Struggling as a Villain

[Six months later]

The preparations for war were in full swing.

At first, sorting through thousands of troops had been a daunting task, but Bellarine managed to pick out the most capable fighters and organize them into proper units.

The forces of Crimson Claw and Crimson Clan were spread across the region, along with the division from the Asian Alliance that Richard had brought under his command. From such a massive pool of soldiers, it was no easy task to select those who were truly fit for the first wave of battle.

As Richard had insisted, they wouldn't take weak soldiers just to be thrown away as cannon fodder. He valued quality over quantity, and as his mother, Bellarine took it upon herself to ensure only the best warriors would support her son.

For the past four months, Bellarine, Cristina, Lilia, Richard, and Bella had been training the new recruits. Commanders from various backgrounds were also brought in, their leadership skills put to use as captains of the newly formed units.

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Lena, despite being a brilliant commander in the past, was not among the instructors. Instead, she was learning. The reason? Her lack of knowledge about mana.

Many of these soldiers had always relied on chanting spells without truly understanding the essence of Aembr. They knew nothing of the four fundamentals or how to shape Aembr into a weapon of its own. To correct this, they were being taught by those who had already mastered the art of Aembr manipulation.

....

"It is just a waste of time for you to force it. Amber isn't your slave but your friend." Richard voiced as he saw Rena struggling to keep the steel orb floating.

Rena has one of the most huge mana reserves. She was a powerhouse, with a lot of mana in store. However, magic without knowledge of how to use it is useless.

Richard had been paying attention to her growth quite sternly, giving her extra lessons and even giving her homework to do.

The current task in hand for her was to master telekinesis.

Bellarine has long declared that it was impossible to teach everyone the four fundamentals in just a single year. That's why only those with great potential and who are ready to completely forge themselves into training should be taught.

*Dhak*

Rena dropped the orb on the ground, her hands trembling as she looked at Richard with a pained look and complained, "I am not forcing it...just relaying my commands. You said it's easy to spread the threads, but I can't."

It was not new for someone to complain about not being able to send the mental thread toward the object they wanted to influence.@@novelbin@@

Richard has faced several students who couldn't do it, even after several attempts.

However, Lilia explained to him that unlike Richard who got a good grasp of his magic from the get-go, these people have set a different mindset towards magic.

When Richard learned about mana, he was, at that time, new to magic(he transmigrated around that time), which is why he was easily able to grasp how Aembr works.

However, it was different with these people.

"Alright, let's change the method," Richard said as he walked up to the arrow launcher and pressed the button.

"Richard?!" Rena's eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing?!"

Richard didn't answer. He sprinted away from the machine, reaching the other side of the training ground, then turned back, standing firm with his hands behind his back. He nodded toward the heavy armor lying nearby. "Use that to protect me. And when I say 'use,' I mean lift it with telekinesis."

Rena's heart pounded. "This is insane! This thing could—"

BZZZT!

The machine's light turned green.

Her breath caught in her throat. The long arrow shot forward with a deafening WHOOSH, slicing through the air like a bolt of death. The steel tip gleamed under the light, aimed straight at Richard's unmoving figure.

He didn't flinch. Didn't blink. He just stood there, waiting.

Rena's eyes darted between the speeding arrow and the armor. Her fingers trembled as she raised her hand. Her Aembr flared to life, reaching for the shield—

But was she fast enough?

The arrow was seconds away. Too close. Too fast.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

Move! Move! Move!

With a sharp gasp, she unleashed her power, yanking the shield into the air—praying she wasn't too late.

Richard stood still, eyes locked on the arrow streaking toward him. The sharp tip gleamed under the light, aimed directly at his head.

Time seemed to slow. The deadly projectile closed the distance—three feet, two, one—

TING!

A blur shot past his vision. The shield slammed into the arrow, knocking it off course. The force sent the shield spinning wildly before it crashed into the wall with a heavy THUD, embedding deep into the stone.

Silence followed.

Richard blinked, feeling the faint rush of air where the arrow had nearly pierced his skull. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze toward Rena.

She stood there, breathing heavily with her hand raised, "You did-" Richard didn't get to praise her as Rena crossed the distance in a blink and held his collar before pulling him for a kiss.

Their lips crashed roughly, the girl taking the opportunity to bite his lip.

Richard didn't move away rather, he held her waist and allowed the girl to quell her anger

Their fiery kiss continued for a few more seconds before Rena parted her lips and glared at him, "Don't ever do that again. All this training I am doing is to keep you safe, and you are risking yourself even during the training? I can't tolerate that."

Richard grinned. Tucking the hair strands behind her ear, he whispered, "Then improve your skills, or you won't be able to protect me when I need you the most."

That response shook her down to the core.

Richard didn't want to put pressure on her, but she should be aware of what was at stake. And if his security affects her the most, then so be it.

Rena took a deep breath, before she muttered, "By the next week, I promise to master Telekinesis anyhow."

Richard smiled at the girl, "If you do that, I will give you a reward which you would definitely like."

°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.