This major city, located in the center of the continent, is called the center of the world not only for geographical reasons but also for its symbolic significance.
One of the warp gates in Lumeria City began to glow.
- "Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Lumeria City. Please check for any forgotten items and disembark from the gate."
With the announcement, Leo stepped out of the gate.
The warp gate was installed on a highland at the outskirts of Lumeria City.
The moment he stepped out of the gate, the panoramic view of Lumeria City spread before his eyes.
Whoosh!
Leo's white hair fluttered in the wind.
The landscape of the developed metropolis.
And in the distance, a lake so vast it could be mistaken for the sea was visible.
The lake, which would usually be shrouded in thick mist, was unusually clear.
Thanks to this, the massive castle, Lumern Academy, faintly visible at the edge of the lake, came into view.
'I'll be going there in two days.'
It had been a month since the entrance exam.
As with every year's entrance exam, it had generated a lot of talk.
Among the topics, the western region exam that Leo took was the most discussed.
Due to the mere 40 qualifiers, it had been quite a topic of conversation for a while.
'It's none of my business.'
Leo had been busy preparing for his enrollment.
And today, after a month of preparation, he came to Lumeria.
No one from the Flob family came with him.
Lumern's enrollment ceremony is not open to outsiders.
'Go and learn a lot.'
'My son, I won't be upset if you don't come.'
Thinking of Daid and Reina who had come to see him off, Leo smiled.
His parents, though nobles, are not fond of luxury.
'They would rather use the money for the welfare of the fiefdom than waste it on the warp gate.'
Of course, Leo also agreed with his parents' opinion.
Stepping out of the warp gate, Leo entered Kurage Street, the bustling area of Lumeria City.
'He said he would wait here, right?'
"Leo! Over here, over here."
Selia, with her black hair tied in a ponytail and wearing a stylish and active outfit, waved and approached.
She smiled at Leo, drawing the attention of the people around her.
"Are you doing well?"
"I can't be doing badly. By the way, congratulations on being the top student."
"I'm not thrilled about sharing the top spot with Butter, but a top is a top."
Saying this, she elegantly brushed her side hair.
"Now, look at me with more admiration."
"Hard to do after seeing you throw up, isn't it?"
"Hey!"
Selia shouted, her face turning red.
"Ugh! Really! You won't give in at all!"
Selia, who had been glaring at Leo, sighed deeply.
"Uncle Jis?"
"He said he'll come in the evening. Until then, I plan to do some shopping on Kurage Street."
Kurage Street sells everything needed for Lumern.
From school uniforms to textbooks and materials for each department, as well as weapons, wands, and summoning catalysts.
"Have you bought your uniform and textbooks yet?"
"No."
"You can buy them today. Follow me, I'll go with you specially."
***
Selia led Leo to a large clothing store on the main street first.
The display cases visible from outside showcased the Lumern uniforms.
The brand [Blessrigger] was visible.
"They look expensive."
"Of course, they've been making Lumern uniforms for a thousand years."
There are three main types of clothing needed for Lumern.
Formal attire for events.
School uniforms for classes.
Practical uniforms for practical sessions.
Each type of clothing has a minimum specification.
To meet these specifications, 'Mana Cloth,' imbued with mana, is required, and the quality of the uniform varies depending on the Mana Cloth, according to Selia's explanation.
"Also, Blessrigger is famous for its luxury. I got mine here too."
After finishing her explanation, Selia entered the store.
Ding-ding.
"Welcome to Blessrigger."
A staff member waiting at the door opened it with a kind smile.
Inside, a few customers were visible, including what looked like new Lumern students.
While browsing the display, a middle-aged woman appeared from inside.
"Hello, Miss Selia. It's an honor to have you visit us again."
She greeted elegantly and spoke carefully.
"Is there something you need...? Did the uniform you ordered not meet your expectations?"
"No, I'm here to order a boy's uniform today."
Selia smiled and pointed at Leo.
"He's enrolling this year with me."
"Oh, I see. I thought only you were enrolling from Zerdingger this year. There's another young master as well."
The tailor, covering her mouth, exclaimed and bowed politely to Leo.
"My name is Nera. I work as a tailor here at Blessrigger."
Leo could tell she was a mage.
'Well, to handle mana-infused cloth, you need to be a mage. Still, a mage as a tailor... the world has certainly improved.'
"Sir, I'll take your measurements."
Nera took out a measuring tape and measured Leo.
"Are you planning to study in the Knight Department?"
"Yes."
"What is the attribute of the Aura you use?"
Aura attributes are determined by the characteristics of the Aura cultivation method.
The blend of Mana Cloth used varies depending on the Aura attribute.
For example, to increase resistance to opposing attributes or to enhance the same attribute.
While Mana Cloth can't produce dramatic effects, even small advantages can be helpful in the intense competition at Lumern.
"Please use the Neutral Mana Cloth."
"Excuse me?"
Nera looked slightly perplexed, and Selia, who had been watching with a smile, frowned.
Leo smiled and repeated.
"Please use the Neutral Mana Cloth."
Neutral Mana Cloth.
It refers to plain cloth with no specific attribute.
Of course, no customer would request such a thing.
"Understood."
But if the customer wants it, it must be done.
After taking the measurements and receiving the information, Nera went to the tailoring room.
"Why Neutral all of a sudden? We're going to learn the Zerdingger Aura cultivation method. Wouldn't it be better to use Flame Attribute Mana Cloth for the uniform?"
"Just a thought I had."
'Neutral means anything is possible, after all.'
Of course, he will learn the Zerdingger Aura cultivation method.
But he doesn't plan to focus solely on it.
"By the way, I don't have any money."
"Would I be so cheap and petty as to make you pay? Father decided to cover all the expenses for your school life from the Zerdingger family."
Hearing this, Leo recalled Reina's words.
'It's okay, it's okay. Your brother may be a bit of a wimp, but he has a lot of money. And if he acts petty, I won't let it slide.'
This was what Father Daid said when he was worried about the costs for Leo's enrollment and the purchase of uniforms and textbooks.
According to Mother, all the personal assets he had while in the Zerdingger family were left behind.
But since the assets were accumulated separately from the family, he can claim ownership.
'Mother would probably go to Zerdingger and turn everything upside down.'
The head of the family is well aware of this, which is why they are providing support.
A short while later, Nera, a first-class tailor, quickly brought the custom-made uniform.
After trying it on and making some minor adjustments, Nera bowed after about an hour.
"The uniform will be delivered to your accommodation."
After paying and leaving Blessrigger with the staff's guidance,
"Shall we go buy the textbooks next?"
Selia led Leo to a giant bookstore.
They needed to buy the required textbooks for all students and the specialized textbooks for their majors.
Leo not only picked up the Knight Department textbooks but also the Magic and Summoning Department textbooks.
"Already preparing for duels? You're thorough, aren't you?"
Hearing Selia's admiration and nod, Leo muttered to himself.
'I'm the one who will be learning them.'
Of course, he didn't say it out loud.
He knew he would be seen as crazy if he did.
After buying all the necessary textbooks, they toured Lumeria.
Lumeria was a major city with plenty to see.
It was enjoyable to look around, and buying street food was also fun.
Seeing Selia's happy face as she ate ice cream, Leo smiled.
'She's still a kid in some ways.'
Despite always being conscious of others' gazes as a daughter of the Zerdingger family, Selia showed a lot of her girlish side when with Leo, who was her age.
By the time it was dinner, Leo and Selia returned to their accommodation.
"Are you here?"
"Uncle!"
Jis was waiting in the accommodation.
"How did it go?"
Jis ruffled Selia's hair, who asked anxiously, and approached Leo.
"Leo, how was your month?"
"Yes."
"The family meeting has concluded."
After the entrance exam, Jis suggested to the family that Leo be allowed to learn [Phoenix Breath].
While it was a secret cultivation method passed down through the family, allowing an outsider like Leo to learn it was a sensitive issue.
The related meeting lasted a month, and the result was finally out today.
"You have been granted permission to inherit [Phoenix Breath]."
Hearing this, Selia beamed and said to Leo.
"Congratulations, Leo!"
Selia, who had trained and taken the exam with Leo, thought he was a good fit for Zerdingger.
But the higher-ups in the family might have thought differently.
So she was anxious, but finally, the permission was granted.
"Although you left the family, the fact that you are your sister's son, and..."
Jis smiled.
"...the fact that you passed the Western Exam was highly regarded by the elders."
The Western Exam, with only 40 qualifiers, was already famous worldwide for its difficulty.
Jis took out a red key and gave it to Leo.
It was a subspace key.
"Open it."
Leo inserted and turned the key in the air, and a book popped out as the subspace opened.
When he opened the book, nothing was written.
'It's sealed.'
He easily understood the sealing structure.
"Drop some of your blood on it."
Leo bit his finger and dripped blood onto the page.
Then, the text appeared.
"From now on, only you can read this book."
"Yes."
"Enrollment is still a while away... but why don't you try learning it beforehand?"
"Is that allowed?"
"Of course. If you can awaken your Aura before enrollment, there's nothing better."
Jis smiled meaningfully.
"Of course, it won't be easy."
***
After receiving [Phoenix Breath], Leo entered his room.
"Why are you here?"
"Are you going to practice Aura now? I'll help if you get stuck."
"Really?"
"Of course, you should say, 'Please help me, Miss.'"
"You, who called me 'Master' after losing to me."
"Hey!"
Selia threw a cushion at her cousin, who mentioned her past.
Of course, Leo easily dodged it.
Selia, watching Leo sit on the bed and open the book, frowned.
"Ugh! I won't help until you politely ask me!"
Seeing Selia turn her head, Leo smirked and checked the contents of the book.
'As expected.'
It was a powerful Aura cultivation method befitting a hero's family.
Very complex and strong.
Watching Leo concentrate on reading the [Phoenix Breath] mana manipulation method, Selia snickered.
'It won't be easy.'
With Leo's current skill, he would likely find ordinary Aura cultivation methods very easy to start.
'Aunt said Leo has reached the Mana Resonance stage.'
If one can perform Mana Resonance, the most challenging part of Aura cultivation, it means they have already learned more than half of the method.
However, Phoenix Breath was different.
It required not only Mana Resonance but also mana manipulation.
Only by creating 'flames' through this manipulation could one pass the first hurdle.
Even Selia, called a genius, took a week to create flames.
Leo would soon be stuck on the mana manipulation method.
Selia grinned.
'I'll make you pay for treating me like a servant. You should call me 'Miss' for at least two days~'
Just as she was thinking about getting revenge for her previous humiliation,
Whoosh!
Flames appeared on Leo's body and soon enveloped him.
The flames formed a wing-like shape behind Leo's back and then dispersed.
"Still not easy."
Entering [Phoenix Breath] involves using Aura to create flames in the form of wings.
It took Selia a week to reach this stage.
'But this guy... this guy...'
"Miss, do you have any tips for this part?"
Seeing Leo point to a section of the book in a completely unpolite manner, Selia...
"Hey, you crazy guy! Even if you try, you can't do it just by looking at it once! There's no such thing in this world!"