LHAHS Chapter 340
There are certainly wizards who specialize in dispelling magic.
Laura stared at Leo, eyes wide with shock.
But Lyle didn't use a dispel spell.
Canceling an opponent's magic without a proper dispel spell wasn't impossible. Any skilled mage could do it.
The problem was time.
Even if it was the same spell, the structure of the formula and the flow of mana varied depending on the caster. To interfere and cancel out another's magic, one had to fully understand the intricate spell structure and the nuances of its mana control.
That process took an immense amount of time.
What Leo had just done—disrupting Autren's spell in an instant—was something that should have been nearly impossible.
As far as Laura knew, there had only ever been one mage in history capable of fully analyzing and dispelling another's magic.
Lady Luna.
"Where do you think you're pulling these cheap tricks from?"
Leo's words stung, and Autren flared his mana in anger.
Flash! Crackle—!
A surge of light exploded from Autren's hands, sending a powerful storm of mana ripping through the battlefield. The sheer force of his spell obliterated all of Leo's mirages.
Mirage magic was, after all, just an illusion. No matter how indistinguishable the clones were, an illusion was still an illusion. Against a powerful area attack, it was naturally weak.
"You think using Mirage magic well makes you special? You asked me what I thought of your Stellar Magic?"
Autren's eyes sparked with fury.
"It's garbage! Your score is zero!"
Hundreds of streaks of light burst from Autren's hands, filling the air with dazzling beams.
Leo's crimson eyes followed their trajectories.
A spell I don't recognize.
Luna had created Stellar Magic five thousand years ago.
Three thousand years ago, Comet Mage Seiren had redefined it as the signature magic of the elf race.
In that vast span of time, countless derivative spells had been born from Luna's original magic system. It was only natural that there were spells Leo didn't know—just as numerous as the stars in the night sky.
Bzzt—!
Just before the invisible particles of light reached him, they vanished as if crashing into an unseen barrier.
"W-What…?"
Autren's face paled in disbelief.
Well, not that it makes a difference.
Stellar Magic, in the end, all traced back to a single source.
Luna's original magic system.
And aside from Luna, there was only one person who had fully mastered that system.
To Leo, spells derived from Stellar Magic simply didn't work.
To him, what the elves called "pure Stellar Magic" was nothing more than an unfinished product.
No matter how solid a building was, if its foundation crumbled, it would collapse without resistance. As long as their magic was rooted in Stellar Magic, Leo could dismantle it effortlessly.
If they fused it with another magic system, even I wouldn't be able to counter it instantly.
Stellar Magic was fully compatible with other magic systems, but the only system Leo had truly mastered was Stellar Magic. If another magic system was intertwined with it, even he couldn't analyze and dispel it in such a short time.
Then again, elves don't like impure magic.
In a way, that refusal to integrate and evolve was the very thing Luna had sought to overcome.
Leo spread his palm, watching Autren's stunned expression.
Mimicking Luna is kind of fun.
Disrupting and dispelling an opponent's magic had been Luna's specialty.
That guy wasn't incredible just because he created Stellar Magic.
Luna wasn't great simply because he had created Stellar Magic.
He was a Grand Mage who had studied and mastered every form of magic available in his time.
In the end, he had developed Innocent, a spell deadly enough to wound Erebos itself—and had entrusted it to Kyle.
In essence, Luna had created a spell that could kill a god.
Flash!
A magic circle appeared in Leo's palm.
Autren's eyes widened in horror. "How… How do you know that spell?!"
The very same spell Autren had just cast. The unique spell he had personally created.
"What is happening…?"
Autren's jaw trembled. He had dedicated his entire life to Stellar Magic. Born into an esteemed elf lineage, a graduate of Seiren, he had walked a path of honor.
That was precisely why he understood. What the human before him had just done was beyond absurd.
To elf supremacists like him, this reality was nothing short of a nightmare.
"What… are you?" Autren whispered, barely audible even to himself.
Leo, unfazed, activated the spell. It was an exact replica of Autren's unique magic, only now, it had been refined into something even more complete.
"What do you think it is?" Leo said expressionlessly. "It means your methods are wrong."
Flash! Crackle—!
The duel between Leo and Autren had ended, and with it, the combat magic class was dismissed.
Shaken, Autren, the first-year advanced class 1 instructor, had abruptly ended the lesson.
In the face of such an atmosphere, the lower-class students couldn't continue either.
Laura gathered them and led them back to the classroom.
They all look so dejected.
After school, Leo sighed as he watched the lower-class students leave the classroom with their heads down.
It was inevitable.
The combat lesson had made one thing painfully clear, that Seiren had no intention of treating the lower-class students as actual students. To the academy, they were nothing more than stepping stones for the advanced students.
Of course they're discouraged.
If they had been given fair opportunities, if they had been allowed to compete under equal conditions, they wouldn't have felt so powerless. However, they hadn't even been given that.
Just as the entire lower class was about to leave in a cloud of gloom…
"Hey… Lyle." Angel hesitated as she approached Leo. "Can we talk for a moment?"
Leo was about to nod when Laura interrupted.
"Angel, my apologies, but I would like to have a private discussion with Lyle first."
"Ah… okay." Angel, looking slightly flustered, nodded and turned to Leo. "Let's talk later."
With those parting words, Angel left.
Laura led Leo into the consultation room next to the classroom. After gesturing for him to take a seat, she sat across from him, took a deep breath, and asked, "I'll get straight to the point, Lyle. Who are you?"
She pulled out the student records. "I checked the intermediate class records, but your name wasn't there. The same goes for the advanced class."
Her expression was serious as she studied the student who had suddenly appeared in the lower class.
"Moreover, the magic you displayed in your duel against Mr. Autren… That wasn't first-year level. No, it wasn't even at the level of a student."
Autren wasn't someone with low attainment in Stellar Magic, yet he had been utterly defeated without putting up a fight.
It was like something out of a story about Lady Luna.
Laura had always held deep respect for Luna. She was well-versed in his history and legends. It was widely known that even as a child, Luna had displayed extraordinary genius.
Leo smiled faintly at her question. "I'm not a student of Seiren."
"I thought as much. Then, who are you?"
"My name is Leo Plov. I'm the student council president of Lumene."
"What?"
Laura was stunned. She had expected Leo to be an elven hero candidate who had already made a name for himself in the Hero Record, but her assumption had been completely off the mark.
A student from Lumene… and not just any student, but that Leo Plov?!
She had, of course, heard his name before. Even in his first year, the impact Leo had made on elven society had been massive.
Laura herself had been deeply moved when she saw his interpretation of the Magic of Blooming Flowers. Moreover, he had cleared Luna's world and received Polyum, made an incredible showing in the Lumeiren Games, and more recently, had even conquered the world of Dweno.
He was someone she had hoped to meet in the upcoming Lumeiren Games, yet now, here he was, sitting right in front of her.
"A-Are you really Leo Plov? Why are you at Seiren…?"
"I came here through the newly established exchange program."
"Ah…" Laura let out a gasp. In that moment, she finally understood why he had been placed in the first-year lower class. "…Seiren has shown you tremendous disrespect, Lyle… No, Leo. As a teacher of Seiren, I sincerely apologize."
She lowered her head in apology.
"This isn't something you need to apologize for," Leo said, stopping her with a wry smile.
Laura smiled bitterly. "All I've done is show you how shameful Seiren has become. This isn't what our school used to be… The students in my class don't belong in the lower class. They're all incredibly talented…"
Seeing how genuinely she cared for her students, Leo said, "As things stand, they won't even be able to reach the intermediate class, let alone the advanced class."
"…Yes." Laura nodded reluctantly. "At this rate… maybe it would be better if they weren't at Seiren at all. The way Seiren is operating right now is wrong."
Her eyes burned with frustration.
Just as the lower-class students had fought with everything they had, Laura had also done everything in her power to support them.
She had repeatedly petitioned Seiren's upper management to give them opportunities. She had requested assistance so that the students could flourish as knights and summoners.
But now, she realized it was all meaningless.
If this continues, my students will be destroyed.
She clenched her teeth. This wasn't the kind of teacher she had wanted to be.
"Teacher."
"Yes?"
"How about we change Seiren together?"
Laura's eyes widened.
"If we fail, we could be expelled. But if we succeed, we can change this school."
For elves, becoming a teacher at Seiren was an immense honor—second only to having their name recorded in the Hero Record.
Leo's words made Laura laugh.
"If this is what Seiren has become, then I have no desire to be a teacher here. Do you have a plan?"
The next day, at Laura's summons, all the lower-class students gathered in the classroom, their eyes dull and unfocused as they took their seats.
Looking at them, Laura took a deep breath and said, "Everyone. As you all know, Seiren has abandoned you."
The students' eyes widened.
"Tck…!"
"Damn it…!"
Curses erupted throughout the room. Some of the female students covered their faces as they sobbed. Even some of the male students were on the verge of tears.
Just a few months ago, they had entered Seiren full of dreams, believing they were the future heroes of the elves. And now, before they had even taken their midterms, the school had discarded them.
Of course, they had all felt it. They had just refused to acknowledge it.
Angel sat there, her face blank in shock.
"If you stay at this school, you'll be nothing more than stepping stones for the intermediate and advanced students."
Laura's voice was calm, almost expressionless.
"And I refuse to accept that. I know better than anyone how talented you all are."
"Then… what should we do?" Angel asked hesitantly, her voice trembling.
Laura looked at Angel. "You all have a choice to make. Lyle."
Leo stepped forward, holding a book in his hands.
"I think you all saw Lyle's Stellar Magic skills yesterday."
That much was true. Leo had been skilled enough to defeat the teacher in charge of advanced class 1.
Which led to an obvious question: Why is he in the lower class?
"Aren't you curious why Lyle is here?" Laura asked.
The students exchanged uneasy glances.
"What's the reason?" Angel asked cautiously.
Leo replied, "Because I read a forbidden book designated by Seiren."
Thud.
He placed the book on the podium and propped it up so the lower-class students could see the title.
Sitting at the front, Angel read it aloud. "Introduction to Stellar Magic…? Wait! This is a research paper written by a professor from Lumene's Magic Department!"
"What?"
"Why is that here?!"
The first-years shot up from their seats and scrambled to the back of the classroom.
Seeing them react as if they were looking at the plague, Leo grinned in amusement. He walked toward the students who had backed away and held out the book.
"Hiiik!"
"D-Don't come near me!"
Their faces filled with fear as they backed away even further.
Interesting. With a playful smile, Leo grabbed Angel, who was trying to flee, and forced the book into her hands.
"Try reading it."
"Hiiiik!" Angel shrieked as if she had touched something cursed and immediately tossed the book away.
If Len had seen someone throw his book like that, he probably would have foamed at the mouth.
Leo caught it mid-air with ease.
Laura let out a bitter smile as she watched the exchange. "That book is classified as a first-class forbidden text by Seiren. Even mentioning it warrants severe punishment, and bringing it into the academy results in heavy consequences."
The students nodded.
"Lyle was demoted to the lower class for possessing this book."
"Ah…"
"So that's why…"
They sighed.
"I also read Introduction to Stellar Magic after hearing Lyle's explanation."
"What?"
"You can't!"
"Miss Laura, if they find out, you might lose your position as a teacher!"
The students were alarmed.
Seeing how worried they were, Laura smiled. In a gentle but firm tone, she said, "If this is what Seiren has become, then I don't want to be a teacher here anymore. I read through the book, and there was nothing wrong with it. No, in fact, I strongly believe it should be shared widely among elves."
Introduction to Stellar Magic had been written by Len and Anna.
Seiren had declared it heretical and designated it as forbidden because it had the potential to dismantle the exclusivity of Stellar Magic.
But its effects were undeniable.
Most of the second-year students in Lumene's Magic Department who had read it had successfully begun learning Stellar Magic. Because of this, Lumene planned to expand the curriculum, making the lessons available to all magic students, not just second-years.
Stellar Magic was originally an exclusive domain of the elves. However, this book had proven that anyone, even non-elves, could learn it.
It was nothing short of a revolution.
Leo clicked his tongue. Failing to adapt to progress in magic had only one outcome.
Regression. At this rate, Stellar Magic won't remain a symbol of the elves for much longer.
Tina was probably concerned about the same thing. In fact, any elf with foresight would already be feeling uneasy about the future.
Obviously, elves will still adapt to Len and Anna's system better than anyone else.
Stellar Magic was highly influenced by mana traits. Even among elves, some mages who excelled in general magic struggled to reach high attainment in Stellar Magic.
"If you all study this book, your Stellar Magic proficiency will improve dramatically. When that happens, Seiren will realize that instead of condemning this text as forbidden, they should be embracing it. That realization could change Seiren."
Laura's words made the students gulp.
"But if Seiren refuses to change, you will be expelled. And in that case, I will leave Seiren without regret. You will likely be expelled as well."
She looked at the students.
"I won't force you. The choice is yours."
Would they remain in the lower class as they were? Or would they challenge Seiren's system, even if it meant risking expulsion?
Faced with this decision, the lower-class students hesitated.
Angel, the de facto class representative, replied in a trembling voice, "We…"