Chapter 41: RWBY Arc: What does being a leader entail?

“There’s one more thing I wanted to talk about.” (Kaito)

“There’s more? What’s next, you have a pocket-sized god in your inventory? Do you have an auto-defense system so no form of harm can touch you?” (Minato)

“No, I’m done with that.” (Kaito)

There’s nothing more for me to say about my combat ability. Minato-kun held his tongue and waited to hear what else I had to say. I picked up my thoughts and pensively narrowed my eyebrows.

“Are you alright with this arrangement?” (Kaito)

“You’ll have to be clearer about that. I don’t know what it is you’re trying to get at.” (Neptune)

“Is there something bothering you?” (Tanjiro)

Nep-chan had a puzzled face while Tanjiro-kun expressed worry for me.

“I mean are you guys fine with having me as your leader? This arrangement happened only because of the group chat’s interference. Unlike the rest of you, I don’t have any experience in leadership or have exemplary power or authority to be a leader.” (Kaito)

I’ve been troubled by this for a while but didn’t voice it until now. These guys went with the flow and hadn’t really questioned it, but now that we’re actually out on the field my critical thinking skills in this area have become something very important to consider as we move forward.

“I am not someone like Minato-kun or Doctor. I haven’t had a clue as to how to manage a team or devise tactics for operations. Lilia-san, who trained to become a leader for a knights corps is much more competent than I am.” (Kaito)

It was honestly a scary thought to be responsible for the lives of others as a team. And very stressful also for them to trust me with their lives in my hand.

Realization seemed to come to them from my explanation. Absorbed in my words, they grew silent for a minute.

“My bad. I didn’t think ahead to ask how you felt about it. As for my thoughts… Does it matter who it is? Not every leader fulfills the same needs. Sure, your combat ability is on the low side, but you know how to make everyone happy. That’s enough I would say.” (Minato)

Minato-kun assured me that I had a quality allowing me to remain as the team’s leader with consideration. Huh, I didn’t think of it that way.

“Kaito-san, you remind me a lot of Oyakata-sama. He’s the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, but he’s too sickly to fight in the frontlines. Even still, he treats us all with respect and love like we’re his own children. That’s why everyone remains steadfast and loyal to him.” (Tanjiro)

This Oyakata-sama person must be an incredible person if Tanjiro-kun speaks so well of him. I wonder if I’ll get the chance to meet him one day…

“I getcha. Those who don’t pay attention to their buddies aren’t great as leaders. Kai-chan here is all about listening and being considerate of our feelings, so he’s good in my books.” (Neptune)

Even Nep-chan who is usually scatterbrained says I’m qualified to be a leader… I’m surprised to hear that much thought put into her words from her.

“But yeah, if things become too much, then make me the leader. As the number one protagonist, I’m also the number one leader from a logical standpoint.” (Neptune)

And Nep-chan had to ruin the good mood just now with her usual gloating attitude… Still, it made me feel fuzzy on the inside to know how high of an opinion they got for me as a leader.

“Instead of worrying too much about the tactical side of things, just consult with me or leave that role to me. I’m the field leader of SEES, but Mitsuru-senpai is the one managing operations, providing resources, and commands the entire organization. You just have to think smart at appointing the right people in the right positions.” (Minato)

That little nugget of wisdom from Minato-kun’s garnered admiration from us. The right people for the right positions…

I was pulled away from my thoughts from the rustling noise by the forest and out came Lilia-san returning from her scouting duty.

“There doesn’t seem to be any Grimm in our immediate surroundings. Let’s take this opportunity to plant some of the equipment and erect a Dust Barrier.” (Lilia)

She briefly gave a report, and I went on to retrieve the equipment sent by Doctor in my inventory.

“Speaking of positions, I know Lilia-san isn’t a member of the team, so wouldn’t you say she fits the role of a goddess of victory?” (Kaito)

“Eh? Roles? Goddess of victory? Have I missed something important?” (Lilia)

Lilia-san whipped her head back and forth looking for answers amid her confusion.

“Now that you said it, I can’t help but agree. She’s noble and has a good sense of justice, a natural beauty with blonde hair, and you can’t help but feel at ease when she’s on your side.” (Minato)

“Certainly, Lilia-san is incredibly reliable. It’s strange but I feel like fighting much harder when she’s around.” (Tanjiro)

“H-Hold on, things are going too fast for me. Kaito-san! Why did you suddenly give me the title of a goddess of victory!? It’s a little blasphemous knowing that there is one back home!” (Lilia)

Lilia-san complained to me while flustered by my unexpected compliment. Her reaction was cute as usual.

“But it makes sense. I really do consider Lilia-san to be a beacon of victory. For a team like ours, someone like that is indispensable.” (Kaito)

“Gununu…” (Lilia)

The cute grumbling noises she makes are adorable when she’s embarrassed like this.

I felt a prickly sensation on my skin and turned to see Nep-chan with an annoyed look on her face.

"Lia is pretty I’ll admit, but what about me? You already have a goddess of victory on the team.” (Neptune)

“That’s tooting your horn a bit too much. Could it be… you’re jealous of Lilia-san being called a goddess of victory?” (Kaito)

“Well take a second to compare us! It should be easy to decide which of us is best fit for the title of goddess.” (Neptune)

For what reason is Nep-chan suddenly so competitive for the title of goddess… does it have to do with her being an actual one and now she feels offended by someone else being called as such in front of her? It’s not like she has her memories, so was it her running on emotions?

“C’mon, don’t be like that. It isn’t anything to get worked up over.” (Kaito)

Realizing her immaturity, Nep-chan averted her eyes away with a huff.

“Yeah I know. But wouldn’t you know it… Kai-chan thinks someone who’s blonde and has huge breasts is the spitting image of a goddess… for some reason I feel really dissatisfied.” (Neptune)

She’s a lot more upset than I thought. I have a feeling there’s a deeper meaning we both don’t really understand yet. For now, let’s just clear the misunderstanding between us.

“I don’t know. Those qualities do appear a lot in the idealized image of a goddess. But most goddesses I know aren’t always like that. I’m sure Nep-chan’s looks are the qualities someone looks for in a goddess.” (Kaito)

That improved her mood a lot as she stopped sulking and returned back to her cheerful self.

“Just to satiate my curiosity, what kind of role does Kaito-san think I fulfill?” (Alyssa)

“The suspicious stranger who provides intel and lives a life that is abnormal from normal people and is introduced into the group due to someone with connections.” (Kaito)

“I fully understand… that’s spot-on. But Alyssa-chan isn’t someone suspicious, she’s Kaito-san’s lovely maiden!” (Alyssa)

Certainly, Alyssa isn’t suspicious at all. She’s a girl who’s straightforward with her feelings and doesn’t hold that many dark thoughts. The one who’s really suspicious is the person hiding behind her.

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[Brodime]: What about me?

“Excuse me for being so blunt… right now, Kirschtaria-san is relegated to being our cheerleader.” (Kaito)

[Brodime]: There is nothing rude about it. Shall I go prepare pom-poms or a flag to cheer everyone more effectively?

… He wasn’t offended by that, rather his enthusiasm increased. This guy is taking his seriousness into some strange areas.

“Ah, may I have a word with you, Kaito-san?” (Alyssa)

“Go ahead.” (Kaito)

“I’m finished with extracting all the information from Cinder. Well~, it happened the day she was apprehended. Nothing’s too difficult when I can read her mind that has zero mental defenses.” (Alyssa)

“… Then what was the point of me using such shameful magic to interrogate her…” (Minato)

Minato said with a distant look. Poor guy is still hung up about that.

“On another matter, I’ve done more research into the relationship between aura and magic. This has led me to making a breakthrough and now I’ve created a procedure to extract the Maiden’s magic power from Cinder and return that half to Amber safely.” (Alyssa)

“That’s great news! Nice job, Alyssa.” (Kaito)

It’s relieving to hear someone’s been stuck in a bed for so long has finally found some hope in recovery. I had absolute confidence in Alyssa to manage this so this was within what was expected.

“From the databases I’ve hacked into and tracing back to folklore, aura is the leftovers of magic humans used to have. It’s why the magic power of Maidens integrates itself deeply into the host’s aura. There’s no difference between the shield provided by aura and the basic magical force field when learning the basics of magic. However, the former is much bulkier because it’s oriented for the purpose of defense. If magic is mixed in, aura will meld into magic power naturally as a side-upgrade.” (Alyssa)

Alyssa smoothly explained in a tone a professor would use. She brought that up a notch by wearing glasses she took out from nowhere.

“Semblances are also remnants of specialized forms of magic. You remember how people living in certain environments can impact the potential magic dwelling in them and what they specialize in. For Kaito-san who lived on Earth for most of your life and had a natural disposition to sensing the emotions of others, you developed Sympathy Magic. This is the same principle for those in Remnant. I believe that your semblance will also meld together with your magic as another side-upgrade or branched path to develop.” (Alyssa)

I do recall being given a similar explanation from Kuro when I first began learning magic. There were several factors to determining the kind of magic you have a natural affinity for and in rare cases even possess unique magic.

“But just to be completely safe, I want Kaito-san present during the procedure to assist in Amber’s recovery. We’ll do it after you guys are finished with the mission.” (Alyssa)

She wants my help? I don’t understand what I can do in this case, but sure, I’ll listen to her. I answered her with a nod and that was it.

“Since we’re done with all that miscellaneous stuff, what’s the plan for the future?” (Alyssa)

“The future?” (Kaito)

“It’s mandatory that you will participate in the Vytal Festival. During the tournament, there’ll be team matches which will progress into tag-team matches until it ends with single matches. The abilities of MNTK are top-notch even by Beacon standards. The problem is—” (Alyssa)

“We don’t have much experience in team coordination. That’s what you wanted to say, right?” (Minato)

Alyssa nodded at Minato-kun’s observation with an approved look.

“You should worry about how to support and supplement each other during battle. I suggest using this time to split into two groups and exploring different areas of the forest to learn with each other. You’ll then reconvene at a certain spot before trading partners and doing the same thing again. Me and Lilia-san will be observing the two groups as you move along.” (Alyssa)

It’s really convenient to have Alyssa around to provide her insightful advice and how to map out our future plans.

“Is there anyone who would like to object to this plan?” (Kaito)

“Nope. Nada.” (Neptune)

“I would like to go forward with this.” (Tanjiro)

“I’m all set like everyone else.” (Minato)

That’s what I like to hear. I have a good feeling about this team. We’re sure to ace this tournament in all likelihood once this is over.

“I’m happy to hear it~. Then, Kaito-san, you will be the first to decide who your partner is since you’re the leader. Who’s left afterwards will partner with each other.” (Alyssa)

I wordlessly accepted that idea and swept my eyes over the three people. This is quite hard to decide on. I have no doubts I can work well together with any of them, so it became a bit more difficult…

…Alright, I know who the first person is. Then—

 

 

 

Afterword:

Raven12345: “Yah~, I just got some really amazing news.”

Serious-senpai: “Amazing how? If it’s coming from you, I’m a bit cautious.”

Raven12345: “What with that attitude? It’s nothing to be paranoid about. I just heard the news from a kouhai of mine that a member from her group chat recently became a father.”

Serious-senpai: “Seriously!? You’re going to drop that kind of bombshell!?”

Raven12345: “That kouhai is really adorable~. She’s really proud of her little group she started, chattering on and on at me about what an amazing catch she found. That [Child of Prophecy]… I think it was Naruto Uzumaki? Seems like he fathered a cute daughter. I was given photos of her too.”

Serious-senpai: “Like I care about someone’s parental status! You mentioned a second group chat! Isn’t that too early for this story!? And that’s a huge name you just mentioned! Naruto Uzumaki!?”

Raven12345: “The only other member she has currently is that [Strongest Man in the World]… the username is too long. I told her to shorten it beforehand. Er… his real name is Adlet Mayer, he’s a good kid I believe. Still, her group is too small right now to make a huge fuss over. I promised to leave that [Technical Devil] alone for her to snatch, so she can’t accuse me of being a stingy senpai.”

Serious-senpai: “Like you can complain about making someone’s username too long! I still remember Minato’s first username, and Kaito’s is still long! And if you’re going to be talking about group chat related things, why not restrict to the one you’re currently administrating!?”

Raven12345: “Okay okay, I hear you loud and clear. To be honest, it was planned for there to be another guy introduced with Kirschtaria, but that eyepatch and metal armed chuuni bastard is really stubborn. Am I so untrustworthy?”

Serious-senpai: “Big shock!”

Raven12345: “And there’s an even bigger headache on the horizon… My boss is getting bored. I am honestly praying that Hirume-sama doesn’t get into her whimsical acts and begins to bug me or my group chat. Seriously… I was dripping cold sweat and felt death looming above me when I encountered Shallow Vernal-sama… I really don’t want those two to meet each other. Worse is if she were to find her husband, Kaito…”

Serious-senpai: “Oi. Oi oi. That’s a flag. That’s a huge flag you just planted there.”

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