Baekringap
Having roughly finished his conversation with the Emperor, Leon headed with him toward the First Imperial Treasury.
The palace underground!
Following behind the Emperor, the path led steadily downward. It seemed he would finally get to see the famous underground of the imperial palace.
The road to the treasury was nothing short of grueling—complex routes, countless security devices, and guards at every turn. Near the end, there was even a checkpoint only the Emperor himself could pass.
Deactivating them with practiced ease, the Emperor never stopped talking.
"So hurry up and graduate from that academy already. What more can you learn from a place where kids play around? Waste of time. Pure waste of time. You've got plenty of work to do. If your name isn't on next semester's graduation list, I'll issue an imperial decree to Elfprime."
"How fiery of you, Your Majesty."
"But I took a quick look at your grades last time—why on earth are your written exam scores like that?"
"······."
Eventually, crossing the underground corridor of the palace, a magnificent vault door large enough for a giant to pass through stood before them.
A solid iron door of terrifying thickness, dense with concentrated mana. The Emperor pressed his palm against one side of it.
Gooooong— Clank— Clatter—
Countless red lines traced across the iron door's surface. Mana swirled. The dense sounds of mechanisms turning filled the air.
Soon, the vault door slowly pushed open, revealing the pitch-black interior.
"Go on in."
The Emperor and Leon stepped forward.
Flash—
Once fully inside, bright lights flared from the ceiling, illuminating everything around them.
"Oh······."
Leon surveyed the full expanse of the First Imperial Treasury.
Treasures displayed on shelves and pedestals like a museum. Wherever his gaze fell, admiration rose unbidden.
Priceless treasures. A feast of wonders beyond any valuation.
This was the true power of the imperial family that had ruled the Empire for hundreds of years.
Leon unconsciously licked his lips at length.
Ah, damn.
Realizing it was the exact same gesture as Hera's, he hastily pulled his tongue back in.
Leon spoke with a full smile.
"So now I can pick whatever I want?"
The Emperor shook his head as if that were absurd.
"What a funny thing to say. What's going to you is already decided."
"What? You said it was a ticket into the First Imperial Treasury."
"A ticket to enter, literally. I never said I'd let you pick what you wanted, did I?"
Leon's face went completely stiff. The Emperor quickly added,
"Just look at it first. I picked the one that suits you best. Something that doesn't fall short of anything else in this place."
"Yes."
The Emperor went deeper into the treasury.
"This is it."
Where he stopped was a display case the size of an adult man.
Leon looked sullenly into the transparent glass—then immediately widened his eyes.
"······!"
A heavy resonance rose in his chest. Goosebumps ran up his spine.
Feeling his pounding heart, he approached the display case.
It was armor composed of thousands of pure white scales.
A form covering from below the neck to the pelvis. From the back, a tail as thick as an adult's forearm hung long.
Each individual scale was so fine and precise it defied belief. Each piece was smaller than a pinky fingernail.
That extreme precision boasted a beauty of the highest order. The vividness of the entire armor—as if it were alive and breathing—made it feel like looking at a refined work of art.
The mana contained within was so exalted it felt distant. Heat haze rose from the surface from the energy leaking out.
Leon completely forgot his sense of betrayal toward the Emperor. He had to admit this. He understood the confidence that it could not be compared to any other treasure here.
"Baekringap."
The Emperor recited the name in a proud voice.
"A masterpiece of the imperial family crafted from dragon scales. The greatest artisans of the age poured themselves into it countless times, forging it over a full fifteen years."
He reached out and opened the display case.
"Better to see it yourself than explain a hundred times. Try it on first."
"······."
Leon nodded silently and picked up the Baekringap.
Gooooooo······
The moment he grasped it with both hands, a majestic energy washed over his entire body. Lifting it slightly, it felt light as a sheet of paper.
The Emperor pointed with his index finger at the nape of the Baekringap.
"Drip your blood there. That's how you register as the owner of the Baekringap."
"Yes."
Leon bit down hard on his left hand with his teeth.
Splash!
A fountain of blood began to spray. Leon poured the cascading blood into the groove at the nape.
"No······ you only need one drop."
The Emperor muttered in bewilderment.
Soon.
Wooooooooong—!
Brilliant multicolored radiance blazed vividly across the surface of the Baekringap. Mana that had begun operating vigorously breathed life into the armor.
Leon felt himself connecting with the Baekringap. He also got a sense of how to use it.
After removing his outer clothes to leave only his shirt, he pulled the Baekringap on from top to bottom.
Shrrrrr—
The scales of the Baekringap rippled. The entire set of scales moved smoothly, transforming to fit Leon's body perfectly. His upper body was enveloped in white scales.
That wasn't the end. Leon continued to touch the Baekringap's mana.
Shrrrrrrrrr—!
The scales that had stopped at the shoulders, and ceased at the pelvis and neck, continued to extend. Like spreading fire, they rapidly covered the empty areas.
Beyond the upper arms to the elbows, forearms, and to the fingertips, scales stretched out, forming gauntlets like a dragon's forelegs.
Wrapping thighs, knees, calves, and feet, they created refined boots.
Waves of scales surging upward spun round the neck and head, forging a magnificent helmet.
Thus the Baekringap became full-body armor.
"······."
Leon slowly moved his body.
The scales clung without gaps as if they had become another skin. Extremely flexible and light, he felt no resistance at all.
It was also like wearing a bodysuit. But not stuffy in the least, and well-ventilated.
And then.
Whoosh—! Whooosh—!
Fully extended, the tail reaching a full two meters could be operated freely like a limb. Length adjustment was free, and completely concealing it was also possible.
The power was tremendous as well. Just casually swinging it as a test whipped up fierce winds.
If he poured mana into it and moved with maximum force, the surroundings would be destroyed—so he had to hold back.
"Wow."
Leon couldn't hide his admiration. This was truly a peerless treasure transcending the age.
"Since it uses dragon scales as they are, the defensive power needs no explanation. It flawlessly blocks all kinds of damage, including physical and magical."
It was a fact he could sense without needing to hear it.
From this paper-thin armor, truly exalted hardness and resistance could be felt. A firmness like the walls of the capital itself seemed ready to ignore any attack.
Wooooong—
And yet it accepted the user's energy without any rejection. When Leon raised his mana, the Baekringap glowed with white and blue light. The sight was as if aura had wrapped around it.
"Do you like it?"
"······What is there to say?"
Leon's voice from inside the Baekringap helmet boiled with exhilaration.
Appearance and function that fulfilled a man's romance. Performance that could be felt without needing to experiment—tiresome even to explain in detail.
"So now what, do I just go erase the Republic or something?"
At Leon's banter, the Emperor let out a short laugh.
"It's possible."
Cheren's firm voice pierced through the interior of the training hall.
"······."
Her father, Count Philtron, didn't even turn his gaze and continued swinging his sword. Precise sword forms as if measured by a ruler were carved into the training ground.
In contrast to his worried eyes, there was no wavering in his blade.
Cheren spoke again.
"It is certainly possible."
Only after drawing out the final form did Philtron stop his sword. Sheathing it, he turned to look at Cheren.
"Truly······."
His mouth opened heavily.
"Can you not give it up."
"I cannot."
"It is a matter where success is hard to guarantee. If you fail, you will live a life worse than death. Must you bear that risk?"
"It doesn't matter. Someone has to do it."
Cheren clenched her fist tightly.
"How long do you plan to put it off. How long do you plan to just pass this suffering······ on to future generations."
Her words were like a dagger. Philtron's eyelids trembled slightly.
Cheren twitched her lips as if hesitating, then finally spat it out.
"At the very least, I do not want to do that to my future partner and children. I'd rather let the bloodline end."
"······Heir."
It was a statement the sole daughter who would one day lead the family should not make, but Philtron could say nothing. He only twisted his ice-cold face with pain.
Philtron couldn't bear to look into his daughter's eyes and averted his gaze.
"······."
"······."
The two stood still for a long while as if time had stopped. Only eerie silence settled over them.
"······Fine."
How much time had passed? Philtron raised the gaze he had dropped to the floor once more.
"I agree as well."
And then said with a small sigh,
"That Young Master Leon might be able to resolve our family's curse."