Timeless Assassin - Chapter 1144 His Own Path
(Planet Drexel, Commander James’ Office, Mairon’s POV)
After leaving the underground prison earlier that day, Leo immediately headed toward the district where the ambush against Mairon’s patrol unit had originally taken place.
From there, the situation unraveled frighteningly quickly.
Using his aura perception and ability to discern truth from lies, Leo interrogated civilians one after another while calmly filtering through thousands of conflicting statements with terrifying efficiency.
Some people lied.
Some stayed silent.
Some genuinely knew nothing.
Yet eventually, small inconsistencies began revealing themselves naturally beneath Leo’s questioning, as fear and greed slowly started breaking apart the solidarity protecting the perpetrators.
And once money entered the equation, things became even easier.
Leo offered sums so absurdly large that even lifelong loyalty began crumbling under temptation, as commoners quietly started exposing hidden details regarding suspicious neighbors and disappearing family members.
One person led to another.
Another led to three more.
And within barely two hours, Leo already possessed a rough understanding of who had orchestrated the ambush and where they were likely hiding afterward.
After that point, the rest became simple.
Because with Leo’s perception abilities capable of sensing life signatures through walls and detecting emotional fluctuations from entire buildings away, hiding from him became almost impossible.
Doors were kicked open.
Safehouses were uncovered.
Hidden tunnels were discovered.
And one by one, every single perpetrator involved in the attack was dragged out into the open without a single innocent civilian being harmed in the process.
As exactly six hours later….
*CLANG*
Mairon’s prison chains were finally released before several guards escorted him directly toward Commander James’ office beneath heavy supervision.
At first, Mairon expected another interrogation.
Another lecture perhaps.
However, the moment he entered the office chambers, his expression shifted completely.
Because lined across the floor before him, kneeling with trembling bodies and horror filled expressions, were every single perpetrator responsible for the ambush.
*Sob*
*Sob*
Some cried quietly.
Some stared at Leo like they were looking at a monster.
Others could not even lift their heads anymore.
And standing above them all, was Leo.
His expression cold, his gaze lazy, as he looked down on Mairon with disappointed eyes.
“This…” Leo said slowly, as he pointed towards the criminals.
“This is what I expect from you as my son.”
The room remained deathly quiet afterward.
“This is where I want you to use your head in the future,” Leo continued, his tone calm yet carrying immense pressure behind every word spoken.
“These are the kinds of situations a leader must learn how to resolve properly.”
His eyes narrowed slightly afterward.
“Anyone can become a tyrant.”
“But not everyone can become a responsible ruler.”
Mairon remained completely silent while listening now.
“And if you cannot solve problems like this yourself…” Leo continued quietly.
“…then surround yourself with people capable of doing it for you.”
A faint trace of nostalgia surfaced in Leo’s eyes afterward.
“For me, that person was Chaosbringer.”
Mairon looked up slightly hearing that name.
“He possessed no special strength. He wasn’t even a Master tier fighter.
He had no special bloodline flowing through his veins….”
Leo exhaled softly afterward.
“And yet despite all that, he still possessed more wisdom than most powerful men I have met throughout my life.”
His gaze drifted briefly toward the kneeling prisoners afterward.
“I learned many things from him.”
“Things strength alone could never teach.”
Leo looked back toward Mairon again afterward.
“You need to find your own path through this universe someday…”
“And perhaps more importantly…”
“You need to find your own Chaosbringer.”
The atmosphere inside the office turned heavier after that.
“However,” Leo continued, his voice growing colder again.
“If today’s incident taught me anything, it is that you are fundamentally unfit for military command under the Cult’s current structure.”
Mairon’s eyes widened slightly afterward.
“For openly defying Commander James…”
“For attacking a superior officer…”
“And for refusing lawful military authority…”
Leo’s expression hardened completely.
“I hereby dismiss you from your rank as Lieutenant within the Cult Army effective immediately.”
Silence followed those words.
Heavy silence.
“If you wish to gather followers independently someday and form your own faction…”
Leo continued calmly.
“Then do it outside the formal military chain of command.”
His eyes sharpened afterward.
“Because as of today, you no longer possess the discipline required to serve beneath another Commander.”
“I will not allow you to poison the disciplined environment that Commanders like James have spent decades trying to build within the Cult Army…”
Leo declared, as he shook his head in anger.
“You are not the sort of person who will suddenly become obedient after one punishment or one lecture.”
A faint sigh escaped him afterward.
“And honestly… I do not even think forcing you into discipline would suit the kind of person you are becoming.”
Mairon remained silent while listening carefully now.
“So rather than keeping you shackled beneath a system you clearly reject…” Leo continued calmly.
“I am giving you freedom instead.”
The room grew quieter afterward.
“You are a free bird, Mairon. You may create your own unit and you may lead it however you see fit.”
His expression hardened slightly afterward.
“And if you truly wish to become a tyrant someday, then that choice will also belong entirely to you.”
The kneeling prisoners lowered their heads further hearing those words, while even Commander James’ expression shifted slightly at the direction this conversation was taking.
“However…” Leo added quietly.
“If today’s incident taught you anything at all…”
“Then I expect you to lead those men more responsibly than you handled this situation.”
His gaze drifted briefly toward the captured rebels kneeling across the room.
“The Cult Army cannot always operate in morally gray territories without consequences.”
“But smaller independent units?”
Leo narrowed his eyes slightly.
“They can go where formal militaries cannot.”
The implication behind those words slowly settled into the room.
“If the Cult someday requires individuals willing to carry out operations beyond the limits of conventional command structures…”
“…then I will call upon your unit.”
Mairon’s eyes sharpened slightly hearing that.
“And depending on how competently you perform…”
Leo continued.
“I may entrust you with planetary conquest.”
“Occupation management.”
“Or responsibilities even greater than those.”
His voice lowered afterward.
“Or perhaps I may entrust you with nothing at all.
Because from this point onward, your future will depend entirely on your own merits.”
Leo stepped closer afterward until he stood directly before Mairon once again.
“But regardless of what happens next… This was your final day serving beneath Commander James.”
Commander James silently exhaled hearing that declaration, though he did not interrupt.
“I cannot spend my entire life spoon-feeding you lessons every time your emotions spiral out of control,” Leo continued quietly.
“I am your father.”
“And that bond will never disappear.”
“Not while either of us still exists.”
For a brief moment, the sternness in Leo’s eyes softened slightly.
“I will always care about you.”
“But I cannot always protect you from yourself.”
The atmosphere inside the office turned heavier afterward.
“The kind of man you ultimately become… You must decide that yourself.”
Leo’s tone remained calm throughout, yet every word carried immense weight behind it now.
“But if you approach this universe with an open mind… If you learn to see what is truly right and truly wrong through your own experiences instead of blind hatred…”
“Then perhaps someday you will grow into someone worthy of leading others properly.”
Mairon lowered his gaze slightly afterward, clearly absorbing the seriousness behind Leo’s words now.
“Consider this your punishment,” Leo declared finally.
“Because from today onward, I formally withdraw my direct support from you entirely.”
Mairon’s eyes widened slightly at that.
“No funding, no military backing, no special treatment because you are my son.”
His expression remained completely firm afterward.
“If you want soldiers, recruit them yourself.”
“If you want transport ships, buy them yourself.”
“If you want logistics, infrastructure, weapons, salaries, or operational support…”
“You will build every piece of it from the ground up with your own hands.”
The pressure inside the room deepened further.
“You will lead those men into dangerous battles.”
“You will carry responsibility for every life beneath your command.”
“And you will either rise…”
“…or collapse under the weight of your own decisions.”
For several long seconds afterward, nobody inside the office spoke.
Then finally, Leo looked directly into Mairon’s eyes one last time.
“And only after you achieve something truly meaningful through your own efforts, will I finally let you integrate back into Cult’s Central Command.
Earning a title as a Commander, or a General.”
He declared, as he rubbed Mairon on the head once, before turning to leave, as he left the matter at that.
