Chapter 041
Chapter Title: The Foundation of a New Magic
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[So you have noticed my presence? Contractor of the young phoenix.]
“Tartaros.”
[You’ve seen through to my identity as well? Interesting. Very interesting.]
“Your schemes are always so predictable.”
Having dealt with Tartaros to the point of exhaustion during the Age of Calamity, Leo was well-acquainted with their methods.
“Perfect timing. There was something I wanted to ask you.”
[A hero candidate has something to ask me… Very well, what are you curious about?]
“That Fafnir, where did you get it? They should have gone extinct during the Age of Calamity.”
[You know about Fafnir, too? What in the world are you?]
“You think I’m going to answer that?”
[I suppose not. Interesting. This is very interesting.]
The Fafnir tilted its head and muttered.
[But this won’t do. As interesting as you are, it seems right that you disappear here.]
A black energy poured out from the Fafnir’s body.
“If you have no intention of answering, then I have no reason to keep that wretched beast alive either.”
Leo smirked and focused his aura.
In response, the flames blazing on Piora’s body grew stronger.
‘I haven’t learned it yet, but I know the principle.’
Leo recalled the technique Celia had used during the entrance exam.
‘It’s a technique I couldn’t use just by knowing the principle if I were alone. But.’
Leo grinned and concentrated his aura on Piora.
The powerful sword ki that only the direct descendants of the Jerdinger family could learn.
Phoenix Breath Secret Art—Prominence. Summoning Formula.
Crimson flames enveloped Piora.
FWOOSH-!
The Fafnir spat black flames at Leo.
Piora charged toward those black flames.
WHOOSH!
As if being purified, the black flames turned crimson upon contact with Piora’s fire.
And the transformed flames became Piora’s own.
SLASH-!
Piora’s wings, sharpened like blades by aura, sliced through the Fafnir’s neck.
SPLAT-!
Black blood spurted as the Fafnir’s body plummeted to the ground.
Just before it fell, Piora extended a talon, caught the hem of the unconscious Liu’s clothes, and flew back to Leo.
WHOOSH-!
The Fafnir’s corpse soon became black flames and vanished.
It disappeared without leaving even a speck of ash, as if it had never existed in this world.
Piora placed Liu on Leo’s griffin, then landed softly on Leo’s head.
She then examined her own form from various angles.
She struck different poses, like a child showing off new clothes in front of a mirror.
‘What in the world was that?’
Leo narrowed his eyes.
The appearance of an extinct demonic beast.
A Tartaros beast tamer controlling such a creature.
‘And how did that guy summon that Fafnir?’
Leo’s expression turned serious.
Whatever was happening, it was clearly no small matter.
‘Is this related to Pirina being in Lumerne?’
Leo stroked his chin, thinking of Pirina, his mother’s friend and the phoenix currently staying in Lumerne at the headmaster’s request.
‘I’ll have to meet her and ask.’
Leo sighed and withdrew his spiritual power.
Poof-!
Piora, engulfed in flames, returned to her original form and plopped onto Leo’s head.
Chirp! Chirp!
As if in protest, Piora pecked the top of Leo’s head with her small beak.
“You want me to change you back to that form? It’s not even your real form.”
Chirp-! Chirp-!
As if annoyed, Piora took a few strands of Leo’s hair in her beak and tugged.
Ignoring the tiny phoenix, Leo spotted a Black Wyvern flying toward them from the distance.
It was Yura, the professor in charge of summoning arts.
Leo scratched his cheek.
“What’s going to happen with the match?”
***
“Aww! It got canceled in the end~”
Karl grumbled, his hands clasped behind his head.
The Beast Race, the practical exam for summoning studies, had been canceled.
Of course, since it was an exam, grades had to be given, so the assessment was based on how well the students had utilized their abilities during the test.
“You seem more disappointed than anyone.”
“Of course I am! Do you know how much money I bet on you? It was the perfect chance for an upset victory!”
“You bet money on me?”
Leo let out a hollow laugh at Karl’s genuinely regretful expression.
‘Since Karl doesn’t know, it seems the fact that Sen Liu contracted a demonic beast hasn’t been revealed to the other students.’
After the match, Leo, Chen Xia, Woreden, and Eliza had been summoned by Yura.
They were then told to keep quiet and not speak to other students about the demonic beast.
‘A Lumerne student contracting a demonic beast is a huge incident. But how did that beast tamer give Sen Liu a Fafnir?’
Leo wore a serious expression as he left the dormitory with Karl.
“By the way, Leo. I think the magic department kids have been talking behind your back lately.”
“Is there ever a day they aren’t?”
Leo chuckled.
As the grade representative and an unprecedented All-Class, Leo was the most famous figure among the first-years.
At the beginning of the semester, no one had paid him much mind beyond his All-Class status.
Even a Dual-Class student would find it difficult to properly handle two different abilities.
‘But I’ve excelled in all three.’
It was a matter of course for Leo, but not in the eyes of others.
Naturally, he drew the attention of the professors.
Especially the first-year department heads: Ain, Yura, and Ren.
All three professors showed great interest in Leo, each hoping to draw him into their department.
There was no way the other students wouldn’t notice.
At Lumerne, attracting a professor’s attention and learning as much as possible was advantageous for school life.
Yet Leo had become the center of attention, monopolizing the affection of three department heads.
It was only natural that students who were jealous of Leo would emerge.
Leo understood that as well.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll be nice to them.’
Understanding the other students’ feelings and treating them well were two entirely different things.
If someone were to talk trash about him to his face, he wouldn’t hesitate to retaliate.
“Well, it’s not just a day or two. But what’s been bothering me is that the gang Chloe’s been hanging out with lately has been openly badmouthing you.”
“A gang Chloe’s hanging out with?”
“Yeah. You know, those kids from prominent magic families who always stick together.”
“They don’t seem like the type Chloe would hang out with.”
Chloe was from the Northern Magic Tower, but her family wasn’t a prominent one within it.
Because of that, Chloe had also been on bad terms with the so-called prominent family group at the beginning of the semester.
“That’s what I’m saying! Those guys used to badmouth not just you, but Chloe too, you know? But recently, with exams coming up, they started acting all friendly and sticking to her. Lately, it looks like they’re even trying to use Chloe to form a faction.”
“Chloe isn’t the type to be swayed by people like that.”
“I know, but with your rivalry with Chloe and how distant she’s become from us lately, I’m worried.”
Karl let out a deep sigh.
As they spoke, the two arrived at a two-story building situated between the male and female dormitories.
It was a study hall that first-year students could use to study together.
Leo and Karl, who had brought their study materials, entered a room at the end of the second floor.
Inside the room was a long study table with long benches on either side.
Chelsea, who had claimed one of the benches, was lying down, staring at the ceiling with her legs crossed, holding a book in one hand and eating snacks with the other.
“Oh? You’re here?”
Chelsea, with a long biscuit stick in her mouth, greeted the two.
Crunch, crunch-
Watching Chelsea slowly nibble on the cream-coated biscuit stick, leaving only the part she held, Karl whispered to Leo.
“Leo. I used to have this fantasy about noble ladies. You know, that elegant young lady vibe.”
“And?”
“It’s been completely shattered since I enrolled at Lumerne.”
As Karl spoke with a sad expression, a notebook came flying at him.
“Did you hear me?!”
“I don’t know what you said, but you were definitely being rude, weren’t you?”
Chelsea hopped up from her spot.
Sitting down in front of her, Karl looked at the pile of snacks on one side of the table and asked.
“Didn’t you eat dinner?”
“I did.”
“Then what are all these snacks for?”
“Dessert.”
“This is dessert? You’re going to get fat at this rate.”
“Unlike you, Karl, I exercise diligently~”
Chelsea hummed a little tune and stood up.
“So, what’s the reason you insisted we meet tonight?”
“The reason we gathered, as I said earlier, is to present the original magic we’ve each created before tomorrow’s magic department practical exam, and to help each other improve them.”
“That’s the official reason, but you’re actually asking for our help, right?”
Chelsea said teasingly, crossing her arms.
At her words, Karl pressed his hands together and bowed his head.
“You’re right! One of my magic formulas is messing up the spell activation! So please give me some good ideas! Please! Big bro! Big sis! I’m begging you!”
“I suppose I have no choice.”
Chelsea chuckled with a “Hmph” and sat down gracefully.
Seeing her display the dignified air of a lady from a heroic magic family, Karl exclaimed, “Ooh!” in admiration.
Chelsea gave Karl a sweet smile and clapped her hands.
“Snacks.”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear me? Snacks.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You weren’t planning to ask me, the young lady of the Llewellyn family, for a favor with empty hands, were you? My advice is usually expensive, but since we’re friends, I’ll let it slide for some snacks.”
Having said that, Chelsea spoke as if giving an order.
“Go to the first-floor cafe and buy one of every kind of snack they have.”
“…Excuse me, Lady Chelsea? There are still plenty of snacks left here.”
“Yes. I know.”
“Damn it! You devil!”
The snacks sold at the Lumerne cafe were all delicious, and just as expensive.
As Karl went to buy snacks with tears of blood in his eyes, Chelsea beamed.
“Come to think of it, Leo, you’ve never told us what kind of original magic you’ve created, have you?”
Karl had created an alchemy-based original magic that allowed him to freely manipulate metal.
As for Chelsea, she was naturally creating an original magic of the wind element, influenced by her family.
“You must have made something incredible, right?”
“It’s a magic system based on non-elemental mana.”
“A magic system based on non-elemental mana?”
“Yes. I’ve created a magic formula system that allows the use of all elemental magic without any penalty.”
Every mage had an elemental specialization.
In Chelsea’s case, she was specialized in wind-element magic.
Of course, it wasn’t that she couldn’t use other elements, but there were penalties.
The most common penalty was that when using a magic of an opposing element, its power was halved while the mana consumption doubled.
Leo was saying that he was creating a formula system to use magic without such penalties.
“Is that even possible?”
Chelsea expressed her doubt.
Looking at her, Leo held out his palm.
Vwiiing-!
Upon his palm, a magic formula system woven from threads of mana materialized.
Seeing the formula, Chelsea’s jaw dropped.
“…If you do well on the magic practical exam, you might get first place again, Leo.”