Chapter 41

■ Chapter 40. Group Project (4) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

Although the start was a bit rocky, the progress itself went smoothly. The topic of the group project suited me well, and after the conflict with Aila, Leonardo followed without a word.

Benjamin, who almost got caught in the crossfire, was able to participate in the project after receiving a book from Leonardo. Thus, the serious discussion began on Friday evening after all the classes ended.

“Oh, when will Aila come?”

“I don’t know. She’ll come eventually.”

At the restaurant we had chosen for the meeting on Friday, Benjamin and I discussed Aila’s whereabouts, which showed no sign of appearing. Leonardo, standing beside us, didn’t say much, but his already stiff expression became even more rigid.

Without even a telephone, let alone a smartphone, we had no way of knowing where she was, which was frustrating.

“She clearly said in the military lecture that we should gather here…”

As Benjamin’s question suggested, all of us in the group attended the military lecture. After the lecture ended, Aila gathered us and emphasized that we must all be present by the agreed time.

She even hinted that she would give a warning if anyone was late, yet she herself broke the appointment. It was unclear what she was trying to do.

“What if she doesn’t come? That wouldn’t be good…”

As Benjamin muttered anxiously, I glanced at him. He seemed nervous and was nervously biting his nails.

I needed to reassure him. Looking at him, I spoke in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry too much. She must have a good reason. If Aila doesn’t show up in 10 minutes, let’s start the discussion among ourselves.”

“Can we do that?”

“Why not? It would be a waste to disband just because Aila isn’t here.”

“But Aila is the group leader… We might get scolded later if we do it without her.”

Hearing Benjamin’s response, I was momentarily taken aback, thinking, "What kind of nonsense is this?" It seemed like he considered Aila to be someone higher than himself. However, upon reflection, Benjamin was a commoner, and Aila was the daughter of a marquis.

The social hierarchy was so vast that Benjamin naturally saw Aila as a superior. The flaws of the class system made it impossible for me to say anything, even though I wanted to.

I might receive strange looks if I revealed my thoughts.

‘Is it me who’s strange?’

Probably so.

Even Marie of the Rekilis family, who practices noblesse oblige, expects to be addressed formally by commoners. I could speak informally with her only because I was a noble.

Moreover, a commoner speaking informally to a noble is a clear violation of ‘authority.’ The Rekilis family, while not abusing power, strictly maintains authority.

However, authority and authoritarianism must be clearly distinguished. Authority is simply legitimacy, while authoritarianism is the use of that legitimacy to exercise control.

At one point, authoritarianism became so severe that it led to a revolution similar to the French Revolution in my previous life, the Jeros Revolution. Although authoritarianism has since diminished, authority remains intact.

‘I can’t ask him to use formal language again.’

Benjamin would obediently follow, but he would feel uncomfortable. The worst thing in the world is to give and then take away.

‘Still, why is our small and efficient group leader not showing up?’

She set the time herself, yet there’s no sign of her, which is making me increasingly angry. I can’t understand why she volunteered to be the group leader if she’s going to act like this.

“I, I’m going to the bathroom for a moment!”

After fidgeting like a dog with a full bladder for a while, Benjamin said this and ran to the bathroom. From the way he clutched his stomach, it seemed he was genuinely in pain.

With Benjamin gone, only Leonardo and I were left at the restaurant entrance. Since it was Friday, no one was walking in the hallway, and only a quiet silence filled the air, making the situation awkward.

I glanced at Leonardo in the awkward silence. By chance, he was also looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

“… …”

“… …”

We looked at each other out of the corner of our eyes and then turned our heads. When I turned my head, I saw Leonardo’s expressionless face.

What should I say in this situation? Just as I was pondering, Leonardo unexpectedly spoke first.

“Hey. Penguin.”

A completely different tone from when she was maintaining her character. I was momentarily startled by her cool call, but then I frowned at the word "penguin."

Why call me by a perfectly fine name and then call me a penguin? Honestly, it was ridiculous.

For reference, penguins exist in this world. They live in extremely cold regions like Antarctica or the Arctic, and their appearance is exactly as depicted in encyclopedias.

However, in this fantasy world, there are species that live in lava fields instead of icy regions. These are not animals but monsters that harm people.

Anyway, after explaining this, I need to respond to Leonardo first. I don’t understand why she calls me a penguin.

“Why call me a penguin when I have a perfectly fine name?”

“Just because you look like a penguin.”

With no one around, she seemed to have dropped her character and was giggling, teasing me. I was momentarily taken aback but quickly retaliated.

“You look like a dog.”

“…Do you want to die? I’m a lion, not a dog.”

Leonardo scowled and growled like an animal. She seemed more upset by being treated like a dog than by the insult itself.

I tilted my head slightly and asked another question. The only animals I could think of for therianthropes were dogs or cats.

“Then a cat?”

“Don’t compare me to some lowly cat. It’s a very disrespectful thing to say to a great lion clan like me.”

“You called a human a penguin.”

“… …”

She seemed to have no response to that, scratching her head. She then turned her head, looking embarrassed, and started to act indifferent.

I snorted and then spoke.

“So why did you call me? Do you have something to say?”

“I was wondering what you think of that girl.”

By "that girl," she meant Aila. It was definitely her.

I thought about Leonardo’s question. Every time we do a group project, I get pushed around so much that I’m grateful for Aila.

After all, old habits die hard. Whenever I think about the chaotic parties, Aila seems like the lesser of two evils. If it had been Jackson instead of Aila, the group project would have been a disaster.

“Hmm? She’s proactive, so I can’t really say anything bad. I just wish she would do her part. That’s all. What about you?”

“I don’t like her. Everyone is working hard, but she just wants to have fun. What a noble, huh? She’s nothing when you get to know her.”

Maybe it’s because our first impression was bad, but the criticism continued. I couldn’t deny that it was true.

I watched her grumble and then, out of curiosity, asked her a question.

“Are there no nobles in Animus?”

Animus is a country of therianthropes established 300 years ago. They gathered therianthropes scattered around the world and built their own civilization.

Leonardo shook her head when I asked. I thought there were no nobles in Animus, but that wasn’t the case.

“There are no marquises or such, but the authority one can exercise varies based on individual strength. As you might know, therianthropes have a culture that highly values strength.”

“Then there is a class system?”

“Of course. Do you want to know more?”

I nodded. I rarely had the opportunity to learn about therianthropes, so this was lucky.

Leonardo smirked and lifted her chin slightly, as if organizing her thoughts.

“Let’s see. First…”

“Hey, guys~!”

Before Leonardo could speak, a familiar voice reached my ears. It was a lively, pre-pubescent girl’s voice.

Leonardo closed her mouth, and I turned to the source of the sound.

As expected, our group leader, Aila, who was late by a considerable amount of time, was approaching with a bright expression. Despite being late, she was smiling, which made her seem shameless.

She then stood in front of us, her eyes wide with surprise. It seemed she noticed that only two of us were there.

“Huh? Why are there only two of you? Where’s the curly-haired one?”

Aila, who had introduced herself, referred to Benjamin as "curly-haired." It was clear that she saw Benjamin, a commoner, as inferior.

I met her gaze and answered. Surely she wouldn’t say anything just because he went to the bathroom. She was the one who was late.

“Benjamin went to the bathroom. He’ll be back soon.”

“What? The bathroom?”

Aila’s frown deepened at my answer. She seemed to be thinking, "Are you kidding me?"

She then crossed her arms and asked me in a doubtful tone.

“Did he run away?”

“No.”

“When did he go to the bathroom?”

“About 5 minutes ago.”

“But if he hasn’t come back yet…”

“He’s probably taking care of a big one, so don’t worry.”

I preempted her unnecessary suspicion. She had shown an authoritarian side since becoming the group leader, and I was worried she might do so again.

A group leader is supposed to be a ‘responsible person,’ but in this world, combined with the class system, it has become a form of authority. From the way Aila warned Leonardo last time, I could tell.

Aila looked at me intently after hearing my words and then smirked. Her expression was dismissive.

She then placed her hands on her hips and said in a cheerful tone.

“Do we really need to wait for him?”

“…What?”

What kind of absurd statement is this? It’s beyond double standards and seems to lack any conscience.

Aila, placing her hand on her chest, confidently expressed her thoughts. It seemed she was confident in something, but her face was as hard as steel.

“I have to wait because I’m the group leader, but he doesn’t, right? Besides, I’m not that late, and it’s his fault for not being able to wait.”

“… …”

“So let’s go without the curly-haired one. If he asks where we went, we can just make up an excuse.”

Where did she put her conscience to say such things? As I was shocked and speechless, Aila subtly grabbed my arm and gently pulled me.

It was clear to anyone that she was trying to take me away. I was startled by the feeling and quickly pulled my arm away.

“…What are you doing?”

As I pulled my arm away, Aila’s voice dropped rapidly. Her face also crumpled, showing that she was upset that I pulled away.

But whether she was upset or not, I had to say what I needed to say. I wanted to get angry, but as the daughter of a marquis, I held back.

“On the contrary, I have a question for you, Aila. What are you doing?”

“I just wanted to go quickly. What’s the problem? Oh, are you worried that the discussion won’t work without a commoner? Don’t worry. It won’t be a problem without just one commoner. We’re enough.”

Does she not include Leonardo in "we"? Aila smiled while completely ignoring Leonardo.

I was confused by Aila’s mindset. Is it just her, or is this how nobles think? Either way, it’s a bit extreme.

“Aila, the professor said it’s beneficial to bring all group members to the end. If you leave Benjamin behind, it will be to your disadvantage as the group leader.”

Finally, Leonardo, who couldn’t stand it anymore, advised Aila. Her tone was as stiff as usual, but it carried a faint anger.

However, Aila’s expression became even more hostile, perhaps because a ‘commoner’ who wasn’t a noble was giving her advice.

Despite her doll-like appearance, a menacing aura emanated from her.

“We’re having a conversation. Why are you butting in?”

“I’m just worried that it might be to your disadvantage.”

“Is it really a disadvantage for something like this? Aren’t you too naive? I heard from my brother that no one has ever lost points for one person being absent. Instead, Professor Virius gave that person a zero.”

I wanted to open her head and see what kind of mind was inside. What kind of upbringing led to this mindset?

Or…

‘…Is it to get rid of Leonardo?’

Aila