The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student-Chapter 24: The All-Class Prodigy

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The Legendary Hero is an Academy Honor Student

[Original — Yerona]

[TL — MiT7]

[PR — Spades]

[QC — Lumi]

Chapter 24 — The All-Class Prodigy

——————

"Hahahahaha!"

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

Celia, clutching her stomach, hiccuped and wiped tears from her eyes.

"So? You solved one problem and ditched Magic Studies?"

"Done laughing?"

Leo, sulking, sipped his fruit juice.

"I told you Magic Studies classes are pointless," Celia said, lifting her teacup, calming her giggles.

"Zerdingers should focus on swordsmanship."

"I'm not a Zerdinger."

"If you're mastering Phoenix Breath, what else are you?"

Celia, incredulous, glanced at Leo and sipped her tea.

"Anyway, you're free until afternoon classes, right? Want to train with me?"

"How about some stamina training?"

"...!"

Celia paled.

Stamina training with anyone else was fine, but Leo's was torture.

Recalling a hellish week at the Flove estate, Celia forced a smile.

"I was thinking swordsmanship..."

"Not chickening out, are you?"

Leo grinned.

"What would Uncle Jis think if he heard you ran from stamina training?"

"Hey! You're getting revenge for my magic class teasing, you petty jerk!"

Celia shuddered at her cousin's wicked smile.

"Come on, let's train hard."

"No way. Let go."

As Celia flailed, Leo grabbed her collar, heading for the training grounds.

"Yo, Leo!"

Carl came running, panting.

"What's up? What about class?"

"Professor Ren's looking for you."

Celia's face lit up.

"The professor's calling, Leo. Go."

"Why's he looking for me?"

"You got first in the Magic Theory test."

"What?"

Leo and Celia looked stunned.

Gasping, Carl rushed on, "Class is a mess! The professor's furious that the top scorer ditched!"

---

When Carl brought Leo back to the Great Lecture Hall, the atmosphere was frigid.

Passing students glared at Leo as he entered.

'What's with the vibe?'

"Leo, where were you instead of attending class?" Assistant Professor Anna asked quietly.

Leo smiled awkwardly. "At the cafe."

"I said class starts right after the test. Why were you..."

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Sudden applause interrupted.

Ren approached, smiling.

"Leo! Your genius astounds me. Ignoring easy questions, solving only the hardest, then skipping class. Haha! My test must've seemed trivial to a genius. Especially a Knight Studies major!"

His smile was warm, but his eyes were lethal.

Knights and mages had long been rivals.

In the Rodren Empire, a leading human nation, politics split between knight factions led by Zerdinger and mage factions led by Lewallin.

Some Lumern students were extremists, believing their field superior.

A freshman representative, known for Knight Studies, taking a Magic Studies class, submitting a nearly blank test save for the hardest question, then skipping class, was ripe for misunderstanding.

Leo said quickly, "Professor, there's a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

"I thought I failed the test. I didn't know I got first."

Ren narrowed his eyes, studying Leo.

Among Lumern's younger professors, Ren wasn't someone a freshman could fool.

'He's not lying. But why didn't he solve the other questions?'

"I need to speak with Leo. Anna, take over."

"Yes, Professor."

Anna nodded and took the podium.

Ren led Leo to the preparation room behind the lecture hall.

"Why didn't you solve the other questions?"

"Well..."

Leo hesitated.

"Thought they were too easy to bother with?"

"No, it's just... uh..."

Rolling his eyes, Leo muttered, 'Ugh, embarrassing. A former archmage like me, stumped by problems teens can solve?'

But he couldn't lie.

This could mess up his school life.

Finally, Leo mumbled, "They were too hard."

"What?"

Solving the hardest question but finding others too difficult? What nonsense was this?

"I studied spell formulas on my own at home, but we only had ancient grimoires. So I learned old formulas. I didn't know modern ones were so complex. Like you said, I approached Magic Studies too casually and was too ashamed to stay."

Pausing, he asked, puzzled, "But what's this about me getting first? I only solved one question."

'So, he couldn't tackle combination questions because he didn't know activation formulas, gave up, and only solved the last one?'

It made sense.

Self-studying ancient grimoires could mean ignorance of activation formulas.

While trendy, activation formulas weren't historically deep.

'If he only studied formula analysis, it's plausible.'

Ren grabbed chalk and wrote a spell formula on the preparation room's blackboard.

"Solve this. If you do, I'll believe you. And I'll explain why you got first."

His anger subsided, replaced by curiosity.

Young mages were trend-sensitive.

Activation formulas were so ingrained, they were mainstream, not just a trend.

In that sense, Leo was behind the times.

But he had a strength rare among modern mages.

'Solid fundamentals. Magic's core is formula analysis.'

A tree with strong roots grows slowly but tall.

Ren suspected Leo was already building 'his own magical world.'

Formula analysis had one answer but many paths.

Ren was eager to see how this rare student approached formulas.

The solving process revealed a mage's philosophy.

'Let's see his analysis method.'

Eyes gleaming, Ren watched Leo's back as he faced the blackboard.

Leo silently studied the problem, then reached for the chalk.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Each chalk stroke sent shivers through Ren.

When Leo turned, Ren hadn't seen his process.

"Done."

Leo had solved the complex formula mentally.

---

'Why isn't he coming out?'

Anna glanced at the preparation room, puzzled.

A warning or dismissal should've been quick, but it was taking too long.

Ren was the most passionate magic professor at Lumern.

Not widely famous, but a genius in magical academia.

Anna had applied to be his assistant after admiring his papers.

'Though his image shattered after I joined.'

Normally refined, Ren went wild when magic was involved.

Bang!

As if proving her worries, the preparation room door burst open.

Students jumped.

Seeing Ren's face, Anna sighed, looking at the ceiling.

'His mania's acting up. Please, not in front of freshmen.'

Thankfully, Ren stormed out of the lecture hall.

Leo emerged slowly from the preparation room.

"What did the professor say, Leo?" Anna asked.

"To attend class."

"Alright, take your seat. We'll resume."

Anna grabbed chalk, unfazed.

Students' faces grew odd.

A professor bolting mid-class, an assistant unbothered by it—something was off.

Unlike them, Leo reacted calmly.

He didn't know why Ren acted this way, but, 'Mages acting crazy isn't new.'

Leo understood mages better than anyone.

---

Bang!

The Magic Studies faculty office door flew open.

Professors looked up.

Seeing Ren, they returned to work, unfazed.

"Senior!"

Professor Albi turned, expressionless.

"Thank you, Senior! You've given me an incredible gift!"

Albi grabbed the charging junior's face and tossed him aside like trash.

He left the office without hesitation.

He knew dealing with Ren was exhausting.

Ren, sprawled on the floor, sprang up and chased Albi.

"Why's he like that today?"

"Leave him. It's not new."

Other professors reacted calmly.

"Senior! I'll treat you soon!"

"I'd like to know why you're making a fuss."

Albi asked the suddenly grateful junior.

Ren grinned. "Leo Flove, the freshman representative you recommended."

"What about him?"

"He's a magical genius."

"...He's in Knight Studies."

"No, he belongs in Magic Studies."

Ren spread his arms.

"A magical genius in Knight Studies? No way. That kid's not meant to swing metal. Sending him to Knight Studies insults magic, Senior."

Ren passionately recounted the class events.

Hearing it, Albi looked astonished.

"Senior! Leo self-taught fifth-year-level formula analysis! If that's not genius, what is?"

"What do you want from me?"

Ren smiled meaningfully at the blunt question.

"Help ensure Leo chooses Magic Studies."

"Major choice is the student's freedom. With that talent, he'll pick Magic Studies without me saying."

"True."

Ren nodded, convinced.

"Not choosing magic with that talent would make him a weirdo."

"Not your place to say."

---

Time flew since the freshmen arrived.

The trial class period reached its final day.

After school, students sat in their classrooms.

They'd now choose majors and start full classes.

Unbeknownst to them, homeroom teachers were already assigned.

A TA, who'd managed students during trial classes, began explaining.

"We'll now start major selection and course registration. As explained, first-year first-semester has no elective liberal arts. All required courses fill your schedule."

Combat, Hero Studies, and essentials like language, math, history, etiquette, and ethics.

Seven subjects were taken with classmates, with a fixed schedule.

Major classes were registered between them.

Class 5 students quickly filled out major forms and schedules.

The TA, at the podium, meticulously checked submitted forms.

Holding the last form, the TA paused.

"Leo?"

"Yes, TA."

"You wrote your major wrong. You listed three."

The TA smiled kindly, returning the form.

Leo handed it back. "No, I filled it out correctly."

"Huh?"

"I'm taking all three majors."

Classmates' eyes locked onto Leo.

Leo said calmly, "I'm an all-class student."

——————

Translator's Note(T/N): The original text's "조교" (jogyo), which commonly means a Academic or Teaching Assistant in Korean Academic Settings. I used "TA" as a concise.