Book 1 Chapter 896

Two days had passed since the announcement of the dance party schedule.

It was dawn, the curfew hour.

In the student council vice president's office, Kal was making a status board on the whiteboard and reporting to Elena.

"First, we took measures to prevent Chelsea, a person of interest with a Level 3 threat, from asking Leo to be her partner. We also hinted to Leo that Chelsea would likely go with Abad."

"Oh?"

"Chelsea thinks of me as an ally, so she's been continuously cooperating with me to keep others from asking Leo to be their partner. Her main target was Iliana."

"Can't you just leave Iliana alone?"

"Well, even if I say something, Leo probably won't accept her offer… But aren't there proverbs like 'ten knocks will not fail to fell a tree'?"

That was exactly right.

Considering Iliana's aggressiveness, she wasn't the type to be discouraged by one rejection.

Rather, she would constantly bombard Leo.

"The more attempts, the higher the probability! In the current situation, Iliana is like a joker who can create variables. So it's right to keep her under tight watch."

"Really?"

Elena nodded as if she understood.

"What about Celia?"

"The risk regarding Celia has been resolved. When I asked Leo, he seemed to have someone he was going with as a partner."

"That's good. What about Lil?"

"Eliza is doing her best!"

Kal gave a thumbs up.

"As for Chloe, she doesn't seem interested in the dance party at all."

"Why?"

"From what I can see, she seems to have gotten fixated on some magic theory a few days ago."

"Ah."

Elena recalled Chloe.

Chloe was a junior that Elena found endearing.

As a fellow mage, she definitely possessed strengths that Elena didn't have.

Her research and passion for magic.

Although Elena wasn't particularly interested in it, it was something she could fully respect as a fellow mage.

'Though she seems to have a hidden mischievous side.'

Elena clicked her tongue, recalling events from a few days prior.

"Still, we're keeping an eye on her just in case."

"Right. She's the type to act out unexpectedly."

Kal tilted his head at Elena's words.

'What did Chloe do to Elena-senpai?'

While feeling a moment of doubt, Elena asked, "So? What about Chen Xia?"

"That's the thing. Should I say she's quiet? She's acting the same as usual. That makes me uneasy."

"…That's true. If she's quiet, she definitely has something up her sleeve."

Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.

As Leo's shadow, Chen Xia is the student who spends the most time with Leo, whether others realize it or not.

'And yet, she's so mature.'

Though she looks young, her inner self is very mature.

Elena found that aspect concerning.

Outwardly, he was a boy in his late teens, but Leo was an adult, no matter what.

'And not just any adult, but an uncle who has experienced all the hardships in the world.'

In that sense, Leo and Elena had little in common.

Elena grew up in an environment where she could have anything she wanted, lacking nothing.

Conversely, Chen Xia was different.

As a shadow, she grew up being rejected by the world from a young age.

She also walked a difficult path.

Her attitude towards Leo was more mature than Elena's.

This was an advantage Elena couldn't possess.

Recalling Chen Xia, Elena sighed softly and asked Kal, "So? When should I ask Leo-kun to be my partner?"

"The last day."

"The last day?"

Elena furrowed her brow.

Seeing Elena like that, Kal said, "Yes. For now, try to tease Leo as much as possible. Then, pretend to give in and ask. That will give you the highest probability."

"What if someone else confirms their partner before then?"

"Isn't that why I'm here? And…"

"And?"

"Leo said you were cute when he saw you getting angry. He'll probably give in, pretending he can't resist."

"He said I was cute?"

"Yes."

"Not pretty?"

Elena grumbled with dissatisfaction.

However, her mood seemed to lift, and a smile formed on her lips.

'At least my mood has improved.'

Kal let out a sigh of relief.

'Now I just need to keep the other girls in check for the next few days.'

Looking at the status board, Kal wore a serious expression.

'Alright! Kal! You can do it!'

Kal's eyes burned with determination.

'For a comfortable start to the second semester! I'll stake my honor as one who prepares for the beginning!'

Though it was a resolution that others would find pathetic, Kal was more serious than anyone.

***

Third-year Summoning class.

The third-year students were gathered in groups on the Island of Mythical Beasts, the main location for the summoning practical class.

"Did you decide who you're going with?"

"Hehe."

"What's with that smile?! You've really decided?"

As expected, the topic of conversation was the dance party, which was only a few days away.

Students were starting to choose their partners.

"Hey, President!"

At that moment, a female student approached Leo.

Leo looked puzzled at the shy, blushing fellow Summoning student.

"Here!"

Seeing the female student bravely hand him an envelope, Leo smiled.

"I just need to deliver this to Waeden, right?"

"Yes! Please!"

"I'll make sure it gets to him."

"Thank you!"

The female student left with a bright smile.

Soon, another female student approached and gave him another letter.

This time, it was a letter to be delivered to Duran.

"Leo-dono is quite popular," Chen Xia said with a smile. Leo carefully put away the letters and replied, "Waeden and Duran. Those two are so fierce."

If one were to pick the representative training fanatics among the third-years, it would be Waeden and Duran.

They trained whenever they had a moment.

Therefore, they considered even reading letters a waste of time.

However, they received the letters that Leo delivered.

As a result, Leo unintentionally became the messenger for the two.

"So?"

"Yes?"

"Have you decided who you're going with to the dance party?" Leo asked subtly. Chen Xia assumed a serious expression.

"There's someone I'd like to ask, but they have a twisted personality and would probably reject me on purpose if I asked."

"Really? So there's someone as ill-tempered as me."

"Right. Their temper is reeeeally bad."

Leo chuckled at Chen Xia's words.

Chen Xia glared at Leo.

"Leo-dono, who are you planning to go with?"

"Whoever asks me first."

At those words, Chen Xia, who had been staring intently at Leo, muttered softly, "Liar."

Leo let out a hollow laugh at Chen Xia's display of distrust.

'Was I this untrustworthy?'

Leo muttered to himself and shrugged.

From the moment he realized there were ulterior motives, Leo had intended to go with whoever asked him first.

However, seeing Chen Xia's distrust, Leo felt regretful.

A moment later.

Yura walked over briskly.

"Alright! Today, as I mentioned in the last class, we'll form teams of two! Everyone, find your partners."

As Yura said this, Chen Xia was about to speak to Leo when "Leo Flove. Team up with me." and "Chen Xia. Be my partner." Eliza and Waeden spoke to Leo and Chen Xia respectively.

Chen Xia faltered at their unexpected reactions.

'What is this? Was Waeden-kun also influenced by Kal-kun?'

Eliza, being in a romantic relationship with Kal, could be trying to obstruct me, but Waeden was unexpected.

While Chen Xia was contemplating, Waeden said, "This class is about forming a bond with the mythical beast contracted by your partner."

"Yes."

"You haven't contracted with high-level spirits, but your affinity with the water spirits you've contracted with is very high. I want to try forming a bond with a spirit contracted by someone like you."

Waeden was a genius in spirit magic.

As such, there was no attribute he couldn't handle, and his ingenuity was outstanding.

He could even handle spirits contracted by others.

However, there was one type of spirit that Waeden couldn't handle, and that was the water spirits contracted by Chen Xia.

Waeden had long been intensely interested in their affinity.

After listening to Waeden's words, Chen Xia, who had been contemplating, nodded.

"Understood."

Sensing that Waeden's goal was purely for growth, Chen Xia agreed to his request.

Besides Chen Xia and Waeden, many students were trying to team up with students who had contracted with mythical beasts they were interested in.

"Alright, alright. We'll be switching partners after 30 minutes anyway."

Yura clapped her hands to sort out the situation, and then the students began to form teams smoothly.

Leo teamed up with Eliza.

"Well then, everyone go to a place where you can concentrate and start the class! My assistant professor Carlo and I will be walking around and offering advice! Let's begin!"

As soon as Yura finished speaking, the Summoning students began to disperse.

Eliza started walking silently, and Leo followed behind her.

After a while, they arrived in a secluded part of the forest, and Leo said, "You want to try forming a bond with Arti, right?"

"As someone who commands a Pegasus, of course."

"But this one actually likes being petted, so it should be easy?" Leo said with a smile, and Eliza crossed her arms.

"Even so, he inherited the power of the Pegasus King. Liking the hands of other summoners doesn't mean you can easily control him."

"That's true."

Leo nodded and was about to summon Arti when Eliza hesitated.

"Why?"

Sensing that Eliza was acting unusually, Leo looked puzzled.

Seeing Leo, Eliza hesitated, then clicked her tongue and said, "Leo Flove. Have you decided who you're going with to the dance party?"

"Not yet. Why do you ask?"

"Then will you go with me?"

"…?"

Leo's eyes widened at Eliza's sudden remark.

Seeing Leo like that, Eliza regretted her words.

She had said it in anger at Kal's actions.

But now that she'd said it, she felt pathetic for asking someone she had no intention of going with, just to spite Kal.

'And there's no way this human would accept.'

Eliza sighed softly and opened her mouth.

"I said something foolish. Forget what I just said…"

"Okay."

"What?"

At Leo's words, Eliza looked stunned.

Seeing Eliza like that, Leo smiled.

"Let's go together, to the dance party."

***

This morning.

Iliana, who had been interrupted exactly 19 times when trying to ask Leo to the dance party, recalled the people who had interrupted her.

'Kal, Chelsea, Sia, Celia.'

Celia dragged her to the disciplinary committee even though she had done nothing wrong.

When she went with Kal and Chelsea because Professor Ren was looking for them, she was told that was never the case.

After that, Kal, Chelsea, Celia, and Chen Xia continuously interrupted her conversations with Leo.

She hadn't thought anything was strange up to the 18th interruption, but this morning, she felt it clearly.

'What the heck! They were trying to stop me from talking to the class president!'

She quickly realized why.

The dance party.

'This is too much!'

Iliana's face crumpled.

But that was only for a moment.

A mischievousness unlike her usual self began to rise on Iliana's face.

To be honest, she didn't think she could break through the surveillance of those four people and ask Leo to be her partner.

There was a high probability that she wouldn't even be able to talk to Leo.

'But I can't just stand by and take it.'

Iliana, with a furious expression, curled her lips.

'Alright. If I can't have it…'

With eyes filled with rage, Iliana thought.

'I'll destroy it! No one will be able to go to the dance party with the class president!'