So when exploring the Dungeon, in order to maximize the safety of himself and his family, Leon's cautious, steady approach meant he would almost never push beyond what he was comfortable with.
But... Alfia's appearance had completely thrown off his rhythm.
Still, even if the timeline was a bit tight, there was enough time.
He had a solid grasp of the Familia's current capabilities. All the details were neatly recorded in his notebook:
Leon Hart
Level: Lv. 3
Class: Mage
Attack and defense passively exceed his level, reaching peak Lv. 4 standards.
Speed doesn't exceed his level, but surpasses the top end of Agility among Lv. 3 Adventurers. In plain terms: half a step into Lv. 4 territory, with room to break through.
Combined with his long-range Instant Cast magic system, he's unbeatable in same-level one-on-ones, and can easily handle one-versus-many as well.
In fights above his level, solo duels are well within his grasp. Even outnumbered against stronger opponents, he can hold his own and disengage cleanly.
One-line summary: Leon has grown into someone starting to show serious cheat-tier qualities. A hexagonal build with deep HP, massive MP, and a rock-solid playstyle.
...
Jeanne d'Arc
Level: Lv. 2
Class: Vanguard
With her skill Holy Maiden active, all stats passively exceed her level, sitting firmly at peak Lv. 3 standards.
Her skill set covers debuffs, buffs, and sustain, paired with borderline broken perception and resistances. She also commands barrier magic and a hidden trump card capable of one-hit kills. Tankiness when she needs it, burst when she needs it. A hexagonal fighter with zero weaknesses.
...
Rose Marbleheart
Level: Lv. 2
Class: Vanguard
Possesses the off-the-charts skill Sheltering Hand. All stats passively exceed her level, solidly at top-tier Lv. 3.
Equipped with a rare passive damage-reduction aura, combined with straightforward stat buffs and defense-specialized skills, plus her area-of-effect buff magic and the absurdly overtuned full-defense magic Pure White Kite Shield...
Her defensive capability rivals Jeanne's. Tankiness that borders on the supernatural.
...
Kureha Clyret
Level: Lv. 1
Class: Midguard
Wielder of the renowned skill Sword of Atonement, which not only provides a permanent level +1 boost but also grants a devastating weakness-exploitation effect.
Combined with skills and magic that go all-in on boosting speed and attack...
Not much to say. She's undeniably a pure Agility-type carry. If she can get past the target's defense, there's nothing she can't cut down.
And once she enters combat and activates her magic... well, the title Sword Saint exists for a reason. Absolutely terrifying.
...
Last were the two elves, Aura and Laurier.
One was a magic swordsman, the other a traditional mage.
Between them, their magic covered crowd control, gap-closing, buffs, healing, and annihilation. Comprehensive coverage with devastating power.
Fighting together, punching above their level was trivial. If Laurier provided cover fire and let Aura fully deploy her magic, they could sweep through a mob of higher-leveled enemies.
...
Leon snapped his notebook shut and tossed it onto the coffee table, letting out a heavy breath.
"We're good."
Everyone watched him relax, their faces full of confusion.
Laurier's eyes darted around. Seeing that Leon didn't mind, she reached over and picked up the notebook from the coffee table, flipping through it.
"Whoa! You actually wrote down all our strengths and abilities!"
Hearing that, Aura leaned in curiously for a look too.
Leon just smiled and explained:
"As the leader, knowing what everyone's good at, what they're not, what abilities they have, and roughly how strong they are is the most basic part of the job."
"I'm not the one calling the shots in combat, so I don't need to know every little detail. But I need to have the big picture."
"That's exactly how I made the call on this Expedition."
"Because I know your real strength, I can afford to make a plan this ambitious. Even if this whole thing goes sideways, the worst we lose is some money. Our lives will be safe."
"We can always start over from scratch."
"If I didn't understand each person's situation and just went by everyone's listed levels... there's no way I'd take a risk like this."
"So keeping track of every one of you is the most fundamental part of my job."
Then he shifted gears, turning to the real commander with a smile.
"Jeanne does the same thing, right?"
The Holy Maiden sat with her legs together and angled to one side on the sofa, feet in a pair of cute bunny-head slippers, the hem of her skirt revealing a slender calf in flesh-toned stockings.
She twirled one of her braids lightly around a finger and nodded seriously.
"Yes. A competent commander needs more than just a bird's-eye view of the battlefield. You have to thoroughly understand each companion's capabilities. Only then can you avoid misassigning people or making bad calls when forming tactics."
Jeanne then walked Aura and Laurier through some of the fundamentals and tactical considerations a commander needed to master.
It wasn't just the two elf girls listening intently. Rose and Kureha were paying close attention from the side as well.
...
Once Jeanne had more or less finished her explanation, Leon picked up the thread and began laying out the preparations needed over the next few days.
From weapon and armor maintenance, to purchasing elixirs and other magical items, to restocking food and water, to screening and accepting suitable commissions, to keeping an eye on the city's political climate, to assessing how this Expedition might affect people they knew... he went over every last detail for the entire evening.
He rambled on for hours, all the way until the hands of the Magic Stone clock both pointed to midnight before the discussion finally wound down.
"Alright, everyone."
Leon clapped his hands.
"Get some sleep. Starting tomorrow, things are gonna get busy!"
"Get yourselves in the right headspace. We're going into our second major floor push at full strength!"
Everyone got up and headed upstairs. The excited Laurier was still chattering nonstop with Aura even as they climbed the staircase. Even the usually composed Aura had a relaxed expression, a hint of barely contained excitement showing through.
Watching their lively retreating figures, Leon shook his head with a quiet laugh.
Just as he was about to look away and tidy up the coffee table before heading to bed...
He caught the glance Jeanne threw his way as she turned.
It was a complex, hard-to-read look, calm but tinged with bashfulness, expectant with a trace of reluctance underneath.
"...?"
Leon understood instantly.
He watched Jeanne's figure ascend the stairs, and a knowing smile slowly spread across his face.
"If the Holy Maiden is making this rare a move on her own, I'd be a fool not to meet her expectations."
"I choose you... the Crimson Saint."
Around the corner of the second-floor hallway, Rose and Kureha exchanged a glance. Rose's eyes crinkled into a playful smile. Kureha, on the other hand, was already blushing to her ears, face turned away.
"Hehe, looks like tonight, our gentleman is going to be paying Jeanne a visit."
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