Book 1 Chapter 38

[38]37

-Hello! Everyone! It's here again this year! The biggest event of the first semester of freshman year! I sincerely welcome you to the Summoned Beast Race! I am Rune Bar Tess, a third-year student of Summoning Studies, in charge of commentary!

"Waaaaaaa!"

The students who filled the summoning practice grounds erupted in cheers.

Celia had a displeased look on her face.

"Is this really an exam?"

While there were spectators during the Knight Studies sparring exam, the scale of the Summoning Studies practical exam was different.

Not only was there commentary, but the stands were also properly equipped.

Video magic was even installed in a place clearly visible from the stands.

Rhys, sitting next to Celia, burst into laughter.

"The Summoned Beast Race is a tradition of the Summoning Studies exams, so it's very popular. Plus, it's a sport chosen during exchange events with other hero academies, so interest is high."

"Student Council President! The Newspaper Club is here! Is the first-year student next to you your younger sister, Celia Zerdlinger?"

A male student with a magic tool for filming around his neck approached, holding a notebook and pen.

"That's right."

"Oh! Can I interview you two?"

The newspaper club student requested.

"We have popcorn! We have cold drinks!"

"Alright! Choose! Choose! Who will be the winner! Here are the odds now!"

In addition, students from merchant clubs were selling goods and even arranging bets.

'What kind of exam is this!'

The first-year students screamed inwardly at the chaotic market atmosphere, completely different from the solemn exam atmosphere until now.

Meanwhile, the students suffering the most mental damage were the first-year Summoning Studies students.

"What! Why are they crowding around and talking so much that I can't concentrate!"

Tate shouted, clutching his head, and the surrounding first-year students looked in agreement.

The first-year students, who had been endlessly nervous, were at a loss as the entire school gathered to create a festive atmosphere.

Instead, they felt even more pressure because of this atmosphere.

Of course, there were those who were relaxed.

The most notable were the aces of the Summoning Studies department, Eliza and Warden.

"To regard me, the noble lady of the Hergin family, as mere spectacle is unpleasant."

Eliza, frowning with beautiful brows, was nodded at by her followers.

Warden, as always, just stood there with a blank expression.

Eliza glanced at Warden, then saw Leo stretching to the side.

Bending and extending his knees, Eliza scoffed and asked Leo, who was stretching, "You showed outstanding skill in the Knight Studies practical exam, did you prepare well for the Summoning Studies practical exam as well?"

"Of course."

"As expected, the class representative is full of confidence."

Eliza squinted her eyes.

"However, you weren't even seen during the practice sessions for the Summoning Studies practical exam… do you think the practical exam is a joke?"

Normally, in the summoned beast race, participants race on the summoned beasts they have contracted with.

However, many first-year students have not yet contracted with a flying summoned beast.

Therefore, Lumern provided flying summoned beasts.

The key to this exam was how quickly students could tame these flying summoned beasts.

However, the Summoning Studies department had given training time during the exam period, but Leo was the only one who did not participate in the practice.

"Hey, Eliza, why are you talking like that?"

Tate frowned at her pointed remark.

However, the gazes of those around Leo were not favorable.

"Honestly, it's true that he's not taking it seriously."

"He's famous in Knight Studies and Magic Studies, but in Summoning Studies, he only has spiritual power. I haven't seen him contract with any spirits or summoned beasts."

"Is he looking down on Summoning Studies?"

"If he's going to do it half-heartedly, why not just drop out?"

As the Summoning Studies department has a small number of students, they tend to have strong attachment to their department.

In such a situation, Leo, who had never shown up for exam practice, was met with resentment when he expressed confidence.

The Summoned Beast Race is a competition where students use all their summoning skills to quickly pass obstacles and reach the finish line.

The obstacles are all difficult, and interference between participants is also allowed.

Injuries are common in the race.

Leo, who had never come for practice before such a dangerous race, did not look good in the eyes of the Summoning Studies students.

Leo, who had experienced battles on land, sea, and air as a summoned beast in his past life, of course, no one knew that.

"You're being too harsh."

"Ha! Are you defending him just because he's the class representative?"

When a student from Class 5 got angry, a student from another class sneered.

"The atmosphere isn't good."

Chen Xia stepped in to mediate.

"I understand everyone is on edge before the exam. However, disparaging…"

"Chen Xia, your grades in Knight Studies are good, so you don't have to worry too much about Summoning Studies, do you?"

A female student sneered.

When she became the target, Class 10 stepped up this time.

The Summoning Studies students glared at each other, exuding a hostile atmosphere.

It was then that Leo clicked his tongue, watching them.

"It's noisy."

A low, heavy voice echoed.

All eyes turned in one direction.

Warden, who had been with his arms crossed and eyes closed as if uninterested, had opened his golden-brown eyes.

"If you're going to bicker over riding a summoned beast a few more times, do it somewhere else, not in front of me."

"What? What did you just say, Warden!"

"I said it's annoying to hear you talk as if riding a summoned beast a few more times is a great feat."

Sen Liu, a male student from the eastern part of the continent and from the Summoning Studies department, reacted angrily on behalf of everyone, looking at Warden who spoke with a blank face.

"Huh? Does that hit a nerve? You hardly showed up for the taming training either, did you?"

Warden smirked at the male student from the Summoning Studies department who was curling the corners of his mouth.

"What? What's with that smile?"

"Shall I tell you why I didn't go to taming training?"

"What?"

"Because it wasn't worth training for. I'm not an incompetent fool like you who can't even handle a griffin properly."

At those words, sparks flew from the eyes of Liu and other students.

"You bastard!"

The male student threw a punch at Warden.

Thud!

But just before his fist reached Warden, Liu's punch was caught by Leo's hand.

"You'll get in trouble if you fight before the exam."

"Grr! I don't want to hear that from you!"

Liu shook Leo's hand off and went to the Summoning Studies students.

Leo sighed, "Ehh," watching his retreating back, and said to Warden, "Why don't you watch what you say?"

"Is it a problem to speak the truth?"

"I don't know how great you are, but I don't think you have the right to mock others' efforts. Warden Tidain."

Warden, who had given a cold smile as he looked up at Leo, who was a head taller than him, went to another spot.

"The atmosphere is worse than I thought."

Leo had just listened diligently in Summoning Studies class, but the students in the department didn't get along as well as he thought.

Tate sighed at Leo's words.

"You might not know since you've taken classes in other majors, but the atmosphere in our year's Summoning Studies department is a bit bad right now."

"Why?"

"In our year, Leo, Sia, Warden, and Eliza are among the top students in Summoning Studies, right?"

"That's right."

"Summoning Studies is a department where the ability gap between full-time majors and part-time majors is usually vast. However, since Leo and Chen Xia are in the top ranks, the second-year seniors in Summoning Studies gathered us."

"They gathered you for that? That's so boomer-like."

"That's what I'm saying! And Warden even ignored them when the seniors tried to gather him."

As a result, the second-year students got even angrier and harassed the first-year students.

"Anyway, we were already upset about that… and with you and Warden barely participating in training for this exam, the atmosphere got even worse."

"It's understandable that the atmosphere is bad."

"Right. So, please try to understand."

"Okay."

Having said that, Leo looked around at the students preparing for the race.

While they all showed signs of nervousness, he felt a strange hostility.

'Problems like this arise too.'

It could certainly look like he was being negligent to others.

'Of course, I have no intention of slacking off.'

As long as it's a race, the goal is always first place.

***

- Ladies and gentlemen! The time has finally come! All the participants are at the starting line.

The first-year students lined up inside the starting line.

In front of them, the griffin enclosure was visible.

As soon as it started, students would tame the griffins in the enclosure and begin the race.

The Summoning Studies students prepared to start with tense expressions.

"Youngsters! Don't be nervous and just do as you practiced! If anyone fails to perform due to nervousness, I'll kick their butts after it's over!"

Yura, the referee, raised a signal flare and shouted at her students.

At her words, laughter erupted among the Summoning Studies students.

Thanks to Yura, their tension eased.

"Alright, then!"

Yura raised the signal flare.

"Three, two, one!"

Bang!

Kwagagag-!

As soon as it started, spirit magic poured around Leo and Warden.

Leo faltered at the sudden situation.

- Oh! What is this! Summoning Studies students! They're launching a preemptive strike on the class representatives, Leo and the Southern top student, Warden, as if they've already united!

The audience murmured at the unprecedented situation.

The Summoning Studies students from Class 5 also looked flustered.

"Ah! What is that!"

"That's cheating! Summoning Studies students!"

"Hey! Aren't you ashamed!"

"Compete fairly!"

- Haha! Boos are pouring from the Class 1 first-year stands!

The students watching from the stands went wild.

"C-Class Representative!"

"Hey! Leo! Wait! I'll help you now!"

"Don't worry about me, just go quickly!"

Leo shouted urgently as his classmates didn't start, trying to break free from the spirit magic that was hindering him.

"This is an exam! I'll handle it myself, so don't fall behind! Hurry up and go!"

"Ugh!"

"Leo! I'm sorry!"

The Class 5 students started late with angry expressions.

The ground, turned to mud by the water, held Leo's feet.

Fire and wind blocked Leo's path.

Warden, who was receiving the same preemptive strike as Leo, unleashed his spiritual power.

"Pathetic."

Whoosh-!

Even though it was spirit magic cast with the intention of the Summoning Studies students, Warden easily dismantled it.

This would be impossible without overwhelming power.

"You look like you're having a hard time. Shall I help you?"

Warden asked, curling the corners of his mouth, and Leo chuckled.

"No, I'll do it myself."

"Is that so? Then I'll go ahead."

Warden walked towards the griffin enclosure at a leisurely pace.

Meanwhile, other students had finished taming their griffins and were taking flight.

Leo, watching this from the starting line, unleashed his spiritual power.

"I knew I was disliked, but I didn't expect to be hindered by so many people at once."

Yura, watching Leo chuckle, clicked her tongue.

'That's going to be tough.'

If this weren't an exam, he might have been able to break through this level of interference.

However, in this race, there was a restriction that only 'summoning magic' could be used.

Furthermore, according to Yura's observation, Leo's main summoning magic was beast summoning, not spirit magic.

In such a situation, he was being hindered by spirit magic on a departmental level.

It seemed difficult for Leo, who was still considered inexperienced in actual combat, to resolve this predicament.

'The emotional divide among the first-year students is deeper than I thought. Even so, to gang up and lynch someone like this.'

It wasn't cheating, but it wasn't a good sight.

As a professor, she was supposed to look out for her students, but it seemed she had fallen short.

Blaming herself, Yura was thinking of appeasing the students when…

"─!"

Yura felt goosebumps all over her body at Leo's voice.

The language, a soft melody like singing, was not human language.

"──! ─!"

As the melody continued, the power of the spirits weakened.

Whoosh-!

Eventually, the power that was hindering Leo vanished.

The spirits, who obeyed their contractor's orders, giggled and danced around Leo before disappearing.

The power to influence spirits contracted by others.

'Is that crazy guy using spirit language now? Isn't that something learned in the second-year spirit magic class at the earliest?'

Yura couldn't help but let out a wry laugh as she watched Leo, who was starting late.

'He's really something! We absolutely must have Leo in Summoning Studies!'

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