"Hmm…" Clara nonchalantly stretched her body after coming out of the carriage. She yawned while asking, "Have we arrived?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Jonathan answered while pointing forward. "That's the camp."
"Alright." Clara nodded and took a peek at the camp. Fifty meters from them stood a lot of tents, big and small. There were a lot of people going back and forth.
It seemed that two soldiers had spotted them and immediately approached them.
The two soldiers were only Spirit Apprentices. It was clear that they were only there as a guard who handled the chores. They wouldn't participate in the exploration directly.
"Sir. May we ask from which units you are?" One of the soldiers asked politely.
Stella took out her badge and stated, "We are from the Zero Squad, First Squad, and Fourth Squad of the Demon Relief Squad. Our captain is also with us."
"!!!" The two soldiers froze for a moment and immediately changed their tones. "Please excuse us. We—"
"It's fine. Just tell us where we are supposed to erect our tents and where we can bring our carriages."
"Please follow me." One of the soldiers stepped up and immediately guided them to their area.
As soon as they arrived in their respective area, Noel came out of the carriage and took a look at their surroundings.
There were a pair of boys who noticed his gaze and waved their hands. Their expressions were filled with a smile. They came from the Fourth Squad.
Since the journey took quite some time, they ended up bonding a little bit. Noel also had the chance to show his skill and the fact that he had become a Spirit Master. In the end, no one complained about Noel's position in the Zero Squad, even though many members of the First Squad felt jealous.
While he was scanning the area, he noticed Clara waving her hand at him, calling him. Noel immediately came to her to know the situation. "Is there anything I can help you with, Captain?"
"Noel. Call Paul and follow me to meet other leaders. We are going to discuss the placement as well as the base." Clara stated while signing the documents presented by a soldier.
"Alright." Noel nodded and immediately went to find Paul. He was confused at first since he couldn't find Paul, but it turned out Paul was still sitting inside the carriage.
His expression was dark and his body was tense. He was clenching both hands as if he was thinking something.
Noel knew that Paul felt a lot of responsibility for the group's safety. And due to the last expedition, the pressure became overwhelming. He was afraid that he wasn't strong enough to help his friends again.
Because Noel knew this, he said something first before calling his name. "The pressure of being a leader… I know very well what kind of pressure to have everyone's lives in your hands."
Paul was startled as he looked at Noel with a shocked face.
Noel smiled. "Because I know that I can't show it on my face. If I look empty, people will be confused. If I look scared, they will panic. That's why we can't show our worry. If you have any worries, you can tell me about them. But at other times…"
"I have to be strong." Paul nodded with a serious expression. Having someone sharing the same worry and understanding his burden was indeed reassuring. Paul calmed down a bit and tried to smile. Even though it was forced, it was a good first step.
"The captain is calling us. We're going to meet other leaders."
Paul took a few deep breaths before gradually leaving the carriage. He couldn't help but pat Noel's shoulders. "Thanks."
"Feel relaxed a bit?"
"Thanks to you." Paul nodded. "Let's go."
Noel nodded back as they began to walk to Clara. The meeting tent was located in the middle of the army.
Noel didn't have to enter to feel the energy coming from the tent. He couldn't help but tense up, feeling the overwhelming pressure. He never thought that having to meet these people would be this hard.
Paul stepped forward as if trying to shield him from the pressure. He said with a serious expression. "It seems that the conversation isn't going well. Can you bear the pressure?"
"Psychological pressure is the heaviest. I can withstand the physical pressure all the time." Noel smirked. He didn't feel afraid at all since he knew that Paul and Clara were reliable. They would surely protect him.
Paul nodded but still walked in front of Noel to resist some pressure.
Clara didn't bother to look at them. But without them knowing, Clara was smiling the whole time as if she was happy with the bond the Demon Relief Squad had.
She gently pushed the tent's cover while stating coldly, "Oi, oi, oi… What's all this? Do you think using your Spiritual Energy to create pressure can allow you to win an argument?"
There were four people inside. Noel could easily recognize Shale and Septa since he had met them in the past.
Though, there were two more people sitting with them. The first one was a middle-aged man with a pale face. He looked like Jonathan as if happiness and life had been deprived of his life.
However, that gloominess, coupled with the aura he was excluding, made one feel a chill down their spine. It felt like this person would do anything to achieve his objective.
As for the fourth person, he was an old man with a long beard. His eyes opened only a little as if his eyelids were too heavy. He gently stroked his long beard while staring at the others like he was too tired of getting involved in an argument. Though, his ferocious energy told them otherwise.
All of them were hot-headed and Clara came to de-escalate the situation.
It seemed her appearance was enough, as all four of them stopped for a moment to check Clara and the two people that came with her.
