Chapter 13 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: First Steps in Lumeria
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Lumeria City.
This metropolis, located in the center of the continent, was called the heart of the world not just for geographical reasons, but for its symbolic significance as well.
One of the warp gates in Lumeria City began to glow.
-Valued customers, we have arrived at Lumeria City. Please check for any forgotten belongings before disembarking from the gate.
As the announcement played, Leo stepped out of the gate.
The warp gate was situated on high ground on the outskirts of Lumeria City.
The moment he exited the gate, the entire panorama of Lumeria City unfolded before his eyes.
*Whoooosh-!*
Leo's white hair fluttered in the wind.
The sight of a vast, advanced metropolis.
And in the distance, he could see a lake so enormous it could be mistaken for an ocean.
The lake, which would normally be shrouded in a thick mist, was exceptionally clear.
Thanks to that, he could faintly make out the massive castle at the far edge of the lake: Lumerne Academy.
*'In two days, I'll be heading there.'*
A month had already passed since he took the entrance exam.
Like every year, the entrance exam had generated a lot of buzz.
Among the topics of discussion, the western regional exam that Leo had taken was by far the most talked about.
With a record of only 40 successful candidates, it had been the subject of much commotion for a while.
*'Not my problem.'*
Leo had been busy with his admission preparations.
And today, after a month of getting ready, he had come to Lumeria.
No one from the Flove family had come with him.
Outsiders were not permitted to attend Lumerne's entrance ceremony.
*'Go and learn as much as you can.'*
*'Son, you won't be upset that we're not coming, will you?'*
Leo smiled, recalling Dade and Reina who had seen him off.
His parents were nobles, but they weren't the type to enjoy extravagance.
*'They're the kind of people who would rather spend money on the welfare of their domain than waste it on a meaningless trip through a warp gate.'*
Of course, Leo agreed with his parents' sentiment.
After leaving the warp gate, Leo entered Kuraju Street, which could be called the main thoroughfare of Lumeria.
*'She said she'd be waiting here.'*
"Leo! Over here, over here."
Celia, her waist-length black hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in elegant yet practical outdoor attire, waved as she approached.
Drawing the gazes of those around her, she stood before Leo and smiled brightly.
"Have you been well?"
"No reason not to be. By the way, congratulations on being top of the class."
"I'm not thrilled about sharing the top spot with that butterball, but top of the class is still top of the class."
With that, she elegantly swept a lock of hair aside.
"From now on, you should look at me with a bit more respect in your eyes."
"After seeing you puke your guts out, respect might be a bit of a stretch."
"Hey!"
Celia shouted, her face turning beet red.
"Ugh! Seriously! You never let me win a single word!"
Glaring at Leo, Celia let out a deep sigh.
"What about Uncle Jis?"
"He said he's coming this evening. Until then, I was planning to do some shopping on Kuraju Street."
Kuraju Street was where you could buy everything you needed for Lumerne.
It was a place where everything from uniforms and textbooks to major-specific materials, weapons, staves, and summoning catalysts were sold.
"You haven't bought your uniform or textbooks yet, have you?"
"No."
"Then we can buy them today. Follow me. I'll do you the special favor of accompanying you."
***
The first place Celia led Leo to was a large clothing store on the main road.
Lumerne's uniforms were displayed in a glass case visible from the outside.
The brand name [Blessrigger] was visible.
"Looks expensive."
"Of course it is. They've been making Lumerne uniforms for a thousand years."
There were three main types of clothing needed for Lumerne.
The formal uniform for events.
The school uniform for classes.
And the practical uniform for training.
And all of these garments had minimum specifications.
To meet those specs, a fabric imbued with mana called 'Mana Cloth' was required, and according to Celia's explanation, the quality of the uniform depended on the Mana Cloth used.
"And Blessrigger is renowned as a luxury brand. I had mine tailored here too."
After finishing her explanation, Celia entered the store.
*Ting-a-ling-*
"Welcome to Blessrigger."
An employee waiting by the door smiled kindly and held it open for them.
Inside, a few other customers were visible.
Among them were children who looked like new Lumerne students.
While they were browsing the displays, a middle-aged woman emerged from the back.
"Good day, Miss Celia. It is an honor to have you visit our establishment again."
After an elegant greeting, she spoke cautiously.
"But what brings you here...? By any chance, were you not pleased with the uniform we tailored for you?"
"No, I'm here to have a boy's uniform tailored today."
Celia smiled and gestured toward Leo.
"He's enrolling with me this year."
"Ah, I see. I was under the impression that only you, Young Lady, would be enrolling from the Jerdinger family this year. I see there was another Young Master."
The tailor, covering her mouth with a gasp of surprise, bowed politely to Leo.
"My name is Nera. I am a tailor here at Blessrigger."
Leo saw right through her—she was a mage.
*'Well, you'd have to be a mage to handle mana-infused cloth. Still, a mage working as a simple tailor… the world has certainly improved.'*
"Young Master, I will take your measurements."
Nera took a tape measure from her pocket and measured Leo.
"You're applying for the Knight Division, correct?"
"Yes."
"May I ask the attribute of the aura you use?"
Aura was divided into attributes based on the characteristics of the aura technique.
And the blend of Mana Cloth used changed depending on the aura's attribute.
It could increase defense against opposing attributes.
Or it could amplify the power of the same attribute.
Of course, Mana Cloth couldn't produce a dramatic effect, but even a small advantage was helpful in the endless competition of Lumerne.
"Please use non-attribute Mana Cloth."
"Pardon?"
Nera looked slightly bewildered, and Celia, who had been watching with a bright smile, narrowed her eyes.
Leo smiled faintly and repeated himself.
"Non-attribute, please."
Non-attribute Mana Cloth.
As the name suggested, it was a plain fabric with no attribute whatsoever.
Naturally, no customer ever requested it.
"Very well."
But if the customer requested it, she had to comply.
Having taken his measurements and received the information, Nera went into the tailoring room.
"Why non-attribute all of a sudden? You're going to learn our family's aura, so wouldn't it be better to weave the uniform with fire-attribute Mana Cloth?"
"I just have a few things in mind."
*'Non-attribute means it can become anything.'*
Of course, he would learn the Jerdinger's aura technique.
But he had no intention of making it his only focus.
"By the way, I don't have any money."
"Do you think I'd be petty and cheap enough to make you pay? After my father heard about you, he decided the Jerdinger family would cover all your expenses for school life."
At those words, Leo recalled what Reina had said.
*'It's fine, it's fine. My brother may be a cheapskate, but he has plenty of money. And if he acts stingy, I won't just stand by and watch.'*
This was what she had said when his father, Dade, was worrying about the costs of Leo's admission, uniform, and textbooks.
According to his mother, she had left all of her personal assets behind when she was with the Jerdinger family.
She had mentioned something about being able to claim ownership since it was wealth she had accumulated separately from the family, even after leaving.
*'Knowing my mother's personality, she'd probably go to the Jerdinger estate and turn the whole place upside down.'*
The family head must have been well aware of that fact, which is why he offered his support.
A short while later, befitting a first-class tailor, Nera quickly created and brought out the custom uniform.
After he tried it on, they finished with some simple adjustments.
About an hour later, Nera, having perfectly completed the uniform, bowed her head.
"We will have the uniform delivered to your lodging."
Guided by an employee, they settled the bill and left Blessrigger.
"Alright, shall we go buy textbooks next?"
Celia led Leo toward a massive bookstore.
They needed to buy the required textbooks for all students, as well as the textbooks for their majors.
Leo grabbed not only the Knight Division major texts but also swept up all the texts for the Magic and Summoning Divisions.
"Preparing for duels already? You're so thorough."
*Hoo- hoo-* Leo inwardly muttered as he watched Celia nod in admiration.
*'I'm the one who's going to learn them.'*
Of course, he didn't bother saying it out loud.
It was obvious she would just look at him like he was crazy.
Finally, they bought all the necessary materials.
Afterward, they explored Lumeria.
Lumeria was a huge city, and as such, there was plenty to see.
The sightseeing was fun, and it was also enjoyable to buy and eat street food.
Leo chuckled as he watched Celia eating ice cream with a happy expression on her face.
*'Seeing that, she's still just a kid.'*
As the daughter of the Jerdinger family, Celia had always been conscious of others' gazes, but spending time with Leo, who was her age, she often showed her more girlish side.
By the time it was dinner, Leo and Celia returned to their lodging.
"You're back?"
"Uncle!"
Jis was waiting for them at the lodging.
"How did it go?"
Jis ruffled the hair of an anxious-looking Celia before approaching Leo.
"Leo, have you been well this past month?"
"Yes."
"The results of the family meeting are in."
After the entrance exam, Jis had proposed to the family that Leo be allowed to learn [Phoenix Breath].
Whether Leo, an outsider—albeit one who shared their blood—could learn the secret technique that only recognized family members could master was a very sensitive issue.
The related meetings had lasted for a whole month, and the result had just come out today.
"Permission has been granted for you to inherit [Phoenix Breath]."
At those words, Celia beamed and said to Leo.
"Congratulations, Leo!"
Having trained and taken the exam with Leo, Celia believed he was someone befitting of the Jerdinger name.
But the family elders might have thought differently.
That's why she had been so anxious, but now permission had finally been granted.
"Although she left the family, the fact that you are my sister's son, and..."
Jis grinned.
"The elders thought highly of the fact that you passed the western exam."
The notoriety of the western exam, which only 40 people had passed, was already famous worldwide.
Jis took out a red key and handed it to Leo.
It was a subspace key.
"Open it."
At his words, Leo inserted the key into the empty air and turned it. A subspace opened, and a book popped out.
He opened the book, but nothing was written inside.
*'It's sealed.'*
He understood the structure of the seal without difficulty.
"Drop your blood on it."
Leo bit his finger to draw blood and smeared it on the page.
Letters began to appear.
"From now on, that book can only be read by you."
"Yes."
"The entrance ceremony is the day after tomorrow... but how about trying to learn it before then?"
"Is that alright?"
"Of course. There's nothing better than awakening your aura before you even enroll."
Jis smiled meaningfully.
"Though I'm sure it won't be easy."
***
After receiving [Phoenix Breath], Leo went into his room.
"Why did you follow me?"
"You're going to start your aura training now, right? If you get stuck anywhere, I'll help you."
"Just like that?"
"Of course, you'll have to say, 'Please help me, Young Lady.'"
"Says the one who was calling me 'Young Master, Young Master' after losing to me."
"Hey!"
Celia threw a cushion at her cousin for bringing up her embarrassing past.
Of course, Leo just annoyingly dodged it.
Celia pouted as she watched Leo sit on the bed and open the book.
"Hmph! I'm definitely not helping you until you ask me politely!"
Leo gave a sly grin at Celia, who had turned her head away sharply, and checked the book's contents.
*'As expected.'*
It was worthy of an aura technique from a renowned heroic family.
It was an extremely complex yet powerful aura technique.
Celia scoffed as she watched Leo focus and read through the mana circulation method of [Phoenix Breath].
*'It can't be that easy.'*
With Leo's current skill, he could probably master an ordinary aura technique with great ease.
*'Aunt Reina did say Leo had reached the mana resonance stage.'*
If one could perform mana resonance, which could be called the greatest hurdle of any aura technique, it was as good as having mastered more than half of it.
However, Phoenix Breath was different.
It required not only mana resonance but also mana circulation.
Only by creating a 'flame' through that circulation could one be said to have passed the first gate.
Even Celia, who was called a genius, had taken a full week to produce a flame.
Soon, he would get stuck on the mana circulation method and be at a loss.
Celia grinned.
*'I'll pay you back for making me your maid. I'll make him call me Young Lady for about two days~'*
Just as she was thinking about getting revenge for her past humiliation.
*Fwoosh-*
A flame erupted from Leo's body, soon enveloping him completely.
The flame seemed to take the shape of wings behind Leo's back before quickly dissipating.
"Not as easy as I thought."
The initiation into [Phoenix Breath] was to create wings of flame using aura.
It had taken Celia two weeks to reach that stage.
*'But this guy… this guy…'*
"Hey, Young Lady. I'm stuck on this part. Any tips on how to do it easily?"
Seeing Leo point to a passage in the book and ask in a completely impolite tone, Celia...
"You crazy bastard! There's a limit to everything! What kind of freak masters that after just glancing at it once!"
...could only scream.
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