Leo’s proposal left the four members of the Stoneheart Squad buzzing in their heads.
To serve such a powerful summoner?
It hardly sounded real.
Kaiden, being a pragmatic man, first thought of the contract.
“Sir, the Stoneheart Squad still has several long-term commissions ongoing. I’m afraid…”
“I’m not asking you to decide right now.”
Leo interrupted him, his smile still gentle.
“I’m just offering you an option for the future.”
“You can come to Blackwood Town to find me anytime. My doors are always open to friends.”
He exerted no pressure at all.
This attitude of “always welcome” was far more winning than demanding an immediate answer.
Sure enough, Kaiden and the others visibly relaxed, gratitude plainly written on their faces.
“Alright, business first.”
Leo stood up.
“That Pig King—I need to transport it to the city as soon as possible and exchange it for shining gold coins.”
He glanced at steward Alfred and the coachman Tom waiting outside the door.
“Alfred, Tom, get ready.”
“Hook up our biggest cart, then pick a batch of magical creature materials from the warehouse. We’ll haul everything to Silverbrook City.”
“As you command, sir.”
Alfred bowed to accept the order, a gleam lighting up his aged eyes.
The territory was desperately short of funds right now.
The money they earned from this haul could propel Blackwood Town’s development to new heights.
The Stoneheart Squad also stood up, Kaiden preparing to take his leave.
“Sir, we won’t keep you any longer. It’s time for us to head back.”
“Head back? On foot?”
Leo raised an eyebrow.
“From here to Silverbrook City, can you make it before dark relying on just your two legs?”
“We’re used to it, sir.”
Ranger Shia replied.
“If we take a shortcut, we should arrive around dusk.”
“That’s too slow.”
Leo shook his head, a mysterious smile curling his lips.
“I’ll give you a ride.”
“Perfect timing—I’m headed to Silverbrook City too.”
A ride?
The four were stunned again.
There was no way this lord was going to walk with them on foot, was there?
While they exchanged puzzled glances, Leo had already stepped into the open space outside the lord’s manor.
He stretched out his right hand, palm facing upward.
A torrent of magical power surged from within him, even more imposing than when summoning earth elementals.
The air seemed to thicken.
On the ground, a huge and intricate magic circle rapidly took shape, glowing with a pale blue light.
“What… what level of summoning spell is this?”
Mage Emily, sensing the pure and immense magical energy, felt her fingers tremble as she gripped her staff.
The next second, three piercing, resonant cries shattered the sky.
The magic circle blazed even brighter.
Three fierce-looking flying creatures, flapping enormous leathery wings, suddenly appeared from the glow.
They had lizard-like heads, long necks, and bodies covered in rock-hard scales.
When their wing membranes spread out, they spanned seven or eight meters wide.
The gusts stirred by their landing alone made it hard to keep one’s eyes open.
[Rock Cavern Wyvern: Level 20 unlockable magical beast unit]
“In pairs, pick a mount.”
Leo first approached one wyvern.
The beast obediently lowered its head, allowing him to nimbly vault onto its broad back and settle in firmly.
The four members of Stoneheart Squad were completely dumbfounded.
They stared blankly at the three fearsome flying mounts before them, their minds utterly blank.
“What are you standing there for?”
Leo urged.
“Kaiden and Arl take one, Shia and Emily take the other.”
“Hold on tight—we’re leaving now.”
“This… this… can be summoned too?”
Thief Arl stammered.
He felt his worldview shatter repeatedly today, then be crushed into powder all over again.
“Of course.”
Leo’s answer was matter-of-fact.
With extremely mixed feelings, the four tremblingly climbed onto the backs of the other two wyverns.
Kaiden, nearly two meters tall and burly, clung tightly to Arl in front of him, afraid of falling off.
Shia was steadier—years of moving through forests had given her good balance.
But Mage Emily’s face was pale; her hands gripped the scales beneath her tightly, muttering prayers or spells—she wasn’t sure which.
“Sit tight!”
Leo shouted.
“Tom, the pig cart is in your hands!”
“Take off!”
At his command, the three Rock Cavern Wyverns flapped their massive wings powerfully in unison.
A gale swept up as they launched skyward, piercing the clouds.
“Ahhhhhhh—!”
Piercing screams echoed over Blackwood Town.
The townsfolk below, including steward Alfred, all looked up in shock and disbelief.
They watched as their lord rode the legendary wyverns, disappearing into the horizon.
After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
“The lord can fly!”
“It’s a dragon! The lord has summoned dragons!”
“A miracle! This is absolutely a miracle!”
Alfred was so moved he wept openly, leaning on the nearby cart, murmuring to himself.
“By the ancestors, Blackwood Town… no, the entire Viandel Kingdom will tremble because of Lord Leo’s existence…”
***
High above, the wind howled.
After the initial fear, the adventurers gradually adapted to the sensation.
Leo was thoroughly enjoying himself.
He spread his arms wide, feeling the icy air rush past his fingertips.
The mountains, rivers, forests, and fields beneath them shrank into tiny patches of color.
This feeling of having the world beneath one’s feet filled his heart with pride.
This was the life a transmigrator deserved.
“Hold on tight—we’re accelerating!”
Leo laughed heartily, issuing a new command to the wyverns.
[Sprint]!
In the next instant, a pale cyan light illuminated all three wyverns as their flight speed more than doubled.
“Wooooaaahhh—!”
The four who had just adjusted were once again terrified by the sudden rush of acceleration.
They felt as if the scenery instantly blurred into streams of light, with nothing but the raging wind in their ears.
A journey that normally took half a day was reduced to mere minutes thanks to the Rock Cavern Wyverns’ full-speed flight.
When the outline of Silverbrook City appeared on the horizon, Leo began instructing the wyverns to descend.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he landed in a small forest a few kilometers outside the city gates.
The wyverns touched down smoothly.
Leo dismounted with flair.
Meanwhile, the Stoneheart Squad clumsily slid off the wyverns’ backs.
Kaiden and Shia were pale and weak in the knees but still on their feet.
Arl collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Mage Emily clutched a nearby tree, retching a few times, her complexion deathly pale, utterly drained.
“Summoning magic… is really convenient…”
Emily steadied herself against her staff and forced herself upright, looking at Leo with complicated eyes.
“But the books clearly said summoning magic is the hardest to master among all magical disciplines…”
She felt all the knowledge she had gained over the past decade in the magic academy had been overturned by this man before her.
Offense, defense, healing, support, scouting, transport…
Was there anything summoning magic couldn’t do in this world?
Or, was there anything Lord Leo himself couldn’t do?
Seeing their pitiful state, Leo awkwardly scratched his nose.
Maybe… he had flown a bit too fast.
He waved his hand, dismissing the three Rock Cavern Wyverns who had completed their task.
“All right, from here on, we’ll walk into the city.”