Book 1 Chapter 164

164

At Leo's words, Pegasus, Arti, narrowed her eyes.

[What are you? You haven't even signed a contract yet, how did you exert influence over me?]

Returning to her original form from her polymorphed state was not by her will, but by Leo's power.

A summoner can exert some influence over their familiar.

But that's only when a contract has been made.

Leo had summoned Arti through the summoning circle Shasha had created, but it was merely a summoning.

They were not in a contract state.

Arti was still the Pegasus of the Rodren Imperial Family.

But Leo forcibly intervened in the contract and brought command authority.

A being other than the sworn covenantor handling her.

For a high-ranking familiar like Pegasus, it was a situation that could be unpleasant.

However, Arti was more filled with wonder than such emotions.

"Since we're in a provisional contract state, there's a loophole, right? I just exploited that loophole."

[It's not impossible… but I can't believe a mere teenage human boy managed it?]

"That's because I'm exceptionally talented."

Leo shrugged his shoulders.

Watching him, Arti, who had been squinting, nodded.

[Well, having a unique experience might not be bad. Shasha, could you lend this boy your strength for a moment… Shasha?]

Arti looked at Shasha with a puzzled expression, then her face turned to one of surprise.

Leo's face also hardened.

Shasha was frozen with the same surprised expression.

Leo, who examined Shasha, frozen as if time had stopped, murmured.

"It's a curse."

Even for Leo, who had encountered all sorts of curses while navigating the Age of Calamity, this was a form of curse he had never seen before.

'Is it a newly created curse?'

Leo narrowed his eyes and rushed towards Arti.

And without hesitation, he mounted Arti's saddle.

"Excuse me."

[Wait! Who told you to ride on me as you please…!]

"The situation is urgent. It may be unpleasant, but please understand for now."

Leo reached out and gently stroked Arti's neck.

[H-huh?]

Arti shivered for a moment.

"Ah, sorry. Unintentionally."

During his Kyle days, Leo had contracted with a Pegasus, and for some reason, he felt a surge of emotion at the fact that he was once again on a Pegasus's back.

[To carelessly stroke a lady's body.]

"My apologies."

Arti was slightly surprised by Leo's hand naturally gripping the reins.

[Have you ever handled a Pegasus before?]

His touch was very familiar, as he had traversed countless battlefields with a Pegasus in his previous life.

"This is my first time in this life."

[Then why are you so familiar?]

Surprised, Arti introduced herself.

[Let me finish introducing myself. My name is Arti, and you?]

"Leo Flobe."

[Nice to meet you, Leo Flobe. It's only for a short while, but it seems like an urgent situation, so I'll lend you my strength.]

Arti snorted and nervously pawed the ground with her front hoof.

[So? Who's the enemy? Judging by Shasha's state, it seems to be Tartaros?]

"That's right. They've invaded the Grand Library of Lumerne right now."

[In Lumerne? It must be an unusual demon.]

Arti curled the corners of her lips.

[Alright. But, runt. It's fine to ride on my back and fight, but can you handle me? I don't like entrusting myself to a clumsy rider?]

Leo smiled, looking at Arti as she spread her wings and asked.

"Once you get used to me, you won't be able to let anyone else ride on your back."

[Hmm? You're quite confident. The only one who ever satisfied me was the first Emperor of Rodren.]

Arti giggled.

[Well, carrying an ambitious, cheeky kid isn't so bad. All right, here we go!]

Whoosh-!

Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-!

As Arti fully spread her wings, an intense white spark swirled.

Boom-!

Simultaneously, Arti broke through the door and exited the room.

Crack-Crack-Crack-!

At the same time, a grey spark swirled from Leo's hand.

[Lightning Aura?]

Arti was surprised.

[You can handle aura and summoned me at that age? That's quite something!]

Even if summoned through a summoning circle opened by Shasha, a summon is still a summon.

Moreover, Arti estimated that Leo's spiritual power was far less than Shasha's.

Yet, he was also using aura.

[You handle lightning attributes freely. This could be a good match?]

Arti, lightly impressed, ascended to the very top of the Grand Library, guided by Leo's control.

Reaching the ceiling of the towering Grand Library, Leo narrowed his eyes and looked down.

'It's similar to the Curse of Severance.'

The Grand Library itself was severed from the outside.

But it was slightly different.

'The space itself is different.'

It was similar to the Hero's World.

Of course, fundamentally, it was different.

If the Hero's World was the creation of a single world, this was merely the separation of this space from the outside.

'Is it a 2D concept?'

A technique to create a small new dimension within the original world.

It wouldn't affect the original dimension, but nothing is as secretive as this for crossing between spaces.

Originally, only the caster could enter this space, but Leo had now entered it.

'To be precise, it's not that only the caster can enter, but rather anyone who perceives the true nature of the curse can enter.'

If Leo hadn't perceived it, he wouldn't have known such a space existed due to the curse.

'I understand the principle. But someone capable of casting such a high-concept curse would be quite troublesome.'

It was while Leo, tense, was scanning the interior of the frozen Grand Library.

Flash-!

Behind a desk at the bottom of the Grand Library, a dark-red light split into several rays.

Perceiving it, Leo pulled on the reins.

Kwagagagagagang-!

Dark-red magical energy bullets flew towards Leo and Arti.

Whoosh-!

Arti sprinted through the Grand Library at an incredible speed.

The speed of Pegasus, which boasted the fastest among all familiars, was literally like lightning.

Crack-Crack-Crack-!

Arti, wrapped in lightning and illuminating the darkness, was truly a spectacular sight.

Whoosh-!

She dodged all the magic bullets.

But the magic bullets that Leo and Arti evaded changed direction and pursued Leo.

'Tracking function, huh.'

Leo glanced back and then looked forward.

Whoosh-!

A tall bookshelf appeared before his eyes.

Leo easily leaped over the bookshelf.

Kwagagang-!

But the magic bullets paid no mind and pierced through the bookshelf, continuing their pursuit.

Seeing this, Leo said.

"Increase your speed."

[What? Then you'll crash into something, won't you? I don't care, but you'll get hurt!]

"It doesn't matter. Just move as I control you."

[Alright, I got it. Just don't regret it.]

Arti sighed and increased her speed even more.

A formidable wind pressure was felt.

The obstacles in front of them approached at an impossibly fast rate.

Leo controlled Arti using the reins.

Arti's eyes, moving according to Leo's commands, were filled with astonishment.

'His reaction speed is incredible!'

She had never dreamed that there would be a rider capable of giving perfect instructions even at this speed.

'His riding ability might be superior to the first Rodren? What kind of kid is this?'

Leo's red eyes glinted as he tracked the demon's movements within the complex interior of the Grand Library.

Given the power of such a strong curse, the enemy's strength was very potent and secretive.

But Leo located the enemy's position without much difficulty.

Crack-Crack-Crack-!

Suddenly, a magic circle unfolded from Leo's hand.

Seeing it, Arti let out a shriek of astonishment.

[Magic? Weren't you a familiar knight?!]

Arti, who had earlier seen Leo using aura and called him a familiar knight who handled both aura and familiars, couldn't help but shriek in astonishment at seeing Leo use magic as well.

"No, I'm an all-class."

[All-class?!]

Amidst Arti's astonished expression, Leo used the completed spell on Arti's horn.

"Chain Lightning!"

Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-!

An intense spark flew.

Arti's eyes widened when she saw it.

'He fused spiritual power and magic?'

If so, the spell's power would surely be greatly enhanced.

'This cheeky brat is using me as a magic amplification tool?'

Arti chuckled, yet still fired Chain Lightning towards the rear.

Kwagagagagak-!

The Chain Lightning, transformed with immense power, destroyed the pursuing dark magic.

"There!"

[Got it!]

Arti increased her speed even further, chasing the enemy.

At that moment, a massive summoning circle appeared in the air, and a blood-clot golem was completed.

[Blood Golem? How presumptuous! You think you can stop me with a mere lump of blood like this?]

Arti, wearing a scornful expression, spread her wings wide.

Crack-Crack! Kwagagagagagagagak-!

Intense sparks began to fly from the magical armor she wore.

Unlike young Fiora and Wingless Kirian, Arti was literally a fully intact one of the three great familiars.

Unlike the two familiars who needed Leo's assistance, Arti was a powerful familiar with immense strength all on her own.

However, in response to Arti's power, huge bones began to form within the Blood Golem's body.

Along with that, flesh sprouted all over its body.

'It's a fusion.'

It was a fusion of a Bone Golem and a Flesh Golem, using the Blood Golem as a base.

'The materials used for the fusion… are they from a Gigantes?'

Leo channeled spiritual power into the golem, which was made from the corpse of the strongest beast.

Crack-Crack-Crack-Crack-!

Whoosh-!

Suddenly, Arti's wings grew even larger.

Arti's eyes widened when she saw it.

'This runt…? He awakened my potential?'

Awakening the potential of an adult familiar.

Unlike simply drawing out the potential of a growing familiar, this was a powerful and difficult technique that drew out hidden powers that the familiar itself was not even aware of.

Literally, it was impossible without overwhelming competence as a familiar master.

Kwagagagagak-!

Tracing a white flash, Arti pierced a hole in the golem's chest and charged towards the enemy's back.

At that moment.

Whoosh-!

The demon disappeared.

Kwagagagagang-!

Along with that, the curse was broken, and a loud noise echoed through the Grand Library.

"What's going on!"

"Who caused such a disturbance in the Grand Library!"

The voices of enraged librarians were heard.

[Who exactly are you… ]

"Let's talk about it later."

Feeling people gathering, Leo sent Arti back to her original place.

It would be a headache if it became known that Leo had summoned a Pegasus.

Leo, who had sent Arti back, raised his head.

And he narrowed his eyes, looking at the door in front of him.

'Here is…?'

***

Leo, who had used his abilities in the Grand Library in the middle of the night, was escorted directly to the Hero's Tower.

Using abilities in the Grand Library was not merely a violation of rules.

It was an act severe enough that expulsion would not be surprising.

Fortunately, on this night, Leo and Shasha were the only students studying in the Grand Library.

Shasha accompanied Leo to the Hero's Tower as a witness.

"Please enter, Student Leo Flobe."

Ellena, the principal's secretary, said in a cold voice.

Leo glanced at Ellena for a moment, then entered the principal's office.

Shasha tried to follow Leo.

"Princess Shasha, please wait."

Shasha made a displeased expression at Ellena's restraint but soon nodded.

She, too, realized the seriousness of the matter.

'This is big trouble. Did he summon Pegasus and cause a rampage? But how did he suddenly disappear and appear outside?'

Shasha was also feeling various confusions.

Leo walked directly into the principal's office.

There were three people in the principal's office.

Principal Kalian, Vice Principal Reuben.

And Professor Brian, known for his strictness, who was in charge of the Grand Library of Lumerne.

"Explain yourself, Leo Flobe! The reason you dared to commit a grave sin by violating the rules in the sacred Grand Library!"

Brian shouted, stroking his white beard with an agitated voice.

Seeing this, Leo scratched his cheek.

"It was a mistake."

"A mistake? A mistake!"

Sparks flew from Brian's eyes.

It was when the agitated Brian was about to shout.

"Just calm down for a moment, Professor Brian."

"P-Principal!"

"I understand why you're angry, but the Vice Principal and I will speak with Student Leo first. After that, we will determine the level of disciplinary action."

At those words, Brian nodded and left the principal's office.

And he inwardly clicked his tongue.

'He's a class representative, I don't know what he's thinking. A disciplinary action would be a big blow.'

Brian thought that this incident, whether intentional or accidental, could not simply be overlooked.

After he left and only the three remained, Kalian stroked his beard and said.

"There's no need for preamble between us, is there? I'll ask directly, Student Leo."

Kalian narrowed his eyes.

"Was it Tartaros?"

"Yes."

"Did you happen to find out their objective?"

"I couldn't ascertain their objective, but it seemed certain that the Hero's World was their target."

"The Hero's World?"

"Yes. He seemed to be targeting the Hall of Heroes."