Book 1 Chapter 292

King of Wisdom, Lisinas.

Leader of the Great Heroes.

A wise dragon who led the world to salvation with her foresight.

The one who selected heroes and brought them together.

Lisinas, adorned with countless epithets, was the most praised Great Hero, regardless of race.

Her existence was that special.

However, aside from everything else, there was one thing that made her uniquely special.

'The Beginning of Everything.'

Everyone in the world had given up and accepted the world's destruction.

It was a time when all anyone could do was pray for survival each day.

A world even the gods had abandoned.

Without doubt, she believed in the salvation of that world and drew a grand blueprint.

Even when mocked as foolish, she steadily took one step at a time.

Thus, she gathered the Great Heroes, created hope, and gifted it to the world.

That is why everyone regarded Lisinas as special among the Great Heroes.

Truly a symbol of salvation.

Leo reached out towards the door of Lisinas's mansion.

Thump- Creak-!

The door opened with the sound of old hinges.

As Leo opened the door and stepped inside, the scenery of Lisinas's mansion once again revealed itself.

Upon opening the door and entering, he had returned to his original place.

Those not invited could not enter Lisinas's mansion.

This applied even to Great Heroes.

There was only one way to enter.

To unravel the illusion magic created by Lisinas.

However, with Leo's current magic, it was impossible to dismantle the magic.

Yet, Leo opened the door once more to enter Lisinas's mansion.

Leo knew.

The method to undo the illusion magic protecting the mansion.

Lisinas had taught the dismantling incantation to Kyle, and only him.

'Why teach it to me and not Luna, who was as close as a best friend?'

The question that had always bothered him resurfaced, and Leo stopped walking.

The look in Lisinas's eyes, which sometimes overtly cursed him, flashed through his mind.

The way Dwenow always looked at him with genuine pity also came to mind.

Lisinas's mansion, which no one could freely enter without her permission.

He, however, could enter it anytime he wished.

'No. She said she'd kill anyone who came in without permission.'

Recalling his friend's exceptionally fierce demeanor, Leo opened the mansion door again.

As the magic activated, he immediately used the dismantling incantation.

Woong-!

Creak- Click-!

The door closed, and the interior of the mansion was revealed.

'It's been a while here too.'

Leo moved forward, gazing briefly at the calm atmosphere inside Lisinas's house.

His destination was set.

'Lisinas's study.'

The treasury of knowledge held by the King of Wisdom.

Five thousand years later, in the distant future.

It was a space passed down through generations, from Dragon Lords to Melina.

Of course, the scale of Lisinas's study was far grander than this small mansion.

But the study itself was a space created by Lisinas.

Leo walked through the mansion with familiar steps and reached the library.

Click-!

The door opened, revealing the space of the study.

Thump-

Leo closed the door.

This study contained not only the literature and materials Lisinas had collected.

'Lisinas stored one of the Spirit Orbs here.'

The Spirit Orbs.

They were a type of token held by the Great Spirits, the kings of the spirits of each attribute.

Among them, the Orb of Light and the Orb of Darkness did not exist in this world.

The Orb of Darkness was annihilated during the Age of Calamity.

The Orb of Light faced a crisis of annihilation in the process of subduing the Legion Commander, the Gluttonous King Jörmungandr, with Kyle long ago. It was sealed with Luminous and then obtained by Kyle.

However, the Orbs of other Great Spirits have been passed down to this day.

The Orbs themselves possessed no special power.

But their historical value and symbolism were extremely important.

And during the Age of Calamity.

The owner of these Orbs was not a Great Spirit, but Lisinas.

'To be precise, the Great Spirits entrusted them to Lisinas.'

During the Age of Calamity.

The Great Spirits handed over the Orbs to Lisinas as tokens of their pact.

And Lisinas sealed the Great Spirits within those Orbs.

Of course, she didn't imprison them but made them reside within the Orbs.

Sealing Great Spirits within the Orbs incurred significant risks.

First. The range of movement for the Great Spirits was drastically reduced.

At best, the Great Spirits could move within Gardesron.

Second. Even the contractor, Lisinas, could not use the power of the Great Spirits without the Orb.

Lastly. No one other than Lisinas could form a contract with a Great Spirit.

Literally, even with outstanding spirit-controlling talent in this era, forming a contract with a Great Spirit was impossible.

The reason for sealing the Great Spirits in the Orbs, despite incurring such risks, was to protect Gardesron.

During the Age of Calamity.

Gardesron was the world's last bastion, accepting many people.

Although Reisar was called a refugee city, Gardesron's population was far greater than Reisar's.

And to maintain such Gardesron, light, water, fertile land, and clear air were necessary.

'The Spirit Lake where Kal, Ar, and Eiran were absent. The Fire Domain where Lunia and Dryadana went. All of them are the core that sustains Gardesron.'

And at the center of it all, the Spirit Orbs were kept.

Orbs that only Lisinas could touch.

'And this Orb is the key to conquering this world for the Hero.'

The Spirit Orbs are the essence of Lisinas's spiritual power and the power of the Great Spirits themselves.

If one could use them, they could wield Lisinas's power.

Naturally, since no one other than Lisinas could use them, they could be considered Lisinas's exclusive armament.

However…

'I have inherited Lisinas's power.'

Though the power has long since vanished.

The token of the pact Lisinas made existed with Leo.

'If I can summon Kathariu… it means I can use the Spirit Orbs as well.'

Thump-

Leo stopped walking.

In the center of the study.

A small, round, pearl-colored gem the size of a thumbnail was carefully preserved.

'The Orb of Wind.'

The Orb where Sylph, the Great Spirit of Wind, was sealed.

Leo approached the Orb and reached out his hand.

Woong-!

As Leo's hand touched it, the Orb reacted.

However, the sleeping Sylph did not open her eyes.

'Three more to go.'

Leo tucked the Orb into his embrace.

'The Giant King's invasion is in a week.'

Confirming past memories and the present moment, Leo took a deep breath.

'I obtained the Orb of Wind easily, but the other Orbs are not so simple.'

The Spirit Lake, the Fire Domain.

And the Temple of Earth are heavily guarded.

It would not be easy for Leo, as he is now, to break through and retrieve the Orbs.

'Still, I have to do it.'

Leo stopped as he was leaving the study.

He spotted a desk not far from the entrance.

Approaching the desk, Leo reached for a familiar book.

'Lisinas's Memoirs.'

Gazing at the memoirs for a moment, Leo burst into laughter.

***

Lunia, Dryadana, and Kal looked around with tense eyes.

The room was filled with all sorts of weapons.

'This is the Divine Blacksmith… Dwenow's workshop.'

'All of these are divine artifacts, aren't they?'

Thinking that, they swallowed nervously.

The three calmed their trembling bodies and sat at a table, watching Dwenow drawing something.

"Um… Master Dwenow."

Lunia spoke cautiously.

Dwenow stopped moving his hands and looked at Lunia.

"Why do you call me?"

"You said you would teach us something…"

"Yes. There are things I will teach you."

Dwenow stopped his hand.

Seeing Dwenow, Dryadana asked in a curious voice.

"What are you drawing?"

Lunia and Kal looked at Dryadana with baffled expressions.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Dryadana furrowed her brow.

"Um, could you use your speech differently? It's hard to adapt when you go from a solemn tone to a cute girl's speech."

At Kal's remark, Dryadana crossed her arms.

"My speech is also a sign of my respect for Master Dwenow. Therefore, I cannot change it!"

"There's no need to imitate the speech of an old, stuffy dwarf! Use your original speech."

"Yes! I understand!"

"You really have no conviction."

"I know, right?"

Lunia shook her head, watching Dryadana quickly adopt a tone befitting her age, and Kal agreed.

Smiling faintly at their reactions, Dwenow said.

"What I'm drawing is the design of the artifact to be made."

Rustle-

Dwenow held up the paper and said.

"Would you like to see it?"

At Dwenow's question, the three people's eyes lit up, and they approached Dwenow's desk.

"Wow- it's beautiful."

"This is a work of art!"

"As expected of Master Dwenow!"

Dwenow chuckled, watching the three people marvel.

"Beauty is akin to the truth of this world."

"That's right! I believe art is the driving force that sustains this world."

"Oh, you know something."

Dwenow nodded with satisfaction.

"In that sense."

Dwenow glanced at Lunia.

"Your name is Lunia, correct? I have a request for you."

"Yes? Me?"

Lunia's expression grew tense.

"You are a very beautiful elf. Just like Luna."

"What? How can someone like me be compared to Lady Luna? Oh my."

Lunia blushed and was flustered.

Still, hearing that the Great Hero Dwenow himself called her as beautiful as Luna naturally made her beam.

"Your temper seems completely different from Lady Luna's."

"Would you say that again?"

"I mean, just because you quit being a model student doesn't mean you have to become a delinquent! Why are you so extreme?"

Kal shrieked, watching Lunia grab his collar and clench his fist.

Dwenow burst into hearty laughter at the sight.

"It's nice to see you so cheerful."

Dwenow, still laughing merrily, looked at Lunia.

"Anyway, the request I have for you is…"

Lunia's expression was tense.

"Would you be interested in being a model for my work?"

"A model for your work?"

Lunia smiled shyly.

"It would be an honor if you would accept…"

"I want you to be a nude model and pass down your beauty to future generations."

At the words that followed, Lunia's face turned bright red.

"A, a nude model?"

Seeing Lunia, who was covering herself with her arms in embarrassment, Dryadana said.

"Shall I undress you?"

"Undress you? What are you talking about, you pervert!"

Lunia, with wide, glaring eyes, struck Dryadana squarely on the back of the head.

Kal chuckled playfully.

"I'm in favor."

"What?"

"I misspoke. I'm against it."

Kal quickly said, seeing Lunia's eyes turn chillingly terrifying.

"Well, I can't force someone who doesn't want to do it."

Dwenow licked his lips slightly.

Lunia breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.

"Then let's get to the main point."

Dwenow's expression turned serious.

"Kyle. I will impart my alchemy to you."

"What?"

Kyle looked surprised.

"Dryadana. I will teach you how to forge artifacts."

Dryadana looked bewildered.

"And Lunia, to you…"

Slam-!

"What is it. Perverted dwarf. If you utter another disrespectful word like 'nude model,' I will truly burn you to ashes this time."

A woman in flamboyant attire with white hair entered.

'Phoenix…?'

Lunia, whose family had contracted with Phoenix for generations, instantly recognized the identity of the being before her.

And she felt a tremor.

'Royal bloodline…!'

"Hmm? An elf who wields the flames of a phoenix. Interesting."

Kathariu looked at Lunia with amusement.

Dwenow said, seeing that.

"I will teach you the essence of flame."