Book 1 Chapter 610

610.

Thump- thump-

"It's no ordinary royal palace."

Leo muttered as he walked down the palace corridor.

A powerful spirit energy could be felt throughout the Tunkun Royal Palace.

"A spirit realm?"

As Tunkun had a history with the Great Spirit of Fire, this place had become like a spirit realm.

"It seems to have completely settled here."

Elsi, who revealed herself, said as she sat on Leo's left shoulder.

Spirit Realm.

It literally meant a space occupied by spirits of a specific attribute.

This land had long been occupied by a spirit of purification.

'I heard this was a volcano, didn't I?'

And if one were to place the location of the royal palace on a typical volcano, it would be the very center of the crater.

'It's closer to the Great Spirit of Fire's palace than Tunkun's.'

Judging by the lingering resonance of spirits in the air, it had been a spirit realm for hundreds of years.

"It seems to have a very strong dominance."

"It couldn't be helped. Istar was renowned as a more powerful spirit than Undine decades ago."

Leo nodded at Laruel's words.

Great Spirits usually possessed equal power.

Occasionally, exceptionally powerful Great Spirits were born, but that was a very rare occurrence.

With equal power, no hierarchy was established.

However, the strongest Great Spirit undeniably existed.

The measure of a Great Spirit's power.

It was the number of spirits under its command.

So-called dominance.

How many.

And how powerful the spirits it commanded were.

That too was undeniably a measure of a Great Spirit's power.

'Spirit users who contract with Great Spirits are usually divided into two categories.'

There were spirit users who maximized and utilized the Great Spirit's inherent power, and there were spirit users who handled the vast number of Great Spirits commanded by the Great Spirit.

In Leo's case, it was the former.

'Lysina was good at both.'

Lysina changed her combat method depending on the situation.

There were times when she fought armed with a Great Spirit, and there were times when she overwhelmed with the sheer number of spirits.

'Well, during the Age of Calamity, the number of spirits was also greatly reduced, so she used to draw out the inherent power of Great Spirits more often.'

Leo, recalling Lysina, looked down at his hand.

Lysina's obsidian mana flickered according to Leo's will.

Lysina's mana, which came to reside in Leo's body as a reward for conquering Lysina's world.

'Sometimes it moves without my will.'

Leo stared at the obsidian mana wordlessly, but the obsidian mana did not respond.

Leo, clenching his fist tightly, muttered.

"By the way, why did Istar take Celia?"

There was no trace of hostility in the spirit's power when it took Celia.

"Istar is a spirit with a strong desire to show off. The reason Istar has bestowed blessings upon the royal family of Tunkun for so long is not only because their ancestor fought alongside it long ago, but also because they possessed the lineage capable of drawing out its full power."

Laruel clicked her tongue.

At those words, Elsi's expression showed understanding.

"Ah, so by contracting with the royal family of Tunkun, Istar was able to be called the strongest Great Spirit."

For a spirit, a spirit user is a being that amplifies its power.

Depending on the spirit user's ability, even powers beyond their limits can be drawn out.

"Yes. Moreover, the Tunkun royal family revered Istar as a divine being. A prestigious family that maximizes its power and worships it well. It was the perfect condition for that vain leech to cling to."

Laruel said scathingly.

"But Celia doesn't have talent as a summoner?"

The ancestor of Zerdinger received the power of the Phoenix.

However, even though the foundation of its power is the mythical beast Phoenix, it does not mean one has talent as a summoner.

"He's not the type to care much about that. He's just a foolish guy who attaches himself to anyone who can make him look good."

Laruel said as if it were pathetic.

As the eldest among the current Great Spirits, Laruel had a keen insight into the tendencies of other Great Spirits.

Hearing Laruel's words, Elsi tilted her head.

"Then wouldn't Leo be even more suitable? He has already reached the position of a hero and is renowned as an All-Class. Why Celia?"

Hearing Elsi's words, Laruel clicked her tongue.

"Istar must have sensed my presence residing in Leo's mana when Leo touched the city gate. And the presence of those fools as well."

Peep- peep-

"How dare you call us fools! Apologize!"

"Ah! Laruel's condescending gaze!"

Fiora flapped her wings and chirped, and Kieran waved his hands in the air, protesting.

Ati rolled on the floor, wrapping himself all over.

"What does it have to do with you contracting with everyone?"

"Huh?"

Laruel looked at Elsi with a bewildered expression.

Elsi tilted her head as if she didn't understand, and Kieran said.

"Huh? I heard that Great Spirits are very strict about contracts. Wasn't it like that?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. They say they refuse contracts if you've contracted with the Three Great Mythical Beasts or other Great Spirits."

"Really? Leo?"

"That's what I understand."

"Ah, that's why Ignitus called Leo a playboy back then."

Elsi nodded as if she understood.

Laruel, watching Elsi, asked in a flustered manner.

"Elsi, doesn't it bother you at all that Leo has contracted with other Great Spirits?"

In fact, when contracting with Leo, Laruel had unconsciously paid close attention to Elsi's reaction.

"Yes. Rather, I'm happy because it seems like I can make new friends. In fact, I'm enjoying it because it's become more lively since Laruel contracted with Leo."

"Ah! How can you be so benevolent!"

Laruel clasped her hands together, looking moved.

'Well, in Elsi's case, she's bound to lack the unique possessiveness that other Great Spirits have now. She was born during the Age of Calamity.'

"Come to think of it, didn't Lysina make pacts with all the Great Spirits 5000 years ago? Was it a contract made out of urgency at that time?"

At that time, Luminus, the Great Spirit of Light, was severely wounded in a battle with the Legion Commander Gluttony King Yormungandr and fell into a deep sleep to prevent its annihilation.

Elsi, the Great Spirit of Darkness, was annihilated in a battle with the Necromancer King.

Therefore, only the Great Spirits of the Four Elements remained.

And they were all Lysina's contractors.

Leo, seeing Elsi ask with apparent confusion, said calmly.

"They refused to contract at first, too."

Laruel sighed as Leo spoke indifferently.

"It seems the previous generation was the same. How did the King of Wisdom manage to contract with them all? Were they moved by him?"

"I persuaded them with my fists."

"What?"

"I beat them until they agreed to contract."

"…… Leo?"

"No. Lysina did."

Laruel's jaw dropped at the words of Lysina, the summoner renowned as a legendary summoner even among Great Spirits, beating up Great Spirits for refusing to contract.

For the record, the ill-tempered Kyle and Luna have fierce expressions when attacking someone, but Lysina does not.

She smiles.

So sometimes she seems even more frightening.

"The world was in crisis, so it was natural to hit them when they were being proud."

Leo said, clicking his tongue.

Of course, the Great Spirits didn't refuse the pact solely out of pride.

There was also the concern that it would be difficult for a single contractor to perfectly handle all four Great Spirits.

Of course, such worries were completely gone after the battle.

"I can't imagine it."

Peep…

Kieran and Fiora also found it hard to believe.

"Huk! A contractor who beats you up if you displease them! I love it!"

Ati was pleased.

It was then.

Creak- creak-

The sound of metal friction was heard.

Leo looked straight ahead.

There, knights clad in armor with a reddish hue were approaching Leo.

"Spirits?"

They looked like fire spirits clad in armor.

"It doesn't seem like a welcoming atmosphere."

At Elsi's words, Leo chuckled.

"Indeed."

"How insolent."

Laruel gritted her teeth.

"In that case, I'll have to let you know by force."

Leo approached the fire spirits.

"Whether I am qualified as a contractor or not. Elsi."

"Yes."

"It's your turn to step forward."

***

"Look at this, girl."

Istar said, holding up a magnificent red dress with both hands.

"This dress is a dress of flame that I painstakingly made with my own hands."

Celia, seeing Istar approach her, stepped back with a pale face.

She felt a biological revulsion at the sight of a tall man, shirtless, approaching her with a dress.

"If you become my knight, you will not only become the king of this Lesentong region, but you will also be able to wear this beautiful dress of flame."

"Um… well, this land will be inherited by Leo, and I'm not particularly interested."

"Hmph! I'm not interested in human politics. This Lesentong region has been my domain, the spirit of purification Istar, for a long time. I merely lent it to my noble and loyal Tunkun family!"

Istar scoffed and dropped the dress.

Fwoosh-!

The dress, which turned into blue flames, flew towards Celia.

Celia flinched.

The flames burned Celia's clothes and turned back into a dress.

Celia, who was suddenly wearing the dress, looked flustered.

"Hoho, black hair and red eyes suit you well. You are incredibly beautiful. Hmm, hmm."

Celia shivered at his lascivious gaze, as if appraising an object.

"As expected of the king I chose. Now, next is this sword. This sword, too, is a sword I made, imbued with my power…"

"I am not a spirit user, so I won't be of much help to you, Istar-nim."

At Celia's words, Istar smiled faintly.

"It doesn't matter."

"What?"

"Your blood flows with the blood of Zerdinger, who received the blessing of the Phoenix, the king of flame mythical beasts, and the blood of Tunkun, who received the blessing of me, Istar, the spirit of purification. You are not a spirit user, but you have the blood that can possess the qualities of the greatest spirit user."

"And then?"

"Give birth to many children! If you do, a child with the qualities of the greatest spirit user will be born!"

"……"

"Then I! Istar, the spirit of purification, will be reborn as the strongest Great Spirit by crushing that unsightly spirit of the deep sea! Of course, your descendants will also enjoy prosperity!"

Celia pressed her temples.

This Great Spirit seemed to be a pervert.

It was then.

"Hmm?"

Istar's expression changed drastically.

"How did you infiltrate this royal palace?"

The royal palace was a territory under Istar's dominion.

Any anomaly occurring within the palace was immediately noticed.

"The power of a dark spirit? Hah! Laruel. Did you contract with that old hag and with that treacherous Ignit as well? Two Great Spirits contracting with one contractor! What an insult to Great Spirits!"

Istar, with an incredulous expression, showed displeasure.

"Indeed, not content with contracting with the Three Great Mythical Beasts, you've contracted with two Great Spirits, and now you intend to contract with me, Istar? How insolent!"

Istar returned to his throne, sat down with a thud, and crossed his legs.

Then he looked at Celia.

"Girl, you must have attended Lumern with Leo Flov, right?"

"That's right."

At Celia's words, Istar's lips curled.

"Is that so? Then you must have been defeated by Leo Flov every time."

At those words, Celia's expression turned indignant.

It was true that she was lagging behind Leo.

But being spoken to like that was bound to hurt her feelings.

Seeing Celia like that, Istar chuckled.

"Girl, I will teach you what kind of power you will gain if you serve me."

"What?"

Fwoosh-!

As Celia looked flustered, blue flames erupted from Istar's body.

***

Crack-!

Leo grabbed the helmet of the knight before him and smashed it onto the floor.

"As expected. Is the spirit itself dwelling within this armor?"

It was said that the Tussen Knights in the past were called the Knights of the Fire Spirit.

And after Tunkun's fall and the loss of Istar's blessing, that epithet was also lost.

'It seems to be because they couldn't use weapons imbued with spirits.'

These armors were undoubtedly the weapons of the former Tussen Knights.

And who made them.

'A spirit of purification, perhaps.'

I wondered why he learned magic formations, but it seems Istar used them in this way.

'Lysina and Luna would have loved to see this.'

Leo, recalling his friends who would have sparkled with excitement at seeing something novel, looked straight ahead.

Ahead, he saw a door embroidered with a magnificent flame pattern.

KABOOM-!

Leo kicked the door down and barged into the audience chamber.

Thud-!

Leo, who stopped on the floor, raised his head.

"You have arrived, impudent one."

On the throne sat a tall man with an unpleasant expression.

"Istar, the spirit of purification."

"That is correct. If you know, kneel and show respect. Then I will forgive you even a little for your rudeness."

As Leo was about to open his mouth with a grin, seeing Istar gesture with his chin in an arrogant voice.

"Oh my?"

'Huh?'

"What a rude spirit."

Elsi, who revealed herself, stood beside Leo.

"Who do you think you are, looking at someone with such disgust?"

Elsi's face was devoid of expression.

'Huh? Is she angry?'

A sight Leo had never seen before.

No, 5000 years ago.

Leo, rarely, looked bewildered, recalling Elsi when they first met.