Chapter 2395 Dangerous
Leonel gave Aina a reassuring smile. It seemed that even now, his top priority was making sure that she was comfortable.
He knew exactly what she was thinking. In this kind of oppressive environment, especially one where these old men and women were doing their best to portray themselves as gods, any sort of dissension would be squashed with impunity.
It didn't matter if Leonel had something "clever" to say. In fact, the more clever he was, the more inclined they would be toward directly killing him.
Everyone knew that, even the greatest fool could read the room. No matter how useful they thought Leonel may or may not be to them, if they had to pick him or their prestige, the choice was obvious.
It wasn't just a matter of face. This would quite literally decide whether or not they could maintain control over their subordinates. In the coming war, especially with all these variable chess pieces at play, they couldn't afford any sort of hesitation.
However, Leonel wasn't an impulsive person. He might seem to be completely reckless, especially when he was under the influence of his Scarlet Star Force, but his "recklessness" rarely came back to bite him because he always had an exit plan.
This time, he would just have to gamble to see just where the bottom line of these "gods" lay.
Almost the moment he spoke, he was the subject of a great deal of pressure. He could already see the lips Rouge flexing into what would, without a doubt, be a harsh reprimand.
However, the first step was to not allow them to speak. Even if they were compelled by his words, if they had an outburst first, then it wouldn't matter.
Making someone who hadn't voiced their opinions first change their minds was much easier than doing the same for someone that had made their opinion known. This was the same even for a "god".
So, Leonel had already begun to speak the moment the shock settled down in preparation for reactions.
"I have nothing to say about the rules of the esteemed gods. They are well thought out and filled with intricate details that I cannot properly understand with my station. However, I would still like to say that my talent would be wasted as a non-Seeded Participant."
Clarence held a hand up, stopping Rouge from jumping in again.
"What makes you think your talent is worth a damn?"
"I can't say anything for certain," Leonel said with a solemn expression. "The only thing I know is that the elder miss Goddess used a strong pulse of Dream Force just now and I was the only one that remained standing."
Alpha Clown's pupils trembled. He didn't bother to believe that Leonel was lying. How could he be before these people?
After he got over the shock of the fact that Leonel actually dared to speak, he began analyzing everything as he usually did, so this much he was certain of.
Clarence fell into silence.
This was obvious to all of the "gods", but eagerly pushing Leonel forward to become a Seeded Participant would once again make them seem too desperate. It was easier for them if they pretended that they didn't care to waste Leonel's talent.
This, however, did make some things more interesting and other things more difficult.
As a Seeded Participant, Leonel would be able to pick his own leaders. He didn't want that. He wanted Leonel for himself.
However, it was also inconvenient to use Leonel for some things if he wasn't a Seeded Participant either.
What if he instead found a middle ground? That way he could-
"Hoho," Mo''Lexi's chuckle echoed through the empty arena.
She was having a grand old time.
Before, she could read Leonel like a book. Now, even after all her attempts at flipping the pages, she found nothing but blank spaces.
On top of that, Leonel was calling out to her so respectfully now, when she had just been an "adorable old lady". She was fascinated by this change.
"Sure, boy. You can be a Seeded Participant under me."
Clarence, who had been about to say the exact same words, felt his temper flare up again and he only barely managed to calm himself.
Before he could react, though, Leonel spoke again.
"Your confidence in me is a heavy weight on my shoulders, goddess. However, this is not the sort of acknowledgment that I want.
"I've noticed that there are no non-human races here, and this brings warmth to my heart. I was born and raised in a Verse where humans were nothing but the heel of other races, to be oppressed and suppressed.
"To see the power of you human gods lets me know that there is a world where humans reign supreme and I want to help in that endeavor.
"My own father died under the joint attack of several shameless non-human experts and the blood in my heart burns.
"When I say that I do not want my talent to be wasted, it is not out of selfish reasons, but because I do not want to be lost in the backline while my brothers and sisters shed blood for me."
The more Leonel spoke, the redder the gazes of the remaining participants began. It was as though he was doing a better job galvanizing the youth that these so-called "gods" had.
"The vision that the goddess showed us all, one of blood, carnage and the violence of war... I've understood it and I'm willing to take that responsibility onto my shoulders."
Mo''Lexi's gaze narrowed.
Was this why he was doing all of this? He wanted her to know that he had seen the vision.
She didn't believe for a single second that given Leonel's Dream affinity, he wouldn't be ignorant of how rare it was for him to sense anything, let alone see a vision.
Leonel's fists tightened and his eyes seemed to be lit with passion.
Mo''Lexi chuckled inwardly. 'This little boy is dangerous.'