When Moos, Irolana and Ingkath heard these words, they couldn't help but panic. Even if they hadn't seen Leonel's strength today, they had still heard about what happened between him and Gersan. To take out a Valiant Hall white belt in just two exchanges… There wasn't a single person here who could replicate that feat.
No, that wasn't true. There was one other. But, she just so happened to be his girlfriend.
They could only say that this Senior Lu was far too bold. Was he really not afraid of death?
What Senior Lu had misunderstood was Leonel's reason for calling them all here and bringing them together. In his mind, Leonel was afraid of the Oryx and thus needed their help. Even if Leonel was enraged into leaving this group, who cared? The group had already been brought together. Would one more or one less Leonel make a massive difference? They could then look after each other's backs.
This was the way of the world. Even if two people needed each other, the person who asked for help first would always be on the losing end while the other would have all the leverage. As long as he understood Leonel's weakness, Senior Lu felt that manipulating this situation and finding opportunities to protect his own life would be easier.
"Sure. I'll take the vanguard."
Leonel's response stunned even Senior Lu, let alone Irolana, Ingkath and Moos.
"I'm the strongest, isn't being the vanguard obvious?" Leonel's brow rose.
Though his expression was quite neutral aside from the change in his eyebrow, it still made others feel like he was looking at Lu as though he was an idiot.
However, Leonel's words made the freshmen feel as though their whole worlds were being flipped upside down.
The strongest taking the vanguard? It sounded so obvious, but why was it that they had all simply expected Leonel to refute this? When had they ever come across a senior who didn't try to take advantage of their position? When had they ever run across someone stronger than them who didn't also treat them lesser than?
The strongest taking the vanguard… That was a concept they had simply never heard before.
"A general who leads men from the back isn't a general." Leonel said off handedly, his right hand flicking about quicker as he completed the last of his Force Arts.
The freshmen stared at Leonel in a state of speechlessness. A hushed silence fell over the group.
Aina smiled as she looked at Leonel's side profile.
'He's so bad.'
With a final flicker, Leonel placed the final batch of arrows into his spatial ring. Taking out his bow, he strapped it to his back and smiled toward the crowd.
"Our goal is simple, it's only to return to the mountain pass. If there really are a troop of Oryx here, it's unlikely that they'll dare to travel so closely."
The freshmen looked toward each other. By now, the crowd had grown to over 50. Yet, not a single one of them wasn't paying attention. Even Senior Lu felt as though there was a frog in his throat.
"Between here and the mountain pass there is about a 50 kilometer distance. Usually, we could cross this in just an hour or two, but I have a feeling that things won't be so easy this time around.
"The presence of the Oryx will most definitely cause a change in the habits of the beasts around here. If not yet, then very soon. Previously, the Oryx were trying to keep a low profile. But, it likely already knows that its Titan Hyena companion has died and will deduce that it can no longer keep itself hidden.
"If the Oryx is only here for reconnaissance, then this is good news. In that case, we should make it back without any obstacle and I'm being overly cautious.
"However, if their goal is to probe Valiant Heart's bottom line, then things won't end peacefully. We need to be ready to battle.
"Aina."
Aina stepped forward and flipped her palm. Soon, long and narrow boxes began to appear, each housing what looked like three small spheres which were barely a quarter the size of a palm.
"These should be able to save your life at a crucial moment. Unfortunately, I don't have enough to give everyone more than three. But, a single one should be able to take out a Tier 4 beast and below."
The eyes of the freshmen lit up when they heard this while Leonel's internal smile only grew wider.
Raylion had made many mistakes that day, each of which Leonel planned on picking on and tearing apart one by one.
But, one of his biggest of them was in just how vague he had been when listing Leonel's crimes. Even when he mentioned Leonel's faulty Crafts, he never explained what those Crafts were, what they looked like or what they did.
Not many would instantly connect the treasures Leonel had handed out to the matters Raylion spoke of that day precisely because he had been so vague.
Leonel wondered how Raylion would react when the very Crafts he deemed to be faulty works were suddenly in hot demand.
The best part was that this stock didn't even have to be replenished by Leonel anytime soon. He had had this in his spatial ring for a long time already. And, by having Aina hand them out, a person who was still wearing Hero Peak's emblem, they were even less likely to make the connection.
"Yip! Yip!"
Little Blackstar suddenly appeared to Leonel's side again, having disappeared at some unknown time.
"Done?" Leonel whispered.
"Yip! Yip!"
Leonel nodded. To everyone else, it looked as though he was only rewarding Little Blackstar with a pat on the head. By this point, Aina had finished handing everything out.
"Alright everyone, it's time to set out." Leonel took a deep breath, his demeanor shifting.
At that moment, several howls suddenly reverberated across the forest.
Whatever excitement the freshmen had had at that point was doused all the way through.
Silence fell again, the trees swaying beneath a hollow wind.
Leonel's expression grew serious.