Chapter 034
Chapter Title: The First Exam
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After classes ended for the day.
Leo headed for the Hero's Tower, located in the center of the academy where the student council was.
Arriving in front of the Hero's Tower, Leo looked up at the towering structure.
“It's ridiculously tall.”
Leo remarked in awe.
“He's a first-year.”
“What's he doing here?”
“Oh my, he's cute.”
Passing upperclassmen murmured in surprise upon spotting Leo.
The Hero's Tower was a place frequented by upperclassmen.
The first-years held an instinctive fear, typical of underclassmen, toward their seniors who had been through it all.
Thus, they tended to avoid areas where upperclassmen were known to appear.
“Oh? Leo?”
Hearing his name, he turned his head.
There stood Toura, a fifth-year from the Magic Department.
“What brings you all the way here?”
“I have some business with the student council president.”
“With Lis?”
Toura, who had been tilting her head, nodded.
“Want to follow me?”
Toura led Leo inside the Hero's Tower.
“So, Leo. When do you plan on quitting your other majors?”
“I have no intention of quitting my other majors.”
“Leo. Like I said before, time is limited. I know you're showing promise in your other majors, but in my eyes, you're most specialized in magic.”
Toura grumbled in dissatisfaction but said no more.
It was because she had been called in by the professors and given an earful before.
Leo let out a sound of admiration as he took in the interior of the Hero's Tower.
Countless portraits of heroes hung in the building's entrance.
All of them were Lumerne graduates.
The facilities were also incomparably better than those in the first-year building.
It wasn't that the first-year building lacked facilities, but the Hero's Tower was, quite literally, overwhelming.
As he and Toura stood on an elevator powered by levitation magic, they ascended to the upper floors in an instant.
They arrived at the floor used by the student council.
“Hello, Vice President. Who is that first-year?”
“This is Leo.”
“Leo? The famous first-year representative?”
A third-year student council member's eyes lit up.
“Yes. He said he came to see the student council president.”
“Interested in the student council since your first year? How admirable.”
Smiling, he walked away with his documents.
Overall, the student council office had a very busy atmosphere.
“Speaking of which, the first-year midterm assignment was to develop an original magic, wasn't it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any ideas in mind?”
“A magical formula system based on non-elemental mana.”
“Based on non-elemental mana? That's a concept I've never heard of. Can you explain?”
“Mages have a primary magical element, right?”
“Right. That's why opposing elements exist. Even if you can handle all elements, you can't use opposing ones at the same time.”
“Yes. I want to use non-elemental mana to freely wield magic of all elements and increase my utility.”
“An interesting idea. But it's absurd.”
Toura scoffed.
“There's a reason people don't try it.”
“I know.”
Leo replied with a smile and a nod.
“Still, if I'm going to do it, I'd rather do something special, right?”
Toura crossed her arms and chuckled.
It seemed the underclassman before her wasn't just skilled in magical formulas.
‘For a mage, new attempts are always important. What a real shame.’
To think an underclassman more mage-like than anyone was an all-class.
‘Promising kids need to be set on the right path from the start. I should have a serious talk with Professor Ren.’
Vowing to somehow make him choose the Magic Department, Toura stopped in front of the student council president's office.
*Knock, knock—*
“Come in.”
*Creek—*
“Hello, Lis. Leo said he wanted to see you, so I brought him.”
“Leo did?”
Lis, who had been sitting in his office moving his quill pen, stood up with a pleased expression.
“Yes, Leo. What can I do for you?”
“Mr. President.”
“You can call me by my name when we're in private.”
As Lis said this with a friendly smile, Leo nodded.
“Then, Lis... I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“I want to enter the Forbidden Archives.”
“I don't know why you want to enter the Forbidden Archives, but students aren't allowed to enter carelessly.”
Toura said, reaching for the snacks on one side of the president's office.
“Can't even the student council president enter freely?”
“Unfortunately, it's beyond my authority as well.”
Lis rested his chin on his clasped hands and smiled.
“Of course, it's not like there's no way for a student to get in.”
“What is it?”
“By conquering a Hero Dungeon.”
“A Hero Dungeon?”
“Yes. It's customary for the conqueror of a Hero Dungeon to personally return the retrieved pages to the Hero Record.”
“Of course, even then, you can't just read the books in the Forbidden Archives. So give it up.”
Toura grumbled.
To sum it up, there was no reason for a first-year to enter, and even if he did, it would be difficult to obtain the information he wanted.
‘Then I'll just have to sneak in.’
It's human nature to do what you're told not to.
Unaware that Leo had reached such a conclusion, Lis and Toura smiled meaningfully at him.
“How are your exam preparations going? Are you nervous, since it's your first one?”
“I'm doing alright.”
Leo answered Lis's question calmly.
“Will 'alright' be enough? You know the position of year representative changes with every exam at Lumerne, right?”
“Yes.”
“There must be a lot of kids aiming for your spot.”
Toura said while munching on a cookie.
It wasn't as prominent since it was still the beginning of the semester, but the position of year representative at Lumerne came with many advantages.
The year representative was, quite literally, the best of the best, even within Lumerne where only the elite gathered.
Not only did they represent the student body at various internal and external events, but the accompanying benefits were also substantial.
In essence, they were the face of their year.
Crucially, the year representative was also the position closest to becoming the next student council president.
“You know your year is getting a lot of attention from the higher-ups at Lumerne, right? Do you think you can defend your position as year representative against such formidable rivals?”
“I'm not particularly interested in the position of year representative. However.”
Leo grinned.
“I have no intention of giving up the top spot either.”
“Such confidence. I'll be looking forward to it.”
Lis smiled in satisfaction.
***
The first school-wide exam after matriculation was enough to make the students tense.
But at the same time, all the first-years were also looking forward to this exam.
Sitting in the stands of the first-year building's training grounds, Chelsea tapped her foot and spoke.
“It's just as Professor Halind said. Everyone's changed so much in just a few months, they're almost unrecognizable.”
She muttered quietly, twirling her staff in the air.
Runic letters imbued with mana spread through the air, and in an instant, a formula was complete.
Watching her, her classmate Tiede clicked his tongue in amazement.
“You're always so fast.”
“High-speed casting is my specialty. Though I have gotten a lot faster, of course.”
Just as Halind had predicted, the first-years' skills had improved in the blink of an eye.
Even Chelsea, who had received all sorts of elite education from a young age as a member of a renowned hero family, had grown noticeably.
Where they now stood with their newfound abilities.
The freshmen were feeling a strange sense of confidence and excitement.
“Anyway, I'm worried about Leo.”
As Chelsea spoke while looking at the training grounds, Tiede sighed.
“Well, there are quite a few guys gunning for Leo.”
Since it was the beginning of their school life, most major classes had focused on theory rather than practical application.
And the one who had shone brightest in those classes was none other than Leo.
An honor student acknowledged by every professor.
However, even Leo had an area that could be considered a weakness.
“Lumerne's exams have a large practical component. I wonder if he'll be okay.”
Aura, mana, spiritual power.
Leo was weak in the fundamental powers that formed the basis of supernatural abilities.
In particular, Leo was taking three majors at once.
Normally, the gap between him and students who had focused on digging one deep well would inevitably be even wider.
Because of this, quite a few students judged Leo to be someone who was only sharp with theory but weak in practice.
“Of course, the mid-to-high-ranking students won't be a match for Leo, but I think he'll struggle against the top-tier ones.”
“Maybe this will be a good chance for him to choose a single major.”
While Tiede was muttering.
Professor Ain, who was in the middle of the training grounds, spoke.
“The first-year Knighthood practical exam will now begin.”
His aura-infused voice echoed across the vast training grounds.
Whistles and applause erupted from all around.
Although there were still two weeks until the official exam period, the Knight Department's practical exams began today.
The first-year building's training grounds were packed with students who had gathered to watch the Knighthood practical exams.
Among them were not only first-years but also upperclassmen.
“Is Karl really planning to do business here?”
“Where crowds gather, money follows. That's his motto, isn't it?”
Tiede chuckled as Chelsea spoke in disbelief.
True to her words, Karl had gone out to sell snacks.
“Professor Sedjen.”
Karl, with a snack stand floating around him via levitation magic, approached Sedjen, the homeroom professor of Class 1.
“What is it, Student Karl?”
Professor Sedjen looked at Karl with an unenthusiastic expression.
His reaction was lukewarm, as a student of Halind, whom he considered a rival, had approached him.
“How about some popcorn and a drink?”
“Hmph, do you think I would buy that? Go sell it to your homeroom teacher, Halind, and your classmates.”
As Sedjen sneered, Karl put on a dejected expression.
“I thought you would buy some because I believed you were a man of leadership who knows how to boost his class's morale. It seems I was mistaken and have been rude.”
“Hmph. If you think I'd fall for such an obvious ploy, you're sorely mistaken, Student Karl.”
Just as Sedjen made a face that said "not a chance."
“Professor! Are you buying us popcorn?”
“Wow! It looks delicious!”
Cheers erupted from the Class 1 students.
At their reaction, Sedjen's ears perked up.
“See? Our professor really is a man of leadership who knows how to boost class morale!”
Currently, all of Class 1 was present under Sedjen's supervision to cheer on their classmates.
At the cheers of the students in his charge, the corners of Sedjen's mouth stretched to his ears.
“Since the students want it, I suppose I have no choice. Hand them out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“With caramel drizzle.”
“Thank you!”
After finishing the transaction, Karl handed out popcorn and drinks to the Class 1 students with a friendly smile.
He also discreetly slipped some fish jerky to a few of the students who had cheered earlier.
“Alright, everyone! Let's shout it out with elegance! Go, Class 1!”
“Go, Class 1!”
In any case, the now-energized Class 1 students shouted with vigor.
Meanwhile, Karl sighed as he looked at Chloe, who was sitting alone in a corner, reading a black grimoire.
“Chloe.”
“...”
“Hey, Chloe!”
“Huh?”
Chloe looked up.
Karl sighed, looking at his friend's face, worn out with fatigue.
“Take a break. You're going to collapse at this rate. You need to know how to enjoy times like these, too.”
“I don't have time for that.”
Chloe said with a frown.
Looking at her, Karl scratched his head and pulled a fatigue recovery potion from his pocket.
“I didn't bring any money.”
“It's fine. I'm giving it to you because I'm worried as a friend.”
“Over here! Popcorn and a drink!”
“Yep! Yep! Coming! Hey, make sure you take breaks! Got it?”
Karl waved and then quickly ran over to the upperclassman who had placed an order.
Chloe smiled slightly as she watched him go, then took a sip of the potion.
It was then.
“First match. Howl Nape of Class 1, and Leo Flove of Class 5. Step forward!”
*Leo.*
Chloe clenched her fists as she watched Leo.
*I will not lose.*