Book 1 Chapter 603

603.

Leo looked at the pairs formed and said.

"Since it was decided fairly by drawing lots, no one has any objections, right?"

"Young Master Leo! I have an objection! Being in the same group as this weakling of a man! I cannot accept this!"

"I agree with this tomboyish woman's words this time!"

Before the words were even finished, the man and woman protested.

Leo looked at Niel and Mathel with a bored expression.

"I consider it fate."

A total of three draws were held.

This was because Niel and Mathel, who were in the same group after the first draw, strongly objected.

They ended up in the same group again in the subsequent draw, and by the third draw, they were inevitably in the same group.

At this point, it became embarrassing to re-form the groups because of these two.

"The first time was coincidence, the second time was inevitability, and the third time is fate, isn't that what they say?"

"Miss Chelsea! Such a terrible thing to say!"

Mathel reacted with extreme revulsion as Chelsea chuckled and muttered.

The same applied to Niel.

"Young Master Leo! Please change it! Or let's do it one more time!"

Seeing Mathel and Niel, who were on the verge of a fit with teary faces, Chelsea said.

"No. I won't change it. Go back."

In Chelsea's case, she was paired with Leo after three draws.

When Leo's plea didn't work, Niel looked at Celia.

Celia was looking at Abad, who was standing beside her, with a displeased look.

Niel said to Celia, who was in the same group as Abad.

"Miss Celia! You want to change groups too, don't you?"

Seeing Niel trying to draw her in, Celia sighed softly.

"Niel, unnie, we've already drawn three times. And I'm fine."

Celia had become quite friendly with Abad since becoming a second-year student.

They had gone through countless life-or-death situations together and had always worked together, so it was natural for their friendship to grow.

As Niel, who failed to draw Celia in, was about to ask someone else for help.

"He's really whining."

"Y-Young Master Leo?"

Niel flinched as he saw Leo muttering quietly.

"You two."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Under Leo's chilling gaze, Niel and Mathel instinctively straightened up.

Leo had treated them with consideration as seniors from school, but that was no longer the case.

"Are you from rival families?"

"As the Roda family is a vassal family of Zerdinger, naturally the vassal families of Rwalyn are…"

"Are Zerdinger and Rwalyn mortal enemies? Are they trying to kill each other?"

"That… is not the case."

"Did the Roda family and the Luzia family kill each other's ancestors?"

"…No…"

"Then why are you so eager to tear each other apart? What? Are you going to fight like this in front of the Tartaros demons too? Huh? Say you won't. Try it. You brats who haven't even dried their blood are growling at each other as if you've met your mortal enemies? What? Have you actually met your mortal enemies? Huh? Have you?"

As Leo's unusual momentum grew, those around them quietly moved away from him.

Niel and Mathel, unable to utter a sound in front of Leo, bowed their heads.

Although they were juniors from school, they knew that Leo's skills had long surpassed theirs.

They even felt that he was more mature than them in all aspects, and now they had no words to say, even if they had ten mouths.

It was natural to be scolded for showing such a pathetic display due to their personal feelings, inconveniencing those around them.

However, Niel and Mathel couldn't help but shudder at this familiar yet strange feeling.

'What, what is this? Young Master Leo is clearly younger than us.'

'Why does it feel like we're being scolded by someone much older?'

As the two of them broke into a cold sweat and became terrified, Leo said.

"In my day!"

"Oppa Leo."

At that moment, Chelsea carefully called out to Leo.

"I think you can stop now."

Leo smiled at Niel and Mathel.

"Since you're in the same group, try to get along this time."

Seeing Leo return to his original demeanor, the terrifying atmosphere that had just existed completely disappeared, and Niel and Mathel nodded blankly.

"Since you're both adults who have undergone coming-of-age ceremonies, don't cause any more childish trouble."

Seeing Leo's eyes narrow for a moment, the two of them nodded frantically.

Leo, with a satisfied expression, looked at the other escorts.

"Then, everyone, have a good time and I'll see you tomorrow."

At those words, the knights of Zerdinger and the mages of Rwalyn looked at each other with complex expressions.

***

Leo and Chelsea walked down the street.

Chelsea, who was following behind Leo, suddenly noticed the difference in their strides and muttered to herself.

'Come to think of it, when we entered school, the height difference wasn't this much, but now it's quite significant.'

Chelsea, being in her growth spurt, had also grown quite a bit since entering school.

However, Leo had grown even taller than Chelsea, creating a significant difference.

Chelsea increased her walking speed to match Leo's pace.

Although it might have been a little disappointing that Leo didn't pay attention to their strides, Chelsea didn't mind.

Now she knew.

'Over the past two years, we've traveled through Lumern together, and Leo oppa has always been mindful of me.'

So that Chelsea wouldn't give up on moving forward.

'Like someone teaching me how to run.'

She couldn't always be taken care of like this.

'I don't want to be a hindrance to Leo oppa.'

Now, what Chelsea wanted was not to look at the back of the person she admired.

It was to stand together and see the scenery that the person she admired was looking at.

Leo, who was walking through the crowd, stopped.

Chelsea, standing slightly behind Leo, gazed up at Leo's back.

'What kind of scenery is Leo oppa looking at?'

Chelsea, thinking this to herself, stood on tiptoe, trying to raise her height as much as possible to match Leo's gaze.

After struggling for a moment, Chelsea let out a involuntary laugh.

'I'm such a fool. Even if I get closer in height like this, there's no way I can understand what Leo oppa is seeing.'

It was an unconscious action born from the desire to be a little closer to the person she admired.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Chelsea shook her head at Leo, who asked with a puzzled expression, and lowered herself from tiptoe.

"By the way, where should we decide to stay?"

"Well, we're penniless for now, so shouldn't we find money first?"

"I have a question. Why specifically did you pair people from Zerdinger and Rwalyn together and suggest a penniless tour?"

What Leo proposed was not a simple tour.

He had randomly paired people from feuding families to spend a day without money.

"I know Leo oppa is trying to create an opportunity for Zerdinger and Rwalyn to become friends, but is it necessary to go this far?"

"When people who don't get along want to become friends, they have to go through hardships."

"Is that a penniless trip?"

"It's not just penniless, is it?"

Leo let out a smirk.

Before they parted ways, Leo set the rules for the day.

First, start the tour with no possessions.

Second, the use of aura and magic is prohibited.

Third, absolutely no sleeping outdoors.

Fourth, no fighting.

The escorts from both families shuddered at Leo's words that if they broke even one of these rules, they would face a fun experience.

Chelsea was somewhat doubtful whether this would create an opportunity for them to become friends.

"It's surprisingly effective. It's a method that Lisinas also used."

"Sir Lisinas?"

Chelsea's eyes widened at Leo's words.

"Wait, does that mean the great heroes also had a bad relationship at first? How bad was it that they took such drastic measures?"

Leo smirked as he watched Chelsea's eyes sparkle with interest.

"Me and Luna."

"Eek? Leo oppa and Luna-nim?"

Chelsea wore a flustered expression.

The last time Luna was in Lumern.

Leo and Luna were in perfect sync.

It was as if they knew what the other wanted just by looking at each other's eyes.

Chelsea was bewildered that the two, who had shown such perfect teamwork, had a bad relationship at first.

"Luna and I were diametrically opposed from the moment we first met."

The relationship between Luna, who boasted of her confidence in everything she did, and Kyle, who looked at everything with a cynical eye, was bound to be strained from the start.

Moreover, Kyle at that time had a very cynical side.

Because of that, he didn't hesitate to speak harshly to Luna.

'Lisinas was the type to hold it in and then explode, but Luna would immediately retort.'

If Kyle's personality was twisted, Luna was eccentric.

Seeing the two clash almost every day, Lisinas, unable to stand it any longer, took drastic measures.

"So that's what happened. It's like… if Leo oppa said it, I would never have believed it."

Chelsea chuckled.

"Leo oppa and Luna-nim, like me and Celia. I can't imagine it."

'You and Celia were incomparable.'

Leo muttered inwardly, letting out a self-deprecating laugh.

However, for the sake of his and Luna's honor, he didn't elaborate.

"So, were they wandering the city penniless like us now?"

"No, that's impossible."

"Huh?"

"Lisinas sealed our mana and threw us into the middle of a forest teeming with monsters."

Chelsea's face showed surprise at Leo's words.

"Even Sir Lisinas could do that?"

To seal the strongest mage in history and someone with comparable power at the same time.

"Lisinas specialized in summoning, so he was good at writing fraudulent contracts."

"F-fraudulent contracts?"

Leo said nonchalantly as Chelsea made a horrified expression.

"Yes, that lizard's specialty is fraud. Didn't you see him scam me into marriage?"

"……"

Chelsea was at a loss as to how to react to Leo's words.

"Anyway, if they go through some hardship, they'll develop teamwork."

"Will they suffer?"

Chelsea was still doubtful.

The escorts on this trip were all young people with little worldly experience.

However, even if they couldn't use aura and magic, they were the escorts who served Zerdinger and Rwalyn.

They were all considered outstanding talents from a young age.

Chelsea didn't think they would suffer.

"They'll suffer more than you think."

"Huh? Why?"

"They're elites who have walked the path of excellence in noble families. Using aura and magic is as natural as breathing. In such a situation, their status, wealth, and abilities are all restricted. They'll be in agony."

Although they were vassals, they were all from noble families.

They would be at a loss when they tried to do something.

"Do you think so?"

Despite Leo's words, Chelsea continued to tilt her head, seemingly not understanding.

Leo smirked at Chelsea, who was like that.

"We'll find out from now on."

"Huh?"

"How about we try to find a place to stay for the day first?"

"Me alone?"

Chelsea pointed to herself and widened her eyes.

"If I step in, it will be resolved easily, so it won't be suffering, right?"

"That's true."

"So, try your best on your own."

"It feels like I'm supporting Leo oppa."

"Don't you like it?"

"No, it sounds fun."

Chelsea said confidently.

"After all, I've always done these kinds of things easily with a sword!"

Ahem! Chelsea said proudly, puffing out her chest.

"Just you wait, I'll show you a luxurious tour today, Leo oppa!"