Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Barbarian Warrior's Volunteer Work (2)
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"Hmm..."
Leon let out a groan that sounded almost like he was in pain.
His face, deep in thought about something, was filled with worry.
The first to notice his somewhat melancholic state wasn't his longtime party members, but his new companion of just over half a year.
[Leon, why do you look so down?]
"...Ah. It's you, Aram."
[Shall I make you a cup of sweet cocoa?]
"Ah, no, I'm fine."
[Come on, don't be like that. Sweet things are the best when you're feeling blue.]
"......Do I really look that down?"
[Yes, down enough to make anyone watching feel the same.]
"I-is that so..."
Leon's bewilderment at Aram's straightforward, fact-based remark—devoid of any AI-like sugarcoating—strangely had a calming effect on him.
Before long, cocoa was in his hands, and the consultation began.
"...It's nothing major, really..."
[Tell me anyway.]
"W-well..."
[This is frustrating.]
"......Sorry."
Leon scratched his cheek, aware of his own hesitation, and finally opened up lightly.
"...I just feel like I'm the only one falling behind..."
[Pardon?]
"I mean..."
The kingdom's greatest genius knight thus began his consultation with the AI.
Lately, Leon had been feeling like he was lagging behind somehow.
Mirni was steadily saving money through occasional modeling gigs, and her social media following had grown to the point where she was gaining fame in Europe and Japan.
Apparently, this had even raised her market value, though to Leon, it felt detached from reality. One thing was clear, though: she was succeeding.
On the other hand, Alicia had less name recognition than Mirni but was hugely popular among the wealthy elite.
Not for her looks, but purely for her paintings.
Alicia wasn't the type to do social media in the first place. Aside from her first exhibition, she had no intention of stepping out at all, so her personal fame remained low. But her artwork was becoming just as renowned as Mirni's presence.
For instance, famous celebrities started hanging her paintings in their rooms, which introduced them to the public, who then encountered and highly praised the pieces upon seeing them.
This was thanks to the unique quality of Alicia's paintings.
[Paintings that deliver a soothing, cozy sensation like being immersed in nature.]
That was the overall consensus.
What could it be called? Just placing one in a room seemed to release endorphins naturally, improve sleep, and make breathing feel fresher?
Some suggested it was a placebo effect, but critics and viewers alike agreed it carried a mystical aura.
...In truth, it was the effect of paint mixed with spirit scales, but no one in this world would know that.
And so, Alicia was rising as a painter known in the art world for her 'special' and 'mysterious' works.
Beyond these two, Sylvia had finally passed her high school equivalency exam with flying colors and was now fervently preparing for the college entrance exams.
Word had it her latest mock test had only math in 2nd grade, with everything else perfect 1st grade...
'1st grade? Is that even a possible score?'
Leon had been 1st grade as a knight, but academics were another story—he wasn't exceptional there.
Average 4.5 grade.
That was Leon's current mock exam score, a gap with Sylvia so vast it left him feeling empty.
And Luxy...
'She's not even worth comparing to.'
Comparing himself to Luxy was pointless from the start.
What couldn't she do if she set her mind to it?
Luxy was the woman who could unravel new paradigms and formulas unknown to the world.
With comrades like these shining so brightly, comparatively ordinary Leon couldn't help but feel envious and self-deprecating.
Why am I the only one falling so far behind?
"...That's my worry."
[I see.]
In summary, it was an inferiority complex from feeling inadequate compared to his outstanding comrades.
Having heard it all, Aram responded...
['What a pathetic, utterly infuriating worry.']
Was it bad luck?
Aram judged people strictly by principles and facts, without bias.
In that sense, Leon was far from incompetent or lacking.
['Mastering Korean to native level in half a year, and hitting near 4th grade after just three months of study—that's impressive.']
Plenty of people studied over a decade and scored worse. Half a year to that level was remarkable.
Another year, or even half, of effort and he'd breeze into a top university.
And that wasn't all.
['There's also that special power called mana.']
Leverage it well, and he'd never hear complaints of inadequacy anywhere.
Yet...
['Why compare only to those around him...']
Mirni and Alicia were special cases, and Sylvia did have exceptional learning ability.
But Mirni and Alicia had simply found fields matching their talents. Sylvia lacked mana entirely, putting her at a disadvantage compared to others.
And here he was with this worry...
Aram wondered if it was just narrow-mindedness or a limited perspective.
Suddenly, she recalled her cynical owner's words.
—What kind of guy is Leon? He's got a natural talent for pissing people off. One conversation and he flips your stomach. Makes you wanna punch him for a different reason than that snobby bitch.
Only now did Aram truly understand those words.
[...What a waste of good cocoa.]
"Huh? What'd you say?"
[Nothing. So, in the end, everyone else is succeeding while you're still a failure, and that's got you feeling inferior. Got it.]
"N-no, it's not that bad..."
Leon protested that she'd twisted his words too harshly, but Aram ignored him.
She'd realized talking to him was a waste of time.
[Oh, but you didn't mention Valian at all?]
"Valian, huh?"
[Yeah. Are you... looking down on him or something?]
At Aram's question—phrased as if he was pretending not to but dismissing the barbarian—Leon panicked.
"N-no, it's not like that! Why would I look down on Valian?!"
He waved his hands frantically.
Then, as if making excuses, he quickly added,
"It's just that Valian... well, Valian is, you know..."
[......?]
"I have no idea what he's up to..."
[......]
Ah...
Got it.
Valian Rex's days flew by.
Perhaps even faster than Yuseong's.
True to his barbarian nature, he never skipped self-training, spending most of his day on it.
Training from the moonlit dawn.
Eat and train.
Nap and train.
Lunch and train again.
Infinite repetition until sleep claimed him.
In short, aside from eating and sleeping, it was nonstop self-forging.
The intensity stayed at maximum, enough to make even national athletes at elite training camps faint in shock—pure barbaric excess.
Some might ask why train so hard with no wars around, but that's the barbarian way of life.
A race for whom fighting, battles, and war were everything.
Not for nothing were they called brutish savages.
Lately, he even showed some learning zeal by reading books, but he still hadn't progressed beyond middle school level.
He hadn't mastered Korean properly either.
In a way, he showed the most human learning pace in the party.
However...
[You keep disappearing.]
This training fanatic had recently been vanishing for half the day somewhere.
For a full month straight since Yuseong allowed free outings...!
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
[Doesn't it bother you?]
"Not really."
Aram, reporting this, expected an order from Yuseong.
Expecting him to cause trouble by wandering around like that!
...Contrary to her assumption, Yuseong remained calm, unconcerned.
"Ha, that guy's got only two things to do if he goes out: chase women or stuff his face. No card statements coming in, so probably women."
[...Might be rude, but is Valian the popular type?]
He doesn't seem like it to me?
Aram couldn't fathom Yuseong's assessment.
Valian wasn't ugly.
Just very distinctive. Heavy-set, so imagining him with women was tough.
Especially since he ignored stunners like Sylvia, Alicia, and Mirni at home.
Did he even like women?
"He doesn't look it, but he cleans up with women. Casanova level."
[No way...]
"Why doesn't he touch party girls? His tastes are surprisingly set in stone, unlike his looks."
[Tastes?]
"......"
Thinking of Valian's preferences brought back old memories for Yuseong.
He'd seemed like a likable man's man at first.
Until the day he became the party's biggest asshole.
'He used to be so respected by the guys...'
Boisterous, strong, upright—idol material. But his repeated scandals turned men against him, seeing him as trash.
Yet Valian stayed brazen. Hence his nickname...
"The kingdom's top scum."
[...What kind of tastes...?]
"Married women."
[.........Pardon?]
"Didn't get that?"
[...You mean he likes married women?]
"Precisely."
[...Why?]
"Something about mature charm."
[......]
"That bastard caused a ton of divorces..."
[...Total scum.]
The nickname suddenly hit home for Aram.