[Nightmare]

"Do you remember when you gave me the directions to that jewelry shop to buy a necklace?"

Helix was sitting on a hillside, looking over the city of Lexion as the sun rose.

He woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep.

So he stuck out of his trailer and found a peaceful area not far from the caravan's encampment.

"I was buying it for my crush Sarah.

When I bought it, I wasn't confident to tell her how I felt, so it sat in my room for weeks.

But….

When Emelia died, I realized how quickly you could lose someone you love."

Tears rolled down Helix's cheeks as he heard the young man's words.

"I always envied you for showing your love for Emelia so openly.

It constantly reminded me of what I couldn't do.

But when she died, I realized that Emelia was a symbol that reflected my feelings for Sarah.

So when Emelia was gone, I felt like Sarah had died too.

That's… a bad way to express that. I hope you won't get mad at me."

Helix closed his eyes and smiled bitterly.

"I'd never get angry at you for that, Leo." He whispered.

"I realized how much I looked up to you when I couldn't seek guidance from your actions anymore.

But when I heard that you bought Emelia out of servitude, I learned a lesson I could never forget.

It gave me newfound determination and gave me the push I needed.

You risked your life for Emelia, so I realized I could at least risk rejection with Sarah.

Now, guess what?"

"What?" Helix asked softly.

"I gave Sarah the necklace, and she returned my feelings.

We're a couple now, and I've never been so happy."

Helix chuckled with a warm smile.

"Good for you, Leo." He whispered with a smile.

"I've resolved to make Sarah as happy as Emelia was.

Now that she's gone, the cafeteria looks darker.

It's not that it's more gloomy.

It's happier now since Marie followed your guidance and took over.

It's just that….

How do I put this?

Emelia's smile was so bright that we never saw the cafeteria's natural lighting.

Many of us started competing to see how happy we could make our servants and girlfriends when we realized that.

We figure that if a dozen people show illuminating happiness, that brightness might return."

Helix's face scrunched up, and more tears flowed from his eyes.

"But guess what, Helix?

I'm not like the others. I plan to work as hard as possible for Sarah until her face matches Emelia's.

It's… not a competition.

It's just what she deserves.

Thank you for helping me see that."

Helix opened his eyes and gazed at the sunset.

"I wish I had realized how important you were to me while you were still here.

I hope we'll meet again, so I can introduce you to Sarah when we're married one day.

Shhhhh. Don't tell Sarah I said that.

I want my feelings to be a surprise.

Thank you for everything, Helix. Goodbye."

Helix smiled and shifted his gaze to Lexion.

"I suppose I should get back.

I don't want Elsa to worry about me… more than she probably already is right now." He chuckled.

—

"There you are! Thank goodness." Elsa cried.

Before Helix could process what was happening, he was already in her arms.

Without hesitation, he returned her embrace.

"I'm sorry to worry you. I couldn't sleep, so I went somewhere isolated to listen to another circle." He replied while holding her tight.

"I… I'm sorry for being so emotional.

It's just that… after what happened yesterday, I was worried that you started being targeted again."

Helix hugged her harder.

Elsa had become a mother figure to him.

He didn't know how it happened, but he was grateful for it.

"Don't worry, Elsa. Things will be different now.

I have Tilo now. I'm also becoming stronger, and even... technically won a match against him yesterday.

I'm not planning to become a fighter, but I promise I'll work hard so you'll never have to worry again." He vowed.

Elsa pushed away from him and held his shoulders in front of him.

Her eyes were filled with perplexion.

"What… Did you say?" She asked in a haze.

"I… technically won a practice match against Tilo yesterday.

He was severely handicapped, and I was regretfully reckless.

However, I won." Helix reiterated.

Elsa's eyes trembled.

"H-How…." She muttered in shock.

It wasn't a real question. Rather, it was a question of simple amazement.

Helix averted her gaze in shame and smiled wryly.

"I threatened to level the city and forced him to lose to protect the city." He replied with shame.

"WHAT!?" Elsa screamed in anger.

Helix's eyes trembled.

"Helix Hellsgate Margrave! What the hell were you—"

"Hah! Aren't you honest?" A woman's voice interjected.

Elsa turned to the side and saw an elderly woman walking toward them.

She had long, gray hair and crystal blue eyes.

"Don't be so hard on the kid.

He's being honest to a fault right now." The woman chuckled.

Elsa released Helix in embarrassment.

She looked at him with a face that said, [what have you gotten me into]?

Helix's eyes replied, [I don't know, I promise].

"I apologize, Grandmaster General Masney. I'm just a bit confused." Elsa replied with a slight bow.

She forced Helix's head down as well.

The woman chuckled.

"No need to stand in ceremonies. Just call me Tyrene." She replied with a slight smile.

Helix had never seen Elsa look so conflicted.

Her facial expressions were as conflicted as Emelia's often were.

Helix looked between the two women awkwardly.

"Ah. I suppose it's best to introduce myself." Tyrene chuckled.

"My name is Grandmaster General Dame Tyrene Masney.

I am a retired general who heads the Alzerian army's training regiment."

Helix's eyes widened with shock.

Before he could ask questions, she turned back to Elsa.

"I'd be teasing this kid if he tried to downplay what happened.

However, I suppose I'll come to his defense since he stole my teasing line." Tyrene chuckled in amusement.

"That reckless idiot Tilo gave that boy four calamity spells.

He intended to teach him to research magic circles before using them and point out the difficulty of activating high-level spells.

Tilo had a negation spell for the circle he gave Helix.

However, he didn't expect to get his ass handed to him."

The woman's chuckle exposed her rivalry and a playful pettiness level.

Elsa stared at Tyrene for a moment before looking at Helix with confusion in her eyes.

"My… apologies. I don't understand what's going on…." She responded awkwardly.

"Oh, yes. Your boy gave Tilo a party drug spell, and the man was grooving out too hard to keep concentrated. " Tyrene laughed.

"Party drug?" Elsa replied dumbly.

"Yes. It was a rather potent hallucinogen that Tilo hadn't experienced before.

I'm rather jealous, to be honest.

So I came to see if your boy would give me a hookup." Tyrene replied with smiling eyes.

"Grandmaster Tyrene, I would be honored to provide you with my party drug circle if you wish." Helix chuckled in amusement.

"Wait! Helix! Wait…." Elsa cried in disbelief.

She wanted to chastise Helix for speaking informally to Tyrene, but she couldn't make sense of what was happening.

Despite Tyrene's words sounding like a joke, Elsa had a feeling they weren't.

"I didn't know that they made recreational magic circles…." She muttered in embarrassment.

Tyrene burst into laughter, and Elsa's face flushed bright red.

"I suppose that I shouldn't tease a medicinal magic professional when it comes to drugs." Elsa chuckled.

"No. That boy created the most hellish magic circle I've ever seen in his fight against Tilo.

It makes me shiver thinking about falling into the spell myself."

Elsa looked at Helix with a complicated gaze that expressed concern, surprise, and a desire to scold him.

"I don't know what to say…." Helix replied.

"Heh. You don't have to say anything, boy.

I'm honestly impressed by you.

It seems it wasn't wrong to travel to Kozen." Tyrene replied with a strange smile.

"I'm glad that you do not regret your decision to travel to meet someone like me." Helix replied with a sincere expression.

Then he bowed slightly in a show of respect.

He felt guilty that the various grandmasters and teachers needed to travel 1000 miles before appraising him.

"Which leads me to the reason I'm here…." Tyrene announced with a slight smile.

"I'd like to teach you how to fight with a sword.

From what I understand, you were taking private lessons, and you're not too shabby."

Helix's eyes widened and expressed unadulterated perplexion.

"Please forgive my expression.

I'm not battle proficient with a sword by any means.

So I'm a bit… very… confused you'd travel out here to teach me.

From what I understand, there are already private teachers, and they would've sent a swordsmaster." He replied in disbelief.

"Hah! Please don't get the wrong idea.

I'm not here because you show remarkable talent as you do with magic circles." Tyrene laughed.

Elsa and Helix couldn't be more confused.

"I'm here because you're amusing.

You're too weak to fight in a duel, yet you can bring a kingdom to its knees." Tyrene chuckled with amusement in her eyes.

Helix smiled wryly.

"I'm retired, but the kingdom won't let me stop working, and I don't know what I'd do if I did.

So I thought it'd be amusing to join the bandwagon and follow you here.

You're a strategist.

So while I'm at it, I might as well teach you how to bring a kingdom to its knees." She chuckled.

"The conventional approaches, anyway."

—

[A/N: Warning. I don't plan to tell the story of Grandmaster Linus until later in the future through flashbacks or conversation.

In my vision, he learns important things from Linus, but I hate stories that foreshadow 80,000 events and then stress you out.

I won't write unnecessary scenes to prove he exists and do that to you.]

—

Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)