Chapter 359

"Yaaawn…"

Carl let out a long yawn as he stepped into the dormitory lounge. He was always up early, a habit formed by his naturally diligent nature.

Every morning, he woke at dawn to prepare for the day—not for schoolwork or magic training, but to brainstorm business ideas using alchemy. Regardless of his priorities, he was still the second earliest riser in the Noble dormitory.

Scratching his stomach, he stepped outside and immediately clicked his tongue at the sight before him.

Duran was already sprinting at full speed.

That guy's a training machine.

Among all the students in Noble, the earliest to rise was none other than Duran. Every morning, without fail, he trained his body. His drive to grow stronger was relentless, and because of it, he stood alongside Abad as one of the top students.

Eliza, of course, was also an elite student—at least on paper. But her classroom behavior was far from ideal, often earning her the ire of the professors.

She's just a delinquent with good grades.

Clicking his tongue, Carl made his way to the dormitory's mailboxes.

Every morning, Lumene's school newspaper was delivered to the dorms. On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary campus publication, covering everyday school life.

But the moment a student subscribed to it, the quality of the information changed drastically.

A subscription granted access to major school updates, upcoming cafeteria events, and even forecasts of future schedules. Higher-tier subscribers gained even more privileged intel.

Maybe I should've joined the newspaper club instead of the merchant society…

As the go-to source of second-year information, he figured he could've fit in there just as well.

Lifting a thick envelope with his name on it, Carl sighed.

How much am I spending on this every month?

Suppressing his financial regrets, he unfolded the newspaper—and his eyes widened at the massive headline sprawled across the front page.

[Another Miracle Following the Pioneer's Return! The Comet Mage Reappears!]

"What the hell? This is insane!"

Under normal circumstances, he would've dismissed such a claim outright. But last winter, Carl had personally witnessed the Hero of the Beginning and the Nebula Pioneer return with his own eyes.

"Just how many secrets and powers are hidden within the Hero Records?"

First, the Great Heroes, and now, the Heroes of Dawn. The greatest figures in history were making their return one after another.

And, of course, Leo's at the center of it again.

When Leo announced his exchange trip to Seiren, most students had predicted he'd get caught up in some kind of major incident. And once again, they were right.

Grinning in amusement, Carl eagerly read through the front-page article. As a magic major himself, the thought of Seiren, a legendary mage, appearing in the modern world made his heart race.

Popping open a bottle of morning milk, he turned to page two—then nearly choked.

Pffft!

Milk sprayed from his mouth.

"Ugh! Cough, cough! Hhhck!" He hacked violently, struggling to catch his breath.

At that moment, Duran, who had just finished his morning workout, approached. "What are you making such a fuss about now?"

Still coughing, Carl shoved the newspaper toward him.

Duran skimmed the article, his usually composed expression flickering with brief surprise.

[Seiren's Successor, Leo Plov.]

Thanks to a miracle from Hero Record, the Comet Mage reappeared in the present, and the one to inherit Cometes was none other than Leo Plov… (continued)

Reading further, Duran muttered, "Hmph. He's becoming more and more worth chasing."

Smirking, he tossed the newspaper back to Carl and immediately resumed sprinting at full speed.

Carl shook his head. At this point, it's not just dedication. It's obsession.

Sighing, he glanced back at the newspaper.

Forget just getting caught up in incidents… he's the center of every single one.

"This guy… is he some kind of magnet for chaos?"

All he could do was shake his head at his ever-notorious friend.

sep

Murmur, murmur—

At the heart of Lumene, surrounding the Tower of Heroes, lay the school's bustling restaurant district.

It was a haven of diverse cuisines, offering dishes from various cultures, even from other races. A must-visit spot for any outsider coming to Lumene.

Every day at lunchtime, the area teemed with students. With so many gathered, the streets became a hotbed of discussion. Topics ranged from coursework to global news, and debates often sprang up among students.

But today, there was only one topic.

"Leo-oppa really is at the center of everything." Chelsea, having just finished her morning magic classes, settled into a seat with her friends. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.

Munching on a slice of pizza, Eliana tilted her head. "Does he even have a limit?"

Chelsea reached for the last slice, only for Eliana to snatch it up and shove it into her mouth.

"Hey! Eliana!"

"Hmph!"

Carl sighed. "You're acting like ten-year-old boys fighting over pizza."

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out.

"Oh-ho! If it isn't my beloved students!" Professor Len approached, holding a newspaper, his face beaming as he spotted Chelsea, Carl, and Eliana.

The three immediately stood and greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Professor Len. Are you here for lunch?"

"Indeed! I promised Ain and Yura I'd treat them today." He gestured behind him, where Ain and Yura were settling into their seats.

"But enough about me," Len said, his voice rising dramatically. "Tell me! Were you, by any chance, discussing our very own Lumene magic department's pride and joy—Leo Plov?!"

Chelsea and Carl exchanged awkward smiles as Len all but shouted Leo's name for the whole district to hear.

Meanwhile, Eliana shrank into her seat, warily eyeing Ain.

As a magic swordsman, Eliana straddled both the knight and magic departments. She excelled in both, but the time had come to choose a primary path. And with that decision looming, she was walking a delicate tightrope.

She needed to stay in Len's good graces… but also in Ain's.

"Eliana!" Len suddenly bellowed. "You'll need to choose a department soon! If you sought my guidance about your future, surely that means you're leaning toward the magic department over the knight department, yes?!"

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Eliana screamed internally. She sneaked a glance at Ain, who, with his usual cold smile, let out a quiet "Oh?"

At that moment, Chelsea and Carl shared a look.

"That's right, Professor Len!" Chelsea jumped in. "Eliana's been consulting with us too. Right, Carl?"

"Of course, of course. She said she'd love to stay with us in the magic department."

"Hohoho!" Len beamed. "So you have been thinking of following the path of magic, Eliana! Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"

Len walked away, looking satisfied.

Eliana groaned. "If my school life gets ruined, it's all your fault."

"Who told you to play both sides?"

"Yeah, you brought this on yourself."

Chelsea and Carl snickered as Eliana looked like her soul was leaving her body.

Meanwhile, Yura scoffed. "He really acts like Leo belongs to the magic department."

"Let him have his fun," Ain said.

Yura chuckled. "You sure you can afford to be so relaxed? Leo is a pactholder of the Three Great Summons. Do you really think he'll choose the knight department?"

Len, elegantly sipping his drink, let out a soft laugh. "Oh, Yura, you poor, misguided soul. Do you really think Seiren's successor would pick summoning? How utterly ridiculous."

"Are you kidding me? He's a Three Great Summons pactholder! That's unprecedented in summoning history!"

"I fully agree! Absolutely unprecedented! A mage with contracts to all Three Great Summons… a feat never before seen!" Yura gasped.

"I can't talk to you people." Len sighed, shaking his head. "Indeed. A logical, rational mind will never see eye to eye with someone ruled by emotion."

"So you're saying you want to die?" Yura grabbed him by the collar.

"Ah, resorting to violence because words fail you? How barbaric."

"Die!"

"Professors! No fighting in the restaurant!"

Staff rushed in to break them apart.

"Let's make a bet," Carl said, smirking. "I'm putting my money on Professor Yura winning."

"I'll bet on Professor Len."

"Professor Yura for me."

The first-years in the restaurant looked horrified, but upperclassmen, already desensitized, casually placed their wagers.

Of course, the fight never saw a proper conclusion.

After a prolonged argument, both Len and Yura were swiftly subdued—by Ain.

As the restaurant settled down, something unusual happened. A spirit beast flapped in and landed in front of Len.

"What's that?"

"Assistant Professor Anna just sent me an urgent update on the academic conference," Len replied proudly, opening an envelope.

Inside was a report about the Introduction to Stellar Magic presentation.

"Hmm… The elves seem to have responded very positively. Naturally, those with actual intellect wouldn't dare dismiss my work."

As he flipped through the pages, a photograph slipped out of the envelope and landed on the table.

Len picked it up, his expression freezing. His shoulders trembled.

Yura frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I need to go to Seiren. Immediately! Right now!"

Without another word, he bolted out of the restaurant.

"Hey! At least pay for your meal!" Yura shouted after him.

Ain sighed and reached for the photo Len had been looking at.

Just then, Chelsea, Carl, and Eliana, who had just finished their meal, approached with confused expressions.

"Professor Ain, Professor Yura," Chelsea asked, "what's going on? Professor Len just ran off like a man possessed."

Ain clicked his tongue and handed them the photo.

It was a group picture of Seiren students. Among them was Leo, clad in Seiren's uniform, mingling naturally with the students.

"Just because he put on Seiren's uniform, you think he's transferring? He's our student council president," Yura scoffed. "Len's got a serious problem at this point."

Chelsea sighed. "Looks like we can forget about getting proper magic lessons this afternoon."

"Yesss!"

"Self-study!"

Carl and Eliana cheered.

sep

That afternoon, Lumene was abuzz with rumors.

"Think about it. He was chosen as Seiren's successor. You really think they're just gonna let him go?"

"Come on, it's Seiren. Would they really accept a human as a student?"

"Who knows? His Stellar Magic is incredible."

Even while walking across campus after class, Leo's name dominated every conversation.

Carl, stepping out of the magic department building, caught sight of Len dragging himself back to his office, looking utterly drained.

Chloe sighed. "Leo needs to come back soon, or we'll never get a proper class."

"What? I thought this afternoon's class was amazing."

"You actually like self-study?"

Chloe shot him a glare. "Of course!"

Carl just laughed.

Just then, Duran and Eliza passed by.

"Hmph. Leo transferring to Seiren wouldn't be a bad thing," Duran muttered.

Eliza nodded. "Yes. If he does become a Seiren student, then he'll be a proper opponent to defeat. A clear rivalry would be much better than this lukewarm schoolmate situation."

Hearing that, Chloe and Carl instinctively turned toward Len. The professor had already drawn his staff, aiming it at the two of them.

Chloe ran up to him in a panic. "Professor Len! I have a question!"

Carl paled and quickly shoved Duran and Eliza aside. Why'd you have say that while walking past the magic department of all places?!

Duran scoffed. "You dare push me? Are you not afraid of the consequences?"

"You've lost your mind, Carl Thomas!" Eliza snapped.

No, you two are the ones who have lost your minds! Carl yelled inwardly.

Right then…

"Looks like you're all getting along well."

A familiar voice.

Carl's eyes widened as he turned.

Standing there, suitcase in hand, was Leo, with Anna beside him.

"Leo! When did you get back?" Carl asked, stunned.