Chapter 317
Chapter Title: Unexpected Moves
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"What?"
Abad's expression hardened as he heard the news from the rear detachment via magical communication.
"Leo showed up there? How many others are with him?"
-Just Leo! Emio's already been taken out!
Hearing the report, Abad was lost in thought.
'Leo was part of the strike team meant to attack the other dorms. Why did he show up behind our base?'
"What are the chances Karl Thomas's information was wrong?"
Duran, who had been listening beside him, asked, but Abad shook his head.
"No. That's impossible. I watched Karl gather the intel myself. It was solid."
"Then maybe information about our movements was leaked..."
As Duran spoke, his eyes sharpened.
Flash—! Crackle! Sizzle!
As Duran drew his sword, a brilliant golden light erupted.
KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KOOM!
With a thunderous roar, golden sparks shot from his blade, embroidering the sky.
Fwoosh-sh-sh-sh-sh-!
A dense, net-like web of lightning aura descended upon the incoming ice spikes.
The intense heat radiating from the lightning vaporized the ice.
The male students of Noble watched in awe.
"That's Duran for you."
"That's as powerful as an area-of-effect spell, isn't it?"
"Kyaaaaah!"
"Duran, you're so cool!"
Duran, wreathed in an aura of lightning, was indeed a magnificent sight.
But Duran wasn't finished.
Crackle—!
A golden current coiled around Duran's feet.
Using Aura Step, Duran shot through the air at incredible speed.
"Don't you think it's dangerous for a mage to be on the front lines like this?"
Duran raised his sword, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at the platinum-blonde girl.
"Chloe."
Flash—
Duran's lightning aura surged.
Chloe's blue eyes tracked the trajectory of Duran's sword.
Krrrr-crack!
In an instant, a wall of ice materialized.
Duran's eye twitched.
'Did Chloe know how to cast a spell like this? There should have been some sign if she was using magic with this level of defense.'
He hadn't felt any movement of magical energy at all.
'Is it that familiar the magic department students were supposedly making?'
The moment he thought that.
Whoosh—!
Chloe's magical energy fluctuated wildly.
"Frost Nova."
As the incantation finished, a frigid, icy wind swirled.
Just before Duran was swept away by the gale.
KRAAAAAW!
A Wind Wyvern grabbed Duran's arm and ascended into the sky.
Duran used the momentum to swiftly mount the Wind Wyvern's back.
Sizzzzzzzle—!
Duran raised his hand.
'A greatsword?'
In his hand was a massive two-handed sword.
'I heard the knight department students train with secondary weapons... So Duran's is a greatsword.'
Even though they're both in the sword category, a longsword and a two-handed sword are wielded in completely different ways.
'The defining characteristic of a two-handed sword is...'
Chloe focused her magical energy.
'Destructive power far superior to a longsword.'
FLASH—! SIZZLE-CRACKLE—!
As Duran raised the two-handed sword, a bolt of lightning struck it from the heavens.
A wave of golden current raged.
Seeing this, Chloe summoned her magical energy.
Woooong—!
Complex runic words were embroidered in the air.
"World of Ice."
Crackle—!
Krrrr-crack!
The moment Chloe's chant ended, a chill of absolute zero washed over Duran.
Fwoosh—!
Duran grimaced and retracted his attack.
The other students of Noble also recoiled in horror, escaping the range of Chloe's spell.
Simultaneously, the magic department students began chanting spells for a counterattack.
But before they could finish, Chloe had already made a swift exit from the battlefield.
"Surprise attacks are truly fearsome."
Abad clicked his tongue.
Then, Abad held out his palm.
A magic circle unfolded.
"Instant Contract."
As the spell was chanted, powerful magical energy erupted across the surrounding area.
"What kind of spell is that? It looks like contract magic."
"Familiar contract magic."
"Familiar contract magic?"
"It's a spell that forms a wide-area familiar contract with all the animals in the vicinity."
It was also the spell he had created for his presentation in the magic department's latest assignment.
The creation of familiars using magical engineering, as instructed by Ren.
Following Ren and Tina's advice, Abad had modified the basic magic imbued in familiars, creating a spell for his assignment that could temporarily grant those effects to nearby animals.
It wasn't creating a familiar, but a spell to arbitrarily command hundreds of them.
As an all-rounder, Abad could provide powerful fire support from the rear like Chloe or fight on the front lines like Chelsea.
At a glance, it seemed versatile, but in reality, most all-rounder mages were jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none.
However, with his overwhelming talent, Abad had grown into a truly ideal, flawless all-rounder mage.
Therefore, he determined what he needed was prior intelligence gathering to gain an advantage in battle.
That's why he created 'Instant Contract,' a spell that could artificially create a large-scale network of familiars in the surrounding area.
'A desirable spell, indeed.'
Eliza's eyes shone.
As a student of the summoning department, various ways to apply this magic to summoning flashed through Eliza's mind.
Just as Eliza wore an intrigued expression.
"...All the Glory students are at their base."
At Abad's words, the Noble students looked shocked.
"Was Karl's intel wrong?"
"No. The intel was probably correct. But Glory must have planned their strategy assuming the information would leak."
"Then what about Leo Flove? Isn't he defending the base?"
Eliza furrowed her fine brow.
In response, Abad said.
"Right now, Leo is the only Glory student outside fighting other dorms."
At those words, all the Noble students' eyes widened.
"Leo was tasked with hunting down other students all by himself. We've been completely outplayed."
"B-But no matter how good Leo is, does it make sense for him to hunt dozens of other students alone?"
A Noble student asked in a flustered voice, and Duran, who had just returned, spoke.
"...Besides the dorm leaders and top-ranking students, who do you think can stop Leo Flove?"
The Noble students' eyes widened.
"You all seem to be under a delusion. Let me set you straight."
Sparks flew from Duran's body.
"He's not just some guy who has the abilities of every class."
Eliza scoffed, summoning a mystical beast and mounting it.
"He's a flawless monster who perfectly understands and utilizes the abilities of every class. Trusting in numbers and charging at him will only make you sacrifices. There's only one way to stop him."
Sizzzzle! Fwoosh!
"Overwhelming strength!"
Duran shot forward, and at the same moment, Eliza's Wind Wyvern also took off.
***
"Karl probably saw right through our plan."
Before the exam began.
Chloe had gathered all the Glory students and spoken.
"So, all of us will defend the base."
Chloe looked at Leo.
"Which means, Leo, you'll be the one to earn kill points against the other dorms."
Chloe said with a gentle smile.
"The more you rampage alone, the more the other dorms will think you aren't the King. Of course, Woreden, Duran, and Eliza will come after you, but..."
Chloe's strategy was one that could only work with trust.
"You won't fall to them."
Trust in the strongest card they held.
***
Clang—! Fwooooosh—!
Nella blocked Leo's sword.
The other students didn't even dare to stand against Leo.
The members of the detachment had been chosen from mid-ranking students, selected for their mobility and stealth.
The top-ranking students had almost all gone to the front of the Glory dorm to attack head-on with their dorm leaders.
Emio, one of the few skilled enough to counter Leo's attacks, had been caught off guard and already received a death verdict, forcing him to return.
In other words, Nella was the only one here skilled enough to hold Leo off to some extent.
But most of the students were simply horrified.
"There are no openings!"
"Even so, we're all second-years...!"
No second-year student doubted that Leo was the strongest among them.
However, not many had thought the gap between Leo and an average student would be this vast.
It was, quite literally, a one-sided slaughter.
And there wasn't even a chance to exploit an opening.
Overwhelming strength.
The second-years shuddered, feeling as if they were facing fourth or fifth-years.
"This is... the youngest student council president."
A student muttered as they were engulfed in Leo's flames.
Clang—!
Nella gritted her teeth as she was swept up in Leo's flames.
"Is this the first time we've fought like this?"
"I suppose so... In our first year, we were class president and vice president. The most we ever did was light sparring."
Nella replied with difficulty, summoning her aura.
Fwoooosh—
Leo's flames engulfed Nella.
But Nella deliberately threw herself into Leo's flames.
Her healing-attribute aura restored the damage from Leo's attack.
Seeing this, Leo spoke.
"Not a good choice."
"What?"
Leo reacted quickly to Nella's surprise suicide attack.
Leo had faced countless enemies who attempted such desperate attacks.
This tendency was especially pronounced in enemies with superior regenerative abilities.
Just as Leo was about to finish off the grimacing Nella.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—!
The ground trembled.
Leo put distance between himself and Nella.
And he looked up at the sky.
"You're the first to arrive."
Leo smiled faintly.
Watching him, his opponent descended to the ground.
Thud—
Landing on the ground, he spoke.
"I've been waiting for this moment, Leo Flove."
Woreden's eyes gleamed.
***
Having finished their exams, the first-years quickly made their way to their designated section of the spectator stands.
The first-years, now seated by class, all wore expressions of relief.
It was their first exam at Lumerne, and they had prepared for it with all their might.
And regardless of the results, they were savoring the feeling of liberation that came with the exam being over.
Amidst this.
The exam grounds were quickly cleared, and a magical screen appeared for the audience to see.
In the VIP stands, exclamations of admiration erupted at the sight.
"We'll be able to see our child's performance up close."
"He will surely bring honor to our family!"
The second-year parents spoke in excited tones.
Cutting through the crowd, a woman with black hair was heading toward the front row.
Several people narrowed their eyes at the woman.
"My, to come alone without an entourage."
"She must be from an insignificant family."
"There are no seats here. If you're late, you should sit in the back. Why did she even come?"
Amidst the whispering, a woman who appeared to be the mistress of a noble house passed by the woman, covering her mouth with a fan as she spoke.
"The front row is not a place one can simply go to. It is reserved for Lumerne alumni."
At those words, the black-haired woman gave a gentle smile.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"What did you say?"
Just as the middle-aged woman's eye twitched.
"...Senior Reina?"
A tentative voice called from behind.
Reina turned her head, her face breaking into a bright smile at the sight of a face she hadn't seen in decades.
"Ren! It's been so long!"
"I knew it was you, Senior Reina!"
Ren approached Reina with a bright smile.
Seeing this, the people around them looked bewildered.
"Why didn't you come earlier to cheer for student Leo?"
"You know how he is. Not exactly the affectionate type. He's not the kind of kid who'd get fired up just because I'm here cheering."
Reina smiled sweetly.
Watching her, Ren smiled back and escorted her.
"This way, please. As his mother, I have something urgent to discuss with you, Senior Reina, regarding student Leo's future."
The surrounding parents who overheard their conversation were horrified and quickly averted their gazes.
They had just been carelessly whispering about the mother of the unprecedented All-Class and youngest student council president in Lumerne's history; they couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
Of course, Reina paid their reactions no mind.
"Hey, Ren. The stands are that way."
"I have something urgent to discuss with you in a quiet place where no one will disturb us, Senior Reina."
"Are you trying to lure a married woman to a secluded spot right now?"
"It's that important of a discussion."
Just as Reina was making a dumbfounded expression.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
Yura appeared from behind and wrapped an arm around Ren's neck in a chokehold.
"Oh my, Yura. It's been a while."
"It has been a while, Senior Reina."
Ren struggled to break free from Yura's arm, gasping.
"Let go of me with your gorilla arms! As a professor, I need to have a very important consultation with Senior Reina, a parent!"
"...Let's see you choke to death in these gorilla arms!"
"You two haven't changed a bit."
Reina laughed and clapped her hands, as if accustomed to her two juniors' deadly squabble.
A complete contrast to the surrounding parents, who were anxiously watching, worried a fight would break out.
It was a unique composure that only a Lumerne alumnus could possess.
Just then.
"...Reina Jerdinger?"
"Oh. Ain?"
Reina's eyes lit up upon spotting her classmate, Ain.
"It's really been ages!"
"...I just remembered something urgent."
Ain tried to leave without a backward glance.
"Hey! Are you really going to ignore a classmate you haven't seen in ages?"
"Let go."
Ain broke into a cold sweat as Reina grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
Looking at Ain, Reina narrowed her eyes and said.
"If you keep acting so cold, I'm going to tell these two what happened after our first-year, first-semester midterms."
Ain's eyes flew open as he stared at Reina, and Yura and Ren, who had been busy fighting, froze mid-struggle.
"...The nickname 'Witch of Flame' really suits you, Reina Jerdinger."
"It's been a while since I've heard that one."
Watching Ain let out a deep sigh, Reina replied with a bright, cheerful smile.
It was then.
Just in time, the screen zoomed in on Leo.
Seeing Woreden standing opposite Leo, Ain narrowed his eyes.
"A big match, I see."