Book 1 Chapter 281

It was around evening when all the parties were formed.

Unlike Leo, who formed his party relatively smoothly, other students had a lot of ups and downs.

Watching the other parties causing trouble from the start, Carl scratched his head.

"It seems like, regardless of mission difficulty, the other parties are going to struggle with harmony among their members?"

Unexpectedly, trouble didn't just occur between the Seirun students and students from other hero academies.

"Exactly! First, let's gather information in the city!"

"What's the point? We can just search Mount Erdien, right?"

"Ah! Seriously! We can't communicate! Just like a simple-minded beastman!"

A female student from Lumern and a male student from Azonia were in conflict.

A male student from Demian, with a somewhat cynical attitude, stepped back and observed the situation, while surprisingly, a female student from Seirun was mediating.

The Seirun female student, flustered, tried to calm the two down, but it was to no avail.

Carl, who had come to check on the atmosphere of other parties, inwardly clicked his tongue.

'Is there nowhere with a good atmosphere?'

After assessing the situation of the other parties, Carl returned to his own party.

'At least our party's atmosphere is good, which is a relief.'

Carl returned to his party with a slightly lighter heart.

'No matter what anyone says, we have Leo to keep things grounded!'

Returning to his party with a bright smile, Carl found himself collapsing onto the ground upon seeing Lunia and Ar facing each other, glaring.

"C-Carl-nim! What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Eiran hurried over, trying to help Carl up.

"I prefer peace. Sob, sob, sob."

Seeing Carl's despair, Eiran was flustered.

Carl, rising from his despair, spoke.

"Why are they acting like that?"

"They're both fighting over who gets to be the leader."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lunia crossed her arms and said,

"I am the party leader."

Watching Lunia, Ar put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and snorted.

"What are you talking about! I'm the leader!"

Listening to their words, Carl looked at Leo.

"Leo, aren't you going to do it?"

"Those who want to do it should do it."

Leo smiled and maintained an observer's stance.

As Carl watched him, he scratched his head.

'Leo, that guy is surprisingly not greedy for the leadership position.'

It was the same when he was the class representative in his first year.

He didn't become student council president because he particularly wanted to.

It just felt like it happened naturally.

'This must be what a born leader is like. They naturally embrace those around them.'

The talented naturally want to be leaders.

Especially in Carl's eyes, the top students of Lumern in their second year not only possessed talent but also immense charisma.

'They were all born with leadership qualities.'

Yet, Leo is recognized as the leader of the second years.

Even the dormitory heads of Noble, who aim to overthrow Leo, don't deny Leo's leadership.

'Even those proud individuals concede to it.'

If Leo had stepped up to be the party leader now, such a situation would likely not have occurred.

'What on earth is he trying to see?'

If Leo doesn't want to be the party leader, conflict is inevitable.

Both Lunia and Ar are strong candidates for the next student council presidents of Seirun and Azonia, respectively.

Lunia's situation became ambiguous after rebelling against the teacher this time, but even so, she remains the top student of Seirun.

Therefore, neither of them could yield the party leader position out of pride.

"Then let's decide by vote."

"You have your friends! It's unfair!"

"What a complaining cat."

Lunia, who had been half-closing her eyes, curled her lips upwards.

"Then shall we decide with a duel?"

"Ho? That's a good suggestion for an elf."

Ar grinned, cracking his knuckles with a series of pops.

"I've always been curious about how great the Seirun grade representative is."

"I've also been curious about the skill of the Azonia grade representative."

Goooooo-!

A hot aura emanated from Lunia's body.

Ar, in an instant, exuded a sharp aura that felt like it could cut if touched.

'He has the water transformation ability that the dragon lord possessed, right? That's why he's one step ahead of me.'

Lunia glanced at Leo.

'I'll prove that thought wrong.'

Lunia's red eyes gleamed.

Ar also swayed his white tail.

'That black rabbit has been playing with this elf frequently these past few days, hasn't it?'

Ar's lake-like blue eyes sparkled.

'I want to play with the black rabbit too!'

Ar revealed his fangs and sharpened his claws.

He looked exactly like a cat ready to pounce at any moment.

Seeing this, Carl covered his face, and Eiran was at a loss.

"Hmm. The atmosphere isn't good."

Dryana maintained a detached observer's attitude.

Clink-

The sound of a bell was heard.

Along with it, a ball of fur with a bell rolled in front of Ar.

*Pak-*!

Ar instinctively stomped on it with his foot.

"……."

Ar, who had been silent, lifted his eyes and charged at Leo.

"Don't play with peopleeee!"

Ar, with an enraged face, grabbed Leo's clothes and shook him violently.

"That's what happens when you act like a cat."

"This is instinct!"

Seeing Ar screaming as if in agony, Lunia sighed.

"It's anticlimactic."

Watching Lunia, Leo said,

"There's someone I'd like to recommend as party leader."

At Leo's words, Lunia and Ar flinched.

Dryana showed an expression of indifference, regardless of who it was, and Carl looked as if things were finally going to be sorted out.

"If it's the party leader Leo-nim recommends, I'll follow!"

Eiran beamed.

In fact, Eiran didn't care who the party leader was.

Only Lunia and Ar wore tense expressions.

'The one Leo recommends here…'

'Means they're the most outstanding, right?'

The two girls glanced at each other and then quickly turned their heads away.

Although they acted as if they weren't interested, Lunia's pointed ears and Ar's cat ears twitched incessantly.

They were listening to Leo's words more intently than anyone else.

It was when Lunia and Ar's insides were burning with anxiety.

"Carl. I want you to be the leader."

"Huh? Me?"

Carl wore a dumbfounded expression.

Eiran smiled brightly.

"I'm in favor."

"No, think carefully. You'd agree even if Leo brought a stray dog to be the party leader, wouldn't you?"

"N-no, I wouldn't?!"

At Carl's words, Eiran protested with a slightly flushed face.

"Hmm. The man of despair as party leader? That wouldn't be bad either."

"What do you mean, 'man of despair'?"

"It's a name I gave him because his despairing moments are masterpieces. Do you like it?"

"This strangely speaking perverted dwarf…"

Carl's forehead vein bulged as he looked at Dryana, who was calling him by a strange nickname.

However, Carl could no longer bicker with Dryana.

'They're staring. They're staring intensely.'

Lunia and Ar were now staring intently at Carl.

It was a predatory gaze, like beasts eyeing their prey.

Carl broke out in a cold sweat and averted his gaze from the two.

Then, with an awkward smile, he scratched his head.

"Hey, Leo. You're joking too much. With you here, and the grade representatives of Seirun and Azonia, isn't it a bit strange for me to be the party leader?"

"Of course! Of course!"

"Mhm! Mhm! That's right!"

Lunia and Ar nodded with expressions of satisfaction.

"I believe you have sufficient qualifications to lead this party."

At Leo's words, Lunia crossed her arms.

"Leo, you must have your reasons for choosing this person as party leader. However, I find it difficult to accept."

"I agree with what she's saying."

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 I don't mean to disrespect your friend, but I don't think he has the makings of a party leader, surpassing me or the Seirun representative."

"You speak the truth."

Carl also nodded readily.

"Of course, you both have sufficient qualifications as leaders of a group."

Leo said, looking at Lunia and Ar.

"However, for the leader of this party right now, Carl is more suitable than you. This party doesn't need a leader to forge ahead, but a leader to push the party members from behind."

Leo didn't recruit Carl to the party first solely because Carl professionally aspired to be a supporter.

From the moment the party was discussed, he intended to gather these members.

Each one of them was a person who could be called the best without question, and Lunia and Ar led the second years of Seirun and Azonia, respectively.

In such a situation, if one of them were appointed leader, the party could easily fracture.

'If I were to be the party leader, it would be different… but it's a wasted opportunity.'

Human, Elf, Beastman, Dwarf.

This is a party of the best geniuses of the same generation from these four races.

This is also an opportunity for growth.

Therefore, Leo chose Carl as the leader.

'He has good sociability. And good observation skills. He reads the party's flow well.'

Carl is not suited to be a leader.

However, he has enough ability to harmonize party members who have strong leadership qualities.

Therefore, Leo chose Carl as the core of this party.

"You'll have a lot to learn from Carl!"

At Leo's words, Lunia and Ar stared intently at Carl.

"If you say so, Leo, I'll trust you this time."

"Me too. There must be a reason why the black rabbit says that."

Lunia smiled faintly.

However, her eyes were intently observing Carl.

Ar, like a cat wary of strangers, looked at Carl and swayed his tail.

It was a gaze as if to see how Carl, who had been recognized to this extent by Leo, would perform.

'Why do I have to be the target of the jealousy of these scary girls?'

Carl, who had become the target of the Seirun and Azonia grade representatives, wanted to cry.

***

Once the party leader was decided, the group immediately headed to Tarkam through the warp gate.

Upon arriving in Tarkam, they immediately looked for lodging.

At that point, Carl said,

"For now, shall we get 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 are we eating at a tavern?"

As Eiran asked with pure curiosity, Carl shrugged.

"It's easy for information gathering."

"Oh."

Eiran let out an exclamation of admiration.

Eiran, the successor of the prestigious Ersar family, one of the most prestigious elf families, was indeed ignorant of worldly affairs.

"I read it in a book! So it's true in reality! It's to contact the information guilds lurking in the tavern!"

"…No, I just want to hear rumors people are spreading. It's not like you can easily meet an information guild."

"What? But the book clearly said…"

"Books aren't the absolute truth in the world."

Eiran wore a shocked expression.

As they were deciding on a tavern for information gathering and were about to enter, Leo stopped.

He then looked intently at the alley next to the tavern and said,

"I'll be back in a moment."

At that, Ar said,

"Where? I'll go with you."

"I'm going to the restroom."

"Um… Yes, have a good trip."

Ar, who had slyly turned his head, pretended to be busy, looking embarrassed.

Leo, distancing himself from his party members, entered the back alley.

As he stopped, Mel appeared before him.

"Hello, Leo-nim."

Mel bowed respectfully and said,

"I have something to report regarding Dweno's legacy, so I called Leo-nim here…"

"Mel. Before that, I want to ask about the rumors in Tarkam."

"Are you talking about the giant monster that appeared in Tarkam? Isn't it just a rumor?"

Mel tilted his head.

Seeing this, Leo sighed.

"Even for a Dragon Lord like you to dismiss it as a baseless rumor. It seems that guy has been meticulously concealing his existence for 5000 years."

"…No way?"

Mel's face turned slightly pale.

"Yes."

Leo said with a confident tone.

"It's highly probable that the Giant King Gias has made a move. In this world, only that guy has the scale to cover half of Mount Erdien."

Hearing Leo's words, Mel wore a bewildered expression.

"If the Giant King has moved, why did he suddenly move? Is it because the Demon Queen was subjugated?"

"Who knows. He was scrupulously 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 in Mount Erdien through the hero's world during the first-year entrance exam. That was definitely Erebus.'

Leo wore a serious expression.

'What on earth is on that mountain?'