Reborn as an Extra with the SSS-Divine Debt System and my Past Skills

The settlement was busy, almost too busy. People marched in straight lines, weapons gleamed in the sun, and the constant sound of drills echoed like a heartbeat that refused to rest.

Verus trailed behind Berry, his eyes wandering over the strange order of the place. Everything looked efficient, but something about it felt unnatural. Too rigid. Too rehearsed.

"Man, these guys look like they're preparing for a war, not surviving a shortage. If they put half that effort into farming, maybe they wouldn't need us."

Berry muttered, stretching his arms lazily.

Verus chuckled nervously.

"Keep your voice down. Someone might hear—"

Before he could finish, loud shouts broke through the air. The kind of shouts that weren't part of drills.

"HEY! GET BACK! DON'T MOVE!"

The two of them froze, then exchanged a glance. The voices were familiar. Without a second thought, they rushed toward the source.

The noise led them to a wide training ground, where dozens of soldiers had their rifles aimed at a small figure in the center.

Mira.

She stood rigid, her arms out, her body angled in a desperate attempt to shield the two wolves crouched behind her. Their fur bristled, sharp teeth bared as they growled menacingly at the armed men surrounding them.

"Mira!"

Verus called out, alarm shooting through his voice.

Her head jerked in his direction, and despite the situation, she tried to flash a smile.

"It's fine! Nothing happened!"

"Nothing happened, my ass! What the hell's going on here?"

Berry snapped as he stormed forward.

One of the soldiers barked back, eyes narrowed, finger tight on the trigger.

"Stand down! Don't move closer. This girl is harboring dangerous beasts. Step aside, and let us do our job."

Mira flinched, pressing her back more firmly against her wolves.

"They're mine! They're not dangerous!"

"Not dangerous? Those things could rip a man's throat out in seconds! Step away, and we'll handle it!"

The soldier scoffed.

Berry's expression darkened, his usually laid-back demeanor vanishing in an instant.

"Handle it? Those are her familiars. It's her ability. You shoot them, you're basically shooting her. And believe me—"

His voice dropped low, almost growling.

"—you don't want to make that mistake."

But the soldiers weren't backing down. Their fingers twitched. The wolves growled louder, fur standing on end. The tension was seconds away from snapping.

And then, the ground trembled.

The soil beneath the soldiers' boots shifted suddenly, rippling like water. A handful of them yelped as they lost balance and crashed to the dirt. Guns clattered out of their hands.

"Pathetic."

The cold voice drifted across the field. Everyone's heads turned.

Luna.

She stepped out from the shadows like an executioner, her eyes icy, her presence suffocating. The soldiers froze instinctively, and the air itself felt heavier.

"You call yourselves soldiers, yet you shake before a child's beasts? If you want to intimidate us—"

Her lips curled into the faintest smirk.

"—get stronger first."

The men stiffened, their pride burning red-hot. One of them snarled through gritted teeth.

"You arrogant witch—FIRE!"

But just as their triggers were pulled, the ground convulsed again. The bullets went wide, ricocheting uselessly—

Until one soldier screamed.

A stray bullet had hit one of their own men.

The chaos was instant. Shouts erupted, men cursed, some trying to help their wounded comrade while others wildly aimed their guns, unsure who or what to shoot anymore.

The wolves snarled, Mira shouted at them to stay still, and Verus's heart hammered in his chest as the situation spiraled out of control.

And then a commanding voice cut through it all.

"ENOUGH!"

Every soldier froze. The weight of authority in that single word brought silence crashing down.

General Ryan had arrived.

And walking beside him—Lucian.

Ryan's gaze swept over the scene. Soldiers aiming at civilians, their formation broken, one of their own bleeding on the ground. His jaw tightened, and the disappointment etched on his face was sharp enough to cut.

"You disgrace me."

Ryan said coldly.

The soldiers flinched as if struck. Even the secretary, who had followed behind, visibly shrank back, his eyes darting nervously.

One by one, the men scrambled back into formation, their postures stiff, their expressions pale. The fear in their eyes was not of the beasts, nor of Luna's magic. It was of their general.

Lucian observed it all quietly, his eyes narrowing. That fear—raw, deep, conditioned—was not the respect of soldiers for their commander.

It was the fear of dogs who knew the lash of their master's whip.

Ryan's anger was plain for a heartbeat. Then, like a mask slipping back into place, his expression softened. He turned to Lucian with a forced smile.

"My men have made a mistake. For that, I apologize. Since they embarrassed me in front of our esteemed guest, I leave it to you, Mr. Lucian. You may punish them as you see fit."

Ryan said with a shrug.

Lucian tilted his head slightly.

"…Punish them?"

Ryan spread his hands as if offering a gift.

"Yes. Soldiers who fail should face consequences. Discipline is what makes them strong."

The secretary's lips parted, panic flickering across his face. He took a step forward, as though against his better judgment.

"Sir, the guards were only acting on orders—"

"Enough."

Ryan's tone snapped like a whip, silencing the man instantly.

But that slip—that single moment—was enough for Lucian.

His gaze shifted to the secretary. To the way every soldier's eyes subtly flicked toward him, even in this chaos. Desperate, pleading, trusting. The truth was clear as day.

These men did not look to their general for guidance. They looked to the secretary.

Lucian understood.

The replacement was standing right here in front of him.

His instincts whispered the truth he already knew: General Ryan was not the solution. He was the problem.

Lucian's lips curved faintly, almost imperceptibly.

It was decided.

General Ryan's reign in Lumious was over.

And Lucian would be the one to end it.

'Punishment is due, but not for these soldiers. Now let's see….what should I do first in order to cause trouble?'