Leonardo grabbed Ero by the collar and pushed him hard against the wall. Though Ero waved his hands and desperately proved his innocence, the golden eyes facing him were full of distrust.
He even suspected whether Ero might be in cahoots with the tail who had been annoyingly following him. During the Part 1 match, Appendix, whom he had confronted, had shown strange obsession toward him, and it was none other than Ero who had mentioned him as the whip wielder and leaked information.
"You bastard, tell me straight. Did you really not know when you asked?"
"Aah, big brother! Since big brother was staring intently at them, I just guessed you must have taken a liking to them! How would I have known the relationship between you three?"
"Then how did you know it was me? We didn't even make eye contact, so how did you recognize me?"
Leonardo was very suspicious of Ero, who had recognized him at once among the crowd.
Due to lessons learned from being chased by reporters after the Part 1 match ended, he had paid particular attention to being inconspicuous for today's match. Though he had worn a cloak and hood the same way, worried that bright mourning-like attire during the day might look strange, he wrapped himself in dark beige fabric.
Though reluctant, he had even inserted the pin Judy gave him to keep the hat from flying off during battle, fixing it firmly to his head. Moreover, based on previous experience, the mask Mirail made was upgraded one level with added waterproof function. In other words, it was no exaggeration to say he had covered everything except his eyes. But when the guy who suddenly appeared waved his hand in greeting, it was quite bewildering for someone who had prepared thoroughly.
"That's because you were wrapped up tightly like you came from some lawless zone, so I recognized you! Though league participants wear doll masks and all sorts of things, there aren't many dressed like big brother saying 'don't pay attention to me' so obviously!"
Ero appealed his grievance, saying it was disappointing to be suspected just for greeting someone he had fought alongside in the previous match out of affection. Gillian, who had been watching the two from nearby, chimed in midway.
"The kid's right about that. I told you that was excessive. Acting pathologically wary rather makes you look strange."
Ero, perhaps sensing the possibility of gaining an ally, quickly rolled his eyes and nodded with the most pitiful expression possible.
"R-right! Beast big brother knows what's up—"
"You could just disguise yourself with magic anyway, why bother with the troublesome cloak and mask and all that dangling..."
Beatrice, standing crookedly while checking if her nails were damaged, also added a comment. Leonardo, hearing taboo words, furrowed his brow and looked back at her. Gillian wrapped his arm around her neck and blocked her improper mouth from behind.
"Mmmmph—!"
"Miss, no one can follow you in dangling things, so could you be quiet? Now I'm afraid of what will come out of your mouth."
At the sarcastic tone, Beatrice, who had been struggling with muffled sounds, gleamed her eyes venomously. Soon she grabbed Gillian's forearm and dug her nails in. The silver parts attached to the ends of her black nails seemed to be made of iron. The sharp tips easily penetrated through his clothes.
But Gillian didn't budge. Rather, saying it was time to take medicine, he coaxed her and just dragged her to a corner to calm her down. At the parade of eccentrics unfolding before his eyes, Ero held his breath. Then he looked at Leonardo again with trembling eyes and smiled awkwardly.
"Haha, as expected, big brother's colleagues are as strong and beautiful as big brother..."
The reason he couldn't help but trail off was because Leonardo was still looking down with fierce eyes.
Somehow, because Ero had mentioned the three together, and because of Beatrice's foolish tongue that had no intention of hiding anything, the fact that Leonardo and they were previously acquainted was exposed to others. Though only to Ero.
Even if the specific relationship of business partners or whatever wasn't known, Leonardo worried whether this matter might later ruin their plans or cause problems in their activities. On the other hand, those two over there seemed to take it lightly, saying 'Just pretend to be friends, what's the problem?' They said excessive wariness and suspicion rather aroused suspicion.
Since it wasn't wrong, Leonardo pondered what to do with these guys going forward. Meanwhile, Ero, wanting to escape the uncomfortable situation, grabbed his tense wrist and carefully shook it.
"Big brother, didn't I tell you? That I would devote my loyalty during the league period... Kek, so I don't know what you're worried about, but please trust me! And I'm gradually suffocating, so this... Waaah!"
Leonardo released the collar he had been gripping as if throwing it aside. Then Ero, pulled along by that force, tumbled forward. Soon, barely maintaining his center like a roly-poly toy, he complained with a face saying it was too much.
"Oh my, big brother! I almost got my face scraped!"
"10 minutes until test match start. Participants, please quickly finish identity verification and gather at the waiting area!"
Just then, the league operations staff announced that the match start time was imminent. Leonardo glared at Ero from the corner of his eye, then stuck his hands in his pockets, turned around, and walked alone into the crowd.
Ero, making a tearful face, watched his retreating figure before snapping to attention. Then he looked back at Gillian and Beatrice, who were far away. They too seemed to be watching this way, but only briefly.
The split two groups lined up following different lines beyond the tents. As if they had no intention of joining hands.
Ero, blinking and wavering over which way to go, belatedly followed Leonardo.
"Lion big brother! Aren't you going with your colleagues?"
"They're not colleagues."
"Pardon?"
"I said those guys aren't colleagues."
Just before, he had clearly said things like why are you here, acting on your own without saying anything. Since their whispering looked like a close relationship to anyone, the statement firmly drawing the line saying they weren't 'colleagues' sounded quite strange.
"They're just casual acquaintances, so don't talk to those guys. Don't get involved and stand out together unnecessarily."
"Uh..."
"Did you forget already? Want to be chased by reporters again?"
"Ah, not that but—"
"More hangers-on would just be a nuisance. Anyway, it's enough to pass alone, so annoying."
The voice muttering while pressing down his hat was particularly cold today. Ero, sensing his displeasure, quietly closed his mouth.
The words 'hangers-on' and 'nuisance' made him feel embarrassed, perhaps knowing that he, who had luckily met Lion from the first match, was such an existence to him. He had planned to shamelessly board the large warship and get carried along this match too, but somehow big brother seemed more comfortable alone.
Ero, scratching his cheek and glancing at Leonardo, smiled awkwardly. Was their companionship ending here? It was when he was swallowing bitterness and regret.
"So don't think about useless things and stick beside me. If you look elsewhere again gathering collaborators or whatever, you'll die."
"Pardon?"
In Leonardo's way, it was his intention to keep Ero, who had witnessed the contact point between himself and his business partners, beside him to monitor. Ero also possessed quite a lot of information, making him still useful.
But to Ero, who until just moments ago had been immersed in the sentimental feelings of a man used and abandoned, it sounded slightly different.
"Got it?"
Leonardo, asking fiercely with one eyebrow raised, turned his head following the rapidly shortening line and strode forward.
Ero stood still with wide eyes. He, who hadn't properly reacted to the sudden question, belatedly came to his senses at the clamoring of people behind him.
Soon he hurriedly chased after the cloak hem of the person ahead dragging on the ground.
"Ah, yes! Of course!"
Before long, Ero's lips gradually rose with surging elation. It seemed big brother preferred a small elite group.
'Why would he say something like let's go together just the two of us so frighteningly.'
More than those he already knew, he must have found him more trustworthy, having shown a fantastic combination in the first match. Ero, feeling ticklish at the thought of being recognized, continuously rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. Even so, he busily followed big brother's footsteps, who seemed to be shy, lest he lose sight of them.
"Oh, big brother. Let's go together! Would you leave your one and only combo partner behind like this?"