Book 1 Chapter 165
165
Kalian and Lieven looked serious after hearing from Leo about what happened in the Grand Archives.
“From your explanation, it seems to be the ‘Curse of Blocking.’”
“Curse of Blocking?”
“That’s right.”
Kalian nodded.
“It’s a curse that creates a blocked space. High-ranking demons in Tartarus use it when they invade.”
It was indeed a curse Leo didn't know.
‘They change too.’
“Was the reason they targeted the Hall of Heroes an extension of destroying Hero Records, like in Luna’s world?”
Lieven muttered with a serious face, and Kalian nodded.
“There’s a high probability of that.”
“Then why the Hall of Heroes? There are no Hero Records in the Hall of Heroes?”
Lieven was right.
The place where Hero Records slept was the Forbidden Library.
And the Forbidden Library was not a space that could be invaded by curses.
Protected by all sorts of safeguards and anti-curse magic, it was not a place Tartarus dared to invade.
“Even if there are no Hero Records, there are ‘keys’ that can open the Hero Records. They must have targeted those keys.”
Lieven nodded at Kalian’s words.
“They are certainly making overt moves.”
When 600 outsiders were allowed into the school, some level of invasion was expected.
‘Even if they had entered the Hall of Heroes, they wouldn’t have been able to take the hero’s artifacts, though.’
Kalian, who was muttering to himself, looked at Leo.
‘To notice the Curse of Blocking. Are his senses extremely keen?’
A first-year student stopped a high-ranking demon using the Curse of Blocking.
He was always a student who surprised them in many ways.
Feeling curious, Kalian propped his chin and asked,
“Student Leo. That demon would have been too much for your current skill level. How exactly did you stop him?”
“It was thanks to Pegasus.”
“Pegasus?”
Kalian’s eyes widened.
He had already heard that Leo was a contractor of the Phoenix.
But this was the first time he heard about Pegasus.
As Lieven also looked greatly surprised, Leo explained how he came to summon Arty.
“Hoho. Amazing.”
Kalian exclaimed in admiration and nodded.
Lieven stared intently at Leo and recalled the words of the Lord and Melina.
‘Please help Leo Flover a lot.’
‘Did the Lord see through such capabilities?’
Seeing Leo, who seemed to be born to be a hero, Lieven said,
“Leo Flover. As you know, please keep silent about this matter.”
“Yes.”
“And is there anything you want? Didn’t you stop Tartarus? I believe a reward is necessary.”
If he had caused a disturbance in the Grand Archives for no reason, that would be one thing.
But if it was to stop a demon, and he succeeded, a reward was certainly necessary.
“Nothing comes to mind… Ah.”
“What is it?”
“Can you support my club?”
“Club?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. I will support it.”
Lieven nodded.
“It’s late now, so you should go. We’ll take care of the rest.”
At those words, Leo left the principal’s office.
Once the two were left alone, Kalian spoke.
“We expected it, but they’ve made their move after all.”
At that, Lieven said,
“Should the joint classes be stopped as is?”
“No. Even if we send all the students from other schools away, they would have already made their moves. And if we leave things as they are, they’ll try to contact those inside Lumen in some way.”
Kalian curved the corners of his mouth.
“Haven’t we already identified the list?”
“That’s true.”
“It would be best to sweep them away all at once with this opportunity.”
***
Leaving the principal’s office and exiting the Tower of Heroes, Leo found Sasha sitting on a bench at the entrance, waiting.
Sasha stood up when she saw Leo.
“How did it go?”
“I received a warning.”
“Is it because of me?”
“It’s not like that.”
Sasha, who had been looking worried, let out a small sigh of relief.
“By the way, to really summon Arty. How did you do it?”
Sasha was bewildered, having not expected Leo to be able to summon Pegasus with his insufficient spiritual power.
Seeing Sasha like that, Leo raised his hand.
Flash!
A summoning circle appeared above Leo’s hand.
Sasha’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Wait a minute! That’s…!”
It was none other than Arty’s summoning circle that floated above Leo’s hand.
A little while ago, during the process of Leo summoning Arty and fighting together, Leo had taken the initiative in the contract.
As Leo initiated the summoning, the summoning circle opened, and a polymorphed Arty revealed her face.
With her pure white hair fluttering, Arty glared at Leo.
“You. You forced me into the summoning circle without my permission, didn’t you?”
“It was urgent.”
“Aren’t you handling me too roughly?”
Arty grumbled as she stepped out of the summoning circle and crossed her arms.
Unlike a moment ago, Arty was wearing a white dress instead of armor.
Arty, who was glaring at Leo with her arms crossed, waved her hand at Sasha.
“Hello, Sasha.”
“Arty! What happened? Why did Senior Leo become the subject of the contract?”
Seeing Sasha’s bewildered face, Arty sighed deeply.
“It’s complicated to explain. This person has taken the initiative of the pact with me, which you inherited from the former emperor.”
“Th-that’s impossible!”
Sasha’s face turned pale.
Arty was a family heirloom passed down through the Rodren Imperial Family for generations.
But even so, as a Pegasus with a will, they could not restrain her.
Originally, Arty remained a pact member of the Rodren Imperial Family because of the request of the first emperor.
Now, Arty’s pact had passed to Leo.
Leo chuckled, looking at Sasha.
“Didn’t I say I’d acknowledge the contract if I succeeded in summoning Pegasus?”
“Oh, Sasha. Did you sell me to this man?”
Arty’s eyes widened.
“Th-that is…! Th-that…!”
Tears welled up in Sasha’s eyes as she alternately looked at Leo and Arty, her face pale.
“Senior Leo! I was wrong! I’ll do everything I can for you, so please, could you give Arty back?”
“No need.”
Leo said mercilessly and walked away, and Sasha grabbed Leo’s foot and clung to him.
“Please, I beg you! I’ll plead like this!”
Even the Crown Princess of the Empire was crying and begging!
It was something she couldn’t complain about anywhere.
If this became known, the Empire would not only suffer immense humiliation, but it would also be revealed that Sasha had carelessly gambled with Arty, and she could be stripped of her position as Crown Princess.
If anyone had seen it, their eyes would have widened in surprise, but fortunately, it was late at night, and no one was around.
Dragging Sasha, who was clinging to his foot, Leo clicked his tongue and pulled his foot out of Sasha’s hand.
“Let go.”
Having said that, Leo walked with heavy steps to a nearby bench, then poked the ground in front of him with his toe and said,
“Kneel down here.”
At those words, Sasha, without even thinking to wipe the tears from her cheeks, came before Leo and knelt down.
The moment she knelt, her body trembled slightly with immense humiliation.
But she could not defy the man in front of her now.
Sasha was destined to be at the pinnacle of imperial power, but she was not yet at the peak.
She was solidifying her position as successor, but if she made a big mistake, everything she had built could crumble like a sandcastle at any time.
And now was the crisis where everything could collapse.
It was no exaggeration to say that her fate rested in Leo’s hands.
No matter how much she had studied statesmanship and lived to become an empress, she was still a 14-year-old girl.
The fear of losing everything was enough to crush her, making her obedient.
Looking down at Sasha, who was trembling, Leo crossed his legs and propped his chin.
“I know you are a summoner with outstanding talent. But you should have considered that there are many people more remarkable than you among your peers. To gamble with a pact member out of arrogance? And you call yourself a summoner?”
An imposing aura emanated from Leo’s red eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Sasha flinched her shoulders.
Arty nodded from beside them.
“There’s a limit to being childish. As a summoner, and as an empress who will lead a nation. Acting rashly brings trouble. You. You’re close with Celia and Chelsea, aren’t you?”
“Yes, y-yes.”
“Didn’t they warn you to be careful when dealing with me?”
“…”
Sasha hung her head low.
Seeing her, Leo clicked his tongue.
“Moreover, that bet earlier was a huge disrespect to your pact member, you know?”
Leo looked at Arty, who was watching them.
“It’s not because she’s a Pegasus. The reason a summoner calls their summon a pact member is that it means a life partner. Treating them with care is fundamental as a summoner.”
Sasha hung her head low.
She was speechless.
Leo chuckled, looking at Sasha.
“Well. You’re a 14-year-old child, so you can certainly make mistakes. But if you aim to be a hero. And if you want to be an empress who leads a nation, don’t forget today’s events.”
Hum—
Leo created Arty’s summoning circle on his palm.
“Take it.”
“Yes?”
Sasha’s eyes widened.
“A-are you giving her back?”
“I don’t take other people’s summons.”
Sasha looked confused, seeing Leo speak indifferently.
‘To return her so readily.’
She wondered if it was to avoid making an enemy of the Rodren Empire, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
Pegasus was a powerful force, capable of swaying an entire nation.
Given Leo’s abilities, any faction would be desperate to recruit him.
What if he was also a Pegasus summoner?
It went without saying.
If Leo decided to join a powerful faction in another region, there would be little the Rodren Empire, despite being the hegemon of the West, could do.
‘Is it because his maternal family is the Zerdingers? No, that’s not it either.’
Even so, he would try to get what he wanted from her.
But Leo truly wanted nothing and was trying to return the sovereignty of the contract.
‘To have a Pegasus, for whom a summoner would dedicate their soul, in his hands, and yet return her so readily.’
Looking up at Leo, Sasha felt a strange emotion.
Under the moonlight, Leo’s appearance exuded an absolute dignity in some way.
It was as if he was looking down on her from a high place.
The gap she had inwardly thought wasn’t that big now felt overwhelming.
‘His vessel is different.’
The girl who had studied her whole life to become an empress had a certain ability to discern people.
That’s why she instinctively knew.
‘He’s a vessel I can’t possibly contain.’
Thinking that she looked up to him, Sasha, with a trembling heart, reached out her hand to the summoning circle Leo offered.
If she received that back, she would regain the sovereignty of the contract.
It was then.
“Wait.”
Arty interjected.
“Isn’t my opinion important?”
Seeing Arty grumbling with a voice full of complaint, Sasha wore a bewildered expression.
Leo spoke in a lukewarm voice.
“Your original pact member is the Rodren family anyway.”
“That’s right. My thoughts haven’t changed, but…”
Arty smiled broadly.
“Having experienced you as a summoner, I don’t want to go back to Sasha just yet, you know?”
“What? Arty! What do you mean by that?!”
As Sasha was startled, Arty smiled.
“Don’t worry. As I said earlier, I’m not thinking of leaving forever. However…”
Arty approached Leo.
Then she put her nose to his head, sniffed, and tilted her head.
“It’s curious, you know. The more I see you, the more I’m drawn to you.”
Arty was instinctively drawn to Leo.
It was an unavoidable fact.
‘Is it because of my mana characteristic?’
Leo’s mana characteristic was Purity.
And the pure white phantom beast, Pegasus, was a phantom beast drawn to purity.
In a way, it was no exaggeration to say that Leo was a born pact member of Pegasus.
That was also the reason why he could easily make a contract with Pegasus in his previous life.
“I want to watch over you a bit longer, Leo Flover.”
“Just go back. You’ll suffer if you stay with me.”
“Oh? A contractor who exudes danger? That’s my type too.”
Arty smiled brightly.
“And you said it yourself.”
“…?”
“You said that once I experienced your technique, I wouldn’t be able to be satisfied with anyone else.”
Arty covered her face, looking ecstatic.
“You were right. I thought you were just an overly enthusiastic rookie, but you possessed such skill. You are the ideal summoner I’ve always wanted.”
Arty said with a flushed face.
“So, I want to follow you for a while until I’m satisfied.”
“Just go.”
“No, if I go back to Sasha without being satisfied, your touch will keep coming back to me every night, you know. You were the only one in my entire life who could perfectly grasp and handle me! A summoner who handles me perfectly! I’ve been waiting for someone who can be my master! Leo Flover!”
Sasha blushed, seeing Arty’s peculiar sight, twisting her body.
It was definitely about summoning skills, but her words and actions created a strangely odd misunderstanding.
At the sight, Leo pressed his temples.
He thought of his other contracted phantom beasts.
Two childish kids and one perverted adult.
‘I’d rather not have it get any more chaotic than this.’
“In that sense! Please take care of me for a while! Master!”