Book 1 Chapter 522
522
By the time dinner rolled around, rumors about Kaodin's disgraceful behavior in the Department of Knighthood had spread throughout Lumerne.
Normally, Lumerne would have been in an uproar.
This was because a hero using force against hero candidates was a serious matter.
However, Lumerne was quiet despite the gravity of the incident.
This was because Kaodin, the person involved, had been carried to the infirmary in a terrible state.
“Even so, I was worried the class president might get disciplined for this, seeing as the other party was so badly beaten. What a relief.”
“Because the other guy was the one who started the ruckus first. Plus, he probably knows how embarrassing it is, so he’ll keep his mouth shut. But the rumor spread faster than I expected, didn’t it?”
“Yeah. Karl knew right after class ended.”
Karl was already an excellent source of information within Lumerne.
If it reached Karl’s ears, it would spread throughout Lumerne in an instant.
No, perhaps the story had already spread to Lumeria City.
“Of course, I’m the one who told.”
Leo chuckled as he watched Illiana giggle.
Just then, Karl and Eliza appeared in the dormitory cafeteria.
Illiana, who was poking a meatball with her fork and putting it into her mouth, noticed them and narrowed her eyes.
“Something’s fishy with those two lately.”
As she mumbled with the meatball in her cheek, speaking suspiciously, Chloe next to her looked puzzled.
“What is?”
“Don't you think they’ve been hanging out a lot more lately? Karl also seems to subtly look after Eliza.”
“Karl always subtly looks after other people, though.”
Chloe tilted her head as if asking what was so strange about it.
Chen Shia and Eiran, who were eating with them, also nodded in agreement.
At the three people's reactions, Illiana clicked her tongue disapprovingly and wiggled her finger.
“This is why straight-A students who only study hard just don’t get it. I can feel it. The sweet and bitter scent emanating from those two.”
At her words, the three female students looked at Karl and Eliza once more.
Karl casually greeted other students, and Eliza focused on her meal as if she had no interest.
Then Karl played a prank on Eliza.
Eliza immediately grabbed Karl by the collar, and Karl begged for mercy.
“It looks just like normal?”
“You just don’t get it. A love story between a woman from a noble family and a man of humble status. It’s a common cliché, boasting a history and tradition.”
“Only in novels. What does that have to do with those two?”
“Hmph, I’ll tell you a big secret, Chloe, since you don’t believe me.”
Illiana lowered her voice.
“I clearly saw those two leaving together in the early morning a while ago. Both of them have looked obviously tired lately, haven’t they? They’re definitely enjoying a secret rendezvous at night!”
“A, a secret rendezvous?”
Eiran swallowed dryly.
“Shhh—quiet.”
Illiana quickly looked around cautiously.
Watching her, Leo said,
“There’s no such thing.”
“How do you know that, Class President?”
“Because I was there with them.”
“Gasp! W-were all three of you?!”
Thwack—!
“Gasp!”
Illiana, in her dramatic outburst, was hit in the side by Chen Shia and fell to the floor.
For a moment, all eyes of the people in the cafeteria turned to Illiana.
But then, realizing it was Illiana who had fallen, they indifferently resumed their meals.
“Class Preesideent! Shia hit me!”
Illiana, who had gotten up, complained to Leo with a tearful face.
“You get hit because you say strange things.”
When Chen Shia smiled, Illiana gasped and hid behind Leo.
At her reaction, Leo tore off a piece of bread and ate it as he spoke.
“Karl is just helping Eliza with her training.”
“Ugh, how boring.”
Illiana grumbled and sat down.
“Anyway, that’s unexpected. Her training in the early morning. She has an image far from diligent.”
As Illiana looked surprised, Leo said,
“It would be strange for a summoner of that caliber *not* to be diligent. Anyway, don’t spread unnecessary rumors. Eliza won’t let it slide.”
***
Crackle—!
That dawn.
Eliza bit her lip tightly against the essence of thunder and lightning that enveloped her entire body.
Crackle, crackle, crackle—!
“Ugh!”
She felt as if she would lose consciousness from the pure white thunder and lightning.
But Eliza somehow endured.
Zap—!
As the essence of thunder and lightning dispersed, Eliza let out a ragged breath.
She trapped the essence of thunder and lightning, which was trying to escape through her spiritual power, inside her body as much as possible.
‘Only 30 seconds.’
Eliza clenched her fists tightly.
Watching her, Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘The vessel’s growth is remarkably fast.’
Although he had proposed a crude training method of accepting the essence of thunder and lightning, he hadn't expected such rapid growth of the vessel in such a short period.
Looking at Eliza, Leo said,
“Remarkable.”
“I don't need empty compliments.”
“I mean it.”
There were no visible results yet.
But Eliza was clearly growing.
Of course, it was possible because of Leo’s help, but transforming that help into her own power was a different story.
“If that’s the case, shall we move on to the next stage?”
At Leo’s words, Eliza showed a tense expression.
Even her current training involved terrible pain.
But Eliza had expected that Leo’s training wouldn't stop at this level.
‘If enduring pain alone was enough to become strong, then no human would fail to become strong.’
The essence of thunder and lightning brought not only physical pain but also mental anguish.
It was a power even Pegasi found hard to withstand.
Accepting and enduring that with a human body was proof of how steadfast Eliza’s mental world was.
‘Once she grows, most mental attacks won't affect her. I've thought this before, but Eliza is a vessel capable of contracting with countless phantom beasts.’
Leo looked at Eliza and activated his spiritual power.
Whir—! Crackle—!
Waves of spiritual power swirled around Leo.
Eliza's eyes widened at the sight.
“This is…?”
“Come out.”
Crackle, crackle, crackle—!
Pure white thunder and lightning surged.
Along with it, a summoning circle appeared, and within it stood a woman with flowing pure white hair, Arti, her arms crossed.
“A Pegasus.”
Eliza gasped in admiration at the sight.
Arti, looking at her with an expressionless face, was the very embodiment of Eliza’s ideal Pegasus.
Arti, having emerged from the summoning circle, glanced at Leo.
Then, she immediately clung to Leo’s feet.
“Master! When will you bestow the pure white thunder and lightning upon me?! To let only such a young squirt enjoy it! You’re too cruel!”
Crack—!
At that moment, Eliza heard the sound of something precious cracking inside her head.
Thinking she had seen wrong, she rubbed her eyes several times.
But the noble phantom beast, Pegasus, was still clinging to Leo's feet, making a tearful face.
“Let go.”
Leo swung his foot, trying to shake Arti off with an annoyed expression.
But even as she was dragged messily across the floor, Arti just chattered nonsense like, “Ohh! To treat me so roughly! As expected of Master!” and enjoyed it.
Karl also gaped at Arti’s unexpected appearance.
“L-lies… It’s a lie. There’s no way. A noble phantom beast, a Pegasus, couldn’t possibly be that vulgar.”
Eliza covered her head, squatted down, and muttered, dazed.
“Hey, hey, are you alright?”
“Karl Thomas. This is a dream, isn’t it? It is, right?”
“…It seems like reality.”
“No, it’s definitely a dream. Please slap my cheek. To wake me from the dream.”
“You’ll get angry, though.”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s a dream anyway.”
At her words, Karl hesitated, then slapped Eliza's cheek just hard enough to sting.
“…”
Eliza stroked her cheek a few times, then immediately made a fierce expression.
“My cheek, which even my parents have never hit! How dare you!”
“I told you it wasn’t a dream! And you said you wouldn’t get angry!”
It was then that Karl, terrified, fled from Eliza.
“Eliza.”
Whir—!
Leo approached Eliza and held out his palm.
On it, a small, pure white contract circle was spread out.
Eliza's eyes widened at the sight.
“This is… Could it be that you’ve modified the contract circle with a Pegasus?”
“Yes. You’ll be in a temporary contract state for a short time. Try handling this fellow in that state.”
Eliza stared intently at Leo.
‘He must have an immense understanding of summoning magic to be able to modify a contract circle like that, but…’
“It’s amazing, but you don’t understand. Even if it’s an order from a sworn ally, would a Pegasus, proud as they are, agree to a temporary contract with someone unqualified? It would never tolerate…”
“A-are you trying to entrust me to another summoner right now?!”
Arti shrieked before Eliza could even finish her sentence.
“See?”
As Eliza sighed, Arti shrieked,
“To leave Master’s hands and be handled by another summoner… and by an unqualified squirt no less… I feel like I'm being defiled! Excellent! Hey, squirt. Try handling me!”
“…”
Eliza felt something precious within her completely collapse, covered her face, and sobbed.
“Just so you know, she’s the strange one. Other Pegasi are perfectly normal.”
It was then that Leo let out a small sigh and tried to comfort Eliza.
Flash—! Rumble, rumble, rumble—!
Suddenly, a powerful aura surged from the ground into the sky.
Leo, Eliza, and Karl’s gazes turned to the source of the aura.
“Wait. Isn’t that where the Hero Dungeon appeared?”
Karl cried out with a bewildered expression.
A Hero Dungeon that had suddenly appeared in Lumerne.
Why it had appeared, what hero's world it belonged to.
In Lumerne, officials were doing their utmost to investigate the mysterious Hero Dungeon.
But for a powerful aura to suddenly be released from there…
“Something must have gone wrong.”
Eliza said in a firm voice.
Crackle, crackle, crackle—!
Pure white thunder and lightning surged around Arti’s body.
Leo grabbed Eliza and Karl’s wrists and mounted Arti’s back, who had manifested in her true form.
Leo said to Karl, who was seated behind him,
“Karl, hold on tight.”
“Ah, alright! Eliza!”
As Karl spoke, holding Leo’s waist, Eliza, who was riding at the very back, scoffed.
“I’m a phantom beast tamer. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself!”
With those words, Leo pulled on the reins.
Flash—!
Arti became a streak of light, cutting across the night sky.
Leo, who had flown to the location where the Hero Dungeon appeared in the blink of an eye, looked down at the ground.
The surrounding area had been reduced to a wasteland.
Lumerne’s professors and heroes visiting Lumerne were confronting a dwarf.
Judging by the situation, the culprit of this incident was clearly that dwarf.
“Hey, wait.”
Just then, Karl spoke in an astonished voice.
Eliza also opened her eyes wide.
“That person is…”
Leo also narrowed his eyes at the familiar face.
A dwarf he was seeing for the first time today.
But it was a dwarf he had seen many times in books.
3000 years ago.
There was a man who had fought countless battles during the second coming of disaster.
A man who had tried to somehow stop the advance of Erebus and Tartarus, even by himself.
But there were limits to what he could do alone.
He suffered defeat after defeat.
Yet, though he might have felt despair and broken, that dwarf always headed to the battlefield.
A man who always steadfastly guarded everyone’s front.
So the world called him this:
“Damian the Indomitable.”