"Captain Michael, Sir, the Commander has asked for you!" a soldier announced, saluting sharply. His heart pounded like a drum, a mix of reverence and joy beaming from his face. Seeing the legendary God of War, his undeniable role model, in such close proximity, the young man felt a giddy excitement, as if he might have been utterly smitten were he a woman.
Michael turned, a knowing, subtle smile gracing his lips. "You may leave now," he replied, his voice calm yet authoritative.
"Yes, Sir," the soldier responded, saluting once more before departing the room. Michael turned back to his contemplation, smoothly withdrawing the moon-shaped necklace and tucking it into his breast pocket.
Moments later, Michael entered the Commander's tent. "You sent for me, Sir?" he inquired, his tone respectful yet devoid of the deference others displayed. He was, indeed, the only man exempted by the Commander from saluting in the absence of others, and the Commander's formidable aura seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.
"Yes, I did. You have a mission to complete for me," the Commander stated. "I want you and your team to set out and relieve me of some... bugs. I trust you'll report back before nightfall."
"May I know my mission?" Michael asked, his gaze steady.
"Here is a brief report of the mission," the Commander said, handing over a file. Michael accepted it, his eyes quickly scanning the contents as the Commander continued.
"At the middle North border, there has been an uprising that has caught the attention of the President. For the past two and a half months, groups of terrorists have been launching attacks in that area. We've sent soldiers more than once to investigate and resolve the situation, but I keep getting no good results. So now, I'd like you to go and see to it personally."
As the Commander finished speaking, Michael turned and exited the tent without another word. The Commander stared at his retreating back, a faint smile playing on his lips as he murmured to himself, "Always confident and aloof."
Emerging from the Commander's tent, Michael was met by the collective gazes of many soldiers. Previously, while he was inside, his right-hand man, Edward, had already prepared the troops, awaiting Michael's next command. The soldiers stood in neat queues, expecting a rousing speech, a morale-boosting address like those given by other captains. To their surprise, Michael simply stated, "We move out!" And that was all. Just as expected, murmurs rippled through the ranks.
Lisa, a strikingly gorgeous female soldier who had recently been recruited, nudged her friend Bella, a playful tease in her voice. "You see your so-called idol? Sometimes I wonder why he doesn't talk much. Is he trying to act mysterious, or does he think he'll lose his tongue and his life if he says more than a few words? I've never seen a captain like this—even boosting morale or motivating his soldiers seems to be an issue for him. I heard he's arrogant and full of himself. You know, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have joined his camp as a soldier at all."
Just when Lisa expected her friend to agree and echo her sentiments, Bella merely smiled to herself with a clear sense of pride. "This is what being a leader is," she asserted. "That eyebrow, full of unwavering firmness. Those eyes, radiating an insurmountable sense of confidence born from his own strength. He doesn't waste time talking nonsense or quoting things he's read from a book. Instead, his confidence, charisma, and firmness do the talking. At least he's not like Captain Philip, who would boast about never leaving the battlefield with one less soldier, only to be the first to flee at the slightest sign of defeat, ordering his deputy to take command and hold the line while he 'goes to get reinforcements' to 'avenge' them."
Lisa, looking at her friend with a bewildered expression, simply said, "You've completely lost it."
"Yes, I may have lost it," Bella countered, her smile widening, "but I can still reason better than you. Don't you see the imposing nature of the soldiers, even though he didn't utter a word to boost their morale? This is what his aura can do. His very presence is a massive boost already."
Lisa looked around, and despite her initial skepticism, she had to agree with Bella's point. The facts were laid bare before her. While the soldiers did make side comments, their murmurs weren't about Michael's brevity, but rather about how the fate of their enemies had surely been sealed because they knew, with absolute certainty, that blood was about to flow once again.