Foolishness

'He's gone.' Zeus sensed the summoner had disappeared, his attention quickly returning to Leonard. He rushed back to him, finding him still groaning from the intense pain of the summoner's attack. Worried, Zeus raised his hands and cast his powers over Leonard, a warm sensation and green light enveloping his body.

Surprisingly, the pain vanished. Leonard's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around his body for traces of injury. The bruises were now gone.

'Zeus can do this as well?'

"Don't be surprised. Any god can at least do that with minimal effort," Zeus said, showing no emotion as he kept his senses heightened.

"I'm not worried about that," Leonard replied, immediately standing up. His eyes fell on Yuna, who lay unconscious. He ran to her side, his eyes filled with concern. He glanced at the other party members, who were still unconscious.

"That was sudden," Zeus mumbled. Leonard heard him as he checked everyone's condition. Fortunately, they weren't harmed in any way, just sleeping.

Even though Zeus remained on guard, he couldn't help but be worried about Leonard. There was something he had noticed about him that concerned him deeply. Leonard was somewhat distant from others, struggling to build relationships. Zeus knew this, not just as a master of reading people, but also due to the connection he had with Leonard.

During the time they had been together, Zeus cared for Leonard with a pure connection between them. However, there was something he couldn't quite fathom, something he had been noticing lately.

Every time there was an improvement in Leonard's actions, Zeus felt happy. The recent news that Leonard had joined a party made him feel lighthearted, seeing Leonard grow not just as a person, but as a kid.

He knew very well how dreadful Leonard's life had been because of cancer. Even though Leonard could socialize well with people, he was the type who avoided forming deep connections.

Zeus sighed, shaking his head. He thought, 'It's only been a week since he left, and I became a summon, yet the responsibility and burden on me feel heavy. Leonard is just a kid I want to grow strong. I want him to develop emotions and a mindset that will benefit him, something that will shape him into an independent person.'

Zeus couldn't fully understand the source of his feelings. Could it be the sense of wanting to be the father he had failed to become? Was he using this chance to aim for the perfect father figure?

Even just as a father figure, was he aiming for that?

Foolishness. A god shouldn't be swayed by such trivial matters. Even though he respected their relationship, there were boundaries. He was known as the King of the Greek Gods, Zeus, who was heartless and benevolent at times.

'What is this confusion?!' Zeus felt a growing fear about his own identity and thoughts. Setting aside these concerns and maintaining his composure, he focused on easing Leonard's worries. He also sent beads of vitality towards the party, ensuring they wouldn't be affected by the summoner's <Skill > anymore.

"Why did you do that?" Zeus asked seriously, causing Leonard to become confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You jumped into that threat. You know you don't have power without me. So, why did you confront that person? You could have died."

Realizing what Zeus was referring to, Leonard slapped his forehead, an awkward smile appearing on his face.

"Why did I even do that?" he asked himself. "That could have killed me. Why did I make such a stupid move?"

"I was the one asking that," Zeus replied sarcastically.

"Right… I don't know… Really…" Leonard began to question his earlier actions. Why did he even do that? He knew the threat the summoner posed, especially given that the summoner had special qualifications to be powerful despite being a Summoner Class Player.

The appearance of that Player had even sparked an ambition in Leonard—to be able to fly and possess superstrength, so that even as a Summoner, he could attain such power. He was well aware of the restrictions of being a Summoner, and yet he wanted to be as powerful as that summoner.

But why had he jumped into that threat? What was his goal?

As he pondered this, Leonard's eyes wandered and eventually rested on Yuna. After a few seconds, he noticed her hands twitching.

'Could it be…' Leonard didn't want to entertain the thought. 'Was I trying to build a favor with her? Or seduce her? Was that my goal?'

He shook his head. That goal seemed vague, and he couldn't recall having that desire earlier. So, that wasn't what had triggered his actions.

"Leonard, you must realize that you can't just do something like that next time. What would happen if we met someone stronger? A summoner's power is based on their summons. The more they have, the more powerful they become in terms of quantity. Surely, quality isn't the problem, but the quantity is."

Knowing Leonard's <Unique Skill> allowed him to summon mythological creatures, including Gods and Goddesses, summoning weak creatures was never an issue. Even the chance of summoning mere cannon fodder was slim.

"I know that very well… I must have acted earlier due to human nature—the pure intentions of each human. That should be it."

Zeus was shocked. His eyes widened visibly, though he kept his mouth sealed tight, his mind racing. Leonard was indeed showing progress in becoming more human. Though he was already human, Zeus had always seen him as more calculative than empathetic.

'That was empathy he showed earlier,' Zeus sighed, realizing that this was crucial for Leonard's growth. 'Suppressing his emotions wouldn't build the strength he needs to survive.'

At the end of the day, Zeus was left pondering. Would it be better for Leonard to learn and realize all of this? Wouldn't it just make him weaker? Despite being a god with a cruel nature, Zeus still had a bit of empathy towards people. He never suppressed it, knowing its significance, and it didn't make him any weaker.

'I need to learn more from Athena. It seems I'll have to visit her to recollect the proper way of training a young lad. Only she can bring out the potential Leonard must have.'

Even as a Summoner Class Player, Leonard's body shouldn't be weakened in any way. There had to be ways to improve his build and strength.

The party paused their journey to search for the Lost Treasures of the Zackarious Empire. Instead, they set to visit the nearest town, with no other choice but to prepare better. Moreover, Zeus still didn't understand how Leonard had managed to wake up from the magic the summoner used.