Chapter 245 (1/2)

Of course as mentioned, it was also important to build a team with individuals that can trust and rely on each other as well as get along with each other. In this matter, Pike actually stumbled upon a snag and as it happened, that snag also happened to involve Leon.

Should be mentioned, that Pike had been swift in his selection of recruits, choosing those who'd made some good impression upon him during the past year or those he'd teamed up with before. For example, the Mage was someone who he happened to team with during an external mission and who had impressed him with his quick wit and skill. He was about the same age as Leon, had even entered the school the same year, though through other channels, and had excellent control and range of his fire abilities. Pike considered that he would add good offensive power to the team.

However...

”I will not remain in this team if that one stays.”

Pike had asked the five members of his team to gather at a remote noodle shop in old Julip town for the rest day period in order to acquaint everyone. As with most of the twenty martial artists, he'd also chosen a second martial artist to join his team and that youth happened to be Troy, so he and Leon already somewhat knew each other, though Leon flushed red recalling the embarrassing circumstances of it. Troy's grin was slightly lopsided and jovial when remembering the same thing and teased the alchemist who's height only fell short of his own by a half-inch. This also made Troy feel gleeful that he was not the only diminutive one.

Leon had met other beast tamers, but had never met Velana. If he had, he felt he would never have forgotten her. She was a very beautiful woman, yet her beauty did not fit the standards that he understood of this world. That in part was due to her height, for she was quite tall, almost matching Pike, and part due to her strong figure, of which hinted at voluptuousness if one could look past the compact muscles in her arms and legs. Leon felt that if he were to compare her against others, it would be the Amazon women of Greek legend.

Her partner was a fox-type beast with long, gem like eyes and three tails, just unlike other foxes, its tails were not bushy, but sleek and the tips all varied in colour. It's fur also was a mishmash of those colours; the burnt orange, steel grey and snow white of the foxes from various species of Earth. Unsurprisingly, this large vulpine was aptly named a tri-coloured fox. Velana called the beast Velone.

The scholar was also a stranger, but that was no surprise for Leon hadn't actually crossed paths with many students from this school nor the Mage schools. His name was Roman. He was tall, quite thin and had a small mole beneath his indigo eyes that gave his otherwise plain face a more bewitching appearance.

And then there was the Mage.

Honestly, Leon had only crossed paths with this man once in his recollection and that matter had been so long forgotten by himself seeing as so many things had occurred since, if the Mage himself hadn't revealed their enmity, he would never have recalled it. Really, even the word enmity was too harsh a term. Really, Leon had been a passive participant in the minor argument that caused the other to hold a grudge. As for the other pair involved, likely, they never held it in their hearts either.

Leon looked at the young Master, who spat out his ultimatum, before his and all other eyes glanced towards Pike. The usually jovial martial artist could not help but frown.

”For what reason?” Pike asked the young man.

”He and his Master gave this one no face, even had the audacity to mock this one,” the Mage complained. Leon had to think about it for a moment before recalling; this was the Young Master of the Ibis clan, whose lackies had claimed was 'the pride of the Mage school'. Leon had meant to ask Sun about it after they had landed, but as Jin Li stole his breakfast and then Sun had become all melancholy over a missing coach, it had slipped his mind.

”Your Master?” Troy whispered. It wasn't that there were no master-servant relationships amongst students, but that these ties were not recognised while within the Institute. If a young Master or Mistress wished to be pampered by his/her servants, they could go back home to receive such and forget about returning to this place of serious learning and hard work.