Chapter 408
Chapter Title: A Perfect Record
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408.
After the 1-on-1 tournament was announced as the first-year final exam assignment.
All attention was focused on the first-years.
“There aren’t any presentation exams for outsiders this time, except for the first-years, right?”
It was break time during a second-year Summoning Department practical class.
The second-years were gathered in small groups, chatting.
They could see the first-year Summoning Department juniors engaged in combat training, preparing for the tournament.
Ever since the tournament was announced, the first-years had been engrossed in training all day long.
“The first-round opponents have already been decided, right?”
“Who’s your mentee’s first-round opponent?”
“Some mid-tier kid from the Knight Department, I heard.”
“Lucky you.”
“What’s so lucky about that? My mentee’s grades are in the lower-middle tier.”
For the second-years, too, whether they remained at the academy depended on their mentee’s results.
Of course, their own second-year final exam scores also mattered, but it would be incredibly unfair to pass their own exams only to be expelled because of their first-year mentee, so tensions were inevitably high.
“That’s not it!”
“Is that all you can do?!”
“Do it right! Did you forget that if you get expelled, I get expelled with you?”
Shouts erupted from the second-years who were taking time out of their class break to coach their mentees.
The first-year mentees flinched, their heads bowed low.
The once-amicable senior-junior relationships were beginning to show cracks.
The pressure of this final exam was immense for both the first- and second-years.
“The atmosphere is quite tense.”
“It’s to be expected.”
As Chen Xia, who was observing the situation, muttered softly, Eliza scoffed.
“Whether they’re first-years or second-years, they’ve spent this first semester comfortably, without the pressure of expulsion, haven’t they?”
With her signature condescending smirk, Eliza looked at the shouting second-years and the intimidated first-years.
“They’re paying the price for it now.”
Lumerne’s system of expelling students with poor grades had always been a source of pressure.
Of course, Lumerne’s curriculum was so harsh that it wasn't uncommon for students to lose their lives if they made a mistake, making it more irresponsible to keep unskilled students at the academy.
The number of expulsions drops significantly starting in the third year, when students become more proficient as hero candidates after completing their first and second years.
But for first- and second-years, even those with mid-tier grades could be expelled if they weren't careful.
In a way, the pressure of expulsion always pushed students, becoming a driving force for growth.
However, with the introduction of the mentor system, it was also true that they had attended school comfortably for the first semester without worrying about being expelled.
But that peace was beginning to fracture.
The pressure on the first-years was particularly intense.
Unlike the second-years, who had endured the threat of expulsion for the past year, this was the first time the first-years had felt such pressure.
“You look like you’re enjoying this.”
“Oh, did I look that way?”
Eliza smiled sweetly at Chen Xia’s words.
With her twisted personality, she found the current situation highly amusing.
“To be honest, I always thought there was a problem with this system. I felt Lumerne’s academic system of constant competition had gone soft.”
Eliza tidied her nails.
“But seeing this, it seems that’s not the case. They’re just getting all the pressure at once.”
“It was probably intentional.”
“Aaaah?!”
Startled by the voice that suddenly came from right behind her, Eliza shrieked and clung to Chen Xia.
“Startled you, did I? Were you scared, Miss Eliza?”
Chen Xia smiled maturely and patted Eliza’s head.
“Don’t treat me like a child!”
Her face turning beet red, Eliza glared up at Leo.
“Don’t sneak up on people like that, Leo Flove!”
Leo chuckled at Eliza’s reaction.
Flustered by his response, Eliza was about to raise her whip, but she restrained herself at Chen Xia’s intervention.
Taking a deep breath, Eliza crossed her arms.
“What do you mean, it was intentional?”
“For the past semester, the first- and second-years were essentially guaranteed autonomous growth within Lumerne. I think the academy introduced the mentor system to test which was more efficient: when coercive measures are removed, or when students are pressured by them.”
Leo looked over at the first-years.
“Since they have to take responsibility all at once for the easy time they’ve had, the pressure will be that much greater.”
“Hmm. So it wasn’t simply a comfortable school life, then.”
“Exactly. There must be first- and second-years who struggled and felt despair.”
No matter how hard you struggle, limits are a stark reality, and you’re the first one to feel them.
‘I guess this is a test to see if they can surpass those limits.’
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
Watching him, Eliza spoke.
“Hmph. By the way, are you going to be alright, Leo Flove?”
“About what?”
“The mentor you chose is at the bottom of the first-year class, isn’t he?”
Eliza’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, since he’s a first-year chosen by someone as devious as you, I imagine you have some kind of ace up your sleeve.”
“Do I seem devious?”
“You do have a bit of an old man in you. It’s probably Miss Eliza’s way of complimenting you for seeming mature.”
Leo asked Chen Xia, who replied with a gentle smile.
“That’s not what I meant at all!”
Eliza retorted instantly with a frown.
“Well, it’s nice of you to worry.”
“Why would I ever worry about you?”
Eliza scoffed.
Leo smirked at her.
“There’s no need to worry about Luke. It’s not like he’ll be eliminated just for losing the first round, anyway.”
“Hmph?”
A corner of Eliza’s mouth curled up.
“So you think it’s fine because there’s a loser’s bracket? That’s an uncharacteristically complacent thought for you.”
At Eliza’s words, Leo gave a strange smile.
Seeing his expression, Eliza looked disgruntled.
“What’s with that face?”
For Leo, this first-year final exam could be his most perilous moment.
He had overcome many challenges so far, but this was something beyond his control.
And yet, Leo wore the same expression as always.
‘What on earth did this man do to that first-year?’
The thought naturally crossed Eliza’s mind.
***
After school.
The training ground was filled with first- and second-year students.
The second-years had brought their first-year mentees out to train.
“How can you not even dodge that?”
“Try a little harder!”
Frustrated shouts erupted from the second-years.
Hounded by their on-edge seniors, the first-years couldn’t help but look miserable.
Among them, Emio, a high-ranking second-year in the Magic Department, scoffed.
“Hmph. Look at them scrambling now that their feet are to the fire.”
Next to him, who was openly mocking them, the third-ranked first-year in the Magic Department, Lement Morlak, replied.
“It’s nothing but a pathetic struggle.”
“I suppose they have to struggle like that.”
Walking across the training ground, Emio spotted something in a corner and grinned.
In truth, Emio had no need to use the training ground.
He came from a famous military family.
When it came to combat magic, he was one of the foremost experts among the second-years.
As such, Emio had been teaching his mentee, Lement, combat magic since the beginning of the semester.
That was why he was so confident about this tournament.
And when he heard who his first-round opponent was, he had inwardly rejoiced.
The reason he came to the training ground today was to mock that opponent.
“Well, well, the student council president is such a model student. It would be nothing for you to borrow a private training ground, yet here you are, training with the other losers.”
At his words, not only Leo, who was helping Luke train, but also the surrounding students turned to look at him.
“Emio. I don’t believe you submitted an application to use the training ground.”
“I didn’t. I just came to watch the struggling losers.”
“Hey, Emio Luce. Watch your mouth.”
“Who do you think you are, calling us losers and whatnot?”
The second-years spoke fiercely.
Emio let out a short laugh as he looked at them.
“Don’t talk back to me.”
“What did you say?”
“Just because you were lucky enough not to get expelled for one semester, you seem to think you’re on my level. If it weren’t for the mentor system, you wouldn’t even have the chance to be struggling here, you losers.”
“What was that?”
Most of the second-years currently coaching first-years on the training ground were students whose grades would have normally gotten them expelled or put them on the verge of expulsion.
This was because when the second-years chose their mentees, they naturally picked first-years of a similar level.
The only teams with a huge gap in skill between mentor and mentee were, at most, Leo and Luke, and perhaps Karl and Juen.
“Know your place, shut up, and stay down. Don’t try to climb.”
“You bastard!”
A menacing aura began to emanate from the second-years at Emio’s words.
Seeing this, Leo spoke.
“Stop with the remarks that disrespect your peers and be quiet, Emio.”
“Hoh. Is the student council president looking out for his classmates?”
“I’m telling you to know your place.”
“What did you say?”
As Emio’s face hardened, Leo gave a cold smile.
“Like you said, not all second-years are the same. I’m the student council president, Emio Luce. So don’t get ahead of yourself. Shut up and stay in your lane.”
Sparks flew from Emio’s eyes.
Then, the corner of his mouth curled up.
“How long do you think you’ll be student council president? No. Do you even think you’ll be able to stay at Lumerne?”
Emio’s gaze shifted to Luke.
“Your mentee. He’ll probably be expelled this time, won’t he? If that happens, you’re expelled too, Leo Flove. Don’t tell me you’re planning to use your authority as president?”
Emio was right.
From a common-sense perspective, almost no student believed that Luke, who was at the bottom of his class and hadn't grown at all since enrollment, could make it through the tournament and remain at Lumerne next semester.
At Emio’s words, Leo let out a smirk.
“I won’t be using my authority as president.”
“Heh. So you’re just going to accept your expulsion?”
“No.”
Leo looked Emio straight in the eye and said.
“Because we’re going to win it all.”
“What?”
“My mentee’s goal is a perfect record.”
For a moment, everyone who heard Leo’s words doubted their own ears.
The goal of the lowest-ranked student was what?
“What kind of nonsense are you…”
“Luke’s first match is against your mentee, Lement, isn’t it?”
Leo smiled brightly.
“Luke will win.”
At those words, Lement spoke up.
“President. As a junior, I respect you, but I cannot tolerate that remark.”
Lement looked down at Luke, who was shorter than him.
“I cannot imagine losing to Luke Elda.”
“Then you should look forward to it. And you’d better give it your all.”
Leo grinned.
“Because you’re about to witness something incredible.”