Book 1 Chapter 61
[61]60
KA-GA-GA-GA-GAK-!
The Wind Chain, which had been flying towards Leo, missed in all directions.
Chelsea's eyes widened.
'W-What! What in the world happened!'
The turbulent air flowing around Leo skewed the trajectory of the Wind Chain's attack.
Leo pointed his finger at Chelsea.
"Wind Bolt."
"W-Wind Shie…!"
PUG-!
"Kyaak!"
Chelsea was sent flying backward.
Leo quickly approached the retreating Chelsea.
"Wind Sword!"
Chelsea, who had desperately used close-combat magic, swung a sword of wind at Leo.
WHOOSH-!
However, the wind that surged around Leo lifted his body into the air.
Leo, entrusting himself to the flow of the wind, was unaffected by Chelsea's wind magic.
Chelsea's eyes widened.
'Is this wind magic?'
The idea of surrounding one's body with wind to deflect wind magic was something Chelsea could not conceive of.
In the first place, it was a reckless method.
"Wind Sword."
Meanwhile, Leo had also completed his incantation.
Leo's sword of wind touched Chelsea's throat.
Chelsea gritted her teeth.
Complete defeat.
All the students in the class wore expressions of disbelief.
Leo, as a knight, had not used swordsmanship.
He had subdued Chelsea solely through pure wind magic.
"Why do you think the victory and defeat were decided?"
When Halind asked, Chelsea could not answer and bowed her head deeply.
"What do you all think?"
"……."
He asked the students from other classes as well, but no one could answer.
Everyone found the situation unbelievable.
"In terms of pure magical ability, Chelsea Lewallin is by no means inferior to Leo Plov. If it were a duel using only wind magic, Leo Plov would normally not even be a match for Chelsea Lewallin. If it were a fight for their lives, Leo Plov would have lost."
Halind crossed his arms.
"However, in a contest of skill, Leo Plov emerged victorious. The factor that decided the victory and defeat was the difference in understanding and utilization of wind magic."
Everyone focused on Halind's words.
"As students of Lumern, if you are knights, you always learn to use more powerful techniques; if you are mages, you learn advanced spells; and if you are summoners, you learn to summon high-ranking familiars."
Halind looked at the students in the class.
"As a result, you tend to be absorbed in acquiring new powers. Even before you can properly utilize the powers you have already mastered."
Halind punched the air.
"To use a simple punch as an example, which is more deadly to the opponent: simply swinging with brute force, or swinging using only the necessary muscles according to the situation?"
"Using only the necessary muscles according to the situation is much more deadly."
Nelat's answer was met with a nod from Halind.
"That's right. Innate abilities are the same. You tend to think that acquiring diverse techniques is technical development, but that is merely increasing your strength. That's why the situation we just witnessed occurred."
The students, who had witnessed Chelsea, the best in the class, being subdued by Leo, could not refute him.
"To move to the next stage, increasing your skill is essential. That alone will dramatically improve your abilities."
"Yes! Understood!"
"Good. Then, from now on, we will proceed with individual training."
***
"Haaak!"
"S-Save me…"
"Ugh!"
"Hey! If you're going to vomit, go to the bathroom!"
"We have to do this for the entire duration of the school trip!"
After the morning passed, the exhausted students of Class 5 were all sprawled on the floor of their accommodation.
"Hey, Leo. This is the training schedule you drew up, isn't it?"
Kal, who was lying on the floor, asked, and Leo nodded.
"Yeah."
"Kyah! I knew it!"
Kal, who had seen Celia and Chelsea training with Leo every weekend, let out a scream.
"Everyone, take a break during lunchtime. I will announce your mission practice."
Halind posted the mission practice on the wall on the first floor.
Although they were exhausted, they were curious about the mission details, so everyone struggled to check the bulletin board.
"Gather herbs in the Fairy Forest? What? Are they telling us to just eat grass all day? I refuse!"
"Goblin subjugation? This one sounds good!"
"Training with the elf soldiers. I'll do this one!"
Each student chose a mission they liked.
"Leo, what are you going to do?"
When Kal asked, Leo picked up a mission in the corner.
"I'll do this."
"Hmm? Gathering herbs? Are you really going to do that?"
"Yeah."
'It's perfect for investigating the Fairy Forest alone.'
Although other students ignored it as boring, it was a perfect mission for Leo, who had to investigate the Fairy Forest.
"Well, if you like it… By the way, Chelsea. How long are you going to be sulking?"
Seeing Chelsea huddled in the corner on a chair, Kal let out a deep sigh.
Although Chelsea was very fond of Leo, losing in a field she was confident in was a shock.
Several students tried to comfort Chelsea, but she couldn't easily shake off the shock.
"Leo. Can you try talking to her?"
Nelat said with a troubled expression, and Leo approached Chelsea.
"Chelsea."
"Yeah."
"Shall I buy you something delicious for dinner?"
'Hey! Is she a child! To be appeased with food!'
'Sigh! That guy… what can he do besides studying and training!'
The male students in the class wore frustrated expressions.
Chelsea, the youngest in the class, was someone the male students doted on like a younger sister.
"Something delicious?"
However, Chelsea's eyes sparkled with interest.
"What will you buy me?"
"Anything you want."
"Wow!"
"……."
"……."
Seeing Chelsea with a bright smile, the male students in the class were dumbfounded.
"Should we have tried to appease them with food too?"
Taid scratched his head and said, and Kal gave him a pathetic look.
"Even if you tried to appease them with food, that fox wouldn't be appeased… KYAAAACK?"
"Huh? Kal? What did you say? Would you say that again?"
Before they knew it, Chelsea was stepping hard on Kal's instep!
"Why in the world are the guys in the class coddling her like this!"
Chelsea grinned, watching Kal writhe on the floor clutching his foot.
"Because she's cute?"
"Not cute at all!"
***
Leo entered the Fairy Forest.
[This is the Fairy Forest… the homeland of our fairies in the past.]
Kiran, floating in the air, muttered in a solemn voice and enveloped himself.
[It's cold! I'm going back!]
THWACK-!
[Why did you hit me!]
"Is that all you have to say when looking at the sanctuary of the fairies?"
[I hate being cold!]
Leo clicked his tongue and walked into the Fairy Forest.
"Kiran. There's something I need you to do."
[Something I need to do?]
Kiran faltered.
Then he put on an arrogant expression.
[Leo. You finally recognize this body's true worth. Yes, as your contractor, I will grant your request. What is it that you want the noble Fairy Prince to do?]
Although he was grumbling, since he had his first contractor, Kiran was inwardly anticipating what Leo's first request as a contractor would be.
"Go pick some herbs in the forest and gather them."
Leo threw a pouch for herbs at Kiran.
[I am the noble Fairy Prince! Are you going to make me do such trivial chores?]
"You're not going to do it?"
[Of course not!]
Kiran scoffed, throwing the leather herb pouch on the ground.
A moment later.
Kiran, who had been hit by the leather pouch, flitted through the air, gathering herbs.
Leaving the task to Kiran, Leo entered the depths of the Fairy Forest and investigated the forest.
'After the Age of Calamity, the warm northern regions became cold, right?'
Originally located in the east, the ice spirits had migrated north and changed their territory.
Fairies, who disliked the cold, had no choice but to leave their homeland in search of a new territory.
'Monsters began to appear in this place where the fairies left.'
And even now, they had not been able to completely drive out the monsters.
'Is there something that is generating monsters?'
Monsters occur naturally, but they can also be artificially generated by Tartarus.
He thought of the latter for now.
[Leo! Look! I gathered so much!]
"Hmm? Oh? That's amazing? You did well."
Leo was impressed.
As befitting a fairy, she had gathered a lot of top-quality herbs in a short time.
[Hmph. It's nothing for this body.]
Kiran, who had been reluctant at first, seemed pleased by the praise and put on an arrogant expression.
He put the herb pouch into his subspace.
Kiran sat on Leo's shoulder.
After a while, Leo stopped walking at a certain point.
[Huh? Why are you stopping?]
"It's a welcoming magic."
Kiran was startled by Leo's words.
[This is the magic of the Fairy King. But it doesn't seem like my father's magic?]
'The magic of the previous Fairy King, Grawin.'
A being who was the Fairy King during the Age of Calamity.
It was the magic of a fairy who was like a grandfather to Kiran.
'The magic has only been activated for about 100 years.'
Measuring the flow of magic, Leo felt a sense of doubt.
The magic of Grawin, who had died at least thousands of years ago, had been activated 100 years ago.
Leo slowly deciphered the type of magic and stroked his chin.
'Since it's the Fairy Forest, it wouldn't be strange to have one or two magic formations left by the predecessors…'
"Kiran. When were you driven out of the Fairy Land?"
[100 years ago.]
'The power that activated the magic is Kiran's wings. Why would he activate protective magic with Kiran's power in a place where not even fairies remain?'
While Kiran could be punished by having his power stripped, there was no reason to activate barrier magic using his son's power.
'Is there something worth protecting inside?'
Leo was lost in thought, looking at the welcoming magic, when it happened.
CLANG- CLANG- SCRAPE- SCRAPE-!
The sound of metal friction was heard.
Kiran covered his nose with his finger.
[Ugh! The stench! What is that?]
"It's an undead."
Leo frowned at the appearance of the undead, who was wearing a hood.
Seeing Leo, the undead let out a low laugh.
"Why is a human in the elf's domain?"
"It seems less strange than having an undead like you here?"
"Heh heh! Insolent! This is a place where we, Tartarus, have had influence for a long time."
[This is our fairy sanctuary, what nonsense are you talking about!]
"Fairies? Do fairies with such pathetic power exist?"
[What did you say? You rotting corpse!]
CRACKLE-!
Kiran, enveloped in silver magic throughout his body, charged at the undead.
"No!"
The undead hurriedly tried to defend itself from the sudden attack.
PUG-!
But Kiran's charge was faster than the defense.
[Hmph! You're just a nobody trying to act tough!]
Kiran, who had instantly shattered the undead, wore a triumphant expression.
"You call yourself a fairy and you just ram into things blindly?"
[If it's effective, that's all that matters!]
Indeed, as the source of a fairy's power was life force, it was like an opposite to an undead, which possessed the power of death.
[How is it! My power!]
As Kiran circled in the air, boasting, Leo pointed to his back.
"Look behind you."
[Huh? Behind?]
ROOOOAAAR-!
"As expected, even if it's low-class, a fairy is still a fairy."
[Ugh! Smelly thing, and so persistent!]
Kiran gagged, making a dismissive remark.
"A fairy with such vulgar speech!"
As crimson eyes flashed from within the hood, a crimson greatsword materialized in the undead's hand.
Seeing that, Leo's expression changed.
"Kiran! Fall back!"
[Huh? HOOOOACK!]
As the demon plunged the sword into the ground, crimson bone blades surged from the earth.
WHOOSH-!
Leo unleashed a fire aura.
Leo narrowed his eyes, looking at the knight emitting a crimson aura.
"Is that a Death Knight?"
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