Leander was using all of Belle's extra mana to create big doors of precious metals, to pay less for the smelting. She was not complaining that she was in pain, anymore, and the blonde healer was happy.

He just handed the bottomless bag designed specially to hold his dungeon created treasure to the blacksmith, when he heard a commotion coming from the entrance hall of the guild house.

"Guild master, you might want to check this out. They have been gathering for a while now," the blacksmith, a burly man by the name of Ulric, spoke.  Leander nodded, waved his goodbye, and he jogged to the entrance hall.

It still surprised him that he was not getting winded as easily as before. He knew he lost more kilograms walking to and back from quests, but he liked to believe that the walking in place routine he had going on helped, too.

"Guild master Lemon Cake, where are the money going to?" Nestor yelled as soon as he saw him. Still smarting about the trashing Baleg and Tom had given the Griffins.

"Taxes, barrier stones, potions, more land," Leander began to list. He did not mention the debts. There was no need to add such a black mark on Alklair's rule.

"What about the guild house? It is tiny!" Antonia called and Leander looked around. Tiny? It was the biggest building in the entire Huergaz!

"You do know that the guild house is the biggest building in the city, right, Antonia?" Leander deadpanned.

"Well, we want more of it," an S ranked adventurer demanded. "You can build up, what with you being a dungeon core — now. We demand to be able to live in here."

Leander sighed. Build up? The foundation of the building couldn't support something like that. But, maybe, he could dig down, instead.

"I'll see what I can do," Leander spoke, and he made to go inside the guild hall, where his platoon was waiting, but the crowd did not budge.

"We also want battle companions," Alektos demanded. "Good ones."

Leander stared at the wall of adventurers. What, did they think he would create mobs for them? Well, he was not doing it. If they wanted a battle companion, they could find it in the wild. Just as tradition dictated.

"No," Leander answered simply. Then, to his surprise, Alektos pointed at his chest and, with the most insufferable smirk, the tank could master, spoke.

"I challenge you to an honor duel, then, guild master Lemon Cake. Or, will you rather let Baleg fight your battles for you?" Leander's nostrils flared.

"You ungrateful sack of shit!" Leander screamed, making a couple of steps towards the tank. Mana going to his limbs. "Do you know with how much crap I have to deal with to make this as cozy as possible for you all? And, the first time I say no, you challenge me? Fine, let us go to the training hall!"

No one has ever seen Leander so furious before, and the crowd did part for him, this time. The healer stormed off towards the training hall, not looking back to see if Alektos was following.

He had trained for this. Sweated, felt pain, and persevered. He was certain that, if he couldn't win, then he could at least hurt the tank enough so that no one told him later that he had not done his best.

Leander did not allow himself to think about the rank difference between the two of them. For he was still C and Alektos was still B, leaning towards A. He did not allow himself to think about the power difference, for that was a factor, too.

Leander had something Alektos did not. The power of a dungeon core. And he was going to use it and show everyone that he was there to stay, darn it all.

As soon as Leander took his place in the sparring ring, he placed a barrier around himself and created a swamp on the ground. Alektos's face turned red, then he began to scream.

"That is cheating, guild master Lemon Cake! Fix the darn swamp and fight like a man," the tank demanded, but Leander just snorted at him.

"I am a dungeon core. I fight like a dungeon core. You don't like the obstacle? What do you think about the mobs?" Just as Leander finished saying that, he copied the small mantises from the shadow dungeon and let them sink into the water. Alektos looked like the last thing he wanted was to enter the sparring ring — now.

"Listen to me, everyone," Leander spoke loudly and clearly, so all the shocked adventurers could hear him. "I might turn a blind eye to how you all call me lemon cake and try to belittle and order me around, but I will not suffer honor duels. Alektos, get in the darn ring, or I am going to make the mantises hunt you through the entire Huergaz, if I need to."

"Look, Leander," Alektos began, not making a single step forward.

"You wanted to be the guild master, right?" Leander accused, and Alektos winced. "Do you have what it takes? Can you risk sacrificing everything you hold dear for the post? You asked me to fight like a man. Get in the sparring ring and fight like a man, or you are going to lose everything without a fight."

Alektos got inside the sparring ring and sunk into the water. Still, he swam towards Leander. The mantises piled over him, and he knew that, if Leander so wished, they would be able to kill him. He had not forgotten what the mobs were capable of, or that they had to run from them, back when they were in Samkiel's tomb.

The tank could barely see the barrier from all the black bodies that were around his head. He gritted his teeth and found that Leander had made something of a platform around the barrier.

Alektos got on it, and did the only thing he could, in this situation. When faced with death, humiliation was the lesser evil. That was what the tank had always believed.

"I swear to follow you, in life and until my death. You will have no truer supporter, no servant as loyal. My fate is in your hands," Alektos finished with the dungeon contract proposal and felt Leander's mana link with his.

"The next person who challenges me to an honor duel will lose everything," Leander warned the guild. He looked like a giant then, and many shuddered.