Chapter 058
Chapter Title: The Arrogant Fairy Prince
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“You startled me.”
Leo, who had just closed the door and turned around, was startled to see Rune standing there without a sound.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been talking with Eiran all this time?”
“I was.”
“Ohhh...!”
Rune, looking deeply moved, pulled a handkerchief from his coat and dabbed at his eyes.
“It's been so long since that child has spoken to someone for this long! I heard she couldn't even make any real friends at school!”
Leo clicked his tongue, watching Rune get emotional like a doting grandfather.
“I know you’re busy, but you should try to spend more time with your granddaughter.”
“I wish I could, but my duties keep me terribly busy... My son and daughter-in-law also lost their lives in an accident, so I haven't been able to give my granddaughter the attention she needs.”
Rune's bitter smile faded, replaced by a genuine one.
“I wanted to give her a little push, but it seems she's opened up to you more than I expected. Yes! I want to reward you for this! I'll do anything I can for you!”
“...Is it really alright for the Grand Chairman of a nation to make such a promise so carelessly?”
“And why not!”
‘This elf is quite the doting fool.’
“I don't particularly want anything. It's not like I did anything amazing.”
“Such a young man with no greed. And humble, too! I like you!”
Rune clapped Leo firmly on the shoulder.
“But this is a small token of gratitude from me, as her grandfather. If you don't want anything, then I'd like to gift you a magic item that might be of use. And one more thing, Leo. In elven society, it's considered rude to refuse a gift.”
“Then I'll accept it gratefully.”
Rune smiled, looking genuinely pleased.
“Let's go to my family's treasury.”
‘Feels like I'm getting a present from my rich friend's grandpa.’
Leo followed Rune with a look of bemusement.
Rune led Leo to the mansion's basement, opened a magical door, and guided him inside.
As befitting the most prestigious elven family, the inside of the treasury was magnificent.
“I can't give you our heirlooms, as they are the keys to our ancestors' World of Heroes, but... I can certainly gift you items like these.”
Rune smiled, gesturing toward the magic items in a display case near the entrance of the treasury.
They were all incredible items.
Leo admired them, looking over the items one by one.
Then, he stopped in front of a blue gem the size of his fist.
‘This is...’
“That's an item a former family head acquired 1,000 years ago. It's an orb imbued with fairy power. It's a precious item, but its purpose is unknown. Does that one catch your eye?”
Rune asked, looking slightly puzzled.
“It's quite beautiful.”
“Yes. The fairy sculpture inside the gem is beautiful, isn't it?”
Rune was right.
Inside the gem, a small fairy was curled up, hugging its knees with its eyes closed.
It looked as if it were asleep.
“I'll take this one.”
Rune was surprised by his words.
“Are you sure? It's a precious item, but beyond that, its use is...”
“It's fine. I like this one.”
“If it's what you like.”
Rune nodded, took a jewel box from the display case, and handed it to Leo.
Leo took it and fiddled with the orb.
‘I'm sure of it. This isn't a sculpture.’
Leo smiled to himself.
‘This is a real fairy.’
***
After returning from the Ersar estate, Leo had dinner.
‘If I can break the orb's seal, I might be able to make a contract with the fairy.’
His mind was filled with the thought of contracting a fairy.
After he finished dinner, Halind and Sera visited the lodging to make an announcement.
“I have an announcement. As you all know, this school trip is part of your education.”
Halind said, glancing over the students in his charge.
“I trust no one in our class is under the complacent assumption that they're simply here to have fun.”
At his words, a few students flinched.
“Starting tomorrow, wake-up call is at six in the morning. After you wake up, eat breakfast, and take care of your personal affairs, you will all gather at Fairy Forest at seven-thirty for individual training.”
“Individual training?”
“But we already do plenty of that at school.”
A few students looked puzzled.
“I'm aware you've been conducting individual training in line with your coursework. However, during this trip, the plan is to focus on supplementing the areas where you are lacking. There are monsters in Fairy Forest, so it will also serve as practical combat training.”
“Ah.”
“That makes sense.”
“After the morning training is over, we plan to have mission practice in the afternoon.”
“Mission practice?”
“Yes. Your role will be to help the residents of Verchia with their problems.”
“Ooh!”
“That is all.”
Leaving the motivated students behind, Halind called over Leo and Nella.
“Keep an eye on the other students.”
“Yes.”
“Understood, Professor Halind.”
Afterward, Halind and Sera left the lodging.
“Nella, sorry, but I'm a bit tired. Do you mind if I head up early today?”
“Huh? Okay.”
Leo asked for understanding from Nella, the vice class president, and went up to his room.
Just then, Karl followed him.
“Leo, turning in early?”
“Yeah. Do you need something?”
At Leo's question, Karl grinned and discreetly showed him something he pulled from his coat.
“Ta-da! Look at this, elven mead.”
Karl said in a small voice.
“We came all this way. One drink should be fine, right?”
Seeing Karl asking in a suggestive tone, Leo held out his hand.
“Nope. I'll hold onto that for you.”
“Huh?”
“You know first and second-years are forbidden from drinking, right?”
“Aren't you being a little harsh? How can a student live by following the rules to the letter? You need to break away like this sometimes.”
Leo laughed at Karl's crestfallen expression.
“It's still the beginning of the trip, so just hold on. What do you think will happen if you get caught this early? I'll keep it safe until the last day, and we can drink it then.”
If he just let Karl keep it and Halind found out, it would be a huge problem.
Halind was the type to conduct bag checks on select students even before they departed.
Karl had been one of them.
Leo had been able to avoid the inspection because Halind trusted him.
“Tch, can't be helped. So, a drink on the last day?”
“Alright.”
Karl reluctantly handed the mead over to Leo.
Leo returned to his room and immediately went inside.
He took out the orb he received from Rune and channeled his spiritual power into it.
Woong-!
Leo narrowed his eyes as the orb glowed with a golden light.
‘It's sealed with the magic of a Fairy King.’
This was why the Ersar family had simply thought it was an orb imbued with fairy power.
The magic of a Fairy King.
After the Age of Calamity, those who contracted with Fairy Kings vanished.
The elves also lost the opportunity to encounter the magic of Fairy Kings, and eventually, it vanished from the records.
‘The magic of a Fairy King is different from the magic of a fairy.’
Fairy magic is merely an offshoot derived from the magic of a Fairy King.
‘There's a reason the Fairy King, the Phoenix Lord, and the Elder Pegasus are called the three strongest phantom beasts.’
Moreover, the power emanating from the orb was one Leo was very familiar with.
‘Silroad's magic.’
The fairy who had been the heir to the Fairy King during the Age of Calamity.
As Luna's contractor, he was a fairy Leo had seen several times.
He was also the fairy who still held the title of Fairy King in the current era.
‘By the way, why was this fairy sealed without its wings?’
Leo wondered about the sealed fairy.
If the Fairy King had sealed it himself, there must have been various reasons.
But the only thing he could guess was that it was a ‘sinner.’
With a puzzled look, Leo channeled even more spiritual power into it.
Leo focused his mind, manipulating the spiritual power within the orb.
As if picking a lock.
He used his spiritual power to unravel Silroad's magic.
This was a method only Leo, who knew about the magic of a Fairy King, could perform.
A moment later.
Vwoom-!
A magic circle appeared on the surface of the orb.
‘I've broken the first stage.’
Looking at the magic circle that had appeared, Leo was astonished.
‘With my current strength, it seems breaking the seal will be difficult.’
Even though he had the knowledge, he absolutely lacked the power to break the seal.
As Leo was mulling this over, he saw his right hand begin to glow.
He looked at the back of his hand in surprise and saw a summoning circle made of the fairy language appear.
‘The Fairy King's Pact?’
The Fairy King's Pact, which he had obtained as a reward for clearing the World of Heroes during the entrance exam, was reacting.
Fwoosh-!
The orb emitted a powerful golden light.
“Kuh?”
Overwhelmed by the light, Leo instinctively closed his eyes and stepped back.
A moment later, the light faded. Leo opened his eyes and looked at the orb.
Crack-!
The surface of the orb began to crack, as if an egg were hatching.
“The seal broke?”
Ziiiing-!
The orb floated into the air.
And the cracked fragments continuously fell away.
Crumble-!
With that, the orb shattered like a glass bead.
The fairy that had been curled up inside the orb slowly stretched its body.
A fairy boy, who looked slightly younger than Leo in human terms, stretched with a long groan.
Then he opened his golden eyes and looked around.
[Did Father finally break the seal?]
The fairy, who spoke in a voice full of mischief, noticed Leo and crossed his arms.
[What's a mere human doing before me?]
“What are you?”
[Me?]
At Leo's question, the fairy let out a short, mocking laugh.
[Hmph. You lowly human. To seek my identity... how insolent. But since I'm in a good mood after being freed from my seal, I shall tell you. You'll likely faint when you find out who I am.]
“What is your identity.”
[I am the first son of the great Golden Fairy King Silroad, and heir to the throne! The Silver Fairy, Lord Kiruan!]
Kiruan declared with a solemn face, lifting his chin high.
[You seem surprised. Well! I suppose it can't be helped for a lowly human. In an age where even elves dare not gaze upon the Fairy King, to behold the face of an heir like myself must be quite a sho—]
Thwack-!
[Guek!]
“Even Silroad treated me with respect. Why is his son so arrogant?”
Leo scowled and swatted Kiruan with his palm as if he were a fly.
Kiruan, who had crashed miserably onto the table, shot his head up in anger.
[How dare you use violence against me, the heir to the Fairy King! I won't let you get away with th—]
Thwack-!
[Gah!]
This time, he smacked Kiruan with a textbook he had taken out earlier.
It happened to be the Summoning textbook.
“Still want to run your mouth?”
[You! You! Insolent fool! To strike me, the Fairy Prince, twi—!]
Thwack-!
[The fairies will never forgive y—!]
Thwack-!
[Aren't you afraid of the consequenc—!]
Thwack-!
[I won't let this sta—!]
Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-! Thwack-!
Before long, Kiruan had fainted, foaming at the mouth.
“What kind of kid is this arrogant? Is he really Silroad's son?”
Leo looked down at the unconscious Kiruan with a dumbfounded expression.