[Nightmare]

"I used a spell that I created on you." Helix replied without hesitation.

Saul froze and stopped walking, and Helix did the same.

He couldn't believe that Helix would release the information so freely.

The guard wanted to know but recognized he would probably not get an answer.

"It's called [Desync]. I created it with the help of Grandmaster Tilo Salazar." Helix continued after turning to him.

Saul gave him a strange look.

"It throws off a person's equilibrium by disconnecting their body's brain from their body's motion." Helix explained.

"That's why you felt like your world was shaking."

Saul gruffed bitterly.

"That's one messed up spell, boy." The guard laughed.

"If you didn't disclose it to me, that spell would allow you to take out people far stronger than you."

Helix gave him a mysterious smile.

"I know. I used it on Master Tilo, and that's why he helped me make it."

Saul's eyes widened in shock.

"To address your concern, the spell doesn't exist on record, so there's no way to create a counter spell with [Negation]." Helix chuckled lightly.

The guard gave him a bitter expression.

"I primarily use it to neutralize people before they fight me." Helix continued with a serious expression.

"People try to kill me regularly.

Nobles tried to have me executed six hours after our run-in."

Saul's jaw loosened.

"Why?" He asked in disbelief.

Helix gave him a light smile.

"The same reason. I'm the business partner of a legendary clothing designer." He chuckled.

"Samma Shaw is to fashion that Winter General Tyrene is to the world of the military."

Saul looked at Helix with a bewildered expression.

He wanted to ask how he ended up with so much influence in his life.

However, his words were stuck in his throat.

"If you're wondering, I don't know how I end up in these positions." Helix asserted with a serious expression.

Saul narrowed his eyes at Helix, who scoffed at the man's distrust.

"After surviving two assassination attempts, I created a magic circle that neutralized my enemies.

I was sent away to Kozen to protect my life from them.

Before I left, I gave Macron and Princess Eliza the information necessary to save the kingdom from the Earthians." Helix explained.

The guard's face relaxed a little, but he was still interested.

"Master Tilo Salazer joined the caravan to teach me magic circles. I have a talent for it.

Grandmaster Linus joined because he wanted information from my information artifact."

Saul gave Helix a quizzical expression.

"I have a mythical-grade library I obtained from the Hourglass of Knowledge."

The guard's face crumbled when he heard someone had chosen the option.

"I met Samma Shaw because Master Tilo found a magic circle in a back alley in Lexion and walked into it to tell the person it was breaking." Helix laughed.

Saul's eyes widened, and he chuckled a bit.

"I was drawing my partners in Earthian clothing as part of my training, and she sells exotic fashion.

She paid me a small fortune to keep designing clothing. It was a freak encounter."

The guard's face couldn't get more bewildered.

"I agreed to sell her items to the Earthians when I returned. That's all.

I sold them to the nobles because selling them exclusively to the Earthians would lead to a scandal and my assassination.

Nobles tried to kill me for selling the clothing.

Imagine what would've happened if I hadn't."

Helix gave Saul a wry, mocking smile.

"So you're telling me that your auctioning wasn't part of your strategy?" Saul asked with narrowed eyes.

"No. The Earthians are a liability rather than an ally.

I used the clothing to get the Earthian Knights to behave.

That was my strategy." Helix clarified.

The guard's eyes glided to the left.

He was genuinely thinking about it.

"I had no choice but to sell to the nobles, and I had to hype the sales; otherwise, they'd have tried to kill me.

I played the auction outside so everyone in the Kina district could hear I was a legitimate partner of Samma Shaw and the friend of the nobles.

That was my best option to prevent rumors from spreading." Helix chuckled bitterly.

"That sounds reasonable. However, what about Tyrene?" Saul asked discerningly.

Helix laughed in amazement.

"Master Tyrene joined the caravan because she was bored."

Saul's face turned cold.

"Are you messing with me, boy?"

Helix met his gaze with his pitch-black eyes.

"No. Master Tyrene wanted an excuse to leave Alzeria for a break and joined the bandwagon that opened up for Grandmasters." He reiterated.

Saul's eyes trembled.

"Master Tyrene found the militaristic strategies I used against the Earthians intriguing." Helix continued.

"Given the situation, I could have thrown the entire Capital into disarray.

However, I saved it using other militaristic strategies.

The kingdom had informed her that I wanted to live a simple life with my partners as a blacksmith.

However, I was already training with a sword, so she decided to join me for her amusement."

Saul stared at Helix in disbelief.

Helix laughed but in a way that affirmed the man's confusion.

"I'm not lying to you." He reaffirmed with a slight smile.

"Then why…." Saul muttered in confusion.

"I lost a lover in Alzeria, and wanted to get stronger so I could protect my partners." Helix explained.

"I trained hard, and I won against opponents twenty levels or more above me and kept winning against them.

In fact, I only fought monsters 20 Levels or higher with Tyrene after the first two weeks.

I did that with strategy, which led to her teaching me to be a general." He continued.

Helix looked into Saul's eyes.

"But she gave me everything because she believes I can fight the Mad Queen seriously."

Saul's eyes widened in shock.

"You won't believe this, but judging by magical might alone, the three women I'm with are all equally strong as Master Tyrene."

The guard's eyes narrowed.

"You're welcome to view our power demonstration tomorrow.

You're wrong if you think she took us to fight a Colossus after a couple of months of training as a field trip."

Helix matched his gaze.

"Our stats are extremely strong in comparison to Myriadians.

Marie was stronger than Tyrene going into that battle from a stat perspective."

Saul's eyes widened in shock.

"That's right. Mine were close. We're young and already have power." Helix continued.

"We possess something others don't.

I have a talent for leadership and leading armies.

Those are the factors weighed when she gave me her medals and my partners her weapons and armor.

However, there's one factor that I don't have."

Saul looked at Helix in the eyes.

"What's that?" He asked.

"Ambition." Helix said with a serious voice.

"Ambition? This isn't [ambition] to you?" Saul scoffed.

Helix scoff-laughed.

"No. I'm obtaining the power to prevent my partners from accidentally slaughtering all of the Alzerian troops on the battlefield.

That's it. That's the only reason I'm risking my life and dealing with all of this."

Saul's eyes trembled with confusion.

"That's right, Saul. That's 100% of the reason." Helix chuckled bitterly.

"Master Tyrene showed up with the understanding I wanted to live as a blacksmith.

When I left, I also wanted to be a blacksmith.

Master Tyrene never expected me to be a leader.

However, she trained me so I could take on the role if I chose to one day.

Now is not that time. I don't want to be here, Saul." Helix asserted in a firm tone.

Saul was baffled by the strange admission Helix was giving him.

"I don't want nobles trying to kill me for selling clothing.

I don't want someone trying to kill me for flaunting Tyrene's memorabilia.

I don't want random soldiers trying to kill me.

I don't want the kingdom to accuse me of potential treason again.

I don't want to lead an army.

I don't want political power.

I don't want to fight monsters.

I don't want to sell clothing.

I don't want to deal with politics.

I only want to live life with my partners in peace.

But before that happens, I have life debts to the princess, the Queen, Master Tyrene, Master Tilo, Macron, and Chief Elsa to repay.

I want to help the weak Earthians who were abducted and are scared.

I don't want people to die when I can help them.

That's it. I'm leaving after protecting the Capital and establishing a legal system to control the Earthians."

"Wait! You're leaving after this?" Saul growled.

Helix stared into Saul's eyes with his pitch-black iris'.

Saul's expression paled when he saw true killing intent in Helix's eyes.

"Yes. Why would I stay in a city where two groups of people try to kill me on the same day without asking questions?" Helix asked mockingly.

Saul's eyes filled with shame.

"Nobles, Earthians, Soldiers, and Guards have tried to kill me in the last three days.

This kingdom abducted me to fight your war against my will.

Earthians tried killing me three times before I left for Kozen, and they killed my lover.

Today I was accused of potential treason by the Queen, Defense Chief Salkey, and General Masov.

They asked to detain me as a test, and one of their guards attacked me before the Queen's orders.

For what, Saul?" Helix scoffed.

"The only reason [I'm] here is because my partners are the only people powerful enough to stop an attack equal to the fifth-order Colossus.

I'm also solving Alzeria's Earthian problem because I'm the only person who can do that.

Those are the only reasons.

I'm bitter, resentful, and angry that I'm even in this city."

Saul was shocked, speechless.

He didn't know what to say.

Helix stared at the guard with a sharp gaze.

"I'll reiterate. Come by for the power demonstration with General Masov and Defense Chief Salkey tomorrow.

You'll see that I'm genuinely only making allies to prevent Alzerian troops from getting slaughtered on the front lines.

That's it. There isn't much time before the impending attack that Master Tyrene and I heard about hits.

That's why I made a big speech about being an Alzerian Knight.

I had no other choice.

I don't have time to play petty politics with you.

I don't care about building relationships, becoming a general, or obtaining power.

So please just let me go home. My patience is wearing thin, and I have to wake up to more people trying to kill me tomorrow."

Seeing that Saul was frozen, Helix started walking back to his living quarters.

He stopped ten feet away.

"Don't take it personally, Saul.

I'm thankful you're loyal to Tyrene and for supporting me.

I don't blame you for what happened, and I hold no ill will to you.

I just need sleep."

After that, Helix continued walking and left Saul standing in the street, stunned in disbelief.

—

[A/N: Prepare for Helix to take control of the city.

Remember that this is the same day he was accused of treason. He doesn't have the patience to give for relationship building or bonding.]

—

Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)