Time moved forward to over an hour later...
It was already very late, and dawn would break in just a few more hours.
Although the Underworld has no sun or moon, the concept of time here is, in principle, synchronized with the human world. This adjustment was made deliberately for the sake of Reincarnated Devils and those living in the human world. Therefore, the Underworld similarly distinguishes between day and night, ensuring no one has to worry about sleep schedules being flipped due to time differences between the two worlds.
It was at this time that Leon and his party finally departed from the Familiar Forest and returned to the forest entrance.
"I didn't expect it to take so much time. Truly, plans can't keep up with changes."
Leon glanced at the sky and scratched his head with a wry smile.
One had to remember they still had school tomorrow. If they rushed back to sleep now, they probably wouldn't get much rest at all.
"But it wasn't without gains, was it?"
Yukino Yukinoshita stroked the Ice Cat in her arms, her expression rare and precious in its gentleness.
Although many things had happened tonight, in Yukino's view, it was all worth it.
Not only had she contracted a familiar she adored, but Asuna Yuuki and Utaha Kasumigaoka had also successfully contracted familiars to their liking, and they were currently teasing them with looks of pure satisfaction.
Asuna was playing with a little Pixie perched on her shoulder, while Utaha was tending to an owl.
It was an owl with snow-white feathers and round eyes that radiated a sense of intellect and wisdom.
This owl was the familiar Tiamat had helped find for Utaha.
Since ancient times, owls have been regarded as the incarnation and symbol of wisdom. Many deities in charge of wisdom are accompanied by owls serving as sacred or divine beasts. The most famous among them is Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom from Greek mythology, who effectively used the owl as her personal emblem.
In the Familiar Forest, there exists a group of owls originating from Greece. It is said they possess the bloodline of those owls that once served as sacred or divine beasts to the gods. Consequently, they are born with extremely high intelligence and spirituality, making them a premier intellectual race within the Familiar Forest.
They possess little combat power, but they have the special ability to remember everything they see and transmit it to others, as well as the ability to freely enter and exit any venue. Even the world barrier between the Human Realm and the Underworld cannot stop their flight; as long as they wish, they can travel freely between the two realms. They are excellent communication tools and recording instruments, highly favored by everyone seeking a familiar contract.
They also possess the trait of never getting lost. No matter how remote the location, they can follow their master's instructions to precisely deliver a message to any destination. If one locks eyes with them, their mind instantly becomes sharp and clear—they are essentially a treasure for any literary worker.
Unfortunately, contracting them is exceptionally difficult.
Because of their superior wisdom, they are only attracted to equally calm and intelligent individuals. Idiots and the mediocre cannot win their favor; they will even face the owls' rejection and disdain. If someone tries to catch them by force, they will immediately vanish into the void, only to suddenly reappear by your side when you let your guard down to retaliate directly or indirectly, leaving you in a frantic mess.
Therefore, although this group of owls is a familiar many covet, very few successfully gain their favor and establish a contract.
Due to their ability to move freely across various spaces and even worlds, the difficulty of even finding them is immense, let alone contracting them.
Thus, even if people know that such a group of owls resides in the Underworld's Familiar Forest, those who successfully take one home as a familiar are few and far between.
Leon hadn't originally expected to contract such a familiar. To his surprise, after hearing Utaha's requirements, Tiamat returned in just ten minutes with such an owl. Furthermore, using unknown means, she made the owl willing to recognize Utaha as its master and agree to the contract, leaving Leon utterly speechless.
One could only say that as the hidden monarch of the Familiar Forest, her methods were truly formidable.
However, thinking about the task Tiamat had asked him to help with, Leon felt another headache coming on.
"I want you to help me recover a treasure."
These were the first words out of her mouth after the group had been invited to Tiamat's residence.
Tiamat once possessed many treasures.
Or rather, every Dragon of Legend once possessed a vast hoard of treasures.
Certain dragons have the habit of collecting treasures from all over the world to fill their dwellings, turning their homes into treasuries. This is mentioned in various myths and legends.
History is rife with heroes who, after successfully slaying a dragon, found massive amounts of gold, silver, and jewels in its cave. This is all due to the treasure-collecting habits of Legendary Dragons.
The most famous in this regard is the Evil Dragon Fafnir, known as the "Gigantis Dragon." One can tell from his title just how much he loves treasures and how wealthy he is.
This Dragon King was killed in the past by the dragon-slaying hero Sigurd and later resurrected by the gods of Norse mythology. Since then, he became the only Dragon King clearly willing to enter long-term contracts with others. If someone is willing to offer him a precious treasure as a price, they can form a contract for him to serve them.
Tiamat also collected numerous treasures in the past, but those treasures were eventually "borrowed" by the Welsh Dragon, the Red Dragon Emperor, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons.
But that "borrowing" turned into a permanent loss.
After all, both the Red Dragon Emperor and the Vanishing Dragon were defeated, their physical bodies destroyed and their souls sealed within Sacred Gears. The treasures Tiamat had lent naturally became lost, scattered across the world—either claimed by others or vanishing without a trace.
Over the years, Tiamat had searched for these treasures, but it was a drop in the bucket. The treasures she eventually recovered could be counted on one hand.
This time, having met Leon by chance, Tiamat developed an idea: she wanted him to help her recover one specific treasure among the many.
"That treasure is called the Tablet of Destinies. It possesses the power to foresee the future and record the rising and setting of the stars."
Tiamat told Leon this.
"It is an exceptionally precious piece among my many treasures. In the past, I lent it out twice. Once to a Sumerian deity named Kingu, and once to the Red Dragon Emperor of the Two Heavenly Dragons."
When she reached this point, Tiamat wore an expression of gritted teeth.
According to her, the Tablet of Destinies had been lost both times it was lent out.
The first time was because it was snatched by the Sumerian chief god, Marduk. Tiamat had to go to his door herself to demand it back, which led to a massive brawl where she was nearly killed. Out of desperation, she had to ask the Red Dragon Emperor—who was already a Heavenly Dragon at the time—to step in and snatch it back.
The second time was when she lent it to the Red Dragon Emperor along with her other treasures. With the Red Dragon Emperor's defeat, all the treasures on him were lost, and her belongings never returned.
Nowadays, Tiamat basically has no hope of recovering all her treasures, but if there is a chance, she wants to reclaim them one by one.
The Tablet of Destinies was the treasure she most recently wanted to recover, which was why she set her sights on Leon.
"No... you are the strongest Dragon King. Why bother asking me, a newly debuted High-class Devil, for help with this?"
Leon was completely baffled by this.
However, Tiamat had her own reasons.
"Because the last time the Tablet of Destinies appeared, it was in the hands of the previous wielder of 'Zenith Tempest'."
This was Tiamat's reason for entrusting the matter to Leon.
"In the hands of the previous wielder of 'Zenith Tempest'?"
Leon was stunned at the time.
Could there be such a coincidence in the world?
"After the death of the previous wielder of 'Zenith Tempest', the Tablet of Destinies vanished again. I pursued it for a while, but found nothing."
Tiamat had looked at Leon with burning eyes when she said this.
"You are that person's successor. If it's you, perhaps you can find some clues."
It was a classic case of turning to anyone in a desperate situation.
At least, that's what Leon and the three girls thought at the time.
But Tiamat was very straightforward about it.
"I truly only did this because I ran out of options. So, just do your best. If you succeed, I will fulfill my promise and give those two children to you. If you can't, it doesn't matter; we'll just act as if this matter never existed."
Phrased that way, Leon was actually getting the better end of the deal.
After all, even if this task wasn't completed, Tiamat had already helped his peerage find a rather precious familiar. All things considered, he was definitely coming out ahead.
However, regarding the "two children" Tiamat spoke so highly of, Leon felt it was a pity not to have them yet.
Tiamat had even teased him by not letting Leon see them at all, only saying she would introduce them once the task was finished.
This left Leon feeling itchy with curiosity, wanting to hang the Dragon King up and give her a beating.
"What do you plan to do?" Utaha Kasumigaoka finished teasing her owl. She seemed to have truly become smarter, instantly seeing through Leon's distress. "Are you really going to help that Dragon King find some tablet?"
Yukino Yukinoshita and Asuna Yuuki also looked toward Leon.
"We'll see," Leon thought for a moment and decided not to give up immediately. "Let me try first. If it doesn't work, then forget it."
Although he was a bit lost, he wasn't entirely without a way.
Don't forget, he had already received feedback from the Sacred Gear twice, gaining many experiences and memories from the previous wielders of "Zenith Tempest" in battle.
Perhaps, if this continued, he could obtain more memories and find the trail of the Tablet of Destinies within them?
"Let's go back," Leon pushed the matter aside for the time being. "Let's get a good night's sleep first."
The girls nodded in unison, agreeing with the suggestion.