Chapter 210 – Awkward Leader.

“Lady Venomridge has the highest combat rating in class B1!”

Eldric snapped and gestured sharply at Aranea, who stood at ease and looked almost bored, as if the decision meant nothing to her.

“It only makes sense that she leads.”

“Is that all you have?”

Astrella laughed as if Eldric’s argument held no weight.

“That is only because she has never faced Gwen. If she had, she would have lost just as you did. You have only seen a fraction of Gwen’s power!”

Astrella finished proudly and planted her hands on her hips. Airy copied the gesture while balancing on her head.

“That is nonsense, and you know it!”

Eldric’s face turned red with anger. His snake hissed beside him, yet Astrella showed no fear at all. Rusty’s presence at her side seemed to give her confidence. Rusty himself was confused by the entire argument and wondered if this was why Class B2 felt so sure of their victory. B1, the class he fought for, had no real leader, and the one who was supposed to be the strongest did not seem to care.

While the others argued, Aranea lifted her sleeve to hide a yawn. Perhaps she had not slept well, or perhaps she simply cared even less about the competition. Even if they lost, she would not be removed from this class, as she was still considered the top student there. The only thing that seemed to hold her interest was glancing at Rusty. When he tilted his metallic head toward her, she straightened for a moment, then quickly looked away as if embarrassed.

‘This might be a problem.’

Rusty knew that any large group needed a clear command structure. Even a poor tactic could work if everyone followed it together. Without a leader, people would act independently and weaken their chances of success. The other class had a leader, and even if he seemed like a complete midwit, he had managed to unite his group.

“What nonsense?”

The argument worsened quickly as Astrella kept pushing her point.

“Gwen is clearly the one who should lead.”

“You two just got here and know nothing. Step aside, know your place!”

Eldric kept arguing, and it was clear this would lead nowhere. It was time for him to step in. He might have been only a summon to these people, but every action he took reflected on his summoner, and he intended to use that to his advantage.

“Gwen, I am sorry, but you will have to act as the temporary leader if we want to win.”

Rusty spoke through their connection, and Gwen looked completely taken aback.

“I will have to do what?”

Her tone revealed her surprise. She was not used to being assertive, but something had to change. Someone needed to create even a simple plan that all of these students could follow. Without that, the arguing would only escalate, and they would end up fighting among themselves or forced into a hopeless defensive stance.

He stepped forward just as Astrella was about to shout a string of insults at her fellow student.

“You are just a… Rusty?”

The moment he appeared, Eldric stepped back. He knew Rusty’s strength and understood that his own snake could be crushed with little effort.

“You will have to take control, Gwen. Tell them that you’ll be the temporary leader.”

“I do not know. Shouldn’t Aranea lead? She has been in the class longer, and she knows the other students…”

As he expected, she was not willing to step forward. Her shoulders slumped, and she seemed to shrink into herself. Yet without her help, he could not make this work. He could not communicate with the others, and asking someone for a severed head so he could speak was out of the question. They would not listen to a summoned creature anyway. It had to be Gwen who spoke for him.

“Then repeat the words I am about to tell you. I am sure the others will understand. And if they do not…”

Rusty drove the shaft of his halberd into the ground. The impact cracked the hard stone beneath them. Thin fractures spread outward like a spiderweb, startling nearly every student with the sheer force behind the blow.

“If… if Ara… I mean, Lady Venomridge doesn’t feel like leading, th-then…”

Gwen swallowed, her voice barely above a whisper at first. Every pair of eyes slowly turned toward her.

“Th-then I–I will… um… I will be the leader… for now… since… since no one else seems to w-want to…”

Silence fell over the small stronghold, and even the wind seemed to pause.

“You forgot the most important part, Gwen. Tell them that if someone refuses, I will beat them up!”

Rusty tried to push his summoner into showing more resolve, but she clearly did not want to threaten anyone.

“I… I can’t say that.”

She answered through their connection. The other students were not looking at her anyway. Their eyes were fixed on Aranea, who had become the closest thing to a leader among them. At the same time, they were unsure how strong this new arrival might be. Some of them began to inch away as if a fight was about to break out, but when Aranea finally spoke, everyone froze.

“Thou desirest to be the leader? I suppose thou have some manner of plan?

Aranea blinked once and watched Gwen, waiting for her answer. The students around them looked surprised. Many of them had expected a battle for leadership, yet the two were simply talking.

“A plan? Y-yes, I have a plan.”

Gwen forced a smile and then quietly asked Rusty through their bond,

“Do we have a plan, Rusty?”

Rusty nodded. He had already considered what needed to be done. He could not expect much from these children. They were uncoordinated and more concerned with increasing their mana or summoning creatures than practicing teamwork. They needed something simple that they could follow without confusion.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Yes, I have a plan. It is very easy. We will divide everyone into two groups. One will defend and the other will attack, and I already know who should go where.”

Although he had not been at the academy long, he had plenty of time to observe the students of Class B1. Throughout the week, each of them had summoned their creatures at some point, giving him a clear view of their skills. He was not sure if it was Aburdon’s influence, but his memory was excellent. With this knowledge, he could choose who fit each role best.

“What is thy plan then?”

“Ah, yes, well…”

Gwen paused for a moment while Rusty gave her the gist of the situation. The other students looked confused as she kept glancing at him, yet the plan soon took shape before them.

“The plan is simple. We will divide into two teams, one for attacking and one for defense. Lady Venomridge will lead the attack while I remain here to defend our flag.”

Some of the students nodded, seeing nothing wrong with this, but one of Aranea’s lackeys immediately complained.