Book 1 Chapter 63

【63】62

A Seirun student hurriedly backed away from Leo's furiously blazing aura flames.

"Hmm."

Leo chuckled, looking down at his hand.

"I expected a lot from all that pretense of dignity. It's more disappointing than I thought."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm in Seirun's Advanced Class 1!"

"So what?"

"Argh!"

Being in Seirun's Advanced Class 1 means being treated as an immense elite in elf society.

A status that everyone admires and respects immensely.

However, he had come to the wrong place, and by a long shot.

If it had been another student, they would have known about Seirun's system and realized how great it was, but Leo felt nothing at all.

If you were to find students stronger than the Seirun student in front of him among Lumerin's first-year knight students, there were three more, excluding Leo.

'Well, those three are outliers, but still. For a Seirun student to be so boastful, this is a bit disappointing, isn't it?'

It was even more disappointing because a moment ago, he had subtly sent a condescending look towards Lumerin.

At that moment, the Seirun student chanted a Rune-word.

'Star Magic? Was he a magic swordsman?'

A gleam appeared in Leo's eyes.

If he was a magic swordsman, that was a different story.

Moreover, he had never seen Star Magic used by an elf in this era, so he felt a sense of anticipation, wondering what it would be like.

'It's Mirage.'

He could have easily blocked the rune, but Leo let the magic complete itself, wanting to understand it.

The Seirun student, who had completed four illusions, said.

"Now, the real thing begins."

"……"

A slight disappointment flickered in Leo's eyes.

'Is this what Star Magic is like in this era?'

Mirage was one of the best illusion spells.

A magic with such realism that it was impossible to discern what was real.

It was a magic that Luna truly enjoyed using.

But the Mirage in front of him was different from what Leo knew.

'It's realistic to an incomparable degree compared to other illusion magic… but it's still crude. They've altered the spell formula itself to make it easier to use.'

He thought that magic had developed over a long time.

But Luna's magic, in Leo's eyes, had regressed.

How disappointed would his friend have been if she had seen this?

'She would have poured out a bucketload of curses.'

It was then that Leo shook his head, recalling Luna's extremely eccentric personality.

"As a human, you've probably never even witnessed this magic before."

The Seirun student, thinking Leo was frozen in surprise, said in a voice full of superiority.

"I can also use illusion magic, you know?"

"Hmph. Human magic may be crude compared to our elves' Star Magic… but shall I take a look?"

At those words, Leo chuckled and chanted a Rune-word.

The Seirun student, hearing Leo's incantation, distorted his face.

"Are you mocking me! There's no way a human can use Star Magic…"

The angry Seirun student's face froze.

The spell was completed.

The same Mirage magic as his own.

But upon seeing Leo's eight illusions, his eyes widened as if they would tear.

"Well, my magic is about this much?"

"I-impossible!"

"There are plenty of human mages who can use Star Magic. It seems you need to fix that narrow-minded way of thinking first."

Leo said nonchalantly.

[Hahahaha! Look at that dumbfounded expression! He really looks stupid!]

From Leo's shoulder, Kirian clapped his hands and laughed as if amused.

'This guy really doesn't resemble his father at all.'

Silrode was not the type to enjoy others' misfortunes.

"Hmph! That's just a fake made to look like Star Magic!"

The Seirun student shouted and charged at Leo.

'This guy doesn't know how to admit anything.'

Leo shook his head and re-gripped his sword.

At that moment, streams of aura sword energy poured from the Seirun student's sword.

Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.

'All four of them are real?'

It was an advanced technique created by combining Mirage and swordsmanship.

'That's strange. His fundamentals are terrible, but he can use such powerful advanced spells freely.'

Leo clenched his fist.

Leo couldn't use that technique right now.

To be precise, the spell the Seirun student used was Star Magic, but it was different from the Star Magic Leo knew.

'Because Luna was a pure mage.'

Fusing sword and magic.

This was not an application Luna would have thought of.

Therefore, this technique, in Leo's eyes, was Star Magic, yet also something that wasn't Star Magic.

To be exact, it was a new realm reached by later elves who endlessly pursued Luna's legacy.

'I need to correct my earlier assessment. It hasn't regressed.'

Among mages, there are times when they dislike the arbitrary alteration of spells they invented.

This was because they regarded their magic as a form of art.

But Luna was not like that.

'She was more of a mage than anyone else.'

A mage who found more joy than anyone else in exploring possibilities, experimenting, and bringing them to fruition.

That was the elf named Luna.

'If she had seen this, she would have been delighted.'

Even though it had become very different from the Star Magic Luna herself used, she would have brightly smiled, calling it a new advancement.

*Swoosh-!*

Spectacular sword energy, emanating from four blades, adorned the air.

The illusions Leo had created dispersed in vain.

Mirage magic creates illusions that seem real.

It was a magic Luna enjoyed using, but no matter how real it seemed, it didn't cease to be an 'illusion.'

'What that guy created, even if the main body is an illusion, the sword energy is real.'

Leo stared intently, understanding the spell's structure.

"Haha! How's that! The power of real Star Magic, unlike the fake Star Magic you use!"

'Fake, you say. My magic is the very magic Luna created.'

It was literally the origin and beginning of Star Magic, the original itself.

But for a distant descendant to talk about fakes, it naturally made him snort with laughter.

"What's so funny that you're laughing at me?!"

The Seirun student, thinking Leo was laughing at him, flared up.

The illusions scattered in all directions fiercely surrounded Leo.

It was as if four mirrors were swinging swords at Leo.

Of course, only the sword energy was real.

*Whoosh-!*

Flame aura gathered in his fist.

'Well, that's all there is to it.'

Leo's red eyes glowed dangerously.

*Swoosh! Bang!*

Leo slammed his fist into the ground.

Flames, erupting in all directions as if exploding, swept the surroundings.

"Cough!"

The illusions instantly vanished, and the real body appeared.

Leo said coldly.

"Techniques lacking power are just petty tricks."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

The Seirun student, incensed by Leo's words, created illusions once again.

This time, eight.

Eight auras manifested.

'He's poured all his magic power and aura into this.'

Leo chuckled, realizing his opponent had made his decisive move.

'Wiping those out is simple, but.'

Leo's red eyes moved quickly.

'Should I try this technique once?'

*Vwoom-!*

Leo, generating magic power, rapidly deployed a magic spell formula.

Meanwhile, the eight illusions surrounded Leo.

And they moved identically, as if reflected in a mirror, pressuring Leo.

At that moment.

*Swoosh-!*

Leo used Mirage.

Unlike before, there were two.

"Hmph! Do you think you can create a diversion with mere illusions while surrounded?"

At his opponent's sneer, Leo generated aura in his fist.

*Whoosh-!*

Aura also gathered in the fists of Leo's clones.

Seeing that, the Seirun student's face stiffened.

'This bastard… no way!'

Leo's Mirage, just like his opponent's, had illusions that used real aura.

'No! His illusions are only two anyway! Nothing changes…'

At that moment, Leo and Leo's illusions moved.

Seeing Leo's illusions moving differently, as if they were two separate people instead of reflections, the Seirun student's eyes filled with horror.

'Impossible! To handle an Aura Mirage at that level, you'd need to be at least a second-year advanced class student!'

Leo, who had instantly dealt with seven illusions, raised his fist and said.

"This technique, it's pretty good, isn't it?"

Seeing the two attacking Leos, the Seirun student's face turned pale.

"W-wait…!"

*Whoosh-! Bang-!*

As the two blasts of flame struck, the Seirun student's eyes rolled back.

"H-how, where did you… learn the magic spell formulas taught at Seirun…"

Seeing him muttering with a look of disbelief, Leo said calmly.

"Just now."

Understanding a spell's structure and modifying it for his own use.

It was a very complex process, but not particularly difficult for Leo.

He even applied it.

'It's a technique with heavy aura and magic consumption, so it probably can't be maintained for long right now. But it's brilliant.'

Leo, who had been chuckling, turned his gaze to the bushes.

A moment later, someone sprang out from the bushes.

It was a red-haired girl wearing a Seirun female student uniform.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lunia El Rundia. I'm a first-year student at Seirun."

"Are you going to attack me like him too?"

At Leo's question, Lunia alternately looked at her collapsed peer and the student from another school, then sighed deeply.

"We came for a mission practice, and an anomaly occurred in the sanctuary, so this friend seems to have misunderstood. Of course, even before the misunderstanding, it was a very rude action. I was listening to the teacher's story and relaying it to my friends when…"

Lunia trailed off.

Lunia, guessing what had happened, bowed her head.

"I'll apologize on behalf of this friend."

"Well, an apology is enough."

Leo chuckled.

Lunia gave a bitter smile, looking at Leo.

"Please don't think that all Seirun students are like this friend."

"I don't think that. Anyway, since the misunderstanding has been cleared up, can I leave? I have something to report to our professor."

"Yes."

Lunia smiled gently and said.

"See you later."

"Okay."

Lunia, who had been watching Leo disappear, kicked the unconscious male student in the side.

"Hey, wake up. You idiot! How long are you going to stay passed out?"

"Cough!"

"Anyway, you're the one with the worst grades in Advanced Class 1, and you're putting on such airs and causing trouble! You dumbass! Ugh! So embarrassing!"

Lunia, shedding her gentle demeanor from a moment ago, growled.

According to Seirun's school rules, they had to display a neat appearance and proper conduct as hero candidates to outsiders, so she had no choice but to feign modesty.

Especially since Lunia was the top student in Seirun, she was the school's representative, so she had to be even more mindful of outside perception.

'By the way, he accepted the apology so coolly?'

Lunia recalled Leo.

'Is he perhaps interested in me? Well, it's possible! Because I'm pretty.'

Lunia made a smug expression and smiled.

'He was cute, which is my type. And his skill was outstanding enough to defeat this guy. I forgot to ask his name, but I'll probably meet him again at Berkhia.'

*Heeheehee~* As Lunia hummed, a belligerent glint flickered in her eyes.

'And I can ask about that guy, Leo Plov, too.'

***

"Lunia El Rundia? Where have I heard that name before?"

Leo tilted his head as he exited the forest.

"Ah."

Then he remembered something and exclaimed.

"The successor to the Rundia family. Fiora's original contractor, wasn't she?"