LHAHS Chapter 332
As always, Lumene's academic schedule showed no mercy to its students. The day after midterms ended, they were thrown into a rigorous routine.
Still, no matter how demanding the schedule, the sense of liberation after the exams was impossible to suppress.
The students wore relieved expressions.
All except for one year.
"Uuuugh…"
Eliana slumped over her desk, groaning in agony.
She wasn't the only one. Most students looked utterly drained, as if their souls had left their bodies.
"My dad and mom lectured me all night…"
"I'm going to be cut off from my allowance for a month. I'll have to work part-time when I go to Lumeria City on the weekends…"
"Are our professors only happy when they make our lives miserable?"
Groans of despair echoed from all around.
With the mentor system in place, second-years no longer had to worry about being recommended for expulsion before the first semester ended. Naturally, they had become more lax about studying for written exams.
Of course, they justified it by saying they had spent that time honing their practical combat skills, but to their parents, that was nothing more than an excuse.
The situation was especially dire for the students in the magic department. Since their families placed a high value on academic performance, most of them hadn't even been able to enjoy the party last night.
For those whose parents were scholars themselves, written exam scores were even more crucial.
Watching his suffering friends, Carl clicked his tongue. "That's why you should've studied harder."
"Ugh! You did just as badly on the written exam!"
"Puhahaha! In my case, my parents never expected much to begin with! As long as I survive, they say I'm doing well! Hahahahaha!" Carl laughed heartily, then immediately wore a melancholic expression. "…That's kind of depressing in its own way."
Of course, there were a few who were unaffected by this tragedy—the top-performing students of the department.
"Chloe and Abad aced the exam again, didn't they?"
"I'm so jealous."
All eyes turned to them, filled with admiration.
Chloe, who had been immersed in her grimoire, lifted her head and tilted it slightly, while Abad simply smiled his usual gentle smile.
Just then, Leo entered the lecture hall.
The moment he stepped inside, the room fell silent. The students still hadn't shaken off the shock of what they had witnessed yesterday.
Leo walked past them and took his usual seat near Chloe and Carl in the front row.
As an awkward tension filled the room, until Chelsea entered the lecture hall.
"Oh, Leo! Good morning!" Chelsea greeted Leo with her usual cheerful energy. "Carl, Chloe, did you sleep well?"
Carl answered smoothly, "I slept like a log since the exams are over."
"I slept well. What about you?" Chloe followed with a soft smile.
Chelsea beamed. "I slept well too."
Yesterday, Chelsea had skipped the party.
"Leo, how did I do yesterday?"
"You were incredible. You're more than worthy of being called a full-fledged mage now," Leo replied.
Chelsea smiled bashfully. "See you at lunch later!"
After giving a bright farewell, she headed toward Abad, who she always attended magic lectures with.
Watching her leave, Carl chuckled. "I'm glad she's still as energetic as ever."
"Chelsea is stronger than you think."
"Oh, I know. She's ridiculously strong. Stubborn as hell too. Even if you stomp her down, she'll just get back up like a cockroach—Guh!"
"You're comparing me to a cockroach!?"
Chelsea suddenly appeared and landed a dropkick into Carl's side.
With Chelsea's lively arrival, the tense atmosphere in the classroom eased slightly.
Other dormitory students began approaching Leo, initiating conversations. Some even asked him about the draconic language magic he had used.
Leo briefly explained that it was a result of his unique magic, Bible.
Chloe, interested as well, joined the discussion on draconic magic.
As the room filled with excited discussions about magic…
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous! That passion for magic! Such a noble sight! Absolutely splendid!"
The lecture hall doors burst open as Len made his entrance. He strode onto the podium, clapping enthusiastically with an emotional expression.
"Indeed, mages are at their most radiant when they engage in passionate discourse about magic! Now! In that spirit, behold! The splendid figure of Assistant Professor Anna, who is preparing for the Seiren Magic Conference!"
Len pointed at Anna, and Anna turned to look at him with exhausted, hollow eyes.
A clear trace of murderous intent flickered within them.
"Now! Let us all give a warm round of applause for Assistant Professor Anna, who will soon represent Lumene at the Seiren Magic Conference and bring honor to our school!"
Len clapped, prompting the students to follow suit—albeit reluctantly.
The more they clapped, the darker Anna's expression became.
Leo, resting his chin on his hand, murmured, "…I feel like we should step in."
Chloe and Chelsea, along with a few other female students, quickly moved toward Anna.
By now, the second-years were well-acquainted with Len's magical fits.
At the start of their first year, they had been caught off guard, but after enduring it for a year, everyone had learned how to handle it.
Dealing with Len's outbursts had initially been Leo and Abad's responsibility.
However, after entering the second year, Anna had begun to have her own outbursts in response to Len. Since then, female students had taken on the role of calming her down.
Fortunately, Anna's outbursts had noticeable warning signs, making intervention possible.
After successfully calming her down, Chloe raised her hand.
"Yes, Chloe?"
"Professor Len, can students accompany the delegation to the magic conference?"
Len smiled brightly. "Of course, it's possible. However…"
"We have no plans to bring students to this conference." Before Len could finish, Anna sighed and answered bluntly.
Several students, including Chloe, pouted in disappointment.
Anna gave a wry smile. "If it were a different conference, I would've taken you along… But I don't want any of you to experience this one. There's a high chance it won't be a good experience."
Her words made the students uneasy.
"Students! Let's leave this conference to our experienced Assistant Professor Anna! Now, let's begin today's lesson!"
At Len's words, the students hurried back to their seats.Len said, "First, we'll announce the top student in the magic department's practical exam."
Len said, "First, we'll announce the top student in the magic department's practical exam."
All eyes turned to Leo.
It was obvious. The so-called Demon King had demonstrated overwhelming power, so naturally, he would receive the highest score in the magic department's practical test.
However, the name that came from Len's mouth was not Leo's.
"The student who placed first in the familiar category is none other than Chelsea Lewellin."
Everyone's eyes widened as they turned to Chelsea.
Even Chelsea herself, bewildered, pointed a finger at her own chest.
Leo, resting his chin on his hand, looked unsurprised.
"Professor! Why wasn't it Leo? Why did Chelsea get the top score?" Eliana shot her hand into the air, demanding an answer.
"I'll explain on behalf of Professor Len."
At that moment, the lecture hall doors opened, and Tina entered, dark circles heavy under her eyes.
She stepped onto the podium and looked around at the students before speaking.
"The practical exam in the magic department this time focused on creating familiars. The point was to see how well students could craft and utilize a familiar in battle. In that regard, Chelsea Lewellin created a familiar worthy of a perfect score."
She had summoned a familiar perfectly suited to her magic type and used it to compensate for her own weaknesses. At the same time, the familiar boasted remarkable offensive power.
"What earned her the highest marks was that she constructed a spell formation capable of enhancing her magic through her unique abilities. It was outstanding. She created an even better familiar than I had anticipated."
Tina gave Chelsea an approving smile.
"Of course, Leo displayed overwhelming prowess. But the exam focused on the familiar aspect, which he did not showcase."
Not that he needed to.
Tina glanced at Leo. For someone like him, who commanded the Three Great Summons, the concept of a familiar was practically meaningless.
Leo himself knew this well, so he hadn't taken the familiar test seriously.
Of course, there was no need to bring that up and further crush the confidence of the already struggling students.
"After Chelsea, the next student who created an excellent familiar was Chloe."
Chloe had developed an Ice Slime through magical engineering. It was a defense-specialized familiar, boasting near-impenetrable durability.
It allowed her to unleash powerful magic while covering her weaknesses.
"Abad placed third by a slight margin. You understand why, don't you?"
"Because I didn't create a familiar, but a contract spell instead."
"Exactly. It was an incredibly impressive spell, but since it strayed from the exam's intended purpose, some points were deducted."
"I expected as much, so it's fine." Abad flashed a charming smile, causing several female students to blush.
Tina nodded. "That concludes the ranking of the top three students in the practical exam."
Len folded his arms. "We've also selected students who made significant contributions in battle."
"Oh! That's gotta be Leo, right?" Carl said, lacing his fingers behind his head.
"It's a joint award. Leo and Carl."
"Huh? Me?" Carl blinked in disbelief.
The other students also looked astonished, but Abad smiled knowingly as if he had expected this outcome.
Len grinned at Carl. "You earned high marks for your ability to devise strategies."
"Wow! This is the first time I've ever gotten top marks for anything!" Carl beamed with excitement.
"Now! Since we've finished reviewing the midterms, it's time for an enjoyable lecture!"
Len spread his arms wide.
"Today, we'll continue studying Stellar Magic!"
After the lecture, Len returned to his office with Tina.
"That was another excellent class, Professor Len."
"No, no. It's all thanks to Professor Tina's support."
Len smiled warmly. Though Tina was only a visiting professor, her passion for magic was genuine.
She had been a great help in his lectures, and Len had noticed that student satisfaction had significantly increased since her arrival.
Inviting Professor Tina was definitely the right choice.
Just as he was mentally praising his past decision…
"Professor Len, there's something I'd like to discuss."
"What is it? If it's something within my ability, I'll gladly help." Len offered her a polite smile.
"It's about Leo."
"Leo?" Len frowned slightly.
"Yes." Tina nodded before stating plainly, "I'd like to send Leo as an exchange student to Seiren."
For a moment, Len thought…
Did I lecture too enthusiastically? I must be hearing things.
Thunk!
Behind them, Anna—who had been organizing her papers with a haggard expression—dropped a stack of documents onto the floor.
Her face had gone completely pale.
"Assistant Professor Anna, you dropped your notes. You must be exhausted. Hang in there a little longer." Len smiled gently, encouraging her before turning back to Tina. "Professor Tina, I think I misheard you. Could you repeat that?"
"I'd like to send Leo as an exchange student to Seiren."
Len's expression hardened. He hadn't misheard.
"I must have misheard you."
"I'd like to send Leo as an exchange student to Seiren."
For the third time, without a single word changed, Tina repeated herself.
Len stared at her. Which fool was it that invited this damned elf to our school?
His rationality snapped as he mentally hurled curses at his past self.