Book 1 Chapter 348

348

"Ah, Kray!"

Countless orbs of light adorned the air.

Kiiiiiiik-!

Berus's magic instantly swept away the encroaching horde of orcs.

Seeing this, Berus looked down at his hands with surprised eyes.

'This much power?'

Berus's family had been summoner's for generations.

Thanks to that, he had shown definite aptitude in summoning, but lacked in magic.

For several weeks, through the Star Magic primer, he had felt that he had changed.

'I never thought it would be this much.'

Berus wasn't the only one with a surprised expression.

The speed at which they were defeating monsters was in no way inferior to the advanced classes.

Watching this, Angr was wide-eyed.

"They might actually win?"

Seeing Ang's surprise, Eclair, who was beside him, put on a serious expression.

"It won't be easy. Because Yoiniya is there."

As a member of the advanced class, Eclair knew Yoiniya's skills well.

In terms of magical power, Yoiniya had more than Eclair, and even Elik, the second-highest ranked first-year.

At Eclair's words, Ang' and all the lower-class students flinched.

Seeing this, Leo spoke.

"They will win."

Leo smiled at the lower-class students.

Ever since entering Seirun, they had been treated as bottom-feeders.

Since entering Seirun, hopes had turned into disappointment, and disappointment into despair.

Therefore, the lower-class students generally lacked confidence and tended to be timid.

The lower-class students looked at Leo.

"It's true that that Yoiniya person is incredibly skilled, but as a half-wit mage like that, it's unlikely she'll be able to fully utilize her abilities."

"H-half-wit?"

Eclair looked bewildered at Leo, who was calling the top performers of Advanced Class 1 a "half-wit."

"Yoiniya's strength lies in her powerful magic, so the teachers taught her advanced magic that other advanced class students can't easily use. Among Advanced Class 1, she's progressing rapidly along with Lea. She's already mastering magic that second-year seniors learn in the second semester of their first year… and you call her a half-wit?"

"Focusing and specializing is good. But do you think there's anyone among your seniors who is good at advanced magic but bad at basic magic?"

"……."

"If the path you're trying to take is that of a Star Mage… well, then that educational approach would be correct. But intensively nurturing exceptional individuals like that is an educational approach that can be done elsewhere, not just in Seirun."

Leo looked at the students of Advanced Class 1.

"The admiration and respect for the founder of the Nebula and the Comet Mage… it's undoubtedly the best element for growth."

The lower-class students looked at Leo.

"But that's not the only answer. What you're trying to become is a hero, not a second Nebula founder or Comet Mage, right?"

Leo smiled at the lower-class students.

"Believe in yourselves."

Leo pointed his finger at a statue located in one part of the training ground.

It was a statue of the Comet Mage, found in various places in Seirun.

"Isn't that what the founder of this school said?"

The lower-class students' eyes widened.

And their faces flushed.

"Yes! We've worked hard all this time!"

"Let's all do our best!"

Everyone clenched their fists.

Seeing this, Ang' approached with a wry smile.

"It seems like you're the one who should be the class president, Rail."

"You're also suitable to be the class president, so you continue. I've already done it."

"What?"

Seeing Ang's bewildered expression, Leo smiled.

"W-wait! The monsters are breaking through! Defend! Defend!"

At that moment, a panicked shout echoed.

Trolls, appearing from summoning circles, charged wildly towards each faction.

The advanced class students, engrossed in their attacks, momentarily allowed the monsters to approach.

Instantly, there were casualties among the advanced class students, and their attack line became disorganized.

The lower-class students, too, were similarly caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a large number of trolls.

However, the knight-class students, who were in the front lines of the lower-class students, stepped forward.

The mage students in the rear cast enhancement magic.

Everyone was surprised to see the lower-class front line successfully defending against the massive troll assault.

"Wait, enhancement magic is usually the secret magic of high-ranking families."

"Why are the lower-class students using that?"

The first-years looked on in shock.

The upperclassmen also looked surprised, but soon stroked their chins with interest.

"Interesting. Did they improve upon the new Star Magic?"

"I didn't expect much from the lower-class students… they seem more like the advanced class."

"As mages, their individual skills are definitely superior to the advanced class students… but can they be called hero candidates?"

"If they can use Aura or summoning in this test… I wonder if the advanced class students could win against the lower-class students?"

The upperclassmen cast cold glances at the advanced class.

The teachers of the Pure Blood Society watched them with stern expressions.

Currently, in elf society, including Seirun, there are many who support the Pure Blood Society.

Upon hearing that Luna, the founder of the Nebula, had returned, Seirun became a kind of holy land.

The pride of the elves, the great hero who saved the world.

Elves had long respected and admired Luna, the founder of the Nebula.

With Luna miraculously reappearing, it was inevitable that the Pure Blood Society, which proclaimed elven pride, would gain influence.

However, even so, the Pure Blood Society could not control everything.

Many had harbored doubts about the Pure Blood Society itself for a long time.

No matter how conservative elven society was, there would always be those who opposed extreme tendencies.

This was also the case for Seirun.

Many among the upperclassmen viewed the Pure Blood Society itself with skepticism.

Therefore, this first-year mid-term exam was also an opportunity to inform the upperclassmen about the Pure Blood Society's methods.

However…

'To show such disgrace, being pushed back by mere lower-class riff-raff!'

Rhagen's face contorted.

'That guy! He must have used some trick!'

Rhagen's bloodshot gaze turned towards Leo, who was wearing the Seirun school uniform.

For a moment, Leo and Rhagen made eye contact.

Leo smirked at Rhagen.

'Don't think this is the end, Leo Flov!'

Rhagen gritted his teeth.

Beeeeeep-!

Meanwhile, the sound signaling the end of the exam echoed.

"We won!"

"Hooray!"

The lower-class students cheered.

Berus's team, who had achieved victory, looked in disbelief.

"Everyone! You did so well! Wonderful!"

Laura, with tears welling up in her eyes, hugged each of her disciples.

As their homeroom teacher, Laura knew well.

How unfairly her students had been treated simply because of their lack of achievement in Star Magic.

How much they had suffered.

That's why she couldn't help but be moved to tears seeing the lower-class students defeat Advanced Class 1.

"We really won! Rail! It's all thanks to you!"

Berus's team swarmed around Leo.

Seeing this, Leo chuckled.

"Don't pass off what you did well onto me."

"Still…"

"In the first place, you weren't lacking in talent."

"What?"

"If you lacked talent, you wouldn't have been admitted to Seirun."

Leo patted Berus on the shoulder.

"You were just a bit incompatible with Star Magic. All I did was create an opportunity. If you want to thank someone, thank your teacher Laura and Assistant Professor Anna from Lumern's Magic Department, who will be here in a few days."

Leo looked at the lower-class students, whose eyes were wide, and said,

"You won today because you didn't give up and kept trying until now."

The entire lower-class students looked moved.

"Rail."

"Why."

"Can I call you big brother?"

"I want to call you older brother."

"Big brother!"

"Older brother!"

The lower-class students praised Leo.

"Don't talk nonsense and do well on the remaining exams."

Leo burst out laughing.

"We have to prove it. That Seirun, which ignored you, was wrong."

***

The subsequent exams were a series of shocking results.

The fact that the lower-class teams were intentionally matched against the advanced classes to make the advanced classes stand out backfired spectacularly.

The rebellion of the lower-class.

Seeing the lower-class students win all their matches against the advanced classes, the faces of the advanced class homeroom teachers turned pale.

Conversely, the intermediate-class students, who had received the same education as the advanced class, could not surpass a single advanced class student.

This meant only one thing.

It meant that the educational policies of the intermediate and advanced classes were flawed.

'Impossible! This can't be happening! How can those dropouts beat the advanced class!'

Gerass, the homeroom teacher of Advanced Class 1, had a pale face.

He furtively kept glancing at the acting principal, Rhagen.

Seeing Rhagen's cold expression, Gerass swallowed hard and stood before Lea.

"Student Lea! The honor of Advanced Class 1 rests on you!"

Seeing Gerass grab his shoulder and cry out urgently, Lea replied with a blank expression.

"Teacher, could you please let go?"

At those words, Gerass flinched and stepped back.

"It's a test, so I'll do my best, but it's not necessarily for the honor of Advanced Class 1."

Lea smiled.

"I don't particularly like your teaching methods either."

"S-student Lea…"

Lea headed towards the training ground.

Elik showed overwhelming performance against the intermediate-class students.

With his exceptional magical skills, he was evaluated by his seniors as truly being the class representative.

Everyone watched the rebellion of the lower-class with keen interest.

But no matter who said what, all the attention of the Seirun students was focused on… Lea.

Clack- clack-

Lea, standing on the training ground, waved at the lower-class team, Ang's team, visible in the distance.

Eclair, a member of Ang's team, smiled brightly at Lea and waved back.

Then, after taking a deep breath, Eclair said,

"As I said before… Lea is on a different level than us. So, it would be best to do as I say."

"Even so… isn't it too dangerous?"

One of the team members asked with a worried voice, and Eclair gave a wry smile.

"Once the test begins, you'll understand why I said that."

Beeeeeep-!

As soon as the test began, summoning circles activated, and goblins poured out.

Along with them, a massive surge of magic swept through.

Flash! Gaaagaaagaagaa-!

Swords of light rained down from the sky.

Magic far more powerful than anything seen before.

The goblins were instantly swept away by the swords of light.

Everyone marveled at the speed with which it happened.

"Hmm."

Lunia, resting her chin, looked amused.

"As expected, Tingle is different."

It was as Lunia said.

She was on a different level than the other first-years.

"Ah, this is why geniuses are annoying. To be doing something like that in their first year."

Marven, the top student in the fifth year, let out a hearty laugh.

Marven's gaze, however, was directed towards Lunia and Evertoon.

"Still, the other side also came up with a good plan. Knowing it's hopeless, they're conserving their magic consumption at the start."

Marven stroked his chin, his eyes sparkling.

At that moment, dozens of magic circles appeared around Eclair.

"Multiple incantations? Amazing."

Marven whistled.

"She's the class representative."

Evertoon crossed his arms.

"Magical power isn't the sole measure of a mage's skill. In terms of magic alone among the current first-years, that Eclair girl is fully qualified as the class representative."

Evertoon smiled coldly.

"I don't know why someone like her is on the same team as the lower-class. Is it because the lower-class aren't acting like the lower-class?"

At Evertoon's words, veins bulged in Rhagen's hand.

'That guy…!'

"Senior Evertoon seems to look down on anything that doesn't meet his standards."

"That's her charm. Consistently rude."

Evertoon's menacing gaze turned towards Lunia and Marven.

As Lunia feigned ignorance and Marven chuckled,

However, the score overwhelmingly favored Lea's team.

Seeing that, everyone looked as if to say, 'As expected.'

*Thump-*!

The corpse of a fallen goblin began to stir.

Kiiiiiiik- Kiiiiiiik-

Making strange noises and twitching, the goblin's neck snapped.

Within the test area, illusion magic was cast so that the monsters could not perceive the outside.

However, the goblin's face turned precisely towards Leo, who was outside the test area.

Flash-

For a moment, crimson-black eyes flashed.

Simultaneously, crimson-black smoke began to emanate from the goblin's body.

Leo's eyes twitched upon seeing this.

'……Undead?'

"Kekekekeke-!"

With the goblin's cry, the fallen corpses began to rise.

A great dark magic surged.

Leo's face hardened.

It was a dark magic he recognized.

'Hell Kaiser.'