Chapter 609

609.

Leo gazed at the tightly shut gates of the palace entrance.

Behind the government building of Retin lay the entrance to the palace.

‘Precisely, the structure requires one to go through the government building to enter the palace entrance. Are they guarding this palace?’

After the Tekon Kingdom fell, this palace was sealed, and within its confines lay many of Tekon’s legacies.

It was only natural for the Tuzen Knights, who had for a long time sought out the Tekon royals, to guard it.

“Hmm? Up close, the structure of the sealing spell becomes quite visible.”

“It seems similar to spirit magic, but it’s also different.”

Abad and Chelsea exclaimed in amazement while carefully examining the firmly shut palace gate.

Truly befitting wizards, they were curious about the magic sigils composed of spirits.

“Chloe would have gone crazy if she had seen this.”

Leo chuckled at Chelsea’s muttering.

“It’s possible she’s set up a home here.”

Leo glanced at Celia, reminiscent of their most studious friend from the Department of Magic.

“Is it true that there is a Purifying Spirit within this palace?”

“That’s right, Young Master Leo.”

After the fall of Tekon Kingdom, the Great Spirit of Fire, Ista, has not appeared either.

It seems that it has not left this palace since then.

Leo silently gazed at the magical sigils sealing the palace entrance and narrowed his eyes after interpreting it to a certain extent.

“It seems only those with the proper qualifications can open it.”

“Qualifications?”

Celia tilted her head in confusion.

Upon hearing Leo’s words, Abad and Chelsea quickly deciphered the magical sigils.

“It seems like a spell structure related to lineage?”

“Yes. It seems that only someone with the bl**d of Tekon’s royal family can open it.”

With Leo’s hint, Abad and Chelsea rapidly deciphered the entire magical sigil.

Nodding in agreement to their words, Leo approached the iron gate of the palace.

Clang-!

At that moment, the crimson chains that had been invisible until now appeared.

The chains made from the power of spirits.

Upon seeing it, Cissy muttered in surprise.

“Impossible. The palace gate that hadn’t reacted for decades…!”

Cissy looked at Leo with a moved expression.

‘Indeed, Young Master Leo is undoubtedly the Tekon royal we have awaited for so long!’

Just as she was touched with a bittersweet feeling,

Leo exerted force to open the palace gates.

Creak-!

The crimson chains were tensely pulled.

‘Denying me?’

Although the seal reacted to Leo’s hand, it did not permit passage.

The palace entrance remained tightly shut, protected by a powerful force of spirits.

After withdrawing his hand, Leo stepped back a few paces.

Chelsea approached with a perplexed look on her face.

“Didn’t open?”

“Yep.”

“Why isn’t it opening? Is there another condition to break the seal?”

“It seems the Purifying Spirit is rejecting me.”

“Rejecting Brother Leo? Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Chelsea glared at the door with a gloomy expression.

Then she grabbed the iron bars and started shaking them fiercely.

“Why are you rejecting Brother Leo!”

However, unlike when Leo tried, the iron bars did not respond at all this time.

“Hey. Hey.”

Abad lifted his sister by slipping his hands under her armpits to calm her down.

Then he turned to Leo.

After taking Chelsea from Leo, he set the girl whose temper was showing on the ground and patted her head.

“Well, there’s one guess as to why it’s rejecting.”

“Hmm? What’s that?”

Chelsea tilted her head in confusion.

“That.”

Just as Leo was about to explain,

“Does it react to me too?”

Celia, who had been watching the situation from the side, grabbed the door with interest.

At that moment,

Clang-

“Huh?”

Celia, noticing the crimson chains that had wrapped around her wrist without her realizing, opened her eyes wide.

“What is this?”

As she struggled to remove the chains in confusion,

Whooosh-!

“Kyaa?!”

Celia was suddenly dragged into the palace.

“Celia!”

Abad summoned a staff from hyperspace.

Whoosh-!

BANG-!

A sharp, massive gust of wind instantly split the entrance of the palace.

As if a typhoon had hit, an enormous wind swirled around the surroundings.

Sissy took a lower stance, putting strength into her body to avoid being blown away by the wind.

Chelsea stood in front of Leo to control the wind so it wouldn’t reach him.

“Shadowless Blade? Is this possible?”

The magical power was beyond the level of an average second-year student in Lumeran.

But what was even more astonishing was the magic that had activated without any warning.

Shadowless Blade.

It was a magical sigil given by Luna as a gift to Abad.

Seeing the palace gate unscathed, Abad’s expression grew more ruthless.

Surging light-blue magic power swirled around him.

Seeing Abad truly enraged, Leo said,

“Calm down. That’s unlike you.”

At those words, Abad let the staff fall to the ground and took a deep breath.

“What’s going on? Why did Celia suddenly get dragged away?”

When Chelsea asked in a flustered voice, Leo looked up at the palace.

“Apparently, the owner of this palace took her.”

“Why?”

“Because Celia is also of the Tekon royal line. She qualifies to open the door. Though, I don’t know why she was taken.”

Leo stood in front of the palace gate and narrowed his eyes.

‘If I force the seal to break…’

If the seal is shattered by force, it’s certain there will be significant damage around it.

After staring at the seal for a moment, Leo drew his sword.

Swish-!

Seeing the sword, Abad made a puzzled expression.

‘Is this the first time I’m seeing this sword?’

It wasn’t the sword that Leo usually used.

Abad knew Leo didn’t confine himself to only one sword,

but normally he used a high-tiered sword that ranked among the great swords.

However, the sword he was holding now was an ordinary longsword that you could see anywhere.

Posteritas.

It was a relic hidden in the cloak of obsidian that Rian had given him before.

Leo’s eyes turned gray for a moment.

‘Bible.’

His unique magic.

Leo quickly deciphered the magical sigils after activating Bible.

Meanwhile, a gray magic circle appeared on the surface of the sword.

“A spell of Dispelling?”

Abad made a bemused expression.

Leo swung the sword.

Slice-!

The gray magical power swirling around the sword cut through the entrance of the palace.

At that moment,

Clang-!

The palace gates opened.

Leo’s eyes turned back to their original color.

He had imbued the sword with Dispelling and severed the sealing sigils.

At first glance, it seemed like a simple action, but in reality, it was an extremely complex process.

Sealing magic changes its sigil pattern constantly to prevent being dismantled.

Calculating each pattern and weaving a spell of Dispelling at the right moment to sever the sealing sigil was a highly difficult feat.

Although the process was inefficient, the result was effective.

There was no way Abad could attempt it.

‘Would Chloe be able to follow this?’

Abad inwardly shook his head in amazement.

“How did you do it?”

Even Chelsea asked in surprise, to which Leo pressed his aching temples and replied,

“I merely followed what I learned from a wizard I know.”

“Oh…”

“Truly, there are many monsters in the world. When will I be able to meet one?”

“Perhaps someday.”

Chelsea immediately knew that the wizard Leo was referring to was Luna.

Unaware of that fact, Abad could only marvel at how vast the world truly was.

“Since the seal has been broken, can we go inside now?”

Shaking his head at Chelsea’s question, Leo replied,

“No. I haven’t completely destroyed the seal. I merely created a gap.”

“Ah. Only Brother Leo can pass through?”

“That’s right.”

While Leo had the qualifications to enter the palace and open the seal, he was rejected by Ista, the owner of the seal.

He had only removed that condition.

“I’ll manage on my own.”

Leo gave the entrance to the palace a slightly askew glance.

Seeing that, Abad smiled wryly.

“Envious. You look just like the knight rescuing the princess.”

While Abad made some kind of bitter expression, Leo responded,

“Celia isn’t a princess.”

Responding to Leo’s words, Chelsea nodded enthusiastically,

“Yep! She’ll break free even if caught. So don’t worry too much. Big Brother.”

“I see.”

Though Chelsea’s words made Abad burst into a bitter laugh,

“Then I’ll be back later.”

Leo entered the palace.

Watching his figure, Abad let out a deep sigh.

“There’s no need to be overly worried. The Purifying Spirit isn’t an evil spirit. It surely wouldn’t harm the bloodline of Tekon with which it made its long-standing vow.”

“That’s how it should be.”

Abad gave a small smile.

“If anything happens, even a Great Spirit won’t be spared.”

At those words, Cissy inwardly marveled.

‘Truly, it seems he’s the next master of Ruwalin, isn’t he?’

Even though he was still young, Abad could feel an oppressive presence.

Then,

“Master Leo! Miss Celia!”

The door from the government building opened, and Niel hurriedly dashed towards them.

This was a place only those permitted could enter.

When Niel suddenly appeared in such a place, Chelsea looked flustered.

Sissy, realizing that something must have happened, did not say anything about the entry rules.

“Leo and Celia just entered the palace. Is there any issue, Senior Niel?”

In response to Abad’s question, Marchel, who came behind Niel, spoke urgently,

“Earlier, we received contact from Zerdinger. Senior Torua who was visiting Zerdinger… is unconscious!”

“What?”

“Senior Torua?”

Both Abad and Chelsea opened their eyes wide.

“It’s not just that! Mrs. Flob, Master Leo’s mother, has been kidnapped by an unidentified attacker!”

*

Swish-!

Seeing the crimson chains encircling her wrist, dragging her with tremendous force, Celia drew her sword.

Whoosh-!

From Celia’s hand came the heirloom sword of Zerdinger,

Flame Storm, which spewed forth fierce flames.

Slice!

With a sharp sound, Celia swung Flame Storm towards the chains.

Clang!

However, it bounced back, unable to cut through.

Celia gritted her teeth at that.

Whoosh! Whoosh-!

An aura of flames that seemed like it would burn and slice anything it touched emanated from Celia’s body.

Celia’s red eyes gleamed as if they were burning.

Swoosh!

With her focused sword energy at the tip, she cut through the chain.

The force that was pulling Celia disappeared momentarily.

Experiencing a sense of floating in mid-air, Celia regained her posture and landed gracefully.

Thud!

Lifting her head, she quickly assessed her surroundings.

‘The Audience Hall?’

Celia’s eyes narrowed.

At that moment.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Indeed. It appears the mixture of Tekon’s and Zerdinger’s bl**d manifests in flames like this?”

A haughty voice accompanied the sound of applause.

Turning her gaze to the source, Celia widened her eyes in astonishment.

There sat a man on the throne.

The man, with light blue hair reaching down to his waist and matching eyes, was covered in tattoos all over his body.

His deep bronze skin, reminiscent of southerners, proudly emphasized his presence.

He was tall with well-developed muscles adorning his whole body.

The problem was that his torso was bare.

Celia was caught off guard at the sight of the man who was grinning widely.

‘What…? Is this a pervert?’

While Celia looked up in bafflement,

“Are you by any chance the Spirit Master, Lord Ista?”

“That’s right, girl. Know me in such glory.”

“Huh?”

“At this moment, you are chosen by me.”

“Wait. I don’t have the talent to become a Spirit Master?”

“True. That is most regrettable.”

Celia spoke, watching Lord Ista who was stroking his chin contemplatively.

“My cousin handles spirits too, right? He’d probably be better suited to be your vow keeper.”

“That guy who dared knock on the doors of this palace first?”

Ista’s expression twisted.

At his reaction, Celia involuntarily trembled.

For some reason, this spirit seemed hostile towards Leo.

“Listen well, girl.”

Ista said irritably.

“I detest womanizers more than anything in this world.”