LHAHS Chapter 348
"Arc Ray!"
Countless orbs of light filled the air.
Ki-ki-ki-kiing—!
Bells' magic swept through the incoming horde of orcs in an instant. She stared down at her hands in disbelief.
This much power?
Coming from a long line of summoners, Bells had always excelled in summoning but lagged behind in magic. Even after weeks of studying Introduction to Stellar Magic, she had felt some improvement—but she had never expected it to be this much.
She wasn't the only one shocked.
Their monster subjugation speed wasn't falling behind the advanced class at all.
Angel's eyes went wide. "We might actually win."
Eclair, standing beside her, wore a serious expression. "It won't be easy. Yoinia is still there."
As a fellow advanced-class student, Eclair knew exactly how strong Yoinia was. In terms of raw mana, she surpassed not only Eclair but even the second-ranked first-year, Elric.
Hearing that, Angel and the rest of the lower-class students instinctively shrank back.
Leo glanced at them. "You're going to win."
A faint smile played on his lips as he looked at the lower-class students. Ever since entering Seiren, they had been treated as bottom-rung failures. The hope they once had turned to disappointment, which then became despair. Naturally, most of them had lost confidence.
Now, they turned to Leo.
"That Yoinia girl might be skilled, but she's a half-baked mage at best. It won't be easy for her to use her abilities properly."
"H-Half-baked?" Eclair stared at him, dumbfounded. Calling one of the top students in Advanced Class 1 half-baked?
"Yoinia's biggest strength is her overwhelming mana. So the teachers trained her almost exclusively in high-tier magic—spells that even other advanced-class students struggle to use. She and Lea have progressed faster than anyone else. She's already learned magic that second-years don't even start studying until their second semester…And you're saying she's half-baked?"
"Focusing on strengths is good. But tell me—do you think any of your upperclassmen can use only high-tier magic and completely neglect lower-tier spells?"
"……"
"If your goal is just to be a Stellar Mage, then fine. That kind of training makes sense. But taking a few prodigies and grooming them intensively? That's not a unique method—it's something any academy could do, not just Seiren."
Leo turned to the advanced-class students. "Admiring the Nebula Pioneer and the Comet Mage is fine. That kind of aspiration is good for growth."
The lower-class students kept their eyes on him.
"But that's not the answer. You're trying to become heroes, not the second coming of the Nebula Pioneer or the Comet Mage."
Leo smiled. "Believe in yourselves."
He pointed toward a statue at the edge of the training grounds—the same statue of the Comet Mage that could be found throughout Seiren.
"Even the founder of this school said it, didn't she?"
The lower-class students' eyes widened, their faces flushing with realization.
"Yeah! We've worked hard for this!"
"Let's do this, everyone!"
They clenched their fists with renewed determination.
Angel, watching the change, let out a wry laugh as she stepped closer to Leo. "Maybe you should be the class rep instead, Lyle."
"You're already a good fit for it, so keep the role. I've done it before."
"…What?" Angel stared at him in shock, but Leo only smirked.
"Hey, wait! The monsters are closing in! Defend! Defend!"
A frantic shout cut through the moment.
From the summoning circle, trolls burst forth, charging toward both groups.
The advanced-class students, focused on their attacks, failed to react in time, allowing the monsters to break through their formation. In an instant, injuries spread among them, and their front line collapsed.
The lower-class students also had little time to react, but the knight-class students at the vanguard swiftly stepped forward. The mage students in the rear reinforced them with enhancement magic.
As the lower-class formation held firm against the trolls' charge, gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Wait, enhancement magic? Isn't that usually a secret technique passed down in noble families?"
"Why do lower-class students know how to use it?"
The first-years stared in shock. Even the upperclassmen seemed surprised, though some of them stroked their chins in interest.
"This is interesting. Did they modify an existing Stellar Magic technique?"
"I didn't expect much from the lower class, but honestly…they're looking more like the real advanced class."
"In terms of individual skill, the advanced-class students are superior. But are these the ones meant to be hero candidates?"
"If they could use aura or summoning in this exam…would the advanced class even be able to beat them?"
Cold glances shifted toward the advanced-class students.
The teachers from the Pureblood Society stiffened.
Many in the elven world, including Seiren, supported the Pureblood Society. With the return of Nebula Pioneer Luna, Seiren had practically become a sacred land.
For generations, elves had revered and admired Luna. An elf of unparalleled pride. The Great Hero who had saved the world.
Now, with her miraculous return, the Pureblood Society's influence had grown immensely. But even so, they couldn't control everything.
Many had long harbored doubts about the Pureblood Society. Even in an ultra-conservative society like the elves, there were always those who rejected extremism.
Seiren was no different. Many upperclassmen viewed the Pureblood Society with suspicion.
This first-year midterm exam was meant to showcase the society's philosophy to the upperclassmen.
And yet—
To think the lower-class rejects are outperforming them!
Lehagen's expression twisted in rage.
That boy… he's done something!
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Leo, standing there in a Seiren uniform.
For a moment, their gazes met.
Leo smirked.
Don't think this is over, Leo Plov!
Lehagen clenched his teeth.
Beeeep—!
The whistle signaling the end of the exam rang out.
"We won!"
"Victory!"
The lower-class students erupted into cheers.
Bells' team, still stunned, looked at each other in disbelief.
"You all did amazingly! I'm so proud of you!"
Tears welled in Laura's eyes as she hugged each of her students.
As their homeroom teacher, she knew. She knew exactly how much unfair treatment they had endured for their supposed lack of talent in Stellar Magic. She knew how much they had suffered.
Seeing them defeat Advanced Class 1, she couldn't hold back her emotions.
"We really won! Lyle! It's all thanks to you!"
Bells' teammates swarmed around Leo.
Leo chuckled. "Don't pin your success on me."
"But…"
"You were never talentless."
"…What?"
"If you had no talent, you wouldn't have gotten into Seiren in the first place."
Leo patted Bells on the shoulder.
"You just weren't a good fit for Stellar Magic. All I did was give you a reason to keep trying. If you're going to thank someone, thank Miss Laura—and in a few days, Assistant Professor Anna from Lumene's Magic Department."
The lower-class students' eyes widened.
"Today's victory was because you refused to give up."
A wave of emotion swept through them.
"Lyle."
"What?"
"Can we call you 'big bro' from now on?"
"I'd prefer 'older brother'!"
"Big bro!"
"Older brother!"
The lower-class students burst into laughter, surrounding Leo.
"Enough nonsense. Focus on the rest of the exam," Leo said, grinning. "Prove it. Prove to Seiren that they were wrong to abandon you."
The rest of the exam was a chain of shocking results.
The plan to highlight the advanced class by pitting them against the lower-class students had completely backfired.
A lower-class uprising.
One by one, the lower-class groups defeated their advanced-class opponents. The homeroom teachers of the advanced class grew visibly pale.
Meanwhile, the intermediate class—despite receiving the same education as the advanced class—failed to surpass them even once.
This could only mean one thing: The teaching methods of both the intermediate and advanced classes were fundamentally flawed.
This is absurd! Impossible! How could those rejects possibly defeat the advanced class?!
Jeras, the homeroom teacher of Advanced Class 1, stood frozen, his face drained of color.
He kept glancing sideways, gauging the reaction of Acting Headmaster Lehagen. Seeing Lehagen's cold expression, Jeras swallowed dryly and hurriedly turned to Lea.
"Lea! The honor of Advanced Class 1 rests on your shoulders!" He gripped her shoulders in desperation.
Lea remained expressionless. "Teacher, could you let go?"
Jeras flinched at her calm words and quickly stepped back.
"I'll do my best since this is an exam," Lea said with a smile, "but I'm not doing it for the honor of Advanced Class 1. Honestly, I don't care much for your teaching methods either."
"Le-Lea…" Jeras stammered.
Without another word, Lea walked toward the training grounds.
Elric was already dominating his intermediate-class opponents with his exceptional magic skills. His performance had earned him the recognition of upperclassmen, who murmured among themselves that the class representative was indeed different.
While the audience found the lower-class uprising thrilling, the true center of attention for all Seiren students was, without a doubt—Lea.
Click. Click.
Her footsteps echoed as she stepped onto the field. She raised a hand and casually waved toward the lower-class group, specifically Angel's team.
Eclair, standing within Angel's group, waved back with a bright smile before taking a deep breath. "I told you before…Lea is on another level. You should stick to the plan I suggested."
"Still…isn't this too dangerous?" one of her teammates asked hesitantly.
Eclair gave a wry smile. "You'll understand once the exam starts."
Beeeep—!
The whistle signaled the beginning of the match.
A summoning circle flared to life, and goblins poured out.
Simultaneously, an enormous surge of mana erupted.
Flash! KABOOM—!
Swords of light rained from the sky.
It was magic unlike anything seen in the previous matches.
The goblins were annihilated in an instant.
Everyone gasped, stunned by the overwhelming display.
"Hmm." Lunia, resting her chin on her hand, smirked in amusement. "As expected of a Tingel."
She was right. Lea was in a completely different league compared to the other first-years.
"Ah, this is why I hate geniuses. Pulling off something like that in their first year," Marven, the top-ranked fifth-year, chuckled. His gaze shifted toward Lunia and Everton.
"But their strategy isn't bad either. Since they know they can't win outright, they're conserving mana in the early game," he mused, rubbing his chin.
Just then, dozens of magic circles formed around Eclair.
"Multi-casting? Not bad," Marven whistled.
"The class representative lives up to her title," Everton remarked, crossing his arms. "Mana capacity isn't the only measure of a mage's skill. In terms of pure magic ability, that Eclair girl has the makings of a class representative."
A cold smirk formed on his lips. "But why is someone like her grouped with the lower class? Maybe because the lower class is acting unlike lower-class students?"
At his remark, Lehagen's fingers clenched, veins bulging on his hand. That bastard…!
"Everton, it seems like anything that doesn't meet your standards is worthless to you," Lunia quipped.
"That's just part of his charm," Marven laughed.
Everton's sharp gaze flicked toward them. Lunia feigned ignorance, while Marven snickered.
Meanwhile, the scoreboard showed Lea's group pulling far ahead. The audience watched, unsurprised.
Then—
Crack!
A goblin's supposedly lifeless body suddenly twitched and rose.
Ki-ki-kik— Ki-ki-kiik—!
The eerie sound sent shivers through the training grounds. The goblin's neck twisted with a sickening crack.
A powerful illusion spell prevented the monsters inside the test area from perceiving the outside world.
But—
The goblin's face turned directly toward Leo.
Flash—
For a split second, its eyes gleamed with a dark crimson glow.
At the same time, a sinister black mist began leaking from its body.
Leo's expression hardened.
…Undead?
"Kikeke!"
With a shrill cry, the fallen goblins around it began to stir.
A massive surge of dark mana spread through the air.
Leo's eyes narrowed. He knew this dark mana.
Hell Kaiser.