In anticipation of the inter-departmental competition, special training was organized for each department.
The students who suffered the most were none other than those from the Summoning Department.
“Wow, look at them.”
“They look like beggars, don’t they?”
“I heard they couldn’t even use summoning magic and spent two nights and three days on the Island of Summoned Beasts?”
As the Summoning Department students entered the dormitory entrance, students from other departments whispered among themselves.
“What are we going to do with this every week until the inter-departmental competition…?”
Taeed muttered in a pitiful voice.
It was impossible to get used to the wild in just two nights and three days.
Compared to the majority of the students who looked like beggars, some were relatively fine.
Notably, Leo, Chen Xia, and Warriden.
A few groups of students giggled as they watched the Summoning Department.
“Ugh! They smell!”
“Their appearance is ridiculous, isn’t it?”
As the Summoning Department students glared at those treating them like a spectacle, they showed fierce expressions.
“What’s so funny that you’re laughing like that?”
“Huh?”
“E, Eliza.”
Eliza, who looked worse than words could describe, asked in a cold voice.
“Are you laughing at our appearance?”
“N, no! I mean, we… well…!”
“S, sorry!”
The students who had been teasing the Summoning Department students slunk away, glancing nervously at Eliza.
This was because Eliza, a top-tier first-year student and from a hero's lineage, could make their school life difficult if she took a dislike to them.
As Eliza glared, the other students scattered in a hurry.
Leo immediately went to take a shower and then headed down to the dormitory lounge.
There, Karl was selling items to students as usual.
“Oh! Leo, you’re back?”
Karl greeted Leo with a smile.
“I heard you had a really tough time?”
“I found it interesting.”
“You would! Taeed was almost on the verge of collapse, right?”
Karl, who had been chuckling, suddenly said.
“By the way, Leo. You asked about Senior Elena, right?”
“Yeah.”
“She returned to school this morning. All students will gather in Erek tomorrow morning, so you’ll be able to meet her then.”
“Really? That’s great.”
Leo's eyes lit up.
The next day.
At 7 a.m., all students gathered at the massive drill ground, Erek, in the center of the school.
Among the lines formed by each grade, the first-year students all looked tense.
This was their first official event at Erek since the opening ceremony, and it was a gathering of the entire school.
“Wow, the seniors keep staring at us.”
“I, I’m nervous.”
The upperclassmen chuckled at the first-year students, who were stiff with tension.
“First-years are so cute.”
“Look at how nervous they are. How should we make them feel better?”
Most first-year students stood motionless in front of the seniors, like mice in front of a cat.
However, there was an exception.
“Miss Celia. I should have greeted you earlier, but according to the school rules, upperclassmen are not allowed to enter the first-year area during the first semester, so I’m greeting you now.”
Niel Roder bowed respectfully to Celia.
Celia sighed at the sight of Niel.
“Niel, don’t do this! What will other students think if they see a third-year acting like this to a first-year?”
“How could I! Miss Celia, you are so thoughtful!”
Niel Roder, a third-year student in the Lumern Knight Department, was four years older than Celia.
As the heir of the Roder family, a vassal of the Zerdenko family, she had trained in swordsmanship with Celia since childhood and served as her bodyguard.
“You look great in your school uniform, Miss! I should take a picture of you like this!”
“Bringing magical items to the event is forbidden.”
“Yes, but I was caught bringing one in secretly.”
“……”
“Tch. Those damn professors.”
Celia felt a headache coming on.
Niel, who was usually calm, turned into a different person when it came to Celia.
‘If you get caught breaking the rules, you’ll get demerits!’
…If she said that, Niel would surely reply, ‘For Miss, demerits are nothing!’
“Anyway, Miss, you’re being too harsh. You never even looked for me.”
“I wanted to spend time with my classmates.”
More accurately, she had deliberately avoided Niel, knowing that Niel would focus solely on her and ignore everything else about school life.
As the two were talking, a boy with black hair and red eyes approached Celia.
“Celia, aren’t you being too familiar with a vassal? The relationship between master and vassal should be strict.”
Celia, with an expressionless face, replied.
“It’s been a while, Barden.”
Barden Zerdenko, a cousin three years older than Celia, was from a collateral branch of the Zerdenko family.
“Yeah, it’s been since last winter break, right?”
Barden, who had been approaching Celia with a smile, frowned.
“What? You’re not even greeting me?”
“Why should Niel greet you?”
Celia’s cold voice made Barden flinch.
“Niel is a vassal of the Zerdenko main house. She doesn’t need to show respect to a collateral branch like you. Rather, shouldn’t you, a second-year, show respect to Niel?”
Celia, brushing her hair back, flashed her red eyes.
Barden, breaking into a cold sweat, said with a forced laugh.
“Yeah, I guess I went a bit too far! Sorry. Hahaha!”
Even as he laughed, Barden didn’t show the proper respect to Niel.
Niel looked at Barden with a disdainful expression.
In Lumern, Barden was known for flaunting his Zerdenko lineage and bullying other students.
‘He can’t even master Phoenix Breath, yet he acts like he’s a real Zerdenko just because others treat him as one. ’
In the Zerdenko family, anyone who couldn’t master Phoenix Breath couldn’t hold a high position, regardless of whether they were from the main or collateral branch.
“Congratulations on being the top student in the Knight Department!”
Barden’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Even though I don’t know what an ‘all-class’ is, a nobody from the countryside will soon show his limits. Besides, I heard from my friends in the Summoning Department that he was rude and picked a fight with a second-year. He’s acting like he’s something just because he’s the first-year representative.”
Celia’s face turned as cold as ice.
Unaware of this, Barden continued excitedly.
“Mr. Rist, welcome.”
“Niel, how have you been?”
“Yes.”
“Rist, it’s been a while. Barden.”
Rist smiled and pointed to his side.
“I came to introduce you. This is Leo Flaub, a cousin of Celia and me.”
Rist’s words made Niel and Barden look surprised.
“Leo, although he doesn’t bear the Zerdenko name, has mastered Phoenix Breath.”
Barden’s eyes widened in shock.
‘This guy has mastered Phoenix Breath! Why? ’
Barden had long requested to learn Phoenix Breath from the main house.
But he was always refused.
Now, a guy he had never seen at family gatherings had suddenly appeared and inherited Phoenix Breath, which was infuriating.
‘He’ll be quiet now, I guess.’
Niel snorted at Barden’s trembling form.
Since entering Lumern, Barden’s reputation hadn’t been good.
‘He always flaunts his Zerdenko lineage and bullies other students. And his grades aren’t even that good. He’s barely above the bottom of the class.’
Being a Lumern student might seem impressive to outsiders.
But that’s only true outside of Lumern.
Here, it’s not much to brag about.
‘So he’s just relying on his family name. How pathetic. In comparison…’
Niel’s eyes sparkled.
‘He’s a very unique young master.’
Leo had been the center of attention since the opening ceremony this semester.
But when someone is too good, there are always those who try to bring them down.
Especially those who looked down on Leo because he came from an insignificant family.
However, Leo had never been rumored to have any connection to the Zerdenko family.
“Miss, does Young Master Leo not show that he’s a Zerdenko?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t show it. Not just that, he goes out of his way to hide it, which is a problem.”
“Is that so?”
While Niel was impressed, the professor in charge of the event spoke into a microphone with an amplification spell.
[The student council president should come to the front of the stage immediately. Representatives, please gather in the tent beside the stage.]
“We should go now. See you later, everyone.”
“Celia, I’m going.”
“Yeah.”
Leo and Rist immediately headed to the front of the stage.
“Leo, you should go there.”
Rist pointed to a tent that looked like a preparation room beside the stage.
“Yes.”
“See you in a bit.”
Leo entered the tent after parting ways with Rist.
There were two students inside.
The first one he noticed was a short, stocky boy with wavy light brown hair.
A fourth-year badge was pinned to his left chest, and the emblem of a sword and shield on his right shoulder clearly indicated he was from the Knight Department.
What was unusual was that he was wearing an eye patch, snoring, and sleeping.
In front of this fourth-year representative, a second-year girl was kneeling in a reverent posture.
She had light green hair and blue eyes, and the emblem of the four elements on her right shoulder indicated she was from the Summoning Department.
She stood up when she saw Leo.
“Are you the first-year representative, Leo Flaub?”
“Yes.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Lil Luce, the second-year representative.”
Lil extended her hand gracefully.
Leo shook her hand, looking a bit puzzled by her military-like demeanor.
“I’m Leo Flaub.”
“This is Senior Hark Liguard, a fourth-year. As you can see, he’s sleeping. You don’t need to worry about him; he’s almost always asleep. I’ve rarely seen him awake.”
“Yes. But can we speak more casually?”
“I find this more comfortable. Anyway, Leo, I’ve wanted to meet you!”
“Why?”
“An all-class? Is that true?”
Lil asked, her face slightly excited.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you show me using all three powers at once?”
At her request, Leo simultaneously summoned aura, mana, and spirit energy.
Lil, who had been watching, sighed in admiration and then slumped her shoulders.
“I’m really envious.”
“Why?”
“I’m a second-year representative, but I’m just a plain and ordinary spirit mage with no special qualities.”
“Aren’t you a great talent to be a grade representative?”
“No! I lack impact! Senior Hark is always sleeping, so he has a distinct character! Senior Rist, without a doubt, has the best skills! And you, a first-year, are an all-class! Ah! So ordinary! I’m just too ordinary! Ordinary!”
‘You don’t seem ordinary at all…’
People who claim to be ordinary are usually the least ordinary.
As Leo watched Lil clutch her head and crouch, he asked.
“How about Senior Elena?”
“That senior… is a bit dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“Oh? What’s dangerous about me? Lil.”
“Ugh.”
Leo turned to the source of the voice.
There stood a third-year girl.
Lustrous blonde hair. Sparkling pink eyes.
Porcelain-like skin and sharp features.
She was literally the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
“It’s been a while, Senior Elena. How was your assignment?”
“It was boring.”
Elena, who had bluntly replied, approached Leo with a gleam in her eyes.
“You’re the famous first-year representative, aren’t you?”