can handle both phantom beasts and spirits. This means two possibilities are dormant within you."

Yura smiled at her students.

"Of course, as you get older and become adults, those possibilities close. It's the privilege of you teenagers to make your latent talents blossom."

Saying that, Yura effortlessly summoned a high-grade wind spirit.

The sight of Yura, who could handle several top-grade phantom beasts, easily summoning a wind spirit was astonishing to many summoning students.

Though she taught summoning lectures all year, there was a separate specialized professor for spirit magic.

"Professor Yura, if you have such deep knowledge of spirit magic, couldn't you teach spirit magic as well?"

A student specializing in spirit magic asked with a shocked voice, and Yura replied with a look that asked what kind of absurd thing they were saying.

"What are you talking about? To lecture on spirit magic at Lumern, you need to have a contract with at least a top-grade spirit, you know?"

At that, the summoning students were once again reminded of the greatness of the Lumern professors.

It was normal for Yura to have childish power struggles with Professor Ain from the Knight Department or Professor Ren from the Magic Department every day and get scolded by Halind, but she was also a Lumern graduate.

And not just any graduate; she was the best of the best, possessing skills close to the top of her class during her school days.

The rank of a phantom beast and spirit is a measure of a summoner's talent.

Of course, controlling high-ranking summons doesn't automatically make one a strong summoner.

Among the Lumern second-year students, some can handle high-grade summons.

However, Yura could easily subdue them even with only low-grade phantom beasts.

To that extent, the summoner's capability was as important as, or even more important than, the rank of the summon.

To develop this capability, experience handling various summons was necessary.

Yura wanted to remind the students of this.

"Professor. We don't seem to have talent like yours!"

"I'm trash… I'm trash!"

"…It's wrong. We probably can't do it."

However, many students hit a wall when handling summons outside their specialized field.

No matter their potential for spirits and phantom beasts.

For students who had controlled only one type of summon their entire lives, suddenly using a different type of summon was extremely difficult.

Among them, the most shocked person was Eliza, who had always topped the second-year summoning theory classes.

Eliza's shock was particularly great because her rival, Wareden, as well as Jureden, the third-ranked student in the summoning department who was considered a step below her, also easily summoned phantom beasts and spirits.

There was no need to even mention Leo.

Because Leo basically used both phantom beasts and spirits with ease.

"Hmm hmm! Indeed, asking spirit users to handle phantom beasts and phantom beast summoners to handle spirits all of a sudden is a difficult task."

Yura, who had nonchalantly given such an assignment, nodded as if she understood.

"But don't worry! There's special training for you!"

"Wh-What kind is it!"

At Yura's words, Jester, a male student who specialized in flame phantom beasts, asked with an excited voice.

"It's nothing much, Jester. Step forward."

Jester stepped forward without much suspicion.

"For a summoner of flame attributes, special training is, well…"

Yura summoned a flame phantom beast.

*Whoosh.*

"Huh?"

"You just need to burn."

*Whoooooosh.*

"Aaaaaaaagh?!"

"Burn! Turn to ashes! Become ashes and feel the fire spirit! Ahahahahahahaha!"

Watching the burning student, Yura madly cracked her whip and burst into maniacal laughter, looking like a witch herself.

Seeing this, the terrified summoning students tried to run away.

*Smack!*

A fierce whip lashed out in front of the summoning students.

*Thwack!*

Yura, holding the whip taut, licked her upper lip with her tongue.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"P-Professor. Class is almost over."

"Yes, I know. Today is remedial class."

Yura, backdropped by the setting sun, smiled alluringly with her eyes.

Normally, it would be a smile that would make male students grin stupidly, but right now, it was pure terror.

"Alright, everyone, line up by the attribute of the summon you specialize in."

***

"…So what happened?"

At Karl's question, Tade grabbed both his arms and trembled.

"The kids who handled light attributes cried all through remedial class because they had to stare at the light with both eyes open until they went blind, and the kids who handled dark attributes had to wander, falling, rolling, and hitting their heads in a dark maze. The kids who handled water attributes were thrown into the water, and the kids who handled wind attributes were thrown into a gale and flew around."

"You're an earth attribute, aren't you? How was it for earth attributes?"

As Eliana tilted her head, Tade clutched his head.

Watching Tade, Leo, who had observed the situation, burst into laughter and said.

"The earth attribute kids were buried alive underground."

"Wow…"

"T-That's too much."

"So that's why the summoning department kids looked like they'd been through hell."

Chelsea stuck out her tongue, Eliana broke into a cold sweat, and Nella sighed softly.

"So that's why Eliza came back looking dazed yesterday."

"Exactly. Eliza handles phantom beasts of all attributes, you know. She had the full course."

Tade clucked his tongue, as if feeling sorry for her.

Eliza, always so haughty, apparently stumbled back yesterday with disheveled hair and clothes, went straight into her room without washing, and fell asleep.

"What's the midterm assignment for the Knight Department?"

"To master a secondary weapon. And they'll have a sparring test with it."

"Secondary weapon?"

"Yeah."

Nella smiled.

"What weapon did you choose, Nella unnie?"

Chelsea asked with sparkling eyes.

It was then that Nella gave an awkward laugh.

"Morningstar."

Eliana giggled and answered for Nella.

Nella glared at Eliana.

"Morningstar?"

"Isn't a morningstar a blunt weapon? With a heavy spiked ball at the end?"

Chelsea and Tade looked puzzled.

Seeing their expressions, Eliana said.

"Nella found a weapon much more optimized for close-range combat than a sword. It's similar to a sword in handling, completely different in purpose, and has a different destructive power from a sword. So, with the class president's recommendation, she chose a morningstar. For your information, I chose an elegant spear."

Eliana puffed out her chest and chuckled.

"Yeah. Not interested."

"Right."

"Class president! Everyone's so cold to me!"

Eliana complained to Leo with a tearful face.

"But it doesn't quite fit your image."

Karl let out a hollow laugh, and Eliana snickered.

"We thought so too. When I first tried it, you know… *Ugh!*"

Nella, with her characteristic languid smile, punched Eliana in the side.

As Eliana clutched her side and collapsed to the floor, the other three looked puzzled.

Seeing this, Leo let out a chuckle and said.

"She smashed a training golem's head with the morningstar. She was smiling so refreshingly then. It suited her well."

The other Knight Department students were terrified by the sight.

"Stop teasing me."

Nella, with a sullen face, hit Leo's shoulder.

Seeing this, Karl and Tade mumbled.

"Scary."

"Yeah, really."

"Originally, a tremendous destructive instinct lurks in the heart of a quiet person… *Ugh!*"

Eliana, laughing, was speaking in response to Karl and Tade's words when she was hit in the side again and collapsed.

After such an uproar, the group finally began to explore Lumeria City.

"Speaking of which, what happened to the fairy?"

"I don't know, they say it disappeared after that day."

"Of course, it must be a baseless rumor. Does it make sense for a fairy to be at Lumern? And not on Phantom Beast Island, but on campus. Do the summoning department kids believe that rumor?"

"But did you hear? Someone broke into the food storage."

"What bold person did such a thing?"

"They say the Magic Department's class materials were also messed up. I heard Associate Professor Anna yelling that she wouldn't let the culprit get away."

"In the Knight Department, the teaching materials were scribbled on. Associate Professor Claria said she'd find the culprit and tear them to pieces alive."

Ominous rumors circulating in the school.

Hearing these rumors, Eliana clapped her hands.

"Isn't it like a fairy's prank if you think about it?"

"Is a fairy a child? To play such pathetic pranks?"

"What do you think of the Three Great Phantom Beasts! Apologize to the Summoning Department right now!"

The summoning department kids shouted at Eliana.

Listening to that conversation, Leo thought.

'It was the fairy who did it, alright.'

Leo's Three Great Phantom Beasts were a phoenix with a history of obesity, a mischievous fairy, and a perverted Pegasus.

Leo looked at the summoning department kids, who had romanticized notions of the Three Great Phantom Beasts, with a pitiful gaze.

It was while they were enjoying a peaceful weekend to the fullest.

They had just arrived at a famous restaurant in Lumeria City for lunch.

"Huh? What brings you all here in a group?"

"How unusual. To all gather and come out to play."

Sedgen and Halind were having a meal at the restaurant.

Sedgen, seeing the students from Class 5, whom he considered rival class during their first year, gathered together, snapped at Halind.

"Our Class 1 also! We gather often like this!"

"…That's none of my business."

"Our Class 1 also has great unityyyyyy! We just haven't come out to play in Lumeria City!"

Sedgen, who had a fit during his first year, wailed, burning with competitiveness.

Halind looked at Sedgen and said coldly.

"Your class professor is making a spectacle of himself, what are you doing?"

"Uh… what should we…?"

"Drag him out."

At Halind's cold words, the male students hurriedly took Sedgen aside.

"Professor Sedgen. Please calm down."

"We know Class 1 kids have good unity."

"Let go! Are you mocking me! You dogs of Halind! Your professor isn't Halind, it's me!"

"Yes. Yes."

"We understand perfectly."

These were the male students from Class 5, faithfully obeying Halind's orders.

Thus, a commotion erupted.

After Sedgen calmed down, some students approached the two professors who were eating and spoke cutely.

"Professor."

"Please buy us lunch! Please?"

Sedgen sneered, seeing Eliana blinking her eyes cutely and sparkling with light.

"Aren't they lovely students? You can treat them."

At that, Halind said flatly.

"I entrusted my students to you, Sedgen. Because I trust you. I didn't realize I needed to look after them."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'll buy it!"

Sedgen, who had fallen for Halind's simple provocation, flared up.

'…Professor Sedgen secretly gets caught by Professor Halind, after all. As for us, well, it doesn't matter who buys it.'

Eliana smiled slyly to herself.

Afterward, the students naturally joined the two professors and ate their meal.

Sedgen was a professor who originally pursued a free atmosphere, and Halind also didn't stand on ceremony in such settings, so the atmosphere naturally became harmonious and lively.

Sedgen generously offered advice to the students in preparation for their midterms.

Halind also listened to the students' concerns while having lunch.

After the meal ended.

"Professor Sedgen! Thank you for the meal!"

"It was so delicious!"

"Professor Sedgen! You're so cool!"

The Class 5 students cheered as they watched Sedgen pay the bill.

"Hmph, cheer some more."

Sedgen, self-absorbed, spread his arms, encouraging more cheers.

It was then that the students cheered even louder.

"Chelsea Lewallen."

"Yes?"

Chelsea, who had been shaking her head at the sight, looked puzzled at Halind's call and approached her.

"What is it, Professor Halind?"

Halind looked down at Chelsea, whose eyes were sparkling, and said.

"How's school life these days?"

"I'm an excellent honors student, just like in first year!"

Chelsea puffed out her chest.

"Did I ever disappoint you in my first year, Professor Halind?"

"Many times, actually?"

"That's just because your standards are high, Professor Halind."

Chelsea pouted her lips.

Halind chuckled, seeing Chelsea.

"Yes, you were an excellent honors student."

"See?"

Halind said, looking at Chelsea, who was making a proud expression.

"But today, Sedgen came to me to talk about you."

"Yes?"

Chelsea's eyes widened at the sudden remark.

"He seemed a little worried about you."

"Why would Professor Sedgen…"

Chelsea looked a little flustered at the mention that the second-year overseeing professor was worried about her.

"Of course, Sedgen's worry is just his excessive concern. From my perspective, there's nothing wrong with you as you are now."

"Me as I am now?"

Chelsea blinked.

Halind looked at Chelsea and said with her characteristic expressionless face.

"Yes. It doesn't matter if you don't have a goal. School is the time to find it."

At Halind's words, Chelsea's eyes widened slightly.

The recent conversation with her friends about goals.

When it was mentioned by Halind, Chelsea was a little flustered.

"You are an excellent student. You will probably graduate and gain great fame as a battle mage."

Halind said flatly.

"A student with great potential naturally develops capabilities fitting that potential."

Halind looked at Sedgen.

"I demanded that students act within their bounds. I've seen many students who dreamed beyond their abilities and didn't last long. I'd rather have them drop out than die a meaningless death. That's my educational policy."

The Wailing Wall of Lumern.

The professor most feared by upperclassmen.

The core of Halind's educational policy was the choice of life over students' dreams.

"But Sedgen always wants students to dream big."

Sedgen wanted students' potential to fully blossom.

He wanted them to be able to go where they wanted.

He wanted to push them forward and laugh with the students who achieved their goals.

Therefore, for upperclassmen, he was as

No, in some ways, he was a tougher professor than Halind.

Because to achieve dreams, one must survive.

To challenge limits, one must be adequately prepared.

"For students who dream of being heroes, he would be a better professor."

Halind shifted her gaze from Sedgen to Chelsea.

"It's not strange that such a person sees you with concern."

"Why?"

"Because you only follow in the footsteps of Leo Flobe and Abard Lewallen."

Chelsea was flustered by Halind's words.

"So, in a way, I also wanted to tell you, Chelsea Lewallen."

Halind narrowed her eyes.

"Will you follow in their footsteps? Or will you forge your own path?"

Chelsea clenched her fists tightly.

"The privilege of youth is not as long as you think. If you don't choose, whether you like it or not, you will be content with following in the footsteps of those you admire."

Will you follow in the footsteps of others who pursue dreams?

Or will you find your own dream?

"It's about time to choose, Chelsea Lewallen."