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Chapter 17 by Gatsha Gatsha

Who will Ralli reward? Someone? Anyone? Everyone?

Only Harvey.

Ralli walked up to Liam and glared down at his smug smile from the visor of her helmet. Then, before he could react, she grabbed his face again and shoved him down into the dirt. The young man screamed in pain again, clutching his neck, as Harley knelt to begin administering first aid magic with a sigh.

The sergeant put her boot on Liam's chest and glanced around at her scattered trainees, shouting in disgust. "Worthless, as usual. You maggots forsook your knight's honor for victory. Before me, I see total defeat. Do any of you believe you have equaled me? Do any of you believe you have earned a reward?"

All of them either remained on the ground or hung their heads... Except one, who responded almost immediately. Harvey Dustaine, collapsed on his butt on the ground and rubbing his sore legs, shouted to her. "... Respectfully, Ms. Ralli! I definitely do, ma'am!"

"You? Did you catch me?" Ralli asked, turning her head. "Yes. Harvey deserves a reward. He would actually have caught me, if he had not been talked into supporting Liam's mischief. However... I need to hear his conclusion myself."

"No, ma'am. But... c'mon!!" he shouted, rising to his legs gingerly and spreading his palms out in front of him, begging. "You saw how hard I was going at it! I woulda caught you easy if I wasn't luggin' around five guys and an equipment cart! You gotta tell me that wasn't for nothin', ma'am!!"

"... That was not the proud and noble answer I wanted to hear," Ralli admitted to herself, her scarred brow twitching behind the visor of her helmet. "Still, he is actually correct. If I deny Harvey here, I may never get a spirited performance like that from him again. It could crush his motivation. Also, it is a suitable lesson for the other trainees in the value of hard work... and, frankly, the value of superior physical condition. Some of these humans are still too scrawny to survive on the battlefield."

"Harvey... Today, you have earned my respect," Ralli's voice growled even as she did her best to congratulate him. She clapped her gauntlets slowly three times, the highest form of undisguised praise she had ever offered one of her students. "You have earned your request."

"H-hold on!" Liam shouted from the ground, clenching his teeth. "I'm the one who actually caught you, right?!"

The sergeant stomped on his chest, knocking the wind from him. "Heal that, Ms. Dustaine."

"Yes, ma'am..." Harley said, sounding a bit sheepish. "I can't believe Harvey gets a request from Ms. Ralli... Lucky guy."

"So, what will your request be?" Ralli asked her star pupil for the day, facing him squarely and crossing her arms as she tried to imagine what he would ask for. "Thinking is not Harvey's strength. Whatever he asks for, I expect something either short-sighted or ill-conceived. I hope... he does not foolishly ask for something I have no way of granting."

What will Harvey request?

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