Book 1 Chapter 868

868.

The next day.

Leo and his companions arrived at the main residence of the Hergin family.

As soon as Eliza arrived at the main residence, several retainers flocked to her and began discussing the family's schedule.

"We plan to head to the northern continent. Clear all the patriarch's appointments."

"Yes, understood."

At Eliza's words, the Hergin family retainers bowed their heads.

"Ooh~ future patriarch!"

It was then that Karl whispered quietly from beside her, giving a thumbs-up.

"Sir Karl! Where on earth have you been?!"

"Your paperwork is incredibly backed up!"

"This time, the Merchant Guild is looking for you, Sir Karl!"

"Sir Karl! Regarding Hercia's finances this summer…"

"No! Before that, the approvals needed for the family event first…!"

"Huh? Huh? Wh-wh-what?"

A crowd incomparable to Eliza's swarmed Karl.

All of them, retainers of the Hergin family, rushed in and surrounded Karl in a circle.

The group, flustered, quickly had no choice but to distance themselves from Karl.

"J-just a moment. O-one person at a time…!"

"There's no time for that!"

"Take Sir Karl to the office at once!"

"Hey, kids! Save me!"

The retainers lifted Karl and carried him away just like that.

It was a situation as if a storm had swept through, and everyone in the group looked dazed.

"It seems Karl had a big influence on Hercia's development like this."

Leo folded his arms and marveled.

"Karl's abilities are that exceptional?"

Chelsea said with a surprised look, and Leo replied.

"It's an ability even our school's picky vice-student council president acknowledged."

Rumerne's vice-student council president.

Even in her delinquent days, Elena was famous for perfectly organizing parties for raiding hero dungeons.

It was not easy for a raid party led by a third-year to surpass fourth and fifth-years.

That was possible not only due to her personal abilities but also because she had an eye for people.

However, since her own personal abilities were so exceptional, she wouldn't even bat an eye at ordinary talents.

What Elena considered merely passable was seen as an amazing talent by others.

And what Elena praised as 'versatile' was precisely Karl's internal affairs ability.

She even tried to hire Karl specially to stay at the school before he became a hero, with the authority of Rumerne's board chairman's proxy, saying he could do anything he was told.

Leo also saw through Karl's abilities and had him work as the interim student council president, only to be surprised by his competence, which exceeded imagination.

"But Karl hasn't really had any education on managing large organizations, has he?"

Chelsea said with surprise.

She had known about Karl's business acumen for a long time, but she hadn't realized it was to this extent.

"He was born with it. Plus, he probably grew naturally while being overworked by Elena."

At Leo's words, everyone gasped in admiration.

"It's not for nothing that my brother is trying to recruit him after graduation."

Abad, who was in the same dormitory as Karl in his second year, had been watching Karl very closely.

And Duran was no different.

Duran's reason for wanting to connect his younger sister with Karl was not simply his capabilities as a hero.

Thump- Thump-

Leo walked past Eliza and said.

"Watch closely. Karl will become even more popular."

"Ugh?!"

Eliza flinched, looking down at Leo, who spoke so quietly that only she could hear him.

Eliza was also surprised to see the developed city of Hercia.

She had wondered what had happened, and only now realized that Karl had influenced Hercia's developed future.

Leo, giving a gentle smile to the flustered Eliza, said.

"Karl has been taken away, so let's finish our preparations first."

Leo's group decided to use the Hergin family's armory.

As a renowned hero family, the Hergin armory contained not only items related to summoners but also items for various classes.

The group, having entered the armory with Eliza's authority, armed themselves according to their individual preferences.

"Wow, this dagger. It's imbued with the blessing of the water spirit."

Chen Shia held a dagger hanging on one side of the armory and swung it.

"Wow! Wow! This is a magic staff imbued with the hair of the Great Wind Spirit! The Hergin family had it?!"

Chelsea exclaimed in surprise and lifted the magic staff.

"Come to think of it, there was such a thing."

"Do you want to exchange it for the summoner-exclusive staff in our family's treasury?"

"Hmm. If it's an item worthy of that staff, it wouldn't be a bad exchange."

At Chelsea's words, Eliza also showed interest.

"E-Eliza. Isn't this too much armament?"

"No. Senior Lil needs to perform duties on the very front lines, doesn't she?"

Eliza was leading Lil around, collecting the best treasures from the Hergin family's armory and heavily arming her.

As it was summoner's equipment, there were many artifacts.

Normally, opening the armory to outsiders would be unthinkable.

Furthermore, taking the treasures from that armory out was even more absurd.

It was something even the patriarch could not do carelessly.

If the Elders' Council found out, they would be furious, and the patriarch's position could be jeopardized.

But Eliza didn't care and just went for it.

'Who cares. It's a welcome.'

If not now, when else would she get to take things out of the armory so lavishly as if shopping?

Eliza also generously took whatever she liked.

Sweeping up precious potions, which would make the Elders' Council tremble, into her subspace was a bonus.

Even Melina, the Dragon Lord, showed interest and took a few items.

Leo silently looked around the inside of the armory.

"Leo Flobe, aren't you taking anything?"

"This is enough for me."

Leo pulled out Kyle's cloak, the Jet-Black Cloak, from his subspace and showed it.

At his words, Eliza nodded.

There was no reason to force him if he didn't need anything.

Moreover, Leo wasn't someone who would speak idly.

As Leo was looking around the armory, he suddenly stopped at one spot.

It was a place where old items were gathered.

Weapons that were utterly unusable in real combat.

Items that were carefully preserved but had no more or less value than ornamental pieces.

No.

They were items that were difficult to even call ornamental.

Among them, two items caught Leo's eye.

A faded, rusty necklace and a spear.

The two old, worn-out items captivated Leo's gaze.

As Leo stood blankly, Eliza tilted her head.

"What's wrong?"

"…Divine weapon."

"A divine weapon? Made by Dweno?"

Eliza asked in surprise.

At that, everyone's attention instantly focused.

"…"

Leo silently reached out his hand towards the spear displayed on silk and protected by a glass case.

Leo calmly said as he ran his hand over the glass case.

"To be precise, it's a true divine weapon."

"What? What do you mean…"

"Dweno's craftsmanship is divine level. That's why it's called a divine weapon, but… it is strictly an item from the lower world."

"Then what is the true divine weapon you're talking about?"

"Literally, a weapon made by a god."

Leo silently looked at the old spear.

A seemingly useless old spear.

But there was a reason why it was in the Hergin family's armory.

"I feel the power of Pegasus."

"…"

"And from this necklace, I feel the power of Phoenix."

It was as Melina said.

These were items connected to two phantom beasts, Pegasus and Phoenix.

Items imbued with the power of the three great phantom beasts are almost impossible to find.

Because merely being imbued with the power of the three great phantom beasts allows them to be used as a medium for summoning.

"Do you know how these items were obtained?"

At Melina's question, Eliza shook her head.

"I don't know either. The Hergin family has been collecting items related to the three great phantom beasts for a long time. Whether they are useful or not."

In that process, they must have naturally flowed into the Hergin family.

"…"

Leo ran his hand over the glass case.

"Leo Flobe, do you know what these items are? I know there have been several attempts to summon Phoenix and Pegasus using these as a medium, but not a single one has ever succeeded."

If they had succeeded, they wouldn't have been stored in a corner of the treasury like this.

Because the items here were those whose use was unknown, but were placed in a corner with the judgment that they would eventually be useful somehow.

"And you said they were items truly made by gods, are there such things?"

"A representative example would be the staff symbolizing the progenitor of the nebula, Folium."

At Leo's words, everyone's eyes widened.

"And if there are any god-made items remaining in this era, there's the Hero Record, but let's set that aside."

Leo took his hand off the glass case.

"Another one is the Ring of Life that the Fairy King possesses."

Everyone fell silent.

The Ring of Life.

An item symbolizing the Fairy King.

"That is their symbol, gifted by the gods to the Fairy King. And it is also a medium through which the Fairy King can be summoned."

Everyone looked surprised.

It was a story they had never heard before.

It couldn't be helped.

This story was not recorded in history.

The Era of Disaster ended.

The lineage of the Phantom Beast Kings, except for the Fairy King, was severed…

Even the Fairy King did not respond to anyone's summons, and stories about the Phantom Beast Kings' divine artifacts also faded into the backdrop of history.

It was a story known only to the summoners who lived in that era.

"Wait a minute. Why are you telling that story now?"

As Eliza showed a flustered expression, Leo extended both hands.

Crackle- Blaze-

Gray mana and pure white lightning flickered in his left hand, and black mana and pure white flames flickered in his right hand.

The necklace and spear, having lost their owners, reacted to the mana of those who were their owners and soul companions.

"Spear of Punishment and Necklace of Purification."

Leo clenched both hands.

Flash! Rumble!

In an instant, the spear and necklace that had been in the glass case were now in Leo's left and right hands.

"They are the symbols of the Pegasus King and the Phoenix King."

Leo gazed sadly at the mementos of his former comrades.

Items he couldn't take at the time had returned to Leo after 5000 years.

"The reason why summon beasts couldn't be summoned with these was… because the target didn't exist."