"Where are you going with this?" I asked, narrowing my eyes towards Leo.
Upon hearing my question, Leo put a small smile on his face and shrugged as if it was no big deal. However, his next words were certainly quite strange, even for him.
"How about we cooperate with each other? In other words, let's use each other more efficiently"
Leo's words seriously caught me by surprise, but I maintained a stoic expression. I didn't expect him to broach this subject so abruptly. After all, who really tells someone to their face that they're going to use them? However, for some reason, Leo seemed confident that I would accept his proposal.
"So basically, you want to use me, and you expect me to do the same?" I asked, seeking confirmation, while Leo just nodded.
"Not a bad proposition, right? We don't have to be enemies. It's true that I don't like you, but that doesn't change the fact that you're strong. I see no reason not to use you, and I'm sure you think the same of me. After all, if it wasn't for that, you would have killed me already, right?" Leo asked with a smirk, his gaze showing that he was clearly convinced by his words.
Even though I hated to admit it, Leo was right. The reason I hadn't gotten rid of him until now was simply because he was useful. Honestly, I didn't want to get rid of him, at least not for the time being. So, his proposal was indeed tempting. However, even though it was tempting, I still had my doubts.
"How do you expect me to trust you after everything that has happened? I know you know what that guy I eliminated did; your expression gave it away. And yet, you chose to oppose me. How can I be sure you won't repeat the same behavior?"
Listening to my response, Leo suddenly began to laugh softly. Then he raised his gaze and stared at me.
"You don't need to trust me. In fact, I don't think we need to trust each other. But, like you, I'll keep using you as long as you're useful, nothing more, nothing less... But well, since you need some reassurance, maybe I can fix that"
Saying this, Leo turned around and clapped his hands, the sound echoing in the air, amplified by the Ether, sounding much louder than usual.
"Hey folks, I'd like to discuss with you what happened some time ago, when we lost one of our comrades!" exclaimed Leo.
Although I still had my doubts about him, I allowed him to continue, as it seemed this time he had no intentions of harming me. Besides, upon pondering the matter, I couldn't see what he would gain from further harming me.
"After hearing the other side, I found out that, in fact, our comrade who died some time ago tried to commit murder. Everything that happened was simply a fight in self-defense. That's why we should trust each other so that we can overcome this hellish place together, so we can go back home, to our families. We shouldn't fight against ourselves, but against the monsters. Remember what's really important to you" Leo concluded. After a few seconds of silence, applause began to sound throughout the area.
As the applause echoed around us, Leo turned towards me with a smirk on his lips. Even I had to admit he had gained impressive control over the people here, except for Ellen and Noelle; he had influence over everyone else. That, honestly, wasn't good news for me. It was obvious that confronting him would be reckless, and admitting that was, in a way, a more pragmatic choice.
"I understand... it doesn't seem like I have many options, right? Okay, I'll do it your way. Let's work together, at least until we find a way out of this situation" I muttered, sighing.
"I'm glad with your decision. I hope our partnership is long-lasting" said Leo, his smile unchanged.
***
"Honestly... I don't know how to react to all this" replied Ellen beside me, with a peculiar expression on her face.
After all the conversation with Leo, we entered the forest and started making our way to what would be our new camp. Barely five minutes had passed since the beginning of our journey, and as everything was calm, I decided to share with Ellen what I had discussed with Leo earlier.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. Besides, we should make the most of every opportunity we get. I'm sure you've noticed that as the days pass, the monsters get stronger and their numbers increase"
Upon hearing my words, Ellen clearly showed she had something to say but chose to remain silent. Probably she understood my point of view and thus couldn't come up with an immediate response.
"I've trusted you so far, so I'll keep trusting you. But, even though I don't know what it is, you must have some kind of assurance in case he betrays us, right?" asked Ellen, her gaze intensifying towards me.
I get her point. We would be keeping a potentially dangerous guy close to her sister. It was an expected question, and even if it wasn't something I liked, my only defense was my rune. Of course, I would do everything to avoid dying again. The pain was unbearable, and strangely, it seemed like the second time took longer than the first.
It was probably because, this time, I was stabbed instead of being attacked and devoured like the first time. Anyway, it's comforting to have an assurance, although I really prefer not to have to use it if possible.
"Don't worry. If he tries anything, I'll notice. Besides, I have a feeling he's a bit like me, so I don't think he'll try anything against us as long as he thinks it's advantageous to have us on his side" I replied, flashing a half-smile.
Leo might understand my line of reasoning, but that didn't mean I didn't understand his.