LHAHS Chapter 336
Eclair Welrune, ranked third among all first-year students at Seiren, tried to calm her pounding heart as she stared at Leo.
W-When did he get here?
Her gaze flickered to her classmate, Elric Dwen, who adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses with a composed expression. Unlike her, he had noticed Leo's presence from the start.
Ugh, that's embarrassing.
Elric was the second-ranked student in their year, someone she had been close to since admission. At the same time, she considered him a rival she needed to surpass. The fact that he had sensed Leo's approach while she hadn't made her feel small for a moment. But she quickly shook it off.
I'm a traditional mage, and he's a battlemage! That's the difference!
Pushing aside her frustration, Eclair tilted her head.
"Who are you?"
Leo hesitated briefly before smiling. "Lyle," he said, stitching together an alias from his and Kyle's names.
Eclair frowned slightly. "Never heard of you. You're not in the advanced class, are you?"
"Nope."
"Alright then, listen up. You can't go spreading this around, got it?"
Clearing her throat, she straightened her posture and declared with pride, "The first-year top student and direct descendant of the Tingel family—Lea Tingel! You've heard of her, right?"
"Yeah." Leo lied without hesitation.
All he knew about Lea was that she was a descendant of Seiren Tingel and the niece of Tina, the visiting professor at Lumene. A mere promising student—no matter how talented—wasn't worth his attention.
Still, I can't exactly say I've never heard of her.
It would be odd for a first-year not to know the name of their top-ranked peer.
Satisfied, Eclair raised a finger and leaned in. "Well, today in class, Lea summoned the Fairy King, Sylord!"
Her face lit up with excitement, as if she had been dying to share the news.
Elric, however, remained unimpressed. "Strictly speaking, that wasn't a summoning. She only called upon the Fairy King's will."
Phoenixes, fairies, pegasi—spirit beasts of the highest order didn't always appear in person when summoned. Sometimes, they only conveyed their voice.
A summoner's strength dictated the outcome. If their vessel was too weak to contain such a being, they would only hear its voice.
"But it's been five thousand years since the Fairy King last spoke! That's basically a summoning!"
"That's just what the professors said," Elric countered. "In summoning studies, we don't call that a summoning. Even Lea herself doesn't consider it one, so why are you trying to spin it that way?"
"Ugh…!"
"And besides, she didn't conduct the summoning ceremony alone."
Leo raised a brow. "She didn't?"
Elric nodded. "Yeah. You know where the advanced class had their lesson today, right? The Comet Sanctum."
Leo didn't know what that place was, but the name alone made it clear—it was connected to Comet Mage Seiren.
"Lea was chosen to wield Cometes in today's lesson. She used its power to hear the Fairy King's voice."
Cometes…
Luna's signature staff was Polyum, but that didn't mean it was the only one she used. She chose her weapon based on the battlefield, her enemies, and the situation.
One of those weapons had been Cometes.
Forged by Dweno himself, it wasn't as powerful as Polyum, but Luna had relied on it frequently.
Of course, the original no longer exists.
Like Polyum, the real Cometes had been destroyed in Luna's final battle. The version that existed now was a mere replica—a reward claimed by Comet Mage Seiren three thousand years ago when they first conquered Luna's world.
Even as a replica, it was an extraordinary artifact.
It's probably the strongest existing magic staff.
It made sense.
A divine weapon forged by Dweno, imbued with Luna's mana, and later infused with Seiren's as well. A staff of overwhelming power.
If she had Cometes, then even if Lea's still lacking, she could've heard Sylord's voice.
After all, Cometes carried the mana of Luna, Sylord's sworn contractor.
A conversation with the Fairy King at her age, despite all the external factors? She must be talented.
Leo's interest in Seiren's top first-year student grew.
"Thanks for the story."
With that, he turned and walked off, heading for his assigned dorm room.
As he disappeared from sight, Eclair muttered curiously, "Not sure if he's from the intermediate or lower class… but he's an odd one. Didn't seem intimidated by us at all."
"Why should he be?" Elric adjusted his glasses.
"Just because he's in a lower class doesn't mean he has to be afraid of us."
"Maybe, but in this school, class rank is basically your status. I heard it wasn't like this last year." Eclair pouted, hugging a cushion. "Even our own classmates treat me like some distant figure just because I'm ranked high! I wanted my school days to be full of fun, y'know? Making tons of friends! Experiencing heart-pounding romance! But instead, we're stuck in this rigid, authority-obsessed system!"
She flopped onto the couch, flailing in frustration.
Elric sighed. "You do realize if a professor saw you now, they'd give you demerits."
"You gonna snitch on me?"
"I won't. But be careful in front of others. Maybe Lea and I wouldn't care, but some of our classmates are just waiting for an excuse to take your spot."
Eclair deflated. She thought about how their peers were constantly vying for the top ranks.
"I saw some of the lower-class students chatting casually in their classroom yesterday. It made me jealous."
"…It's still early in the year. You'll make friends eventually."
"Will I, though?"
Eclair let out a long sigh, pushing herself up.
Without another word, she trudged back to her room, her earlier energy gone.
Elric watched her go, then turned his gaze toward the Castle of Beginnings, the building that housed the first-year students.
…Is this really okay?
Even as he tried to reassure Eclair, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.
Are the other hero academies like this too?
Doubt clouded his mind as he exhaled heavily.
The next morning, Leo left his dorm early.
The map Orlen had given him the day before included the location of his assigned classroom. Since the layout of the first-year building was complex, he decided to leave early to ensure he arrived on time.
I'll just skip breakfast.
His friends always overreacted whenever he did that.
"Hey! How does it make sense for kids our age to skip meals? We're still growing!"
"Exactly! Exactly!"
Carl always made a big deal about eating properly, and Chelsea, along with the others, never failed to chime in. However, having lived through far harsher times, Leo never quite shared their enthusiasm.
Seiren didn't seem any different. The dormitory cafeteria was packed, the air buzzing with lively conversation. Without sparing it a second glance, Leo walked past and headed straight for the classroom buildings.
Before long, he found his assigned classroom.
"Hah. Figures."
A dry chuckle escaped him.
Seiren had placed him in the lower-class.
"How predictable can they get?"
Shaking his head, he stepped inside—then immediately came to a halt.
The classroom was massive. Despite containing over a hundred desks, it still felt spacious. The place was old, and the atmosphere was anything but academic.
Wait… Seiren's students are divided into advanced, intermediate, and lower classes right? And each division is further split into Sections 1, 2 and 3?
Leo glanced up at the plaque above the door.
Lower Class.
His frown deepened.
He walked in and took a seat at the very front.
Since he was here as an exchange student, he figured he might as well present himself as a model student.
Checking the clock on the blackboard, he noticed a large inscription beside it.
[Believe in Yourself.]
Seiren's motto, huh.
Each hero academy bore the final words left behind by its founder.
- Lumene: Surpass Your Limits.
- Seiren: Believe in Yourself.
- Azonia: Keep Moving Forward.
- Damien: Pursue Possibility.
As he recalled the mottos of the four great academies…
Ding-dong, dang-dong—
The bell signaling the start of class rang.
Leo scanned the empty room with an odd expression.
…Why is no one here?
Had Orlen set him up?
His brows furrowed as he considered the possibility.
Creak—
Just then, the door swung open, and a female elf entered.
She was dressed like a teacher, but the moment she locked eyes with Leo, her face stiffened.
Flustered, she double-checked the classroom sign outside before hesitantly stepping back in.
"Uh… I don't recognize you. Who are you?"
Leo replied evenly. "I'm Lyle. I just transferred into the lower class."
"Y-You just transferred…?! You mean you used to be in the intermediate class?"
"It's complicated, but yeah, you could think of it that way."
Leo clicked his tongue inwardly. So the higher-ups at Seiren hadn't even bothered informing the teachers about his status as an exchange student.
It was an odd response, but instead of suspicion, the elf teacher's face lit up with emotion.
"Oh, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Laura Queer, your homeroom teacher! Let's work hard together, okay?"
She grabbed his hands, eyes glistening as if she were genuinely moved.
Leo's expression turned strange. Was she really this thrilled just because a student was here to study?
"I'll do my best to help you move back up to the intermediate class!"
"Uh, sure. But… where is everyone else?"
At his question, Laura hesitated, looking visibly uncomfortable.
"Well… the first class is Aura Studies."
Leo blinked. Aura Studies?
His brows knitted slightly.
"You're teaching it?"
"…Yeah."
"There's no other instructor?"
"…No."
Laura's ears drooped as she glanced at him nervously.
A mage is teaching aura studies?
It didn't take much to figure out the situation.
Laura wasn't a knight. She was a pure mage. Yet she was the one teaching aura studies?
As Leo frowned, Laura hastily added, "A-Ah! Are you a dual-class student with knight studies? Don't worry! I studied really hard! I promise I'll be helpful!"
She clenched her fists as if steeling herself—then sighed, shoulders slumping.
"…Actually, never mind. I probably won't be much help. You can just come back in third period like the others."
"What's second period?"
"Summoning Fundamentals."
"You're teaching that too?"
"…Yeah."
This is a complete mess.
Seiren was supposed to be one of the world's top four academies, yet this curriculum was a disaster.
Laura might be a skilled mage, but that didn't mean she was qualified to teach aura studies or spiritual energy fundamentals.
"What about the other students?"
"The common students only attend Stellar Magic in third period."
I see how it is.
Leo let out a deep sigh.
Creak—
"Good morning, Teacher. I just dropped by to leave my books before class."
A cheerful-looking girl entered the classroom.
"Angel." Laura called her name with a bitter smile.
Angel Bizan was heading toward the back when she noticed Leo. Her eyes widened in surprise before she walked up to him.
"You were demoted from the intermediate class?"
"Yeah."
"That's rough." Angel smiled wryly, then introduced herself. "My name's Angel Bizan. What's yours?"
"Lyle."
"Let's do our best, Lyle." She extended a hand for a handshake, then sighed deeply. "It's not going to be easy, though."
Leo shook her hand while narrowing his eyes.
…This is a lower class student?
Angel's skills were far beyond the level of a typical lower class student. In fact, she was on par with the top-tier first-year knights at Lumene.
This school is completely falling apart.
Someone with her talent was wasting away in the lower class?
Leo had come to Seiren to observe potential heroes. What he found instead was sheer absurdity.
If this keeps up, even the potential they have will be snuffed out.
He could already see the disillusionment in Angel's eyes.
For the first time, Leo seriously considered a radical idea.
Maybe I should just have Mel transfer all the promising students to Lumene.