Book 1 Chapter 343

"You want me to summon the Fairy King again?"

"Yes."

Leah’s eyes widened.

The summoning of the Fairy King.

It was the elves’ long-cherished wish for thousands of years.

Throughout history, the sworn protector of the last Fairy King was only one person.

That was Luna.

Originally, the Fairy King was a mythical beast that had sworn allegiance to the Elf King for generations.

But the Age of Calamity began, and the Elf King disappeared.

The previous Fairy King, Gravin, lost his power in a battle against Tartarus, and the one who effectively carried out the Fairy King’s duties was the current Fairy King, Silode.

And Silode’s first, and last, sworn protector was Luna.

Just as Lisinas had the King of Phoenix, Emperor Kairos, as his partner, Luna had Silode, the successor of the Fairy King.

Among them, Kairos lost his life.

Conversely, Silode survived the final battle.

The last image Leo remembered of Silode was one of profound despair and guilt over Luna's death.

Recalling the past, Leo’s eyes sank.

He looked down at the back of his hand.

During the entrance exam.

[Fairy King’s Covenant], obtained as a reward for clearing a dungeon.

Through this covenant, he made a contract with Kirian, who had been sealed by Silode and banished from Fairy Land.

Even though he contracted with Kirian, the main party of the covenant remained Silode.

Until last year, Leo couldn't summon Silode due to a lack of spiritual power.

However, even after his capacity grew and he possessed enough spiritual power to summon the Fairy King, Leo still couldn't summon Silode.

‘It’s probably because the covenant was obtained through the Hero Records.’

Although he obtained the Fairy King's covenant as a dungeon reward, as a summoner, Leo’s affinity with mythical beasts like fairies and spiritual power was not compatible.

‘The blood of Schrödinger flows in me now, which is why my spiritual power was compatible with the Phoenix… and my original mana attribute, Purity, matches the Pegasus… but not fairies. Not in this life, nor the last.’

The reason Leo could contract with Kirian was purely due to the reward for clearing the world of Albireo.

Therefore, even with the Fairy King’s covenant, Leo couldn't summon Silode.

Even though it was a covenant, it was a covenant that Silode himself was not aware of.

‘But if someone else creates a passage, the story changes.’

If Silode himself becomes aware of the covenant’s existence, it can be summoned anytime from that moment on.

At Leo's words, Leah stammered,

"Senior Plov. It's true that I heard Lord Silode's voice… but that was only with the help of Cometess? With my current abilities, I can’t possibly call the Fairy King again. Hearing the Fairy King’s voice was just a coincidence, wasn't it?"

"Coincidence?"

"Yes."

Leah cautiously explained what happened then.

"When the senior first-year students were having class in the Hall of Comets, I was given the right to hold Cometess."

Leah gave an awkward smile.

"I wasn’t actually trying to summon the Fairy King. The teacher leading the class that day suggested I try summoning a fairy. The summoning circle was also drawn by the teacher at that time. Then, suddenly, I heard Lord Silode's voice."

Leo tilted his head as he watched Leah scratch her head, looking embarrassed.

"Among the junior students, there was a rumor as if you had drawn the summoning circle yourself?"

"That's impossible."

As he watched Leah wave her hands in denial, Leo asked,

"Who was the instructor?"

"It was Principal Regent Rhaghen."

Leo stroked his chin.

‘Indeed, this kid definitely has talent as a summoner.’

Still an inexperienced first-year.

But even so, she possessed the skills and talent that could be described as promising.

Although there was a slightly strange aspect to her, she was an excellent hero candidate with a future to look forward to.

Even so, she was far from capable of summoning the Fairy King as a summoner.

Both in capacity and knowledge.

"Cometess only exhibits its power when wielded by someone from the Tingel family, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Cometess was brought by Seirun as a reward for clearing the hero's world.

Only members of the Tingel family could fully utilize the power of this powerful magic staff, which contained the mana of both Luna and Seirun.

‘He summoned the Fairy King as if it were staged. Does he know something?’

With a sense of doubt, Leo said,

"Whatever it is, the fact that you heard the Fairy King's voice means you have talent."

Leo roused his spiritual power.

"I will take over the role of Cometess."

"Then."

At Leo’s words, Leah took off her socks.

Then, taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the magic circle Leo had drawn.

Long ago, elves performed summoning rituals with fairies by the lake.

Although that tradition has now disappeared and summoning rituals can be performed freely anywhere.

The act of revealing bare legs before entering the lake has remained.

"I'll try it once."

Leah, with a trembling voice and an awkward smile, cautiously reached out her hand to Leo.

Leo took Leah’s hand and roused his spiritual power.

*Wooong.*

The summoning circle glowed.

Bright golden light burst throughout Leo's dormitory room.

Leah’s body swayed for a moment.

Summoning the Fairy King without the power of Cometess required an enormous amount of mana.

It couldn't be helped.

Officially, the Fairy King is the strongest mythical beast in existence today.

With the lineage of the King of Phoenix, the Emperor, and the leader of Pegasus, the Thunder King, severed.

The most powerful mythical beast had to be the Fairy King.

Even with Leo assisting, Leah, who was merely a first-year, couldn't handle the Fairy King.

It was impossible even to activate the summoning circle in the first place.

But…

‘There are always shortcuts.’

Leo looked down at the back of his hand, which was glowing golden.

For Leo, who already possessed the Fairy King's covenant, all that was needed was a passage to reach Silode.

And Leah only needed to act as that passage.

*Fwaak-!*

The door of the summoning circle opened.

The moment she saw it, Leah, experiencing mana depletion, collapsed as if in a faint.

*Thump-*

Leo caught Leah and looked at the door.

"–It’s you again. Descendant of Seirun."

A familiar voice was heard.

Leo felt his heart flutter at the familiar voice.

"–Descendant of Seirun. You are still lacking in qualifications."

Silode seemed to believe that Leah was the one who summoned him, and spoke in a scolding tone.

"–After you grow your capacity more…"

"Silode."

"–…Who are you? How can you join this conversation?"

Hearing a voice meant a kind of preliminary contract.

In other words, only the party to the contract could hear Silode's voice and convey messages.

Yet, a third party's voice was heard in that situation, so Silode was surprised.

"It's me, Kyle."

"–What?"

A moment later, the closed contract door opened, and a fairy appeared.

The fairy, clad in golden magic, looked up at Leo with disbelief.

When their eyes met, Silode's eyes trembled.

A completely different appearance.

But the gaze in Leo's red eyes was the same as the Kyle Silode knew.

"–You are Kyle?"

Silode’s voice trembled.

Seeing Silode ask as if he couldn't believe it, Leo reached out his hand.

Pure white light erupted from Leo's hand.

Seeing that, Silode's hand trembled.

This pure white light.

He knew it.

5000 years ago.

The light left by his first and last sworn protector.

The only miracle that defeated the calamity.

"–Innocent…"

Seeing the pure white light that proved the boy before him was Kyle, Silode flew towards Leo.

Silode, clinging to Leo’s white hair, wailed,

"–You promised! After defeating Erebus! You promised that only Lisinas and Kyle would return! But why now… why now! Why… after 5000 years…!"

Leo offered a strained smile as he watched Silode weep uncontrollably.

"…Can a Fairy King, who is over 5000 years old, cry so undignifiedly?"

Even at Leo's words, Silode did not stop wailing.

The fairy, whose endless waiting ended after 5000 years, shed tears endlessly like the young fairy of that era.

***

"–Hmph! I see. No wonder I thought something was strange. The Leo Plov, who is the subject of many rumors, was you, Kyle."

Silode, sitting in front of Leo, blew his nose with a tissue and nodded.

He seemed to have calmed down somewhat, sniffling but regaining his composure.

Leo rested his chin on his chin, looking at Silode.

"–Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Even if there are people who know my true identity, you are the only one in this era who can share the events of 5000 years ago with me. That's what's fascinating."

"–Wouldn't you be more fascinating? You, who died 5000 years ago, have returned alive."

Silode let out a hollow laugh.

His tone was exactly the same as 5000 years ago.

Leo burst into laughter, watching Silode.

"–Have you heard my whole story?"

"–Yes, even in Fairy Land, stories about Leo Plov are heard. At first, I thought there would be many exaggerations… but it makes sense if it's you."

Silode smiled faintly.

"–It was because of you that Luna came out of the Hero Records, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"–…I always miss Luna… but seeing you makes me miss her even more."

Silode wore a bitter expression as he recalled his sworn protector who had left the world long ago.

"I have something to ask. You haven't had a single sworn protector for the past 5000 years, have you?"

"–Officially, no."

"–That means you had one unofficially."

At Leo's words, Silode looked at Leah.

"–Yes. As Kyle predicted, the wizard of Cometess, Seirun, was my second sworn protector."

At that, Leo tilted his head.

"–Then why did you hide that fact?"

"–We decided after talking with Seirun. All the mediums used in the summoning ritual were also destroyed. Except for Cometess."

"–Why?"

"–If it becomes known that I officially have a sworn protector, countless summoners will try to contract with me."

By the current era, the Fairy King is praised as an almost impossible-to-contract mythical being among mythical beings.

There are no mediums in this world to summon the Fairy King.

According to Silode, he deliberately did not create sworn protectors.

"–Why are you not making contracts? Even the heroes of the Great Opening 3000 years ago desperately needed your power? Why didn't you lend your strength?"

As someone who experienced the Age of Calamity.

Silode feared and hated Erebus more than anyone.

Therefore, if he had contracted with Seirun, he would have lent his power to the heroes of the Great Opening.

However, Silode did not leave Fairy Land even during the second coming of the calamity 3000 years ago.

To Leo's question, Silode replied in a heavy voice.

"–It's not that I didn't lend my strength, it's that I couldn't."

At that answer, Leo's expression hardened.

"–…Don't tell me, the reason for moving Fairy Land was?"

After the Age of Calamity ended.

The land in the north where Fairy Land was originally located turned into a land of extreme cold.

Fairies dislike the cold.

But such cold was not enough reason to leave their homeland, which they had inhabited for eons.

Moreover, fairies are mythical beasts that wield powerful magic.

Fairy Land itself could have been maintained as a warm and lush forest.

Yet, Silode abandoned Fairy Land without hesitation.

At Leo's words, Silode’s expression hardened.

"–It's as Kyle predicted. The reason I don't create sworn protectors is that I cannot leave Fairy Land for a long time."

"–Don't tell me…"

"–Yes. As you predicted."

Leo covered his face with his hands.

5000 years ago.

In the final battle, Kyle sealed the primordial evil by dividing it into six parts.

The first fragment was revived 3000 years ago during the second coming of the calamity and was stopped by the heroes of the Great Opening.

And the second of them is…

"–It's in Fairy Land."