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"If Liber gets expelled, things will get really complicated..."
Davian's goal for this summer vacation is to find all 12 traces of the Archmage and obtain a ★★★★★ item.
He has already secured four traces.
Of course, even if Liber is expelled and leaves the Gray Bear Expedition, the search for the Archmage's 12 traces can continue.
"But if Liber leaves, I'll have to deal with the entire Specula family."
Right now, the Specula family is taking a neutral stance because Liber is on our side.
To the Specula family, it's just a power struggle between the eldest and youngest sons.
However, if Liber leaves the academy and returns to the family, he will not be able to participate in this expedition.
Then, we would have to face the entire Specula family, led by the eldest son, Leonel Specula.
The Specula family would never concede the Archmage's 12 traces to a group of academy freshmen without Liber.
No matter how skilled Davian and his friends are, they cannot win against the entire Specula family, which possesses the continent's best intelligence agency.
Professor Mateo took out two sheets of paper from another envelope.
"These are expulsion waivers written by the magic department's detailed subject professors. Your students call them Super Passes."
Students who were sobbing and despairing here and there suddenly raised their heads.
A spark of hope ignited in their expressions.
Davian looked at the two sheets of paper Professor Mateo was holding.
'Got it.'
One is Luna Puery's.
He feels sorry for the students who have just rekindled their hope, but the other must be Liber's.
Liber was the only one who showed outstanding performance in the final exam to receive a Super Pass.
Davian lightly tapped Luna's shoulder, who was still sobbing.
"Huh?"
"That. The Super Pass. One of them is yours, Luna."
"Re-really?"
"When has my prediction ever been wrong?"
"No, never. ...Then is it real? Is that mine? How did you know? Did you ask Medium directly? Well, you and Medium are close."
"There's a way to know without asking."
Luna's face began to brighten again.
Davian then looked at Liber, who was sitting a little farther away.
Liber Specula was frantically scanning around.
He was probably looking around to see who the expulsion candidates were that could be the owners of those two passes.
Liber's pupils, which were rolling around, met Davian's gaze.
Davian extended his index finger and pointed at the Super Pass held by Professor Mateo, then moved his fingertip directly to Liber.
Liber shrugged, looking like he didn't understand what he meant.
At that moment, Professor Mateo spoke again.
"One is Luna Puery. Medium Frill, the healing magic temporary professor and school nurse, used her reputation to give Luna an expulsion waiver."
Exclamations erupted from all around.
"Congratulations, Luna."
"Oh? Yeah! Thank you! Latia."
Bellum, who was sitting behind Luna, grabbed Luna's shoulders and shook her roughly.
"Luna! You're not getting kicked out! Congratulations! My roommate!"
"Oh, thank you, Bellum."
Nubes and Bonita also congratulated Luna, but they didn't make as much of a fuss as Bellum.
Because Liber was still left.
"The other is Liber Specula. Professor Billian Discipulus, the mental magic professor, used an expulsion waiver. Liber."
"Yes? Professor."
"What on earth did you do during the final exam? This is the first time I've seen Professor Billian write something like this."
Liber grinned and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, Professor Billian recognized my genius, Liber..."
"That's enough. Anyway, these two people have been guaranteed future potential by the professors at the cost of their reputations. Make sure to work harder than anyone else from now on. Unless you want to tarnish the reputation of the professors who gave you the expulsion waivers."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Unfortunately, these are the only two students who received expulsion waivers. The rest of you can go home before the closing ceremony the day after tomorrow."
In the end, one of the female students couldn't hold back and burst into tears.
Crying erupted from here and there in quick succession.
"...Classes will begin in thirty minutes. Take a break for now."
Professor Mateo, judging that it was not an atmosphere to continue the class, gave a break and left the lecture hall.
"Let's go, guys."
Bonita got up and gestured.
Davian and Latia also nodded and stood up.
The empty lot behind the lecture hall.
The Gray Bear Expedition gathered in the empty lot to freely congratulate Luna and Liber without worrying about the other dropouts.
Bellum shouted with relief and hugged Luna.
"Kyaa! Congratulations! Luna!"
"Thank you."
"You too! Moron! Come here!"
Bellum hugged Liber as well and jumped up and down in place.
Thirteen students were eliminated as the first semester of the first year came to an end.
Bellum's sister said that about one-tenth of the students are usually expelled during the first semester of the first year, so this time there were relatively few dropouts.
"Congratulations. Luna, Liber."
"Thank you!"
"Did you think I, Liber Specula, would get expelled? Hahaha. No way."
"Ugh, that moron. I saw you looking around with startled squirrel eyes earlier."
"Me, when!"
"I saw it too. You had the eyes of a squirrel that lost all its acorns for the year in the middle of winter?"
"That can't be! If they expel a genius like me, something must be seriously wrong!"
Latia said with her arms crossed.
"Luna is unparalleled in healing magic and Medium adores her so. Liber, you really have to thank Davian. If you hadn't followed Davian's advice and spaced out, you would have really been expelled."
Bonita added.
"That's right. The moron would have definitely failed the final exam just like the midterm, thinking he was a genius."
"I know, right? What's the point of being an information hoarder? He doesn't even know what will happen to him in the near future."
Liber, flustered, stammered.
"W-well. It's because I never thought that I would be a target for expulsion..."
"Ugh, what a boast."
Liber smiled awkwardly.
It was actually a bit embarrassing.
He had gathered so much information about the continental situation, but he didn't even know that he would be a target for expulsion from the academy.
"Yeah, thanks, Davian. It's all thanks to you. I almost got kicked out of the academy for real."
"It's nothing. It's because you did well, Liber. I didn't even think you could successfully use mental magic on someone in such a short time. Amazing."
Bellum shouted.
"Party! Let's have a party! The day after tomorrow is the closing ceremony. Let's have a party together after the closing ceremony! Let's celebrate our survival and the maintenance of the Gray Bear Expedition!"
Nubes nodded vigorously.
"Oh, good, good. The first semester is over. Let's play without thinking for a day. Let's have a beer too!"
"Nubes, Davian told you not to drink beer."
"B-but I can just drink a little this time!"
"That's what you said last time. How many cups did you drink then, like three?"
"...Then I'll drink even less than last time!"
Bonita also nodded.
"Well, since Luna and Liber almost went to the threshold of expulsion and came back, it would be okay to have a congratulatory party for one day."
Bellum asked in surprise.
"Oh! Bonita, what's wrong with you?"
"We have to celebrate what we need to celebrate. ...Because we're friends."
"Bonita! You're like a righteous female prosecutor! Awesome! So, what do you think, Latia? Are you going to say 'I'm going to do magic training again' this time too?"
"What, if only I refuse here, Bonita becomes a cool righteous female prosecutor, and I become a self-centered magician? Let's do it, a party. Like Bonita said, we're friends."
"Davian! You agree too, right?"
Davian replied with an indifferent expression.
"I already booked Sea-Bure for that day. For 7 people."
Bellum, who had been fooling around, stopped still in place.
"Wh-what, Davian."
"What?"
Bellum Armandria jumping up and down again.
"So cool, really."
The relatively relaxed two days of classes ended and Wednesday arrived.
Wednesday is the day of Elton Academy's closing ceremony.
Elton Academy's summer vacation lasts for about 5 weeks from the last week of July to the last day of August.
The closing ceremony was held in Elton Academy's common area.
The first all-school event since the Spring Festival.
About a thousand students are standing in the common area's auditorium, lined up by grade.
About fifty professors are sitting on the stage.
The professors are not sitting by grade, but mixed up randomly.
Just because a professor is from the magic department doesn't mean they only teach classes for the first year.
Professors of detailed subjects in the magic department, who have relatively few class hours, also teach other grades.
And there are professors like Mateo who teach both grade subjects and gifted classes.
A professor who looked even older than Sirims Andrian, the head of the magic department, slowly walked out and stood on the podium in the center of the stage.
It was the first time the first-year students had seen the professor.
"Nice to meet you. I am Hugo Molton, the 134th president of Elton Academy."
Bonita, who was standing next to Davian, reflexively raised her palm and covered her mouth.
"Hup."
It wasn't just Bonita.
The sound of gasps could be heard from here and there.
Hugo Molton.
A living legend of the Alcancia Kingdom.
Now retired, he served as the head of the Lion Guard, the First Royal Guard.
And, a 9-star swordsman and undisputed the best swordsman on the continent.
There are many opinions that it is difficult to expect the same level of skill as in his prime because he is now too old, but he is a legendary figure who once destroyed mountains and parted rivers with just one sword.
If Sirims Andrian stands at the pinnacle of continental magicians, Hugo Molton, who is standing on the podium now, is the person standing at the pinnacle of continental swordsmen.
Bellum, who was also gasping and looking at the stage like Bonita, finally opened her mouth.
"Wow... This is the first time I'm seeing the president, whom I didn't even see at the entrance ceremony?"
Liber, who was standing next to her, replied.
"The entrance ceremony is just an event attended by first-year students. I heard that the president only appears at all-school events."
"Wow... I can't believe I'm seeing Hugo Molton in person. I've made it."
"Sirims, the head of the magic department, whom we've seen from the entrance ceremony, is also a great person. He's the one standing at the pinnacle of magicians in the Alcancia Kingdom."
"Yeah, but isn't the status a bit different? It's the best swordsman on the continent, Hugo Molton."
"Well... is that so?"
Sirims Andrian and Hugo Molton.
Of course, there are many difficulties in comparing their achievements or status.
Because they are two people who have lived completely different lives.
But if we only consider recognition or influence, Hugo Molton was definitely above Sirims Andrian.
Of course, it was also because he was older.
President Hugo Molton's voice echoed again in the auditorium.
A sonorous voice that made you fully feel his experience.
But it contained a solidity that didn't feel like an old man's.
Each word he uttered contained dignity, but it was never an oppressive tone.
"Especially the first-year students. This is the first time we're meeting like this. I heard that there are many exceptionally talented people this year. This is just the beginning, so I hope you will all strive harder to become people who make a name for themselves on the continent. Do you understand?"
The 188 first-year students shouted at the same time.
"Yes!"
"Now, as per Elton Academy's tradition, the representatives of each grade, come up to the stage."
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