Bermuda

Despite having attacked at full speed just moments ago, Leonardo could not understand this scene at all, with everyone now sitting together as if they were old friends. Even as he responded to Orca’s handshake on reflex, he leaned his neck back and answered awkwardly.

“Uh, yeah... good to meet you too. But how did this guy end up joining us?”

He directed the last question at Ero. Ero rose from his seat and, as if directing traffic, took Orca by the shoulder and guided him a step back. With that easygoing smile on his face, it did not feel rude.

“When the sand exploded, I got caught up in the vortex too, and that’s when Orca saved me. Honestly, I was already prepared to get eliminated. But then he suddenly showed up and put me on his Divine Beast, so I was shocked too. Well... technically, it swallowed me.”

Apparently, at the moment the sandstorm had gone wild, the killer whale had appeared like a hero and protected Ero from the savage fragments tearing through the air. After hearing the full story, Leonardo looked at the man who had only felt burdensome until now with open surprise.

“You saved him? Why?”

Orca withdrew his hand with a hint of regret and opened and closed the palm that still held the fading warmth. Then he returned to his seat, sat properly upright, and spoke in a serious voice.

“The heart of one who tries to save a comrade is noble. If Joker were eliminated, Lion would be sad. I liked the lion, so I thought helping Joker would earn the lion’s favor.”

Silence hung in the room for a while. Leonardo raised a brow as if asking what in the world that was supposed to mean.

In the middle of that quiet, it was Gillian who spoke first.

“You said you wanted to win his favor, but is it really okay to say that so openly? What if he thinks you’ve got some hidden scheme?”

“It does not matter now that we are already on the same team. And I have no hidden scheme.”

“How are we supposed to believe that?”

“Believe it or not, it makes no difference to me. I simply liked the lion. And I also liked all of you, who cooperated to help the lion.”

“Hm. Simple enough. I don’t dislike that. You’re not bad to look at either.”

Beatrice swept her gaze over Orca from head to toe as though evaluating him. Judging by the satisfied smile on the fussy young lady’s face, she was enjoying this situation. More precisely, she was enjoying his looks.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Even at such an openly rude assessment, Orca merely bowed his head dryly. Leonardo, who had been watching, cut in with an incredulous tone.

“No, but... if Joker gets eliminated, why would I be sad? I have absolutely nothing to do with...”

He trailed off before finishing. All four of the people who had become his teammates were staring at him.

Orca continued as though it were obvious.

“Because you tried to protect Joker. Did you not draw attention to yourself and shield him from the ghost?”

It was obvious without explanation that by “the ghost,” Orca meant Asher. Gillian and Beatrice, excluding Orca, nodded as if they agreed with him. Seeing even Morvain, who had no self to speak of, nod along as if he knew something, Leonardo gave a disbelieving laugh. Only Ero, his eyes glistening with emotion, pushed out his lower lip and muttered,

“Boss, I had no idea you thought of me that much... I keep saying it, but I will continue to give you my loyalty from here on too!”

“No, I get it. Ha... then what, when you bought time for me, was that also to win my favor? Back when my foot got caught in the Sand Bog?”

“That is correct.”

The answer came so easily that Leonardo’s brow creased.

“Why are you so proud and honest about it?”

“Is being proud and honest not a good thing?”

“Why do you want my favor? Why did you like me in the first place?”

“It is natural for the strong to be drawn to the strong. When you stepped in front of me to protect Joker, I felt excitement and tension unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I want to properly confirm what that sensation was. If we are on the same team, we can remain close, so I should have more chances to find out.”

His black eyes shone quietly. His white eyelashes, in contrast, created a strange harmony. Along with those robes that moved like waves, he gave off an air of mystery.

At that point, Gillian, who had drained his wineglass and was now drinking straight from the bottle, wiped his mouth roughly and summed up the situation.

“So in short, doesn’t that just mean you’ve fallen for Lion?”

“What?”

The one startled by that was Ero.

“No... how does it become that?” freēwēbηovel.c૦m

“That may be the case. My people have regarded killer whales as sacred beings since ancient times and lived alongside them, sharing our habitat. As we did, our habits gradually came to resemble theirs. Among killer whales, same-sex relations are a form of social bonding. Being drawn to a strong male within the pod is instinct.”

At Orca’s calm reply, silence fell again. Ero, who clearly had not expected things to go in this direction, parted his lips dumbly, then shuffled over and quietly sat down beside Leonardo. The intent was obvious. He was wedging himself between them to create distance.

Leaning the top half of his body steeply toward Leonardo, Ero cast a sidelong glance and whispered softly by his ear.

“Boss, I think I may have completely misjudged him. Shouldn’t we try to persuade him and kick him out while we still can...”

“Hold on. Let’s talk.”

Cutting him off, Leonardo rose slowly from his seat. Then he walked over to Beatrice and Gillian, who were sitting opposite him.

Bending at the waist to bring himself level with his business partners, he placed a hand beside Beatrice’s head and another beside Gillian’s, creating a little private space for the three of them. Morvain stepped in front of them with the teapot in hand, shielding them with a gesture. Then, as if nothing unusual were happening, he poured tea into Orca’s cup. Orca answered with a glance of acknowledgment and quietly took a sip.

Only Ero, abruptly left alone, darted his eyes back and forth.

Lowering his voice, Leonardo pressed close to his associates and whispered,

“So what do we do, go with this as is? What are the chances he’s a spy or has some other motive?”

“Even if he is, what choice do we have? We can’t change the team now that it’s set. And if he is plotting something, then we can use him too. Besides, handsome men are usually kind.”

“One of these days, that’s really going to bite you.”

“Better to get burned by a handsome one than an ugly one.”

At Beatrice’s utterly unhelpful answer, Gillian added his own.

“Belle’s right. There’s nothing we can do for now. And looking at our team setup, we really do need one more fighter who has the advantage in aerial combat. He looks agile, and he seems highly skilled at using his Divine Beast. He already proved his worth as support, didn’t he? We have to watch what we say around him and stay cautious either way, but the same is true of Joker.”

Listening closely, Leonardo gave a quiet nod. Then he asked one more time.

“Mm... but what I mean is, does that talk about liking me and all that really sound sincere to you? If he planned this approach, it’s clumsy. But if it’s real, he’s a lunatic.”

“Sounds sincere to me. It’s not exactly the first time you’ve had a stalker attached to you, is it? And what matters right now is whether it’s genuine or not, this puts him in a position where he has to win your favor.”

At that simple conclusion, Leonardo narrowed his eyes. Then he straightened up, returned to his seat, and dropped himself back onto the sofa.

Having set down his teacup, Orca lifted his head and looked at him as though awaiting a sentence.

“Finished talking already?”

“Yeah. We decided to go together.”

“Boss—!”

“But.”

Leonardo held off the Ero who was about to say something with his fingertips and added a condition.

“I’m not the type to trust people that easily. We may have ended up as a temporary team, but earlier you were definitely trying to attack our team’s Joker. So in the next match, I’d like to see something that proves you can be trusted.”

“Hm. I thought I had cooperated quite enough in the last match. In what way?”

“I don’t know. Anything. Be bait, for example. Or take the lead. Of course, all on the premise that you follow my orders.”

Orca blinked several times as if considering it, then agreed readily.

“In other words, you want me to prove my ability and court you. Understood. Even in our society, entering a new pod is not easy.” freёwebnoѵel.com

“...What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Leonardo shot back in disbelief. Beatrice, breaking into laughter for once, smacked Gillian’s arm again and again.

“He’s really funny. Charming, even.”

“What are you saying now?”

Leonardo gave Beatrice a displeased look, then spoke clearly to Orca.

“Sorry to cut this off, but could you stop using words like fallen for and courting? I know you don’t mean it the way I’d think of it, but hearing it over and over is making me feel like crap.”

That was Leonardo doing his best to avoid saying it felt downright disgusting. But Orca tilted his head and answered,

“I do mean it that way. Did I not say so earlier? Being drawn to a strong male is instinct.”

“No—”

Leonardo barely managed to stop a curse from slipping out. Gillian watched the animal circus the two men were producing with visible interest. Ero, wearing an anxious expression, kept glancing back and forth between them.

Leonardo closed his eyes for a moment, sorted out his thoughts, and then spoke.

“Ha... I don’t know why I’m even having this conversation, but just in case, I’ll say it now. I’m already seeing someone, so don’t start sniffing around me or getting strange ideas.”

It was not only Ero who looked stunned by such an intensely private statement. Gillian and Beatrice, who had been openly amused until then, also went wide-eyed for a second. Even Morvain, who had been pouring tea into an empty cup, whipped his head around.

But Orca alone answered as though it were nothing.

“That does not matter. Killer whales do not form relations with only one partner. If desired, five at once is also possible.”

At that deeply serious reply, Leonardo finally lost all power of speech.