Editor : Amethyst00



Ahead of the Inter-department Tournament, each department carried out special training.

The ones who suffered the most were none other than the Summoning Department students.

“Wow, look at them.”

“They look like total beggars, don’t they?”

“I heard they couldn’t even use summoning arts and were stuck on the Island of Beasts for three days and two nights?”

As the Summoning Department students walked into the dorm entrance, students from other departments whispered among themselves.

“I heard they’ll be doing this every week until the Inter-department Tournament…… How are we supposed to survive that again.”

Tade muttered in a pitiful voice.

There was no way anyone could get used to the wild in just three days and two nights.

Compared to the majority who looked like beggars, a few students were in relatively decent shape.

Most notably, Leo, Chen Xia, and Walden.

A group of students snickered as they watched the Summoning Department.

“Ugh! The smell!”

“They look like a mess, don’t they?”

The Summoning Department students scowled at being treated like a spectacle when—

“What’s so funny that you’re laughing like that?”

“Gasp?”

“E-Eliza.”

With a look that was anything but mess, Eliza asked in a cold voice.

“So, you’re saying we look ridiculous right now?”

“N-no! That’s not it, we were just… uh…”

“S-sorry!”

The Eliza's sharp reaction made the students who were mocking the Summoning Department quickly scuttle off.

Being someone evaluated as the top of the first-years and from a heroic family, ending up on Eliza’s bad side would only make school life complicated.

As Eliza glared, the other students scattered in a fluster.

Leo went straight to wash up, then came down to the dorm lounge.

There, as usual, Carl was selling things to students.

“Oh! Leo, you’re back?”

Carl greeted Leo with a laugh.

“I heard you had it really rough, huh?”

“I thought it was fun.”

“Of course you’d think so! Tade looked like he was about to collapse any second!”

Chuckling, Carl suddenly said,

“Come to think of it, Leo, didn’t you ask about Elena-sunbae?”

“I did.”

“She came back to the school this morning. Tomorrow morning all students are gathering at Erek, so you’ll probably meet her then.”

“Really? That’s great.”

Leo’s eyes sparkled.

The next day.

At 7 a.m., the entire student body gathered at Erek, the grand training ground at the school’s center.

As each grade lined up, all the first-years wore nervous expressions.

It was the first official event at Erek since the entrance ceremony.

Especially since it was an assembly of all students.

“Ugh, the seniors keep staring at us.”

“S-so nervous.”

The upperclassmen snickered as they watched the first-years frozen stiff.

“First-years are always so cute.”

“Look how nervous they are. How should we spoil them?”

Most first-years were like mice before cats, unable to move before their seniors.

But not all interactions followed the usual senior-junior dynamic.

“Miss Celia. I should have greeted you sooner, but since the rules forbid upperclassmen from entering the first-year area during the first semester, I could only greet you now.”

Niel Rhoda gave Celia a vassal’s salute.

Celia sighed at that.

“Niel-unni, don’t do that! What will other students think if they see a third-year acting like that toward a first-year?”

“Oh my! Lady Celia, you’re as thoughtful as ever!”

Niel Rhoda.

A third-year in the Lumene Knight Department, four years older than Celia.

As the descendant of the Rhoda family, a vassal house of the Zerdinger family, she had trained in swordsmanship alongside Celia since childhood and was also her escort knight.

“Miss, the uniform suits you so well! I should be capturing this in a photo right now!”

“Bringing magic items to the event is forbidden.”

“Yes. That’s why I tried to sneak one in and got caught.”

“…”

“Tch. Damn professors.”

Celia felt a throb in her head.

Normally cool-headed Niel turned into a hopeless fool whenever it came to her.

‘Breaking school rules means penalty points!’

…But Niel would surely answer, “For my lady’s sake, such points mean nothing!”

“By the way, my lady, you’re too cruel. Not once did you seek me out.”

“I wanted time to spend with my classmates.”

The truth was, she deliberately avoided Niel, knowing she’d only fuss over her to the exclusion of everything else.

Just then—

“Celia. Isn’t it unbecoming to be so friendly and informal with a vassal? The master-servant relationship should be strict.”

A boy with the same black hair and red eyes as Celia approached.

Celia looked at him expressionlessly.

“It's been a while, Barden.”

Barden Zerdinger.

A distant cousin, three years older, from a collateral line of the Zerdinger family.

“Yes, since last winter break, right?”

As Barden approached with a smile, his face twisted.

“What? You’re not going to greet me?”

“Why should Niel-unni greet you?”

At Celia’s icy tone, Barden flinched.

“Niel-unni is a vassal of the Zerdinger main family. There’s no need for her to show courtesy to someone from a collateral line like you. If anything, you, a second-year, should be showing respect to her.”

Celia swept her hair back, her red eyes flashing.

Cold sweat ran down Barden’s face.

“R-right, I must’ve crossed the line! Sorry, haha!”

Even while laughing, he didn’t show Niel any courtesy as a senior.

Niel only looked at him with contempt.

In Lumene, Barden was notorious for flaunting his Zerdinger bloodline.

‘He hasn’t even mastered Phoenix Breath, yet because people coddle him, he acts like he's a real Zerdinger.’

Within the Zerdinger family, no one, direct or collateral, could hold a key position without mastering Phoenix Breath.

“Congratulations on first place in the Knight Department!”

Barden hurriedly changed the subject.

At that, Niel’s eyes sparkled too.

“I knew Lady Celia would take first place!”

“What’s the point of being first in the department? The actual year representative went to someone else.”

Celia crossed her arms and snorted.

Barden chuckled at her displeasure.

“Is this because of Leo Plov? Don’t worry about him.”

Barden sneered.

“Whatever this ‘All-Class’ thing is, he’s just some no-name from the countryside. He’ll show his limits soon enough. And my Summoning Department friends say he actually picked a fight with a second-year? Can you believe that? Acting up just because he’s a first-year grade representative.”

Celia’s face turned cold as ice.

Whether he noticed or not, Barden kept on excitedly.

“Young Master Rhys, welcome.”

“Niel, how have you been?”

“Yes.”

“Rhys-hyung!”

“It's been a while, Barden.”

Smiling faintly, Rhys gestured beside him.

“Since you were all gathered, I thought I’d introduce you. This here is our cousin, Leo Plov.”

At Rhys’s words, both Niel and Barden looked shocked.

“Leo may not have taken the Zerdinger name, but he’s inherited Phoenix Breath.”

Barden’s eyes widened.

‘That guy inherited Phoenix Breath?! How?!’

He had begged the main family for years to let him inherit it, but was always refused.

Now suddenly, someone he’d never even seen at family gatherings shows up claiming the inheritance.

‘That should shut him up for a while.’

Niel smirked at Barden trembling with rage.

Ever since entering Lumene, Barden’s reputation was far from good.

‘Always throwing around his Zerdinger status to bully classmates. And it’s not like his grades are any good—barely above the bottom.’

Outside, being a Lumene student might look impressive.

But within Lumene, it wasn’t even worth bragging about.

‘That’s why he clings to family prestige. Pathetic. Compared to him…’

Niel’s eyes glimmered.

‘What an unusual young master.’

Leo had been the talk of the semester since the entrance ceremony.

But anyone too outstanding naturally drew rivals.

Especially since many looked down on him as coming from a worthless family.

Yet not once had Niel heard of him being connected to the Zerdingers.

“My lady, does Leo-doryeon not show he’s a Zerdinger?”

“Yeah. He doesn’t show it. Not just doesn’t show—it’s almost too much how he hides it, that's the problem.”

“I see.”

While Niel admired that, a professor at the podium amplified his voice with magic.

["The student council president is requested to come to the podium immediately. Grade representatives, gather at the tent beside the stage."]

“Looks like we have to go. See you all later.”

“Celia, I’ll be off.”

“Mm.”

Leo and Rhys went straight to the podium.

“Leo, you should head over there.”

Rhys pointed to a tent that seemed to serve as a prep room.

“Yes.”

“See you soon.”

Parting with Rhys, Leo entered the tent.

Inside were two students.

The first to catch his eye was a small boy with light brown curly hair.

A fourth-year badge was pinned to his left chest, and the emblem of a sword and shield embroidered on his right shoulder marked him as Knight Department.

Strangely enough, he was wearing an eyepatch and snoring in his sleep.

Before this fourth-year rep knelt a girl who seemed to be the second-year grade representative, sitting in a devout posture.

She had light green hair, blue eyes, and on her shoulder the emblem of the four elements—mark of the Summoning Department.

Noticing Leo, she stood.

“You’re the first-year grade representative, Leo Plov?”

“Yes.”

“Nice to meet you. I am the second-year grade representative, Lyl Luce.”

Lyl extended her hand with strict formality.

With a curious expression, Leo shook it.

“Leo Plov.”

“This here is our fourth-year senior, Hark Rigard. As you can see, he’s asleep. He’s almost always asleep, so you don’t have to mind him. In fact, I’ve rarely ever seen him awake.”

“I see. By the way, let’s drop the formalities?”

“This is more comfortable for me. Anyway, Leo, I’ve wanted to meet you at least once!”

“Why me?”

“Is it true you’re an All-Class?”

Lyl asked with a slightly excited face.

“If it’s not too much, could you show me the three powers at once?”

At her request, Leo stirred Aura, Mana, and Spiritual Power simultaneously.

Lyl gasped in awe, then sagged her shoulders.

“I'm so envious.”

“Why?”

“Even as a grade representative, I’m just a plain, ordinary elemental user.”

“If you’re a year representative, doesn’t that mean you’re amazing?”

“No! I lack impact! Hark-sunbae has a definite character—always asleep! Rhys-sunbae is unmatched in skill! And you, even a first-year, are All-Class! Aah! I’m too plain! Too ordinary! Just ordinary!”

‘She doesn’t seem ordinary at all…’

It was always the ones who claimed to be plain who were the least so.

Watching Lyl crouch down clutching her head, Leo asked,

“How about Elena-sunbae?”

“That senior is… a little dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Oh my, what’s so dangerous about me, Lyl?”

“Ugh.”

Leo turned toward the voice.

Standing there was a third-year girl.

Shining golden hair. Sparkling pink eyes.

Pale skin like jade and sharp, vivid features.

She was nothing short of stunning.

“It's been a while, Elena-sunbae. How was the mission?”

“Boring.”

Elena said flatly, heels clicking as she walked toward Leo.

“So you’re the famous first-year grade representative?”

Her eyes sparkled as she approached, then poked Leo’s cheek with a finger.

“My, how cute.”

Giggling, Elena stroked his cheek and asked,

“Leo-kun, want to be mine?”