Chapter 549 First Battle (1/2)

Lize looked at the cluttered mess on her desk and sighed helplessly.

She stood up and turned to Gillian who was smiling cheekily. ”Little Lize, you're still not used to it after so long?”

”I'm really sorry, Miss Gillian. I'm…” Lize shook her head hopelessly.

Frankly speaking, she had attempted to take up the responsibilities bravely. However, she realized that there were so many matters that she had to be concerned about whenever she received crucial information. She would feel overwhelmed and unable to provide accurate answers. From the beginning, Lize tried her best and the mercenaries of the Cloud Summit Fortress performed decently. As for the Reformist Party, apart from randomly causing a commotion, they hadn't launched any large-scale attacks. Lize was hoping that they would never attack, or perhaps attack only after Rhode returned… This way, she could stay away from the dangers.

But it was a pity that the heavens didn't satisfy her wishes.

”We don't have too much time left, Little Lize. According to Little Joey's report, the Southern Legion is coming for real this time. Of course, we can't just look on without lifting a finger. After all, this is a mission that Master handed to our care. So then, do you have any good ideas?”

”… I think I'll need to think about it a little more…”

Gillian raised an eyebrow and looked at the young lady with a shrug. ”Little Lize, the enemies won't be that nice to give you time to think, okay? You should notice this too, right? Don't tell me you've been dazing off into space during the meeting?”

”N-No, I wasn't!” Lize waved her hands frantically. She gazed at Gillian with uncertainty and didn't know what to say. She eventually lowered her head and nodded slightly. ”I do have a plan, Miss Gillian. But I think it is too risky and there are many unknown risks that I haven't considered. What if I failed to…”

”Thinking about failures even before you win? You indeed have the qualities of an Adjutant, Little Lize. It seems that Master wasn't wrong about you. But… why must you worry that much?”

”Eh?” Lize lifted her head abruptly and stared with widened eyes as though she couldn't believe what she had just heard from the Fire Elemental Lord… ”M-Miss Gillian, how can you say something so irresponsible? If I don't consider the risks, everyone might get into trouble due to my negligence. What would I do if that happened?!”

Gillian was unfazed by Lize's somewhat agitated behavior. Instead, she casually swayed her tail and stood to her feet, looking right into Lize's eyes. Lize felt an indescribable pressure that forced her to close her mouth and her breathing hastened. However, she continued to lift her head stubbornly. At this moment, Gillian broke the silence. ”I don't know if everyone will fail due to your negligence, but I'm sure that if you continue to have this mindset, you're bound to fail.”

”Eh?” Lize looked blankly.

”I've been waiting for you to wake up to reality, but you're still harboring such thoughts. This makes me disappointed, Little Lize… This isn't only about you, but you also made me lose my bet. It seems that Master was right. It is too hard for you to realize this problem yourself. Sometimes, you just don't seem to get what you want…”

”Mr. Rhode?”

”Yes. Actually, before he left, he has specially told me to guide you along when you're out of ideas. But I didn't abide by his instructions because I believed that you're more than capable. However, now it seems that Master understands you more than I do. I didn't expect that you would be troubled for so long without realizing the solution in front of you.”

”Miss Gillian!” Lize stood to her feet and yelled. ”Why didn't you…”

”Why didn't I tell you earlier? You can't blame me, okay? I thought you'd be able to realize it since it's such a simple matter. Master seems to be confident in you so I didn't say anything. But instead, you failed my expectations and I'm very disappointed!”

”Urgh…” Lize was speechless to the fox-eared young lady's forceful grumbles. Aren't I supposed to be the one angry here…? Why does it seem like Miss Gillian is more furious than I am? What exactly is going on?

”Alright, enough jokes. Let's talk about serious matters,” Gillian chuckle and clapped upon seeing Lize's awkward expression. ”Little Lize, you said that you're not sure if everyone will succeed due to your negligence… right?”

”Yes…”

Lize nodded slightly. This was what she was most troubled about. Before Rhode had left, he assigned Lize with the commanding role and it had given her tremendous pressure. Although Lize didn't make too many changes to the mercenaries' movements after Rhode left, she couldn't help but worry about the Fortress every day. She was worried that Joey and Randolf's groups might be ambushed and the Reformist Party might launch their attacks on the Fortress. Initially, she wasn't worried about these situations, but now that she had become Rhode's representative, she was expected to possess such awareness. Wasn't that… right?

”That's all wrong, Little Lize,” Gillian's words pointed out her hesitance bluntly. ”We're living beings who have thoughts and not puppets who will only move under one's manipulation. Little Lize, you're only neglecting their values whenever you're thinking about this. That's right, you hope for a perfect plan so everything can run smoothly without any loopholes. But this only exists in your ideal and reality is never perfect. You're alone and it's only right and nothing wrong that you neglect something. Even when you've overlooked something, we're here to help you. You just have to accomplish what you can do and we will fill in the gaps for the other areas. Or maybe, you never believed the companions that have fought with you?”

”I…” Lize was at a loss for words.