Chapter 177: Karen
Leo's emotions had stabilized considerably. He wiped the tears from his eyes, stood up, and faced Noah.
"You remember that I was contracted to Karen, right? And Aries, too."
Noah nodded. Thanks to his friendship with Blue Pegasus's Guild Master, Bob, and Hibiki, he would occasionally visit their guild. He was familiar with their members, including Karen, the Celestial Spirit Wizard who held two of the golden Zodiac keys.
Hibiki was one of Karen's boyfriends. That's right, one of them.
Karen held the keys to Leo the Lion and Aries the Ram. Noah had met them both during his time in the Celestial Spirit World, and his thought projection there still spoke with them often.
"Yes. And I don't like her," Noah stated bluntly.
Karen's stunning looks meant she was often seen bringing a string of different men back to the Blue Pegasus guild, a habit that made the other female members despise her. All the male attention had gone to her head, and she had once tried to cause trouble for Noah during one of his visits to Master Bob.
Out of respect for Bob, Noah hadn't said anything. He had simply given her a look, one filled with such immense pressure that it had sent her stumbling backward, her face instantly turning pale. She had fled without another word and had made sure to never be around whenever Noah visited again.
Leo let out a bitter laugh. He knew about the bad blood between them. After that incident, Karen had often cursed Noah's name in front of him and Aries.
"She would summon Aries constantly, ordering her around like a servant," Leo explained, his face twisting with anger. "Aries had to do her chores, and even deal with all the men Karen brought back. Worse, during missions, Karen would summon Aries just to use her as a shield against enemy attacks."
Noah was speechless. "I'd heard rumors, but I never thought she'd actually do something so despicable. Is she an idiot?"
A Celestial Spirit is a wizard's most important partner. To abuse them like that instead of cherishing them was unthinkable.
"Well, I can't understand her motives either," Noah said. "But I remember Master Bob warning her about it. What happened after that?"
"Karen just continued to abuse Aries," Leo said, his voice trembling with renewed anger. "She even threatened to leave her stranded here in the human world for seven days. You know what that would have done to her."
Noah nodded grimly. As the only human with a thought projection studying in the Celestial Spirit World, he knew better than anyone that spirits could not survive in the human world for extended periods. Brief summons for battles or tasks were fine, but prolonged stays would drain their life force. To keep a spirit summoned for that long was tantamount to murder.
"So I forced a switch with Aries," Leo continued. "I appeared in her place and warned Karen. I demanded that she release both me and Aries from our contracts. But she refused.
"At the time, Karen didn't have the power to summon two spirits at once. And since I was using my own magic to stay in this world, the rule that sends a spirit back when their owner's magic runs out didn't apply to me. Karen couldn't force my gate closed. I stayed here, waiting for her to change her mind. She came to see me several times, but she never relented.
"After I had been here for three months, I was starting to get used to the human world. I was actually considering forgiving her when Master Bob came and told me… Karen was dead. She had taken a job without his permission."
Leo paused, taking a shaky breath.
"Master Bob said that if a wizard unleashes a massive amount of magic at once, it's possible to summon two or more spirits simultaneously. Karen gambled on it. But her body couldn't handle the strain, and so she..."
He trailed off, his voice thick with guilt. "Because of me, Karen couldn't summon any other spirits. She took that job and lost her life. It's no different than if I had killed her myself. After that day, I could no longer return to the Celestial Spirit World. The King refuses to accept a spirit who defied their master. This is my mistake… my crime."
Having said his piece, Leo's entire body slumped, and he sat on the ground in defeated silence.
After hearing the full story, Noah stood quietly, thinking. After a while, he finally spoke.
"As your friend, all I can say is that Karen brought this upon herself. If she hadn't abused you and Aries, you never would have rebelled, and none of this would have happened. But what are you going to do now? If you don't return to the Celestial Spirit World, your life force will continue to drain away."
"I just want to stay in this world until I fade away," Leo said, his voice eerily calm. "I accept death as my punishment."
Noah looked at him intently. His face was placid; he truly intended to wait for death.
"Do you want me to talk to the Celestial Spirit King for you?" Noah offered. "You know my thought projection is there studying. I speak with the King often."
"No, absolutely not!" Leo exclaimed, his voice rising with agitation. "This is how I atone for my sin. Promise me you won't plead my case."
Seeing how distressed he was, Noah nodded. "Alright, I won't say anything for now. But my offer stands. Whenever you're ready, just come find me."
He knew it was pointless to push Leo right now. He was in the depths of grief and regret, and forcing the issue would only make things worse. Besides, Noah had discreetly checked Leo's condition earlier. He still had a long time. The magic of the guild mark would also help sustain his life force, so the situation wasn't dire. Noah also left a subtle diagnostic spell on him to monitor his vitality and ensure it stayed within a safe range.
'It would be best if he figures it out on his own,' Noah thought. 'But if not, a certain kind-hearted Celestial Spirit wizard will surely convince him in the future. I'll help, too. The King is always lenient when it comes to her spirits.'
Leo let out a sigh of relief. He stood up and looked at Noah. "For now, my name is Loke, and I'm a holder-type wizard. Please, don't tell anyone at the guild about this."
"I understand," Noah promised.
The two of them walked back to the guild together. Everyone was curious about why Noah had chased Loke out of the building. Noah just waved it off, explaining that Loke was an old friend he hadn't recognized at first, and that Loke had run because he'd been startled. Now that they had properly reunited, everything was fine. Seeing that there was no juicy gossip to be had, the guild members dispersed with disappointed looks. Noah had to clench his fists to stop himself from punching them, but Loke held him back.
After joining the guild, Loke subconsciously began to imitate Karen's behavior, and he soon had a string of girlfriends. However, unlike her, he was responsible and treated them all well, so his romantic life remained surprisingly peaceful.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the end of the year arrived. It was time for the S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial once again.
~~~
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