Book 1 Chapter 609

609.

Leo looked at the firmly closed entrance of the royal palace.

The back of Retin's government building was connected to the entrance of the royal palace.

'To be precise, it's a structure where you have to pass through the government building to enter the royal palace. Are they protecting this palace?'

After the fall of the Tungan Kingdom, many of Tungan's legacies lie dormant in this sealed palace.

For the Tussin Knights, who had long sought out Tungan royalty, protecting it was a given.

"Hmm? Looking closer, the structure of the sealing ritual is clearly visible, isn't it?"

"It seems similar to spirit magic, yet different."

Abbad and Chelsea exclaimed, "Ooh! Ooh!" and meticulously examined the firmly closed palace gate.

As expected of mages, they seemed to be intrigued by the magic ritual composed by spirits.

"Chloe would have gone crazy if she saw this, wouldn't she?"

Leo chuckled at Chelsea's mumble.

"She might even have set up house here."

Recalling his most studious friend from the Department of Magic, Leo looked at Sis.

"Is there a Spirit of Purification inside this palace?"

"That is correct, Lord Leo."

After the fall of the Tungan Kingdom.

The Great Spirit of Fire, Ista, had also never appeared since then.

It seems to have remained within this palace ever since.

Leo, who had been silently gazing at the magic ritual sealing the palace entrance, narrowed his eyes.

Leo, having somewhat finished his analysis, mumbled.

"It seems only those with qualifications can open it."

"Qualifications?"

Celia tilted her head.

Hearing Leo's words, Abbad and Chelsea also quickly analyzed the magic ritual.

"It looks like a magic ritual related to bloodline?"

"Yeah. It seems you can only open it if you inherit the blood of the Tungan royal family."

Abbad and Chelsea, who quickly interpreted the entire magic ritual with the hint Leo gave.

Nodding at their words, Leo placed his hand on the palace's main gate, which was made of iron bars.

Clank-!

At that moment, a red chain that had been invisible suddenly appeared.

A chain made of spiritual power.

Sis, seeing it, mumbled in surprise.

"Good heavens. The palace gate, which hadn't even reacted for decades…!"

Sis looked at Leo with touched eyes.

'As expected, Lord Leo is definitely the Tungan royalty we've been waiting for all this time!'

It was when he was making an emotional expression.

Leo exerted force to open the palace gate.

Chaa-ruruk-!

The red chain was pulled taut.

'It's refusing?'

The palace's seal reacted to Leo's hand, but it did not grant passage.

The palace entrance remained firmly closed by the powerful force of a spirit.

Leo took his hand off the door and stepped back a few paces.

Chelsea approached with a flustered expression.

"It won't open?"

"No."

"Why isn't it opening? Are the conditions for breaking the seal different?"

"It seems the Spirit of Purification is rejecting me?"

"Rejecting big brother Leo? Why?"

"How should I know?"

Chelsea glared at the door with a sulky look.

Then she grabbed the iron bars and started shaking them wildly.

"Why are you rejecting big brother Leo!"

But unlike with Leo, the iron bars didn't react at all.

"Whoa. Whoa."

Abbad put his hand under his sister's armpit, lifted her, and calmed her down.

Then he handed her to Leo.

Leo, taking Chelsea, gently set her down on the ground and patted her head as she was making a disgruntled face.

"Well, I have one guess as to why it's rejecting me."

"Huh? What is it?"

Chelsea tilted her head.

"That is."

Just as Leo was about to explain.

"Will it react to me too?"

Celia, who had been watching the situation from the side, grabbed the door with an interested expression.

At that moment.

Clank-

"Huh?"

Celia's eyes widened when she saw a red chain wrapped around her wrist, she didn't know when.

"What is this?"

The moment she tried to frantically undo the chain.

Hwaak-!

"Kyaaak?!"

Celia was suddenly pulled into the palace.

"Celia!"

Abbad summoned his staff from subspace.

Wheee-ooooh-ooooh-ooooh-ooooh-!

Kwagagagagagang-!

A sharp and enormous wind instantly split the palace entrance.

A tremendous wind enveloped the surroundings, as if a typhoon had struck.

Sis lowered his stance and braced himself to avoid being swept away by the wind.

Chelsea stood in front of Leo, controlling the wind to prevent him from being harmed.

"No incantation? Is this even possible?"

The power of the magic exceeded the capabilities of an ordinary second-year student at Lumen.

But even more surprising was the magic activated without warning.

An incantation-less spell.

It was a magic ritual Luna had gifted to Abbad.

Abbad, seeing the palace gate completely unharmed, made an even fiercer expression.

Light sky-blue magic power surged around him.

Seeing Abbad genuinely enraged, Leo said.

"Calm down, this isn't like you."

At those words, Abbad let his staff drop to the ground.

And he took a deep breath.

"What's going on? Why was Celia suddenly pulled away?"

As Chelsea asked in a flustered voice, Leo looked up at the palace.

"It seems the owner of this palace took her."

"Why?"

"Because Celia is also of Tungan royal blood. She has the qualifications to open the door. Though I don't know why she was pulled in."

Leo stood in front of the palace gate.

And narrowed his eyes.

'I could forcibly break the seal, but.'

If he destroyed the seal by force, the damage to the surroundings would undoubtedly be severe.

Leo, who had been gazing at the seal for a moment, drew his sword.

Sring-

Abbad, seeing it, made a puzzled expression.

'It's a sword I've never seen before?'

It wasn't the sword Leo usually used.

He knew Leo wasn't particular about swords.

Even so, he usually used high-quality items worthy of being called a famous sword.

But the sword he now held was an ordinary longsword that could be seen anywhere.

Posteritas.

The final artifact created by Dweno, which had been dormant inside the pitch-black cloak he received from Lian previously.

Leo's eyes momentarily turned gray.

'Bible.'

His unique magic.

Leo, having activated Bible, quickly analyzed the magic ritual.

Along with that, a gray magic circle appeared on the sword's surface.

"Dispel ritual?"

Abbad made a puzzled expression.

Leo swung his sword.

Skwak-!

The sword, surging with gray magic power, cut through the palace entrance.

At that moment.

Clank-!

The palace gate opened.

Leo's eyes returned to their original color.

He had imbued the sword with Dispel to sever the sealing ritual.

At first glance, it seemed like a simple action, but in reality, it was an incredibly complex process.

Sealing magic's ritual pattern changes moment by moment to prevent its dissolution.

He calculated each change and, in a fleeting moment, constructed a Dispel ritual to release the magic ritual, thus breaking the seal.

While the result might be effective, the process was inefficient.

Abbad wouldn't dare try to replicate it.

'Could Chloe do something like that?'

Abbad shook his head inwardly.

"How did you do that?"

As Chelsea also asked in surprise, Leo pressed his throbbing brow and said.

"I merely imitated a mage I know."

"Ah…"

"There are many monsters in this world. When will I ever get to meet one?"

"If the opportunity arises."

Chelsea immediately understood that the mage Leo knew was Luna.

Abbad, unaware of that fact, merely marveled at how vast the world was.

"Since the seal is broken, can we go in now?"

Leo shook his head at Chelsea's question.

"No. I didn't completely destroy the seal. I just made a gap."

"Ah. So only big brother Leo can pass through?"

"Yes."

Leo had the qualifications to open the seal and enter, but he was rejected by Ista, the master of the seal.

He had only removed that particular condition of the seal.

"I'm enough on my own."

Leo looked at the palace entrance with a somewhat askew gaze.

Seeing him, Abbad gave a bitter smile.

"I'm envious. You're like a knight going to rescue a princess."

Leo spoke, seeing Abbad with a somewhat resentful expression.

"Celia isn't a princess."

At Leo's words, Chelsea nodded, saying, "Uh-huh! Uh-huh!"

"If she gets caught, she'll escape on her own and then some. So don't worry too much, big brother."

"Right."

At Chelsea's words, Abbad let out a bitter laugh.

"Then I'll be back."

Leo entered the palace.

Seeing him, Abbad let out a deep sigh.

"You don't have to worry too much. The Spirit of Purification is not an evil spirit. Furthermore, it would not harm the bloodline of Tungan, its long-time covenant partner."

"It should be so."

Abbad smiled faintly.

"Because if anything happens, I won't forgive even a Great Spirit."

At those words, Sis inwardly admired him.

'Indeed, is he the next master of Lwaryn?'

Although he was still young, a sense of intimidation emanated from him.

It was then.

"Young Master Leo! Lady Celia!"

The door on the government building side opened, and Niel rushed over.

This was a place where only authorized individuals could enter and exit.

When Niel suddenly entered such a place, Chelsea made a flustered expression.

Sis also realized that something had happened and did not make any particular remarks about his entry.

"Leo and Celia just went into the palace. Is something wrong, Senior Niel?"

At Abbad's question, Machel, who had followed Niel, urgently said.

"A moment ago, we received a call from Gerdinger. Senior Torua, who was a guest at Gerdinger… is unconscious!"

"What?"

"Senior Torua?"

Abbad and Chelsea's eyes widened.

"That's not all! Mrs. Flobe, Young Master Leo's mother, has been abducted by an unknown assailant!"

***

Sring-!

Celia, seeing the red chain wrapped around her wrist pulling her with immense force, drew her sword.

Hwa-ruruk-!

The sword, Flame Storm, which had been passed down as a Gerdinger family heirloom, in Celia's hand.

Flame Storm unleashed furious flames.

Skwak!

With a sharp sound, she swung Flame Storm towards the chain.

Kaaang-!

But it bounced off without cutting through.

Celia gritted her teeth at that.

Goooooh! Hwa-rururuk-!

A fiery aura, so intense it seemed it would burn and cut anything it touched, erupted from Celia's body.

Celia's red eyes glowed as if ablaze.

Saak-!

Celia's sword energy, concentrated at the tip of her blade, cut through the chain.

For a moment, the force pulling Celia vanished.

Celia, feeling suspended in the air, regained her posture and landed on the floor.

Thud-!

She quickly looked up and checked her surroundings.

'The audience chamber?'

Celia's eyes narrowed.

At that moment.

Clap- clap- clap-

"Indeed. So this is the kind of flame that erupts when Gerdinger blood and Tungan blood mix?"

Along with the clapping, an arrogant voice was heard.

Celia's eyes widened as she looked towards the source of the sound.

There, she saw a man seated on a throne.

The man, with long, light blue hair and eyes reaching his waist, was covered in tattoos all over his body.

His tanned, bronze skin, like that of a southerner, exuded presence.

He was tall and well-muscled throughout his body.

The problem was that he was shirtless.

Celia was flustered as she looked at the man smiling broadly.

'What? Who's this pervert?'

Celia stood up with an incredulous expression.

"You are Ista, the Spirit of Purification, correct?"

"That's right, maiden. Consider it an honor."

"Huh?"

"For at this very moment, you have received my selection."

"Excuse me. I don't have the talent of a spirit user, though?"

"Indeed. That part is quite a pity."

Celia spoke, looking at Ista stroking his chin.

"My cousin can even control spirits, you know? He'd be more suitable as your covenant partner, wouldn't he?"

"That fellow who first knocked on the palace gate?"

Ista's face contorted.

At that reaction, Celia flinched.

For some reason, this spirit was hostile towards Leo.

"Mark my words, maiden."

Ista said with annoyance.

"In this world, I hate playboys the most."