Chapter 8: In this world, the weak have no rights (5).
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
The waves gently beat the beach sand as the sunlight reflected on it.
The morning was slowly turning into noon.
On a high cliff near the beach, two boys were sitting close to each other while watching the people below them.
Nom nom nom nom nom nom.
All that could be heard here was the sound of chewing meat.
"Nom nom nom nom, in your opinion, what will Leon do to them?"
With the sound of meat chewing in his mouth, one of the boys spoke concisely.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't want to know. What matters is something else, Deo!"
The boy with black hair opposite the boy who was eating shouted angrily.
There was a long strand of hair dangling over the back of his neck, but it was tied to look like a string from behind his back.
The strand of hair swayed with every movement he made as he held his spear.
"What is it, Lloyd?"
The boy named Deo asked about his friend's intentions.
What was more important than the fate of these poor souls?
"Don't you see?! There! It's a woman. It hasn't even been a day since his arrival, and he's already with a woman!"
"And us? Three days! Three cursed days, and nothing has happened yet!"
Lloyd grumbled angrily as he stared at the sight before him of a boy and a girl facing 11 people.
"…I feel uneasy for some reason."
Deo glared slightly in Leon's direction.
In the first place, it wasn't about whether they were attracted to women or not.
In their lives, since they were young, they didn't have time to be preoccupied with the opposite sex.
Their lives were a journey of ups and downs; their survival and strength now were the results of their struggle in that journey.
They didn't care much about women from the beginning.
Despite that, despite that…
'This sight bothers me.'
The more he saw, the more uneasy he became.
They hadn't arrived since the beginning of what happened; therefore, they didn't understand what had happened.
In their current belief, Leon had escaped from them to meet a woman; no matter what his intentions were, that was a clearly visible fact.
"I think a good idea has come to my mind, Lloyd."
After being silent for a while, Deo spoke in a solemn voice.
"…I'm listening."
"What do you think about increasing the audience? Our friend, wouldn't he thank us greatly if he became famous?"
"Hohoho~ What a wonderful friend you are! I'm sure he'll be delighted if he hears you now!"
"It's all for our dear friend! Shouldn't a man show his best qualities to impress a woman? Therefore, this is for his benefit!"
"You're right… you're right! When he knows our good intentions, he will certainly understand us! Hohoho~!"
Lloyd laughed like an old man as he put his hands behind his back.
"Isn't that right?! Therefore, Leon… wait for me!"
"Hahaha!"
Deo, in a laughing voice, jumped off the cliff, and Lloyd followed him without even batting an eyelid.
'Just wait for me! You treacherous scoundrel!'
'I'll make sure you get star treatment today!'
Leon's good friends held malicious thoughts, contrary to their benevolent and loving smiles.
Returning to the group stationed on the beach.
A beautiful girl with no expression stood with a boy bearing a noble smile.
For some reason, his sincere smile made one feel ominous.
His crimson eyes held a strange gleam.
It was as if the previous appearance of annoyance he showed had disappeared without a trace.
She stared at the group in front of her, who showed relaxed expressions; it was as if they had already won.
'This… is a somewhat disturbing situation, but why can't I get rid of this feeling?'
Her expression was cold.
No matter how she thought about it, she should have felt at least a little worried in such a situation.
They were two people against a group of people; therefore, it could be said that it was a somewhat difficult situation.
Let's leave the boy near her aside, from how he showed his strength; there's no need to say anything.
Worrying about him after personally experiencing his strength is considered rude now.
The problem was whether she could withstand the fight.
If she was at her best, she would be sure of her ability to resist or escape in the worst-case scenario.
But the problem doesn't lie here.
After a round of being beaten by her previous opponent—despite not being injured in a noteworthy way—fatigue began to creep over her.
Fatigue would cause her to make some mistakes during the fight.
And here lies the problem; despite all that, she didn't feel the urgency she should feel.
It seemed like…
'Comfort.'
She felt at ease on her side; she knew this feeling well.
This feeling only came when the strong are by your side.
More than that, she felt as if it was the opponents' side that should feel pity and concern.
It was strange to some, but not to others.
This is the kind of world the girl lived in.
As long as the person is strong enough, numbers didn't have much value.
One strong person against an army of weaklings.
Naturally, the result could be easily imagined.
No matter how many schools of fish multiplied or increased in number, in front of a whale, they were nothing more than food.
This is how much the difference is between the strong and the weak.
'Kikiki; who would have expected that I would find him when I came to rest here.'
The boy, Fernando, was already thinking about the expressions of others and their jealousy when this wretched boy appeared to the teacher before them.
The strength he had previously shown when he fell to the ground and when he escaped before everyone's eyes was certainly worrisome, but Fernando didn't feel that concern.
'He might be somewhat strong, but we outnumber him.'
Fernando stared at his group of 10 people.
While the opponent was one person, they were eleven people, not to mention the girl standing with the target.
As long as he convinces her to join their group, the number would be 12 against one person.
Fernando couldn't imagine the boy having a chance.
Even if we put the possibility that the boy defeats them all, that would also be good.
That means the opponent is a strong person.
The weak must rely on the strong to survive.
In this world, the weak have no rights.
This is a principle Fernando understands very well.
Therefore, he wasn't in a hurry to catch him; the longer he takes to catch him, the higher the value of catching him becomes.
Societies worked like that sometimes.
Why did the knights in the empire take a long time to catch criminals? Was it because of the difficulty of catching them?
Nonsense; the governments on the continent were firmly in control of the people; how could a mere wretched fugitive escape them?
The reason was simple; the longer a criminal remains free, the greater the likelihood of him committing crimes.
What if that criminal's massacres and sins increased?
He would be considered a dangerous criminal, and his reputation would increase.
Then? The honor and benefits of capturing him would become greater.
What motivated people often was benefit and honor, not virtue and righteousness.
How many crimes have the righteous factions committed in the name of virtue and goodness before?
No one cared because they possessed glory, honor, and then power.
That was why no one pointed out their sins.
Fernando, who lived among the nobles, understood this fact deeply.
"Therefore, it's better that I take my time as much as possible."
He muttered in a low voice as he directed his gaze toward his prey.
Don't hate me for not being polite, but that's how the world is; don't blame yourself for having a sharp tongue.
He deeply concealed his intentions with arrogant thoughts.
It was only now that he took a good look at the people in front of him.
'A flower atop the cliff; unparalleled beauty!'
He was stunned when the words naturally crossed his mind.
This girl was probably the most beautiful he had ever seen in his life.
Words had no right to express the extent of her enchanting beauty.
Upon closer observation, Fernando could see her dirty clothes and sand-covered face; she seemed to be injured.
Even so, that didn't diminish her beauty.
As he contemplated her beauty, an idea popped into his head.
'This will work; it might be a somewhat rough approach, but the result will be good.'
A bright smile appeared on his face; this girl's beauty would help to incite his group.
If successful, he would be able to concentrate on his training.
And if he failed? He would have no one to blame but himself for his weakness.
He would accomplish another feat with his first days here.
"Wipe that expression off your face… you look like a pig about to mate!"
A voice laced with annoyance pulled Fernando out of his daydreams.
He was about to open his mouth to mock him in turn when the red-eyed boy in front of him interrupted him in a loud tone.
"Damn it! First, effeminate, then a sword fanatic, and now a wild boar! My god! Isn't there a normal person in this cursed place?!"
Veins appeared on Fernando's forehead as his anger rose.
"This scoundrel?!" he muttered, as if irritated.
"Sword fanatic?"
An indifferent and calm voice came from the girl's mouth; despite that, Leon could see her eyes shining slightly.
Even her voice had some satisfaction.
She nodded repeatedly as if his words were correct.
Leon knew this type of reaction; it came when a person felt praised.
'This fool… she seems to have taken my words as praise… no, no, I won't bother myself talking to her; I'll get wrinkles like this.'
Annoyance appeared on his face, and his expressions became ugly.
One normal person; I'm not asking for much; let me meet a normal person!
Not so beautiful like the foolish sword fanatic or not so ugly that she resembles a pig more than a pig itself!
Please!
He sighed angrily as he watched the group in front of him.
"You son of a bitch! Dare to shout insults while not understanding your situation?!"
He remained silent for a while; it seemed as if the people in front of him were saying something in a loud voice.
"What? Understand my situation? And who says that? Huh? You?"
Leon laughed heartily as if he had heard a very funny joke.
An interesting idea popped into his mind.
"Instead, you seem to me like a little lamb that doesn't know its place."
His voice came out provocatively as if stating a clear truth.
The girl beside Leon felt that his honest attitude made him even more annoying.
'My intuition was right; his attitude doesn't seem like the attitude of someone in trouble.'
This girl had always trusted her instincts more than her intellect.
His attitude was similar to his attitude when he first landed on the island.
"Such cheap words won't work on me."
The voice of the "huge pig" in front of her, according to Leon, came out coldly.
His expressions were harsh as if he was restraining himself from exploding in anger.
"What trickery? This is the truth, though?"
An amused expression appeared on Leon's face; the situation was truly entertaining.
'Son of a—'
Fernando took a deep breath; he made a gesture as if he had to calm his nerves so that he wouldn't act rashly.
The source of his confidence in victory from the beginning lay in their numbers, not in his own strength.
Therefore, he shouldn't appear pitiful.
That's how his group felt from his reaction.
He had to incite his group against his opponent, not the other way around.
In the first place, they had followed him because he was the strongest among them, and his family was the most prominent.
There was no such thing as solidarity or teamwork among them.
He must build the foundation to consolidate his leadership.
With such thoughts, his expression became cold.
He was about to start speaking—
"Alright, you'll be somewhat annoying to our little one here; therefore, I'll get rid of you myself."
A voice colder than the ice of the northern sea came from the mouth of the boy in front of him.
His sarcastic expression and stoic attitude had already disappeared; his expression was fierce like a predator.
"…Huh?"
An involuntary voice came from Fernando's mouth.
One step.
All he remembered was the boy in front of him taking one step forward before the world became blurry.
"Sleep a little now, boy, because I'll need you later."
He heard a voice near him; it was as if the boy had moved from his place to be behind him.
'What happened?'
Fernando lost consciousness with such a thought.
The surrounding environment froze.
The sound of gentle waves is all that could be heard.
The group behind the unconscious boy felt as if what happened was unbelievable.
What broke the silence was Leon's indifferent voice.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to advance?"
No one moved.
"Tsk tsk tsk, what cowards you are, little one."
"…What?"
The girl had a stiff expression, but she was inwardly surprised.
'Fast.'
His speed was absurd.
Neither her eyesight nor instincts could understand anything when she saw the boy standing behind the unconscious opponent.
Everything happened in a moment.
She couldn't get out of her astonishment for a moment.
Leon chuckled faintly.
This would make her think more deeply about his words.
"Since we're at it, fight them."
The girl remained silent.
Fight them? What did he mean?
As if noticing her thoughts, he said in a solemn voice:
"Instead of just telling you, fight these scoundrels; I'll guide you, and you must listen to every word I tell you."
"…This is absurd; don't you think so?"
Her skeptical voice came out, but she began to adjust her posture.
Despite the enemies' superiority in number, Leon is present; therefore, there shouldn't be a problem.
His ability to incapacitate the group leader before everyone's eyes increased her conviction.
"…Is he mocking us?"
"This scoundrel! How does he think that a mere woman can defeat us?!"
"Fine! As you wish! We'll finish you off after dealing with this woman!"
Words of disdain came from the mouths of the young men as their faces were ugly.
It would have been fine if he fought them and they scorned him; at least they could accept it by saying they were unlucky to fight him.
But to make an injured lone woman fight them? And what? Guide her?
That's too much!
No matter how strong he is, there are limits to arrogance.
This scoundrel doesn't know how high the sky really is!
"You heard them."
Leon spoke in one concise word, with his previous stoic face.
"Yes…"
The girl's expression was cold.
The sound that came from her lips was as sharp as her sword.
'I hope this fool doesn't kill them.'
Leon, who saw how she drew her sword and began to attack, expressed concern for someone for the first time.
"Fine; let's carry this boy and wait for the rest of the scoundrels."
Leon carried Fernando's body as he dropped him on a tree trunk near the beach.
The unfolding fight before his eyes resembled a fight of chicks.
'This boy will probably have a nightmare he doesn't want to remember.'
The boy behind him's facial expressions fluctuated between grimness and regret.
"I look forward to knowing what kind of person you are; are you weak or strong?"
While putting his hands behind his back, Leon lightly walked toward the battleground of the little chicks.