Noel kept apologizing. Though, the reason gradually changed from the previous failure to not trusting them.
The Demon Relief Squad was indeed a weird bunch from Noel's perspective. Instead of blaming him for getting them into danger, they were actually disappointed that Noel didn't have the heart to talk it out with them.
In fact, they didn't really mind helping Noel in his scheme as long as Noel told them about it.
However, for Noel, whose trust and life had been broken before, the Demon Relief Squad was actually a perfect place to get it back. He could start trusting the people around him without the need for the Affection Medal. There was a family he could rely on here.
They were what Noel truly needed. And somehow they became closer after this failure.
To think, to fail, and to learn. When the group challenged and overcame strife and carnage, their bond became sturdier.
Noel was gratified for their affection. However, it didn't change the fact that he was planning to take responsibility for this failure.
After they left him alone in the room to get some rest, Noel closed his eyes for a moment.
'There are three big reasons for my failure. First, I don't have enough strength. That's the most important reason. If I had enough strength to fight against that woman, we wouldn't be in this situation.'
'There aren't many things I can do to increase my strength right now. I can easily gain Spiritual Energy reserve from hunting demons since I have twice the limit of Demon Crystals than the others.'
'However, having more Spiritual Energy doesn't guarantee me strength. Even if I somehow reach the Spirit Grandmaster by consuming the Demon Crystals, my foundation will become brittle. To have a great foundation means to have a battle technique that can match my reserve, have the experience to back it up, and have the knowledge to understand it.'
'I lack all of them. Most of the battle techniques come from the system. As Sir Damian said, I was just using what the system gave me. That's all. A true expert could do something even further with their technique.'
'As for the experience, this is the hardest since I haven't lived long enough. I will do my best to experience a lot of things, but it'll take time.'
'Last but not least, the knowledge. I'll try to ask people around me about the way to use their abilities, the information about Spirit Masters and Grandmasters, and other things. But I need to return to the base first. After all, asking Captain Clara is a good way to gain a lot of new information.'
'In that case, I should focus on the battle techniques first…' Noel paused for a moment as though he was thinking of an absurd plan. 'Should I ask Sir Damian? He is the Vice Commander of the Greenwood Kingdom's Royal Army. Captain Clara can teach me if I ask, but she is a Healer. The same applies to Dimitri who is an assassin. Their way of fighting is too different from mine.'
'On the other hand, Sir Damian's fighting style matches my own. He has good control over his Spirit Abilities and his swordsmanship is excellent. He is a perfect teacher… However, asking him to teach me is easier said than done. It seems that if I want to become strong, I have to go broke.'
Noel let out a long sigh. Still, money could still be gained with all the Runes and his abilities. So, Noel decided to ask Damian about it after this.
He continued to the second reason for his failure.
'That's right. The second reason should be this… the lack of trust in the Zero Squad. If I talked to the others, we could make some changes to the plan. In fact, we could even prepare another captain since Zion could use his speed to contact the nearby reinforcement to speed up, at least their captain alone.'
'There were other possibilities that could increase our chance to win. So, this was truly my mistake for not trusting them.'
'Last but not least, I underestimated the Supreme Devil Organization. They have a lot of secrets and the fact that they have that kind of power without becoming an international threat is something that I should reconsider.'
'There is a chance that the Royal Family is related to them. No, the Third Prince might even be related to them. The reason why they're fighting is because they want to get a hold of the Supreme Devil Organization. Of course, this is just speculation, but they are indeed suspicious.'
'Well, Anna is investigating the Royal Family while I'm investigating the Third Prince. There aren't many opportunities, but I should continue.'
'Knowing about their strength alone is enough for me. After all, I can predict how many Devil Saints and Devil Bishops will move.'
'In fact, I should be happy that they didn't bring any Devil Inspector or lower. It would be troublesome if they used them as cannon fodder.'
'One Supreme Devil, Five Devil Saints, thirty to fifty Devil Bishops, and there is some public knowledge about the Inspector, Officer, and Worshipers. It's said they have a few thousand Worshipers and at least a thousand Officers. As for the Inspectors… there should be a few hundred of them.'
'It's going to be difficult to fight them, especially in a large-scale attack. I see… that's also something to worry about.'
Noel took a deep breath. As much as he wanted to continue thinking about the possibilities, all of them were just speculation. It was better to get concrete evidence of their number.
'Well… I can work on my mistakes later. Before that, I have to do one important thing.' Noel grabbed the badge from the drawer next to his bed and channeled his Spiritual Energy.
It didn't take too long before Damian appeared in front of him, albeit with a bit annoyed expression.
"Sir Damian… Please teach me how to get stronger."
