"Hey, hey, hey! Wait up!"
Leonel looked back with a partially confused looked, only to find a lanky and pale man following after him. This was none other than Radlis. As for why he had quit chasing after Balthorn for the sake of catching up to Leonel, maybe only he knew the answer to that.
"Yes?"
"Aiya, no need to be so glum. I know your girlfriend just got snatched, but there are plenty of women in the sea."
Leonel's lip curled. "She didn't get snatched."
"Mmhm, mmhm." Radlis caught up, slowing down to walk beside Leonel. "They say denial is the first form of acceptance. Just don't stay bogged down in it for too long. It's alright, with your looks and my humor, we have the chance to be the lady killers of the freshman class.
"Just look at that sexy lady over there." Radlis hooked his chin over his shoulder, sending lewd looks toward Balthorn. "She's already infatuated with you, just forget about that girl."
Leonel shook his head. How was he even supposed to respond to this exactly?
Ingkath, Irolana and Balthorn lagged behind. Since they couldn't join any factions, they had no choice but to wait a few days until the exams were opened up. Only then would they be able to pick a Peak a join.
The atmosphere around them was clearly much less enthusiastic than Radlis. In fact, they were quite downcast. Who would feel great after being looked down upon in that fashion?
They had all come here with great aspirations, only to feel as though it had been dashed. By now, it was clear to them that they'd just be playing background for Aina in the future. Such a reality left them feeling down.
The one with especially complex feelings about this was Balthorn, especially after the words she had spoken about Aina. Who cared what Aina looked like if she had strength?
In fact, in this world, all beauty got you was constant harassment and the right to be used as a pawn by your family. Not only did Aina had strength, but she was also never have to worry about such a thing.
It felt like Balthorn was still scorning Aina for her scars at the moment, but the truth was that she was jealous… Jealous she didn't have such strength, jealous that she didn't have such freedom.
"Ah, it seems you still don't get it. You're a little slow, so let this more intelligent brother of yours explain."
Radlis wrapped an arm around Leonel's shoulders, standing to the tip of his toes.
Leonel raised another eyebrow. "I'm slow?"
Radlis coughed lightly.
"How do I put this delicately…? Well, anyone who thinks Tier 7 treasures can drop like pies from the skies is definitely a little bit slow. Anyway…!"
The truth was that everyone assumed that Leonel must have made a massive mistake. Maybe his world had a different ranking system for weapons. This wasn't rare in primitive worlds who had only just evolved. So, it was possible that Tier 7 in Leonel's mind was maybe a Tier 3 or 4 weapon. In fact, in some cases, there were worlds so misinformed that they gave Third Dimensional weapons the ranking system for Fourth Dimensional Black Grade weapons.
Radlis believed that Leonel was likely from a latter world, or else it was impossible that he would say such a thing about a Tier 7 treasure. That was the only possible justification.
Anyone who could treat real Tier 7 Black treasures in such a way wouldn't even bother to come to a place like this. They'd be from a Sixth Dimensional world, or at the very least, a world close to it.
Radlis continued on quickly as though not wanting Leonel to respond. He definitely had an odd way of trying to spare feelings.
"Listen man, you can't trust women too much. They're vindictive little demonesses. Your girlfriend likes you now, but when she sees all those tall, handsome men from Hero Peak, all of which will be stronger than you, by the way… Well, it's in their nature to be swayed."
Leonel was speechless. Why did he feel like he was talking to James again?
Leonel sighed when he thought of that name for the first time in a long while. He hadn't really spent a lot of time at Royal Blue Fort during the war, so he had only had an idea of who was on the battlefield. Thanks to that, he knew that his teammates were fine. But, James hadn't been on the battlefield, so he had no idea where he was.
Though Leonel had promised his coach to James another chance… Truthfully, he didn't know if he wanted to.
"Ai, I know what you're thinking. Your girlfriend isn't exactly… Let me not speak on another man's affections. But, you should know that there are no shortage of powerful and handsome men from Hero Peak who also happen to be very rich. They can probably afford certain… treatments that you cannot."
Hearing Radlis' endless rambling, Leonel was at a complete loss.
Not speak on another man's affections? What exactly had he been doing, then, for the last ten minutes? He had talked so much that they managed to reach the top of the mountain, only to cross a curtain of Force and be greeted by an entirely new world.
Leonel took it all in with a single glance. If he was in the mood, he might have been quite impressed by what he was seeing. But at the moment, it could be said that if it wasn't for his usually easy going personality, he would have kicked even Radlis far away by now.
"… Listen man, it'll all be fine. There are plenty of fish in the sea…"
Leonel tuned Radlis out.
Was he worried about Aina? Not even a little bit. He didn't have to put up a false sense of bravado about it either.
All he knew was that if it took even him five years and the world almost ending in order to get her to open up to him… Well, he could only say good luck to those who deemed to try.
That said, after their attempts failed, he wouldn't mind teaching them their place.
Not long after the group crossed into Valiant Heart Mountain and took in the city around them, they were met by another group who seemed to have been waiting especially for them.
"That should be him. The one with the long goldish bronze hair."
As soon as one of them confirmed, the group of five all converged at once.
Their target? Leonel without a doubt.