Book 1 Chapter 60

【60】59

[Hot!]

In the deep dawn.

Kirean jolted awake.

"Are you awake?"

[Ah, you wicked human!]

Kirean shrieked and scooted back on his bottom.

Leo rested his chin on his hand, watching Kirean.

"First, I'll acknowledge that you're the successor to the Fairy King."

[Wh-What?]

"The pact was forcibly enacted."

Leo furrowed his brows and looked down at the back of his right hand.

A silver summoning circle glowed there.

Kirean gasped in shock at the sight.

[Im-Impossible! Are you the pact-holder my father spoke of!]

'The pact-holder Silrod mentioned? So that seal was meant to break the moment I met the pact-holder.'

In Leo's case, he acquired the pact through a completely different route, regardless of Silrod's will, but it was a fact that the contract was forcibly enacted by the pact.

"That must be it."

[I can't believe it! My father would never choose a lowly human as a pact-holder!]

Kirean, who was angrily pointing his finger, saw Leo lift a textbook on summoning magic and stammered.

[N-Now that I think about it, making a contract with a human might not be so bad!]

"How did a son like you come from Silrod?"

[Hmph! How dare you, a human, speak as if you're close to my father?]

"I probably know more about Silrod than you do."

During the Age of Calamity, Leo and Silrod navigated countless battlefields together.

Although Silrod was Luna's contractor, his bond with Leo was no less significant.

"Silrod has a very gentle personality. And he doesn't have speciesist tendencies like you."

Leo rested his chin on his hand.

"You, from the beginning. You committed a great sin and were sealed by Silrod, weren't you?"

Kirean flinched.

"Royal fairies have six wings. Only the Fairy King can strip those wings. It's clear you committed a great wrong and were banished from Fairy Land."

[H-How do you, a human, know such details!]

"I told you. I know more about Silrod than you do."

Kirean looked blankly at Leo, who wore a meaningful smile.

[Ar-Are you truly the Fairy King's pact-holder? Did you meet my father in person?]

"Yes."

He had met him in his previous life, to be precise, but he hadn't lied.

[I-I can't believe it.]

"So. How exactly were you banished?"

[Since you are the pact-holder, there's no need to hide it.]

Kirean looked out the window with a mournful expression.

[That day was also a star-lit night, just like this one.]

Kirean, as the Fairy King's eldest son, was loved by all fairies in Fairy Land.

Living a life where he got whatever he wanted from a young age, Kirean reportedly indulged in mischievous acts.

[On that day, those who envied me framed me, and I eventually incurred my father's displeasure.]

"So. You caused all sorts of trouble and angered Silrod? And now you're acting like you were wronged, after being kicked out for making your father suffer?"

[Heeek?]

Kirean shrieked and fled, seeing Leo brandish the summoning magic textbook.

Leo, knowing his friend's personality well, wondered how much trouble Kirean must have caused for even Silrod to take such drastic measures against his son.

"Tsk. Anyway, since the seal is broken, you can return to Fairy Land anytime, can't you? Go and call Silrod."

[I cannot.]

"Why?"

[I cannot return to Fairy Land. I can only return once I find all six of my wings.]

"…"

[It seems you won't be able to meet my father again. Well, that's just how humans are.]

Kirean, who looked down at Leo with a scoff, crossed his arms.

[Well, though I don't care for the fact that you're human, I'll endure it since you're a human recognized by my father! I shall grant you the honor of helping me retrieve my wings! First, I believe the first wing is in Fairy Forest, which was once our fairy homeland. I expect you to lead me there quickly.]

A dark shadow fell over Kirean, who wore an arrogant expression.

'Silrod, it seems your son coming to me is destiny.'

Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham!

[Cough! Sa-Save me…! Cough!]

'I'll educate him well and send him back.'

Leo smiled warmly, thinking of his friend who must have suffered because of his son.

***

"It's cold!"

The next morning.

Class 5, who had arrived at a clearing at the entrance of Fairy Forest, screamed.

They had changed into winter uniforms and dressed as warmly as possible, but the cold in Fairy Forest was beyond imagination.

Even students from the northern regions shivered from the cold.

This was because, even in the north, the elves' territory was much further north, making it colder than where humans lived.

While all the students shivered, Harlyn said.

"From now on, I will tell you what your shortcomings are."

Sena handed out pre-prepared papers to the class.

The faces of the students who received them naturally stiffened.

"My swordsmanship and magic aren't harmonious? Me?"

Illiana looked dumbfounded.

"Lack of ability to utilize summoned beasts?"

Tade also looked unconvinced.

"Chelsea. What's your problem?"

"Lack of understanding of wind magic. How about you, Kal?"

"Huh? I understand that mine is a lack of mana, but is that really your problem?"

Kal was surprised by Chelsea's words.

Most students expressed doubt about the tasks they were given.

Chelsea raised her hand.

"Professor! I don't understand! My wind magic is among the best in the grade, not just our class, so why is my weakness a lack of understanding of wind magic?"

"You think so?"

"Yes! I'm confident that my understanding of wind magic is as high as my brother's!"

As a member of a heroic noble family whose main attribute was wind, this was unacceptable.

It wasn't just Chelsea.

The areas Harlyn pointed out as weaknesses were all areas that the individual students of Class 5 considered their 'strengths'.

Areas they were confident they excelled in compared to other students.

Since the conclusion was a lack of skill in those areas, they naturally had to show resistance.

Harlyn spoke to everyone's reactions.

"Are you unable to admit that you're not properly utilizing your strengths?"

"That's right!"

Chelsea replied with a slightly sulky expression.

"So you think that."

Harlyn curved the corners of his mouth.

"Chelsea Lwaryn. Step forward."

At the sudden call, Chelsea came forward with a puzzled expression.

"Leo Flove. Step forward."

Then Leo was called.

"From now on, the two of you will duel using only wind magic."

"…!"

"If you boast about being the best in your grade, prove your skill here and now."

"Professor. No matter how amazing Leo oppa is, if we duel with only wind magic, it's obvious I'll win."

The other students thought the same.

"If Chelsea Lwaryn wins, it means my judgment was wrong. In that case, you can spend your school trip period as free time, however you like."

At Harlyn's words, all the students in Class 5's eyes widened.

'That means…'

'We don't have to come out this early in the cold and suffer this much, does it?'

'If Chelsea just beats the class president!'

"Instead, if Leo Flove wins, you will follow my words without complaint."

"Yes!"

"Go, Chelsea!"

"Crush the class president!"

"Chelsea! We're counting on you!"

Leo let out a hollow laugh as the entire class suddenly turned against him.

"Isn't there anyone cheering for me?"

"Sorry, Leo! I can't cheer for you this time!"

At Kal's words, Leo shook his head and walked to the center of the clearing.

Step- Step-

"Come to think of it, this is the first time I'm fighting you with magic, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

He helped Chelsea train every week and sparred, but that was purely physical training.

They had never dueled using magic like this.

'I don't think I'll lose to Leo oppa in a duel using only wind magic.'

Chelsea glanced between Leo and Harlyn.

'Professor Harlyn wouldn't have said that for no reason.'

Chelsea bounced in place, warming up.

"No matter how great Leo is, this is too much."

"Right."

"I think Professor Harlyn is overdoing it."

Everyone had a carefree expression, but Kal was tense.

'Objectively, Chelsea has too much of an advantage. But Leo has always defied expectations. He might have a secret weapon.'

"Start."

As soon as Harlyn's command fell, Chelsea chanted.

"Wind Breaker!"

"Wind Breaker."

Simultaneously with Chelsea's chant, Leo also chanted.

Chelsea, who had expected him to dodge, looked surprised.

Crash!

The blades of wind clashed and canceled each other out.

Whoosh!

Of course, fragments of Chelsea's Wind Breaker that weren't completely canceled out struck Leo.

"Wind Shield!"

Boom!

The powerful blades of the storm shattered the wind shield Leo created and scratched his body.

"…!"

"Im-Impossible!"

Tade looked flustered, watching Illiana shout in disbelief.

"What? Why? Isn't Chelsea at an advantage?"

"You idiot! Chelsea's high-speed chanting is the best among freshmen! But Leo retaliated with the exact same spell as Chelsea! What does that mean?!"

'It means Leo oppa's spell speed… is faster than mine.'

Leo had shown a weakness in the activation formula, which could be called the latest magic trend.

'It wouldn't be strange if Leo oppa quickly overcame that weakness. But is it possible that his wind magic chanting speed is faster than mine?'

Chelsea's high-speed chanting ability was undoubtedly the top among freshmen.

Even Chloe and Abad were behind Chelsea in this area.

It was true that the power of Chelsea's high-speed chanting spell was overwhelmingly stronger than Leo's.

Even so, being slower was a blow to Chelsea's pride.

'Spell speed doesn't change the outcome of a battle!'

Even if it's faster, it's only subtly faster!

There's no big difference.

'Besides, I can use a much wider variety of magic with high-speed chanting than Leo oppa!'

"Wind Chain!"

Clatter!

If Wind Breaker was a magic that swept away enemies in a straight line, Wind Chain was a magic that suppressed enemies using wind chains.

As Chelsea's magic aimed at him, Leo completed his spell.

"Wind."

'As expected, Leo oppa lacks diversity in spells!'

Chelsea, with a triumphant smile, shouted.

"You'll never beat me with just wind magic!"

Leo laughed at that.

"Chelsea, do you remember what I told you the first day we met?"

"What?"

"That's not how you use wind magic."

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