I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy [On Hiatus]

Chapter 62: Treasure (2)

"Right. Good to see you, Travis."

I returned Travis' greeting.

"Haha, we really are lucky. Who would've thought we'd all end up together? There's Theo, Ralph, Noctar, and even Aisha!"

Travis beamed, taking in our assembled team.

In contrast, Ralph stared at me with a stern expression.

"...We sure keep crossing paths, Theo."

"Do we?"

I was honestly not sure.

Had Ralph and I crossed paths that often? Our interactions were minimal at best.

Sure, Ralph had been my opponent in the previous practical evaluation, but he hadn't been in my thoughts much since then.

"Seems like lots of familiar faces here."

Noctar swiveled his thick neck, surveying the group.

Then, he looked at Ralph.

"You're Ralph, right? I remember."

"...Forget about the evaluation. I may have lost then, but things are different now."

"No, how could I forget? You gave it your all, didn't you? Even warriors can't always be victorious. The key is learning from defeat. The Great War God once said, 'To be a true warrior, you must accept your past failures.' It was an impressive performance."

"..."

Ralph looked up at Noctar.

A moment later, the corners of his mouth twitched.

"...Thanks, Noctar. To be honest, your match impressed me the most. I assumed you'd be at a clear disadvantage, but you defied all expectations."

Ralph extended his hand towards Noctar.

"Ha, I can't just lose to a wizard."

Noctar, grinning ear to ear, clasped hands with Ralph.

"..."

They seemed to get along surprisingly well.

Watching the pair, Travis, still wearing his broad grin, turned to Aisha.

"But Aisha hasn't said a word? She's the hero who nabbed the culprit of the Magic Dungeon incident. It's fate that we're on the same team, so don't be shy."

"...Ah."

Aisha's eyes fluttered nervously.

She quickly threw a glance in my direction.

"...Yeah. Say something."

I looked at Aisha coolly and urged her.

"I, I'll do my best! This time, I won't let anyone down!"

"Ay~ What do you mean 'let anyone down'? If anyone is a burden here, it's us. Isn't that right, everyone?"

Travis looked at us, his smile unwavering.

"Absolutely. Aisha is ranked 6th overall, but she's also first in theoretical grades, isn't she? To be honest, I struggle with the thinking part. Just tell me what to do."

"I agree. A true warrior should use his brain, but it's wise to follow if there's a proven tactician."

Ralph and Noctar chimed in.

The two echoed each other perfectly.

"Um, uh..."

Once again, Aisha looked at me and started speaking.