Book 1 Chapter 439

439.

Thump- Thump-

Leo and Arion were walking down a spiral staircase that led to an underground area hidden deep within the Fairy King's abode.

"Indeed."

Leo mumbled as he descended the long passage.

"He's certainly keeping it suppressed."

From the moment they entered this staircase, they could feel the powerful strength of the Fairy King.

"It's not just a simple barrier?"

Arion muttered softly.

Among the three great mythical beasts, if the Phoenix symbolizes weapons like swords and spears, and Pegasus symbolizes cavalry, then the Fairy represents a shield, or rather, a barrier.

"It's literally cut off from the outside."

'Beyond a physical concept, it's dimensionally separated.'

The staircase they were currently walking on could be considered a space in itself.

Fairy magic itself is powerful magic classified as unique magic, and the Fairy King is a magician who has mastered that powerful magic.

This is a domain that the Fairy King has separated from other dimensions over 5000 years.

'Even so, the magical spell structure is completely different from the Fairy magic I know?'

It was different from the Fairy magic Leo knew.

"The magic spell structure is Luna's style?"

"Ah, it certainly resembles Luna's magic."

Arion exclaimed at Leo's words. Silrod, who was flying, replied.

-Because it's a barrier created based on the Fairy magic spell structure that Luna researched.

"As expected of Luna."

"She was praised as the greatest genius in the history of magic, after all."

As Arion marveled, Leo let out a small laugh.

They descended the stairs for a long time.

It felt like half a day had passed.

However, Silrod explained that the flow of time in this domain was different from the outside.

Eventually, Leo, Arion, and Silrod arrived before a massive stone gate.

Leo's eyes narrowed, and Arion's expression turned sharp.

They knew that a fragment of Erebus was beyond this gate.

But facing it like this, their bodies instinctively reacted.

-I'll open it.

Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-

As soon as Silrod finished speaking, the stone gate opened with a heavy sound.

Leo and Arion stepped into the stone chamber.

Inside was a human-shaped black object, about the size of an adult male.

It looked like a piece of burnt charcoal, or a melted and congealed lump of iron.

What was clear was that it was a black darker than the night sky, and a faint power of Erebus could be felt.

Its form was different, and the aura it exuded was weak.

But Leo and Arion, who had fought against Erebus, clearly knew what it was.

"Erebus."

At Arion's murmur, Leo approached Erebus.

It was literally in a state where its embers had completely died out.

However, even so, it was a catastrophic being that once pushed the world to destruction.

Moreover, the fragment of Erebus, 3000 years ago, had reignited.

'Silrod also said that he tried to destroy this for the past 5000 years, but it was useless, right?'

Silrod didn't just leave the fragment of Erebus untouched.

For many years, he tried to destroy the fragment of Erebus using the Fairy King's power.

But no method worked.

Even if the flame had disappeared, Erebus was still Erebus.

It was a primordial catastrophe that even the gods feared.

Even Leo miraculously succeeded in subjugating it, but failed to completely obliterate it.

Dividing it into six fragments was the best he could do.

'I can't carelessly touch it. If I mess with it and end up provoking it, that would be a problem too.'

Leo's power was a natural enemy to Erebus itself.

It was unknown what results would occur if Leo's power was added to the sealed Erebus.

'Is suppressing it and protecting it from Tartaros the best option for now?'

Fortunately, the fragment of Erebus showed no signs of awakening.

'Even the King of the Dead doesn't know how to awaken the fragment. Whatever the case, leaving it like this seems to be the best for now.'

While Leo was staring at the fragment of Erebus, Arion sniffed.

"It certainly smells different from the Erebus I know."

-How is it?

"Basically, it has the same unpleasant stench, but it's gotten a bit worse."

-Worse?

"Yes. It's like burnt ashes."

Leo spoke, looking at Arion who was frowning.

"Any signs of reigniting?"

Arion fell into thought at Leo's question.

"I don't feel anything like that at all."

Leo nodded at Arion's answer.

"Then that's fortunate. It means we don't need to worry about this fragment for now."

Leo looked at Silrod.

"Silrod, please take care of it a little longer."

-Don't worry about guarding this place.

Silrod confidently smiled and thumped his chest.

-I was a companion to great heroes, you know?

"You're reliable."

Leo burst into laughter looking at Silrod.

-Arion?

Silrod looked at Arion, who was staring at him silently, with a puzzled expression.

-Why are you looking at me like that?

"No, Silrod seems to have changed a lot."

-Because 5000 years have passed.

Silrod gave a mature smile.

Watching him, Arion looked down at his palms.

"What if… what if I hadn't died 5000 years ago?"

Arion raised his head and asked.

"Could I have escaped being a coward?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could I have become a truly courageous person? Like the stories people tell now. Could I have become a true hero?"

-Arion in the stories now, I can't imagine it. Right, Leo?

"Indeed."

Arion nodded, listening to Leo and Silrod's conversation.

"Good. Then I'll become a true hero."

"What?"

"That's my new goal."

"Is there a need for that? You're already…"

"No. I'll be different from my past self."

Arion said, clenching his fist enthusiastically.

Leo, who was about to say something, let out a small laugh, looking at Arion.

"Go for it."

"Yeah!"

***

By a small pond in a dense forest.

"Hoo! Hoo! You're awesome! Hoo!"

"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee!"

Arion looked at Ar, who was clinging to his foot, with a terrified expression.

Seeing that, Leo made an 'I knew it' face.

"A true hero, what did you say?"

Chelsea, who was standing beside him with a dumbfounded expression, asked curiously at Leo's murmur.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Just talking to myself."

Leo answered curtly and pulled Ar by the scruff of his neck.

"Stop it, you're disrupting the lesson."

At that, Ar startlingly snapped out of it and let go of Arion.

Arion then quickly hid behind Chelsea.

Chelsea looked up at Arion with her mouth wide open.

"I thought his seizures had gotten a little better."

"But the black rabbit! Look at Sir Arion!"

Ar looked at Arion hiding behind Chelsea.

"Ah! Amazing! The best! Sir Arion in his beast form is the best! Oh! Too dazzling! I can't even look directly!"

Ar covered his eyes and got excited looking at Arion.

"Majestic! I can feel the hero's seasoned presence!"

"Don't you need glasses?"

Leo sighed at Ar's interpretation, who was seeing what he wanted to see, looking at Arion hiding behind the smaller Chelsea.

"Brother Leo. I have a question."

"Ask."

"Sir Arion is very different from the Sir Arion in the stories I've seen. Was he originally like this?"

Leo nodded, looking at Chelsea, who was asking with a 'no way' expression.

"Yes."

"Oh my."

Who would have expected?

That the hero Arion, who is the very symbol of courage to modern people, was actually a coward.

'He's certainly scary with that wild look in his eyes, though.'

Chelsea muttered, looking at Ar's eyes.

"But why do you always hide behind me?"

"It feels familiar and reassuring, I guess?"

Chelsea looked puzzled at Arion's answer.

Meanwhile, Arion approached the composed Ar.

"Would you like to try transforming?"

At that question, Ar activated his aura.

Arion nodded, looking at the transformed Ar.

"Good, then try using Howling."

At that, Ar inhaled deeply.

Seeing that, Chelsea manipulated the atmosphere with magic.

-Grrrrrrooooooowl!

Chelsea felt her whole body tingle at the massive roar.

'Amazing.'

Chelsea swallowed hard.

The dignity as the second-year representative of Azonia was clearly felt.

Arion crossed his arms after hearing Ar's roar.

"You said there are several types of Howling in this era, right?"

"Yes!"

Arion's Howling makes enemies tremble in fear and gives courage to allies.

However, in this era, it has various effects depending on the user.

Such as momentarily enhancing physical abilities or confusing enemies.

"And beast-kin with such characteristics are mainly mages or summoners, right?"

"That's right!"

Arion, who was contemplating, inhaled at Ar's vigorous answer.

-Grrrrrrroooooooowl!

A powerful roar, incomparable to Ar's, reverberated.

Overwhelmed by the sight, Ar and Chelsea lost strength and slumped to the ground.

"In-incredible."

"Awesome!"

Chelsea shivered, and Ar trembled with excitement.

While the two admired Arion's majesty, Leo narrowed his eyes and looked down at his hand.

His body felt much lighter than before.

"You added a buff effect to Howling?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Come to think of it, my body…?"

Arion answered nonchalantly to Leo's question, and Ar and Chelsea's eyes widened.

"I mixed the way Howling is used in this era with the mana flow mages use when casting buff magic."

The Howling used by beast-kin in this era and the Howling used by Arion have different aura usage methods.

The original Howling itself is Arion's unique technique.

Later generations of beast-kin researched and improved that Howling to learn it.

In that process, it became very different from the original, and other effects that Arion couldn't use emerged.

Arion, hearing about Ar's vocalization and the characteristics of modern beast-kin's Howling, immediately implemented an effect that wasn't there before.

"C-can that be done?"

"It works when I do it?"

"As expected of Sir Arion!"

Arion smiled at the astonished Chelsea, and Ar's eyes sparkled as he was busy praising Arion.

"But Ar, I don't feel any special power from you that makes you transform, though?"

"I only did it once, by accident…"

"Really? Then wouldn't it appear if you train your Howling vocalization? There's a special training method for Howling."

"Oh-oh-oh! What is it!"

Ar's eyes twinkled.

Arion went behind Ar, put his hands under his armpits, and lifted him up.

And he headed towards the pond with Ar, who had a puzzled expression.

Ar's face turned slightly pale.

"S-surely not?"

"Yes. You just need to fall into the water."

Whoosh! Splash!

"Meowwwwww?!"

Arion shouted, watching Ar thrash around, letting out a cat's scream.

"Shout as loud as you can underwater!"

"Bubble-bubble-bubble-gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-gurgle!"

Although Ar disliked water, he somehow submerged his face and roared underwater.

"Phew!"

As Ar, out of breath, brought his face out to breathe, Arion said.

"Go right back in!"

"N-huh?"

"This is a training method Luna helped me with to strengthen my Howling. It's painful, but the effect is certain. Take the deepest breath you can in a fleeting moment."

"Yes! Gulp!"

Ar put his face back in the water.

Bubble-bubble-bubble!

"Cough!"

Thump!

"Eek!?"

Ar's eyes widened as he saw Arion grabbing his head and pushing him into the water.

"I-I couldn't breathe… Cough!"

"Breathe if you want to live!"

"Gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-gurgle-gurgle!"

Splash-splash!

"…Isn't that just water torture?"

"Indeed."

"Sir Arion, are you perhaps trying to drown that silly cat because you're scared of it?"

Considering how he trembled with fear seeing Ar earlier, it was quite possible.

"I don't think so? He has a very reluctant expression."

Contrary to his cruel actions, Arion was pushing Ar into the water with a pained expression.

He didn't want to do it himself, but he was trying for Ar's sake.

'He's doing the exact same thing Luna did to him.'

At that time, Arion was still a teenager.

As a result of the training, Arion mastered Howling perfectly.

He had greatly benefited from Luna's training method.

'Of course, after that, Arion came to distrust Luna.'

"Will it work?"

Leo rested his chin on his hand at Chelsea's uncertain question.

"Since the hero himself is giving the training, it'll have an effect."