439.
Thud… Thud…
Leo and Aron were walking down a hidden spiral staircase in the depths of the Fairy King’s residence that connected to an underground passage.
“Hmm.”
Leo muttered to himself as they descended the long corridor.
“It’s definitely suppressed.”
From the moment they entered this staircase, they could feel the powerful presence of the Fairy King.
“This isn’t just a simple barrier, is it?”
Aron murmured quietly.
Of the three Great Familiars, while the Phoenix symbolizes weapons like swords and spears, and the Pegasus represents cavalry, fairies are symbolic of shields — or barriers.
“It’s utterly cut off from the outside world.”
‘Beyond just physical barriers, it’s dimensionally separated too.’
The staircase they were walking down could be considered its own distinct space.
Fairy magic is so powerful that it’s classified as an inherent type of magic, and the Fairy King is a wizard who has mastered this formidable magic.
This place has been a realm separated by the Fairy King for 5,000 years.
‘Still, it’s completely different from the fairy magic I know?’
The structure of the magic that Leo knew about fairy magic was different.
“Is this more Luna’s style?”
“Yeah, it definitely resembles Luna’s magic.”
Leo’s comment made Aron gasp in awe. Silrod, who was flying beside them, chimed in.
-This barrier was created based on the Fairy Magic spells Luna researched.
“Indeed, Luna.”
“She was hailed as the greatest genius in the history of magic.”
Aron marveled, and Leo smirked.
After walking down the staircase for such a long time—it felt like an entire day had passed—they finally arrived.
Sildrod’s explanation was that the flow of time in this realm differed from the outside.
Eventually, Leo, Aron, and Silrod reached a massive stone door.
Leo’s eyes narrowed, and Aron’s gaze became sharp.
They were aware that a Piece of Erebus lay beyond this door.
But now that they were here, their bodies reacted instinctively.
– Shall I open it?
Creak…
As Silrod finished his sentence, the stone door creaked open heavily.
Leo and Aron stepped inside the stone chamber.
Inside was a black humanoid object about the size of an adult male. It resembled either a lump of burnt charcoal or molten metal that had solidified together.
What was certain was its color—darker than midnight—and the faint presence of Erebus’s power it emitted.
Its form was different, and the aura it radiated was weak.
But Leo and Aron, who had fought Erebus, clearly knew what it was.
“Erebus.”
As Aron muttered, Leo approached the fragment of Erebus.
It was as though all the flames had been extinguished.
However, this was still a calamity that once drove the world to ruin.
Moreover, 3,000 years ago, this fragment had awoken once more.
“Even Silrod said that after 5,000 years, trying to destroy this was futile?”
Silrod hadn’t been ignoring this fragment the entire time.
Over the long years, attempts had been made to destroy the fragment using the Fairy King’s power.
Yet no method worked.
Even though the flame had disappeared, Erebus remained Erebus—a primordial catastrophe that even gods feared.
Leo had miraculously succeeded in defeating it but had failed to completely annihilate it, and splitting it into six fragments was the best course of action.
‘I can’t recklessly interfere. If I stir it up accidentally, that could also be a problem.’
Leo’s power was the very nemesis of Erebus.
If his power was added to the sealed Erebus, the consequences were unpredictable.
‘Is keeping it suppressed and out of Tartarus’s reach the best thing to do right now?’
One fortunate point was that there was no sign of the fragment awakening.
‘Even the Demon King doesn’t know how to awaken this fragment. For now, leaving it as it is might be the best.’
As Leo was staring at the fragment of Erebus, Aron sniffed.
“Definitely different from the smell of Erebus I know.”
-Is it?
“The basic noxious stench is the same, but it’s more intense this time.”
– More intense?
“Yeah. It smells like ash left after burning.”
Aron frowned at the thought, and Leo commented.
“Any signs of it reigniting?”
At Leo’s question, Aron fell into deep thought.
“No, not at all.”
Leo nodded in response.
“That’s fortunate then. Which means we don’t have to worry about this fragment for now.”
Leo turned to Silrod.
“Silrod, can you handle this for a little longer?”
– Don’t worry. I, as the companion of the Great Heroes, will guard this place.
Silrod proudly puffed his chest and grinned.
-I’m the companion of great heroes, after all.
“Reliable.”
Leo chuckled at this.
-Aron?
Silrod looked at Aron, who was silently staring at him.
-Why are you looking at me like that?
“Uh, it’s just that Silrod has changed so much.”
-It’s been 5000 years, you know.
Silrod smiled maturely.
Looking at this, Aron glanced at her own palm.
“If… if I hadn’t died 5,000 years ago…”
Raising her head, Aron questioned.
“Could I have moved past being a coward?”
“What do you mean?”
“Could I have truly become courageous? Could I have been the real hero people talk about now?”
-The Aron from the story? You’re joking, right Leo?
“Yeah.”
Hearing the conversation between Leo and Silrod, Aron nodded.
“Alright. In that case, I’ll aim to become a real hero.”
“Huh?”
“That’s my new goal.”
“What? Isn’t there any need? You are already…”
“No. I’ll be different from who I was before.”
Aron clenched her fists with determination.
Leo, who had been about to say something, smiled.
“Work hard.”
“Yeah!”
In a lush forest near a small pond:
“Hooik! Hooik! That’s amazing! Hooik!”
“Heeek!”
Aron was terrified as she looked at Ar hanging from her foot.
Watching this, Leo had an expression of ‘so that’s how it is.’
“Talking about being a real hero and all that?”
Leo’s murmur made Chelsea, who had been blankly staring, ask curiously.
“Huh? What did you say?”
“It’s nothing.”
Cutting off the conversation, Leo grabbed Ar by the nape.
“You’ve got to stop that. Your behavior is messing up the class.”
At his words, Ar snapped out of it and released Aron, who immediately scurried behind Chelsea.
Staring at this, Chelsea’s mouth dropped open.
“I thought her seizure symptoms were getting better.”
“But the black rabbit! Look at Lady Aron!”
Ar stared at Aron, who had hidden behind Chelsea.
“Aah! Amazing! The best! Lady Aron is the best! Aahk! It’s too dazzling! I can’t even look!”
Ar shielded her eyes while looking at Aron with excitement.
“Brave! I can feel the aura of a hero!”
“Do you need your glasses adjusted or something?”
Watching Ar interpreting the situation as she liked while Aron hid behind someone smaller than herself, Leo sighed.
“Leo-nim, there’s something I’m wondering about.”
“Ask away.”
“Is it normal that Lady Aron seems so different from the Aron in the stories I’ve read?”
Looking at Chelsea asking with disbelief, Leo nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Seriously.”
Who would’ve expected?
The emblem of courage in modern times, Hero Aron, was, in fact, a coward.
‘She must have terrible eyesight to see that as impressive.’
Chelsea murmured as she glanced at Ar’s eyes.
“But why hide behind me specifically?”
“Something about it feels familiar, so it’s comforting.”
At Aron’s response, Chelsea wore an expression of incomprehension.
During this time, Aron stepped forward to what she considered her true self.
“Wanna try transforming?”
At her question, Ar activated her aura.
Watching the transformed Ar, Aron nodded approvingly.
“Good. Now, try using ‘Howl.'”
At her command, Ar drew a breath.
Chelsea, seeing this, manipulated the air using magic.
-Roarrrr!
With a massive roar, Chelsea felt a tingling sensation run through her body.
‘That is impressive.’
Chelsea swallowed hard.
As the representative of the second year students at Azonia, Aron’s authority was unmistakable.
Hearing Ar’s roar, Aron crossed her arms.
“They say that these days, there are various types of Howls?”
“Yes!”
Aron’s Howl instills courage in allies and fills enemies with fear.
But in this era, depending on the user, there are various effects: boosting physical abilities temporarily or confusing enemies, among other things.
“Magic users and summoners mostly have these abilities, right?”
“That’s correct!”
With a vigorous response from Ar, Aron contemplated and took a deep breath.
-Roooar!
A Howl, far more powerful than Ar’s, echoed throughout the area.
Overwhelmed by the scene, Ar and Chelsea collapsed onto the ground.
“Mon, that was incredible.”
“Amazing!”
While Chelsea was in awe and Ar shook in excitement, Leo, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and looked down at his own hand.
It felt considerably lighter than before.
“Did you add a buff effect to the Howl?”
“Yeah.”
“Huh?”
“Come to think of it, my body is…”
At Leo’s question, Aron calmly replied, and both Ar and Chelsea stared in amazement.
“I mixed the mana flow from the current era’s Howls that familiars use with the way mages apply buffs.”
The Howl techniques of today and the one used by Aron are different due to the different ways aura is utilized.
Even the original Howl, which could be considered Aron’s unique skill, has evolved differently over the years, leading to various other effects.
Aron had spontaneously created a new effect after listening to Ar’s explanations about modern beastman Howls.
“Is… is that even possible?”
“If I do it, it works?”
“Of course, Lady Aron!”
At Chelsea’s amazed expression, Aron smiled, and Ar sparkled, praising her.
“But Ar, I don’t sense any unique power from you when you transform?”
“I only managed it once, by accident…”
“Is that so? Then wouldn’t practicing the Howl vocalization bring out that ability? There’s a special training method for Howling.”
“Oooh! What is it?”
Aron grinned, went behind Ar, and lifted her up under the armpits.
Then, dragging a bewildered Ar, they headed toward the pond.
Ar’s face turned pale.
“Surely not?”
“Yeah. Just try yelling underwater.”
Whoosh! Splash!
“Meowwwwwww?!?!”
As Ar let out a cat-like scream and flailed in the water, Aron shouted.
“Yell as loudly as possible underwater!”
“Gluggle gluggle glug!”
As Ar’s breath ran out, her face surfaced to gulp for air, and Aron spoke.
“Right back in!”
“Huh?”
“This is a training method Luna helped me perfect to enhance my Howl. It’s uncomfortable but effective. Breathe deeply in the shortest moment possible.”
“Yes! Huff!”
Ar submerged her face in the water again.
Gluggle gluggle!
“Choke!”
Pfft!
“Eek?!”
Ar clutched her head, staring wide-eyed at Aron, who was pushing her under again.
“I didn’t get to breathe…”
“Survive!”
“Gluggle gluggle glug!”
Splash splash!
“Isn’t this just water torture?”
“Exactly.”
“Master Aron, are you scared of cats so you’re just drowning this kitty?”
Given how Aron had trembled in fear earlier when seeing Ar, it seemed plausible.
“Perhaps not. Look at her expression—she clearly hates it.”
Despite her cruel actions, Aron was visibly pained, pushing Ar underwater out of effort and care.
‘She’s replicating exactly what Luna did with her.’
Back when Aron was still a teenager, through this rigorous training, she had learned to master Howling, which was greatly influenced by Luna’s methods.
‘Of course, afterward, Aron ended up distrusting Luna.’
“Will this have an effect?”
At Chelsea’s dubious question, Leo rested his chin in thought.
“Since it’s the Hero herself demanding the training, it should work.”
“Effect, indeed!”
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
