【22】21
At the center of Lumeran stands the Hero’s Tower.
This place is not for the great students of Lumeran but rather for the faculty.
And at the top of the Hero’s Tower lies the Principal’s Office.
Principal Kalyan, who had been sitting at his desk with a relaxed expression, turned his head toward the window.
Whoosh-!
Flames flickered as a woman with crimson hair made her appearance.
“Welcome, Pirina.”
With a gentle smile, Kalyan greeted Pirina, but his expression suddenly changed.
“Could it be that the intruder has made a move?”
Five years ago, there had been an intrusion within Lumeran.
Since there were no casualties, it wasn’t made public, and the culprit was never caught.
However, Lumeran was not a simple educational institution—it was where the Hero Record was stored.
Not only did someone break through Lumeran’s defenses, but they also caused trouble within the premises and got away without being apprehended.
If this incident ever came to light, it would surely cause tremendous chaos, so the matter was kept undisclosed.
But the search for the culprit never stopped.
That’s why Kalyan had asked Ellen to invite Pirina to Lumeran.
There was no greater familiar for the surveillance of the vast Lumeran than the mighty Phoenix.
“I don’t have news of such, but I do have good tidings.”
“Good tidings?”
“Among the students of Lumeran, a Contractor of the Phoenix has been born.”
“Is that true?”
Kalyan asked in surprise.
“Did the person contract with you, or maybe with another Phoenix?”
“It’s my child born this time who made the contract.”
“Your child? Wasn’t he supposed to be the successor of the Rune family to contract with?”
“Yes, it was supposed to, but somehow it turned out this way.”
“So because it’s a young Phoenix, it was able to make the contract … Still, making a contract as a student! Besides Ulta, were there any such talents among the fifth years?”
Kalyan naturally assumed that the contractor would emerge from the highest grade.
Apart from Ulta, the contractor of Pegasus, all the fifth year students in the Summoning Department specialized in Spirit Magic, which made this quite unexpected.
“Not the fifth.”
“Hmm? Fourth year then? Indeed! The head of summoning in the fourth year was exceptionally talented.”
“Not the fourth either.”
Pirina shook her head.
Principal Kalyan’s expression subtly changed.
“Could it be the third year?”
“No.”
“…”
“Second year?”
Seeing Pirina’s amused silence, Kalyan burst into a nervous laugh.
“Are you saying that a contractor has been born among the first years?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Leo Flove.”
“Ahaha, Leo Flove?”
The student recommended by the notoriously picky Alby as a hero candidate. Despite the opposition from other professors, this student had been appointed as the grade representative.
“Isn’t this student supposed to be majoring in Knight Studies?”
Principal Kalyan, stroking his beard with surprise, thought,
“I must meet him soon.”
“You’ve worked hard!”
After the end of the Summoning Class, the first-year students energetically bowed and exited the practice room.
It was already late in the evening.
Being in their growth phase, and also having taken a taming exam, the students’ stomachs were rumbling with hunger.
One by one, the first-year students were quickly heading towards the student cafeteria.
“Lord Leo, would you like to have dinner with me?”
“Sure.”
Leo was about to leave the lecture hall with Chen Sia.
“Leo student.”
“Yes.”
“A professor is looking for you.”
Carlo came closer and spoke.
“I guess I’ll have to eat separately tonight.”
“There’s nothing to be done. I’ll see you in the next class, Lord Leo.”
Chen Sia left the lecture hall first.
Leo followed Carlo to the professor’s office.
After Carlo knocked on the door of the professor’s office, there came a short reply from inside: “Come in.”
“Please go in.”
After greeting Carlo, Leo entered the room.
Despite having a free-spirited personality, Professor Yura’s office was neatly organized.
Professor Yura, seated at her desk, offered Leo the chair opposite her.
“Sit down.”
Once Leo sat down, Professor Yura immediately began.
“Let me ask you directly, Leo student.”
“Yes.”
“The familiar you contracted with just now, is it the Phoenix?”
‘As I thought, you knew.’
“Yes.”
Leo’s answer surprised Professor Yura.
She had expected it but hearing the confirmation from Leo was still astonishing.
“Could I see it?”
With a trembling voice, Yura asked, and Leo reached into his school uniform’s inner pocket.
Pirina had said she’d come to pick it up tonight, so little Fiora was still with Leo.
He placed Fiora on the table.
“Could it be possible that I’d ever see a young Phoenix alive in my lifetime!”
Even seeing an adult Phoenix is rare, so encountering a baby Phoenix was even more so. The professor from Lumeran couldn’t help but get excited.
“Haa~! Such a proud figure!”
Proud indeed, but at that moment, Fiora was dozing off like a sickly chick.
‘Am I seeing double?’
“What’s its name?”
“Her name is Fiora.”
“How on earth did you find her? I didn’t even know Phoenixes existed in the Forest of Beasts.”
The status of a professor in Lumeran was certainly not low.
They were all exceptionally skilled in their respective fields and, if the need arose, wielders of significant authority.
Even they didn’t know of the existence of Pirina.
Having prior knowledge of this from Pirina, Leo had prepared an excuse.
“I found an egg while wandering in the forest. I didn’t know why it was there, but it was a Phoenix egg.”
A rather simplistic answer that wasn’t easily believable.
However, apart from coincidence, there was no other way to explain contracting a Phoenix.
Moreover, there was no way to confirm Leo’s story.
“Even so, it’s not easy to identify a Phoenix egg, right?”
The Phoenix, despite its fame, is an almost mythical familiar with very little known about it.
It’s not for nothing that information related to it is highly valuable.
“From what I know, my maternal family is related to the Phoenix, and I’ve read old books regarding it.”
“Where is your maternal family from?”
“Zerdinger.”
Professor Yura was surprised.
‘Indeed… If it’s the Zerdingers, it makes sense. Their source of Aurea Flame stems from the power of the Phoenix.’
If the summoner has the talent, then there’s no better condition than to be the contractor of a Phoenix.
‘Still, it’s hard to believe that this fifteen-year-old youth could contract with a Phoenix.’
Professor Yura’s eyes lit up.
Despite the lingering questions, what mattered now was the talent of this first-year student who contracted with a Phoenix just a day after enrolling.
“Understood. Thank you for your time. You may go now.”
Professor Yura escorted Leo to the entrance of the office.
Before opening the door, she seriously said,
“Leo student.”
“Yes.”
“It’s best to keep the fact that you’ve contracted with the Phoenix a secret for now. If it becomes known, it will surely cause a commotion.”
“Understood.”
“Good. Have a tasty dinner and see you in the next class.”
Professor Yura patted Leo on the shoulder and closed the door.
She then sat back down and began to contemplate.
‘How exactly should I teach this gem?’
Professor Yura was beaming with excitement.
What a student with legendary summoning talent to have under her guidance!
No matter what, she wanted to develop him into the greatest summoner possible.
‘Should I promote him? Having talented students is a problem too!’
Imagining the future when her student would become a great summoner, Yura became lost in a blissful quandary.
If Leo wished, she was ready to offer private classes as well.
Professor Yura firmly believed that Leo would choose Summoning as his main discipline.
Isn’t it obvious? How could someone with such talent go for another field?
‘From now on, the greatest department for the next five years will be our Summoning Department!’
Professor Yura didn’t know that to Leo, there was no such thing as a main discipline.
The next morning.
Leo was heading to the magic building with Kal for a Magic Class.
“Hey! Chloe!”
Kal waved at Chloe, who was walking ahead while tucking a Magic Major textbook under her arm.
“Hi, Leo, Kal. Ohhhhh.”
“Why the yawn so early in the morning?”
“I was reading magic books late last night.”
“Right, then how about this?”
With a smug smile, Kal pulled out a small bottle from his sleeve.
“Kal’s premium Fatigue Recovery Potion! Only five shillings.”
“Is it not dangerous or anything?”
“The label shows all the ingredients and even has a certification mark.”
“Hmm.”
After checking the label, Chloe nodded and bought the fatigue recovery potion.
While drinking it, she glanced at Leo.
“You really are taking a Magic Class, huh?”
“I said I would.”
“This guy, he even took a Summoning Class yesterday!”
Hearing Kal, Chloe looked at Leo curiously.
“What kind of class did you take yesterday?”
“I’m aspiring to be a Pure Mage, so there wasn’t a class for me yesterday. I studied at the library instead.”
“Wow, a real overachiever.”
The three of them chatted lightly as they arrived at the magic building.
Today’s lecture hall, [Great Lecture Hall], was a large circular hall capable of accommodating up to 500 people.
Seeing this, Kal chuckled.
“Look, the prime spot at the very back is still vacant! What’re you guys waiting for? Let’s go!”
“Prime spot? Isn’t the front row the real prime spot?”
“I guess we’re just taking different paths, huh.”
Kal was about to cut Chloe off entirely.
However, Chloe moved faster and grabbed Kal’s ear.
“Owwww?!”
“If you’re sitting at the back to sleep, mister, a Magician should be diligent and listen carefully. You’re a magic scholar!”
“Hey, let’s have a conversation without the ear pulling, okay? Ow! Please!”
Chloe forcibly seated Kal at the front row.
“You’ll be spotted by the professor while sleeping over there for sure!”
Kal screamed, but Chloe just smiled at him.
“On the contrary, the professor will look favorably upon you if you study hard.”
Kal looked back with a resentful gaze, but Chloe paid no attention as she opened her textbook.
Leo, who had to sit in front with him, stifled a laugh.
Just then, a man stepped onto the platform at the lecture hall.
Clop- Clop- Clop-
In a spotless suit and with a pomaded hairstyle, the man was someone whom the word “handsome” suited perfectly.
Several female students gasped, and standing at the center of the platform, he grinned.
“Nice to meet you all, first-year students. My name is Ren Hors and I’ll be teaching you Magic Theory for this one year.”
As Ren introduced himself, applause broke out.
“Before the lecture, is there any student with questions?”
A barrage of questions from female students rained down.
“Professor! Do you have a girlfriend?”
“What’s your age?”
“What type of person appeals to you?”
Irrelevant questions unrelated to academics poured in.
Despite this, Professor Ren kindly smiled and answered them all.
“Such a handsome professor. The girls are all swooning. But is Ren Hors familiar to you? Do you know him, Chloe?”
With his pen resting on his upper lip and arms crossed at the back of his head, Kal asked. Chloe shook her head.
“I’ve never heard of him either.”
When the private questions ended, Professor Ren spoke.
“Today, we’ll cover the introduction to Magic Theory. But before that!”
Snap!
Professor Ren flicked his finger.
Shhhhhh-!
Paper flew around the entire lecture hall.
Stacks of paper accurately reached every student’s desk.
“Before we begin the lecture, we’ll have a simple Magic Theory test.”
“Eeeh??”
“First-day test already? Professor, that’s too much~”
Complaints erupted from all around.
There were also students who cooingly argued in a cute manner.
“On a side note, if you score below the threshold, you will not be allowed to attend any Magic-related courses from now on.”
“…!”
The light atmosphere suddenly became frosty.
Amid this, one student raised his hand cautiously.
“Pr, professor. What if a Magic Department student fails this test?”
“That goes without saying,” Ren answered lightly as if wondering why someone would ask such a basic question.
“Expulsion.”
——————==
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
