Book 1 Chapter 408

After the announcement of the 1st-year final exam assignment, a 1:1 tournament.

All attention was focused on the 1st-year students.

"This time, there are no presentation exams for external guests, except for the 1st-year students, right?"

During a break in the 2nd-year summoning class practical session.

The 2nd-year students were gathered, chatting.

Then, they saw the 1st-year junior students practicing combat training for the tournament.

Since the announcement of the tournament battle, the 1st-year students had been engrossed in training all day.

"Has the opponent for the first round already been decided?"

"Who is your mentee's opponent for the first round?"

"I heard it's someone from the middle tier of the Knight Department."

"That's lucky."

"Lucky? What's lucky about it? My mentee is in the lower-middle tier."

For the 2nd-year students, whether they would remain at the school was also determined by the results of the students they became mentors to.

Of course, it was also affected by their own 2nd-year final exam scores, but it felt incredibly unfair to fail to remain at the school because of their 1st-year mentee after passing their 2nd-year exams, so they couldn't help but be on edge.

"That's not it!"

"Is that all you can do?!"

"Do it properly! Have you forgotten that if you get expelled, I get expelled too?"

High-pitched shouts erupted from the 2nd-year students who were taking advantage of the break time to coach their mentees.

The 1st-year mentees flinched and lowered their heads.

Even the previously good senior-junior relationships were starting to show cracks.

The pressure of this final exam was immense for both the 1st-year and 2nd-year students.

"The atmosphere doesn't seem good."

"It can't be helped."

Chen Xia, who was watching the situation, muttered softly, and Eliza snorted.

"Whether they are 1st-year or 2nd-year students, they've all spent the first semester comfortably without the pressure of expulsion, haven't they?"

Eliza, with her characteristic condescending smile, looked at the shouting 2nd-year students and the intimidated 1st-year students.

"They are now paying the price for it."

Lumern's system of expelling students with poor academic performance had always been a factor that pressured students.

Of course, Lumern's curriculum was so rigorous, and students often lost their lives, so it was more irresponsible to keep students without ability at the school.

From the 3rd year onwards, when students had gone through the 1st and 2nd years and become somewhat skilled as hero candidates, the number of expelled students noticeably decreased.

However, in the 1st and 2nd years, even students in the middle tier could be expelled if they made a mistake.

In a sense, the pressure of expulsion always drove students to grow.

However, it was also true that with the introduction of the mentor system, students had been able to attend school comfortably without worrying about expulsion for the first semester.

But that peace had begun to crack.

The pressure was even greater for the 1st-year students.

Unlike the 2nd-year students who had suffered from the threat of expulsion for the past year, the 1st-year students were experiencing this pressure for the first time.

"You seem to be enjoying it."

"Oh, did it seem that way?"

Chen Xia's remark was met with Eliza's bright smile.

For her, who had a twisted side, the current situation was very amusing.

"Actually, I thought there was a problem with this system. I thought Lumern's departmental system, with its constant competition, had become too soft."

Eliza cleaned her nails.

"But looking at that, it doesn't seem to be the case. They are all receiving the pressure at once."

"It's probably intentional."

"Kyaaaaaaak?!"

Startled by a voice from directly behind her, Eliza clung to Chen Xia in fright.

"Were you surprised, scared? Eliza?"

Chen Xia patted Eliza's head with a mature smile.

"Don't treat me like a child!"

Eliza, her face flushed red, glared at Leo.

"Don't scare me! Leo Flob!"

Leo chuckled at Eliza's reaction.

Eliza, provoked by Leo's reaction, reached for her whip but was held back by Chen Xia.

Taking a deep breath, Eliza crossed her arms.

"What do you mean it's intentional?"

"For the past semester, the 1st and 2nd-year students have been guaranteed autonomous growth within Lumern. I believe the school introduced the mentor system to test which is more efficient: when coercive measures are removed, or when students are pressured by coercive measures."

Leo looked at the 1st-year students.

"Since they've had an easy time so far, they have to bear the responsibility all at once, so the pressure will be greater."

"Hmm. So it means it wasn't just a comfortable school life."

"That's right. There must have been 1st and 2nd-year students who struggled and felt despair."

No matter how much one struggled, there was a limit, and the first to feel it was oneself.

'It's probably testing whether they can overcome that limit or not.'

Leo narrowed his eyes.

Seeing Leo, Eliza said,

"Hmph. By the way, will you be alright? Leo Flob?"

"What about it?"

"The mentee you chose is the lowest ranked 1st-year student."

Eliza narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I do think you have a secret weapon since you're such a sinister person, but that's what I think."

"Do I seem sinister?"

"You do have a bit of an old man vibe. It's Eliza's compliment that you look mature."

At Eliza's words, Leo asked Chen Xia, who smiled and replied,

"That's not what I meant?"

Eliza frowned and answered directly.

"Well, I feel good that you're worried about me."

"Why would I be worried about you?"

Eliza snorted.

Leo chuckled at Eliza.

"There's no need to worry about Luke. In the first place, you don't get eliminated if you lose in the first round."

"Hmm?"

Eliza's lips curled up.

"Because there's a losers' bracket, it's okay? That's a careless thought for you."

At Eliza's words, Leo smiled strangely.

Seeing Leo's expression, Eliza looked displeased.

"What is that expression?"

Perhaps for Leo, this 1st-year final exam was the most dangerous moment.

Despite having overcome many difficulties so far, there was nothing Leo could do about this on his own.

But even so, Leo maintained his usual expression.

'What on earth did this person do to that 1st-year student?'

Eliza couldn't help but think that.

***

After school.

The training ground was filled with 1st and 2nd-year students.

The 2nd-year students had brought their 1st-year mentees for training.

"What are you going to do if you can't even dodge that?"

"Try harder!"

Annoyed voices erupted from the 2nd-year students.

The 1st-year students could only wear gloomy faces, being hounded by such sensitive 2nd-year students.

Meanwhile, Emio, a top student in the 2nd-year Magic Department, snorted.

"Hmph, they're just rushing now that their own asses are on fire."

Rement, the 3rd-ranked student in the 1st-year Magic Department, replied beside him, who was openly sneering.

"It just looks like they're desperately struggling."

"They have to struggle like that, I guess."

Emio, walking across the training ground, spotted a corner and smiled slyly.

In fact, Emio didn't need to use the training ground.

He came from a famous military family.

He was one of the top experts in combat magic among the 2nd-year students.

As such, Emio had been teaching Rement, his mentee, magic combat since the beginning of the semester.

Therefore, he was confident in this tournament.

And when he heard the opponent for the first round, he cheered inwardly.

The reason he came to the training ground today was to mock that opponent.

"As expected, the student council president is a model student. He could have easily borrowed a private training ground, but he's training with other riff-raff."

At those words, Leo, who was coaching Luke, and the surrounding students all looked at him.

"Emio. I believe you didn't submit an application for the use of the training ground?"

"I didn't. I just came to watch the struggling losers."

"Hey, Emio Luce. Watch your words."

"Who do you think you are, calling us losers and talking like that?"

The 2nd-year students spoke fiercely.

Seeing them, Emio let out a smirk.

"Don't talk back."

"What did you say?"

"Don't mistake me for someone at your level just because you were lucky enough not to be expelled during the first semester. If it weren't for the mentor system, you wouldn't be struggling like this, riff-raff."

"What did you say?"

The 2nd-year students currently instructing the 1st-year students on the training ground were mostly students who would have been expelled or were on the verge of expulsion.

This was because when the 2nd-year students chose their mentees, they naturally chose 1st-year students at a similar level to themselves.

The only teams with a significant gap in academic performance between mentor and mentee were Leo and Luke.

And besides Cal and Juen.

"If you know your place, shut up and get lost. Don't try to crawl your way up."

"You punk!"

Emio's words filled the 2nd-year students with a menacing aura.

Seeing that, Leo said,

"Stop making dismissive remarks about your peers and be quiet, Emio."

"Hoho. Is the student council president looking out for his peers?"

"You're the one who needs to know your place."

"What did you say?"

Emio's face hardened, and Leo smiled coldly.

"Just like you said, not all 2nd-year students are the same. I am the student council president, Emio Luce. So don't try to crawl your way up and shut up and get lost."

Flames shot from Emio's eyes.

Then, his lips curled up.

"How long do you think you'll remain student council president? No. Do you think you can continue to stay at Lumern?"

Emio's gaze turned to Luke.

"Your mentee. He'll probably be expelled this time, won't he? If that happens, you'll be expelled too, Leo Flob. Don't tell me you plan to use your power as student council president?"

It was as Emio said.

Logically speaking, the lowest ranked student.

And Luke, who had shown no improvement since admission, was unlikely to be able to get through the tournament and remain at Lumern next semester.

At Emio's words, Leo chuckled.

"I won't use my power as student council president."

"Kick. Then you're willing to be expelled?"

"No."

Leo looked directly at Emio and said,

"We're going to win it all."

"What did you say?"

"My mentee's goal is a perfect sweep."

At Leo's words, everyone momentarily doubted their ears.

The goal of the lowest-ranked student was what?

"What nonsense…"

"Isn't Luke's first match against your mentee, Rement?"

Leo smiled.

"Luke will win."

At those words, Rement said,

"President. While I respect you as a junior, I cannot accept that statement."

Rement looked down at Luke, who was shorter than him, and said,

"It's unimaginable for me to lose to Luke Elda."

"Then you can look forward to it. And you should give it your all."

Leo smiled.

"You're going to see something incredible."