Book 1 Chapter 228
228
It was around evening when Celia entered the Imperial Magic Library with Leo's knights.
The people at the Imperial Magic Library looked surprised by Celia's visit.
Celia was such a famous figure that there was no one in the Empire who didn't know her.
However, since they were mages who knew she rarely entered the Imperial Magic Library, they couldn't help but look puzzled by her appearance.
And they looked at the Slayer Knights accompanying Celia.
“Zerdin's trainees?”
“Are those the trainees who entered Lumerne this time?”
“What? Did they come to show off?”
Dissatisfied reactions erupted from various places.
At those reactions, the Slayer Knights wore bewildered expressions.
In the Rodren Empire, not only Zerdin and Rualin, but also knights and mages had a strong sense of rivalry.
Thanks to five Zerdin trainees entering Lumerne this time, all the knights belonging to the Rodren Empire were in a festive mood.
On the other hand, the mages were looking at those knights with disdain.
“Lady Celia, may we stay here?”
When Martina asked cautiously, Celia chuckled and brushed her hair back.
“Yes. We just came to meet Leo. There's no need to be intimidated. Rather, you can enjoy these gazes.”
‘Lady Celia is amazing too.’
To enjoy such intense glares.
It was when Martina was shaking her head in amazement.
“How dare you shamelessly come here?”
Chelsea walked over, stomping.
Seeing such Chelsea, the Slayer Knights tensed up greatly.
‘Chelsea Rualin!’
She was a big shot, subject of many rumors even within the Zerdin family.
“We came to pick up Leo.”
“Brother Leo is talking with our aunt.”
Chelsea, who answered curtly, glanced at the Slayer Knights.
“Are those the knights of Brother Leo who entered Lumerne this time?”
“Yes.”
“Then we'll be seeing them often from now on.”
Abbad walked up behind Chelsea.
‘Even Abbad Rualin!’
As big shots appeared one after another, the entire Slayer Knights couldn't help but become extremely tense.
These were the seniors who formed the core of Lumerne's Golden Generation.
It was when several gazes intersected.
“What a rare occasion. Three people together in the Imperial Magic Library.”
At the voice from behind, everyone's gaze turned there.
A girl with brilliant golden hair was walking, accompanied by imperial knights and mages on her left and right.
All the mages who were visiting the Imperial Magic Library knelt and bowed their heads.
The Slayer Knights also knelt and paid their respects as knights.
Celia, Abbad, and Chelsea did not kneel, but bowed their heads, showing the respect of subjects.
It was the appearance of Sasha, the next Empress of Rodren.
“Welcome, Your Imperial Highness.”
Abbad, who held the highest external status among those present, greeted the princess as their representative.
Celia, Abbad, Chelsea, and Sasha were childhood friends who had been together since they were young, and their bond was strong.
In private, they spoke casually, but in public, they used honorifics.
Sasha smiled, watching Abbad extend his hand and kiss her hand.
“Abbad, you are always so graceful.”
“You flatter me.”
“Ugh. So cheesy.”
When Sasha spoke playfully, Abbad responded smoothly, and Celia subtly stuck out her tongue.
Chelsea glared at Celia with narrowed, angry eyes.
They were future power brokers who would eventually lead the Empire, but they were also, inevitably, mid-teen boys and girls.
It was while they were playing like that.
“By the way, Your Imperial Highness Sasha, what brings you to the Imperial Magic Library?”
“I came to meet Leo Flove. To invite him to my Lumerne admission celebration party.”
“Did you come yourself for that? It's something you could have sent someone for…”
“Because you, as well as Leo Flove, the Phoenix Summoner, will be of great help to me in my school life.”
Sasha, smiling shyly, asked.
“So, where is Leo Flove?”
“He is currently in an interview with the deputy head of the main family.”
“I see. Shall we wait a moment then?”
At the princess's appearance, the Imperial Magic Library bustled with activity.
Leo's knights, feeling tense, were about to line up beside Celia.
“You all are also entering Lumerne this time, aren't you?”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.”
Martina bowed her head as their representative.
Sasha smiled brightly, looking at Martina.
“I look forward to being classmates with you. Please all come to the party.”
“It would be an honor, Your Highness.”
Martina paid her respects.
As Zerdin trainees, they had also properly learned etiquette education, so it was flawless.
It was then.
Someone who appeared to be Sasha's attendant approached and spoke softly to Sasha.
Sasha, having heard the report, widened her eyes.
“What? A spar? With the representative of Azonia?”
***
“Hmph, Black Rabbit. You've finally decided to spar with me.”
Ar stood in the middle of a wide clearing with a proud expression.
Seeing such Ar, Leo said.
“Didn't I tell you a moment ago? That we're sparring to see how well you handle Arion's beast transformation ability.”
“Of course!”
Ar puffed out his chest.
“I'm handling it perfectly!”
“Well, we'll see about that.”
Leo raised his wooden sword.
Seeing such Leo, Ar lowered his stance as if to spring out at any moment.
Like a cat stalking its prey, he put both hands on the ground and raised his rear.
‘Is this the first time I'm sparring with the Black Rabbit like this?’
Ar's eyes sparkled.
‘The Black Rabbit's skill, which I only saw during the Azonia entrance exam before, was amazing.’
After that, Leo also rose to the position of Lumerne's youngest student council president.
‘And he was amazing during the entrance exam as well.’
His ears twitched, and his tail wagged.
Ar, displaying the beastman's unique battle-crazed disposition without fail, bent his knees.
Seeing such Ar, Leo took a step.
Thump-! Whoosh-!
That became the signal, and Ar charged.
Ar, who disappeared as if vanishing from his spot, closed the distance with Leo at incredible speed.
The beastman's unique superior physical abilities and the power of aura combined.
Swoosh-!
Ar swung his hand.
Towards Ar's fist, Leo swung his sword, imbued with aura.
Clang-!
A sound like iron clashing rang out.
Kagagagagak-!
Sparks flew from Ar's hand, which had gripped Leo's sword.
Thwack-!
“……!”
When Leo pushed him away, Ar's eyes widened greatly.
It wasn't that he was outmatched in aura power.
‘I lost in pure strength.’
Ar snorted.
‘Amazing!’
Due to racial characteristics, humans are inherently inferior in physical abilities compared to beastmen.
But Leo had overturned such racial characteristics.
‘Excitement!’
Ar's eyes sparkled.
It didn't matter if he was pushed back in strength.
Among Azonia's classmates, there were plenty of students stronger than Ar.
Nevertheless, what made Ar the class representative of Azonia was his flexibility and speed.
Whoosh-!
Ar jumped from his spot, his heel aiming for Leo's arm.
Thud-!
Stagger-!
Leo's knee buckled as he blocked Ar's attack.
As Leo tried to counterattack, the claws on Ar's opposite hand gleamed sharply.
Swoosh-!
When Ar swung his hand, Leo parried the attack with his remaining hand.
Whoosh-thwack-!
Ar, having escaped Leo's grasp, did a somersault and landed on the ground.
“Yah!”
And he took an attacking stance.
Leo tilted his head at the stinging sensation on his cheek.
Ar licked the blood from his fingertips, forming a cat-like smile.
“Hmm.”
Leo chuckled.
“Impressive.”
“Black Rabbit, you're amazing. To be that good without even fully demonstrating your skills yet.”
“Isn't that the same for both of us?”
Fwoosh-
A fiery aura rose from Leo's body.
Seeing such Leo, Ar clenched his fists tightly and trembled.
‘He intends to go all out. In that case, I will too…’
Swoosh-
A golden aura shimmered around Ar's body.
Seeing that, Leo narrowed his eyes.
It was a very familiar aura.
A friend who stood at the forefront in impossible battles.
‘Arion's aura.’
Accordingly, changes came to Ar's body as well.
His eyes sharpened like a cat's, and his claws became even more pointed.
It's basically called beast transformation, but there isn't much change in external appearance.
The characteristics of the inherent beast are further enhanced, and physical abilities overwhelmingly increase.
“Grrr-!”
A sound like a cat growling echoed from Ar's throat.
‘He's coming.’
The moment Leo thought that.
Thwack-!
The ground where Ar had stood was deeply dented.
Leo's transcendent kinetic vision quickly followed Ar's movements.
But before his body could react, Ar's kick struck Leo's shoulder.
Bang-!
Leo was sent flying and slammed into a wall.
This was the magic training ground attached to the Imperial Magic Library.
Because of that, it was spacious, and since it was late, there were no people using it.
‘But if a sound this loud was heard, people might come.’
Thud-thud-thud-!
Leo broke free from the wall and quickly ducked his head.
Crash-! Crrrack! Kwagagagagang-!
Ar's fist struck where Leo had been.
Cracks appeared in the wall, and it crumbled down.
‘He's definitely a monster.’
Leo clicked his tongue in amazement.
Overwhelming physical ability.
‘It's definitely Arion's beast transformation ability.’
Leo closed his eyes, watching Ar, who was charging like a berserker, claws raised and teeth bared.
‘Though I can't use it properly yet.’
Swoosh-
Leo's eyes opened.
Ar, startled for a moment, hastily put distance between himself and Leo.
And with his fur standing on end, he wary of Leo.
Ar broke out in a cold sweat.
‘For a moment, from the Black Rabbit… I saw Arion-nim's shadow.’
Arion's appearance, which he had seen firsthand in the world of heroes, flashed through his mind.
Ar shook his head vigorously.
‘It's a mistake, a mistake.’
He was overwhelmed by the momentum.
Thinking so, Ar emitted an even more powerful aura.
A golden energy appeared in Ar's aura.
‘I'll settle this with the next attack!’
He was dominating the fight.
‘I must defeat him quickly before he uses magic or summoning!’
Swoosh-!
Ar closed the distance with Leo.
Instantly-
Crack-!
Veins bulged on Leo's hand.
Swoosh-!
The moment Ar reached close to Leo.
Grab-!
“Nya-hak?”
Leo's palm covered Ar's face.
Thud-!
In an instant, Leo slammed Ar into the ground.
“Sorry.”
Under the moonlit night sky, Leo apologized to the dazed Ar.
“It's my first time using this ability, you see. I can't control my strength.”
Leo, who had subdued Ar with a single blow, stood up and looked down at his mangled right hand.
“If I use this incorrectly, I might self-destruct.”
His arm was swollen, unable to withstand the explosive power of the aura.
Ar called out to the sighing Leo, still dazed.
“Black Rabbit.”
“Why?”
“Were you a wolf, not a rabbit?”
What caught Ar's eye was Leo's shining golden right eye.
It was reminiscent of a transformed wolf beastman's eye.
And Ar thought it looked very similar to the eyes of a certain beastman he knew.
‘Arion-nim.’
Leo chuckled, looking at the dazed Ar.
“Wolf my ass. I'm human. I was just imitating my friend. Though I can't even reach his toes.”
Leo had obtained three rewards from clearing Arion's world before.
Elsi. Arion's Breath, and the Book of Agon.
The Book of Agon was the original text of the Aura Heart Method that Arion used.
And based on this book, after long research, Leo was able to use Arion's awakened ability, which he had obtained in Arion's world.
‘I became able to use his power, just like in my previous life. Though it's only a part and in this state.’
Leo looked at his tattered right hand.
‘Still, I can imitate him now.’
Leo's eyes returned to their original color.
Then he said.
“It seems like you're the one who should be transferring, not me.”
“Huh?”
“You're being swayed by the Hero's beast transformation ability.”