Chapter 40: Group Project(4)
Chapter 40: Group Project(4)
Though the start had been rocky, the progress itself was smooth. The topic of the group project was a perfect fit for me, and even Leona, who had clashed with Aira, followed along without further complaint.
Benjamin, who had nearly been crushed in the crossfire between the two powerhouses, was able to participate after receiving the books from Leona. Thus, our serious discussions began on Friday evening, after all classes had ended.
"U-um, I wonder when Aira-ssi will get here?"
"I don't know. She'll show up eventually."
It was Friday, and we were standing in front of the restaurant we had chosen as our meeting spot.
Benjamin and I discussed the whereabouts of Aira, who showed no sign of appearing. Leona, standing beside us, didn't say much, but her naturally stiff expression grew even more rigid.
Since there were no phones here, let alone smartphones, it was frustrating not knowing where she was.
"She specifically told us to gather here during the Military Science lecture..."
As Benjamin noted, everyone in our group was taking the Military Science course. After the lecture ended, Aira had gathered us all and emphasized that we must meet at the appointed time.
She had even warned us that she would issue a warning to anyone who was late, yet she was the one breaking the appointment. I had no idea what she was playing at.
"What if she doesn't come? That would be bad..."
I glanced at Benjamin as he muttered anxiously. He was biting his nails out of habit, clearly uneasy about Aira's absence.
It seemed I needed to reassure him. I looked at him and spoke in a casual tone, as if it were no big deal.
"Don't be so anxious. I'm sure she has a reason she can't talk about. If she's not here in ten minutes, let's just start the discussion ourselves."
"W-would that be okay?"
"Why not? It would be a waste to just disband because Aira-ssi isn't here."
"But Aira-nim is the leader... we might get scolded later for doing it without her."
I was momentarily bewildered by Benjamin's response. What kind of nonsense is this? It was as if he viewed Aira as someone fundamentally superior to himself. But on second thought, Benjamin was a commoner and Aira was the daughter of a Marquis.
The gap in social status was immense, so Benjamin naturally regarded Aira as a high-ranking superior. It was a malady of the class society; even if I wanted to say something, I couldn't.
If I spoke my mind carelessly, I might be the one receiving strange looks.
I'm the weird one here, aren't I?
Probably.
Even Mari of the Rekilis family, who practiced Noblesse Oblige, took it for granted that commoners addressed her with honorifics. The only reason I could speak casually with her was that I was technically a noble myself.
Furthermore, for a commoner to speak informally to a noble was considered a direct violation of 'authority.' Even the Rekilis family, while they didn't use their power to bully others, strictly guarded the boundaries of their authority.
However, a clear distinction had to be made between authority and authoritarianism. If authority was simply having legitimacy, authoritarianism was using that legitimacy to exercise dominance.
Of course, there was a time when authoritarianism became so severe that an event similar to the French Revolution, the Jayros Revolution, broke out. As a result, authoritarianism had weakened across all nations, but authority itself remained intact.
Still, I can't exactly tell him to start using honorifics with me again.
Benjamin would probably follow along silently, but he’d feel terrible. The most unpleasant thing in the world is having something given to you and then taken away.
Anyway, why hasn't our petite little leader shown her face yet?
Since she was the one who set the time and yet hadn't even shown a hair of her head, I was starting to get annoyed. I couldn't understand why she volunteered to be the leader if she was going to act like this.
"I-I'll be right back! I need to use the restroom!"
Benjamin, who had been fidgeting like a puppy that needed to go, suddenly blurted that out and ran toward the bathroom. Judging by the way he ran while clutching his stomach, he wasn't trying to escape; he really had a stomachache.
With Benjamin gone, only Leona and I were left standing awkwardly at the restaurant entrance. Since it was Friday, no one was wandering the hallways. Only a heavy, silent stillness settled between us, making the awkwardness bloom.
In the suddenly tense atmosphere, I glanced at Leona. By chance, she was also looking at me out of the corner of her eye.
"... ..."
"... ..."
We both looked at each other sideways before turning our heads away entirely. As I turned back, Leona's expressionless face came into view.
Just as I was debating what to say in this situation, Leona unexpectedly spoke first.
"Hey. Penguin."
Her tone was completely different from when she was maintaining her 'concept.' I flinched at her chic call, but then my brow furrowed at the word 'Penguin.'
Calling me a penguin when I had a perfectly good name—honestly, it was absurd.
For the record, penguins exist in this world too. They live in cold regions where glaciers form, like the North or South Pole, and their appearance is identical to the ones in encyclopedias.
However, this being a fantasy world, there's also a species that lives in volcanic regions instead of glacial ones. Those aren't animals; they're monsters that harm people.
Anyway, enough with the explanation; responding to Leona was the priority. I had no idea why she was calling me a penguin of all things.
"Why are you calling me a penguin when I have a name?"
"You just look like a penguin."
Since no one was around, Leona seemed to have dropped her act, snickering as she teased me. I was dumbfounded for a moment before immediately firing back.
"You look like a dog."
"...Do you want to die? I'm not a dog, I'm a lion."
Leona scowled deeply and growled like a beast. She seemed more offended by being treated as a dog than by the insult itself.
I tilted my head slightly and asked another question. When it came to Beastkin, I could only think of dogs or cats.
"A cat, then?"
"Could you please not compare me to mere Feline-kin? It's incredibly insulting to a member of the great Lion Clan like me."
"You called a human a penguin, though."
"... ..."
She didn't seem to have much to say to that and scratched her head. Feeling embarrassed, she turned her head away and started feigning ignorance.
I snorted at the sight before speaking up.
"So, why did you call me? Did you have something to say?"
"I was just wondering what you think of that woman."
By 'that woman,' she must mean Aira. Surely.
I thought carefully about Leona's question. Having been pushed around so much during group projects in my past life, someone like Aira was actually a godsend.
Moreover, as the saying goes, 'the old official is the best official.' Whenever I thought of the 'Total Chaos Parties' I'd endured before, I couldn't help but think she was better than most. If it had been Jackson instead of Aira, this group project would have been utterly destroyed by now.
"I don't know. She's proactive, so I can't really complain. She's the type where I just wish she'd do her own job. That's about it. What about you?"
"I don't like her. Everyone else is working hard, but she's trying to live easy all by herself. Just because she's a noble. She's a nobody if you really look at her."
Perhaps because the first impression was so bad, the harsh criticism kept coming. I couldn't even deny it because she was right.
I watched her grumble for a moment before a sudden curiosity struck me.
"Are there no nobles in Animus?"
Animus was the nation of Beastkin established 300 years ago. It gathered Beastkin scattered across the world and built its own civilization.
Leona shook her head at my question. Seeing that, I thought there were no nobles in Animus, but that wasn't quite it.
"We don't have things like Marquises like the human world, but the authority you can exercise changes depending on your individual martial power. I don't know if you know, but Beastkin have a culture that deeply reveres martial strength."
"So there are separate ranks?"
"Of course there are. Want me to tell you?"
I nodded. I rarely had the chance to learn about the ecology of Beastkin, so this was a lucky break.
Leona gave a smirk at my nod and lifted her chin slightly. She seemed to be organizing her explanation for a moment.
"Let's see. First of all..."
"Hey, everyone~!"
Before Leona could even speak, a familiar voice reached our ears. It was the cheerful voice of a girl whose voice hadn't quite matured yet.
Leona closed her mouth, and I shifted my gaze toward the source of the sound.
As expected, our group leader, Aira—who was late, very late—was approaching with a bright expression. Seeing her smiling like that despite being late made me think she was incredibly shameless.
Aira stood before us, her eyes widening in feigned curiosity. It seemed she was surprised that Benjamin wasn't there and only the two of us remained.
"Huh? Why are there only two of you? Where's the curly-haired one?"
Even though we had introduced ourselves, Aira referred to Benjamin as 'the curly-haired one.' It was clear she viewed the commoner Benjamin as beneath her.
Since she was looking directly at me while asking, I spoke up to answer. Surely she wouldn't complain about him going to the bathroom, especially since she was the one who was late.
"Benjamin went to the restroom for a moment. He'll be back soon."
"What? The restroom?"
Aira's brow furrowed at my answer. She was perfectly expressing a 'are you kidding me?' sentiment.
She then crossed her arms and asked me for confirmation, her voice laced with suspicion.
"He didn't run away, did he?"
"No, he didn't."
"When did he go?"
"About five minutes ago."
"But seeing as he's not back yet..."
"He went for a 'long' visit, so you don't need to be suspicious."
I cut her off before she could harbor any useless doubts. I was worried because she had shown authoritarian tendencies since becoming the leader.
Originally, a group leader is more of a 'person in charge,' but in this world, combined with the class system, it had morphed into a position of authority. I could tell as much from how she had warned Leona last time.
Aira stared at me for a moment after hearing my words, then let out a smirk. It was an expression of disdain.
She then placed her hands on her hips and spoke in a tone that was disgustingly refreshing.
"Do we really need to wait for him?"
"...Excuse me?"
What kind of fresh bullshit was this? This was beyond a double standard; it was as if her conscience had exploded.
Meanwhile, Aira placed a hand on her chest and boldly stated her thoughts. I didn't know what she was relying on, but she seemed to have skin as thick as iron.
"I'm the leader, so I have to wait, but he doesn't, right? Besides, I'm not that late, and it's his fault for not being able to wait that long."
"... ..."
"So, let's just leave the curly-haired one and go ourselves. If he asks where we went later, we can just make up some excuse."
Where on earth did she leave her conscience to be saying something like that? While I was stunned and speechless by the shock, Aira subtly grabbed my arm and gently pulled.
It was an action clearly intended to lead me away. Startled by the sensation, I quickly pulled my arm back.
"...What are you doing?"
As I pulled my arm away, Aira's voice dropped instantly. Her face crumpled as well; she seemed offended that I had pulled away.
But regardless of whether she was offended or not, I had to say what needed to be said. I wanted to snap at her, but since she was the daughter of a Marquis, I held back once.
"I should be the one asking that, Aira-ssi. What exactly are you doing?"
"I just wanted to go quickly. What's the problem? Ah! Are you worried that we can't have a discussion just because one commoner is missing? Don't worry about that. It won't be a problem at all if just one commoner is gone. The two of us are enough."
Was Leona not included in that 'two of us'? Aira was smiling brightly, yet she didn't even spare a glance at Leona.
I began to wonder if Aira's mental state was just bizarre, or if this was simply how nobles thought. Even so, this was a bit extreme.
"Aira-nim. The professor also said it would be beneficial to keep all group members together until the end. If you leave Benjamin-ssi behind, it will be a disadvantage to you as the leader."
Finally, unable to listen any longer, Leona advised Aira. It was her characteristic stiff tone as per her 'concept,' but there was a faint trace of anger within it.
However, perhaps because the advice came from Leona—a 'commoner' and not a noble—Aira's expression became even more menacing than before.
Despite her doll-like, elegant appearance, a murderous aura wafted from her.
"The two of us are talking right now. Why are you butt-in?"
"I was merely concerned that harm might come to you, Aira-nim."
"Harm from something like this? Aren't you being a bit too naive? I heard from my brother that there hasn't been a single case where points were deducted just because one person was missing. In fact, Professor Virus gave that one person a zero."
I honestly wanted to pop her head open and look inside her brain. I wondered what kind of upbringing resulted in this kind of mindset.
Or maybe...
...Is it to drive Leona away?
Aira might have said those things on purpose to get rid of Leona, not Benjamin. Since their first meeting, Aira had realized that Leona was the type to speak her mind.
So, Benjamin was just an excuse, and she likely brought up a ridiculous proposal just to find a reason to pick a fight.
"Even so, wrong is wrong. Since we waited for you, Aira-nim, I believe we should wait for Benjamin as well."
"Then you can wait all you want and have a cozy discussion just the two of you. I'll do it with him."
At Leona's remark, Aira seized the opportunity to grab my arm and pull it toward her chest. Unlike the soft feeling of Cecile, a flat sensation was transmitted through my arm.
Regardless, the embarrassment was the same. I was greatly surprised by the sudden skinship and tried to pull away, but she was holding on so tightly that it was futile.
In the end, I had no choice but to shout at Aira.
"W-what are you doing? Let go of me this instant."
"I don't want to. You're coming with me, right?"
As if I'd ever be alone with you, you crazy woman. But contrary to my inner thoughts, the moment I met Aira's eyes, I couldn't help but freeze.
Her gaze was deep yet drenched in greed, and her lips were curled into a subtle smirk. It was an expression of sticky obsession, as if she would never let her prey escape.
What did I even do?
Why was she acting like this when we had no prior connection? I stared at her expression before quietly speaking.
"...Aira-ssi."
"Yes."
"What Leona-ssi is saying is right. So please, let go."
"... ..."
As I took Leona's side, the corners of Aira's mouth, which had been turned up, plummeted. Her lingering gaze turned cold in an instant, and the strength she had applied to my arm slowly loosened.
As I slowly pulled my arm away, the corners of Aira's mouth turned back up. Her gaze also began to swirl with a dangerous energy.
"You said your surname was Ducard Maishal, right?"
"...Yes. That's right."
Why was she suddenly bringing up my family name? I tensed up at the ominous feeling rising within me.
Meanwhile, Aira twirled her hair with one hand and spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"As you probably know, the Mathews Marquis family has a very famous knight order under its command. The Navy Knights."
"... ..."
"And I heard from my brother a few days ago. That the son of the former Knight Commander recently joined. His name was... Dave, I think?"
Twitch.
My eye twitched at the mention of Dave's name from Aira's mouth. Hearing my family's story from someone else's lips made my fists clench involuntarily.
Unaware of my reaction, Aira continued what she wanted to say. She was beyond confident; she was arrogant.
"The Navy Knights are primarily responsible for guarding the borders and preemptively blocking elements that threaten the Empire. It looks honorable on the surface, but in my eyes, they're just foolish people who volunteer for dangerous work."
Was that something a noble, especially the daughter of a military family, should say? Furthermore, the Navy Knights often encountered and fought Beastkin tribes and even Elf scouting parties.
It was a border in name only; in reality, it was no different from a front line. Considering that the casualty rate of the Navy Knights was more than three times higher than other knight orders, one could guess how treacherous a place it was.
Yet Aira thought so lightly of those knights. Calling soldiers who sacrifice their freedom to protect the country 'foolish'—she, at least, had no right to be the daughter of a military family.
"You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"
Aira spoke haughtily, her arms crossed and her chin tilted slightly. It was a message akin to a threat, implying that I could never refuse her proposal.
She likely intended to do something to Dave the moment I refused. Perhaps she could send him somewhere even worse than the border. As the daughter of a prestigious military family, it wasn't entirely impossible.
At these thoughts, I took a long breath after hearing her threatening question.
"Yes. I understand perfectly."
If it's come to this, there's no other way.
"You bitch."
Let's all go down together.