"A while ago, you said you left the accommodation to investigate something. What are you investigating, Sir Leo and Miss Lunia?"
In response to Eiran's question, Leo answered.
"We came to investigate the strange occurrences in the Fairy Forest."
"At night? Did you receive a special mission from the teachers?"
"No, I just followed this guy when he started moving on his own."
It seemed that Lunia, who usually called him 'Leo-kun' in front of others, decided not to put on airs in front of Eiran and called Leo casually.
"Then I'll help too! This is the land that our ancestors have protected for generations!"
Eiran clenched his fist.
Given that he was the grandson of the Elsabekia Grand Council Chairman and a descendant of Verkia, the last Fairy Knight, it was a natural reaction.
Seeing Eiran like this, Lunia approached Leo and whispered softly.
"Don't bring up that uncertain talk in front of Eiran."
Leo, who understood it was about Rauta, chuckled.
"Got it."
With that, Leo turned his gaze toward the Fairy Forest.
'Sure enough, the curse's power grows stronger at night.'
The cursed aura that could only be felt in the forest's center during the day was now perceptible even near the entrance.
Of course, it was a very subtle power.
But if they approached the forest's center, Lunia and Eiran would undoubtedly feel the curse's power.
"We need to prepare a bit before we go."
"Huh? What kind of preparation?"
Seeing Lunia's puzzled expression, Leo opened his palm.
"In the name of the pact, I summon thee."
Whoosh-!
A summoning circle of flames appeared on Leo's palm.
A moment later, a red bird revealed itself through the summoning circle.
Pio, flapping her wings gracefully, exuded a dignified aura.
Chirp-!
Of course, the dignified aura she had gathered with such effort vanished in an instant with the sound from her beak.
Pio looked at Leo, seemingly asking, 'How do I look?' but Leo was unimpressed.
No matter how gracefully she flapped her wings or how dignified she tried to appear, to Leo, Pio was just a red chick.
Seeing his unimpressed reaction, Pio chirped unhappily.
"Such a cute summon, Miss Lunia. What kind of summon is that?"
Eiran asked in admiration at Pio's cute appearance.
But when she didn't get an answer, she looked to the side.
She was surprised to see Lunia trembling.
"Miss Lunia?"
"Pio-ora!"
Chirp-?
Seeing Lunia running towards her with great momentum, Pio, frightened, quickly took refuge above Leo's head.
"To be born so beautifully! Pio, it's me! Me, Lunia! Remember? Right?"
Clasping her hands, Lunia's eyes sparkled. Pio, seeing this, showed a wary reaction, and Lunia looked shocked.
"Does this guy remember anything?"
Leo, who stuck out his tongue, took a few pieces of cookies from his pocket and placed them on his palm.
Chirp-
Pio flew onto Leo's palm and elegantly pecked at only the chocolate parts of the cookies.
After pecking out the chocolate, she knocked the remaining cookie off Leo's palm, making him look exasperated.
"This guy is getting pickier by the day."
Pio chirped, seemingly asking for more.
"I have snacks too!"
Lunia hurriedly took out chocolate from her pocket.
Pio then flew to Lunia's palm and started pecking at the chocolate.
"Haung!"
Pio, covering her cheek with her other hand, said.
"This exquisite posture! The dignified movements! Ah! So beautiful!"
'No matter how I look at it, she's just a chick. But both Teacher Yura and this kid... Are today's summoners all blind?'
Seeing Lunia fussing over Pio, Eiran asked cautiously.
"Sir Leo, what kind of summon is this?"
"A phoenix."
"A, a phoenix? Sir Leo! You're a phoenix's contractor?"
"By chance."
Seeing Eiran's surprised reaction, Leo smiled and summoned another summon.
"In the name of the pact, I summon thee."
However, despite the summoning circle appearing, no summon came out.
"Isn't it coming?"
Something popped out of the summoning circle.
A very small note read [Cold].
Without hesitation, Leo stuck his hand into the summoning circle and forcibly pulled out Kiran.
[This body is a fairy prince! Such rudeness! It will not be... tolerated!]
Leo threw Kiran, who was babbling incoherently, into the snow and stomped on him.
"Fairy? Sir Leo! You're also a fairy's contractor?"
"By chance."
"Amazing!"
'That a first-year is a contractor of both a phoenix and a fairy!'
Eiran's eyes filled with admiration.
"Fairy?"
Pio, who was making chirping sounds, and Lunia, who had crouched in front of Kiran, looked at him.
Kiran, who had barely escaped from Leo, laughed at Lunia.
[What? Are you mesmerized by this body's posture?]
"...A mutant fairy? You don't have wings."
[Mutant! Such an impolite statement to this body!]
"Leo, fairies are also high-ranking summons like phoenixes, so contracting one isn't bad. But, contracting a mutant like this... It might damage Pio's dignity."
[Don't make me laugh! That chick would damage my dignity!]
"What did you say?"
Chirp- Chirp-
'Prince complex, eight-armed, and a kid. This is a mess.'
Seeing the unexpected chemistry between the three, Leo sighed and said.
"Stop talking and get ready. We're moving now."
At that, Pio and Kiran took their positions on Leo's shoulders.
Lunia tied her long red hair into a ponytail for convenience, and Eiran, with a tense expression, took out a sword and shield from his subspace.
"So, where are we going?"
Looking at the forest, Leo said in response to Lunia's question.
"To the very center of the forest."
***
Chirp! Chirp!
[Urgh! What's this smell!]
Pio, covering her beak with her wings, and Kiran, covering his nose with his hand, showed intense reactions.
Seeing this, Eiran looked puzzled.
"Mr. Fairy, why are you doing that?"
Kiran seemed pleased with Eiran's respectful address.
[You're a polite elf. Why am I doing this? Because of the foul stench permeating this forest.]
Kiran grumbled.
[For this place, once the land of Fairy Land, to be so steeped in the aura of death. The end times, indeed.]
Leo, who had been walking, stopped.
"Why did you stop?"
Leo said in response to Lunia's question.
"Get ready."
Whoosh-! Whoosh-!
Bones began to shoot up from the ground.
Clack- Clack- Clack-
Seeing the suddenly appearing skeletons, Lunia and Eiran quickly prepared for battle.
"They're all Skeleton Knights."
"What?"
Lunia looked surprised.
While not Death Knights, Skeleton Knights are still high-level undead.
'But all ten of them are Skeleton Knights?'
Lunia, who was flustered, saw the armored and heavily armed skeletons and tensed up.
Unlike regular skeletons, the Skeleton Knights formed a cohesive formation.
Grr-!
Clank! Clank!
Seeing the Skeleton Knights approaching with dark energy, Lunia clicked her tongue and began chanting a spell.
"Leave this to me."
Eiran stepped forward.
Seeing this, Lunia hesitated.
"Sir Leo and Miss Lunia need to conserve their strength, right?"
Eiran, smiling, adjusted his grip on his sword and small shield and activated his mana.
Eiran's body glowed silver and soon transformed into the shape of armor.
Leo's eyes widened.
Seeing Leo's reaction, Lunia, folding her arms, said proudly.
"That's the magic of fusing aura and mana, passed down in the Ersar family!"
"Anima Armor."
"Huh? You know it?"
"It's a famous technique."
It was a technique created by Verkia.
With Kail's help, Verkia created this unique magic to fend off countless enemies on the front lines.
This magic had been passed down and continued to the present day.
Eiran, armed with the light armor, charged without hesitation.
The sword of a Skeleton Knight, armed with dark energy, swung to cut Eiran down.
Crack-!
The Skeleton's attack was deflected uselessly.
Thud! Crack-!
Eiran struck the Skeleton Knight's head with his shield and quickly swung his sword.
His movements reminded one of Verkia.
Seeing Eiran approach, Lunia smiled.
"Of course, Eiran! Amazing."
Eiran blushed at Lunia's praise.
Then, he looked at Leo, fidgeting his hands, and asked.
"How did it look, Sir Leo?"
Leo smiled at the question.
"Just like Verkia."
Eiran's eyes widened.
"You make it sound like you saw Verkia herself."
"You can encounter her in stories."
"I, it's an honor."
Eiran blushed at Leo's praise.
Seeing Eiran's delighted reaction, Leo smiled.
Crack-!
At that moment, a small bird flew in and perched on a branch.
The bird's eyes glowed red.
Leo picked up a small pebble from the ground.
He flicked it with his finger.
Thud-! Crunch-!
"......!"
"......!"
The pebble hit the bird's head, and the bird turned to dust and scattered.
"Familiar?"
"It seems the enemy has discovered our presence. More undead will attack us."
Both Lunia and Eiran looked tense.
"Let's keep moving."
***
"It seems they've stepped on our tail."
"What do you mean?"
Kargor, the Death Knight in a hood, said to Rauta, who was drawing a summoning circle.
"That means intruders have appeared. They seem to be hero candidates."
Rauta snorted.
"Then let the knights handle it. Isn't that why they're here?"
"Heh. That's true. But brat, are you treating the great commander's knights like servants?"
Seeing Kargor's displeasure, Rauta curled his lips.
"You seem to have forgotten that the great commander chose me!"
Rauta raised his hand to show a black ring.
"The artifact containing the power of Erebus! The leader gave this to me to lead me to become a hero."
Kargor's red eyes flashed from under his hood.
"Fine, stop talking and deal with the intruders."
"Hmm."
Kargor, laughing low, disappeared into the darkness.
Seeing this, Rauta looked disgusted.
"Smelly undead."
Saying that, he began to draw a summoning circle.
'Just wait. Soon, I won't need the dirty Tartarus guys anymore!'
During the last break.
When he got the ring that was supposed to draw out his latent abilities, he was overjoyed.
But when he found out it was a magical artifact, he despaired.
'I thought I was done for. But it was an opportunity!'
The mysterious demon who revealed himself as the legendary terrifying commander, the Hell Kaiser, personally taught Rauta magic.
It was the magic spell that had long since vanished.
Rauta saw this as an opportunity to become a hero.
'I'm using them to become a more shining existence!'
Rauta's eyes flashed with madness.
'If I can get the power of the progenitor beyond this... No one will be able to ignore me!'