Chapter 392 352: The Leader's Path

Nelom spat a glob of bloody saliva onto the ground. He sneered, "I don't care what you've been through, rookie. I'm not your mother, and I don't want to hear your sob story."

Although he still talked tough, Nelom's voice clearly betrayed his inner thoughts.

Though still aggressive, it had lost its former vigor, sounding a little... uncertain.

Lies don't hurt. The truth is a swift blade.

Nelom had thought he had everything under control, planning to use Governor Claudius to overthrow the existing order in the Administrative Region. Then he would kill Claudius, completing a second revolution to achieve his goals.

But as Reinhardt had asked him: after all that, what then?

As the heat of his anger faded, he realized he had been far too naive. The power vacuum created by killing Sedon and Reinhardt would only bring greater chaos in this war-torn era, dragging everyone into a bottomless abyss.

Most importantly, his strength was nowhere near enough to carry out such a plan.

Forget killing Grand Governor Sedon; even Reinhardt was an insurmountable mountain standing in his way.

Reinhardt said coldly, "I'm not sparing you out of pity, nor because I admire you as a person, Nelom. But for the future of the Administrative Region, I must unite all forces that can be united.

You are a pure soldier, but you're like an unsheathed blade, dangerously exposed.

And a weapon's value lies only in its wielder—whether it becomes a butcher's blade sowing chaos, or a sharp sword that upholds ideals and fights for glory."

Urus, who had just killed Franz, witnessed the entire exchange between Reinhardt and Nelom.

In the silent corridor.

He stood over Franz's corpse and turned to look at Reinhardt.

In the flickering firelight, Nelom's injuries had long since healed during their conversation. Yet he remained sitting in the pool of blood, making no move to rise or resist.

As the dust settled, Urus heard Reinhardt's words and, for the first time, directly sensed the Great Tutor of Vengeful's breadth of mind and vision—qualities far beyond that of any ordinary Imperial Knight.

It reminded him of the former leader of the Silencers, his Battle Group Commander...

'If I were in the Great Tutor of Vengeful's position, I would have killed this foul-mouthed rebel the moment he uttered his first useless word.'

And now, he was beginning to understand why the Grand Governor had entrusted Reinhardt with a position as important as Great Tutor of Vengeful.

It wasn't as he and Koller had presumed—that the Grand Governor was simply propping up a military ally. Instead, the entire plan and the very structure of the Battle Group had been created for Reinhardt and him alone.

Just like the Battle Group's name: Vengeful Angels.

As this thought crossed his mind, Urus didn't even realize that his own gaze toward Reinhardt was subtly shifting from mere fearful respect and obedience to something more.

This shift from obedience to willing loyalty was something that could never be achieved through the pressure of raw power alone.

「At the same time.」

Koller, using his Spiritual Perception to monitor the entire situation, had also secretly witnessed the ideological clash between Reinhardt and Nelom.

Unlike Urus, who had always harbored a rebellious streak, the senior Think Tank's stance was clear. As the Great Tutor of Vengeful, handling rebels like this was simply one of the abilities Reinhardt was expected to possess.

In fact, throughout the entire conversation, Koller had been prepared to intervene the moment Reinhardt failed.

To him, if you served a Battle Group, you were loyal to that Battle Group and obeyed its regulations. It was that simple.

His arguments with Reinhardt were simply him fulfilling his duties as a Battle Group Commander: correcting the Great Tutor's errors and ensuring his safety.

As a shell from a ship's cannon slipped through the Avenger Flagship's defensive fire and struck the Zeka Defense Shield, a ripple of turbulent Energy spread rapidly across the vessel's exterior.

Koller's voice sounded in Urus's ear.

'I've found valuable intel in the memories of those two prisoners, Urus. Help the Great Tutor deal with that rebel, then both of you return to the bridge immediately.

The enemy fleet is moving on our position. We need to draw up the next battle plan ASAP.'

Upon hearing this, Urus flicked the brains and blood from his short blade and sheathed it. He moved like a gust of wind, appearing silently beside Reinhardt like a shadow, his murderous, threatening gaze fixed on Nelom.

His every move seemed to say: If you don't make a choice now, I'll make it for you.

Finally, Nelom, who had been locked in a stare with Reinhardt, silently broke away and met Urus's glower with an equally threatening one of his own.

It was as if to say that he was only talking with Reinhardt not because he was chatty or had a sudden change of heart, but simply because he couldn't win the fight.

'And who are you to threaten me, you Child of the Night Demon?'

Though not a word was spoken between them, the animosity in their glares was practically explosive.

Reinhardt saw the rebel fleet in the distance; he had no more time to waste on Nelom. The chain on his right wrist retracted with a loud CLANG of metal, pulling the Black War Axe back into his grasp.

"Your answer, Nelom?"

Confronted by Reinhardt's Knight Power, Nelom paused for a moment before answering.

"Why should I believe you'll fight for glory, and not just be another greedy fool like Claudius and his kind?"

Hearing his reply, Reinhardt slung the War Axe over his back and extended his right hand, saying coldly, "If this all turns out to be a lie, then when that day comes, you have the right to challenge me to a Knight's Duel.

In the name of the Knight's Oath.

Until one of us is dead."

Nelom hesitated, his right hand rising slightly before falling again.

Finally, he gripped Reinhardt's hand and pulled himself up. He stared silently into Reinhardt's eyes and said, "If that day comes, I'll kill you with my own two hands."

Urus shot a wary glance at Nelom, then leaned in and whispered to Reinhardt, "Koller needs us on the bridge immediately. He found valuable intelligence in the traitors' memories."

As he spoke, his cruel gaze flickered down the corridor toward the four Official Knights, who stood completely dumbfounded, frozen on the spot.

They never would have dreamed that the key player in this assassination, the Ash-Burning Tyrant Nelom, not only harbored the treasonous intent to kill Governor Claudius but had also been swayed to defect to the enemy after just a few words.

Hearing Urus's report, Reinhardt looked to Nelom.

The Ash-Burning Tyrant snorted, raised his right hand, and unleashed the terrifying power of the Earth Ring·Burning Ash Sea!

Enveloped by the scorching cinders, the four Six-star Military Rank Official Knights couldn't even mount a defense. They collapsed instantly, letting out blood-curdling screams.

"Nelom—! You traitor! AAAAAH..."