Chapter 61

【61】60

Kwagagagagajak-!

The wind chain that had been hurtling towards Leo veered off in all directions.

Chelsea’s eyes widened.

‘Wha, what is this? What’s going on?’

The turbulent airflow around Leo had thrown the wind chain’s attack trajectory off course.

Leo pointed his finger at Chelsea.

“Wind Bolt.”

“Wi, Wind Shield…!”

Pwooooong-!

“Kyaa!”

Chelsea was sent flying backwards.

Leo quickly closed in on Chelsea in that state.

“Wind Sword!”

Chelsea hastily used a close-range magic attack, swinging a blade of wind towards Leo.

Hweeeeoo-!

But the wind that rushed at Leo lifted him gently into the air.

Leo, having entrusted his body to the flow of wind, was completely unaffected by Chelsea’s wind magic.

Chelsea’s eyes widened in shock.

‘Is this what wind magic is?’

The idea of surrounding one’s body with wind to deflect wind magic was something Chelsea could never have thought of herself.

It was an absurdly risky method.

“Wind Sword.”

By that time, Leo had also completed his incantation.

Leo’s blade of wind touched Chelsea’s throat.

Chelsea grit her teeth.

Defeated.

All the students in the class looked on in disbelief.

Leo hadn’t used any martial techniques as a knight.

He had purely suppressed Chelsea using only wind magic.

“What do you think was the reason for the victory or defeat?”

When Halind asked, Chelsea couldn’t answer and hung her head deeply.

“What do you think?”

“…”

Halind asked the other students of the class, but no one could answer.

Everyone found this situation hard to believe.

“If we assess their capabilities purely as mages, Chelsea LeWalyn is by no means inferior to Leo Flove. If it was a duel only using wind magic, Leo Flove would never stand a chance against Chelsea LeWalyn. If it was a fight to the d*ath, Leo Flove would have lost.”

Halind crossed his arms.

“But in a contest of skills, Leo Flove was victorious. The deciding factor was the degree of understanding and application skill for wind magic.”

Everyone focused on Halind’s explanation.

“You students, as Lumeran students, always learn more powerful techniques if you’re knights, higher spells if you’re mages, or methods to summon higher familiars if you’re summoners.”

Halind looked at the students in the class.

“Because of this, you tend to focus on acquiring new powers before you’ve even properly utilized the ones you’ve already learned.”

Halind threw a punch into the air.

“Using a simple example of punching, which is more lethal: swinging with sheer force or using only the necessary muscles according to the situation? Which one is more lethal?”

“Swinging only the required muscles according to the situation is far more lethal.”

Nella’s answer made Halind nod.

“Right. It’s the same with skills. You tend to think that learning diverse techniques represents technical advancement, but that’s merely the equivalent of increasing power. That’s why something like what just happened occurred.”

The students, having seen Chelsea, the best in the class, defeated by Leo, could offer no rebuttal.

“To make progress to the next level, increasing technique is essential. By doing this, your skills will rapidly improve.”

“Yes! Understood!”

“Good. From now on, let’s start individual training.”

Leo entered the Fairy Forest.

[Is this the Fairy Forest… the former homeland of our fairies?]

Floating in the air, Kiran muttered seriously before wrapping his body.

[I’m freezing! I’m going back!]

Puck-!

[Why did you hit me!]

“Is this all you have to say upon seeing the sacred lands of the fairies?”

[I hate being cold!]

Leo sighed as he continued walking into the Fairy Forest.

“Kiran, there’s something you need to do.”

[Something I need to do?]

Kiran hesitated briefly.

Then, he donned a proud expression.

[Leo, you’ve finally realized the true value of this body, it seems. Alright, I’ll oblige as your contractor. What exactly do you want the noble Fairy Prince to do?]

Although he was muttering, Kiran was secretly excited about what his first request from his newly acquired contractor would be.

“Pick some herbs in the forest.”

Leo tossed Kiran a sack meant to hold the herbs.

[Am I, a noble Fairy Prince, supposed to collect herbs for you?]

“Would you not?”

[Of course not!]

Kiran sneered while tossing the leather sack to the floor.

A short moment later.

Hit by the leather bag, Kiran flew around, hastily gathering herbs.

Leo, having dumped the task on Kiran, proceeded deep into the Fairy Forest to conduct his investigation.

‘They said the northern region, which was originally warm, has grown colder after the Era of Catastrophe.’

The elementals of ice that once resided in the east had migrated in droves to the north, changing their territory.

Fairies, who disliked the cold, inevitably had to leave their homeland in search of a new home.

‘After the fairies had left, monsters began to appear in this place at some point and continue to persist to this day.’

Monsters may naturally occur but can also be artificially created by influence from Tartarus.

The latter seemed more likely at the moment.

[Kirn! Look! I’ve gathered so many!]

“Hmm? Oh, impressive! Good job.”

Leo was impressed.

True to fairy form, Kiran had successfully collected a large number of premium herbs within a short time.

[Heh. This is nothing to me.]

Though initially reluctant, Kiran wore a proud smile upon receiving praise.

Leo placed the herbal sack into subspace.

Kiran settled himself on Leo’s shoulder.

A moment later, Leo stopped in his tracks at a particular spot.

[Hmm? Why are you stopping?]

“It’s an illusion magic.”

At Leo’s words, Kiran was surprised.

[This is the king of fairies’ magic, isn’t it? But it seems to not be Father’s magic…]

‘This is the magic of the previous Fairy King, Graywin.’

The Fairy King at the time of the Era of Catastrophe.

For Kiran, a fairy elder akin to his grandfather’s generation.

‘This magic was activated just a hundred years ago.’

Upon gauging the flow of magic, Leo felt curious.

The magic of Graywin, who had passed on at least a few thousand years ago, activated a hundred years ago.

As he slowly decoded the type of magic, he rubbed his chin.

‘There is nothing out of the ordinary for an ancestral magic technique to remain within the Fairy Forest…’

“Kirn, when were you exiled from Fairyland?”

[One hundred years ago.]

‘Could the power source to activate the magic have been Kiran’s wings? Why would they use Kiran’s power to activate a protection magic here where no fairies remain?’

Although one could strip Kiran of his power as punishment, there was no reason for him to use his son’s power to trigger a magic barrier.

‘There must be something worth protecting within this barrier.’

As Leo was lost in thought while gazing at the illusion magic, a sound was heard.

Chak- Chak- Shaaa-!

A metallic friction sound echoed.

Kiran covered his nose with his finger.

[Ugh-! Putrid smell! What is this thing?]

“It’s an undead.”

As an undead cloaked in a hood appeared, Leo frowned.

At the sight of this reaction, the undead chuckled.

“Why is there a human in the territory of the elves?”

“That’s less strange than why there’s an undead like you here.”

“Hmph! You cheeky human! This has been a place under the influence of Tartarus for a long time.”

[This is the sacred realm of our fairies! What nonsense is this!]

“Fairies? Are there fairies with such mediocre abilities like you?”

[Who’s saying what? You foul-smelling corpse!]

Jajijik-!

Cloaked in silvery mana, Kiran charged at the undead.

“No!”

Shocked by the sudden attack, the undead hurriedly tried to defend itself.

Pwoong-!

But Kiran’s charge towards the undead was faster.

[Hmm! You’re no match for me at all!]

Kiran, having instantly shattered the undead, wore a smug expression.

“You, with such little finesse in your attacks, and you call yourself a fairy?”

[If it’s effective, that’s all that matters!]

Certainly, the source of a fairy’s power being vitality makes them a natural counter to undeads, who possess the power of d*ath.

[What do you think of this amazing power of mine!?]

As Kiran boastfully spun through the air, Leo pointed behind him.

“Look behind you.”

[Huh? Behind?]

Gooouuuu-!

“Indeed, even a low-level fairy is still a fairy.”

[Urgh- too stubborn and rank-smelling!]

Kiran mimicked vomiting while taunting.

“Even a fairy with such vulgar language!”

As crimson eyes flashed from the hood, a bl**d-red greatsword formed in the undead’s hand.

Upon seeing this, Leo’s expression changed.

“Kirn, step back!”

[Huh? Huuuaaargh!]

When the demon impaled the sword into the ground, a crimson skeletal blade erupted from it.

Hwarook-!

Leo unleashed an aura of flame.

Narrowing his eyes, Leo stared at the knight emitting the crimson aura.

“d*ath Knight, is it?”