Legendary Hero is an Academy Honors Student - Chapter 23

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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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23

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Laughter echoed through the cafe terrace in the Hall of Beginnings.

Selia, who had been clutching her stomach while laughing, hiccupped and convulsed before wiping the tears from her eyes.

“So? You barely solved one problem and left the magic class?”

“Are you done laughing?”

Leo wore a sullen expression as he drank his fruit juice.

“That’s what I told you, didn’t I? I said there was no point in attending magic major classes.”

Selia, having calmed her laughter, lifted her teacup and spoke.

“If you’re from Jerdinger, you should devote yourself to swordsmanship.”

“But I’m not from Jerdinger.”

“If someone learning Phoenix Breath isn’t from Jerdinger, then what are you?”

Selia looked at Leo with an incredulous expression and sipped her tea.

“Anyway, you’re free until afternoon classes, right? Want to train with me?”

“Then shall we do some physical conditioning?”

“…!”

Selia’s face turned pale.

Anyone else would be fine, but Leo’s physical conditioning was close to torture.

Remembering the hellish week at the Flobe Family, Selia smiled awkwardly.

“I’ll do sword training…”

“You’re not going to run away, are you?”

Leo grinned.

“How disappointed would Uncle Jis be if he heard you ran away because you were scared of physical conditioning?”

“Hey! Are you getting revenge like this for teasing me about going to magic class, you petty bastard!”

Selia shuddered as she looked at her cousin’s wicked smile.

“Come on, let’s train hard.”

“No. Let go of this.”

Just as Selia was struggling in terror while Leo grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and headed to the training ground.

“Hey! Leo!”

Cal came running frantically.

“What’s wrong? What about class?”

“Professor Ren is looking for you.”

Selia’s face brightened.

“The professor is looking for you, Leo. Go quickly.”

“Why is he looking for me?”

“You got first place on the magic theory exam.”

“What?”

Both Leo and Selia looked surprised.

Cal, breathing heavily, continued urgently.

“The class is in chaos right now! The professor is furious that the first place student didn’t come to class!”

***

When Cal brought Leo back to the large lecture hall, the atmosphere in the classroom was cold.

The gazes of students who had passed the exam fixed on Leo as he entered through the classroom door.

Leo momentarily looked flustered at those stares.

‘Why is the atmosphere like this?’

“Student Leo, where exactly did you go instead of attending class?”

When Anna, Professor Ren’s associate professor, asked quietly, Leo replied with an awkward smile.

“I was at the cafe.”

“I said class would start immediately after the exam ended, didn’t I? Why were you at the cafe…”

Clap- Clap- Clap- Clap-

Just then, sudden applause was heard.

Professor Ren approached with a smile.

“Student Leo! I’m truly amazed by your genius. To not touch any of the easy problems at all, pick only the most difficult problem to solve, then leave class. Hahaha! Well, I suppose my exam might have seemed trivial to a genius. Being a Knight Department major makes it even more understandable!”

His face was smiling, but his eyes were utterly menacing.

Knights and mages had formed a competitive relationship since long ago.

Just looking at the Rodren Empire, one of the strongest nations among human countries, politics was divided into knight and mage factions led by Jerdinger and Rwallin respectively.

Even among Lumern students, there were extremists who considered their field the best.

Therefore, it was enough to create misunderstanding when the freshman representative known to be aiming for the Knight Department came to a magic major class and submitted a blank paper except for one most difficult problem.

Moreover, Leo hadn’t returned to class after leaving.

Leo said urgently.

“Professor, I think there’s some misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“I thought I had failed the exam. I didn’t even know I got first place.”

At those words, Professor Ren furrowed his brow and stared intently at Leo’s face.

Although Professor Ren was among the youngest of Lumern’s professors, he wasn’t naive enough to be fooled by a freshman who had just enrolled.

‘It doesn’t seem like a lie. But why didn’t he solve the other problems?’

“I need to have a brief interview with Student Leo. Associate Professor Anna, please take over the class for me.”

“Understood, Professor.”

Professor Anna bowed her head and stood at the podium.

Professor Ren took Leo to the classroom preparation room at the back of the lecture hall.

“Why didn’t you solve the other exam problems?”

“Well…”

Leo hesitated.

“Did you think the problems were too easy and not worth solving?”

“That’s not it… well…”

Leo rolled his eyes around and muttered to himself.

‘Ah, this is embarrassing. Do I have to say with my own mouth that I, who was at the level of an archmage in my previous life, couldn’t solve what even teenagers can solve?’

But he couldn’t lie.

If this continued, his school life might get twisted.

Finally, Leo answered in a crawling voice.

“The problems were too difficult for me to solve?”

“What?”

He solved the most difficult problem but couldn’t solve the others because they were too hard? What kind of nonsensical statement was this?

“I studied magic formulas through self-study at home, but there were only very old grimoires in the house. So I only studied ancient formulas. I didn’t know modern magic formulas were so complex. As the professor said, I think I attended the magic major with too complacent an attitude, so I was too embarrassed to come to class.”

After saying that, he asked with a puzzled expression.

“But what do you mean I got first place? I barely solved just one problem.”

‘So, he didn’t know the structure of activation formulas and couldn’t touch the synthesis problems… In the end, he gave up while solving and only solved the last problem?’

Hearing the explanation, it made some sense.

Certainly, if he self-studied with old grimoires, he might not know activation formulas.

Although activation formulas are the latest trend, they’re not formulas with deep history.

‘If he only studied formula interpretation, it’s not an impossible story.’

Professor Ren picked up chalk and wrote a magic formula on the simple blackboard in the preparation room.

“Try solving this. Then I’ll believe Student Leo’s words. And I’ll also teach you why Student Leo got first place.”

As his anger subsided, interest arose.

The younger generation is sensitive to trends.

Activation formulas have already taken deep root among young mages, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they’ve become mainstream rather than just a trend.

In that sense, Leo could be said to be behind the times.

But he had strengths that couldn’t be found in today’s generation of mages.

‘That’s solid fundamentals. The foundation of magic is ultimately formula interpretation ability.’

A tree with strong roots may grow slowly but eventually grows large.

Professor Ren expected that Leo was already building his ‘own magical world.’

Formula interpretation has one correct answer, but there are multiple paths to reach that answer.

He became strongly interested in what kind of thinking this rare type of student from the current generation would use to solve formulas.

By observing the formula-solving process, one could also understand that mage’s magical philosophy.

‘Let me see what kind of interpretation method he has.’

His eyes gleamed as he watched Leo’s back standing in front of the blackboard.

Leo silently looked at the problem Professor Ren had given and reached for the blackboard.

Tap-! Clack! Clack!

With each sound of chalk, Professor Ren couldn’t help but shudder.

Leo, who had finished writing the answer, turned his head.

Professor Ren couldn’t see Leo’s solving method.

“I’m done solving it.”

Because Leo had solved the complex magical formula through mental calculation.

***

‘Why isn’t this man coming out?’

Associate Professor Anna looked toward the lecture preparation room with a puzzled expression.

Either a warning or dismissal from class.

She expected either result to be concluded quickly, but it was taking longer than expected.

Among Lumern’s magic professors, Professor Ren was the most passionate about magic.

Though not famous publicly, he was a man praised as a genius in the magical academic world.

Anna also came to respect him after reading his magical papers and applied to be his associate professor.

‘Though his image was shattered after I became associate professor.’

Usually a dignified gentleman, he would display all sorts of eccentric behavior when it came to magic.

Bang-!

And as if responding to Anna’s concerns, the lecture preparation room door opened roughly.

The students were startled.

Associate Professor Anna looked up at the ceiling in dismay after confirming Professor Ren’s face.

‘His seizure disorder is acting up again. I hope he doesn’t make a scene in front of the new students.’

But fortunately, Professor Ren immediately left the lecture hall.

Leo slowly came out of the lecture preparation room.

“What did the professor say, student Leo?”

“He told me to attend class.”

“Yes, please take your seat. I’ll resume the lesson.”

Associate Professor Anna picked up the chalk without any concern.

The students’ faces became strange.

Both the professor who suddenly ran out of the lecture hall on the first day and the associate professor who didn’t care about such a professor at all.

Something was odd.

Unlike those students, Leo reacted calmly.

Of course, Leo couldn’t understand why Professor Ren was acting that way either.

‘But when haven’t mages acted crazy?’

Leo understood the creature called ‘mage’ better than anyone.

***

Bang-!

The Magic Department Office door opened roughly.

The professors who were working looked up.

After confirming Professor Ren’s face, they showed expressions of ‘here we go again’ and focused back on their work.

“Senior!”

Professor Albi turned his head with an expressionless face.

“Thank you! Senior! You’ve given me an incredible gift!”

Professor Albi grabbed his rushing junior’s face and pushed him aside like disposing of trash.

Then he left the office without hesitation.

Because he knew getting involved with Professor Ren would only be troublesome.

Professor Ren, who had fallen to the floor, jumped up and followed Professor Albi out.

“Why is he acting like that today?”

“Leave him be, it’s not just today.”

The fellow professors also reacted calmly.

“Senior! I’ll treat you to a meal soon.”

“I’d like to hear the reason for this fuss.”

When Professor Albi asked his junior who was suddenly expressing gratitude, Professor Ren grinned.

“Leo Flobe, whom you recommended as class representative.”

“What about that kid?”

“Student Leo is a magical genius.”

“…? That kid is from the Knight Department though?”

“No. Student Leo should come to the Magic Studies Department.”

Professor Ren spread both arms.

“Such a magical genius in the Knight Department? Oh. Oh. There’s no joke like that. That child isn’t meant to be swinging around metal. Sending such a student to major in knight studies is blasphemy against magic, senior.”

Professor Ren then explained what happened during the first class, spitting as he spoke.

After hearing the entire story, Professor Albi also showed a surprised expression.

“Senior! That student Leo learned 5th-year level formula interpretation ability through self-study! If this isn’t genius, then what is?”

“What do you want from me?”

At the direct question, Professor Ren smiled meaningfully.

“Please use your influence so that student Leo will definitely choose the Magic Studies Department.”

“Department selection is the student’s freedom, and if he’s that talented, he’ll choose the Magic Studies Department without me saying anything.”

“That’s true.”

Professor Ren showed an understanding expression.

“If someone with such talent doesn’t choose magic, then he’d be an oddball.”

“That doesn’t seem like something you should say.”

***

Time flew by after the new students enrolled.

Before they knew it, it was the last day of temporary classes.

After school.

Students sat in their respective classrooms.

Now students would choose their majors and begin classes in earnest.

Though the students didn’t know it, homeroom teachers had already been assigned by class.

The assistant who was in charge of student supervision during the temporary class period began explaining.

“We’ll now begin major selection and course registration. As I’ve already explained, there are no elective liberal arts classes for 1st-year 1st semester. Your schedule will be filled entirely with required subjects.”

From classes necessary as heroes like Combat and Hero Studies to Language, Mathematics, History, Etiquette, and Ethics.

There were seven subjects that classmates would take together, and the schedule was fixed.

They had to apply for major classes in between those.

Class 5 students quickly filled out their department application forms and course registration schedules.

The assistant stood at the podium and carefully checked the documents students brought.

Then, after receiving the last document, he paused for a moment.

“Student Leo?”

“Yes, assistant teacher.”

“You wrote your major incorrectly. You wrote three majors.”

The assistant smiled kindly and returned the document.

Leo handed the document back to the assistant and said.

“No, I applied correctly.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m going to take all three majors.”

In an instant, the classmates’ gazes focused on Leo.

Leo spoke calmly.

“I’m taking all the classes.”

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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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