Book 1 Chapter 315

315

"Lumeria City!"

A regular ferry ran between Lumeren and Lumeria City.

Iliana, the first to disembark at the pier, exclaimed in a bright voice.

Following Iliana, students who were in Class 5 during their first year got off.

"We're here to have fun today. So, no scouting between dorms, okay?"

Nella said with a smile, and Iliana grinned.

"Why are you stating the obvious!"

"Right, right."

Kal nodded as well.

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

Iliana squinted and poked Kal in the side.

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

Tade muttered in an exhausted voice.

Yura, the professor in charge of the second-year Summoning department, had given the summoning students an incredibly difficult task.

"For beast summoners, it's enhancing beasts with spirits. And for spirit summoners, it's enhancing spirits with beasts, right?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"How was it? The summoning students were staying late after school, struggling."

"…How was it?"

Tade's face turned to horror as he recalled yesterday's events.

***

"Basically, if you have talent in summoning, you can handle both beasts and spirits. That means you have two possibilities latent within you."

Yura smiled at her students.

"Of course, when you grow older and become an adult, those possibilities close. Being able to blossom your latent talent is also a privilege of your teenage years."

As she said this, Yura easily summoned a high-level wind spirit.

Yura, who could easily handle several top-tier summoned beasts, summoning a wind spirit with such ease was astonishing to many students in the Summoning department.

Although she taught summoning lectures all year, there was a separate professor specializing in spirit summoning.

"Professor Yura, if you have such a deep understanding of spirit summoning, couldn't you have taught it as well?"

A student majoring in spirit summoning asked in a shocked voice, and Yura replied with a look of confusion.

"What are you talking about? To teach spirit summoning at Lumeren, you need to have contracted with at least a top-tier spirit."

At those words, the summoning students were once again made aware of the greatness of Lumeren's professors.

Although Yura was usually scolded by Halind for engaging in childish power struggles with Professor Ain of the Knight Department or Professor Ren of the Magic Department, she herself was a graduate of Lumeren.

Moreover, she was one of the best, close to the class representative during her school days.

The rank of summoned beasts and spirits is a measure of a summoner's talent.

Of course, simply commanding high-ranking summoned creatures doesn't automatically make a strong summoner.

Among Lumeren's second-year students, some can handle high-level summoned beasts.

However, they could be easily subdued by Yura using only low-level summoned beasts.

This showed that a summoner's capabilities were more important than the rank of their summoned creatures.

To develop these summoner capabilities, experience in handling various summoned creatures was necessary.

Yura wanted to remind the students of this point.

"Professor, we don't seem to have talent like yours!"

"I'm trash… trash!"

"…It's no use. We probably won't be able to do it."

However, many students hit a wall when it came to handling summoned creatures outside their specialty.

Despite their latent potential with spirits and beasts, it was incredibly difficult for students who had only ever commanded one summoned creature their entire lives to suddenly use different ones.

Among them, the most shocked was Eliza, who consistently maintained the top spot in the second-year Summoning department's theory classes.

Eliza's shock was particularly great because her rival, Warren, and even Jurden, who was considered a level below her and ranked third in the Summoning department, could easily summon both beasts and spirits.

There was no need to even mention Leo.

Leo could easily use both beasts and spirits.

"Hmm, hmm! It's certainly a difficult task to suddenly ask spirit summoners to handle beasts, and beast summoners to handle spirits."

Yura, who had calmly assigned such a task, nodded understandingly.

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

"Wh-what kind of training is it!"

At Yura's words, Jester, a male student who specialized in fire beasts, asked excitedly.

"It's nothing much, student Jester. Come forward."

Jester stepped forward without much suspicion.

"For fire-attribute summoners, the special training is…"

Yura summoned a fire beast.

*Fwoosh.*

"Huh?"

"You just need to burn."

*WHOOSH.*

"AAAAAAAARGH?!"

"Burn! Become ashes! Become ashes and feel the spirit of fire! Hahahaha!"

Yura, wielding her whip wildly and bursting into mad laughter while watching the burning student, was like a witch herself.

Seeing this, the terrified summoning students tried to escape.

*Crack-!*

A fierce whip flew towards the summoning students.

*Pak-!*

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 supplementary class."

Yura gave a seductive smile, with the setting sun behind her.

Normally, this smile would make the male students swoon, but at this moment, it was pure terror.

"Now, line up according to the attribute of the summoned creature you professionally handle."

***

"…So, what happened?"

At Kal's question, Tade trembled, holding his arms.

"The light-attribute students cried all through the supplementary class because they stared into blinding light with their eyes open. The dark-attribute students stumbled, rolled, and hit their heads in a maze of darkness. The water-attribute students fell into water, and the wind-attribute students were thrown into a gale and blown away."

"You're earth-attribute. How was it for the earth-attribute?"

Iliana tilted her head, and Tade clutched his head.

Seeing Tade like that, Leo, who had been watching the situation, burst into laughter and said,

"The earth-attribute students were buried alive in the ground."

"Wow…"

"Th-that's harsh."

"So that's why the summoning students looked so disheveled."

Chelsea clicked her tongue, Iliana broke into a cold sweat, and Nella sighed softly.

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

"Right. Eliza can handle summoned beasts of all attributes. She had the full course."

Tade clicked his tongue with pity.

Eliza, who was always so boastful, had returned yesterday with her hair and clothes disheveled, staggering, went straight to her room without washing, and slept.

"What's the mid-term assignment for the Knight Department?"

"They say to master a secondary weapon and have a sparring test with it."

"Secondary weapon?"

"Yeah."

Nella smiled.

"Sister Nella, what's your weapon?"

Chelsea asked, her eyes sparkling.

Nella gave an awkward smile at that moment.

"Morning star."

Iliana giggled and answered for Nella.

Nella shot Iliana a sidelong glance.

"Morning star?"

"A morning star is a blunt weapon, isn't it? With a heavy ball attached to the end, and spikes on the ball?"

Chelsea and Tade looked puzzled.

Iliana said to the two of them,

"Nella found a weapon that's much more optimized for close-quarters combat than a sword. It's similar to handling a sword, and while its usage is completely different, it has a destructive power that a sword doesn't. So, on the recommendation of the class representative, she chose a morning star. For the record, I'm an elegant spear."

Iliana puffed out her chest and chuckled.

"Yeah, we're not curious."

"Right."

"Class rep! The kids are cold to me!"

Iliana complained to Leo with a tearful face.

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

Kal let out a hollow laugh, and Iliana giggled.

"We thought so too. The first time I tried wielding it… *Oof*!"

Nella punched Iliana in the side with her fist, wearing her usual languid smile.

Iliana, grabbing her side, collapsed on the floor, and the other three looked puzzled.

Seeing that, Leo chuckled and said,

"She shattered the head of a training golem with the morning star. She was laughing so refreshingly then. It suited her."

The other Knight Department students were horrified to see that.

"Stop teasing me."

Nella pouted and hit Leo on the shoulder.

Seeing that, Kal and Tade muttered,

"Scary."

"Indeed."

"It's always the quiet ones who harbor immense destructive instincts within them… *Oof*!"

Iliana, laughing at Kal and Tade's words, was hit in the side again and collapsed.

Only after this commotion did the group begin to wander around Lumeria City.

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

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

"That's probably just a rumor. Does it make sense for a fairy to be at Lumeren? And on campus, not on the Isle of Summoned Beasts. Do the summoning students even believe that rumor?"

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

"Who was audacious enough to do that?"

"They also said that the magic department's class materials were messed up. I heard Assistant Professor Anna shouting that she wouldn't let the culprit go if she found them."

"In the Knight Department, the teaching materials were defaced with graffiti. Assistant Professor Claria said she would rip the culprit to shreds alive if she found them."

Ominous rumors circulating around the school.

As Iliana heard these rumors, she clapped her hands.

"Wouldn't you say that's the fairy's prank?"

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

"What do you think of the Three Great Summoned Beasts! Apologize to the Summoning Department immediately!"

The summoning students shouted at Iliana.

Leo thought as he listened to their conversation.

'It was the fairy who did it.'

Leo's Three Great Summoned Beasts were a phoenix that had been obese, a childish fairy, and a perverted pegasus.

Leo looked at the summoning students who cherished the romance of the Three Great Summoned Beasts with pity.

It was at this moment, while fully enjoying the peaceful weekend.

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

"Oh? What brings you all here together?"

"How unusual. All of you coming out to play together."

Sedgen and Halind were having a meal at the restaurant.

Seeing the Class 5 students, whom he considered rivals from his first year, gathered, Sedgen bristled at Halind.

"Our Class 1 also! Gathers this often!"

"…That's none of my business."

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

Sedgen, having an episode from his first year, howled with competitive spirit.

Halind said coldly, seeing Sedgen like that,

"What are you doing while your year's responsible professor is making a spectacle of himself?"

"Uh, how should we…"

"Take him away."

At Halind's cold words, the male students awkwardly led Sedgen to the side.

"Professor Sedgen. Please stay still."

"We know Class 1 has great solidarity."

"Let go! Are you mocking me! Halind's dogs! Your responsible professor is me, not Halind!"

"Yes. Yes."

"We know very well."

The male students from Class 5 followed Halind's orders diligently.

Thus, a commotion ensued.

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

"Professor."

"Buy us lunch! Please?"

Seeing Iliana blinking cutely with her eyes sparkling, Sedgen taunted her.

"Aren't they my lovely students? You should treat them, Halind."

At those words, Halind calmly said,

"I have entrusted my students to you, Sedgen. Because I trust you. I didn't realize I needed to take care of them."

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

Sedgen, falling for Halind's simple provocation, bristled.

'…Professor Sedgen always gets outmaneuvered by Professor Halind. For us, it doesn't matter who buys it.'

Iliana chuckled inwardly.

Afterward, the students naturally joined the two professors and had lunch.

Sedgen was a professor who pursued a free atmosphere, and Halind also didn't stand on ceremony at such gatherings, so the atmosphere naturally became friendly.

Sedgen spared no advice to the students in preparation for the mid-term exams.

Halind also ate lunch while listening to the students' consultations.

After the meal.

"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.

"Hmph, cheer a little more."

Sedgen, lost in self-admiration, spread his arms and encouraged the cheers.

As the students cheered even more,

"Chelsea Lewlyn."

"Yes?"

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

"What is it, Professor Halind?"

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

"How is school life these days?"

"As always, I'm an excellent honor student like in my first year!"

Chelsea puffed out her chest.

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

"Many times, though?"

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

Chelsea pouted her lips.

Halind chuckled, seeing Chelsea like that.

"Yes, you were an excellent honor student."

"See."

Seeing Chelsea with a proud expression, Halind said,

"However, today Sedgen came to me for a consultation about you."

"What?"

Chelsea's eyes widened at the sudden remark.

"He seemed a bit worried about you."

"Why would Professor Sedgen…"

Chelsea looked a bit taken aback at the words of the second-year overall responsible professor worrying about her.

"Of course, Sedgen's concern is just his overprotectiveness. As far as I can see, there's no problem with you as you are now."

"Me now?"

Chelsea blinked.

Halind, with his usual expressionless face, said, looking at Chelsea,

"Yes. It's okay not to have a goal. The time to find it is during your school days."

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

The talk about goals that had come up with her friends not long ago.

When Halind mentioned it, Chelsea was a little flustered.

"You are an excellent student. You will likely gain great fame as a combat mage after graduating from school."

Halind said calmly.

"A student with a large vessel naturally acquires the capabilities that fit that vessel."

Halind looked at Sedgen.

"I asked my students to act within their means. I've seen many students who couldn't last long when they dreamed of things beyond their means. I'd rather have them drop out than die for nothing. That's my educational policy."

Lumeren's Wall of Lament.

The professors the upperclassmen feared the most.

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

"However, Sedgen always wishes for his students to dream big."

Sedgen wanted his students' potential to blossom fully.

He wanted them to go where they wanted.

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

Therefore, for upperclassmen, he was as harsh as Halind, or in some ways, even more so.

Because to achieve dreams, you must survive.

Because to challenge your limits, you must be prepared for it.

"He would be a better professor for students who dream of being heroes."

Halind, turning his gaze from Sedgen, looked at Chelsea.

"It's no wonder you seem worrying to him."

"Why?"

"You're only chasing after Leo Flove and Abad Lewlyn."

Chelsea was flustered at Halind's words.

"So, on one hand, I wanted to tell you something too, Chelsea Lewlyn."

Halind narrowed his eyes.

"Will you chase after the backs of those two? Or will you go your own way?"

Chelsea clenched her fists tightly.

"The privilege of your teenage years is shorter than you think. If you don't choose, you will inevitably be satisfied with chasing after the backs of those you admire, whether you like it or not."

Will you chase after others who are pursuing their dreams?

Or will you find your own dream?

"It's time to make a choice, Chelsea Lewlyn."