Chapter 40

Although the beginning was a bit sloppy, the progress itself was flawless. There were parts where the theme of the group assignment was perfect for me, and Leonardo, who had a conflict with her Aira, followed without a word.

Benjamin, who nearly had his back exploded in a whale fight, was able to participate in the assignment by getting a book from Leona. So, the full-fledged discussion started in the evening after all classes on Friday.

"Oh, when will Aira-San come?"

"I don't know. I'll come someday."

On the day of Friday, in front of the restaurant where we had an appointment.

Me and Benjamin talked about the whereabouts of Aira, who doesn't want to show up at all. Leona, who was standing next to her, didn't say anything, but her original, hard expression on her face hardened even more.

There is no phone here, let alone a smartphone, so it was just frustrating not knowing where she was.

"Obviously, in a military science lecture, I said I was going to get together…"

Like Benjamin's question, all of our members take military science classes. So, after the lecture was over, Aira called all of us and emphasized that we must meet by the appointed time.

He even promised to warn him if he was late for the appointment, but he broke the appointment time. what the hell are we going to do

"What if you don't come like this? It's not okay…"

I glanced at Benjamin as he murmured nervously. She's been biting her nails as if she's worried about Aira's not coming.

I guess I need some reassurance. I looked at him and opened my mouth, saying it wasn't a big deal.

"Don't be too anxious. There may be circumstances that can't be said. If Aira doesn't come after 10 minutes, let's discuss it."

"Is that okay?"

"Why not? It's too much to disband without Aira-San."

"But Aira-same is the leader… later on, you might get scolded for doing it between us."

What kind of bullshit is this for a moment in response to Benjamin? he said bewildered. It's like he thinks of Aira as a higher person than him. But as she pondered, she realized that Benjamin was a commoner and she was the daughter of her marquis, Ai.

The difference in status was so great that Benjamin naturally thought of Aira as a person of high rank. He couldn't say anything he wanted to say because it was a disease of the status system.

You may get a strange look at your heart for some reason.

'Is this something I'm weird about?'

Maybe it will.

Even Marie of the Requel's family, who practices noblesse oblige, takes it for granted to be respected by commoners. The reason she was able to put her, and her horse together is because I am a noble at first.

Also, for commoners to speak rudely without respecting the nobles, it is clearly a violation of 'authority'. Even if the Requel's family does not use their power to act, they are blocking access to authority like a sword.

Instead, there should be a clear distinction between authority and authoritarianism. If authority is merely a matter of legitimacy, authoritarianism uses that legitimacy to exercise dominance.

Of course, at one time, authoritarianism intensified, and an event similar to the French Revolution in his previous life, the Zeroth Revolution, occurred. Under the influence, authoritarianism faded regardless of country, but authority remained strong.

'But I can't make you say respect again.'

If it was Benjamin, he would silently follow him, but he would feel dirty. Because the worst thing in the world is giving and taking.

'By the way, why can't we see our small and petite head bald'?

I'm starting to get annoyed because I can't even see my hair while setting the time. If that's the case, I couldn't understand why she decided to lead.

"I, I'm going to go to the bathroom for a while!"

Benjamin, who had been restless for a while like a poopy puppy, said so and ran to the bathroom. Seeing the way, she grabs her stomach and runs, it doesn't bounce, it looks like her stomach really hurts.

Anyway, as Benjamin was away, only Leona and I were left at the entrance of the restaurant. It was Friday, and no one was walking in the hallway. Only the quiet silence subsided, and the awkwardness blossomed.

I glanced at Leona in an awkward situation for a moment. Coincidentally, Leona was also looking at me with her squint.

"… …"

The two of us looked at each other with sideways glances, and then we turned our heads. As she turned her head, Leona's expressionless expression caught her eye.

When thinking about what to say in this situation, Leona unexpectedly opened her mouth first.

"Hey, penguin."

Even if it's different from when we kept the concept, it's a very different way of speaking. I was taken aback by her chic call for a moment, but I narrowed my brows at the words that Leona was a penguin that came out of her mouth.

To call him Penguin while leaving his normal name behind, to be honest, it was absurd.

By the way, there is also an animal called penguin in this world. They live in areas that are cold enough to generate glaciers, such as the Antarctic and the North Pole, and their appearance was the same if you saw them in the illustrated book.

However, as in a fantasy world, there are species that live in lava fields, not glaciers. They are not animals, but monsters that harm people.

Anyway, the explanation is over here, and the first thing to do is to answer Leona. I don't know why they called me a penguin for nothing else.

"Why are you calling me a penguin, leaving your normal name behind?"

"You just look like a penguin."

When there is no one around, Leona giggles and teases whether she has solved the concept. I was taken aback for a moment, then immediately fired a counterattack.

"You're like a dog."

"…will you die? It's a lion, not a dog?"

Leona frowned and growled like an animal. It seems that she was angry at the part that she was treated as a dog rather than a curse.

At this, I tilted my head slightly and raised another question. Suing only thought of a dog or a cat.

"Then a cat?"

"Can't you just compare yourself to the Myo people? It's very disrespectful to a great four people like me."

"You said humans are penguins."

"… …"

Leona scratched her head as if she had nothing to say about that. Immediately, embarrassed, she turned her head and began to snort her.

I looked at it and snorted, then opened my mouth.

"So why did you call me? Do you have anything to say?"

"I want to know what you think of her."

When you say that woman, are you talking about Aira? Surely it will.

I listened to Leona's question and pondered it. Every time I do a group assignment, I get hit here and there and live, so Aira is a good thing.

Even less so, every time I thought of the old hall as a famous hall, I thought that it would be better. If she had been Jackson and not Aira, the group assignment would have been smashed.

"Well? I can't say anything because I'm active, so I just want to do what I have to do. That's about it. You?"

"I don't like it. Everyone else is having a hard time, but he wants to play and eat alone. He's an aristocrat after all. If you know it, he's nothing."

It was shattered from the first impression, and the criticism continued. I can't deny that it's true.

I watched her grunt, and then a question came to mind, and I asked her.

"Are there no nobles in the Anomers?"

Anomers is a land of beasts founded 300 years ago. They gathered and united the beasts scattered around the world and built their own civilization.

Leona listened to my question and shook her head from side to side. She saw it and she thought, "The Anomers have no aristocrats," but neither was it.

"There is no such thing as a marquise or anything like the human world, but the authority to perform depends on the individual's armed forces. As you may know, the beasts are deeply rooted in a culture of reverence for force."

"Then are their different ranks?"

"Of course, it is. Can you tell me?"

I nodded. I rarely had a chance to know about the ecology of beasts, but I was lucky.

Leona smiled as I nodded and lifted her chin slightly. She seemed to organize her explanation for a moment.

"Let's see. First of all..."

"Guys!"

Before Leona could even speak, a familiar voice reached her ears. It is the voice of a girl who is lively and has not yet reached the stage of transformation.

Leona closed the mouth that Leona had opened, and I shifted my gaze to the direction the sound was heard.

As everyone expected, our captain, Aira, who was a long time late for the appointment, was approaching with a bright expression on his face. When I saw him smiling like that while it was late, I immediately thought of how shameless he was.

After that, Aira stood in front of us and opened her eyes wide to reveal her doubts. It was as if there was no Benjamin and there was only the two of us.

"Huh? Why are there only two? Curly hair?"

Ira, who even referred to Benjamin as curly hair, even with a common name. It was clear that he was looking down at Benjamin, a commoner.

I opened my mouth to get an answer when she asked me, looking straight at me. What can I say about going to the bathroom? you were late

"Benjamin went to the bathroom for a while. He'll be back soon."

"What? The bathroom?"

Ira frowned at my reply that I had gone to the bathroom. She is now expressing her feelings that she is joking.

Then she crossed her arms and asked me to confirm in a voice that was in doubt.

"You didn't run away, did you?"

"no."

"When did you go to the bathroom?"

"I went about five minutes ago."

"But if you see that you haven't come yet…"

"I went to see something big, so you don't have to doubt it."

Before Aira raised any unnecessary doubts, I hit her first. She often showed her authoritarian side as she became her facilitator, which she feared would still be the case.

Originally, the leader was close to a 'person in charge', but this world has been transformed into an authority due to the merging of the status system. The last time Ira gave Leona her warning, you can tell.

Aira listened to me and looked at me softly, then smiled. It's the same expression.

Then she put her hands on her waist and spoke in a very refreshing tone.

"Do we really need to wait for him?"

"…Yeah?"

What kind of nonsense is this again? It's a statement that seems to have exploded in conscience beyond my inner self.

Meanwhile, Aira put her hand on her chest and proudly brought out her thoughts. I don't know what she believes, but it looks like she has an iron plate on her face.

"I'm the manager, so I have to wait unconditionally, isn't he? Besides, I'm not too late, and the guy who couldn't stand the time was wrong."

"… …"

"So, let's leave that curly hair behind and let's go together. If you ask me where we've been later, we'll just have to make a reasonable excuse."

Where did you leave your real conscience to say that? As I was stunned by the shock, Aira secretly grabbed my arm and pulled me gently.

It seems like someone is trying to take me away. Startled by the feeling, I quickly pulled out my arm.

"…what are you doing?"

Ira's voice quickly lowered as I pulled my arm out. Her face is also wrinkled, and it looks like she felt worse when I pulled her arm out.

But whether she feels bad or not, she has to say something. In her heart, she wanted to be vindictive, but she put up with the writer Young Annie once.

"I'd rather ask, Aira. What the hell are you doing?"

"I just wanted to go fast. What's the problem? Ah! Are you worried that there will be no discussion if there is no commoner? sun."

Is Leona not included in us? Ira laughed at her single, but she didn't even look at Leona.

I was confused as to whether Aira's mental world was strange, or whether this was the mindset of the nobles. Anyway, this is a bit serious.

"Ira-same. The professor also said. It would be beneficial to take Jo Won to the end. If you leave Benjamin behind, Aira-same, the manager, will be at a disadvantage."

In the end, Leona, who could not hear, gave Aira advice. As per the concept, it was a characteristic hard, hard tone of speech, but there was a slight anger in it.

However, was it because Leona, who was not a nobleman and a 'common commoner', gave Leona advice? His expression became even worse than before.

Despite her doll-like appearance, she exudes a bloody energy.

"Now we're talking. Why are you interfering?"

"I was just worried that Ira-same would be harmed."

"Is it just something like this? Isn't it too naive? I heard from my brother, but there was never a case where the score was reduced for missing one person. Rather, Professor Berus gave that one 0 point."

In my mind, I want to open the lid of my head and look inside my brain. I wonder how he was educated at home to have this mindset.

if not…

'…Is it to chase Leona away?'

Ira may not have said that on purpose to drive Leona out, not Benjamin. From the first meeting, Ira knew to some extent that Leona was the kind of person who said what she said.

So, Benjamin must have come up with a ridiculous offer to use as an excuse and simply to chime in.

"But it's not okay if it doesn't work. We've been waiting for Aira-same, so I think Benjamin should wait too."

"Then you wait patiently and have a private discussion with the two of you. I'll do it with him."

In Leona's remarks, Ira wanted it to be this time, so she grabbed my arm and pulled it towards her chest. Unlike Cecily, who was soft, a flat feeling spread through her arms.

Either way, both are equally disappointing. She was startled by the unexpected touch and tried to get her out somehow, but it was thwarted because she was giving her strength.

In the end, I had no choice but to shout at Ira.

"Gee, what are you doing now? Put this down quickly."

"No? Are you going to come with me?"

Is it crazy to be alone with you? But contrary to my feelings, as soon as Ira and her eyes met, I had no choice but to stop.

Eyes that are subtle yet greedy, and the corners of the lips that are slightly raised. It is an expression of a sticky obsession that never loses its prey.

'What did I do?'

Why did she, who had never been related to her, look like this? I looked at her expression and quietly opened her mouth.

"…Mr. Aira."

"Yes."

"Right now, Leona-San is right. So please let this go."

"… …"

When I took Leona's side, the corner of Aira's lips, which had risen, fell vertically. Her squeaky eyes turned cold in an instant, and the strength that had been given to my arms slowly loosened.

As I slowly pulled out my arm, Aira's lowered corner of her mouth went up again. His eyes also began to have a dangerous energy somewhere.

"Your last name was Dulquer Michelle?"

"…Yes. That's right."

Why is the family name suddenly brought up? I was terrified of the ominous coming from within.

In the meantime, Aira twisted her hair with one hand and spoke in a witty tone.

"As you may know, the Marquis Matius family has a very famous Knights Templar. It's the Navy Knights."

"… …"

"And I heard from my brother a few days ago. Recently, the son of the former knight commander joined the club. His name is probably… Dave?"

wriggle-

I twitched under my eyes as Dave's name was mentioned in Aira's mouth. When the story of my family came out of someone else's mouth, my fists were clenched involuntarily.

Not noticing my reaction, Ira continued what she wanted to say. She was more arrogant than arrogant.

"The Navy Knights are mainly responsible for protecting the borders and blocking the elements that threaten the Empire in advance. They look honorable on the surface, but in my eyes they are nothing but foolish people who take up dangerous things on their own."

Is that what a nobleman, or a daughter of a military family, would say? Not to mention, the Navy Knights fight tribal beasts, even often with elven scouts.

It is a border only in words, but in reality it is no different than a front line. If you see that the turnover rate of the Navy Knights is more than three times higher than that of other knights, you can get an idea of ​​how difficult the place is.

However, Ira thinks of such articles too easily. She is a fool for the soldiers who defend the country even when they give up their freedom, so at least she doesn't deserve to be a daughter of a military family.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Aira folds her arms and tilts her chin slightly and speaks in an eloquent tone. It is a message close to a kind of intimidation that you can never reject your offer.

She probably wanted to know what to do with Dave the moment I said no. Maybe send them to a place worse than the border. She is the daughter of a reputable military family, so she is not at all impossible.

With these thoughts, I took a long breath as I listened to her threatening question.

"Yes. I understand."

I can't do it anymore.

"Twins."

Let's all search together.