Book 1 Chapter 87
【87】86.
“Ugh! This is tough!”
Magic class ended, and Kal fell forward.
“Ugh! Fly magic class is no joke! Seriously! It’s like heavy labor!”
“What’s so hard about that?”
As Chelsea spoke with a disdainful face, Kal let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh. How would you know our hardships when you passed the test in one go and went to Professor Alby? Senior Torua is no joke! He grinds us down as if he’s going to eat us alive!”
Chelsea was one of the four students who passed the Fly Magic test with a free pass.
The four of them were Leo, Chloe, Abbad, and Chelsea.
“Shall I help you?”
“What?”
“I can help you practice so you can use Fly Magic better.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, we’re friends, aren’t we?”
Kal made a moved expression.
“I’ll help the magic department kids in our class practice.”
“Kuh-huk! Chelsea! Thank you!”
‘He’s going to be grilled.’
“Do you know about Senior Elena?”
At Leo’s question, Kal made a dumbfounded expression.
“Do I know about Senior Elena? It would be weirder not to know, wouldn’t it?”
“Is she famous?”
“She’s not just famous! Senior Elena is the 3rd-year class representative!”
“Is that so?”
“Sometimes, it seems like you’re too indifferent to school matters, Leo oppa. I’ll teach you.”
Chelsea cleared her throat with an “Ehem!”
“Elena Zerion. 18 years old. Currently a 3rd-year. Her skill ranks 2nd in the entire magic department. Even though she’s a 3rd-year, she’s right after Senior Torua.”
“That’s amazing.”
“It’s more than amazing. She’s a genius magic girl who became a dungeon raider in her 2nd year!”
Kal shouted excitedly.
“It would be great to meet her sometime!”
Leo tilted his head, watching Kal make a slightly dreamy expression.
“Is she popular?”
“Yes. She’s incredibly beautiful. Her nickname is ‘The Queen’.”
“The Queen?”
“Even 4th and 5th-year seniors can’t treat her lightly, and she has many followers. Thanks to that, even as a 3rd-year, she’s a strong candidate for the next student council president.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
Leo stroked Chelsea’s head.
Chelsea, who was smiling broadly, asked.
“But why are you asking about Senior Elena?”
“Just, something came up that requires me to meet her.”
“She’s dispatched until next week, so she’s not at school right now. Well, even if she were in school, she’s a celebrity, so it’s still hard to see her face, but you’re a class representative, Leo oppa. You might be able to meet her if you want.”
Leo nodded at Chelsea’s words.
“Leo, you have to go straight to your next Summoning Studies class, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll see you later in the dorm.”
After parting with the two, Leo headed to the Summoning Studies classroom.
‘All outdoor classes today.’
Today’s Summoning Studies class was held on the Isle of Phantom Beasts, where the first class took place.
When he arrived at the pier, other Summoning Studies students were preparing to cross the lake.
It was when Leo was about to use Fly Magic.
“Guess who?”
Someone crept up from behind and covered his eyes.
“Isn’t this kind of prank a bit childish for someone who’s 17?”
Leo chuckled, removed the hand, and turned around.
Chen Sia was standing there.
“Anyway, Young Master Leo doesn’t treat me like an older sister,” Chen Sia said, shrugging her shoulders.
“You’re going to the Isle of Phantom Beasts now, right? Shall we go together?”
“Sure.”
Chen Sia leaped into the water.
“Hoit.”
Chen Sia left footprints on the water.
Seeing Chen Sia walking naturally on the water, Leo floated himself in the air with Fly Magic.
Usually, Summoning Studies students cross the lake using flying phantom beasts, aquatic phantom beasts, or spirits of wind and water.
However, in Leo’s case, he couldn’t summon his contracted phantom beasts freely because of people’s eyes, and Chen Sia didn’t use spirit magic because using Aura Steps was faster.
“Young Master Leo, shall we race to see who arrives at the Phantom Beast Forest first?”
“How about the loser buys dinner?”
“Sounds good.”
Chen Sia crouched down, and Leo stirred up his magic power.
“Then, ready, set, go!”
Pwooosh! Kwaaaak-!
Both of them shot off at incredible speeds.
Watching the pier with spray rising and waves crashing, one Summoning Studies student muttered.
“If we meet them in the inter-department competition, we should definitely avoid them.”
Other students nodded.
Kwagagagagak-!
‘It doesn’t seem like she’s just using Aura Steps.’
Leo’s eyes sparkled as he watched Chen Sia running ahead of him.
‘Is it spirit magic?’
Leo accelerated further.
“Eliza. Are, are these guys really not attacking us?”
“Hmph. Are you doubting Luri’s control ability?”
“No way! Of course not!”
Eliza, sitting elegantly with her legs crossed on the back of a dolphin on the lake, tidied her nails and snorted.
“Our Luri may be young, but she’s a full-fledged Delphinus. I’ve strengthened her control ability with my own, so she can control these monsters as much as she wants.”
Delphinus.
It was a top-tier aquatic phantom beast in the form of a dolphin.
It was a phantom beast that Eliza could handle, a skilled student vying for 1st or 2nd place among 1st-year Summoning Studies students and the heiress of the renowned Hergin summoning family.
Bbeeaak-!
“Yes, Luri. When we go back, I’ll give you plenty of prime beef.”
Eliza, who was usually cold to everyone around her, smiled gently at the Delphinus’s cry and stroked its back.
‘I wish she’d be that kind to us too.’
It was when the students of Eliza’s faction made bitter smiles.
“Huh?”
One person riding on a monster’s back looked behind them.
“What’s that? What’s with all the spray?”
All the students made bewildered expressions.
“E-Eliza! Something’s coming at incredible speed! Let’s get out of the way!”
“Hmph! What’s all the fuss about…?”
Eliza, who was enjoying her time with her summon, turned around with a displeased expression.
Kwagagagagak-!
And an enormous spray of water enveloped Eliza.
Bbeeaak! Bbeeaak!
Luri, her summon, frantically pulled Eliza up, who had been swept by the wave and sunk into the lake.
“Pwooosh! What was that just now!”
Eliza’s eyes widened as she shrieked sharply, and one of her faction students, who had also been caught in the wave, hurriedly said,
“It was Leo Flov and Chen Sia!”
“Leo Flov!”
Sparks flew from Eliza’s eyes.
“How dare you commit such an insult to me?! Luri! Follow them!”
Bbeeaak!
Kwagagagagak-!
“Aargh! Eliza!”
“Take us too!”
The remaining students of Eliza’s faction were flustered.
Krr-rr-!
And the aquatic monsters, freed from Delphinus’s control, revealed their hostility.
“Hey! Deal with them quickly!”
“Aargh! Undine, help me!”
“Kyaaak! Get away!”
Screams of students, who suddenly found themselves fighting monsters in the middle of the lake, echoed.
***
It was Leo who first reached the pier of the Isle of Phantom Beasts.
“I won.”
“Huuuh- Huuuh- Too bad,” Chen Sia, who was late by a hair, panted with a disappointed expression.
Yura, watching them, clapped.
“Excellent! But if you had purely used summoning magic, I would have praised you more.”
Professor Yura, who was waiting for the students at the pier, grumbled.
“Especially you, Leo! Where did you learn such ill manners, using magic when coming to a Summoning Studies class?! 10 points deducted.”
As Yura growled, Leo smiled and said.
“But I can’t just summon my phantom beast, can I?”
“Perfect logic! No deduction then.”
“What was the reason for the deduction, and what was the reason for being persuaded…? *Cough*?”
Yura, who had punched Associate Professor Carlo in the side, who was interjecting, looked towards the pier.
“Someone else has arrived.”
A giant wave, like a tsunami, engulfed Leo.
“Leo Floooov!”
Poowong-!
Water spray lashed out in all directions.
Leo, who had easily defended against the water cannon, made a quizzical expression.
“Why the sudden attack? And why are you so soaking wet?”
“Whose fault do you think it is?! It’s because of the spray you caused!”
“Oh, were you in the way? Sorry.”
“Sorry? Is ‘sorry’ enough for this?! How dare you commit such disrespect to me, the heir of the Hergin family!”
Seeing Eliza’s rage, Chen Sia made an apologetic expression.
“Miss Eliza. It wasn’t Young Master Leo who caused the spray; it was me.”
“Sia, was it because of you?”
“Yes.”
Seeing Chen Sia bowing her head and apologizing, Eliza recoiled with a “Ugh-!”
Chen Sia, one of the oldest first-year students and known for her good personality, was kind to everyone.
Because of that, even the always arrogant Eliza softened in front of Chen Sia.
“Alright, alright. All students in the Summoning Studies department should get along.”
“I’m not in the Summoning Studies department.”
“Me neither.”
“Oh really? Look at these two?”
Yura squinted her eyes.
“Well. It was me who raced without minding others, so it’s not just Chen Sia’s fault. I’m sorry.”
When Leo sincerely apologized, Eliza, who had been staring intently at Leo, snorted with an “Hmph-.”
“It would be narrow-minded not to forgive when apologizing like this. Alright. I’ll accept your apology, Leo Flov.”
“I wouldn’t call it an apology, but I’ll dry your wet clothes. It’s embarrassing to see a girl soaking wet, after all.”
Leo stirred up his magic power.
He used a magic that removed moisture.
In an instant, Eliza’s wet clothes dried.
As the moisture suddenly disappeared, static electricity ran through Eliza’s hair.
“Pfft!”
“Cough!”
Chen Sia and Yura inadvertently burst out laughing.
Eliza, who pulled out a mirror from her pocket to check her hair, trembled slightly.
Her flowing hair had become messy, puffed up frizzy.
Eliza, now in a ridiculous state, glared at Leo with terrifying eyes.
“I’ll fix it right away. Do you have a comb?”
Leo sighed, took a comb from Eliza, and tidied her hair.
***
The first-year students gathered in the Phantom Beast Forest.
The entire first-year class of Summoning Studies was in a strangely excited mood.
That was because rumors had spread throughout the school that the Knight Department and Magic Department had entered special training in preparation for the inter-department competition.
The Summoning Studies students also thought they would be training for the inter-department competition today.
Indeed, the class itself was held on the Isle of Phantom Beasts.
Everyone looked at Yura with enthusiastic faces, while Yura scratched her head.
“Why isn’t this bastard coming?”
“Professor, who are you waiting for?”
When Teide raised his hand and asked, Yura sighed.
“As you probably expected, today’s class was supposed to be special training in preparation for the inter-department competition. But Ulta suggested a special class.”
“Senior Ulta?”
“Yes. He said he came up with a perfect training method, so he suggested holding the class on the Isle of Phantom Beasts or something.”
Students were impressed.
At the same time, they looked uneasy.
Ulta of the Summoning Studies department.
He was renowned as the strongest summoner, a rival to Lis Zerdinger, who was considered the strongest student, and a contractor of Pegasus.
But he was also known as an eccentric.
On the actual announcement day of the inter-department competition, he showcased his presence by talking about love.
‘No matter what, he wouldn’t make us do strange training, would he?’
It was when the students were trying to shake off their uneasiness.
“It’s Senior Ulta.”
A student spotted Ulta walking from the pier and said.
“Hey! Why are you so late!”
“I apologize, Professor Yura.”
Ulta bowed gracefully like a theater actor.
“The supplies for the first-years were delivered a bit late.”
“Supplies?”
Clack-!
As Ulta snapped his fingers, a giant eagle appeared in the sky.
Whoosh-! Thump-!
The eagle, raising a strong wind, left a cloth-wrapped package next to Ulta and glided away.
“Was that a Wind Eagle just now?”
“Using a high-ranking wind phantom beast just for transportation… As expected of Senior Ulta!”
Students looked at Ulta with eyes of admiration.
“What kind of training is he preparing supplies for the first-years for….”
Yura’s face, as she unwrapped the package and checked its contents, turned grim.
“What are you planning to make the first-years do with this?”
What Ulta had prepared was none other than a butterfly net.
“Professor, you must have heard. On this Isle of Phantom Beasts!”
Ulta spread his arms wide.
“Fairies have appeared!”
“Fairies?”
“No way?”
The first-year students’ eyes widened.
A vein popped out on Yura’s forehead.
“So? You’re going to make the first-years catch fairies?”
“That’s right.”
“‘That’s right’ my foot, you’re talking nonsense. You crazy lunatic! We’re busy to death preparing for the inter-department competition, and you’re pulling this useless stunt? You’re going to get a beating from me today! No, just dieeeeee!”
Yura, who had snared Ulta’s head with a butterfly net, pulled him towards her and yelled.
Carlo and the students were aghast and tried to stop Yura.
Meanwhile, Leo pressed his temples.
‘That bastard… he couldn’t just stay put!’