Chapter 157
Chapter Title: The Lumerne Way
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*Tap— Clack— Tap—*
The sound of chalk echoed throughout the cafe.
The Emeral students, who had been snickering under their breath, found their expressions turning blank as time went on.
*Clack—*
Leo set the chalk down and stepped back from the board.
He looked at Silla, whose mouth was hanging open.
“So?”
“Y-You can approach it like this?”
Startled back to her senses, Silla hurriedly approached the chalkboard.
‘What is this? How did he interpret it? This spell can actually be activated?’
At Emeral Academy, students were divided into groups of twenty for their research projects.
The problem Leo had just solved was the very project Silla’s group was working on.
And he had solved it with ease.
For the Emeral students, it was a jaw-dropping sight.
To be honest, even after watching Leo solve the formula right beside him, she couldn’t even properly understand half of it.
‘Damn it! How in the world did he do that!’
She understood that the formula would activate the spell.
But she had no idea *how* it was being activated.
Silla, who had been staring intently at the board, glanced at Leo casually twirling the chalk and gritted her teeth.
She wanted a detailed explanation, but her pride wouldn't let her ask.
“But you know.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“Instead of this approach, I think there’s a more efficient way to activate the magic.”
“What?”
Smiling brightly, Leo erased the entire board and began writing a new formula.
“The previous magic was a spell formula designed to get a high output using a small amount of heat magic, right? Since heat means fire-type magic, it naturally requires a lot of fire formulas. But that increases mana consumption. So, you use wind magic for compression.”
Leo began writing the magic formula on the board.
The Emeral students watched, their mouths agape.
It was a complex spell that was difficult to even comprehend.
‘How is that more efficient!’
‘My head is going to explode!’
“Compressing it with a wind formula like this can increase the firepower even more. That also reduces mana consumption.”
Leo shrugged.
“Wait! Hold on! This might reduce mana consumption, but that’s not the only factor for efficiency! You also have to consider the casting time and simplicity!”
At Silla’s point, Leo let out a smirk.
“We have convenient things like activation formulas these days, don't we?”
“Turning a complex formula like this into an activation formula is no simple task, you know?”
Silla narrowed her eyes.
Watching her, Leo chuckled.
“It’s not that difficult.”
“What?”
Leo instantly activated the magic he had just analyzed.
A flame flickered in his hand before being compressed by the wind, turning into a ball of energy.
Seeing this, Silla’s jaw dropped.
“It’s still not practical enough for actual combat, but with a little more research, it could yield some pretty decent results.”
As Leo dispelled the magic with a shrug, Silla’s body trembled.
Then, as if she had realized something, she spoke.
“I-I see! You’ve been researching this kind of magic too, haven’t you? Right! Of course, this is Lumerne! To think you’ve already been researching magic in this direction.”
Silla forced a laugh.
“Hahahaha! How embarrassing, just copying what Lumerne is researching.”
“We don’t really do this kind of research at Lumerne.”
“What?”
“Lumerne does research various experimental magic theories, but not at the school level. Lumerne primarily focuses on specializing or applying existing magic for combat.”
Leo shrugged his shoulders.
It was true.
The ultimate goal of Lumerne's magic department was to train heroes.
As such, they primarily researched how to apply and use existing magic formulas in actual combat.
Professor Ren might emphasize an academic approach, but that didn't make it the mainstream.
That’s why such unique experiments were rarely conducted at Lumerne.
“W-Wait. Then how did you analyze this formula and convert it into an activation formula? You did it right here, on the spot?”
Silla’s eyes widened.
“Yeah.”
As Leo nodded nonchalantly, Silla took a step back.
The other Emeral students began to murmur among themselves.
“Don't be ridiculous! You just glanced at it and solved the analysis. That's impossible unless you already knew it… wait. It might be possible if you did it with mental math, but that’s impossible…”
“I did it in my head.”
“……!”
*Crack—*
The faces of Silla and all the other Emeral students froze.
“Lies… It has to be a lie! There’s no way a person can do that! Waaaaaah!”
In shock, Silla fled the cafe as if running for her life.
“Hey! Leader, where are you going!”
“W-Wait for us!”
“Hiiiek?”
The Emeral students who were frantically chasing after Silla met Leo’s eyes and flinched in terror.
Watching the Emeral students look at him as if he were a monster, Leo scratched his cheek.
“Was that a bit too much?”
***
It was time for assembly.
All 600 visiting students had gathered at the pier to head to Lumerne.
“I heard all the students who came this time are first-years.”
On a bench at the pier, Celia sat to Leo’s left and Chelsea to his right.
“Celia, did anyone give you trouble while you were walking around Lumeria City?”
“Trouble? Not really.”
“Chelsea, what about you?”
Chelsea, who was sitting on the bench swinging her legs and watching the Emeral students, shook her head.
“Me neither. Why? Did some fools try to pick a fight with you, Leo?”
“Yeah.”
“They’re pretty unlucky. Of all the people to mess with, they chose you,” Celia said indifferently.
Looking at Celia, Leo crossed his arms.
“What about me?”
“Plenty of kids at our school feel despair when they see you. They just got their spirits crushed before the joint classes even started.”
As Celia shrugged, Chelsea covered her mouth and giggled.
Just then, the supervising professors appeared at the pier.
Ain, Yura, and Ren.
Seeing the three professors, Chelsea spoke with a serious expression.
“Sometimes I just don't get our school. Putting those three professors together is a recipe for disaster, so why do they always assign them to major events like this?”
Two of them together sparked a chemical reaction; three of them sparked an even bigger one. Yet, they were often seen moving together.
Hearing Chelsea’s words, Celia wore a look of agreement.
“All instructors, assemble.”
At Ain’s command, ten students stepped forward.
The curious gazes of the students from the three academies fixed on them.
“Wow, she’s pretty.”
“Lady Celia…! You’re beautiful!”
“That’s Chelsea Llewellyn, right?”
“Who’s that girl from the magic department?”
“That short girl is in the knight department?”
“The heir of the Hergin family seems kind of unapproachable.”
The male students stared blankly at the female students from Lumerne.
However, the Lumerne girls’ reactions were indifferent.
Celia swept her hair back, looking uninterested.
Chelsea crossed her arms with a sullen expression.
Chloe, as usual, was reading a grimoire as if she couldn't care less, and Eliza was tidying her fingers without giving them a second glance.
Only Chen Xia smiled brightly and waved.
Meanwhile, the female students’ reactions were similar.
“Wow… He looks like he came out of a painting.”
“Wow. He’s so handsome.”
“H-He looks scary.”
The conspicuous Abad, Duran, and Woreden were monopolizing the female students’ attention.
“That white-haired boy is Leo Flove, right?”
“The all-class!”
“I don’t know. He’s a cute, pretty boy. I thought he’d be more rugged.”
At that moment, the sound of a few female students squealing could be heard.
Instantly, Chelsea, Chloe, and Chen Xia glanced in that direction.
Meanwhile, Celia crossed her arms and said, “I don’t know what they see in that cheesy guy.”
“My brother is not cheesy!” Chelsea retorted.
“Silence,” Ain said coldly.
At the sight of Ain, the students from the three academies instantly fell silent.
“These students, although they are students like you, have been appointed as instructors. So, follow their instructions well.”
At Ain’s words, a female student raised her hand.
“Professor! We like that instructor! We want him to be our guide!”
The one who raised her hand was none other than a female student from Ikkote, the knight academy.
She pointed her finger at Abad, and Ain addressed her.
“Abad Llewellyn is in the magic department. He has nothing to do with you from Ikkote.”
At those words, the female student smirked.
“What does that matter? We’re all Lumerne students, aren’t we? What’s the big deal if our departments are different?”
The Lumerne students stared at the girl with wide eyes.
Those who seemed to be her followers also crossed their arms and nodded.
Even Duran’s jaw dropped.
In Lumerne, whining and defying a professor’s legitimate order was unthinkable.
Especially if that professor was Ain!
“Wow… Unbelievable.”
“Looks like she has a death wish,” Eliza said, the corner of her lips curling up at Chelsea’s exclamation.
But Yura and Ren looked as if they had expected this.
“You, what’s your name?”
“Sirina Pia! The princess of the Duchy of Cheya!”
Sirina puffed out her chest with a smug expression.
The Duchy of Cheya.
A kingdom located in the eastern part of the continent, a duchy of considerable size.
At Sirina’s words, Ain spoke.
“Student Sirina. This is a warning. If you accumulate three warnings, you will have to pack your bags and return to your school immediately, so be aware.”
After speaking calmly, Professor Ain was about to discuss the schedule.
“Wait a minute! Why on earth should I receive a warning? And pack my bags! Do you know who I am!” Sirina snapped.
“Second warning. Try not to get a third.”
“No! Seriously! Why do I have to get a warning!”
Sirina wore a hysterical expression.
Lumerne was a school everyone yearned for.
Even if it was just a joint class, receiving instruction there was a tremendous opportunity.
The fact that she was receiving warnings and facing expulsion before the classes even began made Sirina throw a tantrum.
“Third warning. You are expelled from the program.”
Ain took a list out from his coat.
“Hey! You may be a professor at Lumerne, but you have no right to kick me out as you please!”
The agitated Sirina pointed her finger at Ain and approached him.
Watching the scene, Yura muttered, “She’s crossing the line.”
“There have always been students like that, but this year’s batch seems a bit more severe,” Ren sighed.
*Grab—!*
“Huh?”
“Listen carefully, Sirina Pia. Whether you are the princess of the Duchy of Cheya or a princess from some other kingdom, I could not care less.”
At Ain’s icy voice, Sirina’s face turned pale.
“This is Lumerne, and at Lumerne, a professor’s word is absolute. Perhaps not at Ikkote, but your pathetic, petty power holds no sway here. So get out of my sight.”
*Whoosh—!*
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
*Splash—!*
After throwing Sirina into the water, Ain addressed the frozen students of the three academies.
“I will warn you. This is not Ikkote, Emeral, or Skaun. This is Lumerne. A student’s status is nothing more or less than that of a student, and there is no hierarchy among you. From this moment on, you will be treated as equals to the Lumerne students. So if any of you plan on flaunting your worthless family names, get out of here right now. That is all.”
At Ain’s words, the students from the other academies held their breath.
Watching this, Chelsea muttered, “It seems worse than we heard.”
“What is?”
As Leo looked puzzled, Chloe, who was beside him, closed her grimoire and said, “Unlike Lumerne, the student hierarchy at the other three prestigious academies isn't determined by skill.”
“What?”
“They have many children of high-ranking officials from various countries. Of course, our school does too, but the influence of the powerful is much stronger there.”
Chelsea crossed her arms and clicked her tongue.
“That's why I've heard they're full of immature brats who act all high and mighty because of their family name, even though they have no real skill. Apparently, even the professors have to walk on eggshells around them.”
At those words, Leo muttered, “It's going to be chaotic for the next few days.”