“Chen Shia, right?”
“Yes, nice to meet you, Leo Plov. Just call me Shia.”
“You can call me informally as well.”
“Then, I’ll call you Master Leo.”
With a warm smile, Chen Shia engaged in a friendly conversation.
“I wasn’t aware of your talent for summoning magic. What’s your area of expertise, Master Leo?”
“Currently, I’m specializing in spirit magic.”
“I suppose we’ll be encountering each other frequently then.”
Chen Shia grinned and extended her hand.
Swoosh!
Tiny water droplets converged, giving rise to a lower-tier water spirit named Undine.
“Which spirit have you formed a contract with, Master Leo?”
“I haven’t formed one yet.”
Chen Shia nodded knowingly.
It was not uncommon for students pursuing minors to have a strong spiritual affinity without contracts. Chen Shia presumed that Leo fell into this category.
“If you ever need guidance on summoning spirits in the future, feel free to reach out to me. I’ll be happy to assist.”
Clearly, she enjoyed assisting others.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Ahem. And how old are you, Master Leo?”
“Fifteen.”
“Well, I’m older. I’m seventeen.”
“Seventeen?”
Leo looked at Chen Shia with a puzzled expression. The age range for admission to Lumeren was between 14 and 17, so there was nothing unusual about it. However, Chen Shia had a petite stature and a youthful appearance.
‘I would believe it if she claimed to be the same age as Chelsea. But two years older?’
“Master Leo, did you just think something impolite about me?”
Playfully, Leo responded to Chen Shia, who had wide eyes.
“No.”
“It seemed like you did.”
As Chen Shia maintained her curious gaze, the class began.
In contrast to the prior knight studies class, the summoning class had notably fewer students.
Nevertheless, despite some time passing, there was no sign of the professor.
“It seems like the professor should be here by now, but they haven’t arrived.”
As Chen Shia wore a puzzled expression, Leo glanced at the sky.
“They’re coming.”
In response to his words, Chen Shia also directed her gaze skyward.
A massive wyvern descended with powerful wingbeats.
Roar!
The wyvern touched down on the ground, flapping its wings.
“Wow! A black wyvern!”
“That’s a high-tier summon!”
The students cheered at the appearance of this rare summon.
A person descended from the black wyvern.
A female professor, appearing to be around 170cm tall, secured her gray hair in a loosely tied ponytail, exuding a hint of a wild aura. Her snug leather attire accentuated her shapely figure, and a leather whip hung at her waist.
“Greetings, first-year students! I’m Yura Marnin, and I’ll be your summoning instructor for the next year!”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Professor Yura!”
All the students chorused in response.
Professor Yura crossed her arms and nodded, her generous bosom subtly catching the attention of a few male students, who blushed.
“Where are the assistant professors and TAs?”
In response to Professor Yura’s call, someone who appeared to be an assistant professor hurriedly approached.
“P-Professor, everything’s ready.”
“Why were you so late, assistant professor?”
“You changed the class schedule on short notice!”
“Don’t complain! Haven’t I been unpredictable with my schedule for days now? You should always be prepared!”
“Ugh! That’s not fair!”
Assistant Professor Carlo looked on the verge of tears.
‘So commanding,’ thought Leo and the other students unanimously.
Could they truly learn effectively under such a professor? While some male students were busy admiring Professor Yura, their eyes glazed over.
“So, are the preparations complete?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, kiddos. I assume everyone here possesses summoning talent, correct?”
Professor Yura wore a grave expression.
“If there’s any audacious student here who has the talent but still chose summoning as a minor,”
Her eyes flashed with a hint of danger.
“Leave immediately.”
Despite her words, no one budged. It was unlikely that students who had passed the entrance exam would be deterred by this and leave the class.
“No takers, then? I’ll take that as everyone being prepared. Let’s move, everyone.”
Chen Shia raised her hand.
“Where are we going?”
“Over there.”
With a cunning grin, Professor Yura pointed in a specific direction.
Over yonder, teaching assistants led a group of griffins.
“It’s our practical training site.”
***
The students, riding the griffins in pairs, erupted in cheers.
Flying summons were a rarity. Summoning them was a challenging feat, so most students aspiring to study summoning had never had the chance to ride a griffin before.
“I’m thrilled I came to Lumeren!”
“I can soon form a contract with a summon like this, right?”
The students brimmed with aspirations.
“Hey! Swap now! I want a turn to control!”
“Ah! Just a little longer!”
After ten minutes, the first-year students began to argue over who would take the reins of the griffin.
“It’s quite enjoyable.”
Chen Shia, holding the griffin’s reins, expressed her excitement.
“Be cautious.”
“Huh?”
“Griffins can be challenging for beginners to handle.”
“But it’s so gentle and obedient?”
“That’s because it’s currently under the control of the professor.”
Leo, who was observing Professor Yura leading the way on a black wyvern, replied.
“Well, given the professor’s disposition, she probably won’t restrain the griffins for too long.”
Squawk!
“Whoa?”
Before Leo could finish his sentence, the griffin suddenly began to roar.
Not just the griffin ridden by Leo and Chen Shia, but all the griffins that had previously been obedient to the students were now going wild.
Chen Shia, alarmed, attempted to control the reins, but the griffin showed no signs of calming down.
“Ah! It won’t listen!”
“Why is it behaving this way all of a sudden?”
“Professor! Help~!”
The other students also started to panic.
Professor Yura, perched atop a black wyvern, chuckled.
“If you can’t even handle a griffin properly, can you call yourself a Lumeren student? Show me your control!”
“That, that! Kyaa-!”
Chen Shia’s grip on the reins was jolted by the griffin’s sudden movement, causing her to rise slightly from the saddle. However, true to her major in knight studies, she swiftly regained her balance.
With determination in her eyes, Chen Shia began to assert control over the unruly griffin.
Leo, using his right arm, encircled Chen Shia’s waist and pulled her closer.
“Uh? Master Leo? You’re quite bold… What are you—?”
“Griffins have strong pride. Attempting to overpower them with force only agitates them further.”
Leo gently manipulated the reins with his left hand.
The griffin, which had been vehemently resisting, hesitated at the familiar touch and gradually began to calm down.
‘This one’s well-trained and easy to handle.’
For someone well-versed in the art, there was no flying summon more manageable than this.
Observing this, Chen Shia gazed at Leo in amazement.
“Master Leo, have you worked with griffins before?”
“No. This is my first experience in this life.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Shia swiftly turned her head to scrutinize Leo’s face.
Leo returned her gaze with a ‘what did I say?’ expression.
“You seem sincere.”
Shifting her focus forward, Chen Shia tilted her head slightly.
“But how are you so adept at handling the griffin? Do you have some special secret?”
“I primarily learned from textbooks.”
“Hmm! You certainly have the knack for stirring things up, just like you did at the entrance ceremony.”
Chen Shia chuckled as if she were genuinely impressed.
Without making a fuss, Leo pulled Chen Shia closer to him.
“I’m going to pick up the pace a bit, so stay close.”
“Aren’t you being quite forward with an older lady?”
“An older lady? Oh, my apologies.”
“And you’re also being impudent.”
Chen Shia, her eyes wide, playfully pinched the back of Leo’s hand that was around her waist.
Realizing that Leo had no ulterior motives, she comfortably leaned against his chest.
Once they were prepared, Leo called out.
“Let’s go!”
As Leo tugged on the reins, the griffin let out a sharp cry and soared upward.
“Wow!”
Chen Shia exclaimed in amazement, noting the distinct difference in the griffin’s behavior compared to when she was in control.
“Hey there, kid?”
Professor Yura took notice as well.
“That student is incredibly skilled at managing the griffin. Who is that?”
“Well, that’s Leo Plov.”
“Leo Plov? The student representative? I heard he aspires to study knight studies.”
“That’s right. He even won a duel against the top student, Duran Moira, in a previous class.”
“He handles the griffin like that? Does he have a personal griffin?”
“No, he hails from a noble family in a small kingdom, but it’s not a household that owns a griffin.”
Carlo responded diligently, double-checking the student register.
“So… it’s about talent, isn’t it?”
Professor Yura’s eyes gleamed as she moistened her lips.
“He’s skilled enough to major in summoning rather than knight studies, isn’t he?”
“Professor, I understand your intentions, but the knight studies professors might not take kindly to it.”
“If they voice their concerns, what will they do? There are plenty of students with talent for knighthood but not for summoning. And at this moment, he hasn’t even selected a major yet, correct?”
Professor Yura provocatively grinned.
Watching this, Carlo felt uneasy.
‘Let’s hope nothing troublesome arises.’
The destination they reached while riding the griffins was a sizable island situated in Lumeria Lake.
Within the expansive lake, which could easily be mistaken for a sea, several such islands dotted the waterscape.
Hence, they were frequently utilized for practical training.
“This location is excellent.”
Chen Shia elegantly dismounted from the griffin.
As Leo descended, the griffin affectionately brushed its beak against his cheek.
While Leo extended a piece of fruit to feed the griffin, he momentarily halted.
He had spotted a large gray feather perched on a tree branch.
‘What’s this…?’
“Master Leo, is something the matter?”
“It’s nothing.”
Leo discreetly stowed the feather in his pocket.
Meanwhile, the other students also arrived on the island.
“Ugh!”
“It’s… exhausting.”
“I feel like I might throw up… Ugh!”
Most of the students appeared drained from the griffin ride.
Of course, there were exceptions, those who seemed unfazed.
An exemplary case was Warden Tyden, the top student from the southern entrance exam.
Additionally, a somewhat aloof female student appeared to be in excellent condition.
She busily manicured her nails and cast a disdainful glance at her fellow students.
Both of these students handled the griffin with the same finesse as Leo.
‘Warden, Eliza. These two are bound to be the stars of this year’s first-year summoning class!’
Yura’s eyes glittered as she observed the two students.
“Some students possess exceptional taming abilities. How long will you all stay down? Everyone, gather around!”
Professor Yura, who wore a contented smile, called out, and the students quickly assembled.
Surveying the lined-up students, Professor Yura chuckled.
“Today, we’ll have a practical examination!”
Cliche Novel 