Chapter 021
Chapter Title: A New Contract and a Sudden Test
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The Hero's Tower, located in the center of Lumerne.
This place was more for Lumerne's faculty than its great students.
And at the very top of the Hero's Tower was the principal's office.
Principal Kalian, sitting at his desk with a relaxed expression, turned his head toward the window.
With a roar of flames, a woman with crimson hair appeared.
“Welcome, Pirina.”
Kalian's expression, which had been a gentle smile as he greeted Pirina, changed in an instant.
“Has the intruder made a move?”
The infiltration incident within Lumerne five years ago.
There were no casualties, so it wasn't publicly known, and the culprit was never caught.
But Lumerne was not just a simple educational institution; it was where the Hero Records were kept.
To not only breach Lumerne's security network but also cause an incident within its walls and escape capture was no small feat.
It was clear this incident would cause immense chaos if it became known to the world, so it was kept under wraps.
However, they had not stopped searching for the culprit.
That was why Kalian had asked Ellen to invite Pirina to Lumerne.
Because there was no better summoned beast than a phoenix to watch over the vast entirety of Lumerne.
“It's not that, but I have brought good news.”
“Good news?”
“A Lumerne student has just become a phoenix contractor.”
“Is that true?”
Kalian asked in surprise.
“Did they contract with you? Or with another phoenix?”
“They contracted with my child, who was just born.”
“Your child? Wasn't she supposed to form a contract with the heir of the Lundua family?”
“That was the plan, but things just turned out this way.”
“So it was possible because it's a young phoenix… Still, for a student to form such a contract! Was there another talent of that caliber among the fifth-years besides Ulta?”
Kalian had naturally assumed the contractor was from the highest grade.
Aside from Ulta, the Pegasus contractor, all the other fifth-year summoning students specialized in spirit arts, so he found it surprising.
“Not a fifth-year.”
“Oh? A fourth-year, then? Right! The top student in fourth-year beast summoning is exceptionally skilled.”
“Not a fourth-year either.”
Pirina shook her head.
Principal Kalian's expression turned peculiar.
“Surely you don't mean a third-year?”
“No.”
“...”
“A second-year?”
Seeing Pirina smile without answering, Kalian let out a dry laugh.
“Are you telling me a first-year became a contractor?”
“That's right.”
“Who is it?”
“Leo Flove.”
“Hahaha. Leo Flove, you say?”
That was the student the notoriously picky Albi had recommended as hero material.
The very student he had made the class representative, despite the opposition of other professors, had suddenly become a phoenix contractor.
*Didn't they say that student was a Knight Studies major?*
Astonished, Principal Kalian stroked his beard.
*I'll have to meet him soon.*
***
“Thank you for the class!”
After the summoning class ended, the first-years gave a vigorous bow and swarmed out of the practice hall.
Before they knew it, it was late evening.
The stomachs of the growing students, who had just gone through a taming exam, were crying out for food.
The first-years, one and all, headed quickly for the student cafeteria.
“Young Master Leo. Would you like to have dinner together?”
“Sure.”
Leo was about to leave the classroom with Chen Xia.
“Student Leo.”
“Yes.”
“The professor is looking for you.”
Carlo approached and said.
“Looks like we'll have to eat separately.”
“I suppose it can't be helped. See you in the next class, Young Master Leo.”
Chen Xia left the classroom first.
Leo followed Carlo to the professor's office.
When Carlo knocked on the door of the office, a short "Come in" was heard from inside.
“Please go in.”
After nodding to Carlo, Leo entered the room.
Unlike her free-spirited personality, Professor Yura's office was neat and tidy.
Professor Yura, sitting at her desk, gestured to the seat opposite her.
“Sit.”
As soon as Leo sat down, Professor Yura began to speak as if she couldn't wait.
“I'll ask you straight, Student Leo.”
“Yes.”
“The beast you contracted with earlier, it's a phoenix, right?”
*So she knew.*
“Yes.”
Professor Yura was visibly shaken by Leo's answer.
Although she had expected it, hearing the confirmation from Leo's own mouth was still shocking.
“Could you show me?”
Looking at Professor Yura, who asked in a trembling voice, Leo reached into the inner pocket of his uniform.
Pirina had said she would come for her tonight, so Piora was still with Leo.
He placed Piora on the desk.
“To think I'd see a young phoenix in my lifetime!”
Even an adult phoenix was a rare sight, so seeing a fledgling—an even rarer sight—a professor of Lumerne couldn't help but be excited.
“Hah~! Such a dignified appearance!”
Dignified or not, Piora was dozing off like a sick chick, her head bobbing.
*Are her eyes bad?*
“What's her name?”
“Piora.”
“How on earth did you find her? Even I didn't know there was a phoenix in the Forest of Beasts.”
A professor's status at Lumerne was by no means low.
They were all highly skilled experts in their fields and also commanders with considerable authority in case of an emergency.
Yet even to such a professor, Pirina's existence was a secret.
Leo, having heard this from Pirina, had prepared an excuse.
“I found an egg while wandering through the forest. I don't know why it was there, but it was a phoenix egg.”
It was a flimsy excuse to believe outright.
But other than coincidence, there was no way to explain the phoenix contract.
Besides, there was no way to verify Leo's words.
“Even so, it couldn't have been easy to recognize it as a phoenix egg, could it?”
Despite its fame, the phoenix was a mythical beast about which very little was known.
There was a reason why related information was traded at high prices.
“My mother's family is connected to phoenixes, so I've read ancient texts about them.”
“And where is your mother's family from?”
“The Jerdingers.”
Professor Yura was surprised.
*Right... if it's the Jerdingers, it makes sense. The source of the aura flames they use is the power of the phoenix.*
If he had the talent for summoning, there could be no more perfect condition for a phoenix contractor.
*Still, for a mere fifteen-year-old kid to form a contract with a phoenix.*
Professor Yura's eyes shone.
Questions remained, but what was important now was Leo's talent—forming a contract with a phoenix as a student, and on his first day of classes at that.
“I see. Thank you for your time. You may go now.”
Professor Yura walked Leo to the office door.
And before opening the door, she said seriously.
“Student Leo.”
“Yes.”
“It would be best to keep the fact that you've contracted with a phoenix a secret for the time being. It will cause an uproar if it gets out.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Now, go have a nice dinner, and I'll see you in the next class.”
Pat, pat—Professor Yura patted Leo's shoulder and closed the door.
Then she returned to her seat and pondered.
*How on earth should I teach that raw gem?*
Professor Yura was filled with dreams.
A summoner with legendary talent was her student!
She wanted to raise him into the greatest summoner, no matter what it took.
*Should I have him skip a grade? Having such a talented student is a dilemma in itself!*
Picturing her student who would one day make a name for himself as a great summoner, Yura was lost in happy contemplation.
She was even willing to give Leo private lessons if he wanted.
Professor Yura had no doubt that Leo would choose Summoning as his primary major.
Wasn't it obvious? How could he possibly go to another department with that much talent?
*Huhu, for the next five years, the best department will be our Summoning department!*
Professor Yura didn't know.
That for Leo, there was no such thing as a primary major.
***
The next morning.
Leo headed to the Magic Building with Karl to attend magic class.
“Oh! Chloe!”
Karl spotted Chloe walking ahead, a magic textbook tucked under her arm, and waved.
“Hi, Leo, Karl. Yawn.”
“Why are you yawning so early in the morning?”
“I was up late reading a magic book.”
“Really? Then how about this?”
Grinning, Karl pulled a small bottle from his coat.
“A fatigue recovery potion from Karl's Emporium! A mere five shillings.”
“It's not anything weird, is it?”
“The label right here lists all the ingredients and has an authentication mark.”
“Hmm.”
After checking the label, Chloe nodded and bought the fatigue recovery potion.
As she drank it, she glanced at Leo.
“So you're really taking magic class?”
“I told you I was.”
“This guy even took summoning class yesterday, you know?”
At Karl's words, Chloe looked at Leo as if he were a curiosity.
“What class did you have yesterday?”
“I'm aiming to be a pure mage, so I didn't have classes yesterday. I studied in the library.”
“Wow, you're a real honor student.”
The three of them arrived at the Magic Building while making small talk.
Today's classroom, the [Grand Lecture Hall], was a large, circular hall that could accommodate up to 500 people.
Seeing the lecture hall, Karl grinned.
“The prime spot in the very back is still open! What are you guys doing? Let's go!”
“What are you talking about? The prime spot is at the very front.”
“It seems you and I walk different paths.”
Karl was ready to cut ties with Chloe without a second thought.
But Chloe was faster, grabbing Karl by the ear.
“Owowowow?!”
“You're just planning to sleep in the back, aren't you? A student of magic should pay close attention in class.”
“Hey, hey! Let go and we can talk about this! Huh? Hey!”
Chloe dragged Karl to a seat in the very front row of the lecture hall.
“If I sit here, I'll fall asleep and the professor will have it out for me!”
Chloe smiled at the despairing Karl.
“On the other hand, if you study hard, the professor will look on you favorably.”
Karl shot her a resentful glare, but Chloe paid him no mind and simply opened her textbook.
Leo, who had also ended up in the front, stifled a chuckle.
Just then, a man walked up to the lecture hall's podium.
Thud—thud—thud—
Dressed in a neat suit with pomaded hair, he was a man who fit the description of handsome.
As a few female students let out gasps of admiration, he stood in the center of the podium and smiled warmly.
“A pleasure to meet you, first-years. My name is Ren Horus. I am the professor who will be teaching you Magic Theory for the next year.”
Ren's introduction was met with a storm of applause.
“Any questions before we begin class?”
A barrage of questions poured from the female students.
“Professor! Do you have a girlfriend?”
“How old are you?”
“What's your ideal type!”
A flood of useless questions unrelated to the class poured in.
Despite this, Professor Ren smiled kindly and answered every one.
“A handsome professor. The girls are going to swoon. But Ren Horus? Never heard of him. Chloe, you know him?”
Karl asked, balancing a pen on his upper lip and lacing his fingers behind his head. Chloe shook hers.
“I've never heard of him either.”
Once the personal questions were over, Professor Ren spoke.
“Today, we will be covering the introduction to magic theory. But before that!”
Snap—!
Professor Ren snapped his fingers.
Whoosh—!
Papers began to flutter throughout the entire lecture hall.
The sheets of paper landed precisely in front of each student.
“Before we begin the lesson, we will have a simple magic theory test.”
“Whaaaat?”
“A test on the first day? Professor, that's so mean~”
Complaints erupted from all over.
There were even some female students whining coquettishly.
“For your information, any student who fails to meet the minimum score will be barred from taking any magic major courses in the future.”
“...!”
The lighthearted atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Amidst the silence, one student cautiously raised their hand.
“P-Professor. What if a student from the magic department fails the test?”
“Why, of course.”
Professor Ren answered lightly, as if the question was absurd.
“They'll be expelled.”