[Nightmare]

"W-We never asked, your majesty.

We were only trying to do what was best for you and the kingdom." Charell confessed with a remorseful tone.

"Hmmm. Best for me? Very well. You shall both be put on trial next week." Liliana declared.

"If you are found without just cause, you will be stripped of your authority as nobles."

The two started shaking, and Irene tried to interject.

However, when she saw the merciless gaze of her Queen, she realized her [trial] was a blessing.

"T-Thank you, your majesty." Charell said with a remorseful tone.

He was playing politics, and Helix took note of the Queen's voice.

If his demeanor proved effective, he would use it one day if necessary.

He wished he could see their faces.

"Guards, take these two away quietly." Liliana ordered.

"The auction will begin soon, and Sir Helix has lost time."

"Mam!" The guards yelled in unison.

Then they picked the two up and dragged them from the doors.

"Forgive me, Sir Helix. These nobles do not represent the authority or opinion of the Alzeria kingdom. Please rise." Liliana requested with a gentle voice.

Helix did as commanded.

He stood up and met her gaze.

She had average brown eyes, making him chuckle.

Knowing how… normal she looked was refreshing.

Statistically speaking, blue eyes do not represent purity or royalty.

Those were always his thoughts on the matter.

"Thank you, your majesty. I am honored to meet you." Helix said with a slight bow.

He put his arm on his stomach first, praying that the mannerisms aligned with his [light novel] research.

"The honor is all mine." Liliana giggled with amused eyes.

She was giggling, but her eyes were sharp.

"After your journey and contribution, being met by this scene is shameful.

Is there anything that I can do as compensation?" Liliana asked.

Helix's eyes glided to the left.

"There is something that I would like to request and relates to the importance of time." He said hesitantly.

Liliana's eyes sharpened.

Maze and Helix's partners shuttered.

However, Helix met her gaze with his pitch-black eyes.

They were not demonic by any means, nor were they intrinsically uncomfortable.

His eyes were extremely expressive, however.

At the moment, they underlined his sincerity.

"Very well. The first auction approaches, and you have much to do.

So please return to your duties, and I will make a formal request to have guards lead you to my box after the first auction concludes."

—

Helix approached the skybox with the guards with a beating heart.

Liliana called him to her private box [before] the participation action began.

He was grateful that she understood the situation.

When the door opened, the queen was sitting in front of him with a serious expression.

"Welcome. Congratulations on the extreme turnout." Liliana chuckled.

"It was better than expected." Helix bowed.

"Please come in." She requested.

He entered the skybox and looked around the room.

"Did you call upon Master Tilo?" Helix asked with a serious tone.

"An astute observation." Liliana replied with narrowed, amused eyes.

"These were already present, of course."

"Getting Master Tilo anywhere in a short time would prove you have an affinity for miracles." Helix said with a nod and a slight smile.

Liliana chuckled at his forwardness; her guards did not.

Helix was from Earth, so she didn't slight him for his lack of official tone.

"Tell me, Sir Helix. What is your request?"

—

Without waiting for a reply, she curtsied and walked away to one of the skyboxes in the auction house.

Helix sighed a breath of relief.

"You're lucky…." Maze said with a perplexed voice.

"Yes. I am." Helix grinned.

"Why do you sound so happy and… devious?

Are you playing for [anti-hero] status?"

Helix's partners giggled as they got up from the floor.

"Not really. I was just desperate, so I was gambling with cliches." He sighed.

"Gambling with cliches?" Maze asked quizzically.

"Yes. I have an extremely high level of influence for a very short time." Helix explained.

"I'm here to help the kingdom, the Knights need me, and possess products from a legendary designer."

Maze listened with interest while watching Marie's pride-filled expression.

Looking at Charlotte or Riley's expressions for confirmation was an exercise in futility for the sake of nothing.

So he watched Marie hoping to validate Helix's strategy.

"Since I had powerful backers, I attracted all nobles with an official auction on purpose." Helix chuckled.

"The controversy helped spread the word like wildfire."

Maze's eyes glazed over.

"So you pissed off people on purpose for advertising." He asked with a lifeless tone.

Helix's partners giggled, and Helix shook his head.

"No. I preemptively addressed my controversy while having support." Helix clarified.

"I got all of the nobles in one place alongside my backers in hopes that my influential backers would publicly punish the aggressors.

It's a cultivator cliche scenario I set up in advance, hoping to strike fear into the hearts of political dissidents."

Marie nodded to Maze with a serious expression.

"Helix hoped to attract the royal family's attention with the controversy." She continued.

"There isn't much time, so he's using tonight to address many major problems.

So he hoped that his overpowered hero status would bring that cliche to life, then address the problems."

Maze narrowed his eyes.

"You're adding [more] risk to this?" He asked with a serious tone.

"You should know that your enemy doesn't cut you but plays from the shadows."

—

"It's already spreading that quickly?" Helix sighed.

"Yes. This movement is absurd. We need to do something about it before it gets out of hand." Marie warned.

"Even the Queen won't have the influence to stand up to it if we let it grow at this rate."

"It's a tumor. I suggest chemo."

Marie gave Charlotte a savage gaze.

Charlotte shrugged in response.

"What should we do?" Marie asked with a serious gaze.

Helix stared at the table with a serious expression.

"We need to take an unorthodox gamble two days from now.

Please inform Macron I need an audience to discuss it.

I'm going to get Master Tilo and Elsa.

Riley, please find Atlas.

Charlotte, please come with me. You'll be my guard detail."

—

Helix took a deep breath and sighed.

"Maze. I cannot praise your judgment more than I do." He asserted.

"However, I've been connected with enough trouble to make me bitter for a lifetime."

Marie, Charlotte, and Riley frowned and gave him empathetic eyes.

"So you're asking for more?" Maze asked.

"Yes. It's better than watching a thousand people and all the Knights die in the future."

Maze's eyes trembled.

"You're… serious?" He whispered.

Marie nodded, and Charlotte and Riley gave him serious expressions.

"If we hadn't arrived, the Stalkwalker would have killed 1200 people." She explained.

"The only reason they're alive is because Helix took command of the operation."

"Wait!? He took command?" Maze asked while staring at Helix.

Helix let out a deep breath.

"It's not that they thought I was an amazing leader." Helix replied with a serious tone.

"They had no choice. It was necessary then and will be necessary now.

It's not necessary because I'm strong or a good leader.

It's practical because we possess power integral to our survival, and we can use it unless people stand back."

Marie, Charlotte, and Riley nodded with grave expressions.

Maze gulped.

"We won that argument. However, a legendary general was standing by my side back then, and the Kozen general was staring at a 350-foot enemy.

There is no longer a tangible issue pressing urgency."

—

"Oui! Isn't that… that kid!?" A drunk man yelled out.

"Yeah, it's him alright. The fucker has a death wish." Another growled.

"Please let me pass. I'm not looking for trouble." Helix sighed.

"You're not? I would've sworn I heard you begging for it last night." A third yelled out.

—

[A/N: Flashs—not time gaps—are purposely less descriptive.

Once the scenes catch up, they're more descriptive and shed light on the situation to unravel mysteries.

Mystery and strategy aren't the only benefits of this complex, but beautiful format.

Time gaps and flashbacks allow the reader to experience stories when they're relevant instead of reading an endless string of [and thens] which web novels are notorious for.

It smooths time gaps without rushing the story development.

Flashforwards allow the reader to enjoy and get excited over the future without damaging the love and support of quality moments.

I hope you love this format as much as I do.

If you don't… I'm sorry? This is [Nightmare].

Take it for what it is because… you have no choice. XD]

—

Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)