Book 1 Chapter 59
[59] 58
“You scared me.”
Leo, who was closing the door and turning around, was startled when he saw Rune standing there without a sound.
“Did you perhaps talk with Airan until now?”
“Yes.”
“Ohh ohh ohh…!”
Rune made an emotional expression, then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his tears.
“It’s been so long since that child talked to someone for so long! I heard she couldn’t even make proper friends at school!”
Leo clicked his tongue, looking at Rune who was moved with a grandfather’s face.
“I know you’re busy, but you should also pay more attention to your granddaughter.”
“I’d like to, but my business is very busy… My son and daughter-in-law also lost their lives in an accident, so I haven’t been able to pay attention to my granddaughter.”
Rune smiled bitterly.
“I wanted to give that child a stimulus, but it seems she opened her heart to you more than I expected. Alright! I want to repay you! I’ll do whatever I can for you!”
“…Is it alright for the Grand Chairman of a nation to make such a promise so carelessly?”
“What’s not alright about it!”
‘This elf is surprisingly doting.’
“I don’t particularly want anything. I didn’t do anything great.”
“You’re a young man without ambition. And modest too! I like you!”
Rune patted Leo’s shoulder with a sharp slap!
“But this is a small token of gratitude I want to give you as a grandfather. If you don’t want anything, I’d like to gift you a magical item that might be helpful to you. And one more thing, Leo. In elf society, refusing a gift is considered impolite.”
“Then I’ll gladly accept it.”
Rune smiled as if genuinely delighted.
“Let’s go to our family’s treasure vault.”
‘It feels like receiving a gift from a rich friend’s grandfather.’
Leo followed Rune with a dumbfounded expression.
Rune led Leo to the mansion’s basement, then opened a magical door and guided Leo inside.
Befitting the top noble family of elves, the interior of the treasure vault was luxurious.
“Family heirloom-level items are keys to opening the world of our ancestors’ heroes, so I cannot give them to you… but these items, I can certainly gift to you.”
Rune pointed to the magical items displayed in the showcases at the entrance of the treasure vault and smiled.
They were all magnificent items.
Leo admired the items, looking at them one by one.
Then he suddenly stopped in front of a blue gem about the size of a fist.
‘This is…’
“That’s an item obtained by the former family head 1000 years ago. It’s a magical orb imbued with the power of a fairy. It’s a rare item, but its purpose is unknown. Do you like it?”
Rune asked with a slightly puzzled expression.
“It’s quite beautiful.”
“Indeed. The fragment of the fairy inside the gem is beautiful.”
Rune was right.
Inside the gem, a small fairy sat with its knees hugged, eyes closed as if curled up.
It looked as if it was sleeping.
“I’ll take this one.”
Rune was surprised by his words.
“Are you sure? It’s a rare item, but its purpose beyond that is…”
“It’s fine. I like this one.”
“If you like it.”
Rune nodded, took a gem box from the display case, and handed it to Leo.
Leo took it and fiddled with the orb.
‘It’s definitely not a fragment.’
Leo chuckled to himself.
‘This is a real fairy.’
***
After returning from the Ersar family, Leo first ate dinner.
‘If I unseal the orb, I might be able to contract with a fairy?’
His mind was filled with the idea of contracting with a fairy.
After dinner, Halrind and Sena visited the dorm to convey announcements.
“These are the announcements. As you all know, the field trip is also part of education.”
Halrind glanced over the students in his charge and said.
“I don’t think there would be any student in our class with the naive thought that they just came to play.”
At those words, some looked flustered.
“Starting tomorrow, wake-up time is 6 AM. After getting up, eating breakfast, and finishing personal preparations, you will go to Fairy Forest at 7:30 AM for individual training.”
“Individual training?”
“We’re already doing plenty of that at school.”
Several students looked puzzled.
“I know you’re conducting individual training according to your academic classes. However, during the field trip, we plan to focus on supplementing areas where we think you are lacking. There are monsters in Fairy Forest, so practical training will also be possible.”
“Ah.”
“If that’s the case.”
“After the morning training, we plan to have mission practice in the afternoon.”
“Mission practice?”
“Yes. It’s about solving the difficulties of the residents of Berquia.”
“Ohh!”
“That concludes the announcements.”
Leaving the enthusiastic students behind, Halrind called Leo and Nella.
“Make sure to manage the kids well.”
“Yes.”
“Understood, Professor Halrind.”
Afterward, Halrind and Sena left the dorm.
“Nella, I’m sorry. I’m a bit tired, so can I go up early today?”
“Huh? Okay.”
Leo asked for Nella’s understanding, who was the vice-class president, and went up to his room.
Just then, Kyle followed.
“Leo, going to bed early?”
“Yeah. Do you need something from me?”
At Leo’s question, Kyle grinned and subtly showed something from his pocket.
“Ta-da! Look at this, it’s elf mead.”
Kyle said in a low voice.
“We’ve come all this way, surely one drink is okay?”
Leo reached out his hand, looking at Kyle who asked in a subtle voice.
“No. I’ll hold onto that.”
“Huh?!”
“You know that first and second-year students are prohibited from drinking, right?”
“Aren’t you being too harsh? How can a student follow school rules to the letter? Sometimes you need a little deviation like this.”
Leo smiled, looking at Kyle’s crestfallen face.
“Hold it in since it’s the beginning of the field trip. What kind of trouble do you want to get into if you get caught early? I’ll keep this until the last day, then we can drink it.”
It would be a big problem if he entrusted it and Halrind caught them.
Halrind had conducted baggage checks on several students even before departure.
Kyle was also included in that list.
Leo was able to avoid the baggage check because Halrind trusted him.
“Tsk, I guess I can’t help it. So, a drink on the last day, then?”
“Alright.”
Kyle reluctantly handed the mead to Leo.
Returning to the dorm, Leo immediately went into his room.
Then he took out the magical orb he received from Rune and channeled spiritual power into it.
*Hummm!* Leo narrowed his eyes, looking at the orb glowing with a golden light.
‘It’s sealed with the magic of the Fairy King.’
This was why the Ersar family simply thought of this seal as an orb imbued with fairy power.
The magic of the Fairy King.
After the Age of Calamity, the Fairy King’s contractors disappeared.
The elves also lost the opportunity to encounter the Fairy King’s magic, and eventually, the Fairy King’s magic also vanished from records.
‘Because the Fairy King’s magic and fairy magic are different.’
Fairy magic is merely a branch derived from the Fairy King’s magic.
‘There’s a reason why the Fairy King, Phoenix Lord, and Elder Pegasus are called the three strongest phantom beasts.’
Moreover, the power felt from the orb was the power of someone very familiar to Leo.
‘Silode’s magic power.’
The fairy who was the successor to the Fairy King during the Age of Calamity.
A fairy whom Leo had seen many times as Luna’s pact-maker.
Even in this era, it was still a fairy holding the status of the Fairy King.
‘By the way, why was this fairy sealed without wings?’
Leo felt curious about the sealed fairy.
If the Fairy King himself sealed it, there would be various reasons.
However, the only thought that came to mind was ‘criminal.’
Leo, with a puzzled expression, channeled even more spiritual power.
Leo concentrated and moved the spiritual power residing in the orb.
As if unlocking a lock.
He used spiritual power to unravel Silode’s magic.
It was a method only Leo, who knew about the Fairy King’s magic, could perform.
A moment later.
*Whoosh!*
A magic circle emerged on the surface of the orb.
‘I’ve unsealed stage 1.’
Leo gasped, looking at the magic circle on the surface.
‘It seems difficult to unseal it with my current power.’
Even with the knowledge, he absolutely lacked the power to unseal it.
As Leo gasped, he saw his right hand glowing.
Looking at the back of his hand with surprised eyes, a summoning circle made of fairy language appeared there.
‘Fairy King’s Pact?’
The Fairy King’s Pact, which he had obtained as a reward for conquering the Hero’s World during the entrance exam, reacted.
*Fwoosh!*
The orb emitted a powerful golden light.
“Gah?”
Leo instinctively closed his eyes and backed away from the light.
A moment later, the light faded, and Leo opened his eyes and looked at the orb.
*Crack!*
The surface of the orb began to crack as if an egg was hatching.
“The seal is broken?”
*Zing!*
The orb floated in the air.
And the fractured pieces continued to flow downward.
*Shatter!*
With that, the orb shattered as if a glass bead had broken.
The fairy that had been curled up in the orb slowly stretched its body.
A fairy boy, whose appearance was slightly younger than Leo if he were human, stretched with a ‘Ughhh-!’ sound.
Then he opened his golden eyes and looked around.
[Did Father finally release the seal?]
The fairy, who spoke in a somewhat mischievous voice, noticed Leo and crossed his arms.
[Why is some mere human standing before me, this noble one?]
“Who are you?”
[Me, this noble one?]
At Leo’s question, the fairy snorted and gave a mocking laugh.
[Hmph. You lowly human. To dare try to know my true identity. How presumptuous. But I am in a good mood after being released from the seal, so I shall tell you. You’ll probably faint if you know my true identity.]
“What is your identity?”
[I am the first son of the great golden Fairy King Silode and the successor to the Fairy King! I am the Silver Fairy, Kirian-nim!]
Kirian spoke with a solemn face and lifted his chin.
[You seem surprised. Well, of course! You are a lowly human, so it can’t be helped. Even elves hardly ever get to see the Fairy King in this era, so to see the esteemed face of a Fairy King’s successor like me, how surprised you must be… ]
*Thwack!*
[Squeak!]
“Silode treated me politely, so why is his son so arrogant?”
Leo scowled and swatted Kirian with his palm as if catching a fly.
Silode, who had fallen miserably onto the table, bristled and raised his head.
[How dare you lay hands on me, the successor to the Fairy King! I will not let you get away with this… ]
*Thwack!*
[Cough!]
This time, he hit Kirian with the textbook he had taken out earlier.
It happened to be a summoning magic textbook.
“Do you want to talk back?”
[You! You! Rude! To use violence against me, the Fairy Prince, twice…!]
*Thwack!*
[The fairies will not forgive you…!]
*Thwack!*
[Are you not afraid of the consequences…!]
*Thwack!*
[I won’t let you get away with this…!]
*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
Before he knew it, Kirian was foaming at the mouth and unconscious.
“What kind of kid is so arrogant? Is he really Silode’s son?”
Leo looked down at the unconscious Kirian with a dumbfounded expression.