Chapter 282: Hitman Chapter 282: Hitman Veronica smacked Virat once again, the sound crisp in the air. "Don’t be fooled by my brother’s words, Sir Leo," she said firmly. "He is very proficient with light weapons and projectile weapons like crossbows. He can hunt a Low 2-star beast with ease—or even a mid 2-star beast if given time." Virat cast a glance toward Leo, only to find a bored expression staring back at him. Veronica felt a faint tightness in her chest. No matter how she tried to glorify Virat’s talents, it was still insignificant, especially in front of people like Leo. But she couldn’t give up. She didn’t have any combat talent. All the fighting had always been done by Virat. After their parents’ passing, it was he who took care of her education, he who arranged money so she could practice alchemy—at the cost of his own well-being. Meanwhile, Leo had other thoughts. Can hunt a Low 2-star beast... even with such a low-level presence? he wondered. Leon seemed to arrive at the same conclusion, his gaze sharpening slightly. Virat appeared to be nothing more than a normal person, yet he could hunt a Low 2-star being—an inhuman feat. A Low 2-star creature was at ’least’ 10 times stronger than an average human. When individuals like Leo reached a certain rank, they naturally emitted an aura of that level—something that couldn’t be concealed from someone 2 or 3 stages higher, regardless of skills or equipment. Yet Virat... even while giving off the aura of an ordinary person, could kill a Low 2-star beast. How was that even possible? While Leo was still lost in thought, Lily took the initiative to question Veronica. The conversation had already shifted from Thanksgiving to potential recruitment—exactly what Veronica had hoped for. It still surprised her that the first-ranked student who unintentionally saved Virat, and she refused to let the opportunity slip away. A life-talent professional’s future depended entirely on which territory they joined. And what could be better than the territory of the first-ranked student—a place that promised everything without needing to say it? From what she had seen in his matches, Leo didn’t seem like someone who tormented the weak, even when he had the power. Though the girl beside him... she was still in a grey area, especially after the match with Aaron. "So... what is your mastery level in your talent?" Lily asked. "I am an amateur alchemist," Veronica replied. "I can create some decent potions—various body enhancement potions, as well as healing and poison." Lily nodded faintly. No wonder this Virat guy didn’t have any scars, she thought. His injuries must have been healed by her potions. This time, Leon spoke, his curiosity piqued. "Amateur? Even before joining the academy? Do you belong to some noble household?" he asked. Even nobles rarely reached amateur mastery without proper guidance. Veronica shook her head. "No, Sir Leon. We are commoners from a bordering city." Leon raised a brow, surprise flickering across his face. "That’s... impressive." "Boss! Let her join the territory," Brok said eagerly. "A good alchemist is often said to be the foundation of a territory." If an Alchemist’s foundation is a territory, then a territories foundation is also an Alchemist. Leo snapped out of his thoughts at Brok’s words, his gaze returning to Veronica. "But the question is... does she want to join the territory?" he asked. Veronica’s face brightened instantly. "Of course, Sir Leo! Why would anybody not want to join the territory of the first-ranked student?" Leo gave a small nod. "But mind you," he said evenly, "I haven’t established any concrete rules yet. So later, when I do implement something, you will either follow them—or leave. Don’t worry, I won’t impose any heavy fines or anything beyond your means." Veronica nodded vigorously. She didn’t care about the details—she just needed to get in. Beside her, Virat felt a chill crawl down his spine. He had personally experienced what followed a single wrong decision, and he didn’t want to repeat that mistake. Joining the territory of the first-ranked student was a boon... but it came with its own dangers. The most terrifying one— The academy will take no action on them, no matter what the territory owner does. And it is even more severe when the territory owner is someone like Leo, who is first ranked student. Even if complain is filed agaisnt Leo, the complainer would be the one to get apprehended. What if Leo is worse than Shub? Wait... he’s after my sister—! Virat’s head snapped toward Leo—only to realise Veronica had already been recruited. Before his panic could spiral, Leo walked up to him. "Send me your details. I’ll send you a recruitment notice," he said simply, his tone as bored as ever. "Eh?" Virat blinked, caught off guard. Even Veronica looked stunned. Virat wasn’t exactly the kind of talent that warranted recruitment from the first-ranked student. She thought that after joining the territory, she would help Virat from there, and he would join the other territory. Leo glanced at his expression. "What’s with that look?" he muttered. "Speed and reaction time, was it? I think I can make some use of you... though some experimentation might be needed." That did nothing to calm Virat’s nerves. If anything, it made things worse. But he had no choice—he couldn’t leave Veronica alone. "Good," Leo continued. "Veronica will be under Lily’s command. As for you, first get familiar with the surrounding territories. In your free time... I’ll come for you." Virat swallowed. "Are you ready to depart now, or do you need to pack something?" Leo asked. "Yes! We’ll be back in 5 minutes!" Veronica replied quickly. The siblings rushed off toward the academy lockers and returned shortly after, bags slung over their shoulders. Leo scratched his chin, then casually waved his hand. The bags vanished into his spiritual space. Virat and Veronica froze. How much space does his spatial artefact even have?! Even Brok was stunned. Leon narrowed his eyes slightly, assuming it was some expensive, hidden artefact, unaware of the truth behind Leo’s spiritual space. Leo always seemed to be storing things endlessly. Just the other day, he had packed away four 3-meter rock golems without any effort. When they finally reached the territory, both siblings stood awestruck, their breaths catching at mana density and geography. Brok, on the other hand, had grown numb to it. Somehow, every time he visited, the territory had changed. And now he was part of it. After explicitly warning the new recruits not to approach the plateau region, which was simply impossible for both siblings as they would choke from the sheer mana density there, Leo swiftly constructed sheds for them near the three girls’ shed so they could stay together. Brok’s shed, as promised, was just below the plateau, though he was still expected to come to the 3 blue-haired girls’ shed for meals. Miho and Lily acted as personal cooks for Leo and Leon. They simply refused to let them eat food made by others—especially girls of similar age. But there was another reason the three girls had been assigned the territory’s canteen. It was much easier to make people open up when they were eating or drinking. And now, it was time for the final screening—conducted by the girls, through their mental interference skill.