Chapter 311

311

The students looked perplexed upon seeing a slime that resembled the Comet Wizard in appearance.

“Did someone try to mimic the Comet Wizard using a slime?”

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

Though the students were amazed, that was the extent of it.

Of course, slimes that can take on a human-like form and use magic are astonishing.

Anyone seeing such a slime for the first time would’ve been stunned.

However, the second-year students had seen a similar type of slime last year.

“I wonder how different this is from Senior Toluah’s Ditto?”

Clara’s eyes sparkled as she recalled Ditto, the slime created by last year’s graduate, Toluah.

‘It’s different from Senior Toluah’s Ditto.’

Ditto is also a slime with the ability to perfectly replicate another’s appearance.

But Ditto comes with limitations.

Without its target around, it cannot do anything.

Additionally, even if Ditto perfectly mimics its target, it would still be weaker in pure combat ability.

Decisively, there was the disadvantage that if Ditto moved too far from Toluah, it could no longer maintain its replication.

Tina dragged her slippers as she descended from the magic experimentation area.

In the midst of the standoff between Leo and the slime.

The slime made the first move.

Swoosh—

Pointing his staff at Leo, a torrent of magical energy erupted from the tip.

Upon seeing this, Leo’s eyes twitched.

Flash—Kaboom—!

A blinding streak of light appeared in front of Leo, scattering fragments of magical energy in all directions.

Everyone watched with wide eyes, alternating their gaze between Leo and the slime.

“Indeed.”

Leo, having deployed a Shield Magic to ward off the attack, gazed expressionlessly at the slime.

“It’s on a completely different level compared to Senior Toluah’s slime.”

Hu-hum—!

A magic circle formed around Leo.

Tina’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.

Flash—Crackle—!

A golden streak of lightning erupted from the magic circle, wrapping around the figure of the Comet Wizard.

Tink—!

In an instant, a translucent, glass-like barrier deflected Leo’s magic.

Tina muttered to herself upon witnessing that.

“Indeed. They don’t call her the Youngest Student Council President for no reason.”

At Tina’s remark, Ren chuckled faintly.

“What do you think? How about Leo’s magic skill?”

Faced with Ren’s question, Tina responded.

“There’s nothing to say other than that he is incredible.”

Tina’s words caused Ren to smirk knowingly.

“Leo was born talented, after all.”

“…It’s more than just natural talent, isn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve never seen anyone wield the Magic of the Stars so skillfully. Even among the Tingel family members, there’s no one with magical prowess on Leo’s level.”

Ren stared at Leo in surprise.

Ren understood better than anyone the extraordinary potential Leo possessed.

Throughout the first year of schooling, Ren was continually astonished while mentoring Leo.

One might say Leo’s genius eclipsed even the most extravagant superlatives.

Being only in their mid-teens, any young wizard, regardless of the height of their achievement, ought still be considered a novice; but Leo was different.

Leo already had his own solid worldview and perspective on magic.

“Among current students, only the graduated Toluah and fourth-year Elena stand as magicians with such a firm command of their own philosophy.”

That level of mastery was achieved by Leo during his first year.

Following the ancestor of the Star Cloud, Luna, in terms of greatness, one finds the Comet Wizard, Seirun.

Yet even Seirun stands far beneath Luna.

Ren had unwavering faith that Leo would grow to become a wizard capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Luna.

Even Ren, who thought this way, was astonished by Tina’s comment.

What kind of family is the Tingel family?

It’s the house founded by the Comet Wizard, Seirun.

It’s the most powerful of the existing elven families and the premier practitioners of the Magic of the Stars.

Though Tina was born with a body unable to accept magic, thus being treated as a hidden member of the family, her understanding of magic was profound.

She learned the magic runes of the Tingel family as its direct heir from a young age.

These runes were authored by the Comet Wizard herself.

These magic runes were regarded as the closest to the original star magic used by the progenitor of the Star Cloud, Luna.

In light of this, Tina was unparalleled in her discernment of the Magic of the Stars, far surpassing Ren.

And Tina herself had praised Leo as being more skilled with the Magic of the Stars than the Tingel family members.

Watching Leo, Ren noticed the Comet Wizard raising her staff.

“Ae Cr Ray.”

As the incantation completed, numerous orbs of light were conjured.

Ae Cr Ray.

Among the Magic of the Stars, it’s the most basic offensive spell.

In the present era, it’s considered an entry-level magic, and it was also the simplest of the magics crafted by Luna.

But…

‘The power varies drastically depending on the user.’

In reality, it was also the magic most favored by Luna herself.

In the case of low-tier demons, they were often wiped out by the dozens with a single instance of Luna’s Ae Cr Ray.

Kiiiiing—!

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

“I see.”

Leo’s lips curled upward.

“Ae Cr Ray.”

Leo countered with the same spell.

Flash! Kuuuuuuuhhh—!

Fragments of light scattered everywhere.

It was a spectacular, albeit dangerous, display of magic that left the onlookers awestruck.

“Is she the Comet Wizard incarnate?”

Leo looked at the slime.

More accurately, at the form of the Comet Wizard mimicked by the slime.

One among the Heroes of the Cataclysm.

She was the first to conquer the Hero’s World, and also the first to conquer Luna’s world.

“Looking at her physical appearance, she’s roughly my age. Perhaps a bit older. The magic formula for Ae Cr Ray looks exactly like Luna’s. Is it a hero skill she acquired as a conquest reward? If so, then it must follow conquering the Hero’s World.”

As Leo analyzed his opponent, he cast a spell.

Hooah—!

Mirage.

Dozens of Leo’s illusions appeared.

At the sight of this, the Comet Wizard hesitated.

At the moment Leo began casting a spell.

Whoom—!

The appearance of the Comet Wizard momentarily distorted.

Splat—!

It then turned liquid and splashed to the floor.

Silently—

The slime recombined.

‘Overloaded.’

Leo nodded as he gazed at the slime’s core.

Hooah—!

The mirage magic dissipated, and Leo returned to a single form.

Leo descended from the training ground.

The students all stared at the slime with expressions of confusion.

“So, how was it with my Servant Familiar?”

Tina chuckled and asked.

At her words, the servant familiar slithered closer, climbed up Tina’s legs, and disappeared inside her clothes.

Tina’s question prompted Leo’s response.

“I didn’t think it was possible to enhance a slime to this degree.”

Leo calmly stated.

“To the point where I think it might actually be the Comet Wizard herself.”

“Though it’s incomplete…it is indeed our ancestor.”

Tina explained in a casual voice.

“More specifically, this is her appearance during her first conquest of the Hero’s World. That’s the form that’s being replicated.”

Upon hearing Tina’s words, everyone widened their eyes.

“Of course, it’s impossible to use this in real combat. Can you explain why, Student Leo?”

“Because the magic formulas used in creating this slime exceed a hundred.”

“What? Hundred? Ba- hundred?”

“Is it possible to fit that many magic formulas into the small core of a slime?”

Everyone’s shock was palpable.

To fit multiple magic formulas in one object requires miniaturization of the formulas, which is practically akin to recreating the entire formula anew.

Even for a remarkable wizard, cramming a hundred magic formulas into a small core would be difficult.

Let alone the complexity of magic formulas designed to replicate the past appearance of the Comet Wizard?

What Tina managed here was almost an impossibility.

Everyone’s expressions turned pale as they suddenly grasped how extraordinary this mage was.

“What’s next?”

“The source of magic power that activates the formulas would also be an issue. I’m curious what kind of magic power source was used.”

“That’s a secret I can’t disclose.”

Tina chuckled softly.

“In any case, this slime is merely an example demonstrating the potential limits of what a Servant Familiar could achieve. It’s impossible even for me to create another such creature. Nevertheless…”

Tina glanced at the students of Lumeran.

“Even if it’s not to this extent, I believe that by using the magic engineering techniques I teach, you can enhance your familiars and significantly improve your capabilities, don’t you think?”

As she spoke, Tina looked at Clara.

“Whether you’re a traditional magician, a combat magician, or an all-round type, pure magicians will always create gaps when casting spells.”

Tina dragged her slippers and appeared among the students.

“Combat-class mages make up for this with swordsmanship; summoning magicians, who wield spirits and familiars, cover these gaps with their summoned creatures. However…”

She glanced at some dual-class students.

“Unless it’s an exceptional case, a combat-class mage might have a deficiency in either swordsmanship or magic. And in the case of summoning magicians, they often have weaknesses tied to the attributes of their summons.”

Tina wore an insightful expression.

“The significant advantage of artificially generated familiars created through magic engineering is their ability to clearly compensate for these weaknesses. Doesn’t that sound worthwhile learning?”

The students from the Department of Magic nodded in agreement.

“Alright, is there anyone still dissatisfied?”

No one questioned the practicality of familiars after Tina’s question.

“Good, shall we start the lesson then?”

“Here?”

“Isn’t this where we study magic formulas?”

Some students wore puzzled looks.

To which Tina coolly replied,

“Since this is a familiar lesson, shouldn’t we start with the fundamentals? Like taming, for example.”

Thus began Tina’s first outdoor class.

Most students struggled from the very first lesson.

It was inevitable, as the art of taming had long since been neglected.

The students of Lumeran’s Department of Magic, all elite magicians, excelled at the latest trends in magic but were weaker in outdated spells deemed less practical.

No matter how many spells they knew, how sensitive they were to magic, or how skilled they were in controlling mana, it was impossible not to struggle with an entirely new field of magic.

“Somehow, it’s easy.”

“Luckily, I’ve been studying summoning and have dual-class skills.”

Among them, summon magicians who studied together found it relatively easy, some succeeding quickly even without prior knowledge.

“This is surprisingly difficult.”

Clara, with a perplexed look, gazed at the taming formulas.

Though she had thoroughly memorized the formulas, she couldn’t easily grasp the technique.

Chelsea was struggling as well, gritting her teeth.

But as time passed, one after another, students started succeeding.

“Hee, look. Isn’t it cute?”

Ylliana proudly showed the animal she had tamed.

At this, Chelsea wore an incredulous expression.

“Does your pigeon even fly? The nickname they have isn’t just made up, you know.”

Ylliana had tamed a pigeon, which could be seen frequently in Lumeran’s campus.

Lumeran’s pigeons had grown accustomed to humans due to the scraps of bread fed by the students and rarely flew, earning them the nickname “rooster-pigeons.”

Chelsea’s remark made Ylliana flare up.

“What?! And what did you tame? You were also struggling earlier, weren’t you?”

“I?”

Chelsea grinned and raised her hand.

Tweeeeet—!

A sharp cry sounded as a hawk landed on Chelsea’s staff.

“As you can see.”

“Ugh!”

Seeing Chelsea, who had tamed a usually difficult bird of prey, Ylliana shrank back.

Ylliana then called out to Leo, who was passing by.

“Class leader! What did you tame?”

At Ylliana’s question, Leo opened his palm, and a sparrow flew to perch on it.

Seeing this, Ylliana beamed proudly.

“See! No need for something flashy! You’re the class leader! We’re comrades!”

“Leo doesn’t seem to have gone for something extravagant.”

It was then Chelsea donned a somewhat startled expression.

“I’m not ordinary. I can speak, remember? Unlike you, my master tamed a rooster-pigeon.”

The sparrow spoke, surprising Chelsea and Ylliana.

“Augmented familiars can sometimes convey their master’s intentions.”

Leo spoke calmly, causing Ylliana to falter.

“Not to mention mastering taming on your first try…”

As Ylliana said that, Leo muttered to himself.

‘Taming magic was mastered long ago, you see.’

Unlike contemporary magicians, Leo belonged to an era where familiars were actively utilized.

At that moment, Clara passed by, also taming a sparrow. She was conversing with it as casually as Leo.

Chelsea looked at Ylliana and smirked.

“Only yours is the rooster-pigeon.”

“Ugh!”

As Ylliana scowled, she pointed at Kal.

“Kal! What did you tame?”

At this, Kal chuckled.

“If you see what I’ve tamed, you’ll fall over in shock.”

“Hmph! Come on, it’s just Kal! What could you have tamed?”

“Here.”

Kal extended his hand toward Ylliana.

“Huh? What is it… KYAA!”

As Ylliana carefully inspected Kal’s hand, she screamed in fright and ran off upon seeing the creature emerging from under Kal’s sleeve.

“What is this… gag?”

“Hey! Kal! You!”

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Kal laughed boisterously as he chased the shocked female students with the snake he had tamed.

This sent the female students running in fright.

“Operation: Absolute Success!”

Kal erupted in laughter.

Watching this, Leo let out a small sigh.

“Kal.”

“Leo, isn’t this funny too?”

“Do you think you can handle the aftermath?”

“Huh? Huh-ack!”

KTHUMP!

As Leo finished his sentence, Chelsea swiftly came over and delivered a dropkick to Kal’s back.

Ylliana returned with a wooden stick, while Clara used an ice spell with a cold expression.

Watching all this, Leo shook his head with a small sigh.

*

After the class concluded.

While Kal, who’d been beaten up, visited the medical ward for a while,

Leo headed to Professor Tina’s office with Clara.

Professor Tina, who was newly appointed, had mentioned receiving a private office upon her arrival at Lumeran yesterday.

“I’m looking forward to this!”

Clara clutched the book close to her chest with excitement; the title read, “A Philosophical Study on the Reasons Why Ice Mages Must Study Ice Magic.”

As they reached Tina’s office, Clara took a deep breath and knocked.

Knock knock—

Then, creak—, the door opened.

“Students Leo and Clara? What brings you here?”

Tina, who had been writing something while holding a pen, looked up and asked.

“Professor Tina! I’ve been deeply moved by your published papers since long ago! Would it be possible for you to sign this book?”

Clara shyly showed her the book.

“Sure, I can do that.”

Tina nodded and approached.

Meanwhile, Leo, who’d been looking around Tina’s office, paused his gaze on something.

A small crystal orb.

Upon seeing tiny fairy wings within the orb, Leo’s eyebrows furrowed.

‘Fairy wings? Could it be…?’

It was clearly no ordinary decoration.

The faint aura emanating from it confirmed it was definitely fairy wings.

Wings of a fairy Leo was quite familiar with.

‘Ciran’s wings, perhaps?’