[Nightmare]

"Mira." Helix whispered in disbelief.

"Yes, Master Helix." Mira called out nervously.

She had mid-length, straight brown hair similar to Emelia's.

Mira was slightly shorter than Emelia and had light green eyes that were vibrant in indoor lighting.

Her face was [cute] instead of beautiful.

The word to describe her might be adorable if she wasn't trembling.

"Please rise. I'd like to know your names in a moment." He requested.

Helix sighed internally, watching the guards stand up.

They had straight backs and did not look him in the eyes.

The group was similar to Royal Guards during meets.

Helix was happy that the Kingdom was receptive to his request for protection.

However, it was rhetoric to obtain respect from Salkey.

Now that he was staring at guards, his only thoughts were [what a pain].

"Does Whitney need something?" Helix asked while turning to Mira.

Mira blushed and shook her head.

"Master Whitney doesn't need anything." She replied nervously.

"She… I…."

Helix smiled gently and motioned for her to walk over for a conversation.

She was standing awkwardly across the hall.

The servant walked over with a red expression.

"You can speak freely around me. What do you need?" Helix asked with a gentle gaze.

"Well, I want to thank you…." Mira said with teary eyes.

Helix's expression crumbled instantly.

He remembered something very important.

"Master Helix… thank you so much for saving my life…." Mira said before bursting into tears.

Helix stared at her with disbelief before opening his arms and motioning her to hug him.

She awkwardly walked into his arms, and he held her close against her body.

The young woman sobbed into his chest.

It was so emotional that she forgot her position.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see you before I left." Helix whispered.

"I-I… thought… you… d-d-died." Mira sobbed.

"I thought I did too for a moment." He chuckled.

"But I left under that pretense so I didn't."

Helix stroked Mira's hair.

"Let's talk about this in a little while." He requested.

"I have a meeting with Macron to discuss Master Tyrene's funeral.

Are you free later in the day when I can give you some time?"

Mira looked up at Helix with puffy eyes.

"I…. Yes, M-Master H-Helix…." She replied between sobs.

"If… you'll have me… I've been assigned as your s-servant during… y-your st-stay."

Helix's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"What about Whitney?" He asked in a haze.

"W-Whitney is n-n-no longer my M-Master, Master H-Helix." Mira said while wiping away her tears.

Helix's expression couldn't be more puzzled.

"So, you've been assigned to me?" He asked.

While thoroughly confused, he didn't have time to hear the story behind it.

In the last three days, he was too busy dealing with the otakus, auctions, royalty, nobles, and people trying to murder him to talk to Whitney.

She was extremely quiet and awkward with Leera, but he couldn't approach her.

Helix wanted time to speak to her in private, as he was worried she was blaming herself for his death.

He planned to do it today if the drama calmed down.

Now he was going to a meeting and didn't have time to meet [anyone], let alone have a conversation.

"Y-Yes, Master H-Helix. I've volunteered to be y-your servant, and they assigned m-me to you, ii y-you agree."

Helix hugged her again briefly, and he looked at her afterward.

"Let's talk about this a little later, okay?" He requested.

Mira nodded hesitantly.

"Okay. For now, please follow me and the guards to the place I'm having a meeting."

Helix turned to the guards.

"I apologize I don't have time to meet you personally right now."

The guards looked at him with shock in their eyes.

"Sir we—"

Helix put up his hand to respectfully cut him off.

"I mean get to know you." He chuckled.

"For now, I'll thank you for your service."

Helix bowed lightly, causing everyone in the hallway to panic.

"Can I get your names? We can save introductions for later."

The Knights snapped out of their daze.

Regardless of their circumstances, they could never talk back to their lord.

So they immediately got over their panic.

"Yes. My name is Sir. Ripply, Master Helix." The first man announced.

"My name is Dame Catalina, Master Helix." The female Knight followed.

Helix panned his gaze slowly after each introduction.

"My name is Sir Tok, Master Helix." The third followed.

"My name is Sir Rudus, Master Helix." The final Knight announced.

After finishing, the Knights lifted their left foot, stomped down, and stood at attention.

"Sir Ripply, Dame Catalina, Sir Tok, and Sir Rudus, welcome." He said with a slight smile.

"I appreciate your service. Please escort me to Macron's chambers."

"Yes, Sir!" They yelled in unison.

Helix sighed inwardly.

He was cringing at the thought of helping four people become more gentle and human around him.

Moreover, he would eventually leave and might break their habits.

Then there was the mysterious story behind Mira Iris.

Whether she or someone else ended up as their servant, he'd need to help her feel free again.

He didn't know if his heart could handle that.

However, he wouldn't turn anyone away for the same reason he kissed Emelia on his first night.

Helix, his new guards, and his pending servant walked together to Macron's conference room.

He cringed every moment but understood the symbolic value of the Alzerian welcome party.

After all, he asked for it.

Helix turned to Sir Ripply.

"I've never had guards before." He confessed.

"Do you enter the rooms during meetings?

Or do you wait outside and guard the doors?"

"Master Helix, we can do either upon your request." Ripply replied.

"Thank you, Sir Ripply. Please guard the door and Mira here."

"Yes, sir." The Knight replied with a salute.

Helix opened Macron's conference room.

The room was a large, elaborate wooden table that could comfortably seat twelve.

Macron wasn't a teacher.

He was a Captain assigned to the role of training the Earthian Knights.

Once he had trained the Earthian forces, he would lead them.

Therefore, his position in the army was high, but his standing with the Earthian Knights seemed low.

Macron and four other people were in the room waiting for him.

"I apologize if I'm a bit late." Helix announced.

He checked the time and knew he was three minutes early.

However, [early] was subjective to cultural understanding.

Showing up [on time] for a meeting was rarely acceptable in the real world.

"No, you're early." Macron laughed with a gruff voice.

"If you weren't, I'd have taken the time to set this table up as a medics table."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

"Fair enough." Helix replied with a slight smile.

"Please sit." A well-groomed man requested.

He had black hair that was cleanly cut in a military format.

It wasn't [buzz cut], but it was extremely short.

His eyes were light grey with black streaks in them.

They were similar to Helix's in their strange, muted expression, but they were gentle and soothing to look at.

Helix wondered how they cut hair so close without clippers.

The man motioned him to the left side of the table.

The other four were sitting on the right as panel seating.

He was still young, but he imagined this was what a panel interview would look like for his first job after college.

Helix sat down at the table facing the men.

The other two had light brown and dark brown hair, respectfully.

They had the same clean appearance alongside their clean-shaven faces.

He chuckled, thinking that Macron, who was larger and had brownish-red eyes looked the same.

Whenever he heard the man's gruff voice, he thought he should have a beard like General Lackbolt.

However, he was clean-shaven and respectable like the rest of them.

The man with black hair spoke first.

"My name is Major Oakley." He said while reaching out his hand.

Helix accepted his handshake.

"I'm Lieutenant Mosley." The man with light brown hair announced.

Helix shook his hand.

Finally, the man with dark brown hair and dark, yellowish eyes reached out his hand. His face was cold and sharp.

"I'm Lieutenant Manson."

When Helix accepted his handshake, he felt the man grip-testing him at full strength.

He casually shook his hand and released it.

[Released] meant he elegantly [pryed free] from the man's hand without resistance. To everyone else, it looked completely natural.

It was a normal handshake to everyone at the table—if they didn't see the veins popping out of Manson's arm.

It was a bewildering sight that naturally struck fear into everyone present.

On the one hand, it looked as fluid as a normal handshake.

On the other hand, they knew that the Level 147 soldier couldn't make Helix flinch at full strength.

It was more terrifying than a punishment or regular show of strength. It meant that Helix had so much power that he didn't see anyone in the room as a threat.

Tyrene had the highest level in the army at 217, and they weren't confident that she could have done what Helix did so naturally.

While it would have been child's play to break free, doing it effortlessly to the point of naturalness was out of the question.

That meant that Helix, at eighteen, who was known for being the weakest of the people around him, was stronger than Tyrene—and it was true.

In truth, after the fight with the Stalkwalker, he was far stronger in terms of stats—far stronger. That didn't mean that he [was] stronger or more capable, but it spoke volumes of his power.

Lieutenant Manson stared at his hand in disbelief.

He shivered, knowing that Helix could've shattered his hand if he squeezed back.

"Okay…." Oakley called out awkwardly after glancing at Manson.

"Let's talk about General Tyrene's celebration of life.

—

[A/N: I never write stories where a [character] is a victim of abuse.

That isn't to say that there aren't implications of abuse in a story, but there is never dialogue between someone who has been abused.

Mira's story is sad and it's brought up multiple times before it comes to light.

So I'd like to leave this disclaimer to prevent anxiety to readers.]