Leon, who had left the Rockbird's Beak, kept on walking in silence through the night city. He did it in order to cool his head. After being chastised in that manner, he didn’t have the confidence to remain calm. He thought that he ought to leave before things got worse.
「Leon, cut it out and stop walking! Any further and you’re going to leave the city!」
All of a sudden, he felt his arm being pulled backwards. Looking back, the hand that had pulled him belonged to Ophelia. Ophelia had an anxious expression on her face, as did Kaim and Vlaclav, who were also there.
「Oh……」
While he had only intended to feel the night wind for a while, it seemed like he had been roaming around for quite some time. On top of that, he had done something inexcusable by dragging his allies around with him.
「Do you feel a little bit better after taking such a long walk?」
After Kaim’s troubled laugh, Leon bowed.
「Everyone, I’m sorry. It seems like I got lost in my thoughts……」
「It’s not like you to act like this. I don’t know the details because I wasn’t looking, but were the cheeky words of a kid something that would upset you to this extent?」
「Ye, yeah, well……」
Vlaclav drew closer and sniffed the stammering Leon with his nose.
「No traces that you were under mental debuffs」
「Then, the problem is with you, isn't it?」
Kaim crossed his arms and tilted his head inquisitively.
「Give me a proper explanation of what happened」
「Understood……」
Leon and Ophelia, who were the parties involved, gave the details in turn. When he explained his own actions in this way, he became able to see the situation objectively and began to feel very ashamed. In fact, after listening to their explanation, Kaim snorted with laughter at the two of them.
「I get it now. In this case, both of you were at fault」
「Ehh, why!? The one in the wrong was--Ouch!」
When Ophelia tried to protest, Kaim poked her in her side with the butt of his spear.
「Who's the idiot who took the rumors at face value and took a hostile attitude from the very beginning?」
「Cer, certainly, I was in the wrong there...... But, the actual person admitted it, you know?」
「You big idiot. If there was really something that she would feel guilty about, do you think that she would meekly admit it in public?」
「Eh, then it was all lies? Why was there a need to say such lies?」
「I don't know about that. But, well, if I had to guess, she was probably trying to turn her bad reputation into an advantage. There’s even a saying that roughly says that it’s better to be infamous than unknown」
「Ehh? Then, in that case--Ouch, ouch! Stop it, stop poking me!」
Ophelia, who was receiving consecutive pokes from Kaim, couldn't stand the pain and hid behind Vlaclav. She peeked her head out and glared at Kaim resentfully.
「In the first place, even if it's all true, people who have nothing to do with it shouldn’t one-sidedly get involved in it. You idiot who let your sense of justice go too far out of control」
「Urghh……」
It was a flawless argument. No matter how right they were, consideration for other people was necessary. Ophelia, with drooping ears and tears welling in her eyes, had no answer for that.
「Leon, the same goes for you too」
「Yeah, I know……」
「The conversation got sidetracked when you talked about stuff like the qualifications as a Seeker, or about receiving just deserts. What you should be criticizing her for, is the insult towards your ally, right? Once you fell for her provocations and focused on the wrong issues, you lost whatever legitimacy you had」
「Yes, it's as you've said. I was in the wrong……」
What Kaim had pointed out was not only painful to hear, but it had struck home. He had no objections either. Whatever Noel’s intentions were, it was Leon who had changed the subject of the dispute. Leon, who was merely a Seeker, didn’t have the right to say self-important words like that.
「I’ll go apologize to her again after this. Everyone should go back first--Urgh!」
He was suddenly chocked by his collar, which had been grabbed by Kaim.
「Wait, just hang on a minute. Even if you go and apologize to her now, you’ll just make things more complicated. Besides, if you apologize, you’ll put Ophelia, who got berated as being lower than dogs, in an awkward position」
「No, but……」
「If you’re going to get in contact with her again, isn’t it better to do that after we’ve investigated more about her? In the first place, wasn’t that the reason why you got into a dispute? Do you want to repeat the same mistakes?」
「Th, that's true……」
Certainly, even if he was just going to apologize, he should act carefully. When Leon nodded, Ophelia raised her hand while still hiding behind Vlaclav.
「I forgot to mention it, but Noel is a he, not a she」
「Oh, is that so?」
「Yup, I couldn’t make out his figure because of the long coat he wore, but he said so himself, and upon closer inspection, he did have the bone structure of a man. I think he got angry for being mistaken as a woman」
「You see? We need more information, right?」
When Kaim shrugged his shoulders, Leon smiled wryly.
「Yeah. Speaking of which, there was also something else that was on my mind. Why were they in that bar? If they had that much achievements, we should have at least heard some rumors about it」
「Something must have happened before we entered the bar, right? If only we knew what had occurred……」
「We can't ask anyone because we're hated by the other Seekers」
They sighed in unison at Vlaclav’s frank words.
Sky Winged Knights was hated by the other Seekers. That was an indisputable fact. But it was also a fact that they had never done anything that deviated from what was just, and had always tried to do the right thing.
In the first place, the audacious-sounding name of the party, Sky Winged Knights, was not a name that was conceived by Leon, but by a newspaper reporter in the imperial capital.
The reporter had written that the party was not only strong, but had a courteous and honest attitude, almost like they were the knights errant from the fairy tales, and had dubbed them as Sky Winged Knights. And then, because that nickname became more famous than their original party name, Leon’s party had no choice but to start calling themselves Sky Winged Knights.
Of course, Leon and his allies understood that it was an undeserved reputation, and that they were not virtuous Seekers like that. In fact, they had caused problems much like today’s dispute.
However, the other Seekers didn’t think that. Leon and his allies knew that the other Seekers called them a group of loathsome hypocrites behind their backs, and no one had ever tried to befriend them.
Seekers were basically rough people, and most of them had skeletons in their closets. Sky Winged Knights, who were widely regarded as Seekers of irreproachable conduct, were seen as nothing more than eyesores to people like that.
No, even without that reputation, Leon and his party, who did hate underhanded methods after all, would have been outcasts anyways.
「……Wait. You can get information on him if you just ask Leisha, can’t you? Those two, they may be in different parties, but they must have been in the same bar, right?」
When Kaim looked at Ophelia, her eyes widened into saucers.
「That’s true…… I totally overlooked that……」
「It’s not “I totally overlooked that”, you idiot! Wasn’t it obvious that you could have gotten accurate information from his cohort, Leisha!? Nevertheless, you did stupid things based on rumors only!」
「Ouch, it hurts! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!」
The furious Kaim had dragged Ophelia out from behind Vlaclav and, while making sure not to cause injuries, poked her endlessly with the butt of his spear.
Leon and Vlaclav’s eyes met and they shrugged their shoulders.
「Well, with this, it looks like we’ll be able to get information on Noel…… That’s good……」
†
†
In the end, he gave up on returning to the Rockbird’s Beak. Even though he was tired after returning from an expedition, he couldn’t soothe his fatigue as Noel was still on his mind.
Ophelia and Vlaclav headed home, while Leon and Kaim decided to visit their favorite bar. Unlike a Seeker bar, the calm atmosphere of the small bar was perfect for a mentally tiring day like today.
「Well? What’s the truth?」
The two of them were sipping their drinks at the end of the bar counter when Kaim asked him abruptly.
「What are you talking about?」
「Why did you get so worked up?」
「I wonder why……」
While Leon couldn’t forgive Noel for insulting Ophelia, he should have been able to deal with it calmly. Instead, he behaved in such a shameful manner.
「Even I, myself, have no idea……」
「Aren’t you most probably just jealous of him?」
「Jealous?」
When Leon tilted his head, Kaim nodded while munching on roasted beans.
「If I’m not mistaken, isn’t Noel about 16 years old? A kid like that suddenly appearing at the Rockbird’s Beak, and acting like a big shot on top of that. It’ll be stranger if you weren’t jealous. Ophelia must have lost control for the same reason」
「I see...... jealousy, huh……」
Once he said it out loud, it felt right. In all likelihood, Kaim's analysis was correct.
「Don't say anything about this to Ophelia. That person has a tendency to over-think stuff. If she realizes that jealousy was the reason, she’ll coop herself up in her room and won’t come out」
「Haha, I know. But, if that’s the case, I’ve done something really selfish…… I can’t apologize enough to Noel」
「Is that really true? I think that it’s rather healthy though. It's good to be competitive. It’ll become a trigger for growth」
「Even if it causes trouble for the other party?」
「Noel shouldn't mind it that much. Above all, I think that Sky Winged Knights and Blue Beyond can become good rivals」
Leon blinked at Kaim’s surprising words.
「What makes you think that?」
「It’s because they’re outcasts, just like us」
When Kaim replied bluntly, Leon inadvertently burst out into laughter.
「Hahaha, I see. You've got a point there」
By laughing and talking like this, Leon was able to sort out his feelings.
「I don't know much about Noel yet, but he's probably an amazing guy. Because he’s rushing down the fast track at that young age, and despite the fact that he’s a Talker」
「Feeling jealous again?」
「No, it’s purely respect this time. Yeah, he's an amazing guy」
「Honesty is a virtue, but I don't know what to think about a senior meekly letting his junior open up a big lead over him. Isn’t that right, Mister 22-years-old-bachelor Leon Frederik?」
「Isn't Kaim the same age and single as well?」
To begin with, Leon and Kaim were childhood friends from the same hometown. Kaim, who had the big brother role between them, was the first to aspire to be a Seeker. Leon had arrived in the imperial capital as Kaim’s follower, and then had become a Seeker as well.
Before long, Ophelia became an ally, and Vlaclav also joined. For some reason, Leon served as the leader, but their spiritual leader was Kaim. Despite now standing shoulder to shoulder with Kaim, in his heart, Leon remained the little brother.
「It's been a long time since we left home. Hey, Leon. Isn't it about time for us to take the next step? In other words, the creation of a clan」
Kaim removed a letter from his pocket and placed it on the table. Looking over its contents, it was exactly the same as the letter that Leon had received this morning. The sender was the Seeker Guild and the gist of the letter was to urge parties with strong abilities to create a clan.
「Did you receive it too, Kaim?」
「From what I’ve overheard, it seems like other parties have received it too」
「But isn't it strange? Why are they suddenly spurring people on to create clans? This is the first time I've seen something like this」
「I have no idea. But there seems to be some reason behind it, and I think that this is a good opportunity. What about you, Leon?」
Sky Winged Knights had earned enough achievements that it wouldn’t have been strange if they had created a clan long ago. And yet, they had been slow to do so because they had wanted to create the clan in a better situation.
If they got a good assessment from the very beginning and started dashing once the clan was created, the management of the clan would be easier. They had decided on this policy based on discussions among everyone in the party.
「I think that it's a good opportunity too. But I'll need to hear the opinions of the other two」
「Oh, in that case, they've already said that they had no problems with it」
「Ehh!? You've discussed it already!? Without me, the leader!?」
「I only asked the two of them if they had received the letter. The conversation sort of went on from there」
Even so, Leon couldn’t help but feel shocked.
「I'm aware that I'm the leader in name only, but even so, that’s too horrible……」
「Don't sulk! I'm sorry about that!」
When Kaim put his arm around his shoulders and shook him, just like he did when they were children, a sigh escaped Leon’s lips.
†
†
There’s no time like the present, was how the saying went. The following day, Leon and Kaim went to the Seeker Guild to submit an application for the creation of a clan.
When they stated their business at the reception desk, they were led readily to a room in the back for some reason. Normally, it would take a few days to get a response, but perhaps there was a reason behind that too?
They waited in the reception room, and before long, an elderly white-haired gentleman in a tailcoat appeared.
「I’m Harold Jenkins, the Seeker Guild's Inspector No. 3. Pleased to make your acquaintance」
「I'm Leon Frederik, the leader of Sky Winged Knights」
After they bowed to each other, Harold smiled gently.
「I’ve heard a lot about Sky Winged Knights. I'm very happy that the strongest party among the B Ranks has finally decided to create a clan」
「No, we still have a long way to go」
「There’s no need to be humble. After all, Sky Winged Knights have already obtained the title of『Dragon Slayer』. It’s a difficult undertaking even for mid-ranked clans, and you accomplished it with just four people, so you should be proud of your strength. If anything, that kind of humility will only sound like sarcasm」
Dragon Slayer, it was a designation for those who had literally slain a dragon-type Beast. The dragon-type was extremely powerful, even among Beasts, and it was an opponent that even mid-ranked clans would have a hard time against. Accordingly, subjugating a dragon-type was one of the great achievements for Seekers.
The one that Sky Winged Knights had subjugated was Aiatar, a Beast of depth seven. Although it wasn't capable of flight, it was a powerful opponent that was covered in tough scales, exhaled poisonous gas and could even become invisible. But they had succeeded in subjugating it a year ago.
「Now, let's get to the main topic. For a party like yours with substantial achievements and a reputation for good behavior on top of that, you can be approved as a clan without the need for an interview. I believe that wholeheartedly. But--」
Harold paused his words briefly and his eyebrows drooped in sadness.
「We, the Seeker Guild reject Sky Winged Knights’ clan application. My sincerest apologies」
Harold's reply was a bolt out of the blue.
Leon and Kaim were stunned, then in the next moment, they shouted.
「What’s the reason for rejecting it!?」「What do you mean, you reject it!?」
「It’s understandable for you to feel baffled. I’ll explain now, but before that, I would like the two of you to make a promise to absolutely not leak whatever you hear here today. Can the both of you agree to that?」
Leon and Kaim looked at each other and then nodded.
「I understand, I promise」
「Then, I'm going to speak plainly. Soon, a Variant will cross over」
「A Variant!?」
「Yes, that's right. Accordingly, the Seeker Guild has decided to narrow down the parties that we'll allow to create clans. The reason is simple. By reducing the distribution of the requests, we plan to build up each individual clan’s fighting strength」
「In other words, are you saying that we aren’t suitable to be nurtured by the country?」
When Leon asked in a trembling voice, Harold nodded.
「You’re exactly right, Leon. You’re really outstanding. But there are doubts in terms of your future potential. A year ago, when you defeated Aiatar and earned the title of Dragon Slayer, why didn't you immediately create a clan? You should have obtained more than enough achievements and funds」
「That is...... I had intended to create a clan when we were in a more perfect condition……」
「It's good to be careful. But that caution is the cause of our concern. The concern of whether the Sky Winged Knights would really be stronger than they are now by the time the Variant crosses over, if they created a clan now」
「Th, that's……」
To think that the prudence that they had exercised so far in order to make rapid progress later would unexpectedly backfire in this way. Leon’s mind went blank at this unforeseen development.
「Wait a minute! You’re the ones who asked us to create a clan! What are you trying to pull by rejecting us despite that!?」
Kaim yelled as he slammed the letter that they had received onto the table.
「What could this letter be?」
Harold scrutinized the letter in his hand, then tilted his head.
「This letter isn’t sent by our Guild though?」
「Impossible! Then, who was the one who sent it!?」
「I have no idea. Isn't this just a prank?」
「A prank…… you said?」
Dumbfounded, Kaim’s shoulders dropped. Since Harold had denied it, the only conceivable answer was that it was really just a prank. But what was the point of playing this prank like this?
「Anyway, that’s the result this time. However, once the Variant has been defeated, we’ll be able to accept your application. I apologize, but please submit your application again at that time」
With a polite bow, Harold started to leave the room. Leon immediately stood up and stopped him loudly.
「Please wait! Can you give us a chance!?」
He was aware that he was asking for something unreasonable. But he didn't want to succumb to this absurd turn of events. There was no meaning in waiting until the Variant was defeated. If the Sky Winged Knights couldn’t become a clan right now, it would leave an unpleasant feeling in their hearts forever. Not just for Leon and Kaim, but also for Ophelia and Vlaclav. As the leader, there was no way that he could accept something like that.
「Please! Please acknowledge us as a clan!」
When Leon bowed his head, Harold sighed and slowly returned.
「I understand. I’ll give you a chance」
「Really!?」「Is this for real!?」
「Yes, in exchange, you must undergo a test」
「A test?」
「Your party will have to subjugate a Beast that I stipulate. If your party can accomplish that, your clan application will be approved」
「And, which Beast will we have to subjugate?」
「It’s a Beast that just happened to have crossed over. Depth eight, Dantalion. I’ll have your party subjugate this Beast」
「Depth, eight……」
It was a Beast that was even stronger than the Aiatar. Leon swallowed. Could they really win? When he hesitated over his reply, Kaim put his hand on Leon’s shoulder.
「Leon, don't be indecisive. In any case, if we continue as Seekers, we’ll need to fight against even more powerful enemies. If that’s the case, there's no meaning in being indecisive, right?」
Leon nodded at Kaim’s strong words.
「Understood. Harold, please let us take that test」
「I’ve acknowledged your decision. However, subjugating the Beast isn't all there is to the test. It'll also be a contest with a certain party」
「A certain party?」
「Yes, that party also objected to the rejection of their clan application. They had cried and begged for a chance. In our opinion, and according to the previously mentioned policy, the Guild believes that it’s reasonable to allow only one out of these two parties to create a clan」
As Harold was explaining unilaterally, he looked over at the door to the connecting room.
「Their representative is waiting over there. I'll call him over now. --I’ve obtained consent from Sky Winged Knights! Please come over here!」
The door was opened, and a youth in a black coat, with features so beautiful that he could be mistaken for a woman, appeared calmly with a teacup in one hand.
「Oh, members of Sky Winged Knights, we just met yesterday, didn’t we?」
「Noel Stollen……」
What did you guys think of this POV from Sky Winged Knights? Honestly, Kaim seems like he would be a better leader than Leon. And a small fun fact on Sky Winged Knights: I've translated their name fairly literally, but if I were to be more figurative and be more loose with it, I could use a more audacious name like Order of Celestial Knights. It would actually fit a little better because it sounds more audacious and more like a do-gooder name. Then, why didn't I just use that name? Well....... you'll have to stay tuned to find out (^_-)
And isn't Harold going too far here despite him telling Marion not to do so? So many lies there, Harold you sly old dog. And no prizes for guessing who's behind the prank. The story is barreling onwards at full speed now towards the end of this arc. More importantly, how is Noel going to win against an entire party of B Ranks in a contest to kill a dangerous Beast!? You seriously shouldn't miss what comes next!
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