Editor : Amethyst00



“Earlier, you said you slipped out of the dorms to investigate something. What exactly did you and Lunia-yang come here to investigate, Leo-nim?”

At Eiran’s question, Leo answered.

“To investigate the anomaly that happened in the Fairy Forest.”

“At this hour? Did you receive a separate mission from the instructors?”

“No. I just saw this one wandering off on her own, so I followed her.”

Lunia, who normally called him “Leo-gun” in front of others, seemed to decide there was no point in putting up an act in front of Eiran. She spoke to him casually instead.

“Then I’ll help too! This is land my ancestors have protected for generations!”

Eiran clenched her fists tightly.

As the granddaughter of the Chairman of El-Salvekia’s Grand Council, and the descendant of Velkia, the last Fairy Knight, such a response was only natural.

Watching her, Lunia leaned close to Leo and whispered quietly.

“Don’t go spouting things that aren’t certain in front of Eiran.”

Knowing she meant things related to Rauta, Leo gave a faint laugh.

“Got it.”

Saying that, Leo turned his gaze toward the Fairy Forest.

‘As expected, once night falls, the curse’s power grows stronger.’

In the daytime, he had only felt the curse’s presence near the forest’s center. But now, the ominous aura reached as far as the entrance.

Of course, it was still a very subtle power. But if they ventured deeper, both Lunia and Eiran would inevitably sense the curse themselves.

“We’ll need to make some preparations before going.”

“Hm? What kind of preparations?”

As Lunia asked with a puzzled look, Leo opened his palm.

“In the name of the Oathbound, I summon thee.”

Whoosh—!

A magic circle of flames appeared above Leo’s palm.

A moment later, through the summoning circle, a crimson bird emerged.

With elegant flaps of its wings, Fiora carried an air of dignity.

Chirp—!

Of course, the cry that came out of its beak completely shattered that solemn impression.

Fiora posed proudly for Leo, as if to show off her figure.

It seemed to be asking, “How do I look?”—but Leo’s reaction was lukewarm at best.

No matter how gracefully it flapped its wings or how dignified it tried to appear, to Leo’s eyes, Fiora was nothing more than a red chick.

Seeing his indifference, Fiora chirped in protest, which only made it look even more like a chick.

“What a cute contracted beast. What kind is it, Lunia-yang?”

Eiran asked in admiration at Fiora’s adorable appearance.

But when no answer came, she turned her head—only to find Lunia trembling all over.

“Lunia-yang?”

“Fiooooraaa!”

Chirp—?

Startled by Lunia charging at her with overwhelming fervor, Fiora hurriedly fled to perch atop Leo’s head.

“To think you were born so beautiful! Fiora! It’s me! It’s me! Sister Lunia! You remember me, don’t you? Of course you do, right?”

Lunia clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling. Fiora, however, only eyed her warily, which left Lunia looking utterly crushed.

“You think it remembers anything from when it was an egg?”

Clicking his tongue, Leo pulled a few cookies from his pocket and placed them in his palm.

Chirp—

Fiora fluttered down to his hand and delicately pecked only the chocolate off the cookies with its beak.

After picking out the chocolate, it smacked the rest away to the ground, leaving Leo staring at it, dumbfounded.

“You’re getting pickier by the day.”

Chirp! Chirp!

Fiora chirped again, clearly demanding more chocolate.

“I’ve got snacks too!”

Lunia hurriedly pulled out some chocolate of her own.

At once, Fiora flew to her hand and began pecking eagerly.

“Ahhh!”

Lunia cupped her cheek with her free hand, gazing adoringly.

“That graceful form! Those dignified movements! Ahhh, how beautiful!”

‘No matter how I look at it, it’s just a chick. First Teacher Yura, and now her… Have summoners these days all gone blind?’

As Lunia fawned over Fiora, Eiran cautiously asked,

“Leo-nim, what exactly is this contracted beast?”

“It’s a Phoenix.”

“P—Phoenix? Leo-nim! You’re the Phoenix’s contractor?”

“It just kind of happened.”

Leo gave a small smile at Eiran’s shock, then proceeded to summon another.

“In the name of the Oathbound, I summon thee.”

But even though a summoning circle formed, no beast appeared.

“You not coming out?”

At his words, something popped out of the circle—a very small scrap of paper with the words [It’s cold] written on it.

Without hesitation, Leo shoved his hand into the circle and forcibly dragged Kiran out.

["I am the Fairy Prince! Such insolence cannot be tol—Hrk!"]

Before it could finish its pompous nonsense, Leo tossed Kiran into the snow and stomped on it mercilessly.

“A fairy? Leo-nim, you’ve contracted with a fairy as well?”

“It just kind of happened.”

“A—amazing!”

‘A first-year student, yet the Oathbound of both a Phoenix and a Fairy!’

A look of admiration filled Eiran’s eyes.

“A fairy, you say?”

Lunia, who had been squealing over Fiora, crouched in front of Kiran.

Having barely escaped Leo, Kiran smirked.

["What now? Have you been bewitched by my noble appearance?"]

“…A mutant fairy? You don’t even have wings.”

["Mutant?! How dare you speak so rudely of me!"]

“Leo, I’ll admit contracting a fairy is never a bad thing—it’s a highest-ranking phantom beast on par with a Phoenix. But this kind of mutant? Don’t you think it might sully Fiora’s dignity?”

["Don’t be ridiculous! That chick is what sullies my dignity!"]

“What did you just say?”

Chirp—! Chirp—!

‘'An egoist, a lovesick fool, and a child. What a circus.'’

Leo sighed at the unexpected chemistry among the three.

“Enough chatter. Get ready, all of you. We’re moving.”

At that, Fiora and Kiran settled on Leo’s shoulders.

Lunia tied her long red hair back into a ponytail for ease of movement, while Eiran—face tense—drew her sword and shield from subspace.

“So, where are we headed?”

Lunia, now ready, asked as Leo fixed his gaze on the forest.

“To the very heart of the forest.”

bl

Chirp! Chirp!

["Ugh! What is that stench?!"]

Fiora covered her beak with a wing, while Kiran pinched his nose, both reacting violently.

Eiran looked flustered.

“Fairy-nim, what’s wrong?”

Kiran straightened, clearly pleased with the respectful address.

["A courteous elf, I see. Why, you ask? It’s the stench permeating this forest."]

He grumbled.

["To think this land—once home to Fairyland—has become so steeped in the aura of death. Truly the end of days."]

Leo, who had been walking, suddenly stopped.

“Why did you stop?”

Lunia asked, and Leo replied,

“Prepare yourselves.”

Fwoooosh—! Crack-crack-crack!

From beneath the ground, white bones erupted upward.

Click! Clatter!

Seeing the sudden appearance of skeletons, Lunia and Eiran quickly readied for battle.

“They’re all Skeleton Knights.”

“What?”

Lunia’s eyes widened in shock.

They might not be Death Knight-level, but even Skeleton Knights were undoubtedly high-ranking undead.

‘And there are ten of them—all Skeleton Knights?’

Her face tightened as she took in the armored, heavily armed skeletons.

Unlike ordinary skeletons, these Knights moved in flawless formation.

Grrrhh—! Clank! Clank!

Radiating dark energy, the Skeleton Knights closed the distance. Lunia clicked her tongue and began chanting—

“Leave this to me.”

Eiran stepped forward.

Lunia hesitated.

“Leo-nim and Lunia-yang, you need to conserve your strength, don’t you?”

Smiling faintly, Eiran gripped her sword and small shield and summoned her mana.

Her body glowed silver, and the light soon took the form of armor.

Leo’s eyes widened.

Seeing that, Lunia crossed her arms and boasted.

“That’s the magic handed down in the Ersar family—combining aura with mana!”

“Animus Armor.”

“Oh? You know of it?”

“It’s a famous technique.”

It was none other than Velkia’s own creation.

A unique magic devised with Kyle’s help, meant to hold back countless foes on the front lines. Passed down and inherited until today.

Clad in armor of light, Eiran charged without hesitation.

A Skeleton Knight swung its dark-infused blade down to cleave her—

Clang!

The attack bounced off harmlessly.

Thud! Crack!

Eiran smashed one Knight’s head with her shield, then swiftly slashed backward with her sword.

Her movements were reminiscent of Velkia himself.

As she felled a Skeleton Knight in an instant, Lunia beamed.

“As expected of Eiran! Amazing.”

Eiran blushed shyly at her praise, then nervously fidgeted her hands while glancing at Leo.

“L-Leo-nim… what did you think?”

Leo smiled faintly.

“You looked just like Velkia.”

Eiran’s eyes flew wide.

“You said that as if you’d seen her in person.”

“You can get a good sense of her from the stories, can’t you?”

“I… I’m honored.”

Her cheeks flushed pink at Leo’s words, her joy overflowing.

Flap—!

Just then, a small bird flew in and perched on a branch. Its eyes glowed red.

Leo picked up a small stone from the ground.

He flicked it with his finger.

Thunk—! Shatter—!

“…!”

“…!”

The stone struck the bird’s head. It immediately crumbled into dust.

“A familiar?”

“Looks like the enemy’s aware of us now. More undead will be coming.”

Both Lunia and Eiran’s faces tensed.

“Let’s keep moving.”

bl

“Looks like our tail’s been stepped on.”

“…What?”

At the words of the hooded Death Knight, Kargol, Rauta—who had been drawing a summoning circle—scowled.

“What do you mean?”

“An intruder has appeared. Likely hero candidates.”

Rauta scoffed.

“Then let the knights deal with it. Isn’t that what they’re here for?”

“Heh. True enough. But boy—are you treating the great Lich King’s knights like mere servants?”

Kargol’s displeasure was obvious. Rauta curled his lip into a sneer.

“Seems you’ve forgotten that the great Lich King chose me!”

He raised his hand, displaying a black ring.

“The Demonic Artifact imbued with Erebos’s power! A gift your master entrusted to me to guide me to herohood!”

From beneath the hood, Kargol’s red eyes gleamed.

“Then hold your tongue and deal with the intruders.”

“Heh.”

With a low laugh, Kargol vanished into the shadows.

Rauta wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“Disgusting undead.”

Muttering, he resumed drawing his summoning circle.

‘Just wait. Soon, I won’t need the help of those filthy Tartarus dogs!’

Back during the last vacation—

When he first obtained the ring said to draw out latent potential, he had been overjoyed.

But upon realizing it was a Demonic Artifact, despair had set in.

‘I thought I was finished. But it was actually an opportunity!’

A mysterious demon who called himself Hell Kaiser, the legendary and terrifying Legion Commander—the Lich King himself—personally imparted magic to Rauta.

It was a magical formula that had long since vanished from the world.

Rauta took it as the chance to finally become a hero.

‘I’ll use them as stepping stones to shine brighter than anyone else!’

His eyes glinted with madness.

‘And beyond this… if I can seize the power of the Poet! Then no one will ever dare look down on me again!’