Ch.66. Victory Banquet (1)

# Levrant Academy

The name of the core institution and talent development center of the Ardelion Principality, which teaches various forms of magic and technology based on the ideals of self-development and equality.

Where there are exceptional students, there are also those who fall behind. To facilitate optimized learning for individuals at different levels, a multi-tiered system was established, known as class divisions.

The purpose of these divisions was to provide different educational approaches according to certain standards, allowing students to climb the ladder step by step.

However, most of those in the lower tiers—and those who hide this fact—know all too well that this system isn’t functioning as intended.

Since the nobility took their positions, the division criteria have prioritized absolute indicators related to magical power.

Why would they prefer and forcibly teach long-range projection magic or elemental magic?

The reason is simple: these types of magic significantly raise magical indicators and directly translate to firepower.

The gap between classes was determined by meaningful differences in combat power, which explains why elemental mages and long-range mages have become so deeply entrenched.

But then, an anomaly occurred.

Silvia from Class C was defeated and lost consciousness while facing Junon from Class E.

This completely overturned the expected dynamic between a wind element mage and a vanguard who supposedly couldn’t even attack properly.

These simple sentences told a deeply paradoxical story to Senia.

The result of the secret battle between the two near Megrez Hall was, quite literally, a paradox itself.

“How on earth…?”

Senia brushed her bangs back and pondered deeply.

If Junon had lost and Silvia’s victory had been confirmed, she might have dismissed it as another pointless incident. But the outcome was quite the opposite.

The gap between Class C and D was already significant, let alone Class E—and the opponent was supposedly the weakest vanguard at that.

She couldn’t help but wonder how such power had been developed in such a short time. Silvia possessed indicators comparable to Class B students, making her impossible to defeat by mere luck.

This matter became even more important to Senia, who needed to enter Class C to study alchemy and manufacturing courses.

“…I’ll have to ask directly, I suppose.”

*Plop—*

A pebble disturbed the clear surface of the flowing stream, distorting its pristine reflection.

Junon’s intention to avoid Michelle had been good, but it ended up attracting Senia’s attention instead.

“Achoo!!”

A sudden sneeze. Wondering if someone was gossiping about him, Junon wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Then, hearing the noise outside, he shook his head in dismay.

“I was hoping to rest, but what’s this now?”

His body was in terrible shape after the recent battle with Silvia. He had received medicine from the infirmary and returned to the dormitory hoping to get some sleep.

Today’s lectures had ended long ago, and he wasn’t in any condition to go to the training hall for exercise. Rest would be best at a time like this.

But how could he sleep with all this noise?

“Why did it have to be near my dormitory?”

When he pulled back the curtain, he saw students crowding around the bulletin board.

The voices from the crowd were so loud that it was impossible for him to fall asleep.

Well, sleep was out of the question now. He needed to think about how to handle the aftermath.

Junon already knew what had been posted on that bulletin board.

News of the return of Ophelia’s expedition and the Arcav Party, who had successfully subjugated monsters in the northeastern Shute region.

A victory banquet would soon be held to celebrate.

And he needed to check if a certain incident that would erupt alongside it had been properly prevented.

“They call it a victory banquet, but in reality, we need to prevent a riot…”

Banquets were always held to honor those who returned from expeditions.

There was no doubt that these were carefully selected individuals who had risked their lives fighting monsters and achieved results.

That’s why students were especially eager to approach them.

It was an opportunity to learn not just training methods, but battlefield stories and special know-how from these veterans.

While anyone could study, not everyone could meet graduation requirements, nor was meaningful academic progress guaranteed.

Therefore, advice from active field operatives, rather than professors, was invaluable to them—especially to students in the lower Classes D and E who desperately sought guidance.

But nothing ever seemed to go smoothly.

They wanted to enter the banquet hall to receive guidance, but there were restrictions on who could attend…

“Is there any way…?”

Though there was still time left, he needed to find a solution within that timeframe.

Before the end-of-term evaluation was delayed and the arrival of the Imperial delegation was postponed.

***

“Um, Professor Beril.”

“I told you not to call me that. There’s another professor with the same name.”

“Oh right. I should call you Professor Jake.”

“Anyway, more problem-solving?”

“Yes. I don’t understand why this line here is wrong.”

This is a classroom for Class E, and the person teaching them is Professor Jake.

Although they’re in Class E, they will eventually become team members who hold positions and fulfill appropriate roles in the future. Professor Jake extends his lecture hours significantly to teach these students, believing there should be no discrimination.

He knows that other professors practically abandon Class D and E students.

That’s precisely why he divides his own time to teach them.

“You were nodding off during class again, weren’t you?”

“Yes… that’s right…”

“You still need to listen to the lecture content.”

“But Professor Kyoph only scares us or gets angry without teaching properly. What can I do? At least he doesn’t say anything if I sleep.”

He knows well that when other professors enter Class D and E classrooms, they don’t deliver quality lectures.

That’s exactly why he divides his own time to teach these students.

He had told his wife yesterday that he would be able to call her today, but seeing the students in this situation, he couldn’t turn away.

Professor Jake repeated ‘I’m sorry, honey’ in his heart before continuing the lecture.

“…Ask quickly. I’ll teach you the parts you didn’t understand.”

“Yes!”

With such an upright character who cares for each student individually, what more needs to be said?

The lecture extended far beyond the basic 55 minutes to about three hours, and every student sat up straight and began to concentrate.

When Professor Jake entered Class D or E, it held a completely different meaning compared to other professors.

After three hours and thirty minutes, approaching dinner time, Professor Jake addressed everyone before ending the lecture.

“Don’t give up until the end. Do as much as you can. Understood?”

The students wouldn’t understand why he suddenly said this.

Except for one person.

Though he offered vague encouragement to avoid showing bias, it meant something different to Junon.

He was certain this was deeply related to the end-of-term evaluation, one of the two exams that determined class placement.

“Alright, today’s lecture is over! Eat a hearty dinner and rest.”

—Yes.

Professor Jake watched over the students as if they were his own precious children, waiting until the classroom was completely empty.

Somehow, one person remained at the end—today’s blackboard monitor with distinctive black hair and eyes.

“Junon.”

“Yes?”

“How did you get injured like that yesterday?”

Though he’s a professor who is popular among students for being sometimes gentle and sometimes playful, his face now was markedly different.

***

Class D and E students often have overlapping lectures, so they frequently encounter each other.

Quite a few lectures combine the two classes, and joint practical sessions are common.

Because of this, Classes D and E are somewhat closer than other classes, and their schedules often align.

After attending her Class D lecture, Senia headed straight to where Junon’s Class E lecture was being held. Thanks to Professor Jake extending his lecture, she didn’t miss the conversation.

“How did you get injured like that yesterday?”

…Had Professor Jake’s voice always been like that?

‘No. That can’t be right.’

He was known for playfully approaching students, offering comfort when their self-esteem dropped or when they faced difficulties.

Academy students, given their age, often experience emotional fluctuations.

Among them, he directly taught the classes in the most pitiful and desperate positions—how much experience must he have accumulated by now?

People often said they had never seen Professor Jake get angry.

So why was his voice now filled with such pressure?

Senia knew that when people become extremely angry, their expressions grow cold, and they convey their emotions in a voice much quieter than usual rather than shouting.

Perhaps Professor Jake was now angry at Junon.

“Should I take that as you don’t want to talk about it?”

The question didn’t sound like a question, but more like a reprimand.

It seemed as if he was urging for an answer.

‘Junon…’

After remaining silent for a while, he finally spoke.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Is that so?”

A long silence hung in the classroom, and even from the corridor where she eavesdropped, the tension was so palpable that her palms began to sweat.

But then he returned to being a true educator, offering sincere advice to his student.

“…I told the others to just work hard, but for you, I’d rather you ease up and not push yourself too much.”

“I’m not overdoing it, so don’t worry.”

“I told you before. I understand protesting against unfairness, but it would be better to endure a little longer. How can you say you’re not overdoing it after what happened yesterday…”

He had seen Junon barely dragging his battered body after fighting Silvia with all his might.

Professor Jake had clearly hit the mark, but Junon was evading and deflecting the answer.

Their conversation ended there.

‘One thing is clear.’

For some reason, Junon was trying to hide the fact that he had won against Silvia.

‘But isn’t that strange?’

Junon was the case most severely affected by the academy’s wave of unfairness.

Being a vanguard alone earned him no good words, and if one were to count the instances where he couldn’t contain his temper and threw punches, ten fingers wouldn’t be enough.

This was the boy who had shown indomitable will in resisting physical and mental mockery, bullying, and ridicule.

None other than Silvia from Class C. Why would he hide his victory against an opponent he had never beaten before?

Anyway, it doesn’t matter. What’s important now is that she’s found a lead.

‘I might be able to dig something up with this.’

Senia’s lips curled into a slight smile.