Chapter 165
Chapter Title: The Pegasus's Choice
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Kalian and Liven wore grave expressions as they listened to Leo’s account of what had happened in the Great Library.
“From your description, that must be the ‘Curse of Isolation.’”
“Curse of Isolation?”
“Indeed.”
Kalian nodded.
“It’s a curse that creates a secluded space. The high-ranking demons of Tartaros use it when they infiltrate.”
It was certainly a curse Leo had never heard of.
*They’re evolving, too.*
“Was their aim for the Hall of Heroes an extension of their efforts to destroy the Hero Records, like what happened in Lady Luna’s world?”
Liven muttered with a serious face, and Kalian nodded.
“That’s highly likely.”
“Then why the Hall of Heroes? There aren’t any Hero Records there.”
Liven was right.
The place where the Hero Records slept was the Forbidden Archives.
And the Forbidden Archives was not a place that could be breached by a curse.
Protected by all manner of wards and anti-curse magic, it was not a place Tartaros could dare to invade.
“There may be no Hero Records, but there are ‘keys’ that can open them. They must have been after the keys.”
Liven nodded at Kalian’s words.
“They’re certainly making their moves overtly now.”
They had anticipated some level of infiltration when they allowed 600 outsiders onto the campus.
*Even if they had entered the Hall of Heroes, they wouldn’t have been able to take any of the heroic artifacts.*
Musing to himself, Kalian looked at Leo.
*To notice the Curse of Isolation… Are his senses that sharp?*
A first-year student had stopped a high-ranking demon using the Curse of Isolation.
He was a student who never ceased to surprise.
Feeling curious, Kalian rested his chin on his hand and asked.
“Student Leo. That demon must have been a tough opponent for you at your current level. How exactly did you stop it?”
“It was thanks to a Pegasus.”
“A Pegasus?”
Kalian’s eyes widened.
He already knew that Leo was the contractor of a Phoenix.
But this was the first he’d heard about a Pegasus.
As Liven also looked on in astonishment, Leo explained the circumstances that led to him summoning Arti.
“Hah. Astonishing.”
Kalian exclaimed in admiration and nodded.
Liven stared intently at Leo, recalling the words of Lord Melina.
*‘Please help Leo Flove as much as you can.’*
*Did the Lord see through to this level of capability?*
Looking at Leo, who seemed as if he were born to be a hero, Liven spoke.
“Leo Flove. As you know, you are to remain silent about this matter.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And is there anything you want? You did stop Tartaros, after all. I believe a reward is in order.”
It would be a different story if he had caused a disturbance in the Great Library for no reason.
But since it was to stop a demon, and he had succeeded, a reward was definitely necessary.
“Nothing comes to mind, really… Ah.”
“What is it?”
“Could you provide support for my club?”
“Your club?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. I’ll support it.”
Liven nodded.
“It’s late, so you should be on your way. We’ll take care of the rest.”
At his words, Leo left the headmaster’s office.
Once the two were alone, Kalian spoke.
“We expected it, but they’ve finally made their move.”
In response, Liven said.
“Are we canceling the joint classes?”
“No. Even if we send all the other students away, they’ve likely already set their plans in motion. And if we leave them be, they’ll try to contact their agents inside Lumerne one way or another.”
The corners of Kalian’s mouth curled up.
“Haven’t we already identified the list of suspects?”
“That’s true.”
“It would be best to sweep them all up at once with this opportunity.”
***
Leaving the headmaster’s office and exiting the Tower of Heroes, Leo spotted Sasha waiting for him on a bench near the entrance.
Sasha saw Leo and stood up.
“What happened?”
“I was given a warning.”
“Was it because of me?”
“Not really.”
Sasha, who had been wearing a worried expression, let out a small sigh of relief.
“By the way, you actually managed to summon Arti. How on earth did you do it?”
Sasha, who hadn't expected him to summon a Pegasus with insufficient spiritual power, was bewildered.
Looking at her, Leo raised his hand.
*Flash—!*
A summoning circle appeared above Leo’s hand.
Sasha’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Wait a minute! That’s…!”
It was none other than Arti’s summoning circle, floating above Leo’s hand.
In the process of summoning and fighting alongside Arti earlier, Leo had taken control of the contract.
When Leo initiated the summon, the circle opened, and a polymorphed Arti poked her head out.
With her pure white hair fluttering, Arti glared at Leo.
“You. You dared to shove me into a summoning circle without my permission?”
“It was an emergency.”
“Isn’t your handling a bit too rough?”
Grumbling, Arti stepped out of the summoning circle and crossed her arms.
Unlike before, Arti was wearing a white dress instead of armor.
Still glaring at Leo with her arms crossed, Arti waved at Sasha.
“Hi, Sasha.”
“Arti! What’s going on? Why has Senior Leo become the master of the contract?”
Looking at Sasha’s bewildered face, Arti let out a deep sigh.
“It’s a long story. The pact leadership between you and me, which you inherited from the previous emperor, has been taken by this person.”
“N-No way!”
Sasha’s face turned pale.
Arti was a legacy of the Rodren Imperial Family, passed down through generations.
However, as a Pegasus with her own will, she could not be bound against her wishes.
In the first place, the only reason Arti remained as a pact-mate of the Rodren Imperial Family was because of a request from the first emperor.
And now, that pact had been transferred to Leo.
Leo smirked at her.
“Didn’t you say you’d acknowledge the contract if I succeeded in summoning the Pegasus?”
“Oh my, Sasha. Did you sell me to this man?”
Arti’s eyes went wide.
“W-Well…! T-That is…!”
Staring back and forth between Leo and Arti with a pale face, Sasha’s eyes welled up with tears.
“Senior Leo! I was wrong! I’ll do anything you ask, so could you please give Arti back?”
“I don’t need anything.”
Leo spoke mercilessly and started to walk away, but Sasha grabbed his leg and clung to it.
“Please, I’m begging you! I’ll get on my knees!”
The crown princess of the empire was actually sobbing and begging.
It was a situation she couldn’t complain about to anyone.
If this got out, not only would the empire suffer immense disgrace, but the fact that she had recklessly wagered Arti would be revealed, and Sasha could be stripped of her title as crown princess.
Anyone who saw this would have been wide-eyed with shock, but thankfully, it was late at night, and no one was around.
Leo, who had been dragging Sasha as she clung to his leg, clicked his tongue and pulled his foot free from her grasp.
“Let go.”
With that, Leo strode over to a nearby bench, then tapped the ground in front of him with the tip of his shoe.
“Kneel here.”
At his command, Sasha didn’t even think to wipe the tears from her cheeks as she came before Leo and knelt.
The moment her knees touched the ground, a shiver of immense humiliation ran through her body.
But she couldn’t defy the man before her now.
Sasha was destined to be at the pinnacle of the empire’s power, but she wasn’t there yet.
Although her position as heir was secure, a single major mistake could cause everything she had built to crumble like a sandcastle.
And right now was a crisis where all of it could collapse.
It was no exaggeration to say her fate rested in Leo’s hands.
No matter how much she had studied imperial politics and lived to become an emperor, she was still just a fourteen-year-old girl.
The fear of losing everything was enough to crush her, making her obedient.
Looking down at the trembling Sasha, Leo crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand.
“I get that you’re a talented summoner. But you should have considered that there are plenty of people your age who are far more incredible than you. Making a bet with your pact-mate on the line out of arrogance? And you call yourself a summoner?”
An intimidating aura filled Leo’s red eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Sasha flinched.
Beside them, Arti nodded.
“There’s a limit to being childish. As a summoner, and as an emperor who will lead a nation, acting rashly will only bring disaster. You. You’re close with Celia and Chelsea, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Didn’t they advise you to be careful when dealing with me?”
“…”
Sasha lowered her head.
Seeing this, Leo clicked his tongue.
“Besides, that bet earlier was incredibly rude to your pact-mate, you know?”
Leo glanced at Arti, who was watching them.
“It’s not because she’s a Pegasus. The reason summoners call their summoned beasts ‘pact-mates’ is because they are partners for life. Cherishing them is a fundamental principle for a summoner.”
Sasha bowed her head low.
She had no excuse, even if she had ten mouths to speak with.
Looking at Sasha, Leo chuckled.
“Well, you’re a fourteen-year-old kid, so you’re bound to make mistakes. But if you aim to be a hero, and if you want to become the emperor who leads a nation, don’t forget what happened today.”
*Whirr—*
Leo created Arti’s summoning circle on his palm.
“Take it.”
“What?”
Sasha’s eyes widened.
“A-Are you giving it back?”
“I don’t steal other people’s summoned beasts.”
Sasha looked at Leo, who spoke indifferently, with a confused expression.
*Giving it back so easily…*
*Is it because he doesn’t want to be on bad terms with the Rodren Empire?* she wondered, but that didn’t seem to be it.
A Pegasus was a powerful asset, enough to sway the fate of a nation.
With Leo’s skills, any faction would be desperate to recruit him.
And if he were also the summoner of a Pegasus?
That went without saying.
If Leo decided to join a powerful faction in another region, there would be little Rodren, the hegemon of the West, could do.
*Is it because his maternal family is the Jerdingers? No, that’s not it either.*
Even so, he would try to get something he wanted from her.
But Leo truly seemed to want nothing and was trying to return the sovereignty of the contract.
*A Pegasus, a being for which a summoner would gladly offer their soul, fell into his hands, and he’s giving it back this easily.*
Looking up at Leo, Sasha felt a strange emotion.
Bathed in the moonlight, Leo’s figure exuded an air of absolute dignity.
It was as if he were looking down on her from a much higher place.
The gap between them, which she had secretly believed wasn’t that large, now felt overwhelming.
*He’s on a different level.*
The girl, who had spent her entire life studying and being tutored to become an emperor, had a certain eye for people.
That was why she knew intuitively.
*He’s a vessel I could never hope to contain.*
Feeling a sense of reverence, Sasha reached out with a trembling heart for the summoning circle Leo held out.
If she just took that back, she would regain control of the contract.
Just then.
“Hold on.”
Arti interjected.
“Doesn’t my opinion matter?”
Sasha looked flustered at the sight of Arti grumbling in a discontented voice.
Leo spoke in a flat tone.
“Your original pact-mate is the Rodren family anyway.”
“That’s right. I still feel the same way about that, but.”
Arti gave a deep smile.
“Now that I’ve experienced a summoner like you, I don’t feel like going back to Sasha just yet.”
“What? Arti! What do you mean!”
As Sasha started in surprise, Arti grinned.
“Don’t worry. Like I said a moment ago, I’m not thinking of leaving forever. However…”
Arti approached Leo.
She brought her nose close to his hair, sniffed, and tilted her head.
“It’s strange. The more I look at you, the more I’m drawn to you.”
Arti was instinctively drawn to Leo.
It was inevitable.
*Is it because of my mana attribute?*
Leo’s mana attribute was ‘Pure.’
And the Pegasus, a pure white divine beast, was a creature drawn to purity.
In a way, it was no exaggeration to say that Leo was a born pact-mate for a Pegasus.
That was why he had been able to contract with a Pegasus so easily in his past life.
“I want to watch you from your side a little longer. Leo Flove.”
“Just go back. You’ll go through hell if you stay with me.”
“Oh? A contractor who exudes danger? That’s my type, in a way.”
Arti beamed.
“And you said it yourself.”
“…?”
“That if I experienced your technique, my body would never be satisfied with anyone else.”
Cupping her face, Arti wore an ecstatic expression.
“You were right. I thought you were just an overeager rookie, but to have such skill… You’re the ideal summoner I’ve been looking for.”
Arti said with a flushed face.
“So, I want to follow you for the time being, until I’m satisfied.”
“Just go.”
“No, if I go back to Sasha unsatisfied, I feel like I’ll be thinking of your touch every night. You were the only one in my entire life who could handle me so perfectly! A summoner who can master me completely! I’ve been waiting for someone who could be my master. Leo Flove!”
Watching Arti’s strange display as she twisted her body, Sasha blushed.
It was clearly about summoning skills, but her words and actions were strangely misleading.
At this sight, Leo pressed his temples.
He thought of his other contracted divine beasts.
Two childish kids and one perverted adult.
*I refuse to let this get any more chaotic.*
“In that sense! Please take care of me for the time being! Master!”