Chapter 38

【38】37

– Hello everyone! Welcome again! Here comes the biggest event of the first year’s first semester: The Familiar Race! I’m Runba Teid from the 3rd year of the Department of Summoning, your commentator for today!

Waahaaaaa!

The students who filled the Summoning Practical Skills area erupted in cheers.

Celia frowned.

“Is this really a test?”

While there were spectators during the Knights Skills Exam, the Summoning Practical Exam was on a completely different scale.

Not only was there commentary, but there was also a properly set up viewing section.

There were even Video Magic installed in places clearly visible from the spectators’ seats.

Ris, who sat next to Celia, burst out laughing.

“The Familiar Race is a long-standing tradition of the Summoning Exam, so it’s quite popular. Also, since it’s an event adopted for the exchange matches with other Hero Academies, there’s a lot of attention on it.”

“President of the Student Council! I heard a newspaper article about you! Is the first-year sitting next to you Celia Zerdinger, your younger sibling?”

A male student approached with a notebook and pen, wearing a Video Magic recording device around his neck.

“That’s right.”

“Ah! Could we conduct a brief interview?”

The newspaper club student requested.

“We have popcorn! Refreshing drinks available!”

“Hey! Place your bets! Who will come in first? The odds are as follows!”

Additionally, student members of the merchants club were not only selling goods but also organizing gambling.

‘What kind of test is this!’

Until now, the solemn examination atmosphere was replaced entirely with that of a bustling flea market, making the first-years silently scream in despair.

Moreover, among this chaos, the freshmen students from the Summoning Department were the most affected mentally.

“Seriously! Why are all these people gathering here and making it impossible for us to focus?”

Teid shouted as he held his head, and surrounding first-years nodded in agreement.

The first-years, who had been endlessly nervous, were at a loss when the entire school gathered, creating a festive atmosphere.

Rather, due to this kind of atmosphere, they felt even more pressure.

Of course, there were those who were relaxed.

Representative examples were Eliza and Warden, the top students of the Summoning Department.

“It’s unpleasant that someone of the noble Hergin family like me is treated as mere entertainment.”

Eliza’s admirers nodded as they saw her delicate eyebrows furrow.

Warden, as always, simply stood expressionless.

Eliza briefly glanced at Warden before she noticed Leo, who was stretching nearby.

Leo bent his knees and straightened himself again as he did some stretching. Eliza approached him with a mocking tone.

“I heard you showed remarkable prowess during the Knights Practical Exam. Did you prepare just as thoroughly for this Summoning Practical Exam?”

“Of course.”

“Indeed, the representative of the first-year certainly exudes confidence.”

Eliza opened her eyes lazily.

“But… I never saw you during the Familiar Exam practice. Are you perhaps taking this exam lightly?”

The Familiar Race was originally supposed to be ridden by familiars that each student had already contracted with.

However, among the first-years, there were many students who had yet to contract with flying familiars.

So, Lumeran provided flying familiars for the students.

How quickly one could tame this provided flying familiar would be the key point of this exam.

During the exam period, the Summoning Department had allocated training times, but Leo had not attended a single one.

“What kind of talk is that, Eliza?”

Upon hearing her sarcastic tone, Teid frowned.

However, the gazes of those around who looked at Leo were not friendly.

“To be honest, it’s true that the guy isn’t serious.”

“He’s famous in Martial Arts and Magic, but when it comes to Summoning, he only has raw power. I’ve never seen him contract with any spirits or familiars.”

“Is he perhaps taking Summoning lightly?”

“If you intend to slack off, you shouldn’t even participate!”

The Summoning Department, despite having fewer students, was known for its strong attachment to the discipline.

In such a situation, when Leo, who hadn’t shown up for a single practice, displayed confidence, it was inevitable that the students would feel resentment.

It was a race where participants used their summoning skills to swiftly pass through obstacles and cross the finish line.

The obstacles were all formidable, and interfering with other competitors was allowed. Severe injuries during the race were also a common occurrence.

Given the dangerous nature of the race ahead, having not attended even a single practice did not reflect well on Leo in the eyes of the Summoning students.

Although Leo had experienced everything from land to air battles in a past life as a familiar, naturally, none of the students knew this.

“That’s a bit too harsh.”

“Ha! Are you favoring him because you’re the class leader of the same class?”

A student from Class 5 exclaimed angrily, and a student from another class countered with mockery.

“The atmosphere isn’t good.”

Chen Sia stepped in as a mediator.

“I know everyone is on edge before the exam. But still, I think the criticisms…”

“Chen Sia. Since your grades in Knights’ studies are good, you probably don’t need to worry much about summoning, right?”

Another female student taunted her.

With her as the target, it was now the students of Class 10’s turn to flare up.

The students of the Summoning Department glared at each other, emanating a hostile atmosphere.

At that moment, Leo clicked his tongue.

“It’s getting too noisy.”

A low and deep voice echoed.

Everyone’s gaze focused on one point.

Warden, who had been standing with his arms crossed, eyes closed, as if uninterested in everything, now had his amber eyes open.

“If you’re going to split into factions and yap about having ridden familiars more, do it somewhere else and not in front of me.”

“What? What did you just say, Warden?”

“I said it’s annoying to listen to you brag about having ridden familiars more.”

The expression of Sen Riu, a student from East Continent Summoning Department, hardened as he stepped forward to represent the others.

“Huh? Are you affected by that too? You also barely came to the taming training, didn’t you?”

Seeing Warden’s smirk, the Summoning Department student asked sharply.

“What? What’s it with that smile?”

“Shall I tell you why I didn’t participate in the taming training?”

“What?”

“It was because it didn’t have any value. I’m not some incompetent fool like you who can’t even properly handle a griffin.”

At this remark, fire sparked in the eyes of Riu and the other students.

“You little!”

The student lunged at Warden with a punch.

Tuck!

But just before reaching Warden, Riu’s punch was caught by Leo.

“You’ll get more than just reprimands if you start a fight before the exam.”

“Krk! I don’t want to hear that from someone like you!”

Riu shook off Leo’s hand and returned to the Summoning Department students.

As he watched his retreating back, sighing deeply, “Tch,” Leo turned back to Warden.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you chose your words more carefully?”

“Is speaking the truth a problem?”

“However great you may be, I don’t think you have the right to mock others’ efforts. Warden Tyden.”

Looking up at Warden, who was at least a head taller than himself, Leo watched as Warden smiled coldly before leaving.

“The atmosphere’s worse than expected.”

Even though Leo had simply attended his classes diligently, unexpectedly, the atmosphere among the students of the Summoning Department wasn’t good.

Sighing, Teid replied to Leo’s words.

“You probably didn’t know because you’re in different majors, but the Summoning Department’s atmosphere for our cohort is a bit… not good.”

“Why?”

“In the Summoning Department of our cohort, the top students are you, Xia, Warden, and Eliza, right?”

“Right.”

“The discipline of Summoning usually sees a significant gap in ability between primary and secondary majors. However, since you and Chen Xia have taken the top positions, the second-year seniors gathered us together.”

“You called us together? They’re totally old-school.”

“That’s what I said! On top of that, Warden even refused to attend when the seniors assembled us!”

As a result, it’s rumored that the second-years got even angrier and bullied the freshmen.

“Anyway, our mood was already bad because of that… and with you and Warden skipping nearly all of the test preparations, the atmosphere has only gotten worse.”

“The atmosphere’s bad for a reason.”

“Yeah. So, if you can, try to understand.”

“Got it.”

With that, Leo looked around at the students preparing for the match.

Among the tense atmosphere, a peculiar sense of hostility could be felt.

‘This presents a new problem.’

Certainly, from others’ perspectives, it might seem he was neglecting his responsibilities.

‘Of course, I don’t intend to take it lightly though.’

The goal, as long as he was participating, was nothing but first place.

-Gentlemen and ladies! The moment has finally arrived! The competitors are all at the starting line!

Inside the start zone, the first-year students stood shoulder to shoulder.

Beyond them, the barriers enclosing the griffins could be seen.

At the beginning signal, the students would need to tame the griffins in those barriers and take off.

The Summoning Department students tightened their nerves, preparing to start.

“You brats! Don’t get too nervous. Just do as you’ve practiced! Any one of you that screws up because of nervousness will get a kick in the rear after this!”

Ura, the referee, raised a flare and shouted at her students.

This comment provoked bursts of laughter among the Summoning Department students.

“Well, then!”

Ura raised the flare again.

“Three, two, one!”

Bang-!

Cawcawcahc-!

As the start signal was given, streams of spirit magic erupted around Leo and Warden.

Startled by the unexpected situation, Leo hesitated.

-Ah! What is this? The Summoning Department students! They’re targeting the first-year representatives, Leo and Warden of the Southern Division, with coordinated attacks!

Without precedent, the audience buzzed with surprise.

The Summoning students of Class 5 also wore astonished expressions.

“Ow! What is this thing!”

“It’s underhanded! Those Summoning students!”

“Hey! Don’t you guys have any shame?”

“Fight the match honestly!”

-Haha! A storm of jeers is pouring from the side of the first-year Class 5!

The students watching from the audience were in an uproar.

“Oh, class leader!”

“Hey! Leo! Wait! Let me help you!”

“Pay it no mind and go ahead!”

As Leo’s classmates held back to dispel the Spirit Magic blocking Leo, Leo urgently called out.

“This is a test! I’ll handle it myself, so don’t fall behind for nothing! Go now!”

“Gah!”

“Leo! Sorry!”

With angry expressions, the Class 5 students belatedly took off.

The ground, turned to mud by water, clung to Leo’s feet.

The barriers of fire and wind obstructed Leo right at the front.

Warden, who received the same interference as Leo, generated his vital energy.

“Foolish.”

Whoosh-!

Despite the Summoner students’ calculated casting of Spirit Magic, Warden simply dismantled it all with ease.

A feat impossible without overwhelming power.

“Looks like you’re struggling. Need help?”

With a smirk, Warden asked, prompting a quiet laugh from Leo.

“No, I’ve got it.”

“Is that so? Then, allow me to go first.”

With an unhurried pace, Warden headed toward the griffin enclosures.

Meanwhile, other students had already completed their griffin taming and were soaring into the air.

Watching this from the start line, Leo activated his vital energy.

“I knew I wasn’t liked, but I didn’t think they’d all block me together like this.”

As Leo grinned faintly, Ura, watching from nearby, clicked her tongue.

‘This is going to be tough.’

If this wasn’t an exam, he might have been able to break through such interference.

However, this match came with the restriction of only using “Summoning Magic.”

More importantly, Ura’s observation suggested that Leo’s primary Summoning Magic was Familiar Summoning, not Spirit Magic.

Thus, caught in the full force of a coordinated Spirit Magic blockade from a department level, it would be difficult for Leo, still inexperienced in actual combat, to overcome this obstacle.

‘The rift among the first-years is deeper than expected. To be mobbed like this mob…’

Even though it wasn’t technically a foul, the sight wasn’t pleasing.

Apparently, as a professor, she hadn’t done enough for her students.

While contemplating her own inadequacies and considering how to calm down the department students, Ura was interrupted by Leo’s voice.

“─!”

The sound of Leo’s voice made Ura feel her skin prickle all over.

The soft, melodious language, akin to a song, was not a human tongue.

“──! ─!”

The longer the melody persisted, the weaker the forces of spirits became.

Whoosh-!

Eventually, the force that had been hindering Leo disappeared.

The spirits, who had been following the order of their contractors, chuckled lightly as they danced around Leo in circles before vanishing.