Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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20

“A contract with Pirina?”

-That’s right. When Ellen and I said we would repay our debt of gratitude, Raina refused. She said saving a friend was only natural. But that always weighed on my mind.

Pirina smiled gently.

-The source of Jerdinger’s power is the Phoenix’s flame. If you have the qualities of a summoner, there’s no better qualification than being a Phoenix contractor.

‘Even so, I never thought a Phoenix would directly propose a contract.’

Phoenixes were proud magical beasts that would never be the first to propose a contract.

-Of course, I don’t mean to contract right now. After you grow as a summoner…

“Would it be possible now?”

-Huh?

No matter how willing Pirina was to contract, it was impossible with Leo’s current power.

But Leo was confident he could make the contract work.

After all, he was the one who ended the Age of Calamity and had handled powerful magical beasts in his previous life.

‘I never contracted with a Phoenix in my previous life either.’

Even when he was Kail, he had wanted to contract with a Phoenix.

Contracting with a powerful magical beast would grow one’s capacity as a summoner by itself.

But Pirina showed reluctance.

-I understand your feelings, but you cannot contract with me as you are now. If you attempt it recklessly, you’ll lose your life.

Contracting with a Phoenix was especially arduous.

That was something even Pirina couldn’t help with.

“I know. But I’m confident.”

‘This fearless challenge to the impossible is just like Raina. But I can’t put her son in danger.’

After pondering, Pirina came up with a good idea.

-If that’s truly your intention, I’ll let you contract. However, the Phoenix you’ll contract with isn’t me.

“Pardon?”

Whoosh-!

Crimson flames flickered before Leo’s eyes.

When the flames cleared and a fist-sized golden egg appeared, Leo’s eyes widened.

‘A Phoenix egg?’

-That egg is my child who will hatch soon. Try taming this one.

If he tamed the unborn Phoenix’s egg, the contract would naturally be formed.

Since it was still in egg form, there would be no danger even if he attempted the contract.

However, the taming difficulty was as hard as dealing with a top-tier magical beast.

‘A Phoenix egg. She’s giving me an impossible test.’

Leo smiled as he received the golden egg.

‘For ordinary people, that is.’

Flicker-!

As Leo activated his spiritual power, the Phoenix egg responded by spewing crimson flames.

Leo gritted his teeth against the intense heat.

‘Even if it’s weak, it’s still a Phoenix’s flame – not a power a young human boy can handle.’

Pirina thought Leo would give up soon.

But Leo didn’t give up and closed his eyes to concentrate.

His consciousness gradually faded.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw pitch-black darkness.

The space of consciousness where one receives trials from top-tier magical beasts.

It was literally a world of trials that determined a contractor’s worth.

In the world of the unborn Phoenix, there was nothing.

Nothing except blazing crimson flames.

Leo reached out his hand without hesitation.

In response, the flames wrapped around Leo’s body and began burning fiercely.

Phoenixes burn their own bodies to unleash powerful firepower.

In that process, they feel endless pain.

In exchange for that pain, they are praised as magical beasts with the strongest power.

Pacts with magical beasts are formed based on bonds.

And to build a bond with a Phoenix, one needed to understand the Phoenix’s pain.

This was why contracting with a Phoenix was especially difficult.

“Ugh!”

Leo’s face contorted in the agony of his entire body burning.

The only way to overcome the trial was through immense mental strength.

Pirina’s eyes widened.

-Could it be…?

Whoooosh-!

The intensely burning flames were sucked into the golden egg.

Crack-!

Fissures appeared on the egg’s surface.

Pirina wore an expression of disbelief.

-He succeeded?

Whoosh-!

As the egg absorbed all the flames, Leo opened his eyes.

For a moment, Leo’s red eyes flashed crimson.

Thud-

Exhausted, Leo collapsed to the ground and breathed heavily.

His entire body was drenched in sweat.

But his face was definitely smiling.

“The contract was successful.”

-Ahahaha!

Pirina burst into laughter.

-Amazing! Amazing! Leo Flobe! You’re a genius!

“Rather than a genius… it’s effort, really.”

-If a summoner who can tame a Phoenix egg at your age isn’t a genius, then what is! You were born with the greatest summoner talent in history!

Watching Pirina genuinely rejoice, Leo struggled to get up.

‘What does a young Phoenix look like?’

Even during his time as Kail, he had never seen a young Phoenix.

Crack crack crack-!

-My child is being born.

The small crack on the egg’s surface instantly spread across the entire egg.

Crack-!

Like a glass craft breaking, golden fragments scattered in all directions.

Leo’s expression became subtle as he saw the Phoenix that emerged from the egg.

‘A chick?’

The newly born Phoenix looked just like a chick.

Flicker-!

Then, with flames, Pirina transformed into human form and carefully lifted her child from Leo’s hands.

-This child’s name is Fiora. Leo, you’ve made the contract, but she’s still a young child. So I’ll keep her with me for now.

“Yes, but I need to have my contracted magical beast confirmed by a professor for the exam.”

-Then I’ll entrust her to you during that time.

Pirina smiled gently and placed Fiora on top of Leo’s head.

Though just born, Fiora was full of vitality like a true Phoenix and pecked at Leo’s hair a few times with her small beak.

Then, as if satisfied, she settled into position.

‘Is this really a Phoenix? No matter how I look at it, it just looks like a chick.’

However, he couldn’t bring himself to say it looked like a chick in front of Pirina, who was gazing at Fiora with such loving eyes, so he decided to keep that impression to himself.

Peep-!

‘It really is a chick.’

***

Professor Yura took out a watch from her pocket.

The allotted three hours were coming to an end.

Most students had already had their tamed magical beasts evaluated by Professor Yura.

Among them, some students had succeeded in forming contracts.

‘Let’s see… there are four left?’

And the remaining students were exactly the ones Professor Yura had the highest expectations for.

Thud-! Thud-!

Then the ground shook.

As the students’ eyes widened in surprise, a massive blue bear emerged through the thicket.

“Aaah!”

“Kyaah!”

Students screamed and scattered in all directions.

Several students recognized the blue bear’s identity and showed expressions of shock.

The blue bear walked toward Professor Yura and lowered its posture.

Chen Xia, who had been riding on its back, jumped down lightly.

“Professor, there’s still time left, right?”

“Yes.”

‘Looking at how her uniform is torn here and there, she must have had quite a struggle.’

“You said you only knew taming in theory, yet you’ve tamed an Aqua Bear cub, which is an intermediate magical beast.”

“I’m not sure if I should call it taming… or say that it’s following me.”

Chen Xia scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

In fact, it wasn’t perfectly tamed.

“If it follows you this much, with just a little more study of taming, it will be perfectly tamed.”

‘Maybe I should just kidnap her and make her major in the Summoning Department.’

While an Aqua Bear cub couldn’t be considered a complete intermediate magical beast in terms of taming difficulty, it was still impressive.

To think that such a capable person was the top student aspiring to be a knight.

As a summoning professor, she couldn’t help but feel dismayed.

While Professor Yura clicked her tongue, Chen Xia sent the Aqua Bear back to the forest.

And shortly after, Woreden emerged from the thicket.

A small crow was perched on his shoulder.

“What kind of magical beast is that?”

“For a top student, that’s quite a modest magical beast.”

The students looked puzzled.

However, Professor Carlo and the teaching assistants were greatly surprised.

“Oh? To tame a Shadow Crow. That’s impressive for someone whose main specialty is spirit magic.”

Professor Yura exclaimed in admiration as she looked at Woreden standing before her.

Shadow Crow was an intermediate magical beast like the Aqua Bear, but unlike Chen Xia’s, this one was an adult.

Moreover, Shadow Crows were difficult magical beasts, so in terms of taming difficulty alone, they were comparable to advanced magical beasts.

‘His talent as a magical beast summoner is also top-tier.’

“I wasn’t able to form a contract.”

“That’s sufficient.”

Just taming an intermediate magical beast put him in the top tier among all first-year students across all departments.

‘Though Eliza will probably be first in magical beast summoning class.’

As if responding to such expectations.

Shortly after, Eliza returned.

Unlike the other students, Eliza appeared in a neat condition hardly different from before class, her hair swaying as she approached Professor Yura.

“Where is your magical beast?”

At Professor Yura’s question, Eliza smiled smugly and extended her hand.

A summoning circle appeared, and a massive snake revealed itself.

Hiss-! Hiss-!

“Kyaah!”

“A, a snake!”

As the massive white snake that looked like it could swallow a person whole flicked its tongue, the female students screamed in terror and scattered in all directions.

“Wow… to contract with a Gorgon Snake.”

“It’s a magical beast our family doesn’t have. I took this opportunity to form a contract with it.”

Gorgon Snake.

It was an intermediate magical beast and very rare.

‘Truly befitting the heir of the Herginn Family.’

“Very excellent! Eliza!”

“Thank you.”

Eliza curtsied gracefully, slightly lifting the hem of her uniform skirt.

‘Hehehe. This year is a bumper crop, a bumper crop.’

Professor Yura, who had been smiling inwardly, tilted her head.

‘But is Leo Flobe still far away?’

There really wasn’t much time left now.

Once time was up, no matter what magical beast he brought, it would be an out.

Feeling thirsty, Professor Yura said.

“Give me some water.”

“Yes, Professor. Here it is.”

As she opened the water bottle that Professor Carlo handed her, Professor Yura checked the time.

Just then, Leo emerged through the thicket.

“Young Master Leo. Welcome back.”

Chen Xia smiled and waved her hand, then tilted her head in puzzlement.

Taming often involved physical exertion.

So except for Eliza, all students’ uniforms were torn or covered with dirt.

But Leo’s appearance was incomparably worse than any of that.

His uniform was burned and charred everywhere.

Just from his appearance, it seemed like he should have brought some amazing magical beast, but what was visible was…

‘A chick?’

On Leo’s white hair, a small red bird was chirping peep- peep- proudly.

“Pfft! Did you just tame a chick?”

“Amazing! The class representative brought a chick!”

“Hey hey, don’t laugh, he’ll hear us! Kekeke-“

The students held back their laughter.

“Student Leo showed promise when handling the griffin earlier. This is more disappointing than expected.”

Carlo let out a chuckle and turned his head toward Professor Yura.

“Pfft-?! Cough! Cough! Cough! Hack!”

And he ended up getting drenched by the water that Professor Yura, who had choked, spat out.

While Professor Carlo made a tearful face, Professor Yura, who had barely calmed down, looked at Leo with shocked eyes.

‘Did this crazy bastard just tame a Phoenix?!’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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