"So start by telling me why did you put on a disguise?" Leo questioned.
I sighed, knowing this was going to be the first thing he would ask.
But since I had to answer, I did.
"I don't want people to know about my spearman-ship yet. Besides, since my father never taught me that weapon art himself, it's basically stolen."
"Understandable," Leo nodded. "But why don't you want others to know about your spearmanship?"
"I have someone I think I'm going to fight in the near future. He is stronger than me, considerably so. It's only natural that I would want to keep my battle prowess hidden for him to not know what I am capable of during our fight."
"True," Leo nodded again. "And just who is this person you're expecting to fight?"
"I would like to keep it a secret," I firmly answered.
"Sure," Leo shrugged slightly. "But before we move on, I have to ask you this. I found evidence of a time bomb placed under the power circuit of the banquet hall's building."
As I frowned, realizing where this inquiry session was headed, Leo continued.
"Someone intentionally placed it there. Then I also found several smoke bombs in the air vents of the hall. Not only that, but someone also intentionally took out batteries from the security cameras," he informed before taking a brief pause.
After a few seconds, he finally asked me the question. "So, tell me– were they placed by you to hide your identity?"
"Nope," I lied through my teeth.
Revealing myself as the red-headed boy is one thing, but I sure as hell am not going to admit to placing bombs throughout a public place!
"Heh," Leo smirked. "Okay, I will not press you for this. There is something about you, Lucas Morningstar. I can't put my finger on it, but you are not normal."
Huh?! What's that supposed to mean?! Is he insulting me now?! Does he want to fight?! Oh, I'll fight him alright!!
"But all things aside, color me impressed, Lucas Morningstar," Leo flashed a bright smile.
Wow, I never knew his face was capable of forming a smile.
But it only lasted for a split second as in the next moment, his expression returned to his usual stoic one.
"It's flattering, but I didn't do everything," I waved my hands. "In fact, without Nero and Anastasia assisting me, even with the Dawnbreaker, I couldn't have killed that vampire."
"Maybe, but I'm not talking about it," Leo shook his head. "While reviewing the footage from the security cameras before their power was cut, I saw your fight against the female vampire."
"Oh, that," I raised my eyebrows. "I was only able to kill her because I had a light element enchanted spear–"
Before I could continue, however, Leo cut me off.
"Yeah, I'm not talking about that either. When you were charging toward the female vampire with your group, one of your classmates jumped in front of you. You stabbed him without any hesitation and kept rushing forward. Not many people can do that."
"...I see," I took a deep breath. "It wasn't very right of me to do that, was it?"
"What are you talking about?" Leo looked at me with a confused frown as if I had said something completely ridiculous.
"I mean, I stabbed a fellow cadet-in-arms," I pointed out. "I injured my own comrade. Which isn't right–"
Leo cut me off again. "Lucas, right now, you are weak. And the weak do not have the luxury of showing mercy. If you are weak, you have to strike first and show no mercy, or else you will be crushed by the strong."
"..."
When I heard him say those words to me, a weight that I didn't know I was carrying lifted from my heart.
From the moment I left that little girl, Mary, to die in the slums, I had constantly been feeling guilty about it at the back of my mind.
But now, the realization hit me. I had to kill her because I was weak. Had I been a little stronger, I could've killed Reina on my own and not used a little child as a hostage like a coward.
If I had been stronger, I could've let Mary go because then I wouldn't have feared her becoming a threat to me in the future.
Had I been a little stronger, I could've subdued that classmate of mine without having stabbed him to stop him.
I had to do all that because I was weak. I had no room to show mercy.
"What's your mana core rank, by the way?" Leo's voice brought me back to reality.
"Ahh," I shook my head to rearrange my thoughts before answering. "Gold 3. My potential is Gold 3."
"Mhmm, a shame," Leo commented. "But considering the fact that you, albeit imperfectly, learned the first step of one of the strongest polearm weapon art in the world, Dawnbreaker, on your own, you must have a talent for martial arts."
"...I guess?"
I mean, I know I have a talent for martial arts. Lucas was called a prodigy in his childhood because he was talented in many things, including martial arts.
That was, of course, before he decided to throw it all down the drain and ruin his life by indulging in all sorts of wrong things.
"Have you tried learning any other martial arts? Leo asked. "Other than the one I gave you, I mean."
I nodded. "Aside from Thousand Lightning Needles Strike– the bow art you gave me, I have learned 6-Movement Lance Style: Blossom Shattering Blast."
Leo raised his eyebrows. "6-Movement Lance Style: Blossom Shattering Blast? It's a Mount Hua martial art if I remember correctly, right?"
"Yes," I nodded. "It's a Level 3 weapon art."
"Yes, it's a tough one," Leo nodded. "How much have you mastered it?"
"Eighty-seven percent," I answered.
For a second, Leo looked at me in silence before he opened his mouth, "....What?"
"Eighty–"
Before I could answer again, Leo interjected. "When did you start learning it?"
"Last month," I replied.
"...Hah!"
