Chapter 130

Kweh-ehk—!

Leonardo was deep in thought, looking up at the massive monster that was large enough to cover his entire body with its shadow.

'What could be the reason for a Council battalion commander to get involved in a high-risk activity like illegal mining?'

Something that looked like scales or thorns densely protruded from the monster's body, then spread in all directions and trembled. As if threatening its opponent, its body gradually swelled, and from the front, the large throat inside its wide-open maw was vividly visible, panting.

However, this monster was not threatening right now. It was frightened.

'The main purpose seemed to be etaide. Does he know its uses? If so, what the hell does he intend to use it for?'

While thinking about something else in his head, Leonardo, who had jumped as high as the monster's height in one go, rotated his body in the air, drawing an orbit, and kicked the monster's head with a twist.

Kwajik—! Kwang—!

His foot shattered the monster's skull and burst its brain. The head, which had half of it caved in instantly, flew away and crashed into the cliff, leaving a trail of blood as it slid down.

'Money? But the Clinder Marquis family should have plenty of means to make money legally. Is it like they say, the haves do worse?'

Seeing the monster's body occasionally twitching as if its nerves were still alive, Leonardo lightly stepped on the ground and came down. Then, looking at his one leg that was soaked wet, he frowned.

"Ah, damn it, blood got on it again."

Kiaahk—!

At that moment, the sound of another monster running towards him from behind, grasping the ground with its huge claws, was heard.

Leonardo lowered the leg he had been holding up and glanced back. Then, for some reason, an ilaptor, which had been hard to see until now, was seen running fast with a threatening momentum, dripping saliva or poison from its mouth.

"Oh."

He let out an exclamation that was hard to tell if he was inwardly pleased or not, and nimbly dodged to the side. Ilaptors had a fatal weakness of being very fast when charging straight ahead but having difficulty changing direction, which was soon an advantage for Leonardo.

As the ilaptor swiftly passed by, unable to change direction, Leonardo strongly struck down his fist on the back of its neck.

Kwang—!

The creature's head was instantly buried deep into the ground. Perhaps because the impact was strong, the creature trembled for a moment, then soon struggled with all its might to get out, scratching the ground with the hook-like claws on its large, muscular hind legs. Its thick and long tail swung around, striking in all directions to prevent the approach of higher predators.

However, what was next to the ilaptor was the nemesis of monsters that even the top predators of the peninsula avoided, so Leonardo lightly grabbed the creature's tail that was swinging with a buzzing sound with one hand. And with the other hand, he grabbed the creature's large and sturdy thigh and ripped it off.

Kwadeuk—!

The ilaptor's scream was heard from underground. The separated torso and leg fell to the side, spewing an unknown liquid, but flames rose from Leonardo's hand and seared the area to block it.

He seemed to like the sturdy leg with the huge claws, swinging it around, then waved the item in his hand to show it to the two people watching from a distance behind and said,

"Hey, this seems useful. Do you want it?"

The leg, whose nerves were still alive, could be seen grotesquely wriggling as if trying to grasp something. Kenis, who had been gripping his sword so tightly that his hands turned white, shook his head with a face as pale as his hands upon seeing it.

When a clear rejection came back, Leonardo seemed to think it was a waste to throw it away, so he tucked the leg under his arm, saying, "Then I'll have to use it." Afterwards, he completely severed the breath of the creature still struggling while buried in the ground with the claws of the leg he had been holding.

Next to a nearby gravel field in the dense undergrowth, there was a steaming stream. Leonardo took a seat on a low rock near the stream and scooped water with both hands to wash off the monster's blood splattered on his face. He also simply wiped off the ones splattered on his hands and legs, and rubbed the red-stained sleeves of his mage robe by soaking them in water.

While doing so, he quietly looked at his own face, which was occasionally distorted and reflected due to the current. When he brushed up his unsightly wet bangs that were bothering him with his hand, suddenly, as an extension of the thought he had been having earlier, a memory flashed through his mind and he flinched.

'Meterion Clinder is one of the nobility faction members.'

A water droplet flowed down his transparent cheek, gathered at the tip of his chin, and fell with a plop.

'Could it be that the nobility's alleged plan Andrew got his hands on... is related to this?'

Leonardo's expression, who had been blankly staring at the flowing water, became quite serious. He immediately spread out his five fingers and began counting something one by one, folding his fingers. When he repeated folding and unfolding the same finger about twice, light footsteps were heard from behind him.

The footsteps that had been approaching with long strides abruptly stopped near Leonardo. Then, in a volume that was indistinguishable whether it was a monologue or meant to be heard, Alec said,

"Wow, if we keep going like this, we'll arrive not in two days, but before sunset today?"

Leonardo stopped folding his fingers and turned his head in that direction. Then, Alec, who was looking far away with binoculars for exploration while holding a map, was seen about ten steps away. Alec turned his head towards Leonardo with the binoculars still pressed against his eyes and said with a grin,

"Thanks to you, we came very quickly. As expected of an S-grade."

The expected period until the point Alec had aimed for was two days, but now that period was being narrowed down to roughly within a day. That's how tremendous the ability of an immeasurable S4-grade, who had regained his original vast mana and precise control, truly was.

Leonardo used teleportation for three people consecutively while taking Alec and Kenis along, crossing the peninsula almost by ridges towards their destination. It was a travel speed that an average mage couldn't even imagine, but the immeasurable title he possessed made that absurd speed possible.

What surprised Alec even more was Leonardo's appearance, still looking perfectly fine even after beating all those numerous monsters with his bare hands. Not only was his mana strong, but his physical abilities were also outstanding.

Alec, who had been appreciating Leonardo's crumpled face through the binoculars, slightly lowered the angle and looked at the black choker fastened around his neck while zooming in. If he showed this level of ability even while wearing something like that... imagining how strong he would become without it made his whole body tremble with excitement and anticipation.

At the sight of Alec Siles suddenly grinning at him, Leonardo's face crumpled more and more, expressing his disgust without filtering.

Just as he was about to say something about why he was grinning like an idiot, Alec lowered the binoculars he had been holding against his eyes and said to him,

"Now, then, before we arrive, shall we finish carrying out the second clause of the contract?"

Leonardo Blaine's second request that Alec Siles had to fulfill. Explain everything he knew about the egg in the bag, the outsider who had accompanied them, and the Elder Millie Peninsula.

Since he had roughly heard about the outsider, there were two remaining items he had to hear about.

However, as soon as Alec finished speaking, the sound of the bushes being violently torn apart was suddenly heard from not far away. Along with the presence rapidly approaching, the dense grass that had grown taller than a person's height between the thick and large trees swayed and fell limply to the side. And from between them, a human figure leaped out.

"What clause!"

The protagonist who leaped out of the bushes was Kenis. He hurriedly wedged himself between Leonardo and Alec and blocked the middle as if to interfere. Then, glaring at Alec as if he were a villain, he said,

"You're, you're trying to do something strange again, aren't you?"

Alec let out a subtle laugh. Kenis's appearance, full of wariness, looked like a one-day puppy trying to protect the S-grade ultimate weapon hidden behind him from Alec.

"Something strange, you say. I'm suddenly feeling hurt. To think a friend who followed me so well, calling me Mr. Scholar—."

"That's because I thought Mr. Scholar was a good person back then."

"I'm still a good person though?"

At Alec's shamelessness, saying he was a good person even after using people as test subjects, Kenis was gradually realizing the harsh reality of the world that not all humans had a fundamentally good base.

Leonardo blankly looked up at Kenis, who was blocking his way and bickering with the scholar. Seeing him rush over here, hooked on a single word that had briefly passed by when he had been sent out to patrol the surroundings for a bit, it seemed his hearing was truly incredibly sharp.

Perhaps because he hadn't properly explained the contents of the contract to this fellow, Kenis seemed to regard that contract as almost the root of all evil.

"Did you do what I told you to go and do?"

Leonardo asked in a roundabout way, trying to calm Kenis's back that was growling intensely. Then, Kenis, who had been arguing quite fiercely with Alec, immediately turned around and sat down, meeting Leonardo's gaze.

"Yes, of course!"