Chapter 165

165

Kalyan and Riven, who had heard about the events at the Great Library from Leo, wore serious expressions.

“From what you’ve described, it sounds like the ‘Curse of Blocking.'”

“Curse of Blocking?”

“Yes.”

Kalyan nodded his head.

“It’s a curse that creates a space of blockage. It’s the type of curse used by high-level demons when they invade Tartarus.”

It was certainly a curse that Leo did not know about.

‘They are changing too.’

“The reason they are targeting the Hero’s Hall must be that it’s an extension of the act of destroying the Hero Record, just like in Lady Luna’s world?”

As Riven muttered with a serious face, Kalyan nodded.

“That is likely the case.”

“Then why the Hero’s Hall? There is no Hero Record in the Hero’s Hall!”

Riven was right.

The place where the Hero Record was asleep was the Forbidden Library.

Moreover, the Forbidden Library was not a space that could be invaded by curses.

It was a place protected by all sorts of barriers and anti-curse magic, not something Tartarus could dare to invade.

“Even though there is no Hero Record, there is a ‘key’ that can unlock the Hero Record. They must be after that key.”

Riven nodded at Kalyan’s words.

“They really are being quite blatant about their scheming.”

When it was already somewhat anticipated to let in 600 outsiders into the school, Kalyan thought there would be some level of intrusion.

‘Even if they entered the Hero’s Hall, they probably couldn’t take any hero relics.’

Kalyan, who was muttering to himself, looked at Leo.

‘To notice the Curse of Blocking. Do they have exceptionally keen senses?’

A first-year student had prevented a high-level demon from using the Curse of Blocking.

They always managed to surprise him in various ways.

Curious, Kalyan propped his chin on his hand and asked, “Leo, that demon must have been quite a challenge for you with your current abilities. How did you stop it?”

“It was thanks to Pegasus.”

“Pegasus?”

Kalyan’s eyes widened.

He already knew that Leo was the Contractor of the Phoenix.

But this was the first he had heard of Pegasus.

Riven was also astonished as Leo explained the circumstances that led him to summon Arti.

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Kalyan exclaimed in admiration, nodding his head.

Riven stared at Leo, recalling Rod and Melina’s words.

“Please help Leo Flove a lot.”

“Was Rod aware of such capability?”

Seeing Leo, who looked as if he was born to be a hero, Riven said, “Leo Flove, I understand, but please keep this incident to yourself.”

“Yes.”

“And do you want something? You stopped Tartarus, so I believe a reward is necessary.”

If he had caused a commotion in the Great Library for no reason, it would have been one thing.

But since he had stopped demons and succeeded in that, a reward was definitely warranted.

“Nothing in particular comes to mind… Ah.”

“What is it?”

“Could you support my club?”

“Club?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. I’ll provide support.”

Riven nodded.

“It’s getting late, so you should head in. We’ll take care of the aftermath.”

At that, Leo left the Principal’s Office.

Once the two were left alone, Kalyan said, “I expected it, but they really have started moving.”

To which Riven asked, “Does this mean the joint class is canceled?”

“No. Even if we send out all the students from other schools, they have already started their scheme. If we leave it as is, they will attempt to make contact with the ones inside Lumeran in some way.”

Kalyan smirked.

“Didn’t we already ascertain the list of contacts?”

“That is true.”

“It would be better to sweep them away in one go while we have the chance.”

*

After leaving the Principal’s Office and exiting the Hero’s Tower, Leo found Shasha waiting on a bench at the entrance.

Shasha stood up when she saw Leo.

“What happened?”

“I raised the alert.”

“Is it because of me?”

“Not specifically.”

Shasha, who had a worried expression, let out a small sigh of relief.

“By the way, you really summoned Arti! How did you do it?”

Shasha, caught off-guard by the prospect of summoning Pegasus with insufficient magical power, felt perplexed.

As she looked at Shasha, Leo raised his hand.

Flash-!

A summoning circle appeared above Leo’s hand.

Shasha’s eyes widened in shock.

“Wait a moment! That’s…!”

The summoning circle of none other than Arti floated above Leo’s hand.

During the process when Leo had summoned Arti and fought alongside her, Leo had taken the lead in the contract.

As Leo initiated the summon, the circle opened, and Polymorphed Arti peeked out.

With her pure white hair flowing, Arti cast a glance at Leo.

“You. You pushed me into the summoning circle without my permission, didn’t you?”

“It was urgent.”

“Isn’t that a bit rough?”

Muttering, Arti stepped out of the summoning circle with her arms crossed.

Unlike before, Arti was now dressed in a white dress instead of armor.

As she glared at Leo with her arms crossed, she waved to Shasha.

“Hello, Shasha.”

“Arti! How did this happen? Why is Leo the one with the contract rights?”

Seeing Shasha’s bewildered face, Arti sighed deeply.

“It’s a long story. The right to the contract that you inherited from the previous Emperor has been taken over by this person.”

“Th-That!”

Shasha’s face went pale.

Arti was a legacy passed down through the Rodren Imperial Family for generations.

However, being a sentient Pegasus, she could not be bound by just anyone.

The reason Arti remained as the vow keeper of the Rodren Imperial Family was due to the request of the first Emperor.

Now that vow had transferred to Leo.

Seeing Shasha’s reaction, Leo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Did I say if I successfully summoned Pegasus, I would acknowledge the contract?”

“Oh my, Shasha. Did you sell me to this guy?”

Arti widened her eyes.

“Th-That means…!”

Tears welled up in Shasha’s eyes as she looked back and forth between Leo and Arti, her white face reflecting her shock.

“Leo! I was wrong! I will do everything I can, so could you give Arti back?”

“I don’t need it.”

As Leo said this without hesitation and continued walking, Shasha grabbed his feet, pleading.

“Please, I beg you! I’ll do anything!”

It was almost unimaginable for the Imperial Princess to be crying and begging like that.

If the word got out, the Empire would face a massive disgrace, and Shasha could be stripped of her status as the Imperial Princess for carelessly betting Arti.

If anyone had witnessed this, their eyes would have widened in disbelief, but fortunately, it was late, and there were no other people around.

Pulling Shasha, who was clinging to his leg, Leo clicked his tongue and managed to free his foot.

“Let go.”

Saying that, Leo walked over to a nearby bench and tapped his toes, saying, “Kneel and sit here.”

At his words, Shasha thought of wiping the tears from her cheeks but found herself in front of Leo, kneeling down.

The moment she knelt, an overwhelming shame made her body tremble slightly.

Yet, she could not oppose the man in front of her.

Shasha was destined to stand at the pinnacle of Imperial power but was not at the top yet.

While she had secured her position as the heir, if she made a major mistake, everything she had built up until now could collapse like a sandcastle.

And now, it was a moment where everything could come crashing down.

Her fate was largely in Leo’s hands.

No matter how much she had studied Imperial theory and lived to become an Emperor, she was still just a 14-year-old girl.

The fear of possibly losing everything weighed heavily on her, compelling her to comply.

Looking down at Shasha, whose shoulders trembled, Leo crossed his legs and propped his chin.

“I know you’re a talented summoner. But you should have realized that there are plenty of others your age who are even more impressive than you. Did you gamble your vow keeper with arrogance? And you’re still saying you’re a summoner?”

Leo’s red eyes exuded an intimidating aura.

At the moment they met, Shasha shrank back.

Arti nodded from the side.

“There should be a limit to being foolish. Both as a summoner and as an Emperor who leads a nation. Acting recklessly brings trouble. You’re friends with Celia and Chelsea, right?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t they warning you to be careful how they treat me?”

“……”

Shasha bowed her head deeply.

Seeing that, Leo clicked his tongue.

“Moreover, the wager you made earlier is a huge disrespect to your vow keeper?”

Leo looked at Arti, who was watching this.

“It’s not just because you’re a Pegasus. The reason summoners call their familiars their vow keepers is because it means they are companions in life. Treating them with care is basic as a summoner.”

Shasha lowered her head even further.

She had no words, even if she had ten mouths.

As she looked at Shasha, Leo couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, you’re only 14, so it’s understandable to make mistakes. But if you aim to be a hero and also want to become an Emperor who leads a nation, don’t forget about what happened today.”

Wooong—

Leo created Arti’s summoning circle on his palm.

“Take it.”

“Excuse me?”

Shasha’s eyes widened.

“Are you… going to give it back?”

“I don’t snatch others’ familiars.”

Seeing Leo speak so indifferently, Shasha wore a confused expression.

‘Why is he returning this so easily?’

Was it to avoid going against the Rodren Empire? She thought but sensed it was not that simple.

A Pegasus was a powerful force capable of influencing a nation.

If Leo had the skills, any faction would be desperate to recruit him.

And what if he was also a summoner of a Pegasus?

There was no need to say more.

If Leo decided to infiltrate a powerful force in another region, no matter how weak Rodren was in the West, they would have little means to deal with him.

‘Is it because of his maternal family, Zerdinger? No, that’s not it.’

Still, he would want to gain something from this.

But Leo was genuinely trying to hand back the rights of the contract without wanting anything in return.

‘It’s unexpected that he’d return it so willingly after acquiring a Pegasus that should be worth one’s soul.’

As she looked up at Leo, Shasha felt a strange emotion.

Under the moonlight, Leo emanated an absolute majesty that was hard to describe.

It was as if he was looking down on her from a height.

The gap she thought was not too great felt overwhelmingly vast.

‘His stature is different.’

Having spent her life preparing to become an Emperor, Shasha had a certain discerning eye for people.

Thus, she instinctively sensed it.

‘He is absolutely beyond my reach.’

Thinking this, Shasha reached towards the summoning circle that Leo held out with a trembling heart.

If she received that, she would regain the rights to the contract.

At that moment.

“Wait a moment.”

Arti interjected.

“My opinion doesn’t matter?”

Seeing Arti sulking, Shasha looked flustered.

Leo replied in a disinterested tone.

“After all, your original vow keeper is the Rodren family.”

“That’s right. I still feel the same way, but…”

Arti smiled broadly.

“Now that I’ve experienced having you as a summoner, I don’t want to go back to Shasha right away.”

“Wh-What?! Arti! What are you saying?”

Shasha exclaimed in surprise as Arti smiled.

“Don’t worry. Like I said earlier, I’m not planning to leave forever. It’s just that…”

Arti approached Leo.

Then she sniffed around his head and tilted her head.

“It’s fascinating. The more I see, the more I’m drawn to you.”

Arti felt herself instinctively attracted to Leo.

It was unavoidable.

‘Is this because of my mana trait?’

Leo’s mana trait was pure.

And the pure white familiar Pegasus was a creature drawn to purity.

In a way, Leo could very well be considered a naturally born contractor of the Pegasus.

The ease with which he could contract with Pegasus in his past life was likely due to this.

“I want to watch you from closer. Leo Flove.”

“Just go back. You might end up facing some rough situations if you stay with me.”

“Oh? A contractor who exudes danger? That’s kind of my taste.”

Arti smiled brightly.

“And you said it yourself.”

“……?”

“You said that once someone experiences your techniques, they won’t be satisfied with anyone else.”

Arti’s face reflected an expression of ecstasy as she covered her face.

“You were right. I thought you were just an energetic novice, but you actually possess such skill. You’re the ideal summoner I was looking for.”

With a flushed face, Arti said, “That’s why I want to stay with you until I’m satisfied.”

“Just go away.”

“No way, if I return to Shasha without being satisfied, I feel like your touch will linger on me every night. You were the only one in my lifetime who could perfectly grasp and handle me! I’ve been waiting for someone to be able to fully control me. Leo Flove!”

Seeing Arti twisting her body in an odd manner, Shasha’s face turned red.

It was definitely about summoning skills, yet her words and actions gave rise to a strangely inappropriate misunderstanding.

Watching this, Leo rubbed his temples.

He recalled his other vow keepers.

Two immature girls and a perverted adult.

‘I absolutely cannot let things get messy beyond this.’

“In that sense! Please take good care of me for a while longer, Master!”