Chapter 339
Chapter Title: A Practical Demonstration
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That afternoon.
In a Seirun lower-class classroom, Leo was getting ready for his next class.
Seirun, like Lumerne, didn't only have major-specific classes.
There were various general classes as well.
Among them, the most important was undoubtedly the Magical Combat class.
It was the equivalent of Lumerne's Combat Studies.
The difference was that Seirun, with its emphasis on Starlight Magic, focused on combat utilizing that very magic.
The other lower-class students also prepared for class with motivated expressions.
Even the lower-class students, who were practically boycotting their other classes, attended every magic-related class without exception.
Everyone was burning with enthusiasm.
*'Looking at them now, you'd think they were all top students.'*
Leo rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
*'Now then, the question is how to fix Seirun.'*
If Leo were affiliated with Seirun, he could have gradually made changes, even if it took time.
But Leo was, at the end of the day, an outsider.
*'There's a limit to what I can ask of Mel, too.'*
It was true that the Dragon Lord could exert immense influence over each of the hero academies.
But there was a limit to how much they could interfere with its administration.
*'The best way would be to publicly reveal that Seirun's current methods are wrong.'*
Just as Leo was pondering this, his chin in his hand.
*Creeak—*
The classroom door opened, and Laura rushed in.
“Everyone! Get ready to leave!”
At Laura's sudden announcement, the lower-class students' eyes went wide.
“Today, we're having a practical Magical Combat class!”
“Really?”
“We get to have class in the Magical Combat training grounds?”
The students asked, their eyes wide.
“Yes! We finally got permission today!”
“Wow!”
“We finally get to do practical training!”
Cheers erupted from all around.
Seeing this, Leo looked bewildered.
“Why is everyone reacting like this?”
“Rail, you wouldn't know, would you?”
Anr, sitting next to Leo, smiled bitterly.
“We lower-class students have never had a practical Magical Combat class before.”
“You've only been studying theory until now?”
“Yeah. That's why I'm so happy! We can finally test out the Starlight Magic we've been studying! As you know, there's only so much you can do with theory alone!”
Practical application is essential in the study and research of magic.
Even if one mastered complex magical formulas and devised new attack methods, whether they were useful in actual combat or not...
And to know if it suited them, they ultimately needed real combat experience.
And just like Lumerne's magic department,
simple spells were one thing,
but conducting experiments with full-fledged offensive magic outside of designated areas on campus was forbidden by school rules.
Because it was dangerous.
*'The more I dig, the more discrimination I find.'*
Leo sighed and got up from his seat.
The lower-class students headed to the practical training classroom with excited faces.
Outside.
They braved the frigid weather and arrived at the outdoor practical classroom.
The Starlight Magic practical classroom was, quite literally, a collection of all things magic.
Inside the practical classroom, it was as warm as a spring day.
In addition, there were magical scarecrows for testing magical attack power and even golems to assist in combat.
Literally everything needed for magical combat was in this place.
*'The facilities look better than Lumerne's.'*
Leo stroked his chin.
It wasn't just equipped with systems for practical magic application.
It also had facilities that would be of great help to knights and summoners.
It was a sight befitting the hero academy with the most developed magic among the four schools.
Just as the lower-class students were unabashedly marveling at the Magical Combat classroom,
“So you've come, lower class.”
“Mr. Otren?”
Laura looked flustered at the sight of Otren, the homeroom teacher of Seirun's first-year upper class 1.
“When I inquired at the faculty office, they said our class was given permission to use this facility. Why is upper class 1 here?”
Seeing Laura's bewildered face, Otren burst out laughing.
“Ah. It seems the faculty office didn't inform you. The Magical Combat classroom was originally scheduled for our upper class 1 to use all afternoon. However, I took pity on the lower-class students and specially permitted a joint class. You should be grateful, lower-class lot.”
Laura's face stiffened.
“To show our class such great consideration... I don't know what to say. But having our class here will surely interfere with the lessons for the upper class 1 students. So, we'll just do it next time...”
“What? Miss Laura! This is a rare opportunity!”
“Can't we do it together?”
Flustered voices arose from among the lower-class students.
The lower-class students, thirsty for lessons, wanted a proper class.
They didn't want to miss this rare chance for practical training.
“Miss Laura, the students want this so badly, and you're just going to leave?”
Laura gritted her teeth.
*'His intentions are so obvious.'*
An authoritarian like him would never show kindness to the lower class.
His motive was singular.
It was to show the lower-class students the gap between them and the upper-class students.
“Lower-class lot, let's do this.”
Otren stood before the lower-class students and spread his arms.
“In today's class, you and the upper class 1 students will conduct dueling lessons.”
At his words, the lower-class students' eyes widened.
“If you win! That will be proof that you are an excellent student worthy of the upper class! I will have you assigned to the upper class immediately!”
The lower-class students' eyes widened at the extraordinary offer.
But they soon clenched their fists.
They were in the lower class because their achievement in Starlight Magic was low, but many among them couldn't accept the fact that they were in the lower class.
There were even students who were confident that, despite their lack of achievement in Starlight Magic, their overall abilities were superior to those of the upper-class students.
Anr clenched his fist tightly.
“The upper class...”
“Since this is a Magical Combat class, there is only one rule! The duels will use only Starlight Magic!”
However, Otren's next words made the lower-class students look flustered.
“A-a duel using only Starlight Magic?”
“Does that mean it's a magic duel?”
“That's right?”
“Mr. Otren! My main specialty is summoning!”
Berus, a lower-class student majoring in Summoning, raised his hand and spoke.
He was the leading student in the lower-class Summoning major and exceptionally skilled.
At Berus's words, Otren's expression turned cold.
“And what about it?”
“Huh?”
“If you are a proud student of Seirun, it should be obvious that 'Starlight Magic' is more important than summoning, shouldn't it?”
“Th-that's...”
“If you consider summoning more important than Starlight Magic, is there any reason for you to be at Seirun?”
Berus fell silent at Otren's extremely Starlight Magic-centric remark.
“And, if you're so confident in your summoning...”
Otren, curling his lip, pointed to a student.
“I will give you the opportunity to test your skills against the top first-year student, Leah.”
Berus shut his mouth.
Leah Tingel.
A direct descendant of the Tingel family and the one who successfully communed with the Fairy King yesterday... a student who boasts the highest skill in both magic and summoning.
Just as Otren was about to scoff at the silent Berus,
Anr spoke up.
“Mr. Otren. In that case, will you permit a match against Leah using our full strength, not just magic?”
Glancing at Anr, who asked with eyes full of defiance, Otren scowled.
“How rude. A mere student, continuously challenging a teacher's authority? Fine. I permit the duel. However, as the price for challenging my authority, if you lose, you will be expelled immediately. Do you still wish to proceed?”
Anr flinched.
Leah looked flustered.
Anr, who had been clenching his fists, his shoulders trembling, hung his head low.
“I'm sorry. I misspoke.”
“Hmph. Then, before we assign duel partners.”
Otren's lips curled into a smirk.
“I shall personally teach you lower-class students what practical Magical Combat is all about. You there, the white-haired lower-class student.”
Otren pointed his finger at Leo.
“Me?”
As Leo pointed a finger at himself, Otren's lips curled up.
“Yes. It would be good for you to give a demonstration as the representative of the lower class. Step forward.”
Otren walked to the center of the dueling grounds.
Watching him, Leo let out a small laugh and asked.
“Is this a duel using purely Starlight Magic?”
“Yes.”
“Is the use of any other magic strictly forbidden?”
“Of course.”
*'You'll regret that.'*
***
*'I get to witness Senior Flove's Starlight Magic!'*
Leah clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
“Why is Mr. Otren dueling some lower-class riffraff? It's just going to be a waste of time.”
An upper class 1 student said with an annoyed expression.
At those words, Leah's eyes narrowed.
*'Who the hell does that bastard think he's calling riffraff?'*
“Don't call our classmate riffraff.”
Just then, Elric adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses and spoke.
Seeing Elric, the male student who had mocked Leo curled his lip.
“Why? You feel for the riffraff because you're from some no-name family too?”
Elric's eyes turned cold.
“You seem to think you're something special just because you're second in our class. We'll see if you're still second after midterms... Gack!”
*Wham—!*
The male student who had been sneering bent backward as if his spine had folded.
Leah, who had landed a perfect dropkick to the student's lower back, spoke with an apologetic look.
“Oh, my. I'm sorry. I was just trying to catch a bug.”
“Th-that can happen. Guh—!”
“It seems he'll have to go to the nurse's office.”
Laura sighed and sent the male student, who was writhing in pain, to the nurse's office.
Seeing Leah with her usual innocent smile, the upper class 1 students seemed to believe her story about catching a bug.
“But can there even be bugs in the practical classroom?”
“I guess so.”
While the small commotion was happening,
Otren, standing in the middle of the dueling grounds, snapped his fingers.
*Fwoosh—!*
With that, over a hundred versions of Otren appeared.
The Starlight Magic, Mirage.
One of the most basic Starlight spells, and one said to have been favored by the Progenitor of the Nebula.
Gasps of admiration erupted from all around at the sight of Otren's magic.
“As expected of a teacher, even his basic magic is on another level.”
“A hundred clones.”
*'Leo Flove. Since last year, you have been challenging Seirun's authority.'*
Otren glared at Leo.
Otren had already heard about Leo's true identity.
The reason he had conducted this class was partly to show the lower class the gap between them and the upper class.
But before that, he had also intended to step in personally to crush Leo.
*'I'll teach you a lesson, you brat who acts like you've mastered all of Starlight Magic just because you can use a little of it.'*
Leo, seeing Otren's open hostility, muttered with a blank expression.
“Sloppy.”
The mumble was heard precisely by Otren and no one else.
*'How dare he utter such nonsense...!'*
Otren, who was grinding his teeth, flinched the moment his eyes met Leo's.
*'This brat, no way. Did he figure out which one is the real body?!'*
Seeing Otren's shocked expression, Leo raised his hand.
*Vwoom—!*
A magic circle appeared.
In a duel using only 'Starlight Magic', there was no one in the world who could defeat Leo.
*'Except for one person, that is.'*
Leo smiled, thinking of his friend.
Even if Leo's current power was incomparably weaker than it was during his time as the Great Hero, that fact remained unchanged.
Leo analyzed Otren's magic in an instant.
*'Because a fake can never beat the original.'*
*Fwoosh—!*
Otren's magic was dispelled in an instant.
Otren's face was painted with shock.
“What did you do?”
“If you perfectly analyze a spell's formula, dispelling it is easy, isn't it?”
“There's no way it's possible to perfectly analyze another person's magic that quickly...!”
“It is possible, which is why your magic was dispelled so easily.”
Leo approached Otren.
*Vwoom—!*
Leo's body multiplied into a hundred.
The same Mirage magic.
Everyone stared at Leo with shocked faces.
“How is my Starlight Magic, teacher?”
Otren's eyes could see the intricately woven magical formula.
“Would you care to evaluate it with that great skill of yours?”