Chapter 479
Chapter Title: The Nether Knight
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Leo returned to the Tomb of the Defeated around sunset.
In the vast training grounds, the orphan soldiers were gathered in small groups, eating their meals.
After checking on the orphan soldiers, Leo approached Lil, who was eating by a campfire with Crown Prince Jeremin.
“Oh, this is quite delicious. It must be made with a special recipe, right?”
“It's just a standard military recipe. I'm surprised it suits your palate, Your Highness.”
“It's a basic requirement for becoming a great king. Hahaha.”
“I'm certain you will become a great king, Your Highness.”
Jeremin, who had been staring blankly at Lil's gentle smile, cleared his throat and spoke.
“Ahem. To do that, I'll need to stabilize the country quickly and find a worthy partner to build a great nation with.”
“I'm sure you'll find someone wonderful. Ah! M—”
Lil, who was replying with a bright smile, spotted Leo.
She was about to greet him warmly but hesitated, then shouted.
“Big Bro!”
Leo stopped in his tracks, watching Lil call out to him with a radiant smile.
Not only Leo, but also Jeremin—who had been slumping his shoulders at Lil's complete lack of interest in him—and even the knights accompanying him.
Even the orphan soldiers stopped eating and looked up at Lil.
“Big Bro, where have you been?”
Thanks to the title Lil used for Leo again, everyone's gaze naturally turned to him.
*‘So she's decided to call me that in front of others?’*
It was certainly strange to call her junior, Leo, ‘Master’ in public.
Even so, she had been deeply troubled, feeling she couldn't address her master, Leo, so casually.
And it seemed she had finally settled on that title.
-She's definitely a strange one.
-Peep.
-Calling a younger man 'Oppa' feels like you're submitting to him... but 'Big Bro' isn't a very exciting title.
Kiruan, Piora, and Artie reacted with indifference.
-Why? Isn't it kind of cute?
-I've thought this for a while, but your sensibilities are quite unique, Elsie.
As Elsie spoke with a bright smile, Laruel reacted as if she found it peculiar.
“Lady Lil. You call Sir Leo by a very... no, a rather unique title, don't you?”
When Jeremin asked with an awkward expression, Lil nodded seriously.
“Yes. As you know, Your Highness, even though Big Bro is a year my junior, he is someone to be respected, both for his skills and the great deeds he has accomplished. He's the student council president of Lumerne and a hero whose name is in the Hero Record!”
“I agree that Sir Leo is indeed one of the most remarkable individuals in history, but... there are other titles like 'older brother,' are there not?”
Lil's expression turned serious at Jeremin's hesitant words.
“There's already a junior who calls him 'Oppa.' She's very cute. If someone as old and not-cute as me were to call him that, people would give me very strange looks.”
“They're already giving you strange enough looks.”
Leo clicked his tongue and sat down next to Lil.
He then looked at the orphan soldiers, who were once again focused on their meal.
“Looks like you've completely subdued the brats.”
“Who are you calling brats! You! You're not that much older than us!”
A girl named Lu, who was sitting nearby and hurriedly eating bread, snapped at Leo's words.
At that, Lil spoke.
“Lu. You must not speak disrespectfully to Big Bro.”
“Ugh! Y-Yes, I understand, Captain.”
“Your answer should be short and loud!”
“Yes, sir!”
As Lil shouted with wide eyes, a startled Lu snapped to attention and answered sharply.
“Hmm, excellent. You may continue your meal.”
Watching Lil nod in satisfaction, Leo muttered.
“This is practically the army.”
“I thought establishing a chain of command was the priority.”
“Good job.”
“No, it's not enough. I succeeded in subduing them, but I haven't been able to change how they think.”
Lil's eyes clouded over.
From the atmosphere, it seemed the orphan soldiers were following Lil.
But their fundamental nature remained unchanged.
The orphan soldiers followed Lil because they acknowledged her strength.
And they yearned to become stronger through her.
The reason was simple.
*'To kill enemies on the battlefield.'*
They were orphan soldiers created by the Grand Duke of Funerals, Artkan.
*'In a way, these kids might be similar to those who lived through the Age of Calamity 5,000 years ago.'*
5,000 years ago, countless people, including his own disciples, had experienced such tragedies.
Even Bihar couldn't overcome the dark emotions rooted deep in her heart all at once.
*'He might have to carry it with him for the rest of his life.'*
“Big Bro.”
“What is it?”
“These children... may I look after them for a little longer?”
“The condition of our contract was to change their hearts, after all.”
Leo said after a quick glance at Jeremin.
“If you want to look after them, go ahead.”
“Yes!”
“And while we're at it, shall we train together?”
“Train? Yes, please!”
Lil's eyes sparkled.
*'My first training session with Master!'*
In the dead of night.
Lil stood in the middle of the training grounds.
Standing before Lil was Leo, and beside him was a small, white-haired girl with a tiny fairy and a small chick perched on her shoulders.
*'Master's familiars.'*
It was a well-known fact that Leo was the contractor of the Phoenix, the Fairy, and the Pegasus.
“Is today's training with Master's familiars?”
-Huh? Nope, we just came to watch.
-Peep. Peep.
-Show us your cool side, Lil.
Kiruan, Piora, and Artie answered one after another.
After replying, Artie pulled out a bag of snacks, and Kiruan and Piora pounced.
Lil was flustered by the utterly frivolous atmosphere.
The three great familiars were supposed to have an air of dignity, but there was none of that.
-Hey! That's mine!
-Peep! Peep! Peep!
Atop Artie's head, Kiruan and Piora were pulling at a single piece of snack.
Just then, Laruel appeared, having shrunk to the size of a palm, and smacked Kiruan and Piora on the back of their heads.
-Gak!
-Pweep?
-Uphold the dignity of the three great familiars. Don't shatter the dreams of an aspiring summoner.
Laruel said in a cold voice.
-That's rich! The one with the least dreams and hopes among us is you! You old hag!
-Peep! Peep! Peep!
-Are you asking to die?
With a blank expression, Laruel furiously whipped Kiruan and Piora with a whip made of light.
Seeing this, Artie's jaw dropped! Her eyes sparkled as she shouted.
“K-Kiruan! Call me an old hag too! Laruel! Hit me with that whip too!”
*‘…Is this a dream?’*
Lil muttered blankly at the scene unfolding before her.
Shhh-!
Darkness rose from the floor and seized Piora and Kiruan.
Enveloped in darkness, Laruel let out a 'Ugh!' and quickly became docile.
“Elsie! Restrain me too!”
-Yes, yes.
“Kya~”
Artie rejoiced as she sank into the swamp of darkness.
Once the situation was under control, Elsie smiled at Leo.
At that, Leo stepped in front of Lil.
“Shocking, isn't it?”
“Yes.”
“Since you'll be seeing them often, I wanted to show you their true nature first so you don't have any strange illusions.”
Leo said nonchalantly.
“The sooner you wake up from a dream, the better.”
“Hahaha.”
Lil laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek.
Looking at her, Leo placed Elsie and Laruel on his palms.
“Say hello. This is Elsie, the Great Spirit of Darkness. And this is Laruel, the Great Spirit of Light.”
“What? Laruel, the Great Spirit of Light?!”
Lil's face was a mask of astonishment.
In the 3,000 years since Rhodia, the Dragon of Creation, no one had formed a contract with the Great Spirit of Light.
Yet here she was, in the flesh.
For a spirit user, the Great Spirit of Light was a legend, a romantic ideal.
“As expected of you, Master!”
But on the other hand, because it was Leo, it made sense.
*'Should I say that nothing Master does surprises me anymore?'*
Lil, who was sending Leo a look of admiration, paused.
“Wait a minute, the Great Spirit of Darkness? Isn't the Great Spirit of Darkness Lord Ignit, the Spirit of the Abyss?”
Lil was confused, recalling the Great Spirit of Darkness she and Leo had met last year.
-Elsie is a great senior who was active with the Great Heroes during the Age of Calamity 5,000 years ago. Comparing her to that recluse is an insult to Elsie.
Lil flinched at Laruel's cold voice.
-By that logic, aren't you a recluse too, Laruel?
Elsie asked with a puzzled look, but Laruel looked away.
“Elsie is a spirit I obtained as a reward for conquering the World of Heroes.”
“Ooh! So that's possible too!”
Lil clapped her hands in admiration.
Looking at Lil, Leo spoke.
“Lil, what do you think your weakness is?”
“Hmm... that I'm too ordinary?”
“I'd like to ask what part of you is ordinary, but let's set that aside.”
Leo crossed his arms.
“Your weakness is that you have no weaknesses. Which also means you have no outstanding strengths.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
“In that sense, you're a bit like me.”
As an All-Class, Leo was good at everything.
But unlike his friends, he hadn't reached the ultimate realm in any one thing.
“The training method for our type is extremely simple. We expand the vessel itself.”
“Is it possible for a spirit user to expand their vessel in a short period?”
“There is one way. It'll be painful, though.”
“What is it?”
“Wielding the power of a superior spirit.”
“What?”
Lil was bewildered by the completely unfamiliar concept.
Looking at her, Leo said.
“From now on, I'm going to cast Spirit Armored on you.”
Spirit Armored.
A high-level spirit art that allows a spirit to inhabit the body and become a weapon.
Lil could also use Spirit Armored.
But only by having her own contracted spirit inhabit her body.
Having one's contracted spirit inhabit another person was unheard of.
“Is that possible?”
“It is. But maintaining the Spirit Armored will depend entirely on your capacity. Plus, since it's being forced, just maintaining it will be extremely painful.”
Laruel, who had been on Leo's palm, had already turned into a round orb of light.
“It's useless if you give up halfway. Still want to do it?”
“...It's a way to get stronger quickly, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I'll do it.”
Lil said, clenching her fists.
Seeing this, Leo smiled and approached her.
“Turn around.”
Lil showed her back to Leo.
“Then, shall we begin?”
Leo's hand touched Lil's back.
Lil's body trembled as she felt the immense presence of the Great Spirit entering her through Leo's hand.
“Hngh?!”
Letting out a groan, Lil gritted her teeth.
In that moment, the Spirit Armored was deployed.
And then.
“Urp!”
The Spirit Armored dissipated, and Lil covered her mouth and ran to a corner of the training grounds.
“Bleegh!”
Her head and stomach felt like they were being twisted inside out.
The power of the Great Spirit, far beyond her capacity, exhausted Lil in an instant.
“Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!”
Panting heavily, Lil staggered to her feet, only to collapse again.
Not only her body, but her mind was also overloaded.
“Want to stop?”
Lil turned her head at Leo's question.
And with a grin, she said.
“No.”
She grabbed her trembling legs and pulled herself up.
“Again, please, Master.”
***
Clank— Clank—
A man with his hood pulled down low was walking through the middle of a battlefield.
Kiiiiing! Kboooom—!
The sound of a massive explosion echoed from the distance.
Every time the man took a step, the sound of scraping metal could be heard.
Soon, the man reached the heart of the battlefield.
There, an undead hero was fighting against a group of heroes.
The heroes of the Justice Guild spotted the hooded knight and shouted.
“It's a new undead.”
“Such foul evil. We will subjugate the one who defiles the name of a hero.”
Watching the heroes muttering in stern voices, the knight drew the greatsword from his back.
Shing—!
With a chilling sound, a jet-black greatsword that seemed to suck in souls itself was revealed.
The beautiful blade showed off its form, as if it were a work of art.
“I defile the name of a hero?”
With a scornful voice, the knight readjusted his grip on the sword and muttered lowly.
“Vermin who wouldn't even be called heroes without the power of the Hero Record dare...”
Hwak—!
The knight swung his greatsword.
A black line embroidered the empty air.
The Justice Guild heroes who were charging the knight froze.
“What was that?”
“Something...”
Pshuk—!
In an instant, their heads flew off.
With a single sword strike, the bodies of those called heroes collapsed.
Clank— Clank—
The knight approached the undead hero who had been caught in his attack.
“...The heroes of this era are pathetic. Not one of them could block a single strike?”
“It's because you are too strong, Nether Knight.”
“Grand Duke of Funerals.”
“Are you not a hero who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Heroes of Creation?”
“Once... upon a time?”
The Nether Knight's voice deepened menacingly.
Skak—!
A sharp sword strike sent Artkan's head flying.
“Do not speak nonsense, Grand Duke of Funerals.”
“A slip of the tongue, it seems.”
Even as his head rolled on the ground, Artkan was fine.
His body picked up its own head.
Whoooosh—!
A fierce wind blew.
And the hood he wore flew off.
Inside the helmet, where a face should have been, there was nothing.
Seeing this, Artkan spoke.
“Do you cut off the heads of heroes because your own head is missing?”
“That's right. The Knight of Twilight impudently cut off my head.”
Tamus tapped the area below his neck.
“Did you say most heroes of this era come from the academies established by those pathetic heroes?”
“That is correct.”
“Then they must all be beheaded. Bloody retribution is only fitting for those who follow the one who defied my will.”
At Tamus's chilling words, Artkan asked.
“If I find the tomb where your lost face and legacy sleep, will you consider incorporating them into your 'legion'?”
“These weaklings cannot be called heroes.”
Tamus's grim voice echoed.
“Only those I acknowledge are true heroes.”
“In that case, there is a hero I would very much like to introduce to you.”
Tamus looked at Artkan.
“I have no interest in the worthless heroes of this era.”
“In a way, he is a hero who is your senior.”
“Oh? Who might that be?”
“The Great Hero, the Hero of the Beginning, Kyle.”