The Innkeeper

Cirk, who was resting since he was on break, immediately stood up as soon as he heard the Innkeepers voice. Before he knew it, he had been teleported over to the Midnight Tailors, where the Innkeeper was already waiting for him.

"Innkeeper!" Cirk greeted, not used to seeing his boss in person, but the Innkeeper was already walking inside.

"Keep up. This is a matter of grave urgency."

Cirk dared not keep the Innkeeper waiting, so he rushed in behind him.

"Geeves, I don't have much time," the Innkeeper said as soon as he walked in. "Cirk has to leave the Inn on a mission. What's the best suit you can give him for protection right at this moment? We don't have time for a custom job right now."

"Innkeeper, my readymade selection is somewhat bare," Geeves responded immediately, his voice calm and collected even under pressure. "I have one inspired by the suit given to the battalion, but without specifically altering it to Cirks body he won't be able to draw the most out of it."

"Bring it out," he ordered Geeves, before turning to the spaceship captain. "Cirk, I need you to accompany another worker out on a mission. You may be required to pilot the Silent Wanderer, so I hope you are ready. Keep in mind that the suit I'm giving you is not tailored to you, so avoid getting into any fights when possible."

"I can fly it with my eyes closed!" Crik reassured the Innkeeper, while a rush of adrenaline filled his body. He was finally going to have an opportunity to actually fly a ship! He didn't care about the readymade suit at all. After all, as a pilot, he would do his fighting with his ship!

Geeves, who had rushed into the back, came out holding a readymade suit. Cirk made a move to receive it, but the Innkeeper snapped and the suit automatically appeared on his body!

"While you're on the mission you'll take orders from Leo," the Innkeeper instructed Cirk, who nodded.

"Good."

The Innkeeper teleported Cirk to the formation that the Midnight battalion used to enter the battlefield. A moment later, Leo also showed up, similarly suited, although it was clear that his own suit had been tailored for him.

They locked gazes, and while Cirk was still experiencing the rush of knowing that he was finally going to fly a ship, he kept it hidden within. Externally, he only displayed the calm confidence that was required of a ship captain.

"Before we head out let me brief you on what to expect," Leo said, his cold voice driving a chill up Cirks back. "The battalion is in trouble and we're going to go help them out. The situation is precarious, and we cannot know when and how enemies might appear. In fact, we may very well be walking into a trap. So you need to be alert at all times, and stay close to me. If a fight breaks out, focus more on survival than fighting - I'll take care of that."

"You do not need to worry about me. Just focus on what you need to do, I will not fail you," answered Cirk. Although his life had been limited to running a daycare and flying a ship in place, he had been born with the natural characteristics of a captain. He was not intimidated by the task, and he was not afraid of the danger.

Lex, who had donned Leo's appearance, nodded. After that there was no hesitation, no moment to prepare himself. Right now, Lex was in a state of cold fury, and he had been suppressing his fury for too long already. Previously, whenever he got mad, Lex immediately had an opportunity to release his anger. But this time, he had to let it simmer as he waited for an opportunity to unleash it. Now, that opportunity was finally coming. He patted his chest and felt the cards he had kept in the inner pocket of his suit. They would come in handy.

Lex activated the formation, teleporting himself and Geeves away.

The duo appeared in the same teleportation hall that the battalion had arrived in earlier. Geeves looked around and saw that they were standing in the middle of a formation, and there were countless other similar formations in the hall. Tens of thousands of soldiers were teleporting over each minute, making the hall both crowded and busy.

'Leo' who was standing beside him had an unusual mask over his face, making him look like a devil. Cirk did not need to ask to know that he was hiding his identity for whatever reason.

"Welcome to battlefront 00974," spoke a nearby elf who was looking at a clipboard rather than them. "Is there a leader among you two? Since only two of you have arrived I assume you have the designation of strategic assets. Do you have any speciality?"

Instead of answering, Lex walked up to the elf and placed a hand upon his shoulder. The action was quite simple, but for the elf who was on the receiving end of Lex's Domination in full force, gravity seemed to have increased by a hundredfold. Let alone his body, even his thoughts seemed to be weighed down under the massive force that was enveloping his being.

"That is none of your concern," Lex commanded. "Take me to someone who has knowledge of the ongoing battle."

"Ye -yes," the elf stuttered and turned to lead the duo in a daze. Lex's action attracted some attention from a few nearby guards, but upon noticing that the elf turned and began to lead the two, they relaxed.

Even though Lex had removed his hand and walked a step behind the elf, the effects of his Domination had not diminished at all. Completely unaware of his own actions, the elf led the two past all the lines, skipping all the queues, and directly towards a command room.

No one noticed anything amiss the entire time. After all, no one thought that anyone would be crazy enough to cause trouble here.