Book 1 Chapter 63

[63]62

A Seirun student hastily retreated from Leo's fiercely burning aura flames.

"Hmph."

Leo looked down at his hands and chuckled.

"You were acting so serious, I expected more. You're more disappointing than I thought."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm from Seirun's Class 1 Upper!"

"So what?"

"Hmph!"

Being from Seirun's Class 1 Upper is treated as being an elite in elven society.

A status that everyone admires and respects.

However, he was completely in the wrong place.

If it were another student who knew about Seirun's system, they would understand its significance, but Leo was completely unfazed.

Among the first-year knights in Lumern, excluding Leo himself, there were three other students stronger than the Seirun student before him.

'Well, those three are outliers. Still, considering he's bragging about being from Seirun, it's a bit of a disappointing level?'

It was even more disappointing because he had subtly looked down on Lumern just moments before.

At that moment, the Seirun student chanted in Runic.

'Star Magic? He's a Sword Mage?'

A spark appeared in Leo's eyes.

If he's a Sword Mage, then the story is different.

Moreover, he had never seen elves use Star Magic in person in this era, so he felt a sense of anticipation.

'Mirage.'

He could have blocked the runes easily, but Leo let the magic unfold to analyze it and allow it to complete.

The Seirun student, having completed four illusions, spoke.

"Now, this is where it gets serious."

"…"

A hint of disappointment flickered in Leo's eyes.

'Is this Star Magic from this era?'

Mirage is one of the best illusionary magic.

It's a magic with such realism that it's impossible to discern what's real.

Luna used to use this magic quite a lot.

However, the Mirage before him was different from what Leo knew.

'While it's undeniably more realistic than other illusionary magic… it's still crude. They've altered the incantation itself to make it easier to use.'

He thought magic had developed over a long time.

But to Leo, Luna's magic seemed to have regressed.

How disappointed would his friend be if she saw this?

'She would have cursed him up and down.'

Leo shook his head, recalling Luna's incredibly eccentric personality.

"A human like you has likely never even witnessed such magic."

The Seirun student, thinking Leo was lost in thought and frozen, spoke with a voice filled with superiority.

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

"Hah. Human magic might be crude compared to our elven Star Magic… but let's see it, shall we?"

At that, Leo chuckled and chanted in Runic.

Upon hearing Leo's incantation, the Seirun student's face contorted.

"Are you mocking me! A human can't possibly use Star Magic…"

The enraged Seirun student's face froze.

The incantation was complete.

Mirage magic, identical to his own.

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

"Well, is this the extent of my magic?"

"I-it's impossible!"

"There are plenty of human mages who can use Star Magic. It seems you need to fix your narrow mindset first."

Leo said indifferently.

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

Kieran, on Leo's shoulder, clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

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

Silrod wasn't the type to revel in others' misfortune.

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

The Seirun student shouted and charged at Leo.

'This guy just won't admit anything.'

Shaking his head, Leo tightened his grip on his sword.

Instantly, aura sword energy poured out from the Seirun student's sword.

Leo's eyes twitched at the sight.

'All four of them are real?'

It was an advanced technique combining Mirage with swordsmanship.

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

Leo clenched his fist.

He 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.

'Luna was a pure mage.'

Merging swords and magic.

This wasn't an application method Luna would have thought of.

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

To be exact, it was a new realm that later elves had reached by endlessly pursuing Luna.

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

Some mages are reluctant to see their invented spells altered.

This is because they consider their magic a form of art.

But Luna was not like that.

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

A mage who found joy in exploring possibilities, experimenting, and realizing them.

That was Luna, the elf.

'She would have been happy to see this.'

Even though it had changed significantly from the Star Magic Luna herself used, she would have smiled brightly, calling it new progress.

Fwaak-!

Brilliant sword energy emanating from four swords decorated the air.

The illusion Leo had created was scattered vainly.

Mirage magic is magic that creates illusions that look real.

It was a magic Luna often used, but no matter how real it looked, it was still an 'illusion'.

'What he created is a fake body, but the sword energy is real.'

Leo stared intently, analyzing the incantation structure.

"Haha! How is it! The power of real Star Magic, unlike your fake Star Magic!"

'Fake? My magic is the magic Luna created, the very essence.'

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

Yet, someone from the distant future was calling it fake, and a dry laugh escaped him.

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

The Seirun student, thinking Leo was mocking him, bristled.

The illusions scattered all around menacingly surrounded Leo.

It was as if four mirrors were swinging their swords towards Leo.

Of course, only the sword energy was real.

Fwaa-!

Flame aura gathered in Leo's fist.

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

Leo's red eyes glowed dangerously.

Fwaak! Kuaang!

Leo slammed his fist onto the ground.

Flames exploded outwards, sweeping the surroundings.

"Kkuh!"

The illusions vanished in an instant, revealing the true form.

Leo said coldly.

"Techniques lacking power are mere tricks."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Angered by Leo's words, the Seirun student created illusions again.

This time, eight of them.

Eight auras manifested.

'He poured all his magic and aura into it.'

Leo, realizing his opponent had made their final move, chuckled.

'It's simple to sweep that away, but…'

Leo's red eyes moved rapidly.

'Shall I try this technique?'

Woong-!

Leo, channeling his magic, quickly deployed his magic incantations.

Meanwhile, the eight illusions surrounded Leo.

And, moving just like reflections in a mirror, they pressured Leo.

At that moment.

Fwaak-!

Leo used Mirage.

This time, two of them.

"Hmph. Do you think illusions can cause disruption when you're surrounded?"

At his opponent's sneer, Leo channeled aura into his fist.

Fwaa-!

Aura also manifested in Leo's clone's fist.

Seeing that, the Seirun student's face froze.

'This guy… no way!'

Leo's illusions also used real aura, just like his.

'No! His illusions are only two anyway! Nothing has changed…'

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

Seeing Leo's illusions moving differently, not like a mirror but like two distinct beings, the Seirun student's eyes were filled with shock.

'Impossible! To wield aura Mirage at this level, you need to be at least Class 2 Upper!'

Having dealt with seven illusions in an instant, Leo raised his fist and said.

"Not bad, this technique?"

Seeing the two Leos charging towards him, the Seirun student's face turned pale.

"W-wait…!"

Fwaa-! Kuaang-!

As the two fiery blasts collided, the Seirun student's eyes rolled back.

"W-where did you learn the magic incantations taught at Seirun…?"

Watching him mutter in disbelief, Leo said calmly.

"Just now."

Analyzing the incantation structure and modifying it to be usable.

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

On top of that, he applied an application.

'It's a technique that consumes a lot of aura and magic, so it's probably impossible to maintain for long. But it's excellent.'

Leo chuckled and turned his gaze towards the bushes.

A moment later, someone popped out of the bushes.

A red-haired girl wearing a Seirun school uniform.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lunia El Lundia. I am a first-year student at Seirun."

"Are you going to attack me like him?"

At Leo's question, Lunia glanced between her fallen comrade and the student from another school, then let out a deep sigh.

"We came for practical training, but an anomaly occurred in the sacred grounds, and this friend seems to have misunderstood. Of course, it was incredibly rude even before the misunderstanding. I was hearing the story from the teacher and relaying it to my friends…"

Lunia trailed off.

Guessing what had happened, Lunia bowed her head.

"I apologize on his behalf."

"Well, an apology is fine."

Leo chuckled.

Seeing Leo, Lunia smiled wryly.

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

"I don't. Anyway, now that the misunderstanding is cleared, can I go? I have something to report to my professor."

"Yes."

Lunia smiled and said.

"See you again later."

"Okay."

Lunia watched Leo disappear, then kicked the unconscious male student lying on the ground.

"Hey, wake up, you idiot! How long are you going to stay unconscious?"

"Gasp!"

"Anyway, the lowest-ranking student in Class 1 Upper acts all dignified and causes trouble! You idiot! Ugh! So embarrassing!"

Lunia, shedding her gentle demeanor from moments ago, growled.

According to Seirun's school rules, she had to maintain a dignified appearance to the outside as a hero candidate, so she couldn't help but act demure.

Especially since Lunia, being the top student at Seirun, was a figurehead for the school and had to be mindful of external perceptions.

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

Lunia thought of Leo.

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

Lunia smiled with a smug expression.

'He was my type, cute. And he was skilled enough to defeat me. I forgot to ask his name, but I'll probably see him again in Berkia.'

Humming a tune, a warlike glint flickered in Lunia's eyes.

'And I can also ask about that Leo Florov guy.'

***

"Lunia El Lundia? That name sounds familiar."

As he left the forest, Leo tilted his head.

"Ah."

Then, he remembered something and exclaimed.

"Heir to the Lundia family. Fiora's original contractor."