What the hell?
That chill just now… surely wasn't real, right?
Leon smiled politely and waved a hand.
"Lord Karl, I'm from the southern countryside. Our etiquette isn't the same as a warrior's. No need for something that troublesome."
As he spoke, Leon performed a hand-to-chest, hat-off style salute. He had no intention of shaking hands.
In this era, the handshake still wasn't widespread.
It had originally been a way for warriors to test strength, and only later evolved into a friendly greeting among warrior classes.
Karl nodded stiffly.
"That works too. It's just a pity—I didn't get to touch your hand."
What Karl was thinking was: So I can't use grip strength to crush him directly. But he's a mage—knowing how to play to strengths and avoid weaknesses is wise. Fine. If he couldn't even do that, it would make the Holy Maiden look like she chose poorly.
But to everyone else nearby, Karl's words sounded… different.
The other knights beside him exchanged looks—
Has he always been like this?
Leon took a subtle step back. Was this some butterfly effect from Leon's memory awakening, causing this normally arrogant guy to "awaken" a weird new trait?
Brellita swept her gaze over them and said calmly:
"Everyone—this training expedition will be extremely dangerous, and I will not intervene unless necessary. During the exploration, you must obey Leon Bellron's command. Understood?"
Clearly she had already coordinated with the four knights.
All four answered without hesitation.
Even Karl.
With introductions done, the group increased speed and sprinted toward the next level.
With average agility over 35, their movement speed made a bunch of novice adventurers nearby gape in shock and envy.
As they moved at high speed, Brellita deliberately drew closer to Leon and spoke in a low voice:
"It's in your hands now, Lord Leon. The exploration endpoint is the 39th floor. You must forge those four into a cohesive team with enough combat power."
That was Brellita's core commission to Leon.
She had already explained the reasoning to him.
Those four paladin trainees were pulled from Brellita's own knight order, and each was effectively a squad leader—familiar with one another, but lacking real coordination. And the official Paladin Selection was a team battle, so their synergy mattered immensely.
Beyond that, knights had relatively narrow combat patterns compared to casters. They had plenty of monster-killing experience in the Northern Forest, but lacked true dungeon-raiding experience.
And the Paladin Selection venue was Oradu.
So Leon needed to study each person's combat style and give strategy guidance as commander, ensuring they could perform in a dungeon environment.
"Holy Maiden," Leon said, "now that we're here, I still want to ask—why have me command them instead of you personally?"
"Because besides training them," Brellita said with an elegant smile behind her hand, "I also need to train you."
Leon fell silent, then nodded.
"Understood. You're training—and testing—at the same time, yes? You want to verify your judgment and confirm whether you can entrust me with more important matters later."
"Some things don't need to be said that plainly," Brellita replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're smart. You understand. If you spell it out, it becomes dull—doesn't it?"
"No," Leon said. "It's better to be clear. At least then I know what standard you expect."
That made Brellita's long eyes narrow further.
"I'm pleased to hear you say that—so confident you can control how far you take it. It sounds like you're very comfortable with what's coming."
"I wouldn't say that," Leon said. "I just have a rough plan."
"Then I look forward to your performance."
"By the way," Leon asked, "is the goal only to reach the 39th floor? No specific monster target, no item target?"
"If you want to gather good equipment materials for them, fine," Brellita said. "If you'd rather gather items for yourself, also fine. I'll leave it to your judgment."
"Wow," Leon said, "then I really must thank the Holy Maiden for her trust."
Leon didn't believe Brellita would truly let go completely—she probably had hidden intentions he hadn't seen through yet.
But that was fine. With these four as muscle, Leon could hunt more powerful monsters and eat more to strengthen himself.
On the side, Iris and the four knights couldn't help pricking up their ears, trying to catch the conversation.
But they were moving fast. The rushing wind, plus the low volume and rapid speech, made it impossible—they only caught a few vague words.
An hour later, the group reached the 11th floor at blistering speed.
The first ten floors were no obstacle for a team like this. And since Leon intentionally pushed the pace, they arrived quickly.
Leon's speed also left the four knights quietly shaken.
After all, Leon's agility was a full 47. He was holding back just enough so he didn't scare them to death.
After deliberately showing a bit, Leon stopped before entering the 11th floor and turned to the four knights.
"From this floor onward, every time we enter a new floor, we'll sweep a side-path region and challenge areas likely to have powerful monsters. Karl, I need you to take point. The moment we encounter a monster, you lock it down at full strength. Understood?"
Karl thumped his chest.
"No monster can overpower the sword in my hand!"
In his mind: I admit Leon's speed just now makes him hard to underestimate. But now it's time for me to prove how terrifying I really am!
The other knights exchanged looks again. Earlier Karl had been so resistant in front of the Holy Maiden, yet now he was obeying commands so readily.
Could it be that…?
Before they could finish exchanging glances, Leon pointed at the two other sturdy knights.
"Mark, Miro—your job is flanking offense, left and right. Remember the dungeon-raiding principle: frontal assault is the stupidest choice. Weakening and breaking the enemy from the sides is the lowest-risk, most sustainable method. Your role is crucial. Understood?"
Mark and Miro both nodded.
The last knight, slightly leaner, Bavali, asked, "Then what about me, sir?"
"You act freely," Leon said. "Use your mobility as much as possible. At key moments, I'll give you instructions."
"Understood."
Bavali nodded. He looked and behaved the most honest of the four.
Karl thought: This is standard, nothing special. I'll watch. If this is all he can do, don't blame me for taking command.
Brellita's eyes flickered too. Leon's arrangement was reasonable, but not remarkable. Still, she knew Leon wasn't ordinary, and patiently considered what his deeper intent might be.
Iris leaned in and whispered, "Leon… is this really enough? They look kind of unimpressed."
~~~
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