Basil and the Legion Commanders had reached to a consensus. In turn of agreeing to be the Head Commander, he would only provide them assistance with the strategy—the commanding would be left to them.
He had spent almost a decade leading the most elite army in the entire Empires, Henosis in his past life. He was an extremely capable commander, however he currently couldn't care less about commanding people.
He had stopped thinking about people he didn't have an emotional attachment with, so his goal in this war was solely to improve himself. He would only kill for his own benefit, and therefore he couldn't be dragged down by a responsibility.
On the other hand however, his appointment as a Legion Commander was a chance to let Iliana grow. He knew Iliana had an innate talent of being a commander, and he planned to awaken it in this chance.
That was why Basil had taken Iliana as his aide—without said person knowing about her involvement yet. Other than that, Basil also wanted to give her an opportunity to "decorate" her resume.
While Basil didn't consider being the youngest Legion Commander for the past 1000 years was an achievement he needed to be proud about, for Iliana, even though she would merely act as a Vice Commander, this would be a good thing for her career.
Different from Basil, who didn't have any ambition to be one of the top dogs of Braxtein Kingdom, Iliana, after all, wanted to secure a certain spot in the above. Therefore, accumulating as many achievements as she could from now was crucial.
Basil didn't really know what required her to have a certain position in the Kingdom, but he would aid her in her quest. He had an inkling it was solely for investigating about his mother's execution, and he didn't plan to prevent her from doing it.
Unlike him, Iliana still didn't know about what had exactly happened that day. He could talk about what he had heard from his mother, but he wouldn't be able to explain where he got to know about it, so it would be best to let her figure it out herself.
By the end of the day, Basil knew everything would be for naught. He could already picture the day when the whole world turned against them the moment they embraced their identity as a Pacifer.
Still, there was still some time until that time came. For the time being, Basil and Iliana still needed an important enough standing in the Kingdom that would make them look bound to the Kingdom to avoid suspicion.
Basil's power was still insufficient, so he couldn't just act like how he wanted to. He still needed to display the front of being a loyal citizen—this was why he had played along with the Legion Commanders.
"Brother! Oh I can't believe it—it's really you!"
Upon getting out of the city hall, Basil couldn't only see Iliana and everyone from the Rehearsal Class, but also another people that he was quite close with. They were his fellow students that he had acquainted himself with.
"... Xiu Li." Basil looked at the long haired young man scurrying over him with a small smile. "It is not within my expectation that someone like you will still be able to keep such a bright complexion in thi situation."
It was apparent from his look that Wei Xiu Li, possibly the only existing Mage from the East, didn't like war at all. He had also shown a strong repulsion at the idea of killing in the Regional Tournament.
With those reasons, it was not wrong to think that Wei Xiu Li would find the battle in Woster County distressful.
It turns out however, Wei Xiu Li was more complex than what Basil had thought him to be. Wei Xiu Li found the idea of killing Demons acceptable since he was helping people with it.
He was even enjoying himself in doing so, which means he wasn't an idealistic pacifist like what Basil had thought him to be.
"It has been only 2 months, but I can barely recognise you, Brother." Xiu Li looked at Basil up and down. "You are even taller than Professor Alcott now!"
"Indeed, Basil. You are growing so quick, you are pressuring us, your senior." Clovis stepped forward and sighed. "You are already a Fifth Circle Mage now, but not even Iliana, who is in the same rank as you, can compare."
"The way you said it feels like you are putting me in the same boat as you." Iliana frowned. "Stop it—it's disgusting. I might not be comparable to Basil, but I am still far above you."
"Gah! Why do you have to be so cruel?!"
The people in the surrounding laughed at the exchange between Clovis and Iliana. It was the same like what they usually did at the Magic Institute.
Unfortunately, they were currently in the middle of the war, so the mood quickly turned solemn. As much as they wanted to joke around, the situation in their surrounding made it hard for them to laugh.
Every battle yearns for sacrifices. For each of those who survived today, there were two or three people that had fallen.
Some of the survivors were just fatally injured, meanwhile some were permanently crippled. Of course, their fate was better than those who had lost their lives.
The state of the body of those who had fallen was just pitiable. Some had lost a good chunk of their body, some had lost a few of their body parts, and some had only a part of their body remaining.
Still, those who still had a part of their body remaining had a better fate than those who didn't even leave anything behind.
Some of them hadn't met their parents or family for months, and it was saddening to think that the people who cared about them would only receive an empty grave with an honorary title carved on their headstone.
What would it do to those who were left behind?
"There is still some time until the next clash," Basil said, breaking the silence. "I suggest you to get plenty of rest, since the next clash will be much harder than the fight you have faced until now."
"What about catching up to each other over a tea?" Clovis suggested. "I believe you haven't heard that we have joined Rehearsal Class." He smirked.
Basil hadn't heard about it from Iliana, so he silently looked at her with a quirked eyebrow. She merely sighed in exasperation, making him shook his head faintly in amusement.
"Unfortunately, I can't be joining you lot soon." He gestured at the Legion Commanders behind him. "There is still something I need to do, so I hope you can go on without me... And Iliana."
"Yes?" Iliana slightly recoiled in surprise at the mention of her name. "Do you need something from me?"
Basil merely nodded his head then motioned her to come over. "I will make sure to join you when the matter is settled, so see you until then."
Basil walked towards the building where the Legion Commanders gathered to discuss with Iliana and the six Legion Commanders in tow, parting the crowd of students.
They sighed audibly at Basil's inability to join them, but he didn't even pay any attention to them. He kept walking until his back finally disappeared from the people's view.
"Ah... Can't he even slow down for a second? This is our reunion!" Cray shouted in disappointment.
"Stop it. You know what he has become." Whitney patted Cray's shoulder.
"To think it really happens... As expected of the monster of our beloved Magic Institute," Darius mused.
They had been staying silent for all the time because they were too embarrassed to speak in their current state; there was a fist mark on each of their cheek that they had gotten from Iliana. They didn't want to be ridiculed by Basil.
Now that Basil was gone, they could finally talk freely again. Still, it didn't mean they were pardoned from the others' ridicule.
...
In the building on the opposite side of the biggest Church in Woster County, in the building where the Legion Commanders held their meeting to discuss about the war strategy, Basil sat at the head table with Iliana standing right behind him.
The atmosphere was slightly tense, as the Vice Commanders of the six Legion Commanders, who were standing behind each of them, were looking at Iliana intensely. They were silently questioning her qualification to stand there.
"It is good to see that everyone is being courteous," Basil remarked sarcastically, making the Legion Commanders smile wryly. Turning his gaze to the Vice Commanders, he continued, "May I conclude these are the best you have at your disposal?"
"Yes, Head Commander. They are currently the best Mages we have at our disposal," Cassandra replied.
"They might be young, but I can guarantee you all of them are highly capable," Glenn added.
"Age doesn't hold any significance towards how capable you are. I am young myself, but I am capable enough to annihilate everyone in this room by myself," stated Basil coldly
Boom!
Just as Basil finished his statement, he washed everyone in the room, except from Iliana, with his thick killing intent and Qi Pressure. All of their pupils immediately dilated in terror as their body shook uncontrollably.
"Knowing one's shortcomings is important," Basil stated as he alleviated his pressure at once. "Imagine being constantly exposed to that kind of pressure in the battlefield due to your overestimation over yourself—what could you do?"
No one could answer him as they were still too busy calming their beating heart down. Their ears were filled with the sound of their crazily pounding heart, making it hard to concentrate on his words.
The moment they had calmed themselves, they immediately turned their head to Basil and looked at him in disbelief and slight fear. They couldn't believe such a young man could produce such an overwhelming pressure that could completely immobilize them.
"Iliana is the person who I have appointed as my Vice." Basil glanced at the other Vice Commanders. "She is here to make you realise your shortcomings."
Basil turned to Iliana, and Iliana gazed at him in puzzlement. He just nodded his head lightly, hoping Iliana got that he was telling her to do her best.
Luckily, Iliana didn't disappoint. She materialized her five Grand Circles in the next moment, overwhelming the air with her Mana, then snapped her finger to cast the highest Middle Grade Spell, [Teleportation].
Everyone was bewildered at the display, and Basil was actually caught off guard too.
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