Editor : Amethyst00



The next morning.

Since the Lumene students had been invited to Seiren the previous night, classes that day were held in Lumene’s dormitory.

The Seiren students’ reactions upon arriving weren’t much different from how the Lumene students had reacted the first time they saw Seiren.

“What? They’re supposed to sleep here?”

“Could it be that Lumene’s finances are in trouble?”

“Is this really a place they can stay?”

Seeing them openly showing their discomfort, Eliana folded her arms and shook her head.

“Pampered young masters and ladies, aren’t they.”

“Not sure you’re one to talk, considering you reacted the same way just two days ag—urk?!”

Carl, who had been poking fun at her, was elbowed in the ribs and collapsed.

And so, both Lumene and Seiren students each took their places and prepared their writing materials.

“I have a question.”

A girl raised her hand at that moment.

“Hm? What’s your question?”

Carl, ever affable, smiled as he asked. The Seiren girl looked puzzled.

“What level would you say you are, as first-year students of Lumene?”

“What level, you ask…”

“Well, it varies from student to student.”

Class 5 students exchanged glances and shrugged.

A Seiren boy folded his arms and pressed further.

“What do you mean ‘varies’? Do you not divide into advanced, middle, and lower classes?”

“No. Unlike Seiren, which ranks students into classes by grades, Lumene educates all students equally.”

“So that’s Lumene’s system. Then I suppose that’s a bit disappointing.”

At Chelsea’s explanation, the Seiren boy sighed and muttered.

Her eyes twitched at that.

“What do you mean, disappointing?”

“I misspoke. If that offended you, Miss, I apologize. But we are Seiren’s Advanced Class 1. We receive lessons suited to that. I’m not saying Lumene’s principle of equal opportunity for all is wrong… but I do wonder if the lessons here are worth our time.”

Some Seiren students glared at him, but most seemed to agree with his words.

“Wow, what a conceited way to talk.”

“I merely stated the facts, Lady.”

Eliana sprang to her feet, bristling.

“Ha! If you’re that confident, why don’t we test it out? I heard Seiren conducts sparring evaluations starting in the first year?”

“Sit down, Eliana.”

“Fine, class rep.”

At Leo’s words she immediately sat, though the atmosphere of Class 5 as a whole had turned sharp and hostile.

The Seiren students smirked arrogantly at that sight.

“I don’t know how impressive your lessons usually are.”

Leo stepped forward.

“And I don’t know how impressive this so-called Advanced Class 1 of yours is supposed to be.”

“Even if you’re Lumene’s year representative, isn’t that statement rather reckless?”

The Seiren students bristled.

Leo looked unimpressed.

“I only spoke the truth. After fighting that guy yesterday, I didn’t find him all that impressive.”

At those words, the Seiren boy who had spoken so carelessly earlier flushed red with humiliation.

He was the one Leo had soundly beaten the day before.

“And wasn’t it you who first spoke recklessly?”

Leo’s cold gaze made the Seiren students flinch.

Just then, an odd tension was broken—

“Haaah—cold! Hm? What’s going on?”

Lunia walked in through the door.

Seeing her puzzled look, Luca approached with a wry smile.

“There was just a bit of an argument.”

“L–Luca! Argument?”

“Just a clash of opinions.”

Some students hurriedly tried to hush him, but it was too late.

“Care to explain, Luca?”

Her gentle voice prompted him to recount what had just happened.

“Hmmm~”

Lunia narrowed her eyes halfway and gave an apologetic smile.

“Lumene students. It seems our side spoke carelessly. I’ll make sure to discuss it properly later, so could you perhaps forgive us?”

Hearing her demure tone, Class 5’s boys instantly softened into foolish grins.

“No, no! That happens!”

“If Miss Lunia says so, then of course!”

“Hahaha! We’re not upset at all!”

Several girls from Class 5 shot them sharp glares.

Carl clicked his tongue.

“You were radiating such a dangerous aura yesterday. Are you even the same person?”

“Tell me about it.”

Leo couldn’t help but chuckle at how easily Lunia slipped into the role of the polite, composed honor student.

Turning to her fellow Class 1 students, Lunia smiled kindly.

“Everyone! It’s good to have pride in your school, but shouldn’t a school’s greatness be proven through ability?”

“She’s not only beautiful but kind as well!”

“Wow! Now that’s the ideal elf!”

“Why don’t we have beauties like that in our year?”

Watching their smitten classmates whisper as they ogled Lunia’s back, Eliana shook her head.

“Ugh, idiots. Show them a pretty face and they fall all over themselves.”

“Honestly, Eliana, if you’d just keep your mouth shut…”

“Huh? What about my mouth?”

“Mercy, please, big sis! I’ll stop teasing!”

As Carl got himself grabbed by the collar for fooling around, the Seiren Class 1 students’ faces were turning pale at the sight of Lunia’s face.

The Lumene side couldn’t see it, but her expression was nothing but deadly.

Once things settled down, Leo muttered to her as she passed by.

“Quite the act you put on.”

“Shut it.”

Rolling her eyes, Lunia went to sit among the Seiren students.

Not long after, Harrid and Herdium entered the dormitory.

With Herdium standing to the side as observer, Harrid began the lesson.

“This morning we’ll conduct Lumene’s major classes. Knight, Magic, Summoning. Gather according to your specialization.”

At that, Lumene students split into their respective majors.

But the Seiren students hesitated, unsure what to do.

“Professor of Lumene.”

“At Lumene, the title ‘teacher’ doesn’t exist. Address us as professors.”

Luca, who had raised his hand, froze, then continued.

“Professor of Lumene… Seiren students don’t have declared majors.”

“I know. Each of you can join according to the ability you focus on most.”

At last, the Seiren students moved.

In the end, their distribution wasn’t so different—most chose Knight or Magic, with fewest in Summoning.

‘Is Professor Harrid going to conduct all the major classes alone?’

‘Even for him, that should be impossible.’

“Chelsea, Nella, Tade.”

At Harrid’s call, the three stood.

“You three will lead the class.”

“…Pardon?”

“Us?”

“Surely we can’t be the ones teaching…”

“Think of it as review. You’re all outstanding in your respective fields. Explaining what you’ve learned here should be well within your ability.”

Nella and Tade still hesitated, but Chelsea stepped forward without pause—her heroic lineage lending her natural confidence.

“Students teaching class, hm. Interesting.”

Herdium’s eyes gleamed.

‘Curious the year representative isn’t among them… but let’s see how skilled Lumene’s honor students truly are.’

Thus began the joint lesson.

And as it went on, the Seiren students were increasingly shocked.

“Wow! So that kind of approach is possible!”

A boy exclaimed while frantically taking notes during Chelsea’s lecture.

“Ugh! T–this sort of thing, even in Seiren we… no, this may be deeper still…”

A girl listening to Nella’s class didn’t know how to react.

“Aha! So Lumene interprets summoning circles like this? Then would it also work like this?”

“Y–yes, that’s right.”

Even in summoning, admiration spread.

Lunia too absorbed the new knowledge like a sponge.

Harrid chuckled faintly at the sight.

‘Approaching things from another race’s perspective opens one’s eyes to new methods.’

It wasn’t just Seiren gaining from this—Lumene as well.

‘There may be friction, given both schools’ pride… but that too will become a steppingstone for growth. In that sense, our class is fortunate indeed.’

Herdium’s eyes also shone.

‘Impressive. All three are outstanding. They’d fit right into an elite class. Especially that girl from the Magic department—truly remarkable. As expected of Lewellin’s direct bloodline. This generation of Lumene will not be easy to deal with.’

Some Seiren students, pride wounded, stubbornly denied it. But Herdium was not like the young ones.

Being entrusted with Class 1 itself marked him as an excellent instructor among Seiren’s faculty. Someone who relied on pride alone, belittling another school’s talents, would never hold that position.

‘Hmph, the greater the rival, the more rewarding the victory. I believe in our students!’

Stroking his chin with self-satisfaction, he continued until the lesson ended.

“After lunch, we’ll listen to Seiren’s lesson.”

Lunch was taken at Seiren’s dormitory.

The Seiren students ate with grim faces.

They had assumed their lessons were superior—but after hearing Lumene’s, there was much they didn’t understand.

Some tried actively to discuss and learn from Lumene students, but most simply kept quiet and uneasy.

And so, the afternoon Seiren lesson began.

“Lumene students! This morning’s classes were truly fascinating! With that in mind, we shall now present Seiren’s lesson to you!”

If Lumene’s method was one of focus and specialization, Seiren’s was balance.

Aura, Magic, Summoning—

All three disciplines were taught in a single class.

It risked becoming shallow in all areas, but Herdium’s ability as a teacher was overwhelming.

The Knight students came to understand Magic and Summoning better, grasping ways to counter them. The others likewise expanded their horizons.

Seeing Lumene students gasp in admiration again and again, Herdium grew more elated.

‘It feels just like teaching our own students at the start of a new school year!’

When learners brimmed with passion, teachers felt all the more joy.

‘Lumene students’ flexibility in embracing new knowledge is a strength. That’s something our Seiren students should learn from.’

Even as he taught, Herdium considered how best to guide his pupils forward.

Though it was right after lunch, when focus usually waned, the Lumene students’ eyes shone bright with eager attention.

Of course, there were exceptions.

“Yaaawn—oh.”

Leo hastily covered his mouth after a yawn slipped out.

But for an All-Class like him, the lecture was unavoidably dull.

He already knew the content—in fact, he might have been able to teach it better than Herdium himself.

‘T–that boy! How dare heeee!’

With everyone else absorbed, the one student showing boredom inevitably stood out.

Herdium, who had secretly looked forward to Lumene’s year representative, could only feel furious.

‘How is such a student their year rep?! When there are so many passionate ones!’

“Now, let’s move on to the Star Sorcery.”

‘Yes, let’s see you yawn at this! Try being bored by a subject impossible to learn at Lumene!’

It was indeed a lecture unavailable at Lumene.

Even students outside Magic perked up instantly.

Moved by their enthusiasm, Herdium happily began drawing a massive magic circle on the board.

“This is the entire curriculum that Seiren first-years study.”

Tak—tak! Scriiitch—

The sound of chalk filled the room.

Leo frowned at the Star Sorcery formula drawn.

‘What’s this? Why he draw the circle with a wrong interpretation? With that, the spell would never activate.’

Since Luna often used this particular magic, the faulty method grated on him.

Once the circle was complete, Herdium turned back to the class—only for Leo to raise his hand.

Seeing this, Herdium smirked inwardly.

‘Of course. He must be intrigued by Star Sorcery after all—’

“Professor, the interpretation is wrong.”