The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student-Chapter 38: Race Against Rivals

KakaoPage Originals

The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

[Original — Yerona]

[TL — MiT7]

[PR — Spades]

[QC — Lumi]

Chapter 38 — Race Against Rivals

——————

"Greetings, everyone! It's here—the biggest event of the first-year first semester! Welcome to the Beast Race! I'm your commentator, third-year Summoning Studies student, Runba Tess!"

Cheers erupted.

Students packed the summoning training grounds, roaring with excitement.

Celia looked uneasy. "Is this really an exam?"

The Knight Studies duels had spectators, but the Summoning Studies practical was on another level.

A commentator, proper bleachers, and even visual magic screens for optimal viewing were set up.

Lis, sitting beside Celia, chuckled. "The beast race is a Summoning Studies tradition, so it's a big deal. Plus, it's used in inter-hero academy competitions, so it draws a lot of attention."

"President! I'm from the newspaper club! Is the first-year beside you your sister, Celia Zerdinger?" a male student asked, approaching with a magical recording device, notebook, and pen.

"That's right," Lis said.

"Can we interview you both?" the student asked eagerly.

"Popcorn! Cold drinks!" a voice shouted.

"Place your bets! Who'll take first? Here's the current odds!" another called.

Merchant club students were selling snacks and running betting pools.

'What kind of exam is this?' first-years thought, screaming internally.

The carnival-like atmosphere clashed with the solemn exam mood they'd expected.

The ones suffering most were the first-year Summoning Studies students.

"Why are they so loud? I can't focus!" Tade yelled, clutching his head.

Other first-years nodded, exasperated.

Already nervous, they were thrown off by the school-wide party vibe, feeling extra pressure.

Some, however, stayed calm.

Notably, Summoning Studies aces Eliza and Woreden.

"To think me, a Helgin heiress, as mere entertainment. Displeasing," Eliza said, frowning.

Her followers nodded.

Woreden stood expressionless, as always.

Eliza glanced at him, then at Leo, stretching nearby.

Bending and extending his knees, Leo warmed up. freēwēbnovel.com

Eliza smirked. "You shone in the Knight Studies exam. Are you as prepared for Summoning Studies?"

"Of course," Leo said.

"As expected of the year rep. Overflowing confidence," Eliza said, narrowing her eyes. "But I never saw you at race practice. Do you think this exam's a joke?"

In the beast race, students typically rode contracted beasts.

Many first-years hadn't contracted flying beasts yet, so Lumern provided them.

Taming these beasts quickly was key.

The department offered training time, but Leo never attended.

"Hey, Eliza, why so harsh?" Tade said, frowning at her barbed words.

But others' glares at Leo were unkind.

"He's half-assing it, honestly," one muttered.

"He's big in Knight and Magic Studies, but in Summoning, he's just got spirit power. Never seen him contract a spirit or beast," another said.

"Thinks Summoning's a joke?" a third asked.

"He should drop out if he's not serious," a fourth added.

With fewer students, Summoning Studies had strong departmental pride.

Leo's absence from practice and bold confidence sparked resentment.

Leo, with past-life experience in beast battles, including aerial combat, was unaware of their misconceptions.

"That's too much," Tade said.

"What, defending him because he's your class rep?" another student sneered.

The mood soured.

"Not great," Chen Xia said, stepping in. "I get everyone's tense before the exam, but slandering—"

"Chen Xia, your Knight Studies scores are great, so you don't need to care about Summoning, huh?" a female student jabbed.

As she became the target, Class 10 bristled.

Summoning students glared, the atmosphere turning hostile.

Leo clicked his tongue.

"Enough," a low, heavy voice said.

All eyes turned.

Woreden, arms crossed and eyes closed, opened his tawny eyes.

"If you're splitting sides over who's ridden a beast more, bark somewhere else, not in front of me," he said.

"What'd you say, Woreden?" a student snapped.

"I said it's annoying to hear you brag about riding beasts like it's a big deal," Woreden said, face blank.

Sen Liu, a male student from the eastern continent, fumed. "Feeling guilty? You barely showed up to taming practice either."

Woreden smirked. "What's that smirk?"

"Want to know why I skipped practice?" Woreden asked.

"Why?" Liu asked.

"No point. I'm not a halfwit struggling with a griffon like you lot," Woreden said.

Sparks flew from Liu and others' eyes.

"You!" Liu swung at Woreden.

Grab!

Leo caught Liu's fist just before it hit. "Fighting before the exam won't end with a slap on the wrist."

"Shut it!" Liu shook off Leo's hand and stormed back to the Summoning students.

Sighing, Leo turned to Woreden. "How about choosing your words better?"

"Is stating facts a problem?" Woreden asked.

"No idea how great you are, but you don't get to mock others' efforts, Woreden Tyden," Leo said, looking up at the taller boy.

Woreden gave a cold smile and walked off.

"Rougher vibe than I thought," Leo said.

He'd diligently attended Summoning classes but hadn't realized the department's tensions.

Tade sighed. "You're in multiple majors, so you wouldn't know, but our year's Summoning department is in a bad spot."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"The top ranks are you, Chen Xia, Woreden, and Eliza, right?" Tade said.

"Yeah," Leo said.

"Summoning usually has a huge gap between main and sub-majors, but with you and Chen Xia in the top, second-year Summoning seniors called us out," Tade said.

"For that? Total old-timers," Leo said.

"Right? And Woreden straight-up ignored their summons," Tade said.

That enraged the second-years, who grilled the first-years harder.

"With that already souring things, you and Woreden skipping practice made it worse," Tade said.

"Fair enough," Leo said.

"Exactly. So cut them some slack," Tade said.

"Got it," Leo said, scanning the competitors.

Tension and subtle hostility radiated from them.

'Didn't expect this issue,' Leo thought.

His absence might've looked like slacking.

'Not that I'm half-assing it.'

His goal was first place.

***

"Ladies and gentlemen! The moment has arrived! All racers are at the starting line!" Runba announced.

First-years lined up.

Ahead, griffons waited in an enclosure.

At the start, students would tame a griffon and take off.

Summoning students prepped, faces tense.

"Rookies! No nerves! Do as you trained! If you choke, I'll kick your butts after!" Professor Yura shouted, raising a flare gun.

Laughter broke out, easing the tension.

"Here we go!" Yura said, lifting the flare.

"Three, two, one!"

Bang!

Boom!

Spirit magic barraged Leo and Woreden.

Caught off-guard, Leo froze.

"What's this? Summoning students, as if coordinated, are targeting year rep Leo and southern top-ranker Woreden!" Runba exclaimed.

Spectators buzzed at the unprecedented move.

Class 5 Summoning students looked shocked.

"What the hell!" one yelled.

"Cheap move, Summoning jerks!" another shouted.

"No shame?" a third asked.

"Race fair!" a fourth demanded.

"Booing from Class 5!" Runba noted.

Spectators went wild.

"Prez!" Tade called.

"Leo! Hold on, we'll help!" another said.

"Don't worry about me! Go!" Leo shouted.

As Class 5 hesitated to break the spirit magic, Leo urged, "This is an exam! I'll handle it! Don't fall behind! Move!"

"Ugh!" Tade grimaced.

"Sorry, Leo!" another said.

Class 5, frustrated, started late.

Mud from water magic trapped Leo's feet.

Fire and wind blocked his path.

Woreden, similarly targeted, flared his spirit power. "Pathetic."

Whoosh!

He dismantled the spirit magic effortlessly, a feat requiring overwhelming skill.

"Struggling? Need help?" Woreden asked, smirking.

"Nah, I got this," Leo said, chuckling.

"Suit yourself. I'm off," Woreden said, strolling toward the griffon enclosure.

Other students had tamed griffons and taken flight.

Leo, still at the start, summoned spirit power. "Knew I was disliked, but a group sabotage? Didn't see that coming."

Yura, watching, clicked her tongue. 'Tough spot.'

Outside an exam, Leo might break through.

But the race restricted them to summoning magic.

From Yura's observations, Leo's strength was beast summoning, not spirit magic.

Facing department-wide spirit magic sabotage, Leo seemed outmatched.

'The rift among first-years is deeper than I thought. Ganging up like this,' Yura thought.

Not a foul, but unsightly.

As a professor, she'd cared for her students, but apparently not enough.

Blaming herself, Yura resolved to address the students' tensions.

Then—

"—!" Leo's voice sent shivers through her.

A soft, melodic language—not human—flowed like a song.

"—! —!"

As the melody continued, the spirits' power weakened.

Whoosh!

The forces hindering Leo vanished.

Spirits, bound to their contractors, giggled, danced around Leo, and disappeared.

He'd influenced spirits contracted to others.

'That lunatic used Spirit Tongue? That's second-year spirit magic!' Yura thought, laughing in disbelief as Leo started late.

'What a gem! We've got to keep Leo in Summoning!'