Chapter 609
Chapter Title: The Fire Spirit's Grudge
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609.
Leo looked at the firmly shut entrance of the royal palace.
Behind the Retin government building was the entrance to the royal palace.
‘To be precise, the structure requires you to pass through the government building to enter the palace. Are they guarding this palace?’
After the fall of the Tungkun Kingdom, many of its legacies lay dormant in this sealed palace.
For the Tussen Knights, who had long sought the Tungkun royalty, it was only natural to protect it.
“Hmm? Up close, the structure of the sealing formula is clearly visible.”
“It seems similar to spirit magic, yet it’s different.”
Abad and Chelsea exclaimed, “Ooh! Ooh!” in admiration as they examined the firmly shut palace gate from all angles.
Like true mages, their curiosity was piqued by the magic formula constructed by a spirit.
“Chloe would’ve gone crazy if she saw this, wouldn’t she?”
Leo let out a soft chuckle at Chelsea's murmur.
“She might have set up shop here.”
Thinking of his most studious friend from the magic department, Leo looked at Sith.
“Does this mean the Spirit of Purification is inside this palace?”
“That is correct, Lord Leo.”
After the fall of the Tungkun Kingdom.
The Great Fire Spirit, Ista, had also not shown itself.
It seemed it hadn’t left this palace since then.
Leo, who had been silently observing the magic formula sealing the palace entrance, narrowed his eyes.
Having finished a rough analysis, Leo muttered.
“It seems only those who are worthy can open it.”
“Worthy?”
Celia tilted her head.
Hearing Leo's words, Abad and Chelsea also quickly analyzed the magic formula.
“It looks like a magic formula related to bloodline.”
“Yeah. It seems you need to have the blood of the Tungkun royal family to open it.”
With the hint Leo gave them, Abad and Chelsea quickly deciphered the entire magic formula.
Leo nodded at their words and placed his hand on the iron-barred main gate of the palace.
Clank-!
At that moment, previously invisible red chains appeared.
Chains made of a spirit's power.
Seeing this, Sith muttered in surprise.
“Incredible. The palace gate, which hasn’t reacted in decades…!”
Sith looked at Leo with an emotional gaze.
‘As expected, Lord Leo must be the Tungkun royalty we have waited for so long!’
He was still wearing a deeply moved expression.
Leo pushed on the palace gate to open it.
Chiiing-!
The red chains pulled taut.
‘It’s rejecting me?’
The palace's seal reacted to Leo's hand but did not grant him passage.
The palace entrance remained firmly shut by a powerful spiritual force.
Leo took his hand off the gate and stepped back.
Chelsea approached with a flustered look.
“It won’t open?”
“No.”
“Why not? Is there another condition to break the seal?”
“It seems the Spirit of Purification is rejecting me.”
“Rejecting you, Leo? Why?”
“I have no idea.”
Chelsea glared at the gate with a sullen expression.
Then she grabbed the iron bars and began to shake them violently.
“Why are you rejecting my brother!”
But unlike with Leo, the gate didn't react at all.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Abad calmed his sister down by hooking his hands under her arms and lifting her up.
He then handed her to Leo.
Leo received Chelsea and set her down, patting the head of the pouting girl.
“Well, I have one guess as to why it’s rejecting me.”
“Huh? What is it?”
Chelsea tilted her head.
“That is—”
Just as Leo was about to explain.
“Will it react to me, too?”
Celia, who had been watching from the side, grabbed the gate with interest.
At that moment.
Clank-
“Huh?”
Seeing the red chains that had wrapped around her wrist without her noticing, Celia’s eyes went wide.
“What is this?”
The moment she tried to undo the chains in her bewilderment.
Whoosh-!
“Aack?!”
Celia was suddenly dragged into the palace.
“Celia!”
Abad summoned his staff from a subspace.
Whoooooosh-!
Kraka-BOOM-!
A sharp, immense gale instantly tore through the palace entrance.
A tremendous wind swirled around them as if a typhoon had struck.
Sith lowered his stance, bracing himself so as not to be swept away by the wind.
Chelsea stood in front of Leo, controlling the wind to shield him from harm.
“Chantless casting? Is that even possible?”
The magic's power was on a level far beyond that of an ordinary Lumerne second-year student.
But even more surprising was the magic being cast without any warning.
A chantless spell.
It was a magic formula Luna had gifted to Abad.
Abad's expression grew even more murderous as he looked at the unscathed palace gate.
A light sky-blue mana rippled around him.
Seeing Abad’s genuine fury, Leo said.
“Calm down. This isn't like you.”
At his words, Abad let his staff hang toward the ground.
He then took a deep breath.
“What happened? Why was Celia dragged away like that?”
Chelsea asked in a flustered voice as Leo looked up at the palace.
“It seems the master of this palace took her.”
“Why?”
“Celia is also of Tungkun royalty, so she has the right to open the gate. I just don't know why she was dragged in.”
Leo stood before the palace gate.
He narrowed his eyes.
‘I could forcibly break the seal, but…’
If he destroyed the seal by force, the collateral damage would surely be immense.
After a moment of staring at the seal, Leo drew his sword.
Shing-
Seeing this, Abad looked puzzled.
‘That’s a sword I’ve never seen before.’
It wasn't the sword Leo usually used.
He knew Leo wasn't picky about his swords.
Even so, he normally used a high-quality blade worthy of being called a masterpiece.
But the sword in his hand now was an ordinary longsword that could be found anywhere.
Posteritas.
The final weapon made by Dweno, which had been dormant inside the jet-black cloak he received from Rian.
For a moment, Leo's eyes turned gray.
‘Bible.’
His unique magic.
Activating Bible, Leo quickly analyzed the magic formula.
Simultaneously, a gray magic circle appeared on the sword's surface.
“A Dispel formula?”
Abad looked on in wonder.
Leo swung his sword.
Slice-!
The sword, shimmering with gray magic, slashed the palace entrance.
At that moment.
Clank-!
The palace gate opened.
Leo’s eyes returned to their original color.
He had imbued the sword with Dispel to sever the sealing formula.
It seemed like a simple action at a glance, but it was an incredibly complex process.
To prevent being dismantled, a sealing spell's formula pattern changes from moment to moment.
He had calculated every one of those changes to create a Dispel formula that could break the sealing formula in that fleeting instant.
The result might be effective, but the process is inefficient.
Abad wouldn't even dare to try and replicate it.
‘Could Chloe do it?’
Abad clicked his tongue inwardly.
“How did you do that?”
Chelsea asked, surprised, and Leo pressed his throbbing temples as he replied.
“I just copied a mage I know.”
“Ah…”
“The world is full of monsters. Will I ever get to meet them?”
“If you get the chance.”
Chelsea instantly knew the mage Leo was talking about was Luna.
Abad, unaware of this fact, simply marveled at how vast the world was.
“Now that the seal is broken, can we go inside?”
Leo shook his head at Chelsea’s question.
“No. I didn't completely destroy the seal. I just made a gap.”
“Ah. So only you can pass through, Leo?”
“Right.”
Leo had the right to open the seal and enter, but he was rejected by Ista, the master of the seal.
He had only removed that part of the seal's conditions.
“I’ll be fine alone.”
Leo looked at the palace entrance with a slightly defiant gaze.
Watching him, Abad gave a bitter smile.
“I'm jealous. You look like a knight going to rescue a princess.”
Seeing Abad’s somewhat vexed expression, Leo said.
“Celia’s no princess.”
Chelsea nodded vigorously at Leo’s words.
“If she gets caught, she's more than capable of escaping on her own. So don't worry too much, brother.”
“Right.”
Abad let out a bitter laugh at Chelsea’s words.
“I’ll be back.”
Leo entered the palace.
Watching him go, Abad let out a deep sigh.
“You need not worry so much. The Spirit of Purification is not an evil spirit. It would certainly never harm the bloodline of its long-time contractor, Tungkun.”
“It had better not.”
Abad smiled faintly.
“Because if anything happens, I won't forgive it, even if it's a Great Spirit.”
At those words, Sith was inwardly impressed.
‘Indeed, so this is the next head of the Llewellyn family.’
Though still young, he possessed an intimidating presence.
Just then.
“Young Master Leo! Miss Celia!”
The door from the government building opened, and Niel rushed in.
This was a place only authorized individuals could enter.
Chelsea looked flustered at Niel's sudden appearance.
Sith also realized something must have happened and said nothing about the unauthorized entry.
“Leo and Celia just went into the palace. What is it, Senior Niel?”
At Abad’s question, Machel, who had followed Niel, spoke urgently.
“We just received a message from the Jerdinger family. Senior Torua, who was there as a guest… is in a coma!”
“What?”
“Senior Torua?”
Abad and Chelsea’s eyes widened.
“That's not all! Young Master Leo's mother, Madam Flove, has been kidnapped by an unidentified assailant!”
***
Shing-!
Seeing the red chains wrapped around her wrist, pulling her with immense force, Celia drew her sword.
Fwoosh-!
The sword passed down as a Jerdinger family heirloom.
Flame Storm erupted in fierce flames from Celia’s hand.
Slice!
With a sharp sound, she swung Flame Storm at the chains.
Clang-!
But it failed to cut through and was deflected.
Celia gritted her teeth.
Groooowl! Fwoooosh!
An aura of flame, one that seemed like it would burn and slice anything it touched, erupted from Celia's body.
Celia's red eyes blazed as if on fire.
Shiiing-!
Celia's sword energy, concentrated at the tip of her blade, severed the chains.
The force pulling Celia vanished in an instant.
Feeling a sense of floating in mid-air, Celia righted herself and landed on the floor.
Thud-!
She lifted her head and quickly scanned her surroundings.
‘An audience chamber?’
Celia’s eyes narrowed.
At that moment.
Clap- clap- clap-
“Indeed. So this is the kind of flame produced when the blood of Jerdinger and Tungkun mix.”
A haughty voice accompanied the sound of clapping.
Celia’s eyes widened as she looked toward the source of the sound.
There, she saw a man sitting on the throne.
The man, who had waist-length, light blue hair and eyes, had his entire body covered in tattoos.
His tanned, bronze skin, like that of a southerner, commanded attention.
He was tall and well-muscled.
The problem was that he was shirtless.
Celia was taken aback as she looked at the man with a broad smile.
‘What’s with this pervert?’
Celia stood up with an incredulous expression.
“You are the Spirit of Purification, Lord Ista?”
“That I am, girl. You should be honored.”
“Huh?”
“For in this moment, you have been chosen by me.”
“Um. I don't have any talent as a spirit contractor.”
“True. That part is most regrettable.”
As Ista stroked his chin, Celia said.
“My cousin can handle spirits, you know? He'd be a much better fit as your contractor.”
“The one who knocked on the palace gate first?”
Ista's face contorted.
Celia flinched at his reaction.
For some reason, this spirit was hostile toward Leo.
“Mark my words, girl.”
Ista said with annoyance.
“There's nothing I hate more in this world than a playboy.”