Chapter 72
“You said earlier you left the inn to investigate something. What are you and Lunia investigating here, Leo?”
At Eiran’s question, Leo replied.
“We’re here to investigate the abnormality that happened in the Fairy Forest.”
“At this hour? Did the teachers give you a mission?”
“That’s not it. I just followed this one after seeing her act on her own.”
Lunia, who called him Leo in front of Eiran instead of being formal, must have decided not to put on airs.
“Then I’ll help too! My ancestors have protected this land for generations!”
Eiran clenched her fist.
As the granddaughter of the Elsalbekia Grand Council Chair and a descendant of the last Fairy Knight, Velkia, her reaction was natural.
Seeing Eiran like that, Lunia approached Leo and whispered quietly.
“Don’t say anything uncertain in front of Eiran.”
Realizing it was about Rauta, Leo gave a wry smile.
“Got it.”
With that, Leo turned his gaze toward the Fairy Forest.
‘As expected, the power of the curse is stronger at night.’
The curse, which he could only sense in the center of the forest during the day, now reached all the way to the entrance.
Of course, it was still a very subtle force.
But if they approached the center, Lunia and Eiran would definitely sense the curse’s power too.
“We need to make a few preparations first.”
“Huh? What preparations?”
Seeing Lunia’s puzzled look, Leo opened his palm.
“In the name of the Oathbound, I summon you.”
Fwoosh—
A summoning circle of flame appeared on Leo’s palm.
A moment later, a red bird emerged from the circle.
With a graceful flap of its wings, Fiora tried to put on a dignified air.
Chirp—!
But the dignified atmosphere was instantly shattered by the chirp that came from her beak.
Fiora, trying to show off her looks to Leo, looked at him as if asking, ‘How do I look?’
But Leo’s reaction was indifferent.
No matter how graceful her wings or dignified her air, in Leo’s eyes, Fiora was just a red chick.
Annoyed by his indifference, Fiora chirped again, making her look even more like a chick.
“What a cute familiar. What kind of familiar is that, Lunia?”
Impressed by Fiora’s cute appearance, Eiran asked.
But when there was no reply, she looked over.
And saw Lunia trembling.
“Lunia?”
“Fiooooraaa!”
Chirp—?
Fiora, startled by Lunia charging at her, hurriedly took refuge on top of Leo’s head.
“To be born so beautiful! Fiora! It’s me! It’s your Lunia! You remember, right?”
Fiora gave a wary look as Lunia clasped her hands together and gazed at her with sparkling eyes, and Lunia looked shocked.
“How would she remember you from when she was an egg?”
Clicking his tongue, Leo took a few pieces of cookie from his pocket and put them on his palm.
Chirp—
Fiora flew down to Leo’s palm and pecked out only the chocolate chips with great delicacy.
After eating only the chocolate, she pushed the leftover cookie off Leo’s hand.
Leo looked speechless as Fiora dropped the cookie.
“She’s getting pickier by the day.”
Fiora chirped again, demanding more sweets.
“I have snacks too!”
Lunia quickly pulled out some chocolate from her pocket.
Fiora immediately flew over to Lunia’s hand and began pecking at the chocolate.
“Hauu!”
Fiora exclaimed, her cheek resting on her free hand.
“Such elegance! Such poise! Ah, so beautiful!”
‘No matter how you look at it, she’s just a chick… Is there something wrong with summoners’ eyes these days?’
Watching Lunia swoon over Fiora, Eiran carefully asked Leo,
“Leo, what kind of familiar is she?”
“She’s a phoenix.”
“P-phoenix? Leo, you’re contracted with a phoenix?”
“It just kind of happened.”
As Leo gave a faint smile at Eiran’s shock, he summoned another familiar.
“In the name of the Oathbound, I summon you.”
But though the summoning circle appeared, no familiar came out.
“Not coming out?”
Something popped out of the summoning circle—a tiny note with [Cold] written on it.
Without hesitation, Leo reached into the circle and forcibly dragged out Kirran.
[I am the Fairy Prince! Such disrespect will not be tolerated—pfft!]
Chattering nonsense, Kirran was tossed into the snow by Leo and thoroughly trampled.
“A fairy? Leo, you made a contract with a fairy too?”
“It just kind of happened.”
“A-amazing!”
‘A first-year who’s Oathbound to both a phoenix and a fairy!’
A look of awe filled Eiran’s eyes.
“A fairy?”
Lunia, who’d been squealing over Fiora, squatted down in front of Kirran.
Kirran, having barely escaped Leo, smirked at Lunia.
[What? Are you entranced by my noble form?]
“…A mutant fairy? You don’t have wings.”
[Mutant?! How dare you insult me like that!]
“Leo. It’s not a bad thing to be contracted with a fairy, since they’re on par with phoenixes. But contracting with such a mutant? It might damage Fiora’s dignity.”
[Don’t be ridiculous! That chick is what’ll damage my dignity!]
“What are you saying?”
Chirp, chirp—
‘A prince complex, show-off, total brat… What a mess.’
Seeing the unexpected chemistry among the three, Leo sighed.
“Enough talking. Get ready, everyone. We’re moving.”
With that, Fiora and Kirran perched on Leo’s shoulders.
Lunia tied her long red hair in a ponytail for easier movement, and Eiran, looking tense, drew her sword and shield from her subspace.
“So, where are we going?”
With her hair ready, Lunia asked. Leo stared into the woods.
“The very center of the forest.”
—
Chirp! Chirp!
[Ugh! What’s that smell?!]
Fiora, blocking her beak with her wing, and Kirran, pinching his nose, both reacted strongly.
Eiran looked at them, bewildered.
“Why, Sir Fairy?”
Kirran, pleased by the respectful address, puffed up.
[Such a polite elf. You want to know why? It’s the stench spreading through the forest.]
Kirran grumbled.
[To think that this place, once the Fairy Land, is now so tainted by the scent of death. What a disaster.]
Leo, moving ahead, stopped in his tracks.
“Why’d you stop?”
At Lunia’s question, Leo answered.
“Get ready.”
Fwoosh—! Fwoosh—!
White bones started to erupt from the ground.
Clack— Clack— Clack—
Seeing skeletons suddenly appear, Lunia and Eiran hurriedly prepared for battle.
“All skeleton knights.”
“What?”
Lunia looked shocked.
They weren’t Death Knight level, but even Skeleton Knights were high-ranking undead.
‘Wait, all ten of them are Skeleton Knights?’
Lunia tensed as she watched the armored skeletons.
Unlike ordinary skeletons, the Skeleton Knights formed a tight formation.
Groooan—!
Clang! Clang!
As the Skeleton Knights closed in, radiating dark energy, Lunia clicked her tongue and began casting a spell.
“Leave this to me.”
Eiran stepped forward.
Lunia hesitated.
“Leo and Lunia, you need to save your strength, right?”
Smiling gently, Eiran readied her sword and small shield, gathering her magic power.
Eiran’s body began to glow silver, then transformed into armor.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Lunia, arms crossed, spoke confidently.
“That’s the Ersar family’s magic that fuses Aura and magic power!”
“The Armor of Animus.”
“You know it?”
“It’s famous.”
It was a technique created by none other than Velkia.
A unique magic created by Velkia with Kyle’s help to hold off countless enemies on the front lines.
It had been passed down ever since.
Clad in the armor of light, Eiran charged in without hesitation.
A Skeleton Knight, wreathed in darkness, swung its sword at Eiran.
Clang—!
The attack bounced off harmlessly.
Thud! Crack—!
Eiran bashed a Skeleton Knight’s head with her shield and swiftly swung her sword back.
The way she moved was just like Velkia.
After quickly defeating the Skeleton Knight, Eiran approached. Lunia smiled.
“As expected, Eiran! Amazing.”
At Lunia’s praise, Eiran blushed shyly.
Then, glancing at Leo, she fidgeted and asked,
“Leo, um, what did you think?”
Leo smiled gently.
“You were just like Velkia.”
Eiran’s eyes widened.
“You talk like you’ve seen her yourself.”
“You can hear all about her in stories.”
“I—I’m honored.”
Blushing, Eiran couldn’t hide her delight at Leo’s praise.
Flap—!
Just then, a small bird flew in and perched on a branch.
Its eyes glowed red.
Leo picked up a small stone from the ground and flicked it with his finger.
Thwack—! Crack—!
“…!”
“…!”
The pebble struck the bird’s head and it burst into dust.
“A familiar?”
“The enemy must have noticed us. More undead will be coming.”
Lunia and Eiran looked tense.
“Let’s keep moving.”
—
“Looks like they’ve caught on.”
“What?”
At the words of the hooded Death Knight, Kargor, Rauta’s face twisted as he drew a summoning circle.
“What do you mean?”
“An intruder has appeared. Looks like a hero cadet.”
Rauta snorted.
“Then let the knights handle it. Isn’t that what they’re here for?”
“Heh. True. But, brat, are you treating the great Necroking’s knights like servants?”
Kargor, clearly annoyed, made Rauta curl his lips into a sneer.
“Have you forgotten that the great Necroking chose me?”
Rauta raised his hand, showing a black ring.
“A magic device imbued with Erebos’s power! It’s what your master gave me to make me a hero.”
Red light gleamed from Kargor’s eyes beneath the hood.
“Fine. Just deal with the intruders.”
“Hmph.”
Letting out a low laugh, Kargor melted into the shadows.
Rauta watched him go with a look of disgust.
“Stinking undead.”
He began drawing a new summoning circle.
‘Just wait. Soon, even relying on those filthy Tartarus bastards will be over!’
Last break.
He was overjoyed when he first got the ring that was supposed to awaken his hidden potential.
But when he learned it was a magic device, he was in despair.
‘I thought I was finished. But it turned out to be an opportunity!’
The mysterious demon, who called himself the legendary commander, Necroking Hell Kaiser, had personally taught Rauta magic.
Magic that had otherwise vanished from the world.
Rauta saw it as his chance to become a hero.
‘I’m going to use them to become something greater!’
Madness flashed in Rauta’s eyes.
‘If I can just obtain the power of the Founder beyond this… No one will ever look down on me again!’