"Master, this is Mira Iris." Helix announced.
Tilo's eyes widened in shock.
"Why are you so panicked?"
His olive-green eyes were bewildered by Helix's sudden change of emotions.
"You were stunning yesterday and received a remarkable victory." Tilo continued.
"Even with the backlash, your support base is extremely powerful."
Helix grimaced and looked at Tilo with a serious expression.
"Master…. Things aren't that simple."
Tilo looked at Helix with a quizzical expression.
"This movement is state-sponsored.
There's no doubt about that."
"What?" Tilo asked in disbelief.
"Master. After achieving so much support, who would openly defy my influence in both the fashion world and the military world?" Helix asked.
His teacher opened and closed his mouth multiple times.
"The ramifications of doing so are too great.
The Queen's cabinet will try to chase me out if they rule us as a threat to the Kingdom's power structure." Helix explained.
"The situation is precarious, and if we don't deal with it will cause havoc on the Kingdom, throw our relationships in disarray, and everything will backfire."
Tilo gave Helix a wry smile but nodded in understanding.
"So you're saying you did your job [too] well. Yes?"
Helix scoff-laughed and nodded his head.
"I'm known for blowing up wyverns and assaulting my teachers with harems to achieve victory." He laughed.
"My tactics work out, but they're often a threat to my safety."
Tilo gave Helix a mocking smile.
However, he couldn't keep his facial expression together when he saw Helix's evil smile.
So he cracked and burst into laughter.
"Fair enough." Tilo said while wiping light tears from his eyes.
"So what's next in the death wish playbook?"
"I'm here to ask you if you can confidently provide asylum for Mira during my absence." Helix replied.
"To the Kingdom, my leave will be permanent.
However, I plan to leave for only a few days."
Tilo's eyes narrowed in thought.
"You're gambling?"
Helix nodded with a firm expression.
"I'm gambling. However, I've decided to stay in hiding as long as I need to make the gamble a strategy."
Tilo's face relaxed hearing his statement.
"That makes me feel better, boy." He replied.
Helix nodded with a gentle expression.
"I can ask to take on Mira as an assistant, as you're my legal apprentice." Tilo explained.
"In the worst-case scenario, I can express you're emotionally connected to her and will likely return if you hear she has been harmed.
It has already worked with Millie Patterson.
Therefore, I believe it's relatively safe, so long as you return with a reasonable excuse and a way to quell discontent."
Helix nodded with understanding.
"I'll need five days maximum, but I plan for two." He replied.
"By that point, the monsters will be on the move, and I've laid the groundwork to have the Kingdom spot them without connecting us.
So, either way, I'll return with my issues solved.
I just need to survive the relationship breakdown for now."
Tilo gave Helix a complicated expression.
"Thank you, boy. I don't think I've told you that."
Helix gave him a warm smile.
"Thank you as well, Master.
I'm meeting with Macron after meeting up with Elsa.
I'll be discussing my plan under a blood pact.
You can choose to take the risk or not, as you will not be involved as he will."
"Then I'll refrain." Tilo replied with a slight smile.
"It's easy to hide information that no one is looking for.
However, it's hard to hide the information they're seeking.
So the best I can do is hide your plan to return.
I'll leave everything else to trust."
Helix gave him a warm smile.
"I appreciate it."
He turned around to face Mira.
"Mira. This is Grandmaster Tilo Salazar." Helix said with a gentle smile.
"He's my teacher and good friend.
He has a lot of influence here, and I trust him with my life."
Mira's tear ducts welled with tears, and she didn't want to hear what Helix would say next.
Helix reached out his arms to Mira, and she flew into his arms.
She sobbed into his chest, and he stroked her hair with a gentle demeanor.
After a minute of holding her tight, he kneeled before her.
Mira's eyes filled with panic when she saw him kneeling.
"Mira." He said in a calm voice.
"I'm kneeling so that you don't have to look up to see my expressions."
Mira sighed a breath of relief.
Her puffy eyes were hard to keep open, so she was grateful.
"Mira. I will keep you safe, and this is the best way I can do that." Helix said with a warm smile.
"Even if I'm forced to leave, I'll come get you, and no one in this kingdom can stop me."
Mira's eyes trembled in panicked confusion.
Her emotions were tumultuous.
Helix was her shining light in pure darkness.
She didn't want him to leave when she had finally found hope for her life.
"Trust me, Mira. I'm here with good intentions to help the people of Alzeria." Helix continued.
"However, no one can stop me from saving what's precious to me.
I haven't known you long, but we're connected in many ways.
I promise that I will protect you from now on."
Mira began bawling and hugged Helix around the neck.
He slowly lifted his body to complete the hug.
"Now, please trust me and follow Tilo." Helix requested with a gentle smile.
He turned to Tilo.
The man matched his gaze with a serious expression.
"I won't be far. If anyone threatens Mira or Millie, please send a flare somehow.
I'll come to pick them up without bloodshed." Helix requested.
Tilo grimaced at the thought.
"Tilo, if anyone harms or imprisons these two, [I will] use force to free them."
His teacher's eyes widened in shock when he realized the lack of words like [won't hesitate to].
Tilo stared into Helix's pitch-black eyes for clues about the young man's mindset.
"Millie left me a Circle of Remembrance that led me back here to help.
I fought in a death match and got stabbed to save Mira's life.
I will no longer have a reason to be here if these two are harmed." Helix explained.
His teacher's eyes widened in astonishment, and he turned to Mira.
The young woman started bawling again.
Tilo already knew about Millie, so the situation now made sense.
"I've come here with good intentions and repaid my life debts by trying to help Alzeria.
However, if Alzeria harms the people I've come here to save, I'll save them and my friends and leave everyone else to die.
My mindset isn't a personality trait.
I simply refuse to save the lives of people that constantly try to kill my loved ones and me.
If anyone faults me for this mindset, they're an idiot."
Tilo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'm honestly surprised you didn't leave after the first three days." He laughed.
"Who the hell voluntarily stays in a city where a dozen people try to kill them?"
Tilo doubled over laughing, but his expression was pained.
Helix gave him a warm but complicated smile.
He understood Tilo's mindset.
"And yet I'm grateful because this is my home, and you're the only person that can save it."
Tilo's face contorted in emotional pain.
He hated putting the weight on Helix's shoulders.
However, he knew the Myriad Record had signed a death warrant for the city, and Helix and his partners were [literally] the only people that could save it.
Tilo also had people precious to him.
He had a grown daughter named Kiko in Alzeria.
They named her after his late wife's favorite flower.
He had relationships with friends and allies throughout the city.
His life work was in the Capital.
Even if he survived, he would lose everything he loved.
Helix's face relaxed, and he gazed at his teacher.
"Tilo. I'll at least take out the fifth-evolution Colossus, no matter what."
Tilo's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'll do that for you and Elsa, at that very least.
I owe you my life, as you gave me the power to protect people.
The same is true of Elsa." Helix continued.
His teacher's eyes trembled.
"Please protect these two with force, if need be." Helix requested with a relaxed expression.
"With or without me, five days from now, all of your political problems will instantly disappear, and you'll be hailed as a hero.
I'll airdrop another Colossus skull off a Gryphon in the Kina district with the words [courtesy of Grandmaster Tilo Salazar and Chief Elsa Lizco]."
Tilo's face froze with shock.
Then he chuckled.
Helix chuckled.
They both chuckled simultaneously.
The two burst into laughter and shared a final moment of peace.
"Boy, I'll protect these girls with force." Tilo declared with a serious voice.
"I'll go into hiding for a week if necessary.
However, please give an old man a break.
Try to get back here soon."
The man gave Helix a truly pitiful expression.
Helix chuckled breathlessly.
"I plan to." He said.
"Mira. I have to go now. I'll see you in five days maximum."
Mira gave him a firm expression and nodded.
"Take care, you two. Charlotte, let's go."
"Yes~sir." She replied with a salute.
Helix chuckled breathlessly.
"What am I going to do with you?"
"Punish~me for not taking the situation seriously?" Charlotte chimed with a teasing expression.
Helix scoff-laughed as he walked out the door.
The moment the door shut, he grabbed her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her.
Catalina turned bright red, watching the sight.
It wasn't the aggressive kiss that made her blush but Charlotte's aggressive response.
Rufus felt a deep desire to whistle but kept his mouth shut.
After the very emotional scene they witnessed on the way to the room, they were happy the two could blow off steam.
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Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)
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