Chapter 167

167

Leo opened the classroom door on the left and walked in.

The gazes of the students from Emerald who were sitting in the lecture room instantly fixed on Leo.

Thud- Thud-

Leo, stepping onto the podium, scanned the room.

His eyes met those of a girl.

Startled-!

The girl whose eyes met his, Sila, flinched as if struck by guilt for attempting to entangle Leo in a complex magical glyph yesterday in Rumelia City.

‘Were you one of the admissions candidates?’

Leo stifled a laugh as he stepped onto the teacher’s desk.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Leo Flove.”

At his words, the students from Emerald began to murmur.

“Leo Flove?”

“Is he the guy from All Classes?”

“He’s the Leo Flove from the Gigantes extermination, right?”

“I heard he also managed to conquer the world of the Star Cloud’s founders recently.”

Despite being only in his first year, Leo had amassed an impressive career that might rival that of upperclassmen, drawing curious looks from the students who wondered if he might become their direct senior.

Of course, among them were also students who viewed him with suspicious gazes.

“I’m here to help with the class and will be taking over for Professor Ren today. Please cooperate.”

At his words, a hand shot up.

It was a boy around Leo’s age.

The boy, looking slightly sideways, stated his name.

“My name is Kun Beyah.”

True to the offspring of the Kun family, one of the famous mage houses from the eastern region, he stood out with his black hair and dark eyes characteristic of eastern continent natives.

After introducing himself, Bey asked with a slightly provocative smile.

“Do you even have the skills to teach us?”

“Hmm. Professor Ren sent me here to teach, so I’m sure I’ll be able to manage, wouldn’t you say?”

Leo answered with a slight grin.

Professor Ren was undeniably an exceptional figure as a magic professor.

The reason all the first-year Department of Magic students deeply respected him and were passionate about his class wasn’t merely because he was a professor but because his teaching ability was exceptionally remarkable.

As a result, the first-year magic students believed Ren implicitly on matters of class or magic.

However, the Emerald students were different.

Despite mentioning Ren’s name, they still looked upon Leo with distrust.

“We’re here to attend Professor Ren’s classes, not to sit through a low-level lecture from just a first-year.”

Leo, with a slight smirk, continued pushing his point.

It was something unimaginable at Lumeran.

The admission age at Lumeran was between 14 and 17. Consequently, it was quite common for juniors to be of the same age or even older than their seniors.

Nevertheless, juniors at Lumeran did not act defiantly towards their seniors.

The curriculum at Lumeran was far from easy.

Rather, it was a system designed to filter out those who lacked qualifications.

It wasn’t simply a matter of filling time; it was nearly impossible to retain one’s student status at Lumeran by merely existing. Even if one managed to survive somehow, failing to pass the promotional exams would prevent them from advancing to the next grade.

One year—it might seem short, but a year at Lumeran was incomparably different from a year spent elsewhere.

Surviving one more year there signified that one was deserving of respect.

However, it was not the case among the students of Emerald, who hadn’t yet experienced Lumeran.

Some of the students even thought that, upon admission, they would be placed on equal footing with the existing students.

Bey, too, was one such student.

‘After all, we’re both fifteen, right?’

Some students were siding with Bey.

Not only that, but other Emerald students were also watching his cues.

“So? Don’t you want to attend my class?”

“Yeah, that’s right. So, will you please call Professor Ren?”

“Sorry, but you’ll have to settle with me.”

“Why should we?”

Seeing what he perceived as hesitation in Leo, Bey persisted.

At this, Leo, looking at Bey, said with a smirk.

“Lumeran professors don’t really like teaching students who lack qualifications.”

Suddenly, Bey’s face stiffened.

“But teaching you despite that can be considered a favor, can’t it? You’re not the ones who decide who we teach.”

“Are you saying I’m not at the level to learn magic from Professor Ren?”

“Not exactly… is it that you’re feeling guilty?”

Hearing Leo’s words, Bey’s face turned red.

“What insolence! Are you challenging the authority of the Kun family?”

“Alright, here’s the one advice I’ll offer you if you’re an admission candidate for Lumeran.”

Leo said dispassionately:

“At Lumeran, skill is everything. No matter how prestigious your family is, I couldn’t care less.”

“Bah! What did you say? How dare you challenge the authority of the Kun family…!”

“Hey, Bey! Hold on for a minute. Leo Flove’s maternal family is the Zerdinger.”

Interrupted mid-rant by another student, Bey momentarily flinched.

The Kun family might be a renowned hero house in the east, but it couldn’t compare to the Zerdinger family.

Nevertheless, Bey clenched his teeth and retorted.

“So what if it’s the Zerdinger family? It’s your maternal line, not direct family anyway!”

Fuming, Bey jumped to his feet from his seat.

“What’s this ‘All Classes’? Come on, isn’t it just all the same? And that Gigantes stuff? Wasn’t it just the whole first year working together? And the Great Hero’s World? Lucky timing, with the representatives from the third year at Lumeran and Seirun working hand in hand, right? If you are so great, how dare you claim to teach us?”

Spreading his arms wide, Bey incited the Emerald students.

Observing this, Leo spoke:

“You want proof, don’t you?”

“What?”

“I mean, do I have the skills to teach you or not.”

Leo said lazily.

“Name any magical ability you want, and I’ll demonstrate it.”

Hearing this, Bey hesitated.

His usual tactic of flaunting his family lineage didn’t work with Leo.

“Why? Are you lacking in confidence?”

At Leo’s arms-crossed inquiry, Bey hesitated before answering.

“We can’t engage in personal vendettas during class.”

After saying this, he haughtily raised his chin and continued.

“If teaching students by students is Lumeran’s style, then I will have to comply.”

Observing this, Leo clicked his tongue.

“Seems you don’t know anything except leaning on your family’s name. You lack both skill and courage.”

Observing Leo’s expression, it was clear that Bey had no future.

Regardless, due to Bey’s provocations earlier and the demonstration of ability that didn’t follow through, there were no more students showing dissatisfaction with Leo’s lessons.

The students who were initially dissatisfied with Leo now looked at him with expressions that said, “Alright, let’s see how good you really are.”

Standing in front of the blackboard, Leo asked:

“You’re all preparing for the Lumeran admission exams, so I assume you’ve had some preliminary study. Everyone must be able to use basic activation formulae, right?”

All of the students from Emerald nodded their heads.

“At the start of the semester at Lumeran, you study to understand magics that activate through those formulae.”

At this explanation, most of the Emerald students showed puzzled looks, unsure why they needed to understand the magics they already knew.

This confusion was a common experience among most first-year students of the Department of Magic at Lumeran.

“One question—why do we have to do this?”

A girl sitting in the front row raised her hand and tilted her head, a pure expression of curiosity rather than any intention to confront Leo.

The girl, about Chelsea’s age, blinked her large eyes and stared intently at Leo.

Seeing this, Leo raised his palm.

Woosh!

A magical glyph appeared on the palm of his hand.

“No student in the room should be unfamiliar with this, right?”

“Isn’t it the Fireball spell glyph?”

“Correct. Now, can you use this Fireball glyph to create a Waterball?”

“If we need a Waterball, why not just use the Waterball glyph? Why bother?”

Bey scoffed.

Ignoring Bey, Leo adjusted the glyph arrangement.

In the blink of an eye, a Waterball spell was activated.

“So, why should we go through the trouble of such an ordeal…”

“Bey, please be quiet.”

“Ah!”

Realizing what Leo was getting at, most of the students in the room except Bey nodded.

Activation glyphs may be easier and faster to use, but to activate other spells, one had to learn the respective activation glyphs anew.

This means more things to memorize.

However, understanding and applying the structure and principles behind the glyph can allow one to use magic of an opposite attribute through a single glyph.

This is a huge advantage.

It literally means you have one more method to cope with unforeseen situations.

“Though it is impressive, isn’t it a bit complicated?”

A different male student raised his hand.

The Emerald students had begun to see Leo not just as a peer but as someone who possessed greater magical knowledge and capabilities.

Moreover, Leo introduced them to a new concept.

Mages are generally people who enjoy learning new things.

The magic academy Emerald had plenty of students with such inclinations.

Responding to the question, Leo calmly said:

“At Lumeran, students from the Department of Magic must be capable of doing this.”

Upon hearing this, the faces of the Emerald students turned rigid.

“Is this considered basic?”

“Even at a glance, it looks difficult!”

Swallowing their dry throats, they realized anew the gap between Lumeran and Emerald.

They also understood why they should aim for Lumeran.

A conviction formed that one had to enter Lumeran to become the best mage.

“It’ll be impossible to master this during the combined classes, but I can teach you the basics.”

Leo smiled faintly.

“So, isn’t this why we study?”

Saying this, Leo picked up a piece of chalk.

“From now on, I’ll explain the concept of altering magic glyphs.”

Upon hearing this, most of the students hurriedly took out their writing tools.

And they started focusing on Leo’s explanations.

Seeing this, Bey’s face contorted.

“These wimps! Is this some special feat? And they’re focusing on a lecture by some young guy who isn’t even a professor?”

Glaring irritably at the academy students, Bey began to make disruptive noises, yelling and jeering to interfere with the class.

About ten minutes later,

A cautious student hesitantly raised their hand, finally speaking up after observing everyone’s behavior.

“Teacher… I can’t concentrate on the lesson. It’s… someone’s fault, please.”

Hearing this, Bey’s face reddened.

“What? Say it again. Why can’t you concentrate…”

“Hey, out.”

“What?”

“The kids are getting disturbed by your antics. Get out.”

“Ha! Seriously, do you even have the authority to kick me out… Choke!”

Leo emitted magical energy, using telekinetic magic to lift Bey up and threw him out of the classroom.

Booming-!

“Choke!?”

Bey, slamming against the lecture hall door, was thrown outside.

The students, wide-eyed, looked back and forth between Leo and Bey.

“What’s the matter?”

Anna furrowed her brow and stuck her head into the lecture hall.

“There’s a student disturbing the class.”

Narrowing her eyes upon hearing this, Anna looked at Bey, who was struggling to get up.

“You! It’s real! I’m going to tell my family! I received unjust treatment during class…!”

Crack-!

“Choke?”

Anna extended her delicate hand to grab Bey’s collar, smiling gently.

“I see. I’ll handle this matter. Mr. Leo, you can continue with the class.”

“Let go of me…”

“Hey.”

Anna’s chilling voice made Bey flinch.

“Stop disrupting the class and shut your mouth.”

“Gulp?”

Terrified at Anna’s menacing gaze, Bey shrank back.

Someone who is constantly challenged by Rent couldn’t help but suppress an amateur who lacked situational awareness by just a gaze.

Hauled away by Anna grabbing his collar, Bey was dragged out while the Emerald students exchanged relieved looks.

“Shall we continue the class?”

“Understood!”

With shining eyes, the Emerald students nodded.

In no time, they were all focused on the content of Leo’s lesson.

*

Three days had passed since the joint classes began.

Most students from other academies had adapted to some extent to Lumeran’s course schedule.

Initially, there were some troubles as expected.

However, when the professors harshly sent everyone packing, the students who relied on family connections and prestige to expect privileges largely disappeared.

All the students became aware that this hero academy was different from the top-tier magic academies.

Students, thus filtered, could concentrate fully on their studies.

The glances towards the tutors who assisted the admissions candidates’ classes also changed.

Most of them initially looked down on or expressed dissatisfaction with them but, after experiencing the tutors’ skills, fell silent.

Conversely, students who were more friendly towards the tutors began to increase.

“Teacher Sera, may I sit here?”

“…do as you please.”

“Understood.”

When Sera spoke in a somewhat reluctant tone, one male student quickly grabbed his tray and sat down.

“Teacher Sera, do you have time available during winter break?”

With a sparkling eye, the male student was hitting on Sera, who clicked her tongue.

Due to her background, skills, and good looks, some students openly flirted with her in this way.

The surrounding students from the Department of Knights chuckled knowingly.

“Would you want to bet how soon he’s rejected?”

“Ten seconds.”

“That’s too short. Fifteen seconds.”

Moments later, exactly ten seconds, the male student who was rejected slumped and moved to another seat.

Seeing this, the Department of Knights students burst out laughing before hastily scurrying away as Sera glared at them.

In the midst of students growing closer,

Leo lounged lazily on a bench, watching the students go about their day.

“Still, the guy I think is Tartarus doesn’t seem to be around.”

After the Grand Library incident, Leo had been carefully observing Lumeran’s students.

However, no one among them seemed to be the person he suspected as Tartarus.

“I have no idea what he’s up to, but thinking he’ll simply give up like this? No. They must be aware that if things continue this way, finding all the spies hidden within Lumeran is just a matter of time…”

Lumeran-affiliated.

An organization unknown to students.

Known as ‘Shadow,’ they are still covertly investigating the movements of everyone.

Tails have been caught.

It was impossible for anyone to move secretly without being noticed by Lumeran’s eyes.

“So, judging by their nature… It’s obvious they’ll likely force a problem.”

Just when Leo narrowed his eyes, deep in thought:

Thud- Thud-

Someone approached Leo.

Swish-

A shadow fell over Leo.

Leo looked up and furrowed his brows curiously.

“Why?”

In front of Leo stood a student from Ecot.

As Leo’s curious glance turned sharp momentarily,

Swish-

The student lifted a hand and swiftly struck toward Leo.

BOOM!

The bench Leo had been sitting on shattered.

“Hmm.”

Leo burst into a hollow laugh.

“I had a hunch, but I didn’t expect you to act this fast?”

As he looked at the boy or rather the demon exuding black mana, Leo clenched his fists.

“Leo Flove.”

A chilling voice spoke.

“I figure it’s time for you to d*e here today.”