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"Incredible!" the young woman interrupted, hanging on his every word(?). "And is it true that you can control all the elements?"

"Well, only..."

"Fascinating! Could you sign my spear later?"

Kriz, observing the scene with amusement, leaned towards Brok. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he whispered, "Looks like our dear leader has a fan."

Brok nodded solemnly, his massive frame casting a shadow over Kriz. "Yes, we should warn him about the dangers of fame. Soon he\'ll have dozens following him all over the city."

"Oh, oh," Kriz feigned concern, dramatically placing a hand on his forehead. "Imagine the gossip: \'Revolutionary leader caught in core scandal\'. The horror."

A lady in the line looked at them with disapproval, her lips pursed tightly. "You two should show more respect. Young Von Elio is doing a great job."

Kriz bowed in an exaggerated reverence, nearly touching his toes. "You\'re right, my esteemed lady. We are scoundrels. Would you forgive us if we give you extra cores?"

The lady narrowed her eyes. "Don\'t even think about it, young man. I want my cores fair and well counted."

♢♢♢♢

Meanwhile, Ren continued with his calculations, his brow furrowed in concentration. "If we consider the variations in transfer time between men and women, and adjust for the necessary breaks..."

Micah, passing by again, snatched the paper from Ren\'s hands. "Ren, my dear obsessive-compulsive friend, have you considered using all that brain power to, I don\'t know, enjoy the moment?"

Ren tried to recover his paper, his hands grasping at the air. "But the numbers..."

"The numbers will be there tomorrow," Micah insisted, holding the paper just out of Ren\'s reach. "Look around you. We\'re making history."

Indeed, the square was bustling with activity.

Citizens of all ages approached, their faces a mixture of anticipation and wonder. Each core transfer was received with expressions of amazement and gratitude, the air filled with gasps of awe and excited chatter.

At Zara\'s stand, a little girl tugged at her mother\'s skirt, her enormous eyes fixed on the salamander that had just appeared. The creature\'s skin shimmered with an otherworldly glow, captivating the child\'s attention.

"Mommy, mommy! Look, you have a frog!"

Zara knelt to be at the girl\'s eye level, her voice soft and patient. "It\'s not a frog, little one. For the frog, you need to be level 2. This is a salamander. It will be your mother\'s companion and protector."

The girl frowned, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. "But I wanted a frog."

Zara laughed softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, who knows. Maybe when you grow up, you can have one."

The girl\'s eyes lit up, hope replacing disappointment. "Really?"

"Everything is possible in this new world we\'re building," Zara replied, giving her a playful wink.

♢♢♢♢

As the day progressed, fatigue began to take its toll on the group. Kriz, ever the jokester, decided to liven things up.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced loudly, his voice carrying across the square, "welcome to the Great Core Distribution Show!"

He gestured dramatically to his left. "On your left, you\'ll see Ren \'The Calculator\' attempting to predict the future with numbers..."

Then to his right. "On your right, Brok \'The Gentle Giant\' distributing power and life advice..."

Finally, he pointed to the center. "And in the center, our beloved leader, Elio \'The Monster Tamer\' Von Elian, signing autographs and saving the world, all at the same time."

The crowd erupted in laughter, the atmosphere noticeably relaxing. The tension that had been building throughout the day seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Elio, although blushing, couldn\'t help but smile. He shook his head in mock exasperation. "Kriz, if you spend so much energy on jokes, how do you expect to finish your quota for today?"

Kriz made an exaggerated bow, his arms spread wide. "My dear leader, my jokes are the energy that keeps this team running. Without them, we would collapse under the weight of our own importance."

"Well, then you won\'t have a lunch break. Keep producing that energy!"

"What?!"

♢♢♢♢

The sun was sinking on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The long line of citizens of the day was beginning to dwindle, the excitement of the morning giving way to a contented exhaustion.

"According to my calculations," Ren began, his voice tinged with satisfaction, "we have distributed approximately 10.5 million cores today."

Brok whistled, impressed. His massive frame cast a long shadow in the fading light. "That\'s... a lot of power in the hands of the people."

"And we still have about 270 million more to distribute," added Micah.

Kriz, rubbing his sore neck, approached Elio with a mischievous smile. "Boss, have you considered labor laws in your new regime? Because this is starting to feel suspiciously like slave labor."

Elio raised an eyebrow, amused. "Slave labor? And here I thought you were here for the pleasure of my company."

"Oh, your company is a delight," Kriz replied with an exaggerated wink. "But even the most loyal slaves need something to fill their empty stomachs."

Elio let out a hearty laugh, shaking his head. "Relax, Kriz. I didn\'t just help you get to level 3 so you could get more daily mana... I wasn\'t planning on making you work for free either. I\'m going to give each of you 1000 mana points daily."

Kriz\'s eyes widened in disbelief. "A thousand points? Is this a fatigue-induced hallucination?"

"It\'s real," Elio confirmed, his expression turning serious. "And there will be more. I can\'t say exactly how much because I still don\'t know how much we\'ll need for the reforms, but I want you to know that I value your effort and loyalty."

Brok, who had approached upon overhearing the conversation, gave Elio a pat on the back that, to his dismay, didn\'t move him an inch. "I knew you wouldn\'t let us down, boss. Although, if you really want to make it up to us, you could also consider giving us a day off."

"Don\'t push your luck," Elio joked, though his eyes sparkled with affection for his friends.

♢♢♢♢

Meanwhile, Zara finished attending to the last citizen in her line. With a sigh of relief, she closed her book and looked towards where Elio was standing.

Elio, exhausted yet satisfied, was getting ready to attend to the last few citizens in the core distribution line. Ember, his loyal salamander, rested on his shoulder, her eyes alert to every movement her master made.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him smiling and joking with the others, his face lit up with warmth and camaraderie.

Gathering all her courage, she decided it was the perfect moment to talk to him. The events of the past few days had brought them closer, and Zara felt a growing warmth in her chest whenever she looked at Elio.

Maybe, just maybe, it was time to explore those feelings.

However, as she approached, she noticed that Elio still had a small line of people waiting.

Not wanting to interrupt, Zara sat on a nearby bench, determined to talk to Elio once he was done. Her salamander, which she had named Flare, curled affectionately around her neck, emitting a gentle, comforting warmth.

She watched Elio interact with the citizens, admiring the way he treated each person with genuine interest and respect.

It was then that she saw them.

Four stunningly beautiful young women were approaching Elio\'s line. Their movements were graceful, almost feline, and their eyes shone with cunning and seduction. Zara felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, a sudden wave of jealousy washing over her.

The newcomers placed themselves at the end of the line, but their presence was impossible to ignore. They whispered among themselves, casting coquettish glances in Elio\'s direction.

Zara could feel her heart sinking with each passing moment.

When it was finally their turn, Elio seemed momentarily stunned. The first of them, a redhead with piercing green eyes, leaned in more than necessary as she extended her book. Her hand brushed against Elio\'s as she handed it over.

"Oh, great Von Elio," she purred, her voice dripping like honey, "it\'s an honor to be in your presence. You\'ve saved our city."