Book 1 Chapter 193

193

Crackling.

That night.

"A first-year student going camping with a second-year senior. You're really enjoying school life, aren't you? I'm jealous."

Jin grumbled.

At his words, Lil tilted her head.

"Is this what enjoying school life is like?"

"Of course. In my day, it was all training."

Jin shuddered, recalling his school days.

Watching him, Lil was impressed.

"That's why you made it onto the Hero Record! That's amazing! I want to emulate that too!"

"Fame is good, and great deeds are good, but enjoy your school days a bit. This is advice from a senior. Dress up a little too. You're pretty now, but you'll be even prettier if you dress up."

At Jin's words, Lil blinked.

"Is that so? Does Leo think so too?"

"Well. It's good to enjoy your teens."

"A junior I can talk to."

Hearing Leo's words, Jin chuckled.

"So, what is a hero who made it onto the Hero Record doing in a place like this? If you're an active hero, shouldn't you be fighting on the front lines against Tartarus or conquering dungeons?"

At Leo's question, Jin nodded.

"That's right. I was originally on the southern front against Tartarus."

The Tartarus southern front, where the hero guild belonging to Rumern was active.

The supreme commander there was none other than Rumern's chairman and the head of the Zerone family.

Altech Zerone, known as the 'Infinity Speller'.

"But there was a hero summons recently from Rumern."

At his words, Leo and Lil's expressions turned surprised.

"Those who were on crucial top-secret missions or conquering dungeons didn't respond, but most of those who had a little free time did."

'Hero summons. The guests the principal mentioned were heroes.'

One of the reasons why hero academies, including Rumern, have such a massive influence on the world.

It is the hero summons.

The absolute authority to summon heroes from Rumern who have made it onto the Hero Record.

Just having the authority to summon heroes who can bring about global change and sway world affairs is immense power.

"It's because of the Ruse War."

"That's right."

At Leo's words, Jin crossed his arms.

"This Ruse War is being held in Seirune. So, the students who will fight in the Ruse War and the faculty who will lead them, the school can't help but be concerned about an empty school."

Not long ago, there was an attack by Tartarus.

Rumern did not want to leave school defenses lax.

So, they chose the hero summons.

Summoning active heroes to protect the school.

"Well, some of them will be going to Seirune with us, though."

"To Seirune?"

"Yes. I don't know why, but the principal said so. There must be a reason, right?"

Saying that, Jin gave a knowing smile.

Leo understood the meaning of that smile well.

'Seirune is not much different from Rumern.'

Leo recalled the mid-term exams last semester.

Lautha, a second-year student at Seirune.

He was a traitor who took orders from the Commander King.

It's unlikely that Lautha was the only such student.

Seirune is not publicly revealing this fact due to school honor.

However, they are secretly hunting down traitors.

'But it won't be easy.'

Even Rumern couldn't catch a whiff of Tartarus until they started moving in earnest.

Even Leo, who was skilled at capturing and killing Tartarus, was the same.

In such a situation, it's unknown how well Seirune tracked internal spies.

'It's to prepare for any contingencies during the Ruse War.'

Of course, for Tartarus, attacking a place where the forces of both schools are concentrated would be a reckless plan.

'But you never know what plan they're cooking up.'

Leo thought of the Commander King, Hell Kaiser, and frowned.

A terrifying disaster.

With Erebus sealed, he was the most threatening monster in the world now.

"By the way, are you still planning on going to Zerodia Castle?"

"Yes. The target of this mission seems to be an abyss spirit."

At Jin's question, Lil nodded.

The mission was to escort a distinguished guest from Zerodia Castle to Rumern.

If the abyss spirit is at Zerodia Castle now, the distinguished guest mentioned by Rumern must be the abyss spirit.

'Rumern would be able to invite even a Great Spirit as a guest.'

The problem is that this abyss spirit dislikes humans.

Even if they accept the invitation, their mind could change at any moment.

That's probably why they sent Lil.

Spirits are instinctively attracted to excellent spirit masters.

There is no spirit master better suited than Lil to invite an abyss spirit who dislikes humans.

Lil also realized this and intended to continue the mission.

"In any case, I have to meet the abyss spirit."

At Lil's words, Jin rested his chin on his hand.

"Then I'll help you."

Hearing Jin's words, Lil's eyes widened.

"It will be difficult for you alone to deal with a Great Spirit. You might have to abandon the mission without even meeting them."

"If Jin-nim joins, I would be welcomed… but I hope it's not a burden."

"Don't worry about that. I'm also curious about the skill level of the summon students."

With a knowing smile, Jin glanced at Leo.

"And about the rumored all-class skills too."

At those words, Leo chuckled.

"I'll try my best to meet your expectations."

"I'm looking forward to it."

***

The next day.

The Leo and Lil party, with Jin joining them, headed back to Zerodia Castle.

As the oldest and an active hero, Jin took a slightly detached, observer-like stance behind the two.

He said he would help, but that didn't mean he would take the lead in the party.

"I'm nervous. It feels like I'm being tested by a hero."

"Don't be too nervous."

"Aren't you nervous, Leo?"

"No."

"That's amazing, Leo. You seem like such an experienced person even though you're a first-year."

Lil looked at Leo with envy.

"I'll go ahead."

Leo took the front position.

As he walked ahead, Leo fell into thought.

'A spirit that dislikes humans. What do you think, Elsi?'

[I don't know. I've never disliked anyone.]

Elsi shook her head.

Leo smiled bitterly inwardly at Elsi's reaction.

Elsi cautiously asked, noticing Leo's reaction.

[You said the Elsi you remember disliked people, right?]

'Yes.'

[You said it was because all the children in the orphanage died, right?]

It was unimaginable.

A self who hated the world and loathed people.

Elsi fell into contemplation.

She had liked people from birth.

She was drawn to the existence of spirit masters and thought their efforts shone.

During the Age of Calamity.

Agon, who spoke of hope to the children struggling in the orphanage, seemed radiant.

Elsi had always yearned for light from birth.

She thought it might be due to her dark-attribute spirit nature.

Everyone yearns for what they don't have.

So she dreamed of the stars in the night sky, which she had never seen.

The children in the orphanage, who didn't lose hope even in despairing days, were in a sense like the stars in the night sky to Elsi.

'Even though it ended in tragedy.'

Even though the world of heroes changed…

Elsi wore a sad expression at the fact that history had not changed.

But…

'Kyle saved the world. He found the world's light and showed me a brightly shining night sky.'

Elsi liked people even more now.

The people she watched with Leo were many who shone like stars.

Perhaps other spirits are not different from her.

Spirits are inherently beings who like humans.

It is the instinct of spirits to be drawn to humans and want to watch them.

For such a spirit to dislike humans.

[Doesn't the fact that that abyss spirit, a dark spirit, dislikes humans… mean it has experienced something terrible?]

'It must be.'

[……]

Even the self who hated the world, unaware of herself, eventually made a contract with Kyle to protect the world.

'I must have been looking for an answer too.'

She must not have been able to hate people in the end.

[Leo, I want to talk to that spirit.]

At those words, Leo paused.

Months had passed since Elsi left the world of heroes.

This was the first time.

Elsi had a desire.

Fiora, who whimpered for chocolate every day.

Kiran, who bothered her, demanding preferential treatment.

Arty, who bought a riding crop and asked to be treated more harshly.

Unlike the three eccentric beast-gods, Elsi had always quietly gazed at the night sky and never expressed her desires.

She only said she hoped it would be helpful to Leo's actions.

This was the first time Elsi had shown 'will'.

Facing a Great Spirit hostile to humans is dangerous.

But…

'Yes.'

Leo nodded.

Leo, who knew Elsi's past, found it difficult to refuse her request.

'I'll make some space for it.'

[Thank you!]

***

An hour had passed since entering Zerodia Castle.

The presence of spirits that fiercely tried to expel intruders last night was not felt at all.

Anyone else would have thought that the Great Spirit had left.

But Leo, Lil, and Jin.

All three were formidable spirit masters.

Especially Leo, who was a former Great Hero of all classes, and Jin, a hero who made it onto the Hero Record through spirit techniques.

They were aware that the abyss spirit's influence still remained in Zerodia Castle.

"It's making me more uneasy because it's so quiet."

As Jin entered the center of the castle grounds and muttered with a frown.

Whoosh-!

In an instant, darkness spread across the floor.

Seeing that, Jin urgently raised his spiritual power and reached out to Leo and Lil, who were walking ahead.

But before Jin's hand could reach them, Leo and Lil were sucked into the darkness.

"Tsk."

Jin clicked his tongue and tried to follow the two.

But countless spirits appeared before Jin.

"You only have business with fresh students?"

Jin frowned.

"You're not interested in an old man like me? How rude."

Groooan-!

Seeing the numerous high-ranking spirits blocking his path, Jin drew his curved sword and raised his aura and spiritual power.

"If you lay a finger on the students, I won't let you go, Abyss Spirit!"

Jin, his lighthearted demeanor gone, glared and charged at the high-ranking spirits.

Leo and Lil, who were sucked into the darkness, fell straight to the castle's basement.

Swish-! Thump-! Thump-!

Landing on the ground, the two simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.

[Welcome, hero candidates.]

At the voice that echoed from straight ahead, the two looked forward.

There stood a young man with pitch-black hair and eyes.

His face was shadowed, and his entire body was covered in a dark hood and cloak.

Lil tensed at his appearance, like a grim reaper from a story.

"Are you the abyss spirit?"

[Yes.]

With a voice devoid of emotion, Lil, tense, took out the mission scroll from her pocket.

"I received a mission from Rumern to escort a distinguished guest to the school. I believe you, the abyss spirit, are the distinguished guest invited by the school… Is that correct?"

[Rumern did invite me.]

Hearing the abyss spirit's words, Lil's expression brightened.

"Hello! Abyss Spirit, my name is Lil Luce. I came to escort you…"

[I'm not interested.]

"Yes."

[Rumern invited me to arrange a contractor.]

The abyss spirit stared directly at the flustered Lil.

[However, I keep wondering if a contract with a human is worth it. Especially you, the human girl holding the mission scroll. You must be Rumern's most promising potential contractor candidate.]

"M-Me?"

Lil looked surprised and pointed at Leo.

"Um… well… I have a better summoner than me. He's a first-year and the student council president. Me, the abyss spirit's contractor candidate? It doesn't make sense."

At Lil's words, the abyss spirit looked at Leo.

[Even looking at him, he seems to lack the qualifications as a spirit master.]

At those words, Leo chuckled.

It was true.

In terms of spirit master qualifications alone, Leo was pathetic compared to Lil.

[Lil Luce, your coming to me is a kind of test to determine if you can be my contractor.]

"Oh my… me, a potential contractor for a Great Spirit! Aren't you mistaken?"

[Whether it's a mistake or not doesn't matter. I have no intention of making a contract anyway. I accepted the invitation only because of my connection with Kalian and Rivens. I thought they would send potential contractors if I settled here.]

Hearing that, Leo thought inwardly.

'Rumern, indeed. They even arrange contracts between Great Spirits and students.'

In the rapidly changing world situation, Rumern would have wanted to nurture contractors for Great Spirits.

'But it's more twisted than I thought.'

Leo was wary of the abyss spirit.

[So, if a potential contractor came, I intended to test them in my own way. But I didn't expect them to send an Undine Knight.]

At the abyss spirit's words, Leo's eyes twitched.

[It seems you noticed that I would prepare a somewhat dangerous test.]

Swoosh-

In an instant, the floor where Leo and Lil stood began to sink like a swamp.

Looking at the floor, darkness slowly began to swallow their bodies.

"W-What!"

[I told you. I prepared a test in my own way. I am a spirit of darkness. I only intend to contract with someone who can accept my darkness.]

The abyss spirit smirked.

[Try to bear my darkness once.]

"Th-Then I'll bear it alone! Leo came not because the school sent him, but because I asked him to!"

Lil shouted urgently.

Hearing that, the abyss spirit showed a bored expression.

[That's none of my business.]

"Hmph! Leo! Run! This is dangerous!"

Lil struggled against the darkness and tried to pull Leo out of the dark swamp.

But the more she struggled, the faster she was swallowed by the darkness.

"N-No…"

Lil, whose neck was now submerged, looked at Leo with worried eyes.

"Leo, I'm sorry… Hhup-!"

Lil was swallowed by the darkness first.

Watching that, Leo glanced at the abyss spirit.

He saw the abyss spirit with its eyes closed, as if it had lost interest.

Along with it, a deep darkness descended.

His body was dark, as if submerged in water where no light could penetrate.

Instantly- Leo gripped the Orb of Radiance around his neck.

Flash-!

In an instant, bright light emanated around him.

Whoosh-!

The abyss spirit, Ignis,'s eyes twitched.

"You're quite a mean-spirited spirit."

[How did you escape my darkness?]

Leo said as if it were nothing.

"I swallowed your darkness."

[That's impossible, right?]

To devour the power of a spirit of the same attribute, one needs at least a spirit of equal power.

But Ignis's power was that of a Great Spirit, the highest class among dark attributes.

Devouring it was impossible.

"It's impossible for a normal person."

Leo chuckled and looked at Ignis.

"But it's not impossible for a contractor of a dark spirit with the same power as you."

[That's absurd.]

[Hello.]

Then, from Leo's white hair, Elsi, the size of a palm, peeked out.

Seeing Elsi, Ignis scowled.

[Who are you?]

[My name is Elsi, a shadow spirit.]

Elsi smiled faintly.

[I want to talk to you.]