Only I Am A Reader

'Another smart one.'

As lazy as Jane was, her brain worked just fine. Just like Miyu, she wasn't someone who went with the flow but someone who made her own, though the two used almost opposite approaches to achieve that.

Once simple use of her ability didn't work, Jane immediately switched to plan B, cornering the target. Since her logic appeared to be impeccable for those affected by her ability, her opponent wouldn't be able to refute it for others even if he could resist the ability itself.

With no way out, the only option left was to comply with Jane's suggestion, thus accomplishing her objective of staying out of trouble. Unfortunately…

'You used it on the wrong person.'

Whether it was a member of the scam team or the honest and heroic swordsman who just joined, no one would want to start a fight with others just to force them to help.

However, unlike the other seven possible entrants, Leo was here specifically to fight. He kept up his acting to see how things would play out, but as brilliant as Jane's methods were, nothing could truly deter him from seeing his plan through.

"If you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. I don't mind leaving, but can you help me kill the rest of the monsters? I would hate it if I go around running in circles for too long that we end up fighting each other anyway."

Of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't play along. Although Leo didn't want to spend too much time in case Aurora crash-landed into the stage, he had to be extra careful with this pair.

'That hint ability can be dangerous.'

What if Jane was actually able to get a hint about him? Was her ability strong enough to uncover his true identity as Leo the Reader?

This time, Leo didn't want an answer to his question. Instead, he had one target in mind. Eliminating Jane's ability!

Rather than contemplating its potential threat, removing the source of the danger was the key. Besides, didn't Jane desire peace and quiet? Retirement was definitely what she needed!

"I can help. It shouldn't take long with my arrows."

The Imaginary Archer was being strangely supportive, but it was obvious that he just wanted to get rid of the unstable element.

While he could trust Jane who was here with him from the start, the newcomer was a totally different story. Even if it was another team member that they were familiar with, Jane's words convinced him that anyone could be a threat.

Of course, if he thought about it deeply enough, Jane herself could also be an illusion, but the human mind always sought out a supporting pillar, and the archer chose Jane for that role.

"No."

'He really is a driven one.'

Jane had been hoping that Leo would choose the easier option of the two, so she couldn't help sighing inwardly when she saw his persistence.

Although she wanted to refute him, she couldn't deny his logic. Given how tense the situation had become after she sowed the seeds of doubt, prolonged suspicion could lead to a fight at any moment.

In the end, there was only one option left.

'Troublesome.'

She didn't want to do anything, but she could allow Leo to be left alone with the Imaginary Archer. Even if he meant no harm, simply attempting to convince the confused man could ruin her plans once again.

"I will do it."

Since she had to, Jane was going to get rid of this annoying intruder by opening up the next challenge's entrance as soon as possible!

"You should stay here. In case something turns out to be wrong with him, I will lead him back here for you to shoot."

After deciding on who would go, Jane whispered a few words into the archer's ears. Although it was partially an excuse for why he had to be excluded, she was going to use the Imaginary Archer as a silencing machine if Leo ended up being too troublesome to handle.

"Got it!"

As for why she was so fearless? She was just confident in her ability to escape at any given time!

"Let's go."

Jane immediately pulled Leo away before he could see the archer idiotically glaring at him. Could he be any more obvious about it?

"How would you like to do this? Should we split up or…?"

"Follow me, I can at least lead you to them."

Without hesitation, Jane used her hint ability to find roaming monsters!

"There!"

As to prove his seriousness, Leo unsheathed his sword the moment any monster appeared, cutting them in half. From a bystander's point of view, anyone could tell that he really wanted to leave.

"This way."

Compared to other challenges, this one almost seemed like it had an infinite amount of monsters. They weren't everywhere or easy to find, but after killing a few dozen of them, there was always more to find.

At first, Jane thought that she would have to join the fight to finish this quickly. However, Leo's efficiency was outstanding. She couldn't relate, but Jane was starting to understand why he was so worked out.

'Is it actually a proper member this time?'

Perhaps Aurora would soon have someone that she could trust… As long as he wasn't just another show-off like that dumb archer.

However, just as Jane was lost in thought, she instinctively jumped up all of a sudden. The monster in front of her wasn't split into two this time!

"I thought it was possible since you were distracted, but I guess I was asking for too much."

Jane quickly looked underneath her to find a pair of Shadow tendrils closing on each other. If she had been any slower, she would have been caught in the middle.

"You! Are you really…"

"Sadly, that's the wrong answer. I might be a danger to you two, but I have nothing to do with this Gate. I was this way even before entering here."

Once again, Leo re-enacted his favorite face-revealing scene! It was always better to do it one on one!