Chapter 20

【20】19

“Already practical exams on the first day?”

“Why only us when other classes are having provisional lectures!”

As the students panicked, Professor Yura spoke seriously.

“I’ve said it before. If you’re the ones who listen with naive thoughts, then you should leave. Do you think we’re the same as the other two majors?”

At this question, the students closed their mouths.

“You, as summoners-in-training, should know. Summoning isn’t something you can learn just by having mana affinity. You need spirit affinity to make a pact with spirits, and you require ‘taming’ ability to control familiars.”

Professor Yura stretched out both her arms.

“Because of this, the number of summoners is overwhelmingly fewer compared to knights or wizards. Likewise, there are fewer people who ascend to the position of hero.”

The summoners-in-training clenched their teeth, knowing they could not argue with this undeniable point.

“But! The summoner heroes who have achieved that status have accomplished greater feats than the other heroes!”

With pride in her face, she shouted:

“Would it make sense for you to do the same as students from other departments?”

“No, it doesn’t!”

“You are the chosen ones! Isn’t that right?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

“Then, let’s start off with a bang from the first day!”

“Sure!”

“Great! Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!”

As Professor Yura raised her fist shouting, the first-year students responded raising their fists to shout in unison.

The atmosphere heated up instantly.

With Professor Yura’s approach successfully capturing the students’ focus, a female student with silver hair raised her hand.

“So, if it’s the first day’s practical exam, what kind of exam will it be?”

“Great question. Eliza Hergin.”

At that name, the students began murmuring among themselves.

The Hergin Family.

The summoner heroes’ lineage from the northern continent.

“All the familiars managed by Lumeran are gathered on this island.”

Familiars are a kind of weapon to summoners.

“I want to test your ‘taming’ abilities.”

Yura pointed towards the forest.

“Go tame a familiar in this forest and bring it back here. Depending on the familiar you’ve tamed, I’ll give you the appropriate points.”

After Eliza finished explaining the exam rules again, she asked,

“If we tame it and make a contract, what happens then?”

At this, the students audibly swallowed.

Taming and contracting are different things.

Taming is the ability to bond with familiars, the first step to contract. After taming, if one has the ability, they can proceed to make a contract.

Smiling slightly at Eliza’s question, Yura said,

“If you succeed in contracting, that familiar is yours.”

“Ooooh!”

“Isn’t this typical of Lumeran! Acknowledging and allowing contracts made during class!”

There are two methods to contract with familiars.

The first is using a catalyst for summoning and contracting, and the second is directly meeting and contracting with the familiar.

In the latter case, one may also ‘sell’ the contract-unbound familiars.

This is why familiars often fetch high prices on the market.

With the opportunity to freely contract with such familiars presented, enthusiasm was certain to boil over.

“Professor, what about the spirit magic aspirants?”

This time Chen Sia asked.

“Summoners fundamentally must be able to handle both spirits and familiars. Though you may specialize in one or the other, the summoning lessons in Lumeran aims to develop abilities in both as much as possible, so give your best effort.”

Chen Sia nodded her head.

‘Familiars.’

In his past life, Leo had also contracted with powerful familiars.

‘They all disappeared in battles from long ago.’

During this reflection Leo, Professor Yura continued:

“You have three hours! Begin!”

“Ooohh!”

The first-years excitedly rushed forward.

“Hmm? Aren’t you going?”

Professor Yura tilted her head in confusion when she noticed Leo, Chen Sia, Warden, and Eliza, who were supposed to be the standout students of the year, remained at the start line.

Eliza, who was cleaning her nails, responded,

“I’m not interested in lower-tier familiars.”

Hoo! Blowing on her fingers, Eliza grinned.

“…”

The stoic Warden stayed silent.

“Mm… I only know taming theoretically so I’m still pondering.”

Chen Sia smiled awkwardly.

As Leo finally moved after silently staring at the forest, he heard,

“Ah? Student representative?”

Leo turned back to Eliza who had asked,

“I’ve heard about your performance in the knight’s course. Should I expect something similar here in the summoning course?”

Grinning as she asked, Eliza observed Leo shrug,

“I merely give my best.”

Seeing Leo brush off the provoking question with ease, Eliza wore an expression of boredom.

As Leo disappeared into the forest, Professor Yura smiled,

“Good. This is what youth is, right?”

“Now now. Isn’t Professor getting a bit old…”

Pow!

“Grk?”

As Carlo was dealt a punch to his side, Professor Yura, watching Leo’s retreating back, smiled mischievously.

‘And personally, I have high expectations.’

Her intuition told her exactly that.

*

‘To think an ecosystem like this for familiars is possible.’

Leo walked through the forest, marveling internally.

Even in his previous life, he had never seen so many varieties of familiars gathered in one place.

This forest was, for summoners, truly like a treasure trove.

The students were scrambling to look for familiars all across the woods.

And among them, it was common to see arguments erupt and ultimately lead to losing familiars.

Anyone knowledgeable about summoning familiars would have probably been careful in their movements.

The more powerful familiars tended to shy away from revealing themselves to people.

This was why Warden and Eliza had chosen to remain at the start line.

If judged purely by skill, Eliza was on par with Warden.

“Isn’t that guy going too deep?”

Some students looked at Leo, who was heading deep into the forest, with confused expressions.

While the other students were making a ruckus, they were still careful not to go too deep into the woods.

High-tier familiars are often hostile to humans.

And on top of it, this was more than just a lesson; it was a practical exam.

No matter what, there will be scores assigned.

Brashly attempting to contract with a high-ranked familiar and failing a taming would mean a zero.

Lumeran was a place of continuous competition.

There’s no place for excuses like “My luck was bad” or “My attempt was good.”

“He probably thinks that if it doesn’t go well, he’ll switch to knight studies.”

“Yeah, probably.”

Chuckling and losing interest, some students dismissed the matter.

As Leo, who had gone deep inside, looked around,

After confirming that there was no one around, he took out a gray feather he had found upon arriving at the island from his pocket.

‘So, this is…’

His eyes brightened as Ora began to emanate.

A gray Ora started to burn.

It was the strength Leo had honed with the Phoenix Breath.

As the Ora flames attached to the feather, they began to burn even more fiercely.

Then they turned to ash and scattered.

Whoosh!

‘So, this really is Phoenix’s feather. Is there even a Phoenix in this forest?’

Phoenix, one of the strongest familiars, is an especially difficult familiar to contract with.

The summoning catalyst in the form of burning Phoenix feathers reacts to mana by turning into ash immediately and thus cannot be used.

Ultimately, the method to contract with a Phoenix is to directly find a Phoenix.

However, a Phoenix, known for their strong pride, is not easily contracted with, even if one meets it.

This is why they are called the dream familiar by familiar magicians.

“Huh, Lumeran, you’re pretty amazing.”

Leo’s bright-eyed moment was interrupted,

Whoomph!

“!”

Above Leo’s head, a crimson flame flickered.

Dazzled by the blinding light and powerful heat that surged forth, he instinctively lowered his stance.

Waahhhh!

Recognizing the phenomenon, Leo couldn’t help but gape in disbelief.

The intense flames quickly took the form of a colossal bird.

Each flap of its wings sent flames swirling.

Leo summoned Ora flames to protect himself.

In reaction, the familiar that revealed itself, Phoenix, spoke:

– Is that Zerdinger’s fire? I thought it would be Reina’s fire… The familiar smell of fire brings me here, but I was wrong. Was it all my mistake?

At his mumbling, Leo asked in amazement,

“Do you know my mother?”

-Mother?

Phoenix’ eyes widened, and it laughed joyfully,

-Indeed! So I wasn’t completely wrong, huh! That’s right! If she had a child, you would be about the same age!

The intense flames started to d*e down.

-Ho ho ho, Do you know my mother? Of course! I have received a great favor from your mother Reina.

While it beat its beautiful wings, Phoenix landed before Leo.

It was incredibly out of character for the notoriously haughty Phoenix to project such a gentle atmosphere.

And so, Leo could only look bewildered at the situation.

‘This one is totally different from the Phoenix that Lissinas had. That bird was brash enough for Luna to suggest that she’d cook me alive.’

-Oh child of Reina, what is your name?

“I am Leo Flove.”

-That’s right, Leo. I call myself Pirina.

“Are you acquainted with my mother? You mentioned receiving a favor before, didn’t you?”

At Leo’s query, Pirina grinned.

-Reina is my vow keeper and the savior of Ellyn Lyndua.

“Ellyn Lyndua?”

Pirina’s revelation surprised Leo.

The Lyndua family was a renowned hero lineage of the elves.

And Ellyn was not just a lineage holder; he was the head of the Lyndua family and a hero whose name was inscribed in the Hero Record.

-At that time, Ellyn was a dungeon raider tasked with clearing dungeons in Seirun.

“Are you talking about the Hero Dungeon that appeared due to the out-of-control lost pages of the Hero Record?”

-That’s right.

There are five known places holding the Hero Record.

However, there are lost pages of the Hero Record scattered somewhere else in the world.

These scattered lost pages, at times, go berserk and create the Hero’s World phenomena.

Such occurrences are called Hero Dungeons.

-Hero Dungeons invade the real world. Over time, monsters from the Hero’s World invade the real world through the dungeon entrance. Finding and clearing these dungeons is one of the main tasks of the Hero’s Academy.

Despite the discovery of Hero Dungeons, many countries choose to conceal it since clearing dungeons grants rights similar to carrying the Hero Record.

Numerous countries fell due to concealing Hero Dungeons.

That’s why only the best of the best are assigned to this mission.

-Ellyn got involved in one such Hero Dungeon clearance task. He failed, and all his companions perished. It was Reina who saved Ellyn when he was on the brink of d*ath.

Pirina murmured sorrowfully, reminiscing about the past.

-In the process, Reina lost her flames. If that hadn’t happened, Reina would have surely ascended to the Hero’s position.

“My mom doesn’t regret the old days. She always says the present moment is the most important.”

-Ho ho… I see her personality hasn’t changed.

As Pirina laughed gently, Leo asked:

“Anyway, why are you in Lumeran?”

-I received a request from the Principal Kalyan to be here.

“Principal’s request?”

-That’s right, but I can’t tell you the exact reason.

Perceiving secrets, Leo grew curious.

-And why are you here on this island? A first-year from the knight course has no reason to be here, right?

Thinking Leo was naturally in the knight course as Reina’s child, Pirina asked.

“I also take a summoning class.”

-What?

Startled, Pirina realized that Leo possessed a faint spiritual power.

‘The power may be weak, but the vessel is excellent.’

Impressed by Leo’s potential, Pirina burst out laughing.

-Ho ho. This must be fate.

“Yes?”

– Leo, won’t you make a contract with me?

——————==