Book 1 Chapter 337

Leo was walking down the hallway with Angre.

Even though it was a lower-level class, it was impossible for Laura, a young mage who had dedicated her life to magic, to conduct a class that would satisfy the students of Seirune, an elite school where only the best elves were gathered.

That's why Laura, who was initially enthusiastic upon seeing Leo, quickly became disappointed and sent Leo with Angre.

She had judged it better for the students to study on their own.

"Teacher Laura is truly a good person," Angre said as he walked in front of Leo.

"She takes great interest in all the children in our class. She makes magic classes fun and easy to understand."

Angre praised Laura endlessly.

"You'll quickly come to like Teacher Laura too."

Angre's smiling face faltered slightly.

"Although she's lacking in teaching other subjects."

Angre, whose ears had drooped slightly, then laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, I'm sorry. You must be feeling down coming to the lower class, and I'm talking about unnecessary things!"

"Don't worry about it," Leo replied indifferently, and Angre fidgeted with his hands.

"But I'm a little curious. You coming from the intermediate class to the lower class… does that mean one of the lower-class students… I mean… uh…"

Angre trailed off, glancing at Leo and speaking with difficulty.

"I don't think any students move up from the lower class to the intermediate class."

"Ah," Angre let out a sigh.

Then, he forced a laugh.

In Lumeren and Seirune alike, competition among students was fierce.

If one person moved from the intermediate class to the lower class, it was natural for one person to move up, but Leo hadn't come from the intermediate class to the lower class, so no student was promoted from the lower class.

"I'm sorry for saying something unnecessary."

Angre, who smiled awkwardly, quickly hastened his steps.

Following behind Angre, Leo fell into thought.

'This seems like a serious problem.'

Not only is there a high-ranking student in the lower class.

The lower class is being neglected like this.

Seirune's problems seemed more serious than he had imagined.

'They've always been overly fixated on star magic.'

Even so, Seirune didn't just favor star mages.

But the current situation was tantamount to not providing opportunities for students exceptional in other fields.

No matter how great their talent and skill, they were only first-years.

They were taking classes among themselves because they weren't receiving guidance from professional teachers.

Leo squinted his eyes.

"We're here."

Angre led Leo to a dilapidated auditorium building.

In the vast auditorium, first-year students were sparring with their weapons.

Seeing this, Leo asked, "Don't you have any theory classes?"

To Leo's question, Angre scratched his cheek.

"Yeah, we try to have theory classes as much as possible… but for now, we're focusing on practical training."

"Is that so?" Leo nodded.

Seeing Leo nod, Angre adjusted his grip on his spear.

"How about it, Rail? Since you're here, want to spar?"

At Angre's question, Leo smiled.

"I'll just observe today."

"Oh? Alright. You must be troubled too."

Angre didn't press further and began sparring with other students.

Some students whispered as they looked at Leo.

"Who is that?" asked a male student. Angre gave a wry smile.

"He just came from the intermediate class."

"Really? So he's a dropout like us."

The male student, who clicked his tongue, looked puzzled.

"But why is he just watching?"

"He said he'll just observe today."

"He hasn't realized he's arrived in hell yet."

The male student sighed and began sparring with Angre.

Leo, observing from a distance, rested his chin on his hand.

'There are many talented kids.'

Angre himself was at a level that could contend for the grade representative among Seirune's first-years.

The other students were also very talented.

They lacked only one thing.

Their low achievement in star magic.

After watching the students for a moment, Leo got up and left the auditorium.

The lower-class students saw Leo but didn't bother to speak to him.

The lower-class students harbored considerable resentment towards the intermediate and upper classes.

Why should the lower-class students be taught by a single teacher in the same class without any differentiation?

It was because most of the personnel assigned to the first-year students were allocated to improve the skills of the upper classes.

The intermediate class was in a better situation.

Since they could move up to the upper class at any time, the higher-ups at Seirune paid attention to them.

But not the lower class.

Only Laura.

A single teacher was guiding the students.

The school had judged them as having no potential, and students from the upper and intermediate classes looked down on and ridiculed the lower-class students.

It was understandable that Leo, who came from the intermediate class, wouldn't be looked upon favorably by the lower-class students, who had their opportunities stolen and were treated as such.

Outside the auditorium, Leo said, "Elsi."

At Leo's call, a black mass coalesced, and Elsi appeared.

-Yes, Leo.

"Find out where a lot of summoners are gathered around here."

-Just a moment.

Elsi closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment.

Then, Elsi opened her eyes and said, "It's this way."

As Leo had expected, students specializing in summoning in the first-year lower class were training not far away.

Watching the lower-class students in an empty classroom, communicating with spirits and magical beasts, Leo clicked his tongue.

'As expected, their skills are decent.'

There was no one with overwhelming skill like Angre.

However, among the students studying summoning, many were students whose presence in the lower class was inexplicable.

'I think I understand the problem.'

Leo, stroking his chin as he walked down the hallway, soon returned to the lower-class classroom.

There, he encountered Laura sitting at the lectern, diligently reading an auraology textbook.

"Ah, student Rail. What brings you here? Did you perhaps leave something you need?" Laura asked with a bright smile.

Sitting in front of Laura, Leo said, "I want to take your class."

"Huh?"

"I want to take your class. Can't I take it alone?"

"Of course!" Laura smiled brightly and stood at the lectern.

Then, clearing her throat, she began, "I will now begin the Auraology lecture."

***

Click-clack-

Second-year classroom area.

A girl with vibrant red hair walked down the hallway.

Upon seeing the girl, all the second-year students looked startled.

Second-year top student.

Lunia El Lundaga had finally appeared in the classroom area.

Following her second-year Smith-exclusive contract department schedule, the high elves who deemed it necessary for Lunia to have practice did not just assign her remedial lessons.

She had to take all her classes alone.

While ostensibly special treatment for the second-year top student, it was actually isolation to prevent Lunia from influencing other students.

Lunia, entering the classroom after a long time, opened the door.

Creak-

As the classroom door opened, the first-year upper-class students who were preparing for class looked happy at Lunia's return.

"Lunia, you're back! How was your special class?" A student approached Lunia familiarly.

Lunia glanced at him and put on a cold expression.

"Please don't talk to me."

At Lunia's cold voice, the approaching student flinched.

Lunia disliked the male student who spoke to her.

He was a student who had placed third in their first year.

He had been promoted to take the place of Luca, who had been excluded from the department schedule simply because he was a half-elf.

Moreover, he was a typical pure-blood elf supremacist.

She hated even conversing with him.

Sensing Lunia's cold gaze, he quickly left.

Lunia went to her usual seat in the back by the window and slumped down.

A few students gathered around Lunia.

"How was your special class?"

"It felt so empty without you."

Lunia smiled at her friends, with whom she usually got along well.

"It wasn't a particularly special class. It was more like a class about the elven mindset."

"Ah…"

At Lunia's words, her friends gasped and gave bittersweet smiles.

Having been in the same class for their entire first year, they knew that Lunia was a bit rougher than other elves.

However, none of them thought that was a big problem.

'It's Lunia.'

'She's not problematic just because her speech and actions are a bit rough.'

This was when the students were thinking to themselves.

Creak-

The classroom door opened, and Eiran entered.

Eiran's eyes widened upon seeing Lunia, and she rushed over.

She clasped Lunia's hand tightly and choked up.

"You're back! Lunia!"

"Did you do well while I was gone?" Lunia asked her friends with a smile, patting her tearful friend's head.

"Did anything special happen while I was gone?"

"Something special happened yesterday. That's why the school is in an uproar right now."

"What happened?"

"Leah Tingel from the first-year class."

"The first-year top student? Did that honor student do something?"

"If you call it an accident, it's an accident. She caused a huge incident." The female student exclaimed.

"She apparently spoke with the Fairy King Silode yesterday."

"What?"

"That's why there's such an uproar."

"That's quite an event."

"That's good timing. We were planning to go see Leah Tingel with our close friends after school today."

While the students were talking excitedly.

The classroom door opened, and an elf teacher entered.

The students quickly returned to their seats.

The elf teacher looked at the students and said, "I have an announcement. As you are all well aware, midterm exams are approaching."

The elf teacher scanned the students.

"This is the first midterm exam for the first-year students. This exam is important for some first-year students, such as those in the lower class."

The teacher smiled.

"Even the most inferior students will try their best during the midterm exams, right? To be considerate of those first-year lower-class students, we prohibit upperclassmen from approaching the first-year lower class. It's a crucial study period for them."

At this, the students began to murmur.

Why the sudden announcement to avoid contact with only the first-year lower class?

Something felt strange.

Lunia raised her hand.

"Yes, student Lunia El Lundaga."

"I believe the lower-class first-year students would benefit more from the guidance of their seniors. Why are you preventing that?"

"Because even if your excellent advice is given, the lower-class students won't be able to understand it and will only become more confused."

'…There must be something going on with the first-year lower class.'

Lunia had keenly felt that Seirune had changed this semester.

'When the higher-ups do shady business, they control students with ridiculous excuses like this?'

Lunia narrowed her eyes.

'If they tell me not to meet them, I'll want to meet them even more.'

***

Lunchtime.

Leo, after taking Laura's auraology, spiritual energy, and magic classes, fell into thought.

'She's a good teacher.'

As Angre had assessed, Laura was an excellent teacher.

He could feel that she was doing her best for the students, even in subjects outside her specialization.

'Still, the content of the lessons doesn't seem like it will be of much help to the current lower-class students.'

Leo thought this and headed to the cafeteria.

Upon entering the cafeteria, he was dumbfounded by the scene that unfolded.

The cafeteria was also divided by rank.

Upper, intermediate, lower.

The upper-class section had a lavish buffet.

The intermediate-class section had cafeteria food that looked decent enough.

Finally, the lower-class section only had water and bread.

What's more, there were no students eating at the lower-class tables.

Leo was the only one who came to eat.

"Who is that? I've never seen them before."

"Are they from the lower class?"

"It's been a while since someone from the lower class came to the cafeteria."

Leo could hear the mocking laughter of the first-year elves.

'If the students at our school saw this, they would have thrown a tantrum about discrimination in food.'

Lumeren students were accustomed to the delicious cafeteria food provided by Lumeren.

In addition, since they could eat at the best establishments in Lumeren, all students were gourmands.

Therefore, Lumeren students were particularly sensitive to food.

It was impossible to starve oneself because of dissatisfaction with the menu.

Leo ignored the students snickering at him and went to the lower-class table to eat bread and water alone.

The intermediate and upper-class students sneered, but Leo treated it as if dogs were barking.

"Oh? It's the guy I saw last night."

Eclair, eating in the upper-class section, looked surprised.

"Who?"

At that, the girl with gray hair looked up.

"Why? I told you earlier there was a weird kid from the lower class." Eclair said with a bright smile to her friend.

At her friend's words, Leah Tingel, the first-year top student, sipped her drink and looked in the direction Eclair was looking.

Seeing a 'familiar face' wearing the Seirune uniform, Leah, who was about to lose interest, quickly checked Leo's face again.

"Hooook?! Cough! Cough!"

She was so surprised that she choked.

Eclair, flustered, patted her friend's back.

Once she calmed down, Leah checked Leo's face again.

Seirune uniform.

Pointed ears.

Apart from that, it was clearly a face she had seen in newspapers from 'human society,' which was hard to find in elven society.

'Why is Lumeren's student council president eating lunch in the first-year cafeteria of Seirune?!'