Book 1 Chapter 281
281
It was late in the evening when all the parties had been formed.
Unlike Leo, who formed his party relatively smoothly, other students experienced many twists and turns.
Karl scratched his head as he watched other parties causing trouble from the start.
“It seems like these other parties are going to struggle with their party members' harmony, let alone the mission difficulty.”
Surprisingly, troubles didn't only arise between Seirun students and students from other hero academies.
“Exactly! First, we need to gather information in the city!”
“What's the point of that? Can't we just search Mount Erdien?”
“Ah! Seriously! You're impossible! Just like a simple-minded beastkin!”
A female student from Rumerin and a male student from Azonia were clashing.
A male student from Damian stood a step back, cynically observing the situation, and surprisingly, it was a female student from Seirun who was trying to mediate.
The Seirun female student was restless, trying to calm the two, but it was in vain.
Karl, who had come to check the atmosphere of other parties, clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘Is there no party with a good atmosphere?’
Having grasped the situation of the other parties, Karl returned to his own.
‘Still, it’s a relief that our party’s atmosphere is at least good.’
Karl returned to the party with a slightly lighter heart.
‘Because no matter what anyone says, we have Leo to keep us centered!’
Karl, who had returned to the party with a bright smile, found Lunia and Ar standing face-to-face, glaring at each other, and slumped into his seat.
“K-Karl! What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Eiran rushed over, trying to help Karl up.
“I prefer peace. *Sob, sob, sob*.”
Eiran was flustered, watching Karl despair.
Karl, who had been despairing, got up and spoke.
“Why are they doing that?”
“They are both fighting over who gets to be the leader.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lunia crossed her arms and said,
“I am the leader of the party.”
Watching Lunia, Ar placed both hands on her waist, puffed out her chest, and scoffed.
“What nonsense! I’m the leader!”
Karl, who had been listening to the two, looked at Leo.
“Leo, aren’t you doing it?”
“The ones who want to should do it.”
Leo smiled, taking on the role of an observer.
It was then that Karl scratched his head vigorously, watching him.
‘Leo really has no ambition for the leader position, does he?’
It was the same when he was the first-year class president.
He didn't become the student council president because he particularly wanted to.
It felt like it just happened naturally.
‘This must be what they call a born leader. He naturally brings everyone together.’
Those who are excellent naturally want to be leaders.
Especially from Karl's perspective, the top second-year students of Rumerin not only possessed talent but also immense charisma.
‘They all have natural leadership qualities.’
Yet, Leo is recognized as the leader of the second year.
Even the dormitory heads of Noble, who aim to overthrow Leo, do not deny his leadership.
‘To the extent that even those lumps of pride acknowledge it.’
Perhaps if Leo had stepped forward as the party leader right now, this situation wouldn't have occurred.
‘What exactly is he trying to see?’
If Leo didn't want the party leader position, friction was inevitable.
Both Lunia and Ar are strong candidates for the next student council president of Seirun and Azonia.
In Lunia's case, things became a bit ambiguous when she rebelled against a teacher this time, but even so, she remains Seirun's top honors student.
Therefore, both of them, out of pride, could not concede the party leader position.
“Then decide by vote.”
“Your friend is here! It’s unfair!”
“What a truly discontented cat.”
Lunia, who had been narrowing her eyes, curled up the corners of her mouth.
“Then, shall we settle it cleanly with a sparring match?”
“Oh? That’s a good suggestion for an elf.”
Ar grinned, cracking his finger joints—*crack-crack*—
“I've always been curious about how great the Seirun class representative is.”
“I also wanted to know the skills of the Azonia class representative.”
Gwoooooosh-!
Hot energy flowed from Lunia's body.
Ar was already exuding a sharp aura, as if one would be cut if touched.
‘She was said to have the beast transformation ability that the hero possessed, right? That’s why she’s one step ahead of me.’
Lunia glanced at Leo.
‘I'll prove that thought wrong.’
Lunia's red eyes gleamed.
Ar also wagged his white tail back and forth.
‘That Black Rabbit has been playing with only this elf these past few days.’
Ar's lake-like blue eyes sparkled.
‘I want to play with the Black Rabbit too!’
Ar bared his fangs and extended his claws.
He was unmistakably a cat ready to pounce at any moment.
Watching this, Karl covered his face, and Eiran didn't know what to do.
“Hmm. The atmosphere isn't good.”
Driana was calmly taking on the role of an observer.
Jingle-
A bell sound was heard.
Along with it, a furball with a bell rolled in front of Ar.
*Thump-!*
Ar instinctively stomped on it with his foot.
“……”
Ar, who had been silent, glared at Leo and lunged at him.
“Stop playing with people, yaaaah!”
Ar, with an enraged face, frantically grabbed and shook Leo's clothes.
“That's what happens when you act like a cat.”
“This is instinct!”
Lunia sighed, watching Ar shout as if in agony.
“How anticlimactic.”
Watching Lunia, Leo said,
“I have someone I’d like to recommend as party leader.”
At Leo’s words, Lunia and Ar flinched.
Driana wore an expression of indifference as to who would become leader, and Karl also looked relieved that things might finally get settled.
“If it's a party leader recommended by Leo, I'll follow them!”
Eiran smiled brightly.
In fact, Eiran didn't care who became the party leader.
Only Lunia and Ar looked tense.
‘The one Leo recommends here.’
‘It means they're the most outstanding, doesn't it?’
The two girls glanced at each other, then sharply turned their heads away.
They acted as if they weren’t interested, but Lunia's pointed ears and Ar’s cat ears twitched constantly.
Both of them listened to Leo's words more intently than anyone else.
It was then that Lunia and Ar were burning with anticipation.
“Karl. I’d like you to be the leader.”
“Huh? Me?”
Karl made a bewildered expression.
Eiran smiled brightly.
“I agree.”
“No, think carefully. If Leo said it, you’d agree even if he brought a passing puppy and called it the party leader.”
“Ah, no, I wouldn't?!”
At Karl's words, Eiran protested with a slightly flushed face.
“Hmm. So the Man of Despair is the party leader? That's not bad either.”
“What's 'Man of Despair'?”
“It's a name I gave you because your despairing face is a masterpiece. Do you like it?”
“This weird-talking perverted dwarf…”
A vein throbbed on Karl’s forehead as he watched Driana call him by a strange nickname.
But Karl couldn't bicker with Driana any longer.
‘They're staring, intensely staring.’
Because Lunia and Ar were now openly staring at Karl.
It was a predatory gaze, like a beast eyeing its prey.
Karl broke out in a cold sweat and averted their gazes.
Then he awkwardly smiled and scratched his head.
“Hey, Leo. That’s too much of a joke. You're here, and the class representatives of Seirun and Azonia are here, so isn't it a bit odd for me to be the party leader?”
“Exactly! Exactly!”
“Mm! Mm! That's right!”
Lunia and Ar nodded, seemingly satisfied.
“I believe you have enough qualities to lead this party.”
At Leo's words, Lunia crossed her arms.
“Leo, there must be a reason why you chose this kid as the party leader. But it’s a bit hard for me to accept.”
“I agree with her.”
Ar narrowed his eyes.
“The party leader is the most outstanding person. Black Rabbit. If you were the leader, I wouldn’t have any complaints. But without disrespecting your friend, I don't think he's capable of becoming the party leader over me or the Seirun representative.”
“You speak truthfully.”
Karl also readily nodded.
“Of course, both of you are fully qualified to be leaders of a group.”
Leo looked at Lunia and Ar and said,
“However, for the leader of *this* party right now, Karl is more suitable than either of you. This party doesn't need a leader who pushes from the front, but one who supports the party members from behind.”
Leo didn't just recruit Karl into the party first because he professionally aspired to be a supporter.
He had intended to gather these members from the very beginning when the idea of a party first came up.
Each and every one of them is an individual who could be called the best without exaggeration, and Lunia and Ar lead the second-year students of Seirun and Azonia, respectively.
In such a situation, entrusting the leadership position to one of the two could potentially cause a rift in the party.
‘It wouldn't matter if I took on the party leader role… but it’s a rare opportunity, it would be a waste.’
Humans, Elves, Beastkin, Dwarves.
This is a party composed of the strongest individuals of the same generation from these four races.
This too is an opportunity for growth.
That’s why Leo chose Karl as the leader.
‘He has good social skills. Good observation skills. He also reads the flow of the party well.’
Karl is not meant to be a leader in the traditional sense.
However, he possesses sufficient ability to harmonize party members who have strong leadership qualities.
That’s why Leo chose Karl as the core of this party.
“You'll have a lot to learn from Karl, you know?”
At Leo’s words, Lunia and Ar stared intently at Karl.
“If you say so, Leo, I’ll give it a try.”
“Me too. There must be a reason for Black Rabbit to say it like that.”
Lunia smiled faintly.
But her eyes were intently observing Karl.
Ar watched Karl like a cat wary of a stranger, wagging his tail.
It was as if their gaze said they would keep an eye on Karl, who had been acknowledged by Leo to such an extent.
‘Why do I have to bear the jealousy of these terrifying girls?’
Karl, now the target of the Seirun and Azonia class representatives, wanted to cry.
***
After the party leader was decided, the group immediately headed to Tarkam via a warp gate.
Upon arriving in Tarkam, they immediately looked for accommodation.
In that situation, Karl said,
“First, how about we grab a simple dinner at a tavern?”
“Why do we *have* to go to a noisy tavern?”
“Let's eat somewhere quiet.”
Lunia and Ar shook their heads.
Eiran tilted her head.
“Why eat at a tavern?”
When Eiran asked with a genuinely curious voice, Karl shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s easy to gather information there.”
“Ohhh.”
Eiran exclaimed in admiration.
A prestigious family among prestigious elf families.
Eiran, the successor of the Ersar family, was indeed quite ignorant of worldly affairs.
“I read about it in a book! So it’s true! It’s to contact the information guild lurking in taverns!”
“…No, it's just to listen to the rumors people are talking about. There's no way you can easily meet an information guild.”
“Huh? But in the book, it clearly said…”
“Books aren't the ultimate truth of the world.”
Eiran made a shocked expression.
As they were about to decide on a tavern for information gathering and enter, Leo stopped.
He then stared intently at the alley next to the tavern and said,
“I’ll be back in a bit.”
At his words, Ar said,
“Where? I’ll come with you.”
“I'm going to the restroom.”
“Umm… okay, go on then.”
Ar subtly turned his head, pretending to be busy, seemingly embarrassed.
Leo, having distanced himself from the party members, entered the back alley.
When he stopped, Mel appeared in front of him.
“Greetings, Lord Leo.”
Mel, bowing respectfully, spoke.
“I have something to report regarding Lord Dwayno’s legacy, which is why I called Lord Leo like this…”
“Mel. Before that, there’s something I want to ask about the rumors circulating in Tarkam this time.”
“Are you referring to the giant monster that appeared in Tarkam? Isn't it just a rumor?”
Mel tilted his head.
Leo sighed, watching him.
“To think that even you, a Dragon Lord, treat it as a false rumor. It seems that guy has truly concealed his existence thoroughly for 5000 years.”
“…Could it be?”
Mel’s face turned slightly pale.
“Yes.”
Leo said with a tone of conviction.
“It's highly probable that the Giant King Gyas has moved. He's the only creature in this world with a body large enough to cover half of Mount Erdien.”
Hearing Leo’s words, Mel made a bewildered expression.
“If the Giant King has moved, why did he move so suddenly? Is it because the Monster Queen was subjugated?”
“Well. He was incredibly cautious, even during the Age of Calamity. He's not the type to move just because a comrade died.”
Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘The eyes I saw when I came to Mount Erdien through the Hero's World during the first-years’ entrance exam. Those were definitely Erebus's.’
Leo wore a serious expression.
‘What exactly is on that mountain?’