Editor : Amethyst00



"Looks like everyone had a decent enough day."

Celia, who had arrived at the meeting point first and was waiting for the group, murmured as she watched them return.

At her words, Abad, who had been sitting on a bench, smiled faintly.

"Besides, it seems they've softened up a bit compared to yesterday. Guess all the effort was worth it?"

Since the knight from Zerdinger and the mage from Lewellin were of the same age, they could easily grow close if given a chance.

It was a surprise to Celia and Abad, who had initially doubted it would work.

"Do you think those two are okay now?"

Abad's face dimmed slightly at Celia's question.

Niel and Marcel.

They were the two people Celia and Abad trusted the most, and thus were most worried about.

"So the ones still missing are Chelsea and Leo… Marcel and Niel-sunbae?"

Just as Abad made a puzzled expression, the four of them appeared in the distance.

"You're late."

Celia narrowed her eyes at Leo, who had just arrived in front of her.

"Sorry, sorry. Something came up this morning. I was a bit out of it."

"What happened?"

Leo glanced behind him.

There, Niel and Marcel were standing, pointedly looking away from each other.

"We stayed in the same lodging last night. There was a bit of an incident."

"Ugh? Those two fought again?"

"Don't worry, they've made up. They'll get along from now on."

"Well, that’s a relief…"

Celia looked at the chilly air between the two.

"But they seem even colder than yesterday?"

She tilted her head.

Leo glanced at them.

'Young master Leo. Please, whatever happened today must be kept secret from Miss Celia.'

'How am I supposed to keep that a secret?'

'It was a mistake… because of alcohol!'

'Mistake or not, it’s not something you can just do unless you’re in sync.'

'Young master!'

Recalling his conversation with Niel, Leo let out a chuckle.

'They claimed to hate each other, but clearly couldn’t let go. If that’s the case, getting close again will happen in no time.'

Deciding to keep Niel and Marcel's situation a secret for now, Leo said, "Looks like everyone's here. Shall we go?"

Before them stood the Letin government office.

Behind it loomed a massive palace.

The royal palace of the old Kingdom of Tonkan.

Decades ago.

When Tartaros invaded and the kingdom fell, the palace was sealed shut.

"It's sealed."

Abad, who had come beside Leo, looked up at the palace and muttered.

"The power sealing the palace seems to be that of an elemental lord."

"But the method used involves magical formulas. I’ve read about it before, but seeing it in person is amazing."

Chelsea added with admiration after Abad's words.

Leo spoke up after hearing the two.

"It really is quite something."

Celia, who had been listening, tilted her head.

"If it's about combining elemental arts with magical formulas, isn’t that Walden's specialty? Why is it so impressive?"

"Just because Walden does it easily doesn’t mean it’s simple. That’s an incredible ability."

"What?"

"Even dual-class spirit mages, who use both magic and elemental power, can't use pure elemental power to cast magic spells."

"But doesn’t magic power and spirit power both retain the nature of mana?"

"Right. Magic power is amplified mana, and spirit power is resonated mana. Both retain mana’s nature unlike processed aura. So at first glance, they seem similar, but amplification and resonance have distinctly different wavelengths."

"So elementals summoned via spirits summoning resonate with the summoner’s spirit power, and because of the differing wavelengths, the summoned elemental can’t activate magical formulas?"

"Exactly."

"Then what about Walden?"

"Walden amplifies the resonated spirit power again."

"That’s dangerous, isn’t it?"

As a honor student, Celia quickly grasped how technically unstable Walden’s ability was from Leo’s simple explanation.

"That’s why Walden is incredible."

The foundation of this ability is the awakening of mana.

Depending on the user’s disposition, mana branches into aura, magic power, or spirit power.

Some rare individuals can awaken mana into alternate forms—these are dual-class users.

However, transforming already awakened power into another form is a completely different level.

If done incorrectly, it can cause mana to run rampant.

Yet Walden had been using it naturally since enrollment, making Celia click her tongue in amazement once more.

"Even you can’t do it?"

"I can. I'm not the only one. There are a few who can amplify spirit power to match magical formulas. But none are as efficient as Walden."

It's a feat only Walden can perform.

Even Lysinas, the strongest summoner and one of the top mages Leo knew, would struggle to replicate Walden's spirit magic.

'Then again, he’s a monster who made a contract with an elemental lord in his second year.'

While Leo made contracts with the three great beasts in a past life, Walden achieved his with only his own strength.

'If not for me, he’d definitely be the strongest among our grade.'

"So? I get that it’s difficult to use spirit power for magical formulas. Then what is that seal on the palace?"

"That was done by an elemental using a magical formula."

"What?"

Celia looked surprised.

"The Fire Elemental Lord of Purification is famous for using magic. Summoners and mages alike know this. Though it hasn’t appeared publicly for a long time, so those not interested in spirits might not know."

"An Elemental Lord using magic?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"I don’t know. That’s why it’s interesting."

Elementals are deeply natural beings.

They’re only concerned with maintaining harmony in the world.

Magic, by contrast, is a technique that twists the laws of nature.

Therefore, elementals are naturally disinterested in magic.

To top it off, magic was created by mortals to imitate the power of elementals.

Over time, magic evolved beyond mere imitation, but its origin hasn’t changed.

As such, most things magic can do, elementals can too.

Thus, elementals have no need to learn magic.

And yet, an Elemental Lord learned it—shocking indeed.

"Anyway, it’s still a hot topic in the academic world. Do elementals have magical talent?"

"Tests have been conducted, but most failed."

"Hmm. Magical talent in elementals. That does sound interesting."

As Abad, Chelsea, and Leo kept discussing academic matters, Celia grabbed Leo’s arm and pulled him toward her.

"Why?"

"You’re a direct line of Zerdinger. We need balance here."

Seemingly sulking from being excluded from a topic she couldn’t join, Celia grumbled.

Leo chuckled at her.

Watching this, Chelsea spoke.

"Anyway, because of that magic, the Elemental Lord of Purification was once known as the strongest Elemental Lord. Tartaros even invaded this place—its home—twice because of that."

After the first battle, Tonkan was founded. After the second, it fell.

At Chelsea’s words, Celia responded.

"Once the strongest, huh. The strongest now is the Water Elemental Lord, right?"

"Yeah. Undine of the Deep Sea."

Hearing Chelsea and Celia's exchange, Elsie commented.

[The current Water Elemental Lord must be pretty humble. Using the same name as a low-ranking elemental?]

The Deep Sea elemental was known for using the same name as a low-ranking water elemental.

It was an unusual move, given that Elemental Lord were generally prideful.

[It’s because she’s a hypocrite.]

Laruel, who knew the Elemental Lord of Deep Sea, replied coldly.

[Let’s see. Currently, the existing Elemental Lords are Fire’s Purification Ishtar, Wind’s Snowstorm Sylatone, Earth’s Indestructible Titaum, Water’s Deep Sea Undine, Darkness’s Abyss Ingis, and Lady Laruel.]

[Yeah. Ishtar has a nasty temper, Sylatone is rude, Undine’s a hypocrite, and Ingis is shady. Titaum is okay, kind of solid. But being the youngest, we’ll see how he turns out.]

[Aren’t you being too harsh on your fellow elemental lords?]

Elsie smiled awkwardly. Laruel replied, [It’s the truth. They’re all far too inferior for you to waste your attention on.]

Laruel held deep admiration for Elsie’s nobility, seeing her as a venerable senior.

[Ingis is a good elemental lord.]

Elsie recalled Ingis, her direct junior from before, and smiled.

True, Ingis had disliked humans at first.

But after talking with Elsie, he stayed in Lumene seeking a contractor.

Seeing this, Laruel looked at Elsie with respect.

[Ah, Lady Elsie. Even that gloomy elemental received such a generous evaluation from you.]

[And you, the violent one, are being accepted too. Come to think of it, aren’t you the one with a bad temper, rude, pretentious, and shady traits all rolled into one?]

Laruel choked Kiran, who had provoked her.

Leo, watching his summoned elementals and beasts visible only to him, fell into thought.

[What are you worrying about?]

‘I’m planning to contract with all the Elemental Lord.’

To fully wield Lysinas’ power, contracts with all Elemental Lord were needed.

‘But I’m not sure if I can handle even more of them.’

They were already noisy enough to give him headaches.

Adding more might be overwhelming.

[Leave that to me. I’ll guide them well.]

Elsie beamed.

Leo looked at her with a strange expression.

[What?]

‘You never had a single subordinate elemental 5,000 years ago.’

Elsie, born in a world on the brink of ruin, had never gained a single subordinate elemental.

‘So now, seeing you planning to gather Elemental Lord… it's kind of nice.’

[Come on. How could I possibly gather my fellow Elemental Lord?]

Elsie laughed as if the idea were absurd.

Then, turning to Laruel and Kiran, who were making a commotion, she said, [Laruel. I’m thirsty.]

[I’ll gather morning dew immediately!]

Laruel vanished in a flash of light.

[Th-thank you so much!]

[Stop teasing Laruel. She falls for it every time.]

Elsie patted the head of Kiran, who was crying and clinging to her.

[Me, ruling Elemental Lords? No way.]

As Elsie shook her head, Leo thought to himself, ‘But Laruel and Ingis already don’t treat her like a regular elemental lord.’

Laruel followed Elsie.

She already had Light and Darkness’s Elemental Lord at her beck and call.

‘And she controls the Three Great Summoned too.’

There’s probably no other elemental like her in history.

‘Well, with Elsie around, I guess I don’t need to worry too much.’

Among all of Leo’s contractors, Elsie was unquestionably the most powerful.