Although her time with Zich and his companions had been short, Lara had been able to grasp the team’s dynamic quickly. In her past group, Glen had considerable authority as the leader, but all the members felt like they were in equal standing. However, in Zich’s party, it was clear that Zich was the head and leader of the group. Lyla seemed to treat Zich comfortably in the group, but the other three submitted to Zich’s authority.

‘No, isn't it a bit different for Ms. Dwayne?’ Elena Dwayne seemed to follow Lyla rather than Zich, and accordingly, Zich seemed to treat her more gently. Yet, it was different for Hans and Snoc. The duo’s loyalty to Zich seemed absolute and unwavering.

‘Is it because Mr. Zich taught both of them?’ Lara thought. Thus, Lara judged that two groups—Zich and his disciples and Lara and her disciple—had joined to form one party. Yet, even so, there didn’t seem to appear any conflict between these two groups. Instead, there was a strong sense of trust between them all.

‘It’s comfortable with them.’ The party was so stable that Lara felt this way even after joining them for a very short time. Even though the party was clearly hierarchical,...