Ch.40Group Project (4)

Though the start was a bit shaky, the progress itself went smoothly. Part of it was because the group project topic was perfect for me, and Leona, who had been in conflict with Aira, followed along without complaint afterward.

Benjamin, who had nearly been caught in the crossfire, was able to participate in the assignment after receiving a book from Leona. So the real discussion began on Friday evening after all classes had ended.

“Ah, when will Miss Aira arrive?”

“I don’t know either. She’ll come eventually.”

On Friday, at the restaurant entrance we’d designated as our meeting place.

Benjamin and I were talking about Aira, who showed no sign of appearing. Leona, standing beside us, didn’t say anything, but her already stiff expression had hardened even further.

Without smartphones or even telephones in this world, it was frustrating not knowing where she might be.

“She clearly told us to gather during the military studies lecture…”

As Benjamin pointed out, all our group members attend the military studies lecture. After the lecture ended, Aira had called all of us together and emphasized that we must gather by the appointed time.

She even warned that she would issue a warning if anyone was late, but now she herself had broken the promise. What was she trying to do?

“What if she doesn’t come at all? That would be bad…”

As Benjamin muttered anxiously, I glanced at him. He was nervously biting his nails, seemingly worried about Aira’s absence.

I should probably reassure him. I looked at him and spoke casually.

“Don’t worry too much. She probably has some reason she can’t talk about. If Aira doesn’t come after 10 minutes, let’s just discuss among ourselves.”

“Is, is that okay?”

“Why not? It would be a waste to just disband because Aira isn’t here.”

“But Aira is our group leader… she might scold us later for proceeding without her.”

Benjamin’s response momentarily confused me. What nonsense is this? It was as if he thought of Aira as someone above him. But thinking about it, Benjamin is a commoner, and Aira is a viscount’s daughter.

The status difference is enormous, so Benjamin naturally thinks of Aira as a superior. It’s a pathology of the class system, and I couldn’t say anything about it.

If I revealed my true thoughts, I might receive strange looks instead.

‘Am I the strange one here?’

That’s probably the case.

Even Marie from House Reckyless, who practices noblesse oblige, considers it natural to receive formal speech from commoners. The only reason she speaks casually with me is because I’m at least a noble.

Moreover, a commoner speaking informally to a noble is clearly an offense against “authority.” Even House Reckyless, while not abusing their power, strictly prevents approaches to their authority.

But we must clearly distinguish between authority and authoritarianism. While authority is simply having legitimacy, authoritarianism is exercising dominance using that legitimacy.

Of course, once authoritarianism became severe, an event similar to the French Revolution from my previous life occurred—the Jeiros Revolution. As a result, authoritarianism weakened across all countries, but authority remained intact.

‘I can’t ask him to go back to using formal speech now.’

Benjamin would quietly comply, but he would feel terrible. Taking back what you’ve given is the most unpleasant thing in the world.

‘By the way, why isn’t our small and modest group leader showing her face?’

She set the time herself, but not even a strand of her hair was visible, which was making me increasingly angry. I couldn’t understand why she volunteered to be the group leader if she was going to act like this.

“I, I need to go to the bathroom for a moment!”

Benjamin, who had been fidgeting like a puppy needing to pee, said this and ran to the bathroom. Judging by how he clutched his stomach as he ran, he wasn’t trying to escape but genuinely had a stomachache.

Anyway, with Benjamin gone, only Leona and I remained at the restaurant entrance. There wasn’t a single person walking in the corridor on Friday. Only a quiet silence settled, blooming awkwardness.

In the suddenly awkward situation, I glanced at Leona. Coincidentally, Leona was also looking at me from the corner of her eye.

“… …”

“… …”

We looked at each other from the corners of our eyes, then turned our heads completely. As I turned my head, I noticed Leona’s expressionless face.

While I was wondering what to say in this situation, surprisingly, Leona spoke first.

“Hey. Penguin.”

Her tone was completely different from when she maintained her concept. I was startled by her chic call, but then frowned at the word “penguin” that came out of Leona’s mouth.

It was honestly absurd that she would call me penguin instead of using my proper name.

For reference, penguins exist in this world too. They live in regions cold enough for glaciers to form, like the Antarctic or Arctic, and their appearance, according to the guidebooks, is identical.

But befitting a fantasy world, there’s a species that lives in lava zones rather than glacier zones. Those aren’t animals but monsters that harm people.

Anyway, that’s enough explanation. Responding to Leona is the priority now. I don’t understand why she’s calling me a penguin.

“Why call me a penguin when I have a perfectly good name?”

“Just because you look like a penguin.”

With no one around, she seemed to have dropped her concept, laughing and teasing me. I was momentarily dumbfounded, then immediately counterattacked.

“You look like a dog.”

“…Want to die? I’m a lion, not a dog.”

Leona frowned and growled like a beast. She seemed more upset about being treated as a dog than about the insult itself.

I tilted my head slightly and asked another question. I couldn’t think of any beastkin other than dogs or cats.

“Then a cat?”

“Don’t compare me to mere felines. It’s very disrespectful to a great lion tribe member like me.”

“You called a human a penguin.”

“… …”

She had nothing to say about that point, scratching her head awkwardly. She turned her head away, pretending to be distracted.

I snorted at the sight before speaking.

“So why did you call me? Did you have something to say?”

“I was wondering what you think of that woman.”

By “that woman,” she must mean Aira. That’s certainly it.

I thought carefully about Leona’s question. Having been pushed around so much during group projects, someone like Aira was a blessing in disguise.

As they say, better the devil you know. Whenever I thought of the chaotic party, I naturally thought she was at least better than that. If it had been Jackson instead of Aira, the group project would have been completely ruined.

“Well? She’s proactive, so I can’t complain much. Just the type I wish would do her own work? That’s about it. What about you?”

“I don’t like her. Everyone else is working hard, but she’s trying to have fun alone. Acting like a noble. When you look closer, she’s nothing.”

Her harsh criticism continued, perhaps because of her bad first impression. I couldn’t deny it was true.

I watched her grumbling for a while, then a question occurred to me.

“Are there no nobles in Animus?”

Animus is a country of beastkin established 300 years ago. They gathered beastkin scattered around the world, united them, and built their own civilization.

Leona shook her head at my question. I thought this meant there were no nobles in Animus, but that wasn’t it either.

“We don’t have viscounts or whatever like the human world, but the authority one can exercise differs according to individual strength. As you might know, beastkin have a strong culture of revering physical prowess.”

“So there are separate ranks?”

“Of course there are. Want me to tell you?”

I nodded. I rarely had the opportunity to learn about beastkin ecology, so this was fortunate.

When I nodded, Leona smiled slightly and raised her chin a bit. She seemed to be organizing her explanation.

“Let’s see. First…”

“Hey guys~!”

Before Leona could speak, a familiar voice reached my ears. It was the voice of a lively girl whose voice hadn’t yet changed.

Leona closed her mouth, and I shifted my gaze toward the sound.

As everyone expected, our group leader Aira, who was very late for the appointed time, was approaching with a bright expression. Seeing her smile like that despite being late made me think she was quite shameless.

Then Aira stood in front of us and expressed her confusion with wide eyes. It seemed she noticed that only the two of us were present, without Benjamin.

“Huh? Why are there only two people? Where’s the curly-haired one?”

Aira referred to Benjamin as “curly-haired” even though we’d already been introduced. It was clear she viewed Benjamin, a commoner, as beneath her.

I opened my mouth to answer as she looked directly at me. Surely she wouldn’t make a fuss about him going to the bathroom when she herself was late.

“Benjamin went to the bathroom for a moment. He’ll be back soon.”

“What? The bathroom?”

Aira frowned at my answer about the bathroom. She seemed to be expressing “Are you joking?” in her expression.

Then she crossed her arms and asked me in a suspicious voice.

“He didn’t run away, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“When did he go to the bathroom?”

“About 5 minutes ago.”

“And he’s still not back, which means…”

“He went for number two, so you don’t need to be suspicious.”

I preempted Aira before she could express unnecessary suspicion. She had shown authoritarian tendencies since becoming the group leader, and I was concerned she might do so again.

Originally, a group leader is closer to being a “person in charge,” but in this world, it gets mixed with the class system and transforms into authority. This was evident when Aira gave Leona a warning last time.

Aira looked at me intently after hearing my words, then eventually smirked. It was an expression of contempt.

Then she put her hands on her hips and spoke in a refreshingly clear tone.

“Do we really need to wait for him?”

“…What?”

What fresh nonsense is this? It’s beyond hypocrisy; it’s as if her conscience has exploded.

Meanwhile, Aira confidently expressed her thoughts with her hand on her chest. I don’t know what she’s relying on, but she seems to have a thick skin.

“I have to wait because I’m the group leader, but he isn’t, right? Besides, I’m not that late, and it’s his fault for not being able to wait that time.”

“… …”

“So let’s go without the curly-haired one. If he asks where we went later, we can just make up an excuse.”

Where did she leave her conscience to say such things? While I was shocked and dumbfounded, Aira subtly grabbed my arm and gently pulled me.

It was clearly an action trying to take me away. I was startled and quickly pulled my arm away.

“…What are you doing?”

When I pulled my arm away, Aira’s voice dropped rapidly. Her face also crumpled, suggesting she was displeased that I had withdrawn my arm.

But regardless of her mood, I had to say what needed to be said. I wanted to express my indignation, but I held back once because she was a viscount’s daughter.

“Actually, I should be asking you that, Miss Aira. What exactly are you doing?”

“I just wanted to go quickly, what’s the problem? Oh! Are you worried that we can’t discuss without one commoner? Don’t worry about that. There won’t be any problem just because one commoner is missing. We’re enough by ourselves.”

I wonder if Leona is included in “we.” Aira was smiling brightly but didn’t even glance at Leona.

I was confused about whether Aira’s mental world was strange or if this was the mindset of nobles. This seemed quite serious regardless.

“Lady Aira. The professor also said it would be beneficial to keep all group members until the end. If you leave Benjamin behind, you, as the group leader, will face disadvantages.”

Finally, Leona, who couldn’t stand listening anymore, advised Aira. She used her characteristically stiff tone, but there was a slight anger embedded in it.

However, perhaps because the advice came from Leona, a “commoner” and not a noble, Aira’s expression became even more hostile than before.

Despite her doll-like, elegant appearance, she exuded a fierce aura.

“We two are talking right now. Why are you butting in?”

“I’m just worried about potential harm to you, Lady Aira.”

“Harm from something like this? Aren’t you being too naive? My brother told me there has never been a case where points were deducted just because one person was missing. Rather, Professor Virus gave that one person a zero.”

I wish I could open her skull and look inside her brain. I wonder what kind of home education she received to have such a mindset.

Or maybe…

‘…Is she trying to drive Leona away?’

Aira might be deliberately saying such things to drive away Leona, not Benjamin. From their first meeting, Aira probably realized that Leona has a personality that speaks her mind.

So Benjamin is just an excuse, and she’s making unreasonable proposals to pick a fight.

“Still, what’s wrong is wrong. We waited for you, Lady Aira, so we should wait for Benjamin too.”

“Then you can wait all you want and have a cozy discussion with him. I’ll do it with him alone.”

At Leona’s comment, Aira seized the opportunity and grabbed my arm, pulling it towards her chest. Unlike Cecilly’s softness, a flat feeling transmitted through my arm.

Anyway, the surprise was the same for both. I was greatly startled by the sudden skinship and tried to pull away, but she was holding on too strongly.

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

“Wh-what are you doing? Let go of this quickly.”

“I don’t want to. You’re coming with me, right?”

As if I’d be alone with you, crazy woman. But contrary to my inner thoughts, I couldn’t help but hesitate when I met Aira’s eyes.

Her profound yet greedy gaze and subtly raised corners of her mouth. It was an expression that showed sticky obsession, determined not to let go of her prey.

‘What did I do?’

Why would she, who had no previous connection with me, show such behavior? I looked at her expression and quietly opened my mouth.

“…Miss Aira.”

“Yes?”

“Right now, what Miss Leona is saying is correct. So please let go.”

“… …”

When I took Leona’s side, Aira’s raised corners of her mouth plummeted. Her sticky gaze instantly turned cold, and the strength she was applying to my arm gradually loosened.

As I slowly pulled my arm away, Aira’s lowered corners of her mouth rose again. Her gaze also began to emanate a dangerous aura.

“Your surname is Ducar Mayshall, right?”

“…Yes, it is.”

Why is she suddenly bringing up my family name? I tensed up at the ominous feeling rising inside me.

Meanwhile, Aira twirled her hair with one hand and spoke in a glib tone.

“As you probably know, the Matheus Viscount family has a very famous order of knights affiliated with them. The Navy Knights.”

“… …”

“And I heard from my brother a few days ago. The son of the former knight commander recently joined. His name was… Dave, I think?”

*twitch*

When Dave’s name was mentioned by Aira, I twitched under my eye. As family matters came from someone else’s mouth, my fist clenched involuntarily.

Not noticing my reaction, Aira continued with what she wanted to say. She was beyond confident; she was arrogant.

“The Navy Knights primarily guard the borders and preemptively block threats to the Empire. It may look honorable on the surface, but to my eyes, they’re just foolish people who voluntarily take on dangerous tasks.”

Is this something a noble, especially the daughter of a military family, should say? Moreover, the Navy Knights encounter beastkin living in tribes, and even occasionally engage in combat with elf reconnaissance teams.

It’s called a border in name only; it’s essentially a frontline. The mortality rate of the Navy Knights is more than three times higher than other knight orders, which gives an idea of how harsh their environment is.

Yet Aira thinks of these knights too lightly. Calling soldiers who sacrifice their freedom to protect the country “foolish people”—she doesn’t deserve to be the daughter of a military family.

“You understand what I’m saying, right?”

Aira speaks haughtily with her arms crossed and chin slightly raised. It’s a message, almost a threat, that you absolutely cannot refuse her proposal.

She probably intended to do something to Dave if I refused. Perhaps she could send him somewhere even worse than the border. As the daughter of a prestigious military family, it’s not entirely impossible.

With these thoughts, I took a long breath after hearing her threatening question.

“Yes, I understand.”

There’s no choice now.

“You bitch.”

Let’s all go down together.