Chapter 55
On that day, there were exceptionally many guests visiting the tent.
Each was a person from a different group.
They were those who felt disillusioned with their leaders at this eting site.
Despite the options of the militia or the rchant Guild.
The reason they specifically chose this side was purely because of .
The existence of a monster like rookie.
The belief that a place where such a monster lived would be much more affluent than where they stayed.
Rodwell smiled as he dealt with each of them.
If the opportunity arose, he intended to take them in, just as I had spirited Leo away.
“They are all duds.”
The twelfth man left the tent.
He was the last one.
Rodwell laid out complaints tinged with regret.
“What about you?”
I remained on the spot in the role of a figurehead.
I exchanged glances with the people who visited from ti to ti.
They looked as if they were pleading to please take them along.
They begged, saying they did not care if it was odd jobs.
The eyes of all of them were cloudy.
They could not properly explain their own value.
Spouting out their pent up emotions was all they did.
“There was no one I felt was particularly necessary.”
“Right? I agree.”
Rodwell took out a cigarette from the pocket of the suit he was wearing.
It was the very last one.
Putting it in his mouth, he seed to realize belatedly the fact that he had no light.
“I heard many mages cannot do anything if it is not their own attribute. You are not a fire attribute. So, is it impossible for you to light the cigarette I am holding in my mouth?”
Joshua smiled lightly, took a match out of his backpack, and threw it.
Rodwell caught it easily.
“This must be the difference between you and the people who left just a mont ago.”
“It is one loaf of bread for every one used.”
Rodwell lit the cigarette and threw the half burnt match away irritably.
He inhaled a deep puff of smoke.
It was a strong inhalation that went almost to the filter.
When he breathed out the held breath, it was as thick as a fog.
“You have no submissiveness. Is it because you are too competent?”
“That is my charm.”
“No, it is an annoying point.”
Afterward, they left the camp on the ridge earlier than scheduled.
The other four groups seed to intend to depart in the evening as planned.
They walked for several hours.
Strangely, there were no zombies while returning to the village.
The path they had cleared while heading toward the forest was still tidy.
“You are late!”
In the middle of the journey, he also reunited with Leo.
He had arrived a step earlier at the eting place they had promised.
“The cause is Sir Rodwell oversleeping. If you want to complain, do it to that person.”
Leo swallowed his dry saliva.
He turned his gaze and looked at the Knight Captain standing alongside.
“I heard the story. That you intend to move over to this side.”
“Yes.”
“How about it? To gain trust, why don't you tell us what you know about the Sun Knights.”
Leo wore a troubled expression.
The boy signaled to him with a sidelong glance, asking for help.
I remained silent.
I wanted to hear what kind of answer he would give.
“I am sorry, but since I am a low rank, there will likely be no stories that the Knight would be curious about.”
“It is not you who judges that. It seems you haven't completely detached your heart from them. Even after being flogged that much by Sir Carius.”
Leo showed anxious eyes.
He likely wanted to leave a good first impression on him, the leader.
His lips parted.
The boy’s conflict deepened.
However, the decision he first made did not change.
“Sir Carius treated harshly, but not everyone there was like that. There were those who showed kindness. Thinking of them makes a corner of my heart heavy.”
“It seems your body has co over to this side, but your heart is still left over there. If that is truly your intent, I will not pry further.”
Rodwell walked toward the front and took the lead.
As he moved further away, the boy glared at with a resentful look.
“It’s dood.”
“What is?”
“Did you see Rodwell’s expression? I am clearly on his bad side.”
“Perhaps.”
“If you had helped from the side, I would have been able to gain at least a little favor.”
I let out a sigh.
Leonard was making one mistake.
It was believing that his master was Rodwell.
“You, did you forget the proposal I made?”
“Do you see as a fool! Of course I rember. You told to work together.”
“But why are you so anxious to look good to Rodwell.”
“That is because that person is your superior.”
“No, you are wrong. Rodwell and I are rely in a cooperative relationship. It is not a master servant relationship.”
Leo swallowed his dry saliva.
He had a face that guessed what I would say next.
“You are working under , not the Starlight Knights.”
* * *
Joshua’s party recovered their horses in Rosenwald and set out on the road again.
It took three days to return to the tower.
The remaining party welcod us gladly.
Talleon and Gavinu were also seen.
It was a short ti, but the outlines of their bodies were seen taking shape.
“Y-You are!”
Talleon’s eyes grew wide.
“I am Leonard Conrad. I joined this side because of circumstances. Please take good care of .”
Leo bowed his head.
Everyone’s gaze focused on one spot.
The boy could not overco the unfamiliar atmosphere and could not lift his head.
He was a big shot among the students, but in this situation, it was difficult to welco him.
They did not know the circumstances of how he ca here.
If he were a spy, he would rely be a seed that created strife in the group.
As the atmosphere grew heavy, Rodwell let out a dry cough.
“As you all know, Leonard is a person with top tier skills among knight aspirants. Help him a lot so he can adjust quickly.”
The knights did not answer and rely nodded their heads.
“I intend to be reported on the things that happened during that ti, do you want to listen as well?”
Rodwell proposed to Joshua that they go up to the upper level together.
Many people who were watching were flustered.
They were so surprised that they could not say anything and rely left their lips parted.
The boy was not a knight.
Although he had been granted several authorities due to his activities at the research center.
He was not in an equal position with them.
“Captain, that sounds like you intend to share all the circumstances inside the tower with Joshua.”
“That is correct.”
“Even so, he is still a young child. He is not a knight either.”
“Are you dissatisfied with my opinion?”
“N-No sir.”
“Haha, I know what you’re worried about. It ans that if information leaks out because of this bastard, our position becos dangerous, right?”
“That is correct.”
“I judged that it is good to grow the relationship with this bastard even if taking that risk. Trust your leader.”
The subordinate swallowed a groan.
Even if he appeared like a frivolous person, he was an endlessly cold person when he was cold.
“What happened at the eting site?”
Lucille, the vice captain, ca forward and spoke.
She had also known Rodwell for a long ti, but this decision was unexpected.
“Sothing incredible happened. There was a reason you saw that kid in a good light. That is a monster, no, treasure would be a more correct expression. In any case, we will get along while he is here.”
Rodwell dealt with it firmly.
If he ca out like this, there were no people who would refuse.
As the excited atmosphere gradually subsided, they next waited for the boy’s answer.
Joshua rely raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
“I appreciate the words, but I will not attend.”
The knights wore surprised expressions once again.
A status similar to theirs.
It was an opportunity he could have grasped.
Sothing that the survivors inside the tower wanted to grasp so much.
The boy shook it off without hesitation.
“I did not expect this, are you really not going to listen?”
“Yes.”
Joshua looked around.
The survivors had decreased slightly, but it was an expected situation.
There was no scenario to be cautious of for now.
I intended to return to the farm and grow that place for the next month.
“Lady Lucille, if it is okay, I would like to take Gavinu and Talleon.”
“Yeah, do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Now the ti had co to reveal the identity of the farm.
First, it included the three who had been together since the dormitory and Leo, who joined this ti.
To grow a territory, it was not enough for the land to just be wide.
People were needed.
The more people there were, the more the efficiency of work increased, and the plan was shortened.
His physical strength and power had increased through experience during that ti.
But compared to knights, he was still a weakling.
There was a role that suited each person.
‘I have to test whether the maintenance of secrecy will go well, but it is also a fact that it is an unavoidable task.’
[Cool] and [Clever] also agreed on the matter.
Anyone would have risks if they intended to create their own group.
How one managed that was the ability as a leader.
“Then, I will see you later.”
* * *
Heading toward the farm, I checked if there was any tailing.
Fortunately, there were no people following.
The boys who were following harbored doubts at his cautious actions.
“Sir Joshua, this way is a wasteland. I heard it is a place where knights searched several tis and then gave up, saying there was nothing more to gain.”
Gavinu talked about the information he had gathered with confidence.
“Yep.”
“I heard you went through a grueling schedule at the eting site. I think resting should co first.”
“I am currently on my way to rest.”
“Pardon? But there is nothing this way.”
It was the center of a desolate ruin.
As the wind passed through the abandoned houses, it sounded like a sobbing cry.
A sense of human presence was not felt.
It was an environnt where it felt like zombies might suddenly burst in.
However, when sothing must be hidden, it rather beca an advantage.
“U-Um, my na is Talleon. This is Gavinu.”
Talleon offered an awkward greeting to Leonard.
He still could not believe it.
It was a eting with a senior he had admired, whom he had only watched from a long distance away.
“It is a na I have heard for the first ti.”
Leo answered nonchalantly.
“Compared to you, senior, my grades were not good. It is not like I am from a promising family like Tania, either.”
“If it were not for this incident, we would be in a relationship where we could not even exchange a single greeting.”
Talleon laughed awkwardly.
He read a sense of distaste from the opponent’s expression.
Just as he had said, if the world had not turned out like this, they were in a relationship with no reason to be intertwined.
It was a vast gap.
The only common point between each other was that they had a leader nad ‘Joshua’.
It might be a rude thing to pretend to be close with only that.
“Leo, those two are children who might beco your squad mbers in the future. Do not treat them curtly and treat them well.”
Joshua answered while signaling with his eyes.
Leo revealed his dissatisfied air clearly.
“Do not joke around, if I were to lead a unit, I will choose my subordinates with my own hands!”
“There is nothing to choose or whatever. The knight aspirants in my group right now are just those two.”
“What if I say I don’t want to.”
“Are you in a position to be picky? If it does not work, make it work, and even if you dislike it, grow fond of them.”
Joshua answered coldly.
I did not like humans who complain about side dishes.
I liked humans who can adjust to any environnt.
Leonard was a noble.
It was a life where he only had to walk on a prepared rail.
But if he deviated from the rail even a little, the area near it was all a path of thorns.
“If you intend to give an opinion to , speak with a reasonable basis. I will not accept grumbling like saying you don't like sothing.”
“You treat those bastards warmly, so then why are you so cold to !”
“You are an executive. It is the role of a middle bridge. It will be troubleso if you don't beco a model.”
“E-Executive?”
Leo stroked his chin.
The title of executive sounded sweet.
“If this group grows, is there sothing that cos back to as well?”
“Of course. So work hard with a sense of mission.”
Joshua stopped his footsteps.
He had arrived at the farm.
Because he could not manage it for ten days, it likely beca a ss.
Would the chicks be safe?
Would the mana herbs have withered in the colder weather?
I had done the insulation work, but I was worried nevertheless.
“Co in. This is our hideout.”
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