Chapter 427

Book 1 Chapter 427

427.

The land belonging to the Plov family was a tranquil countryside property.

The estate featured sprawling vineyards dedicated to growing top-tier grapes.

The vintage crafted from these harvests enjoyed immense popularity across the entire realm.

“Wow, this wine cellar is truly spectacular!”

Karl burst out in genuine wonderment as he inspected the wine storage inside the main residence of the Plov family.

“Right? I was getting incredibly restless while waiting, so finding such a fine selection of wine is a massive relief, don’t you think?”

Karl shifted his gaze toward a voice echoing from the depths of one of the cellar rows.

Upon spotting the magic user standing there, his jaw dropped in astonishment.

“Senior Torua?”

“Greetings, Karl Thomas. Ju-en mentioned that she is deeply indebted to you.”

Torua, a prominent figure from the Southern Magic Tower, displayed a warm and welcoming attitude toward Karl, recognizing him as the instructor of Ju-en, who happened to be the daughter of the Magic Tower Lord.

“I merely fulfilled my basic responsibilities as a guide, nothing more.”

“What are you getting so worked up for?”

“Come on, Leo. That’s Senior Torua. The actual Senior Torua.”

Karl hissed in an urgent, enthusiastic whisper responding to Leo’s deadpan remark.

“The ultimate idol who literally fought for the absolute top spot in popularity alongside Senior Elena within the Magic Department up until last year!”

“And that matters because?”

“Senior Elena possessed such an intimidating aura that practically no one dared to get close to her, but Senior Torua was exceptionally gracious to all the lower-year students. Back in our first year, it was nearly impossible to even hold a proper conversation with her, so crossing paths like this after her graduation is incredible.”

Torua had occupied a social tier far above ordinary freshmen, having served as the vice president of the student council and ranking among the five most powerful students across all of Lumen.

This was especially true for Karl, who constantly found himself tracking at the very tail end of his class rankings.

Leo simply rolled his eyes, observing his companion who was currently overwhelmed with deep emotion.

Offering a subtle smirk at Karl, Torua set her vintage glass aside and walked over to where the two boys stood.

“You are truly a wonderful junior who shows proper deference to your upperclassmen from the department. Look at him, Leo. You should take notes from your buddy here. What is the deal with that completely detached demeanor toward a senior from your own department?”

“I am not enrolled in the Magic Department.”

“Ah, that’s right, you must be completely swamped with student council responsibilities. At any rate, I am thrilled that the student council president for this term was chosen from the Magic Department.”

Leo opted to simply let the matter slide without arguing.

He was fully aware that attempting to use logic with Torua was a completely futile endeavor.

“Karl Thomas. I truly want to give you a proper reward for taking such good care of Ju-en.”

Torua reached out with both of her hands, clasping Karl’s palms tightly while flashing a radiant grin.

Karl grew visibly flustered under the intense, sophisticated gaze of the mature woman.

“There is absolutely no need for that.”

“Nonsense. I insist on paying you back. Since you possess a talent for alchemy magic, what do you say we collaborate on a few experimental elixirs?”

“It would be an absolute privilege to study under your guidance, Senior Torua!”

“Perfect, Karl. Tell me, what do you consider to be the most foundational attribute of any practitioner of magic?”

“An innate sense of inquiry?”

“Spot on, brilliant. Moving forward, what is the primary action taken to satisfy that very inquiry?”

“…Conducting an experiment?”

“Phenomenal, truly phenomenal.”

Torua began clapping her hands together in delight.

Karl rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly at the overwhelming praise.

Torua, whose cheeks were slightly flushed as she observed him, seemed to possess a strangely youthful enthusiasm despite being his elder.

“So, what component carries the ultimate importance within that experiment?”

“Thorough research, I would assume.”

“Incorrect, it is the live test subject.”

The absolute instant that response left her mouth, Karl’s internal alarms went off, sensing immediate danger.

“Karl, you came into possession of the legendary alchemy journals of Master Dweno, correct? Did any of those formulas detail an elixir that carried severe risks or unpredictable outcomes, thus requiring a live test subject to verify?”

“There were no such formulas.”

“Oh, you are definitely fabrications.”

Torua, who had fixed her mind on her own narrative from the very beginning, beamed a radiant smile directly at him.

Without wasting a single second, Karl turned on his heel to sprint away.

Yet, he was instantly pinned down by Torua’s swift reflexes.

“Le-Leo! Please help me!”

“Ahahaha! There is no escaping me.”

Torua, firmly locking down the youth who was currently shrieking with a completely bloodless face, let out a cackling laugh reminiscent of a mythical witch.

Leo cast a glance of deep sympathy toward his cornered companion and chimed in.

“It won’t actually kill you.”

“Leo speaks the absolute truth. Do you honestly think I would murder an underclassman? Granted, the agony might be intense enough to make you wish you were dead.”

“I am completely against that option as well?!”

Abandoning Karl to his terror-filled wails, Leo calmly stepped out of the wine storage area.

If Karl hadn’t taken the fall, that relentless curiosity would undoubtedly have been directed at him instead.

Leo understood far too well that a magic user completely consumed by the flames of research was the most exhausting type of person to deal with on the planet.

‘Hey Kyle, let’s run a quick magic test together.’

Leo gave his head a firm shake as the memory of Luna surfaced, recalling how she would beam at him while gripping an assortment of bizarre laboratory implements.

A short while later.

Karl, who had somehow managed to claw his way out of Torua’s clutches, emerged from the cellar panting and demanded answers.

“Why in the world is Senior Torua even staying at this house?”

“From what I gather, she was brought on board to serve as an official instructor for this specific training camp.”

“Senior Torua is an instructor?”

“Precisely. And she isn’t the only one; Brother Reis, Senior Ulta, and Senior Jamua are slated to arrive as well.”

Karl’s jaw completely dropped to the floor when he realized that the previous year’s graduating class was showing up to teach them.

“Don’t tell me that elite graduates from the rival hero academies are making an appearance too?”

“That seems highly probable, doesn’t it?”

“This event is going to descend into absolute madness.”

Karl could only shake his head in utter disbelief.

It wasn’t just the legends from Lumen; the top graduates from Seirun, Azonia, and Demian from last term were renowned hero candidates who had been achieving massive feats across the land ever since they left school.

To think all of those titans would be gathered in one place.

“I have a feeling this is going to turn into a massive proxy war between the rival institutions all over again.”

Leo, who had subtly orchestrated this entire training camp setup behind the scenes by utilizing Melina, let out a silent laugh to himself.

‘In fact, that competitive spark is the exact reason I summoned them here.’

As darkness fell that evening.

A second arrival pulled up to the grand estate belonging to the Plov family.

“Hmph, this place is nothing but a backwater farmhouse.”

Eliza, halting right outside the primary entrance of the residence, let out a condescending sniff before rapping her knuckles against the wood.

Moments later, the heavy door swung inward to reveal Reina standing on the other side.

“Oh my goodness? What a remarkably lovely young woman we have here.”

“Good evening, I am Eliza Hergen.”

Eliza immediately adopted an impeccable posture and tone out of respect for Reina, who had welcomed her with genuine warmth.

Her etiquette was absolutely flawless because she was well aware that Reina was an esteemed upperclassman who had completed her studies at Lumen many years prior.

“Ah, the pieces are coming together now. You are an elite student from the Summoning Department, correct? Please, come inside.”

Reina, maintaining her hospitable demeanor, ushered Eliza into the interior of the mansion.

Stepping past the grand entryway and guiding her toward the parlor, they found Leo and Karl lounging inside.

“Hey there, Eliza.”

“Hmph, I see you managed to beat me here. Karl Thomas.”

When Karl offered a friendly greeting, Eliza merely responded with a sharp scoff.

“You arrived incredibly early. Weren’t we all supposed to convene by tomorrow morning at the earliest?”

“I absolutely loathe packed crowds. Frankly, I am not overjoyed about spending my time around you either… but I figured Karl Thomas would likely show up ahead of schedule.”

Eliza, delivering her words in her characteristically biting and haughty tone, nodded toward Reina.

“I appreciate you guiding me inside, Lady Reina Plov.”

“The journey must have taken a significant toll on you, so please make yourself entirely at home.”

Given that the territory controlled by the Plov family lacked a dedicated transportation warp gate, travelers were forced to endure long, grueling treks from the neighboring regions.

“I am deeply grateful for your immense hospitality.”

Exhibiting the perfect poise expected of the sole heir to a legendary hero bloodline that dominated the northern territories of the continent, Eliza executed a flawless, graceful bow.

Following that, she glided over to the parlor couch and claimed a spot right beside Karl.

Observing the interaction, Reina pressed a hand to her lips to stifle a soft giggle.

Eliza began meticulously inspecting her fingers and barked out a single word.

“Tea.”

When Karl simply blinked at her without moving, Eliza clarified with an irritated look.

“Did I not secure your personal assistance services for the upcoming school term on a provisional basis?”

“Right, but that agreement holds absolutely zero weight while we are officially on seasonal vacation.”

“Hmph.”

Eliza slipped her fingers into her vest pocket and extracted a crisp, white slip of paper, holding it firmly between her two fingers.

“It is my absolute honor to cater to your every whim, my lady.”

Karl, snatching the banking check with lightning speed, dashed out of the room to fulfill the order.

“Leo Plov, seeing as this entire gathering is taking place on your family’s personal grounds, I assume you have already coordinated the finer details with the Dragon Lord?”

Eliza questioned, pulling out a tool to smooth down her nails.

“What exactly is the itinerary for this camp?”

“The core objective of this assembly is to help each participant bridge the gap toward their personal goals. Focusing on you, Eliza, your ultimate benchmark was to successfully forge a pact with a Pegasus, was it not?”

“Hmph, you speak of securing a bond with a Pegasus as if it were a trivial task, simply because you managed to pull off your own feat.”

“But aren’t all the baseline requirements for the ritual completely settled on your end?”

Leo allowed a small, knowing smirk to play on his lips.

“The physical catalyst and the chosen contractor are perfectly aligned, are they not?”

The legendary Hergen family had maintained a sacred lineage of bonding with the three great mythical beasts across countless generations.

Within the current era, Eliza held the perfect compatibility to serve as the designated contractor for a celestial Pegasus.

Just as Leo pointed out, the moment she was officially recognized as the next head of the house, both the specific Pegasus designated for the bond and the necessary catalyst had been fully secured.

“So really, isn’t the final hurdle simply waiting on your own personal readiness?”

“Why you…”

Eliza’s expression flared with intense annoyance as she glared at Leo, who was blatantly provoking her pride.

“Hold on, Young Master Leo. Lady Eliza operates on a rather straightforward frequency, so pushing her buttons like that will only cause her to act completely rashly without thinking.”

“Eeek?!”

Eliza let out a sharp, startled squeal as an unexpected voice resonated directly into her ear.

Without anyone noticing, Chen Xia had manifested right on the cushion beside Eliza, beaming a radiant smile.

“Xia! Seriously, how many times do I have to demand that you stop scaring the life out of me by materializing out of thin air!”

Chen Xia rested her palm against her own cheek, gazing softly at Eliza who was currently shouting in a high-pitched panic with her brows furrowed tight.

“But the expression Lady Eliza makes when she is startled is honestly the most endearing thing.”

“Kindly refrain from finding me endearing.”

Eliza looked visibly flustered beneath Chen Xia’s intensely fixed gaze, which carried a subtly playful, almost teasing edge.

“Is everything all right in here?”

Drawn by the sound of Eliza’s sudden shriek, Reina stepped back into the central parlor.

Chen Xia immediately rose to her feet, bringing her right hand over her left fist to execute a traditional, formal salute of the eastern regions before speaking.

“Greetings, Lady Reina. I go by Chen Xia. We have crossed paths once before, if you recall?”

“But of course I remember you. I have actually heard quite a lot of stories regarding your exploits since our last meeting.”

“Did Young Master Leo happen to speak about me frequently?”

Chen Xia inquired, her eyes widening with genuine curiosity, causing Reina to gently sway her head side to side.

“No, it was actually Karl who filled me in on all the details.”

Karl, who had already returned to the room bearing a tray of exquisite treats, flashed a triumphant victory sign directly at Chen Xia.

While Karl carefully set down the refreshments in front of Eliza, Reina decided to press further.

“So, Lady Xia, what is the exact nature of your bond with my son?”

“I dedicate myself entirely to serving Young Master Leo, body and soul.”

“Pffft! Cough, cough!“

Eliza, who had just taken a delicate sip of her hot beverage, instantly sprayed it across the room in a fit of coughing.

“You what! A fellow student saying that?!”

As Eliza’s face flushed a deep crimson while she struggled to catch her breath, Karl let out a mischievous snicker from his spot and chimed in.

“Leo is literally the savior who rescued Xia, you know. What kind of scandalous scenario are you cooking up in that head… oof!”

Eliza slammed her fist directly into Karl’s ribs, cutting him off.

Reina, processing the statement provided by Chen Xia, raised her right hand to her face, adopting a slightly conflicted and contemplative expression.

“My son, first you had Celia operating as your personal servant, and now you have an older girl throwing her entire existence into serving you body and soul. Your mother is starting to get a little bit concerned about your specific preferences in women.”

“What on earth does a servant have to do with this?”

Karl, who was currently groaning while clutching his bruised side, snapped his eyes open in shock.

Leo could only let out a heavy, exhausted sigh at Reina’s commentary.

“Celia only agreed to act as a maid for a limited period because she lost a formal wager to me, and Xia insists on behaving this way completely of her own volition, no matter how many times I tell her to cut it out. How does any of that reflect on my personal preferences?”

“What is this about Lady Celia?”

“What exactly did Celia Jerdinger do?”

Both Chen Xia and Eliza demanded clarification simultaneously, reacting to Leo’s explanation.

“During the previous school term, Celia actually worked as Leo’s personal maid for a brief stint. She was absolutely precious. I even captured several photographs of her in the outfit, would you girls care to take a look?”

“Absolutely! I am certain she looked incredibly darling.”

As Chen Xia responded with a brilliant, eager grin, Reina turned on her heel to fetch the picture albums.

Eliza also cast a subtle, highly intrigued glance in Reina’s direction, clearly dying to see the proof.

Watching the scene unfold, Leo muttered under his breath.

“Our peers truly share a remarkably tight-knit bond.”

“Beg pardon?”

“They never miss a single opportunity to dig up dirt just to torment one another.”

“And you consider that a sign of being tight-knit?”

Karl, still massaging his aching torso, shot him a completely exasperated look.

“Without a doubt.”

‘Tomorrow is going to be an absolute disaster area.’

Karl could only shake his head in mental exhaustion, already visualizing Celia, who would undoubtedly be glaring daggers and screaming at the top of her lungs the moment she arrived.