Book 1 Chapter 427

427.

The territory of Plov family was a peaceful rural estate.

The estate had vast vineyards where high-quality grapes were cultivated.

The wine produced from these grapes was quite popular even within the kingdom.

"Oh, the wine cellar is magnificent!"

It was when Karl exclaimed in admiration, looking at the wine cellar of the Plov family's main house.

"I know, right. I was bored waiting, so I'm glad there's some good wine, aren't you?"

Karl turned his head at a voice coming from one of the wine cellars.

And seeing the wizard there, his eyes widened.

"Senior Torua?"

"Hello, Karl Thomas. Ju-en said she owes you a lot."

Torua, who belonged to the Southern Magic Tower, showed a favorable reaction to Karl, who was Ju-en's mentor, the daughter of the Magic Tower Lord.

"I just did what I had to do as a mentor, that's all."

"Why are you so excited?"

"Hey, Leo. It's Senior Torua. Senior Torua."

Karl said in an excited voice at Leo's words.

"The beauty who competed for 1st and 2nd place in popularity with Senior Elena in the Magic Department until last year!"

"So what?"

"Senior Elena was so scary that no one could approach her, whereas Senior Torua was kind to many juniors. Still, it was hard to talk to her properly in first year, but to meet her like this after she graduated."

Torua was in a position where first-years dared not speak to her, being the vice president of the student council and one of the top five strongest students in Lumen.

Especially Karl, who was always at the bottom among his classmates.

Leo shook his head, looking at Karl who was making a moved expression.

Smiling faintly at Karl, Torua put down her wine glass and approached Karl.

"You're a good junior who respects your departmental senior. Look, Leo. Learn from your friend. What's with that indifferent attitude towards your departmental senior?"

"I'm not in the Magic Department."

"True, you'd be busy with student council work. Anyway, I'm glad this year's student council president came from the Magic Department."

Leo decided to just go along with it.

He already knew well that Torua was someone you couldn't reason with.

"Karl Thomas. I'd like to repay you for Ju-en's debt."

Torua extended both hands and held Karl's hands, smiling.

Karl made an embarrassed expression, looking at Torua who exuded a mature atmosphere.

"You don't have to."

"No. I'll repay you. You're skilled in alchemy magic, so how about we experiment with elixirs together?"

"It would be an honor if Senior Torua helped me!"

"Yes, Karl. What do you think is the most basic quality of a wizard?"

"Inquiry?"

"Good, excellent. Then, what is the act performed to conduct that inquiry?"

"…Experiment?"

"Amazing, amazing."

Torua clapped her hands in admiration.

Karl scratched his head and smiled at Torua's reaction.

Torua, who was looking at him with a somehow flushed face, felt like a child despite being older.

"Then, what's the most important thing in that experiment?"

"Research, I suppose."

"No, it's the test subject."

The moment he heard those words, Karl instinctively felt something was wrong.

"Karl, you inherited Master Dweno's alchemy books, didn't you? Was there any elixir in them that was dangerous or ambiguous in effect and thus needed a test subject?"

"There wasn't."

"No, that's a lie."

Torua, who had already decided on the answer, smiled brightly at Karl.

Karl ran away without hesitation.

But he was immediately caught by Torua.

"Le-Leo! Save me!"

"Heeheehee! You can't go."

Torua, holding Karl who was screaming with a pale face, let out a witch-like laugh.

Leo looked at his friend with pity and said.

"You won't die."

"Leo's right. Would I kill a junior? Though it might be painful enough to feel like dying."

"I don't want that either?!"

Leaving Karl, who was screaming in terror, Leo exited the wine cellar.

If it wasn't Karl, it would surely stick to him.

Leo knew all too well that a wizard who has opened their eyes to inquiry is the most troublesome being of all.

'Kyle, let's do a magic experiment together.'

Leo shook his head, remembering Luna, who was smiling brightly with all sorts of experimental tools in her hands.

A moment later.

Karl, who barely escaped Torua, came out of the wine cellar and asked.

"Why on earth is Senior Torua here?"

"I understand she's been invited as a training camp instructor this time."

"Senior Torua is?"

"Yeah. Besides her, Brother Reis, Senior Ulta, and Senior Jamua will also come."

Karl's jaw dropped at the mention that last year's graduates would come as instructors.

"Don't tell me graduates from other hero academies are coming too?"

"Wouldn't they?"

"This is going to be something else."

Karl shook his head.

Not only Lumen, but also the graduates from Seirun, Azonia, and Demian from last year are hero candidates who have been very active since graduation.

For all of them to come.

"I wonder if this will turn into a competition between schools again."

Leo, who planned this training camp through Melina, chuckled inwardly.

'No, I called them for precisely that reason.'

***

That evening.

A second guest arrived at the mansion on the Plov family's estate.

"Hmph, it's a complete rural estate."

Eliza, standing in front of the mansion door, lightly snorted and knocked on the door.

A moment later, the door opened, and Reina appeared.

"Oh my? Who is this pretty young lady?"

"Hello, I am Eliza Hergen."

Eliza showed politeness to Reina, who greeted her warmly.

Her manners were very refined because she knew Reina was a senior who graduated from Lumen a long time ago.

"Ah, I remember now. You're a student of the Summoning Department, aren't you? Come in."

Reina, who greeted Eliza warmly, let her into the mansion.

After passing the main entrance and heading to the living room, Leo and Karl were there.

"Oh, Eliza."

"Hmph, you were already here. Karl Thomas."

When Karl greeted her warmly, Eliza snorted.

"You came early. We're supposed to gather by tomorrow morning, aren't we?"

"I hate crowded places. Well, I'm not thrilled about being with you either… but I thought Karl Thomas would be here early."

Eliza, speaking in her characteristic sharp voice, greeted Reina.

"Thank you for showing me in, Lady Reina Plov."

"You must be tired from your journey, so please rest comfortably."

Since the Plov family doesn't have a warp gate, one has to travel a long distance from surrounding estates.

"Thank you for your consideration."

As befits the successor of a prestigious hero family representing the northern part of the continent, Eliza bowed elegantly.

Then she approached the sofa in the living room and sat next to Karl.

Seeing that, Reina covered her mouth and chuckled.

Eliza tidied her fingernails and said.

"Tea."

When Karl stared blankly at her words, Eliza said.

"I bought your errand service for next semester on a temporary basis, didn't I?"

"Ah, that's not valid during the vacation season."

"Hmph."

Eliza put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a white paper held between her index and middle fingers.

"I will serve you with all my heart, young lady."

Karl, who quickly took the check, ran off.

"Leo Plov, since this training camp is being held on your estate, I assume you've already discussed it to some extent with the Dragon Lord?"

Eliza said, filing her nails.

"What's the training camp plan?"

"The goal of this training camp is for each of us to get a little closer to our individual aspirations. In your case, Eliza, your primary goal was to contract with a Pegasus, wasn't it?"

"Hmph, you talk as if contracting with a Pegasus is very easy just because you did."

"Aren't the preparations for the contract all done?"

Leo smiled faintly.

"The medium and the pledge recipient are ready, aren't they?"

The Hergen family has contracted with the three great mythical beasts for generations.

Among them, Eliza had the aptitude as a pledge recipient for a Pegasus.

As Leo said, at the point she became the successor, the Pegasus for the pledge and the medium were already prepared.

"Isn't it just a matter of you being ready?"

"You."

It was when Eliza showed an exasperated expression, looking at Leo who spoke as if provoking her.

"No, Young Master Leo. Young Lady Eliza is simple, so if you provoke her like that, she'll immediately do something reckless."

"Kyaaaah?!"

Eliza shrieked in surprise at the voice from beside her.

By now, Chen Xia was sitting next to Eliza, smiling brightly.

"Xia! How many times have I told you not to surprise me by suddenly appearing!"

Chen Xia covered her cheek and said, looking at Eliza who was shouting in a high-pitched voice with her eyes raised.

"But Young Lady Eliza's surprised face is cute."

"Please don't find me cute."

Eliza made a slightly flustered expression at Chen Xia's gaze, which somehow felt sadistic.

"What's wrong?"

Hearing Eliza's scream, Reina came out to the living room.

Chen Xia, who stood up, performed the traditional eastern greeting, wrapping her left fist with her right, and said.

"Hello, Lady Reina. I am Chen Xia. We met before, do you remember?"

"Of course I remember. I've heard a lot about you since then."

"Did Young Master Leo talk about me a lot?"

Chen Xia asked with wide eyes, and Reina shook her head.

"No, Karl told me."

Karl, who had already brought the refreshments, made a V-sign at Chen Xia.

While Karl handed the refreshments to Eliza, Reina asked.

"So, Young Lady Xia, what's your relationship with my son?"

"I serve Young Master Leo with all my body and soul."

"Pfft. Cough! Cough!"

Eliza, who was sipping her tea, accidentally spurted it out.

"What! A student!"

As Eliza's face turned red and she gasped, Karl chuckled cunningly beside her and said.

"Leo is Xia's savior, you know. What are you imagining… *cough*!"

Eliza punched Karl in the side.

Reina, who heard Chen Xia's words, covered her cheek with her right hand and made a slightly troubled expression.

"Son, before you had Celia as a maid, and now an older sister devotes herself to you body and soul. Mom is a little worried about your taste in women?"

"What's this about a maid?"

Karl, who was whimpering and holding his side, opened his eyes wide.

Leo sighed at Reina's words.

"Celia, she volunteered to be a maid because she lost a bet, and Xia does what she does even if I tell her not to. What does that have to do with my taste?"

"What about Young Lady Celia?"

"Celia Jerdinger what?"

Chen Xia and Eliza asked at Leo's words.

"Last year, Celia was Leo's maid for a while. She was so cute. I even took pictures, want to see them?"

"Yes! She must be so cute."

As Chen Xia said with a bright smile, Reina went to look for the photos.

Eliza also glanced towards Reina, seemingly interested.

Seeing them, Leo said.

"Our classmates are really good friends."

"What?"

"They're always trying to find a weakness to tease each other."

"Is that what being good friends means?"

Karl, holding his side, made an exasperated expression.

"It is."

'It's going to be chaos tomorrow.'

Karl shook his head, thinking of Celia, who would surely glare and shout.