Chapter 071
Chapter Title: The First Encounter
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“You said earlier that you left your quarters to investigate something. What did you and Miss Lunia come here to look into?”
Leo answered Eiran’s question.
“We’re here to investigate the anomaly in the Fairy Forest.”
“At this hour? Did you receive a separate mission from the instructors?”
“Not exactly. I just followed this one when I saw Him sneaking off.”
Lunia, who usually called him ‘Leo’ formally in front of others, seemed to have decided not to put on an act in front of Eiran, addressing him casually.
“Then I’ll help too! This land has been protected by my ancestors for generations!”
Eiran clenched her fists.
As the granddaughter of the Chairman of the Elsalvekia Grand Council and a descendant of Verchia, the last Fairy Knight, it was a natural reaction.
Seeing her, Lunia approached Leo and whispered softly.
“Don’t say anything uncertain in front of Eiran.”
Leo, knowing she was referring to Lauta, let out a smirk.
“Got it.”
With that, Leo turned his gaze toward the Fairy Forest.
‘Just as I thought. The curse’s power grows stronger at night.’
The cursed energy, which had only been palpable in the forest’s center during the day, could now be felt even near the entrance.
Of course, it was a very subtle power.
But at this rate, Lunia and Eiran would surely feel the curse’s power once they got closer to the center of the forest.
“We should make some preparations before we go.”
“Huh? What kind of preparations?”
As Lunia looked on with a puzzled expression, Leo held out his palm.
“In the name of the contractor, I summon thee.”
*Fwoosh-!*
A flaming summoning circle materialized above Leo’s palm.
A moment later, a red bird emerged from the circle.
Piora, flapping her wings gracefully, tried to exude an air of solemn dignity.
*Peep-!*
But the sound that came from her beak instantly shattered the solemnity she had so painstakingly gathered.
Piora flaunted her appearance to Leo, looking at him expectantly.
It was as if she were asking, ‘How do I look?’ but Leo was unimpressed.
Whether she flapped her wings gracefully or projected an air of dignity, in Leo’s eyes, Piora was just a red chick.
At his lukewarm reaction, Piora chirped in discontent.
Which only made her look more like a chick.
“What a cute familiar. What kind is it, Miss Lunia?”
Eiran asked in admiration, captivated by Piora’s adorable appearance.
When she received no answer, she glanced to her side.
She was startled to see Lunia trembling.
“Miss Lunia?”
“Pioooraaa!”
*Peep-?*
Terrified by Lunia charging at her with incredible intensity, Piora quickly took refuge on top of Leo’s head.
“To be born so beautifully! Piora! It’s me! Me! Your big sister Lunia! You remember, right? Right?”
Piora reacted warily to Lunia, who was clasping her hands and sparkling with excitement. Lunia, in turn, looked heartbroken.
“You really think she’d remember things from when she was an egg?”
Leo clicked his tongue and took a few pieces of a cookie from his pocket, placing them on his palm.
*Peep-*
Piora flew onto Leo’s palm and elegantly pecked away only the chocolate from the cookie with her beak.
After picking out the chocolate, she flicked the remaining cookie off his palm. Leo stared in disbelief.
“Her picky eating is getting worse by the day.”
Having eaten only the chocolate, Piora chirped as if asking for more.
“I have snacks too!”
Lunia hastily pulled some chocolate from her pocket.
Piora immediately flew to Lunia’s palm and began pecking at the chocolate.
“Aww!”
Cupping her cheek with her free hand, Piora—no, Lunia—exclaimed.
“Such a fine form! Such seasoned movements! Ah! Beautiful!”
‘She looks exactly like a chick to me. First Teacher Yura, and now her… Are all summoners blind these days?’
Watching Lunia swoon over Piora, Eiran cautiously asked.
“Mr. Leo. What is this familiar?”
“A phoenix.”
“A-a phoenix? Mr. Leo! You’re contracted to a phoenix?”
“It just sort of happened.”
Leo gave a slight smile to the astonished Eiran and summoned another familiar.
“In the name of the contractor, I summon thee.”
But even though the summoning circle appeared, the familiar showed no sign of emerging.
“You’re not coming out?”
In response to Leo’s question, something popped out of the summoning circle.
A tiny note read, [It’s cold].
Without hesitation, Leo plunged his hand into the summoning circle and forcibly dragged Kiruan out.
[I am the Fairy Prince! Such insolence! This will not be tolerat… *Gack!*]
Kiruan, who was spouting nonsense without grasping the situation, was thrown into a snowbank and thoroughly stomped on by Leo.
“A fairy? Mr. Leo! You’re contracted to a fairy as well?”
“It just sort of happened.”
“Th-that’s amazing!”
‘A first-year student contracted to a phoenix and a fairy!’
A look of admiration filled Eiran’s eyes.
“A fairy?”
Lunia, who had been squealing over Piora, crouched down in front of Kiruan.
Kiruan, having barely escaped from Leo, saw her and smirked.
[What is it? Are you lost in admiration of my magnificent form?]
“…A variant fairy? You don’t have wings.”
[A variant! How dare you make such a rude remark to me!]
“Leo. A fairy is a top-tier familiar on par with a phoenix, so there’s no harm in contracting one. Still, don’t you think contracting a variant like this is a bit much? It might tarnish our Piora’s dignity.”
[Don’t make me laugh! That chick is the one tarnishing *my* dignity!]
“What are you talking about?”
*Peep- peep-*
‘A narcissist, a doting fool, and a child. What a mess.’
Leo sighed at the unexpected chemistry between the three.
“Enough chatter. Everyone, get ready. We’re moving out.”
At his words, Piora and Kiruan settled on Leo’s shoulders.
Lunia tied her long red hair into a ponytail to make it easier to move, while Eiran took on a tense expression as she retrieved a sword and shield from her subspace.
“So, where are we going?”
Leo stared into the forest as he answered Lunia’s question.
“To the very center of the woods.”
***
*Peep! Peep!*
[Ugh! What is that smell!]
Piora, covering her beak with a wing, and Kiruan, pinching his nose, reacted violently.
Seeing this, Eiran looked bewildered.
“Lord Fairy, what’s wrong?”
Pleased by Eiran’s title for him, Kiruan showed off.
[A well-mannered elf. You ask what’s wrong? It’s because of this stench that has filled the forest.]
Kiruan grumbled.
[To think this place, where Fairy Land once stood, would become so tainted with the aura of death. It’s the end of days.]
Leo, who had been walking, came to a halt.
“Why’d you stop?”
Leo answered Lunia’s question.
“Get ready.”
*Fwoosh-! Fwoooosh-!*
White bones began to shoot up from the ground.
*Clack- clack- clack-*
Seeing the sudden appearance of skeletons, Lunia and Eiran quickly prepared for battle.
“They’re all Skeleton Knights.”
“What?”
Lunia’s expression turned to one of surprise.
While not on the level of a Death Knight, a Skeleton Knight was still a high-level undead.
‘And all ten of them are Skeleton Knights?’
Startled, Lunia grew tense as she watched the heavily armed and armored skeletons.
Unlike ordinary skeletons, the Skeleton Knights formed a disciplined line.
*Ghoooo-!*
*Clank! Clank!*
Just as Lunia clicked her tongue and began to chant a spell at the approaching Skeleton Knights, who were radiating dark energy…
“Leave this to me.”
Eiran stepped forward.
Seeing this, Lunia paused.
“Mr. Leo and Miss Lunia need to conserve your strength, right?”
With a slight smile, Eiran readjusted her grip on her sword and small shield and conjured her mana.
Her body glowed with a silver light, which soon took the form of armor.
Leo’s eyes widened.
Seeing his reaction, Lunia crossed her arms and said proudly.
“That’s the magic passed down in the Ersar family, a fusion of aura and mana!”
“The Armor of Animus.”
“Huh? You know it?”
“It’s a famous technique.”
It was none other than a technique created by Verchia herself.
A unique magic Verchia had developed with Kyle’s help to hold back countless enemies on the front lines.
That magic had been passed down through the generations to this day.
Clad in the armor of light, Eiran charged forward without hesitation.
A skeleton’s sword, wreathed in dark energy, swung to cut her down.
*Clang-!*
The skeleton’s attack was deflected harmlessly.
*Thump! Craaack-!*
After bashing a Skeleton Knight’s head with her shield, Eiran swiftly swung her sword behind her.
Her movements were reminiscent of Verchia.
Having dispatched the Skeleton Knight in an instant, Eiran approached, and Lunia smiled.
“That’s Eiran for you! Amazing.”
Eiran smiled shyly at Lunia’s praise.
Then, she looked at Leo, fidgeting with her hands as she asked.
“W-what did you think, Mr. Leo?”
At her question, Leo smiled warmly.
“You were just like Verchia.”
Eiran’s eyes widened.
“You say that as if you’ve seen Lady Verchia in person.”
“You can encounter her in stories, can’t you?”
“I-it’s an honor.”
Eiran’s cheeks flushed at Leo’s compliment.
Leo smiled at her, seeing how she was beside herself with joy.
*Flutter-!*
Just then, a small bird flew down and landed on a branch.
The bird’s eyes glowed red.
Leo picked up a small pebble from the ground.
And flicked it with his finger.
*Thwack-! Crumble-!*
“……!”
“……!”
The small pebble struck the bird’s head, and the bird disintegrated into dust.
“A familiar?”
“It seems the enemy is aware of our presence. More undead will be coming.”
Both Lunia and Eiran wore tense expressions.
“Let’s keep going.”
***
“It seems our tail has been spotted.”
“What did you say?”
At the words of the hooded Death Knight, Kargor, Lauta, who was drawing a summoning circle, scowled.
“What do you mean?”
“Intruders have appeared. They seem to be hero candidates.”
Lauta scoffed at his words.
“Then the knights can take care of them. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“Heh heh. That is true. But, boy. Are you treating the knights of the great Necromancer King as mere servants?”
Seeing Kargor express his displeasure, Lauta’s lips curled into a sneer.
“It seems you’ve forgotten that the great Necromancer King chose me!”
Lauta raised his hand, showing off a black ring.
“A Demonic Artifact containing the power of Erebos! A gift from your master to guide me to become a hero.”
From beneath the hood, Kargor’s red eyes glinted.
“If you understand, then stop your chatter and deal with the intruders.”
“Heh.”
Kargor let out a low chuckle and vanished into the darkness.
Watching him go, Lauta wore a look of disgust.
“Stinking undead.”
With that, he resumed drawing the summoning circle.
‘Just you wait. Soon, I’ll be done receiving help from these filthy Tartaros bastards!’
During the last vacation.
He had been ecstatic when he obtained the ring said to draw out one’s latent abilities.
But when he found out it was a Demonic Artifact, he fell into despair.
‘I thought I was finished. But it was an opportunity!’
The mysterious demon, who identified himself as the legendary, fearsome legion commander, Necromancer King Hell Kaiser, personally taught Lauta magic.
It was a magical formula that had been lost to time.
Lauta saw this as his chance to become a hero.
‘I am merely using them to become a more brilliant existence!’
Lauta’s eyes gleamed with madness.
‘Beyond this… if I can just obtain the Power of the Progenitor! Then no one will ever be able to look down on me again!’