[Nightmare]

"Grandmaster Salazar, we have the small arrays, and we're now working on the larger ones.

However, our circle masters have run out of alignment chalk." A man announced with a salute.

"Hoh? Are you out of chalk as well?" Tilo asked.

"Uh… no, sir." The man responded nervously.

"Hmmm? So what's the problem?" Tilo asked with a bewildered expression.

"Don't tell me that you circle makers are about to fight a legendary battle, yet you're unable to use chalk to draw circles…."

The man's face paled, and he started trembling.

"No! I mean, yes, we can… sir!

I was just giving you a status report!" He announced awkwardly.

"Hoho! Thank you for your update, young man.

Make sure to remind them of our impending historic victory, would you?" Tilo asked with a slight smile.

"Y-Yes! Right away!"

The man rushed away hurriedly.

Tilo watched as he gave a harangue to the circle masters.

Once he did, the entire area exploded with renewed enthusiasm.

Those with self-correcting chalk threw it away, unwilling to let their legacy be spoiled with training wheels.

"It works like magic…." Tilo chuckled in bewilderment.

"I should start using this on my students."

After a moment of pondering, he developed a cheeky smile.

"Except for that boy. He'd sigh and point out how stupid it is to get excited about risking your life." Tilo laughed.

Then he set back to work creating the Level 5 gravity circle before him.

"Hmmm. I think I'll add a [conditional trigger]." He added with a mysterious smile.

—

"Chief Elsa! We have completed the tents and have organized them as you have requested!" A young woman called out.

"Thank you. Focus on creating the ear plugs now.

Make sure to have every squadron leader beat them if they refuse to wear them." Elsa replied with a sassy smile.

"Mam!" The woman affirmed before walking away.

"Timothy. Warn everyone that their leader is known for being an idiot and ending up in the hospital!" Elsa called out.

"If that damn idiot shows up, I want to know about it in 15 seconds or less."

"Have a little faith in the boy." Timothy laughed.

"I never got to teach him, but he isn't the same weak boy anymore."

Elsa gave Timothy a cold glare, but her worry started to show.

"Don't worry. That idiot will make it out alright." He chuckled.

"I'll spread the news, and do it in a way that doesn't undermine his authority and lead to a mutiny."

Elsa turned bright red and panicked when she saw Timothy walking away.

"Hah… I guess it's not wise to be so cautious after all…." She muttered.

"Wait! No! I'm not going to stop worrying about that damn idiot till he gets his recklessness out of his system!"

Elsa thought about it for a moment and then sighed.

"I guess I'll be worrying for the rest of my life."

After that, she continued prepping the tables and delegating tasks.

"Wow…." A woman soldier commented.

"I can't believe you've turned this entire area into a swamp…."

"Hah. With that man, I can do anything." Marie chuckled.

"I guess so… you kissed him three—"

"Spirit particle transfusion!" Marie snapped with a blushing expression.

"He was giving me spirit particles so I could continue."

The woman soldier trembled lightly with shock in her eyes.

"I-I see…." She stuttered.

"We've completed completing our communication network.

What would you like my team to start working on?"

Marie got off the ground and brushed the dirt off her pants.

"Please ask all squadron and battalion leaders to visit me.

I'd like to meet them and learn about their structure." Marie requested.

"Yes, mam. I'll have the leaders greet you within the hour."

The young woman left with a mysterious smirk on her face.

A man walked up fifteen minutes later.

"Commander Skybolt. My name is Robert Vazquez, and I lead the 2nd battalion." Robert announced.

"Nice to meet you, Battalion leader.

Please give me a breakdown of the soldiers in your division, their strengths, and their magical capabilities." She requested.

"Yes, mam. My troops…."

Marie frowned after hearing his explanation.

"Battalion leader Vasquez. Your first mission is to meet your men and learn more about their strengths and weaknesses.

I've heard that you're an excellent leader.

However, you're limiting your potential by not knowing enough about them to utilize their strengths and weaknesses." She explained.

The man's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Today is the most monumental moment in your history as a leader.

If you get to know your soldiers and utilize their strengths to achieve victory, they will follow you loyally until the day you die.

So please meet your soldiers personally, build relationships, bring out your potential, and then we can lead them to victory.

Will you do that?" Marie asked with a slight smile.

"Mam!" Robert replied with an enthusiastic salute.

Marie giggled when she saw him running away with passion blazing in his eyes.

"It seems that his words work like charms even if he doesn't say them."

She looked into the distance.

"This…. This is why I love that man and will follow him till I die." Marie vowed with a warm smile.

—

"Hmmm? What is it, Officer Lipson?" Riley asked.

"I… my apologies, Captain Riley." Lipson replied awkwardly with a slight blush.

"I'm letting you know we've successfully dug the flood drenches."

"Thank you, Officer Lipson. You have my gratitude.

Please relay that message to everyone on your force." Riley replied with a slight bow.

"Y-Yes, Captain. I will make sure to do that with utmost devotion!" Lipson cried with an awkward expression.

"Then we'll start work with the boulder chiseling."

Riley gave him a gentle smile.

"Thank you. Please let me know when you finish." She requested.

When he failed to move, she addressed him again.

"Is there something else I can do for you?" Riley asked with a slight head-tilt.

"Um… no, not exactly…." Lipson replied while fidgeting.

"Don't be shy. You can speak your mind." Riley giggled.

The man blushed.

"I… we… were wondering if you'd get mad if we called you Goddess Riley…?" He replied hesitantly.

His eyes widened with shock after he realized what he had said.

Then he started waving his hands in front of his face with embarrassment.

"Please don't get the wrong idea God—Captain Riley.

We're not asking in an official capacity.

We're just making sure it doesn't bother you if we speak of you that way between—"

"You can do that." Riley giggled.

"Thank you for your kind words.

I appreciate the gesture."

The man's face lit up with joy.

"Thank you, Captain!" Lipson said before running away.

Riley's eyes widened in bewilderment when he saw him prancing away.

"Ever since he called me a goddess and requested compliments, everyone thinks I am one…." She giggled.

"Is… this what Emelia felt like?"

Riley looked to the sky with warmth radiating from her face.

The mere mention of Emelia made her smile.

She was happy to finally understand how her best friend felt, if only a little bit.

—

"Haaaaaaah. Share my ass. I haven't done a damn thing during this operation!" General Lackbolt grumbled.

"Hmmm? You make it sound like that's a bad thing.

Do you know how many years I've been hounded into working after retiring?" Tyrene asked with a mocking glance.

General Lackbolt replied with a wry smile.

"This is a monumental moment in Kozen history.

If there's any day to work, it's today." He replied with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Then what's stopping you?" Tyrene asked with a piercing gaze.

The man's face paled.

"Do you think that boy casually stumbled into this leadership role?

No. He just helped people and kept helping people until he was nearly assassinated and then kept helping people." She explained with a sassy smirk.

"So go out there and build morale.

Your duty as a leader has nothing to do with paper works or pointing at fancy maps.

Your role is to inspire others, no matter how weak you are."

General Lackbolt's face lit up with understanding.

"I suppose that's true…." He muttered to himself.

After a moment of pondering, he gave Tyrene a nervous expression.

"But… do you think they'll listen to me even though I'm weak?" General Lackbolt asked.

"When faced against you all, I'm a joke."

Tyrene burst into laughter and bent over laughing.

"What's so funny?" General Lackbolt muttered indignantly.

"It's just…." She replied while wiping tears from her eyes.

"That… that boy… he was Level 1 less than three months ago, and one of those months was recovering from an assassination attempt!"

General Lackbolt's eyes widened in shock.

"His stats were zero for everything four months ago!" Tyrene cried with laughter biting at her soul.

"Yet he garnered the support of an entire kingdom!

When he almost died, three grandmasters journeyed 1000 miles to train him.

Now he's the strongest person here!

Even if he can't beat me yet, he has three walking calamities that will!"

"W-What!?" General Lackbolt cried in astonishment.

"That's right." Tyrene replied with a warm smile.

"He's proof that leadership and strength have nothing to do with physical power."

After a couple more minutes of light laughter and reminiscing, she got back into the mindset of work.

However, when she snapped back into attention, she found General Lackbolt staring at her with a slack-jawed expression.

"Hmmm? What are you still doing here!?" Tyrene barked.

"If you don't start riling people up in the next five minutes, I'll shove my hand up your ass like a ventriloquist and do it for you!"

General Lackbolt's eyes filled with terror.

He quickly got up without saying another word and aggressively approached everyone in sight, offering them unsolicited words of praise.

—

"Hey there, Hellie Harangue! How's my super extra sexy harem leader doing?" Charlotte asked with a playful tone.

"Exhausted." Helix declared before sitting on the ground and laying on it.

"Hmmm? Do I see a desperate need for a dozen kisses in your eyes?" She mused.

"Twenty." He chuckled playfully.

"And at least two of them need spirit particles."

Charlotte gave him a sexy, narrowed glance.

"It rocks being the hot girl. I need no preparations and have the best job of the lot." She commented while licking her lips.

"First, I was a glorified search engine.

Then I was a clothing designer that was forced into drawing lingerie.

I became a magic circle maker that specialized in home appliances.

I worked my way up into a hot tub maker.

Now I'm a portable spirit particle charger." He chuckled bitterly.

Charlotte giggled and gave him a playful smile.

"But! I finally have a job that comes with stellar benefits!"

Helix reached up slowly and ran his fingers through the back of Charlotte's hair.

Then she closed her eyes and let herself get pulled into his lips.

—

Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)

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