LHAHS Chapter 310
After the commotion settled, fortunately, thanks to Leo's intervention, Carl was released with only a warning.
"Sniff! I thought I was going to be tortured by the student council! Leo, thank you!" Carl tearfully expressed his gratitude to Leo.
Chloe shook her head to herself. I wonder what kind of face he'd make if he knew Leo was the one who got him arrested.
CREAK…
The classroom door opened, and Professor Len and Assistant Professor Anna entered.
"Greetings, everyone!"
"Hello, Professor Len!"
The students enthusiastically greeted Len.
Len smiled in satisfaction. "Before we start today's lesson, I will announce the midterm exam format for the magic department!"
All the magic students widened their eyes.
Len grinned meaningfully. "The scope of the midterm exam for the magic department will be the formulaic breakdown of [Artificial Creation]!"
Artificial Creation: A field focused on creating objects using magical engineering.
"And for your assignment—you will construct a familiar using Artificial Creation!"
The students erupted in chatter.
"Professor! Does that mean we're supposed to create golems or chimeras?"
"Exactly!" Len nodded. "And! To help you with this, I've invited a renowned mage in the field of [Artificial Creation]!"
He turned to Anna with a proud smile. "Assistant Professor Anna! Please introduce our guest!"
"……." Anna hesitated, looking uneasy.
Noticing this, the students tensed up. For Anna, of all people, to hesitate—it had to mean their guest was incredibly dangerous.
As tension filled the room, Anna walked to the door and peeked outside. "Come in."
The door opened, revealing a pale-skinned woman. Her dark-circled eyes looked exhausted. Her gray hair was messy and unkempt. She wore a faded white lab coat, adding to her disheveled appearance.
Overall, she looked like the stereotypical reclusive mage, but what stood out the most were the pointed ears peeking out from her tangled hair.
"An elf?"
"An elf? That's rare."
Murmurs spread through the class.
Len introduced, "This is Tina Tingel."
The students' eyes widened.
"She is a leading expert in Artificial Creation! And, most notably—she's a descendant of Seiren Tingel, the founder of Seiren Academy!"
Tina stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, hero candidates of Lumene."
Her voice was weary, as if drained of all energy.
"Just in case, let me ask." She raised a hand. "Is anyone here interested in dissection?"
The students exchanged puzzled glances.
"No one? What a shame. I was hoping to find a volunteer." She smacked her lips in disappointment.
The students screamed internally.
What the hell is with this elf?!
Everyone stared at Tina in shock.
She let out a lazy yawn and scratched her left calf with the tip of her right foot. Her hands were stuffed into the pockets of her lab coat, and her disinterested expression made it clear—she was nothing like a typical elf.
"She's… a little strange, isn't she?" Carl whispered to Leo.
"She's definitely an odd one," Leo replied, resting his chin on his hand.
"You don't seem all that surprised."
Leo smirked. "I've met too many strange elves."
"Well, I guess. Lunia and Eiran aren't exactly what you'd call your typical elves either."
"What's your idea of a typical elf?"
"Hmm… someone like Luna, the Nebula Pioneer? Kind, harmonious, and graceful. You know, elegant."
Leo's expression twisted oddly. Kindness, harmony, and elegance—words that had nothing to do with Luna.
I wonder when the world will finally find out what she's really like.
"But why would someone from the Tingel family come to Lumene as a visiting professor?" Chloe asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Carl crossed his arms in thought.
The Tingel family. The lineage of Seiren, the Comet Mage. Not just the most prestigious family among elves, but the greatest magical lineage across all races, known for producing legendary mages.
For someone from such a family to come to Lumene instead of Seiren was baffling, especially considering the recent tensions between Seiren and Lumene.
To be precise, the relationship between human and elven magic academia had worsened due to Len's publication, Introduction to Stellar Magic.
For Len, the very author of that paper, to invite Professor Tina—it was an unexpected development.
"I see some students are curious about why I'm here at Lumene." Tina's words made a few students shift uncomfortably, but she continued nonchalantly. "There's nothing strange about it. I'm a direct descendant of the Tingel family."
Her words made the students' gazes turn even more perplexed. If she was a direct descendant, then it made even less sense for her to be at Lumene.
Only Abad nodded in understanding. "That makes sense."
"What do you mean, Abad?" Chelsea tilted her head.
"If she's a direct descendant, she should be well-known. But have you ever heard of the name Tina Tingel before?"
Chelsea frowned in thought but eventually shook her head, her light blue hair swaying.
"There must be a reason why a direct descendant hasn't made a name for herself. And if Professor Len says she's the best in Artificial Creation, then she must be incredibly skilled."
"Oh." Chelsea gasped in realization.
The Lumene students, too, started to piece things together.
Tina nodded as she observed them. "The students here are sharp. I was being vague, but you figured it out anyway."
"Hmph, I've taught them to think broadly as mages. Deductive reasoning is crucial in magical theory."
"Professor Len, now isn't the time to brag."
Anna let out a deep sigh, but Tina nodded indifferently.
"You're right. These days, students rely too much on activation formulas and lack deductive thinking."
Her golden eyes gazed directly at the students.
"As you've guessed, I'm part of the Tingel family, but I'm not allowed to be active in the magic academia. I can't officially participate in research either."
The students exchanged glances.
Ignoring their reactions, Tina continued. "I was born unable to use mana. In other words, I'm not a mage in the traditional sense."
"Professor Tina cannot cast magic, but I've never doubted for a moment that she is a mage." Len grinned. "She's written incredible papers on Artificial Creation! One of the most notable ones being The Engraved Formula for Human Magic Activation! That technique played a crucial role in Introduction to Stellar Magic!"
Chloe's eyes widened. "The Engraved Formula for Human Magic Activation was written by the mage Defoy!"
"Defoy is my alias."
Chloe was stunned.
"Why are you reacting like that all of a sudden?" Carl asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Chloe's cheeks flushed with excitement. "She's Defoy! She's Defoy! What do I do?!"
Leo explained, "She's the author of a lot of the magical papers Chloe loves."
"Ah." Carl nodded.
"One of her most famous works is A Philosophical Inquiry into Why Ice Mages Must Study Ice Magic."
"That's right."
Carl grimaced. "What kind of ridiculous book title is that? Just hearing it gives me a headache."
Most of the books Chloe read were too difficult for Carl to understand.
Actually, half the second-year magic students struggled with them too.
And it wasn't just Chloe who was excited at hearing the name Defoy. Several students looked eager as well.
"Professor Len."
"Yes, Carl?"
"How did you get acquainted with someone who operates under an alias?"
Len chuckled. "I was deeply moved by the magical papers Professor Tina wrote. I always wanted to meet her. But since she never appeared in academic circles, I started writing her letters."
Len's passion for magic was well-known among the students.
Chloe, moved by his words, asked, "So Professor Tina was touched by your dedication?"
"No. I kept ignoring his letters, so Professor Len tried using tracking magic on them." Tina stared at Len blankly. "I figured that if I stayed put, he'd actually track me down and show up at my doorstep. So I met him before that could happen. And after talking to him, I found him amusing enough to accept his invitation."
Everyone stared at Len with odd expressions, while Anna clutched her head and sighed.
As the students continued to process this revelation, Tina said, "I'll be staying at Lumene as a guest professor thanks to Len's invitation. And I'll be teaching you all about Artificial Creation. Your midterm assignment is to create a familiar."
She walked to the center of the classroom.
"Who can explain what a familiar is?"
Several students raised their hands.
Tina glanced around expressionlessly before pointing to a student in the back. "You. Stand up."
"My name is Emio Luchan."
Emio, ranked fifth in the second-year magic department, stood.
"Explain what a familiar is."
"A familiar is a traditional assistant to mages. They receive mana from their master and aid in battle."
"Correct."
"But… it's also a nearly obsolete field."
Many magic students nodded in agreement.
"The origin of familiars comes from summoning magic. Technically, familiars fall under the broad category of summoned creatures. However, mages cannot form contracts with elementals or magical beasts. As a result, familiars are inherently lower-ranked than those beings."
The students exchanged uneasy glances. They could already guess what Emio would say next.
"That's why I don't understand why familiars are our midterm assignment. I'd like to hear Professor Len's explanation."
Len smiled at Emio's dissatisfaction. "I completely understand your point. It's true that familiars have fallen out of use.
"In the past, familiars were used to buy time while a mage cast spells. But as magic formulas advanced, casting times shortened. In recent decades, studies have even suggested that the mana spent on familiars is better used for offensive spells. Now, familiars are mostly used as guardians or for communication. That's been the prevailing trend in magic academia, and I used to think the same way."
Len's smile turned meaningful. "But after seeing Professor Tina's research lab, my perspective changed. I now believe that in the near future, familiars will once again become a dominant force in magic."
The students widened their eyes. Familiars had been sidelined for centuries. For Len to claim that they would soon take center stage—it was shocking.
"And Professor Tina will explain why."
Tina scratched her hip and asked, "Emio, was it? You come from a military family, don't you?"
"Have you never heard of the Luchan family?"
"Nope. And why should I? In name, I'm still a Tingel. I have no reason to remember other families, especially those of different races."
Emio's face twisted slightly.
"Military mages have a habit of prioritizing practicality. They also tend to believe that the latest magic trends are the best. They focus on combat rather than research. Well, I suppose that's expected from soldiers." Tina spoke indifferently. "Fine. Then let's see just how useful a familiar can be in actual combat."
She pointed outside.
"Shall we step out?"
Tina stood in the center of the magic training field.
Emio asked, his voice carrying a subtle challenge, "Would you like me to fight you?"
Tina, however, remained impassive. "No. I'd rather have someone capable of multiple forms of attack."
She smiled.
"For example, an All-Class."
Everyone turned to look at Leo.
Leo stepped forward. "I don't mind."
Tina's gaze sharpened. Her previously dull eyes now burned with curiosity.
Leo recognized that look. That's the same look Luna had when she first saw me.
Leo waited for Tina to summon her familiar.
A moment later…
Tina stretched out her hand.
SQUELCH!
A blue liquid oozed from her upper body and dripped onto the ground. It pooled together and began to take shape.
The students stared, baffled.
"What the—? That's just a slime."
"Is she really using a slime against Leo?"
"I thought it'd be something special."
Disappointed murmurs spread. Slimes were one of the most common familiars created through alchemy.
But Leo's eyes narrowed. What the hell is with this modified slime?
He quickly assessed the number of magic formulas embedded in its core.
How is it running that many formulas at once?
A normal slime contained at most five magic formulas, but this one had over a hundred.
As Leo studied the familiar in fascination, the slime started shifting.
SQUELCH…
It compressed into a humanoid form.
Leo's eyes sharpened. An elf?
The figure it took was that of an elf around Leo's age.
Chloe gasped, "The Comet Mage?"
Leo's gaze darkened.
Yeah, it looks exactly like her.