Book 1 Chapter 718
718.
The former student council presidents summoned by Leo quickly became celebrities at school.
This was because if anyone seemed to be breaking school rules, they would appear like ghosts and hand out demerits.
They showed the most vehement reaction especially when male and female students exuded a peculiar atmosphere in secluded spots.
“This is outrageous.”
Celia, with her arms crossed, wore an incredulous expression.
“How did he end up summoning such spirits? He's my cousin, but sometimes I think he's a weirdo.”
“Isn't it a bit…off to simply call Young Master Leo a weirdo?”
“Is that so? Then what should I call him?”
“Well, I don't think there's a suitable adjective in the common language to describe him.”
At Chen Xia's words, Celia nodded as if in agreement.
It was true.
Leo always surpasses imagination.
Whether for better or for worse.
Literally unpredictable.
“Still, they only look scary. They seemed like good people.”
“Huh? Why do you think that?”
“A senior named John oversaw my training earlier.”
Chen Xia frankly recounted her experience.
“It was very helpful. Is it because he's a former student council president?”
Chen Xia’s practical experience, having buried traitors and their followers in the dark since childhood, was undeniably top-tier among Lumen students.
However, Chen Xia's experience was built solely upon combat against humans.
Tartarus were aberrant monsters, beyond the realm of humans.
The battle between humans and the demons, magical beasts, and monsters of Tartarus was fundamentally different.
While Chen Xia's overwhelming practical experience was effective in battles against Tartarus, training was needed for that experience to be fully utilized.
John, who lived during the Class War era, had extensive combat experience in both types of battles.
The advice based on that experience was a great help to Chen Xia.
“Not just me, but other students also received help from him. Even Duran.”
“Duran?”
“Yes, Duran also said that Senior John's advice wasn't bad.”
Considering Duran's personality, that was high praise.
Upon hearing that her rivals had received significant help from John, Celia also wore an intrigued expression.
Her competitive spirit, refusing to fall behind her rivals Chen Xia and Duran, was ignited.
Such a phenomenon wasn't limited to the Department of Knights.
A similar scene unfolded in both the Department of Magic and the Department of Summoning.
It wasn't merely about cracking down on school rule violations.
As seniors who had graduated from the school long ago, they didn't spare their advice and guidance, and in that regard, praise continued throughout all grades.
Leo, who had heard the story, nodded.
[Why are you maintaining their summons? It must consume a considerable amount of spiritual power to maintain the summons.]
Sitting at the table in Leo's room, Elsie took bites of a slice of cake as big as herself with a fork, wearing a puzzled expression.
“Since I've already summoned them. And…”
[And?]
“From what I hear, it was a bit unfortunate.”
The era they were born into was a time of war.
As such, they couldn't properly enjoy their school days.
Of course, it wasn't an era where everything was lost, like the Age of Calamity.
Even so, the fact that they lived quite harsh lives remains unchanged.
“Well, they say they're upset about not being able to date. But I thought perhaps they still harbored regrets about not enjoying their school days.”
Even if the times are different, I made a contract with them, hoping that living with their juniors would naturally allow them to shake off those lingering regrets.
[So that was the reason. I just thought Leo made a contract with them simply to torment the students.]
As Elsie expressed her admiration, Leo gave a slight chuckle.
“Do I seem like I have such a twisted personality?”
[A little?]
Elsie giggled.
Leo let out a wry smile watching Elsie.
“By the way, the Great Spirits are quite obedient, aren't they?”
Currently, besides Elsie and Laruel, the Great Spirits contracted with Leo included Ista, the Great Spirit of Fire, and Undine, the Great Spirit of Water.
As they were two Great Spirits with high noses and strong pride, it was unclear if they lacked popularity among their subordinate spirits, but after Elsie seized dominance over the lesser spirits, they had become quite submissive.
Furthermore, having learned about Leo's true identity.
Their dissatisfaction with their contractor disappeared.
The problem was that the two spirits, who could be called archenemies, caused friction constantly.
In addition, although not yet officially contracted, there was Ignit, the Great Spirit of Darkness of the current era, whose contract with Leo was confirmed.
Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss, continued to show a twisted reaction next to Laruel, whom he could call his nemesis.
Frankly, when the Great Spirits gathered, it was incomparably louder than when Fiora, Kirian, and Arti gathered.
Among the Great Spirits contracted with Leo, Elsie was undoubtedly the leader.
Although her lifespan was the shortest, having been born in the Age of Calamity 5,000 years ago, her effective age was the greatest.
Moreover, Elsie possessed a special power among the Great Spirits.
However, due to her gentle nature, she didn't often step forward, so it was Laruel, the second most experienced, who practically commanded the Great Spirits.
That's why he entrusted their management to Laruel.
[Recently, Laruel's violent tendencies have significantly increased.]
She was only submissive in front of Elsie.
Laruel was also a spirit whose disposition was as twisted as it could get.
It was clear she was struggling to suppress her personality and live.
“She must be having a hard time. Please soothe her well.”
[Yes.]
Elsie nodded.
Just then.
Knock, knock-
A knock was heard.
It was late at night.
Only one person would visit Leo's room at this hour.
Leo got up and opened the door.
It was Artian, who had come again today to help Leo with his Spirit Arts training.
“Good evening, Student Leo.”
Artian, smiling broadly, entered the room.
“I saw the spirits of the former student council presidents this morning. To think that you summoned three spirits with First Summoning magic… I was utterly surprised by Student Leo's potential.”
Artian, having learned the true nature of the specters, showed a very excited reaction.
The potential to summon three spirits with First Summoning magic.
Artian couldn't help but be excited by the emergence of a Spirit Arts user of unprecedented caliber.
Furthermore, since this Spirit Arts user was a student he taught, his joy as an educator was doubled.
“Alright! Student Leo! Let's diligently practice Spirit Arts again today!”
Watching Artian enthusiastically clench his fists, Leo nodded.
***
The next day.
“Everyone, wake up!”
In the Department of Magic dormitory, Illea rang a bell.
“As students of the Department of Magic, I cannot tolerate being lazier than other departments! Down with the Department of Knights! Down with the Department of Summoning!”
Watching Illea enthusiastically shouting in the common room, students who had overslept somewhat sluggishly came out into the common room.
“Um, Senior.”
A fifth-year Magic Department student spoke to Illea with a very tired face.
“Is there really a need to compete by waking up early like idiots?”
“Over there, that summoner without a lower body and that tin-can knight will try to beat us with this kind of thing! And they’ll point fingers at us, calling us lazy pigs!”
“So, isn't that competition itself foolish?”
At the fifth-year's words, Illea said,
“I absolutely cannot tolerate being treated as fools by those knights and summoners! If we're fools whether we win or lose, then we must be the winning fools!”
At Illea's firm words, Elena, who had been twirling her hair in the common room, smiled faintly.
“That's true.”
When Lumen's second strongest affirmed Illea's words, no one dared to object.
“By the way.”
Elena tilted her head.
“You grew a head overnight?”
At that, Illea let out a "Hmph" and chuckled.
“How is it? This senior's beauty? Isn't it pretty?”
Illea, propping her chin and shrugging proudly, wore a smug expression.
Indeed, Illea's recovered appearance was beautiful enough to naturally draw attention.
“Indeed.”
‘Compared to her, it relatively fades.’
However, in front of Elena, that beauty couldn't help but pale.
Elena herself exuded an enchanting charm.
“By the way, what's the reason for suddenly returning to your normal appearance?”
Until yesterday, her appearance was one that spontaneously elicited screams, but now she had returned to her appearance from when she was alive.
At Elena's question, Illea shrugged.
“Unfortunately, it's not a normal state.”
“Huh?”
“Watch.”
Illea bowed her head.
Then, Illea's head fell off onto the floor with a thump.
“Kyaaaak?!”
A female student who was beneath Illea and caught her head involuntarily screamed.
“Oh dear, if you react like that, this senior gets embarrassed.”
Illea's body, which was all that remained, approached the junior, picked up her head, and placed it back on her neck.
“My head just falls off like this at the slightest touch.”
“That's not good for the heart.”
At Elena's blunt assessment, the surrounding students mumbled inwardly,
‘Without even batting an eye.’
It was when the Department of Magic was bustling like this from the morning.
Rumble-!
The front gate of the Department of Magic dormitory opened, and someone entered.
“Good morning.”
Karl returned to the dormitory with a tired face.
Seeing this, Illea's eyes sharpened.
“Everyone, load your magic! It’s a traitor who dallied with a woman from the wicked Department of Summoning!”
“Ah, you must be Senior Illea, whom Professor Halind spoke of. Unfortunately, I've never had a girlfriend in my life.”
“……”
At Karl's words, Illea squinted and said,
“Say 'Department of Summoning son of a bitch'.”
“Department of Summoning son of a bitch.”
“Don't shoot! He's an ally!”
Illea said playfully.
Watching that, Karl, who let out a weak laugh, staggered towards the common room sofa and plopped down.
“You're a mess.”
At Avad's words, Karl, burying himself deep in the sofa, said,
“I'm warning you.”
“Hm?”
“Never go to the disciplinary room.”
***
‘How on earth can I solve this problem?’
After breakfast.
Chloe became lost in thought as she returned to her room to prepare for class.
It wasn't about winning, nor about losing.
‘Leo said I just needed to win?’
That point was a mystery.
Leo had clearly said that the opponent was a formidable expert.
But the opponent's skill was too pathetic.
And winning wasn't the answer to the problem.
‘Is something twisted?’
She intentionally didn't go last night.
Because she didn't think she could solve the problem by going now.
Chloe opened the door with a serious expression.
Click-
“……?”
And opening the door, she widened her eyes.
On the table in the room.
A chessboard was set up.
And opposite it, a black silhouette sat in an upright posture.
The silhouette, having confirmed Chloe's entry into the room, raised a hand.
Thwack-!
The game began.
“Now?”
Chloe was flustered.
To think that the problem itself came to her and challenged her to chess.
Watching Chloe's flustered expression, the black silhouette sat still.
It didn't urge her on.
It simply waited quietly until Chloe sat in the chair and made her move.
‘…This feels a little different?’
Chloe wore a perplexed expression.
If until yesterday it felt like a stubborn child, now it was incredibly calm.
Even with a bewildered expression, Chloe sat down.
Considering her skill, it was clear it would end quickly anyway.
Tap-
Chloe made her move.
In response, the silhouette continued the chess game.
Tap- Tap-
Only the quiet sound of chess pieces moving echoed in Chloe's room.
A moment later.
Chloe looked at her opponent with surprised eyes.
‘…Strong.’