"… Your Lineage Factor is quite interesting. A defensive type Lineage Factor that relies on the fluidity of your body, is that right? Your ability is a C-grade sharpened sight ability that also synergizes well with your Lineage Factor. I'm sure you're good at hand to hand combat, commendable."
Leonel spoke with a smile, his demeanor relaxed.
"There's also you." Leonel continued. "Your Light Elemental Lineage Factor is quite intriguing, focusing on your attack strength, hm? I'm sure that pairing that with your Fifth Dimensional Wind Elemental ability helps you quite a bit, right?"
Ameron's gaze narrowed further. Leonel's words had subtly revealed the fact he was quite aware of his strength yet still dared to stand here.
Among those here, he was the only one with an ability that touched the realms of the Fifth Dimension, or so he thought. But now that Leonel was speaking so nonchalantly, he wasn't confident in this matter any longer. Was this brat more dangerous than he originally thought?
"And you." Leonel's smile faded, his gaze locking onto Laeron, the red-haired Brazinger family member.
"Your Lineage Factor is related to your blood and your bodily strength. As for your ability, it's of the S-grade and only gives you perfect recall of events, is that right?"
Leonel's cheerfulness had completely vanished. Even as a method of applying pressure, he couldn't stand to continue putting up such a fa?ade for a man from that family.
"So, what is your choice?" Leonel continued coldly.
The pressure was palpable.
In this world, one of the most protected secrets of a person was their ability. When it came down to a crucial moment, what an opponent did or didn't know about your ability could decide your life and death.
The simple truth was that abilities came in all shapes and sizes. And, even if by some miracle two people received two near identical abilities, the methods by which they used them could be strikingly different.
In a fictional world, everyone had set and predictable patterns that could be used to follow an opponent's intentions in the midst of battle. But, in the real world, a burly man could just as easily bring out a strong wind affinity, a person with a strong Fire Lineage Factor could easily be born with a Water Elemental ability, it was even possible for a close combat specialist to be even better in the long range simply due to an ability they were born with.
So, one could imagine how it might feel to have your abilities displayed so grandly. And, not only that, but for their Lineage Factors to be exposed as well. Almost any thoughts they had of surprise or trickery vanished.
It was at that moment that Laeron suddenly began to laugh.
"You know, all this time I was wondering why it was you hated me so much." Laeron's laughter grew, his blood boiling. "So that's why, that's why… I get it, I get it…"
Leonel calmly weighed his black bow in his hands, his gaze never leaving the four before him.
Laeron's gaze turned toward Aina and his laughter only grew.
"… Brats, I have nothing to do with the matters of all those years ago. I'm not sure why you're targeting me for the actions of a few. Those people you want to kill me for only treat me slightly better than the piece of dirt they see those of impure blood as."
Laeron's gaze reddened. Clearly, he was feeling indignant.
His feelings made sense, for the most part. He obviously didn't receive very great treatment from the family. Maybe it was because his talent wasn't as great, maybe it was because his ability didn't have very great offensive prowess, or maybe it was because he didn't have much backing within the family itself.
Regardless of the reason, being targeted because of the actions of someone you didn't like very much to begin with wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Of course Laeron remembered Aina. Leonel had just described his ability as perfect recall. It could be said that the only reason he didn't recognize Aina immediately was because it had been almost two decades since he last saw her from afar.
In fact, it wasn't even Aina's looks. No, what he remembered was the exact pattern of the scars drawn across her face. This was his perfect recall at work… How could two women have the exact same pattern of scars?
Leonel's gaze narrowed at Laeron's words, but he still nodded slightly. Even though he wanted to reject Laeron's words due to his own bias, he knew that not accepting such a thing and hating him just because of the family he came from would make him no different from the Brazinger family.
"Like I've said already, if you want to live then just surrender yourselves. I'll release you all just the same."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"Do you have a choice? Do you really think we came here alone? The only reason the others haven't closed in is because there's no need to risk innocent lives when it could all be resolved by us. But, if you force us to act, even if by some miracle you manage to defeat the three of us, there'll be a world's Kingdom waiting to deal with you."
Laeron and the others shuddered. The only one who still managed to remain a semblance of calm was Ameron.
After a long while, Ameron sighed.
"Kids are getting more and more brazen everyday. We asked you if you really knew what you were getting into before, but the question still remains the same. Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"
Leonel shook his head. "Seems you're the one still not getting it. Sir Lancelot!"
At that moment, the clanking of armor sounded.
Ameron's confident expression finally changed. In the seemingly quiet forest, the sound of unsheathing blades and rattling chainmail rebounded through the greenery.
Somehow, without their knowledge, an entire troop of knights had surrounded them from all directions.
At this point, Ameron realized he had been played. Though Leonel was maybe confident in defeating them all, doing so while also preventing them from having enough time to activate their talismans to return to Earth would have been too difficult.
So, he stalled for time.
Now where would they go?