Leon had no idea how things had ended up like this.
Today was supposed to be an utterly ordinary day. He and his teammates were on their way to the Sein Dungeon when they happened to run into Belto.
Leon no longer felt much toward him—not hostility, but not friendship either. At most, they were acquaintances on amicable terms.
Recently, the Luluwo Group had made a name for themselves by targeting the grassroots market. They constantly updated and refined their playstyles, firmly believing that strategies should serve the vast army of clumsy players. Their steady stream of achievements had earned Leon's genuine respect.
He had even used their published guides to patch holes in his own routes, gaining tangible benefits from them.
At first, he'd assumed they were just fame-chasing nobodies who'd crawled out of some forgotten corner. But it turned out they actually had real skill. In the adventuring business, what mattered was character and ability—and right now, Leon had a good impression of Luluwo and her group.
He'd planned to exchange a greeting and move on, but Belto invited them up to the clock tower, saying Luluwo had something important to discuss with him.
Something important?
What—had she gotten roasted by Rajang again? That would've been embarrassingly pathetic.
The clock tower was a mess. Only a thin beam of sunlight filtered in, while the rest of the space was shrouded in darkness. The oppressive atmosphere would've felt perfectly natural inside a dungeon.
And within that darkness, Leon saw a "giant bat" standing upright.
She spread her wings, crimson light flashing in her eyes, and rushed toward him like a gust of wind—then—
Thump!
She dropped to her knees.
"I'm sorry! I'm guilty! I was the one who hired invaders to attack you—I'm truly, deeply sorry!"
Luluwo knelt on the ground, her voice filled with heartfelt sincerity. Her cloak spread evenly around her, making her look less like a bat and more like a frog.
The sheer impact of both the scene and her words stunned Leon into silence for several seconds.
"…You said what?"
"I colluded with invaders to slow down your progress!"
When Luluwo said this, it wasn't just Leon's group that froze—even her own teammates were left speechless.
"Captain!" Belto nearly lost his soul. He had no idea Luluwo had summoned Leon here just to turn herself into a human suicide bomber.
"Stay out of this!" Luluwo shouted back. "If I don't atone for my sins, I'll never find peace—even in death!"
That's a bit much, isn't it?!
Belto desperately wanted to complain, but the pressure in her eyes forced him back.
"Leon," Luluwo looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "Ever since I did that, I haven't been able to sleep or eat. I committed such a despicable act—and yet you helped me anyway. My conscience can't bear it, I—"
I helped you without knowing you'd done that…
Leon sucked in a sharp breath. He hadn't expected her to be the type who'd play dirty.
But still—if you'd already done it, why bring it up now? The timing couldn't be worse. Wouldn't it have been better to keep him in the dark forever?
Thinking back, the invasion period had caused him serious trouble. At the time, he'd genuinely wanted to kill the invaders.
But in hindsight, that short-lived era of mass invasions had benefited him. His combat skills had sharpened dramatically, and it pushed all Sein adventurers to improve their PvP abilities.
The "Three Masked Men" had even become a legend among adventurers—greatly satisfying his vanity.
And besides, hadn't he gone on a killing spree against the Luluwo Group while disguised as the mysterious masked man? Didn't that make them even?
Honestly, it felt like ages ago. Digging it up now didn't even make him angry.
Still… I should probably look angry. She looks so guilty—maybe yelling at her would make her feel better.
Truly befitting a righteous blond pretty boy—still worrying about his "enemy's" feelings at a time like this.
Just as Leon was deciding what expression to wear—
Luluwo suddenly jumped up, flipped open her cloak, revealing a form-fitting outfit that accentuated her figure—and, uh… a whip strapped to her back?
With her back to Leon, eyes resolute, she declared:
"Among the beastfolk, there is an ancient custom! Those who commit wrongdoing must ask the victim to whip them in order to gain forgiveness—so please!"
"…."
Leon's expression instantly froze.
"Pfft."
A suppressed laugh came from behind him.
Leon sensed movement and spun around—just in time to see Maru hurriedly hide her hands behind her back, as if concealing something.
"Maru! Don't record this! Destroy that recording crystal right now!" Leon finally panicked. If footage of this got out, his lifelong reputation would—
"Hehe, beg me~" Maru stuck out her tongue smugly.
As Leon lunged toward her, something suddenly wrapped around his leg.
Turning his head, he saw Luluwo clinging to him, pleading:
"Where are you going? Don't abandon me!"
That line has way too much room for misunderstanding!
There was absolutely no way Leon would punish Luluwo in public. None. If this spread, his public image would be dead on arrival.
Top priority: seize the recording crystal from Maru.
But the girl was fast—and with a heavy human attachment clinging to his leg, Leon simply couldn't keep up.
"Catch me if you can~!"
"Wait! Don't go! You haven't punished me yet!"
"Don't look at me," the old man said calmly. "I've lived this long and never seen a spectacle like this. I will not be casting a calming spell."
"Captain! Please stop already!"
The scene descended into absolute chaos. Leon's mind was a mess—this place looked like a gathering of lunatics.
Thankfully, everyone present belonged to one of the two groups. No outsiders.
Otherwise, Leon wouldn't have minded personally erasing someone's memory.
Tap.
A faint sound suddenly came from the door.
The noisy chaos froze instantly. Everyone turned toward it.
After what felt like several years—
Creak.
An awkward-looking Darrick stepped out from behind the door.
"Uh… please, carry on. I'll just… go now. Sorry to disturb you."
He reached for the door.
"…."
Leon and Luluwo exchanged razor-sharp looks and reached an instant understanding.
Making a fool of yourself in front of your own people was one thing. Letting an outsider witness everything was another matter entirely.
"Grab him!" ×2
.
..
...
Not long after, peace finally returned to the clock tower.
Around a long table that looked like something nobles used for dining, the Leon Group sat on one side, the Luluwo Group on the other—
And in the middle sat Darrick, sweating bullets.
He had seen something he absolutely should not have—and now he couldn't escape.
Earlier, the three parties had reached a "friendly consensus" that nothing witnessed here would ever be spoken of.
"Friendly" in name only—Darrick had been unilaterally pressured by both sides. His clothes were nearly soaked through.
At the head of the table, Leon sat with a dark expression, striking Commander Ikari's signature pose.
His gaze swept between Darrick and the Luluwo Group, brows knitted tightly enough to kill a monster.
On the other side, Belto—whose heart had nearly stopped from shock—was lecturing Luluwo nonstop, though she clearly wore a "not listening, slime chanting" expression.
As for Maru, Drew, and Terl, those three shamelessly adopted a "not my problem" stance, grinning as they watched Leon to see how he'd resolve this mess.
Damn it. Next time, I'm never tanking monsters for you again! Leon fumed internally.
After a long, awkward silence, Leon finally spoke.
"Luluwo."
"Yes!" She straightened instantly.
"You want my forgiveness, right?"
"Uh… more accurately, I want punishment. 'Forgiveness' feels too selfish, so this whip—"
"I don't want it. Throw that whip away!"
"Eek!"
Startled, Luluwo squeaked and obediently dropped it. Belto reacted instantly, kicking the whip far away.
"Darrick."
"Y–Yes?" Darrick looked up nervously.
"You want to cooperate. Train the survivors of Val City together."
"Yes. That's right."
"Then we'll do it this way."
Leon stood, his face expressionless.
"Luluwo, you'll help Darrick train the recruits. When they're capable of standing on their own—I'll forgive you."
"Huh? Isn't that punishment a bit too light—"
"Shut up!"
"Eek!"
"That's final. Don't come looking for me again!"
Leon slammed the table and stormed off—though his retreat looked suspiciously like fleeing in panic.
"So…"
Darrick didn't even know what expression to make anymore. He forced a smile at the Luluwo Group.
"Cooperation… successful?"
"…Successful."
Luluwo stared blankly at the discarded whip. Belto continued lecturing. Ais and Aim naturally remained silent.
So, as the only normal person left—
Mira had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility.
.
..
...
Time passed. The next day—Darrick's farm.
"I never expected you'd want to rebuild the Farron Undead Legion," Luluwo said excitedly. "A legendary organization buried in history reemerging in the modern age! Newcomers inheriting the legacy of their predecessors to eradicate demonkind tied to the Abyss!"
"And all of them bear blood-deep hatred toward demons—those monsters would never imagine that their cruelty would awaken beasts meant to sleep forever!"
She took a deep breath, eyes shining.
"This is destiny! I love it! I'm absolutely helping!"
It's not just about destiny, Darrick thought, but said nothing.
"Let's go. Everyone's gathered ahead. They've all heard of you—and they're eager to meet you."
The Group's motivation surged instantly.
As they walked, Darrick quietly observed them.
Their behavior today was nothing like yesterday's—when they'd acted like a traveling asylum.
Today, aside from Luluwo's occasional eccentricities, everyone seemed… mostly normal.
"Ah."
Ais suddenly kicked a stone, her little toe colliding with it painfully—an agony only those who'd experienced it could understand.
Yet her cheeks flushed, her expression one of bliss.
Darrick silently retracted his earlier assessment.
I underestimated them.
Well—strange behavior or not, they were genuinely capable. That was enough.
Though the partnership had been formed under extremely abstract circumstances, both sides were acting with sincerity for now.
Ahead lay an open clearing—once farmland, now converted into a training ground.
Dozens of people waited there.
They would train.
And one day—make the demon race repay their blood debts.
Good thing Darrick had the foresight to buy such a large farm.
As the Group approached, they immediately drew attention.
Darrick stepped forward and introduced them.
"From today onward, the Luluwo Group will guide us, helping us train through dungeon combat."
Applause broke out—this had been rehearsed yesterday.
As expected, Luluwo and the others enjoyed it immensely.
Plans for future training had already been prepared.
Among the dozens of survivors, excluding the elderly and children, thirty-three could undergo training—but those with true combat talent would likely be half that.
The numbers were small—but for Darrick, it was still a serious challenge.
And once word spread that he'd begun training people, countless others would surely come seeking apprenticeship. That was when the real work would begin.
Children could take part in light training. The remaining elderly would handle logistics—cooking and support.
Their actions had the Adventurers' Guild's backing. Funding and supplies wouldn't be an issue for now, and a batch of basic equipment would arrive soon.
Count Charon had also heard of this and was considering offering assistance.
No one knew what the future held.
But for now—everything looked hopeful.
And that was enough.
Darrick stood before the crowd, his expression solemn.
Everyone watched him.
Those gazes held different emotions—but buried deepest within them was hatred for the demon race.
Only those with the deepest hatred and strongest will had gathered here. Those with shallow resentment or weak resolve would never choose revenge.
In the past, Darrick would have faltered under such scrutiny.
But not now.
When the urge to retreat stirred, figures appeared before him—
The Farron Undead Legion, fighting day after day in exhaustion, blades raised even against infected comrades.
Artorias, his mind consumed by madness, yet still standing guard over the path to Oolacile.
As those heroic images faded, what remained were faces burning with vengeance.
At last, Darrick spoke.
"My name is Darrick Chester. From today onward, I will train you—grant you the power to raise your blades against the enemy, and offer the filthy blood of the demon race as tribute to our fallen loved ones!"
"I am no different from you. My family was slaughtered by demons. Those bastards burned my home to ashes and threw me into a starving wolf pack. I survived only because those creatures still possessed kindness in their hearts."
"The demon race that butchered my family and razed my homeland—they are the very culprits behind the destruction of Val City!"
"I survived the Wolf Blood trial in the Sein Dungeon and stole a trick or two from the Farron Undead. Those things gave me strength—strength enough to exact revenge!"
"Without Sein, and without the Farron Undead Legion—I would already be dead at the hands of the demon race."