The next day, the excitement and fatigue from the school trip had yet to subside.
Lumeren's class schedule proceeded as usual.
Most of the first-year students were still struggling to adapt to the atmosphere and attended classes in a daze.
Just as the last class before lunch was ending,
"Everyone, pay attention. I have an announcement."
Professor Dragon, the history teacher, gathered the students' attention.
Once the students focused, Professor Dragon began to speak.
"The afternoon class schedule has been changed. There will be a joint class for all majors, so gather in the Grand Hall of the Tower of Heroes after lunch. There are no exceptions."
As Professor Dragon left, the students began to chatter.
"Joint class for all majors? We've never had a joint class before, right?"
Kai stroked his chin.
"Doesn't it smell like a new school event?"
Leo said, looking at Kai's smirk.
"Probably. Our school doesn't leave students alone, you know."
"Big brother Leo! Let's have lunch at a café near the Tower of Heroes today!"
"Really?"
"Chelsea! Abad is looking for you."
"Huh?"
Hearing the voice from the back of the classroom, Chelsea approached Abad.
A moment later, Chelsea returned and said apologetically,
"Sorry, I think I have to have lunch with my brother."
"Alright. Have a good time with your brother."
"Enjoy your lunch."
As Chelsea left with Abad, Kai said,
"Alright, let's head to the Tower of Heroes. There are a lot of seniors there, so it's a bit intimidating."
The two left the classroom and headed for the Tower of Heroes.
The Lumeren campus had various cafes, snack stands, and restaurants in addition to the student cafeteria.
Of course, unlike the student cafeteria, they required payment, but there were no bad places, and students could enjoy a variety of cuisines, so they were often frequented.
"From what I've heard, it's incredibly competitive to open a business on our campus."
Kai said, looking at the restaurants around the Tower of Heroes.
"Leo, how about southern cuisine today?"
"Sure."
"Great! I've heard there's an incredibly delicious southern restaurant near the Tower of Heroes, and I wanted to try it!"
Leo followed Kai to a famous restaurant.
Sure enough, as Kai had said, it was packed with customers.
Seeing an empty seat, Leo and Kai were about to head there.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?"
At that moment, a group of students cut in and quickly sat down.
"Hey, we were about to sit there."
"Huh?"
The students, startled by Leo's words, burst into laughter.
"What's a first-year trying to say?"
"Are you challenging us? How cute."
"Wait, white hair and red eyes... Isn't this guy Leo Flaubert?"
The ones who cut in were none other than second-year students from the Summoning Department.
Compared to other departments, the Summoning Department had a strong hierarchy culture, and the second-year students looked down on Leo, who didn't show his face in class or to seniors.
Of course, Leo didn't care what the seniors thought.
"Arrogant, just as the rumors say."
"What? Do you think being a class representative makes you special?"
Seeing the hostile second-year students, Kai laughed awkwardly.
"Hehe. No, we'll just go somewhere else. Let's go, Leo."
"Anyway, that's why commoners and country bumpkins don't fit in. They have no manners. No manners."
"Hehe."
Kai smiled nervously.
"Leo, let's just go. There's no point in getting into trouble with seniors..."
Thud!
"Ouch?"
Clang!
A second-year student from the Summoning Department tripped Kai.
Clearly intentional, he knocked over a water pitcher on the table, spilling water on Kai's head.
"Behave yourself. You might become one of us."
"Hey, that's too much. He's from a different department."
"Would the Magic Department care about a nameless commoner? He'll probably be advised to withdraw before the first semester ends anyway."
They laughed among themselves.
"Excuse me."
Leo stopped serving and smiled apologetically at the hesitant waiter, then picked up the soup from the waiter's tray.
Splash!
"Choke?"
Without hesitation, Leo slammed the hot soup bowl into the face of the second-year student who had tripped Kai.
"Oops, sorry. My hand slipped."
Leo, who didn't look the least bit sorry, pressed the soup bowl against the second-year student's face.
"Ah!"
The second-year student, suddenly doused with hot soup, screamed and clutched his face.
"You're crazy!"
"How dare a first-year challenge a senior?"
The other second-year students' eyes flared with anger.
"Challenging a senior isn't exactly against the rules."
Leo said with a menacing smile.
The second-year students, intimidated by Leo's presence, trembled.
But then, their pride wounded, their faces turned red.
"Follow me. I'll make you pay for challenging a second-year!"
Just as the atmosphere turned hostile,
"Enough."
Everyone's attention turned to a corner of the restaurant.
The second-year students who had provoked Leo hastily stood at attention.
"U-Ulta senior!"
He was a pale-skinned, light-haired fifth-year male student.
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he said to the second-year students,
"You started the trouble. If you cause more chaos, I can't stand by as a senior in the department. So, can you stop now?"
"Y-Yes, of course!"
"Understood!"
"Sorry. Let's stop here."
The second-year students, who had changed their attitude, hurriedly apologized and left the restaurant.
Ulta, who had stood up, approached Kai and helped him up.
"Apologies on behalf of the Summoning Department. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine."
Kai smiled awkwardly and shook his head.
Ulta looked at Leo one last time.
"I'm sorry for butting in. Even if they're bad, it's painful to see juniors get beaten up by first-years. I couldn't help but intervene."
Ulta smiled meaningfully and left the restaurant.
"Who is he?"
"Ulta Registion? He's the second-year in the fifth year. He's been a rival to Lis Zerdingger for five years! I heard he was on a mission, when did he come back?"
Kai said excitedly.
Hearing this, Leo chuckled.
'Indeed. It makes sense that the second-year in the fifth year would be the Pegasus contractor.'
Ulta was the contractor of Pegasus, one of the three great mythical creatures, along with Phoenix and Fairies.
***
After lunch, as Leo was heading to the Grand Hall of the Tower of Heroes, Selia approached him.
"Leo."
"Hi, Selia. How was your school trip?"
"Of course it was good."
Selia, brushing her hair back, laughed.
"I swept away the thieves who were committing crimes in the Elf territory."
Selia, who had been proudly speaking, opened her eyes wide.
"Well, compared to your Class 5, it was a small matter."
The fact that Class 5 had a joint class with Seirun during the school trip made them the envy of all first-year students.
"You met the first-year representative of Seirun, right? How was it?"
Selia, who knew that the first-year representative of Seirun, Lunia, was from the Runeda family, which could handle the power of Phoenix, showed great curiosity.
"Rough."
Kai, standing next to Leo, chuckled.
"An Elf is rough? I can't imagine it."
Selia looked surprised.
While they were talking about the school trip, the teaching assistants entered the Grand Hall.
"Alright, everyone! Gather by department."
The students looked puzzled at the teaching assistants' words.
"Are we gathering by department instead of by class?"
"Yes. The preparation for the departmental competition starts today."
"......!"
"......!"
The first-year students' expressions changed.
The departmental competition!
Lumeren holds a competition every year to select the best department for each grade.
Since the department's pride is at stake, the departmental competition is always intense, regardless of the grade.
"Leo! Come here!"
Selia grabbed Leo's hand.
"Hey! Wait! Why are you taking Leo?"
Kai urgently grabbed Leo.
"Why are you taking him? Isn't Leo in the Knight Department?"
"Why would Leo be in the Knight Department? Technically, he's closer to the Magic Department! Didn't you hear that Leo interpreted the magic of the founder of the Astral Cloud during the school trip?"
"Who cares?"
At that moment, Chelsea ran over.
"Why are you taking my big brother Leo?"
"Do you know where Leo's maternal family is from?"
"Just because of that, it doesn't mean Leo is a Zerdingger."
A long-standing rivalry between Selia and Chelsea erupted.
Meanwhile, everyone's attention was focused on Leo.
'Leo Flaubert...'
'He has top-tier skills in the Knight, Magic, and Summoning Departments...'
'He must be recruited at all costs!'
A battle of nerves was taking place between the departments over Leo's future.
"Leo is clearly in the Knight Department, right?"
"That's just the Knight Department's claim."
Chen Xia smiled, and Chloe shook her head.
"Leo Flaubert. If you're my rival, join the Knight Department as a proper rival."