REAPER SCANS
[The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student]
[Translator – Aine ]
[Proofreader – Ash ]
Chapter 21
The Tower of Heroes stood tall in the heart of Lumene.
It was a domain more for the faculty and staff rather than the students.
At the Tower's pinnacle lay the principal's office.
There, Kalian, the principal, sat at his desk, gazing out the window.
Crackle
A woman with fiery crimson hair materialized amidst a gentle flame.
"Welcome in, Phirina."
As he continued, Kalian's greeting smile faded instantly.
"Has there been any movement from the intruder?"
Five years ago, Lumene had faced an intrusion.
While it didn't result in any casualties and its occurrence remained unknown to the outside world, the perpetrator remained elusive.
Yet, Lumene wasn't just an academy; it safeguarded the Hero Records.
Given its significance, the intrusion was alarming.
It was understood that the incident would have to be kept secret, since the world would be sent into a frenzy should the information become public.
Nevertheless Kalian continued to pursue the culprit.
Hence, he summoned Phirina.
There was no better candidate than a phoenix to monitor Lumene's vast grounds.
"It's not that, but I bring good news."
"Good news?"
"A student here has forged a contract with a phoenix."
"Is that so?"
Kalian's disbelief was evident.
"Was it with your child or another phoenix?"
"He bonded with my newborn."
"Wasn’t your child meant to contract with one of the Lunda family successors?"
"That was the plan, but circumstances shifted."
"Remarkable! I suppose it was only possible since the phoenix was so young… Still, a student phoenix contractor! Were there any other students so talented in the fifth-year class besides Ulta?”
Kalian presumed the contractor must have hailed from the senior class.
"He isn’t from the fifth-year class."
"Ah, so they're in the fourth? There are quite a few talents in the summoning department in our fourth-year class."
"No."
Phirina shook her head.
"Then, third-year?"
“No.”
“...”
“Second-year?”
Kalian's expression shifted as Phirina chuckled.
"Are you suggesting a first-year student made the contract?"
"That's correct."
"Who?"
"Leo Plov."
"Haha, Leo Plov?"
Albi, notorious for his selectivity, had recommended him as the leading candidate to become a hero.
Despite others' objections, this same student had ended up becoming a phoenix contractor.
"Wasn't he majoring in knight studies?"
Principal Kalian, surprised, stroked his beard.
'I’ll have to meet him soon, won’t I?'
* * *
"Great job, everyone!"
After summoning class, the first-year students bid an energetic farewell and returned to campus.
Evening had descended upon them.
Hungry from their endeavors, the students eagerly sought food after their taming exam.
They hurried to the dormitory restaurant.
"Leo, care to join me for dinner?"
"Sure."
Leo and Chen Xia made their way out.
"Leo."
"Yes?"
"The professor's looking for you."
Approaching, Carro delivered the message.
"Oh, I might have to have my dinner alone, then."
"No worries. See you in the next class, Leo."
Chen Xia departed first.
Leo followed Carro to the faculty room.
Carro knocked, and a voice from inside signaled them to enter.
"Come in."
After a brief exchange of greetings, Leo stepped into the room.
Contrary to her free-spirited demeanor, Professor Yura's office was impeccably clean.
Professor Yura, sitting at her desk, gestured towards the seat across from her.
“Please, take a seat.”
As Leo sat, Professor Yura began without even a moment of hesitation. "Let's get straight to it, Leo."
"Yes?"
"The creature you contracted with earlier, it was a phoenix, correct?"
'As expected, she knows.'
"Yes."
Professor Yura was visibly moved by Leo's confirmation.
Though expected, hearing it from Leo directly still surprised her.
Observing Leo carefully, Professor Yura asked, her voice trembling slightly, "Can you show it to us?"
Leo reached into his uniform's inner pocket in response.
They had decided earlier that Fiora would keep Leo company until Phirina arrived to pick her up that evening.
Leo carefully placed Fiora on the desk.
"I never imagined seeing a living baby phoenix in the flesh!"
Even the Lumene professor couldn't contain their excitement at the sight of a baby phoenix, even more of a rarity than an adult.
"Ha! You're quite the charmer, little one!"
Despite being a symbol of dignity and flamboyance, Fiora was nodding off like a sickly little chick.
‘Is it doing alright?’
"What's its name?"
"Fiora."
"How did you stumble upon it? I had no idea there was even a phoenix in our forest."
Professors at Lumene held significant status.
Each and every one of them held great experience and prestige in their field, and were revered as considerable authorities in times of emergency.
Even so, Phirina's presence was a well-kept secret.
Having heard Phirina's explanation of the situation, Leo quickly concocted a plausible story.
"I stumbled upon the egg while wandering in the woods. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it turned out to be a phoenix egg."
It was a loose explanation, but Leo hoped it would suffice.
However, explaining the phoenix contract would be more challenging.
Besides, there was no way to verify Leo's claims.
"But identifying it as a phoenix egg couldn't have been easy."
Phoenixes were mythical creatures, and information about them was scarce and valuable.
"My mother's family has ties to phoenixes, so I've studied ancient texts about them."
"Where is your mother's family from?"
"She is a Zerdinger."
Professor Yura was taken aback.
'Ah, I suppose it makes sense if he has a connection to the Zerdingers. Their inherited Aura originates from the power of the phoenix.'
Given Leo's summoning talent, there couldn't be a more suitable candidate for a phoenix contractor.
'But it's astounding that a 15-year-old signed a contract with a phoenix.'
Professor Yura's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
While questions still lingered, Leo's exceptional talent, signing a contract with a phoenix mere days after enrolling, was paramount.
"I see. Thank you for your time. You should keep the contract with the phoenix a secret for now. It could cause quite a stir once it's revealed."
"I understand."
"Alright. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll see you in the next class."
Pat, pat
With a reassuring pat on Leo's shoulder, Professor Yura bid him farewell.
She took her seat once more, pondering the day's events.
She couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and uncertainty.
‘How am I supposed to nurture that prodigy?’
Professor Yura mused to herself, puffing up with pride.
Having the most talented summoner as her very own disciple was a dream come true.
She was determined to mold Leo into the finest summoner no matter what.
‘Do I need to arrange special classes for him? Having such a gifted student is both a blessing and a curse.’
Yura found herself in a blissful dilemma, envisioning her protege's future greatness in summoning.
She would readily offer private tutoring, too.
Professor Yura had no doubt that Leo would choose summoning as his major.
It seemed like the obvious choice, given Leo's exceptional talent.
‘Huhu, the department to beat for the next five years will be summoning!’
Little did Professor Yura know.
Leo was still undecided.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Aine]
[Proofreader – Ash]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
The following morning, Leo made his way to the magic building with Carr for their magic class.
"Oh, look! It's Chloe!"
Carr spotted Chloe walking alongside another sorcery major student and waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, Leo. Hey, Carr. Yaaaawn."
"Why the big yawn, Chloe?"
"I was up late studying magic books last night."
"Really? How about this, then?"
With a mischievous grin, Carr pulled out a small vial from his bag.
"Carr-Mart’s Fatigue Recovery Potion! Just 5 shillings."
"Is there anything wrong with it?"
"It's got certified ingredients and labels."
"Alright."
After checking the label, Chloe nodded and purchased the fatigue recovery potion.
As she drank it, she glanced over at Leo.
"So, you're really taking sorcery classes now?"
"You said you'd consider it."
"He even attended the summoning class yesterday."
Chloe looked at Leo, amazed by Carr's information.
"What class did you have yesterday?"
"I didn’t have any yesterday, so I just studied in the library all day. I've been considering becoming a pure sorcerer."
"You're quite the dedicated student, aren’t you?”
The trio continued chatting until they arrived at the sorcery building.
Their classroom for the day was a large lecture hall that could accommodate up to 500 students.
Carr grinned, looking at the classroom.
"There's still one seat left in the back. What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
"No way, the best seats are up front."
"I guess we're on different paths then."
Carr attempted to part ways with Chloe, but she was quick to grab his ear.
"Hey, cut it out!"
"You're nodding off already, huh? As a sorcery student, you've got to stay attentive in class."
"Hey! Let's talk about this, okay? Let go! Hey!"
Chloe sat down with Carr at the very front of the lecture hall.
"If you keep at it, you'll doze off and end up being caught napping by the professor!"
Chloe chuckled at Carr's panicked reaction.
"On the flip side, if you pay attention, the professor will think highly of you."
Though Carr glanced at her with annoyance, Chloe paid him no mind and focused on preparing for her studies.
At the same time, Leo, seated in front of them, stifled a laugh.
Then, a man stepped onto the classroom stage.
Step, step, step
Dressed sharply in a suit with impeccably styled hair, he embodied the definition of handsome.
Taking his place at the podium, he grinned as several female students cheered.
"Nice to meet you, first-year students. I'm Len Hors, your professor for Magical Theory this year."
Len's introduction elicited applause from the students.
"Any questions before we begin?"
Girls bombarded him with inquiries.
"Professor! Are you single?"
"How old are you?"
"What's your ideal type?"
As many unrelated questions as possible flooded the lecture hall.
Yet, Professor Len responded kindly to each one with a smile.
"He's quite the looker, isn't he? The girls are swooning. But Len Hors? I've never heard that name. Have you, Chloe?"
Chloe shook her head when Carr, tapping her on the back, asked with a pen perched above his lip.
"I've never heard of him either."
After the personal questions concluded, Professor Len announced, "Today, we'll be going over a basic introduction of magical theory. But first!"
He snapped his fingers.
Flutter, flutter
Paper flew around the room, one page landing precisely in front of each student.
"Before we begin, we'll have a simple magic theory quiz."
"What?"
"A quiz on the first day? That's harsh."
Complaints arose from various corners of the room.
Some girls even pouted as cutely as they could.
"Just so you know, students who don't meet our standards won't be allowed to continue in the sorcery major."
Silence fell over the room momentarily, the once light atmosphere turning chilly.
In that silence, one student timidly raised his hand.
"Professor, what happens if a student aiming to major in sorcery fails this quiz?"
"Why, of course," Professor Len replied casually, as if it were obvious. "They'll be dismissed from the program."
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