Book 1 Chapter 518
518.
“Ready to die?”
Eliza narrowed her eyes and looked at Leo.
“I know very well that you subjected Cella Gerdinger and Chelsea Lewallen to harsh training.”
Eliza, who said so, curled up the corners of her mouth.
“Do you think I haven't done that much training?”
Even now, Cella and Chelsea continue to train.
However, they no longer trained with Leo as before.
This was because each of them trained on their own, without Leo needing to constantly supervise them.
And seeing the intensity of Cella and Chelsea's training, other students also increased the intensity of their personal training.
As a result, Eliza also underwent training as harsh as Cella and Chelsea.
Leo folded his arms, watching Eliza snort.
“I never really made them do any harsh training, though?”
“What did you say?”
“I gave them somewhat difficult training, but I never pushed them so hard that it could be called harsh.”
At his words, Eliza's eyes trembled slightly.
‘This man.’
Eliza had always pretended to be fine, but had pushed herself extremely hard.
Seeing Leo call it “somewhat difficult” training made her grit her teeth.
“Well, physical training seems necessary, but the training you need to risk your life for isn't that kind of training.”
“Then what are you going to make me do?”
In response to Eliza's question, Leo opened his palm.
Fzzzzzt-!
Eliza's eyes widened at the sight of the pure white thunderbolt manifested from Leo's hand.
“The power of Pegasus? But this level of purity?”
The Hergin family has traditionally made contracts with powerful mythical beasts.
As such, for those born with the qualities to contract with one of the three great mythical beasts, a contractor was designated from birth.
Eliza was also one of them.
Her spiritual power was highly compatible with Pegasus.
Therefore, Eliza's future contractor had been decided since childhood, and she had met that contractor several times.
Of course, they had never spoken.
The three great mythical beasts are inherently proud beings.
Even if it was their future contractor, they would not attempt to converse with someone currently unqualified.
However, even so, she could perceive that the power of the thunderbolt residing in Leo's hand was incomparable to the power of other Pegasi.
Leo spoke, watching Eliza swallow dryly.
“This is the essence of the thunderbolt.”
“The essence of the thunderbolt? Wait a minute, that's…!”
Eliza's eyes were filled with shock.
“That's right.”
Leo withdrew the essence of the thunderbolt.
“It's the essence of the power of the Pegasus Kings, whose lineage ended 5000 years ago.”
“How do you possess that?”
“It was a reward for conquering the Hero Record.”
“When on earth did you obtain it?”
As Eliza asked with a serious expression, Leo answered calmly.
“That's a trade secret.”
At his words, Eliza, narrowing her eyes, glanced back at Karl.
Karl then shrugged and shook his head.
‘So Karl Thomas didn't know either. Even so, the essence of the thunderbolt.’
It was hard to believe.
But Eliza at least knew that Leo was not someone who would lie about such matters.
Moreover, there was a precedent where Lunia of Seyrun resurrected the power of the Phoenix King after 5000 years as a reward for conquering the Hero Record.
‘There's no law saying Leo Plov can't do the same.’
“You truly have no limits.”
As Eliza let out a wry laugh, Leo said,
“Not really. That's why I need strong allies.”
Leo, who had spoken calmly while looking down at his hand, opened his mouth.
“If it's like Lunia El Runda, why are you hiding that fact?”
“More precisely, it's different from Lunia's case.”
“How is it different?”
“In Lunia's case, she overcame the trials given by the Phoenix King and obtained its flame. She's not a Phoenix, but she's essentially the Phoenix King's successor.”
Therefore, Lunia's flame is the Flame Emperor itself.
It was a power she could obtain because she was the successor of a family that had inherited the flame of purification, which had burned away impurities for generations.
“In contrast, mine is literally a conquest reward.”
At first glance, there might seem to be no significant difference, but the reality is different.
In Lunia's case, it's the Phoenix King's flame itself.
She can unleash the Phoenix King's flame with just her pure spiritual power.
Furthermore, she can strengthen the power of the Phoenix she contracted with, and even imbue magic with that power to maximize it.
Unlike her, Leo needs a Pegasus to properly draw out the power of the essence of the thunderbolt.
‘Moreover, it's a power that inflicts considerable pain on the Pegasus I've contracted with.’
It's the limit of someone who gained power through a trick called the Hero Record, not as a legitimate user.
“Crucially, Lunia can transfer that power to others when she wants, but I can't.”
“Hmph, so? It seems helping me definitely has something to do with that essence of the thunderbolt.”
“That's right. Even if I can't perfectly control it, I can accelerate your growth.”
“In other words, you can forcibly awaken my potential?”
“Yes.”
“Hmph. You asked if I was ready to die for that reason, then.”
Eliza curled up the corners of her mouth.
She accurately understood Leo's intention.
‘A shortcut.’
Not all shortcuts are good.
‘There's no such thing as a safe shortcut.’
Eliza is a summoner.
And unlike aura and magic, the essence of a summoner is 'contract.'
That's why she knows well.
That balance exists in this world.
If you go fast, there's a price to pay.
And in the case of forced awakening of talent, the price of failure is dire.
‘Becoming a complete wreck, or in the worst case, dying.’
Forced awakening inherently carries risks.
Forcibly awakening power itself is already an unnatural act, so there's no way it could be safe.
‘If there were, that would be truly fraudulent.’
Eliza looked down at her hands.
‘Is it right to accept help from Leo Plov?’
From Eliza's perspective, it was a humiliation.
It was something that cracked her pride.
But…
‘I don't want to fall behind alone.’
As Leo said, she didn't know if time would solve everything.
But when she overcame a wall, what about others?
Perhaps they would also hit a wall like her and be caught up to.
But conversely, they might overcome the wall… or break through it and move further ahead.
‘I'd rather die than that.’
Eliza's eyes gleamed.
‘I am the successor of the Hergin family.’
Cella, Duran, Chen Xia, Chloe, Abad, Chelsea, Woredan flashed through her mind.
Finally, she looked at Leo's face in front of her.
‘It means nothing if I'm not the best.’
It wasn't the childish stubbornness of a teenage girl.
‘I must stand on the greatest stage. As a summoner, and as a hero.’
That was the goal for Eliza Hergin, a hero candidate, in her life.
Before her was an opponent she might never reach, even if she pursued him her entire life.
It was, quite literally, a wall of immense despair.
But in another sense, it meant having a goal she could keep running towards for a lifetime.
‘There's no time to sit idly here. Even at this moment, this man is pulling further away.’
To remain stagnant, citing danger, when there was a way to avoid wandering.
That was a greater humiliation than receiving help.
“What should I do?”
At her words, Leo extended his hand.
Fzzzzzt-!
The essence of the thunderbolt manifested.
“Take it.”
At his words, Eliza took a deep breath and grasped Leo's hand.
“Ugh?!”
And at that moment.
Eliza's electrocuted body stiffened, then her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
In her fading consciousness, Karl's urgent voice was heard.
As she lost consciousness, Eliza mumbled inwardly,
‘This… won't be easy.’
***
“Isn't that too dangerous?”
Karl took the fainted Eliza back to the dormitory.
As Leo sat alone on a bench, Chen Xia appeared behind him and asked with a slightly worried expression.
“It is dangerous.”
Leo said calmly.
“You're not thinking of adjusting the training intensity appropriately, are you?”
“No. If I did that, Eliza would probably take it as a humiliation.”
Leo asked Chen Xia, who sat down beside him,
“Imagine you're in Eliza's situation. Would you feel good if I went easy on you during training?”
“……No. I'd probably get angry instead.”
“See? You kids, despite being youngsters, are so eager to imitate adults that you can't stand it.”
“Now you're openly acting like an old man? And it's not imitating adults, it's being mature. Don't treat me like a child.”
As Chen Xia, who had come to Leo's side with narrowed eyes, gave him a reproachful look, Leo retorted sharply,
“Adults don't get angry even if they're offended by consideration. Kid.”
Leo pinched Chen Xia's nose with his hand.
Chen Xia, with her nose covered and lips pouting, said,
“It's late, aren't you going in?”
“My mind is troubled. I want to feel the night breeze a little longer.”
Chen Xia gave a wry smile.
‘Lord Luna has left, so he must be lonely and struggling.’
It couldn't be helped.
After meeting a friend who risked her life to save the world, transcending 5000 years, they had parted.
Furthermore, Luna had special feelings for Leo.
‘Though I can't precisely know Young Master Leo's feelings.’
Leo also clearly had complex feelings for Luna.
‘Young Master Leo must be having a hard time. Should I offer words of comfort?’
Though he is called a great hero, Leo is still human.
It was clear he would show a vulnerable side when his heart was troubled.
‘How should I comfort him?’
“And it seems I might have to ask you for a slightly difficult favor because of Luna.”
‘A slightly difficult favor because of Lord Luna?’
Chen Xia's eyes darted sideways.
‘Miss Airan, this book 'When the Heart is Lonely, the Body Also Becomes Lonely.'… No matter how I look at it, it seems like a prohibited book in Lumern.’
‘H-h-h-h-how did you find that?!’
‘And this book 'History is Made at Night' is the same.’
‘Kyaaaaaaaah!’
Recalling the books she had found when visiting Airan's dorm room, Chen Xia subtly shifted her hips and moved closer to Leo.
“Young Master Leo, I'm an adult. It's alright to ask for a difficult favor. No, I will follow any command from Young Master Leo.”
“Really? I'd like to borrow the power of the Shan Empire.”
At his words, Chen Xia, who had blinked her large eyes a few times, smiled faintly.
“……It's work as a shadow, then.”
“That's right.”
‘This is serious. I think I've been influenced too much by Miss Airan. My mind seems to have gone a bit strange.’
Chen Xia smacked her lips and sighed.
“It seems Berkia has been resurrected as an undead.”
However, her face hardened at Leo's subsequent words.
“Ber… Lord Kia?”
“Yes.”
Leo continued with a grim expression.
“It seems she's active in the shadows. If she's been resurrected as an undead… she won't be doing anything good. So, can you find her traces?”
“Yes. I understand.”
Chen Xia, having answered, immediately vanished into the darkness.
Leo, sitting on the bench, took a deep breath as he gazed at the full moon.