Chapter425 – The Mountain Army Order

Axel had suspected that Lamar might be capable of perceiving his thoughts.

So the moment the conversation turned suspicious, he had quietly activated the Aquarius Gesture. That was why he could lie so calmly in front of Lamar.

Did this kid really find nothing? Lamar frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing through his mind.

Everything Axel said sounded completely logical. Too logical. And somehow… that made it feel slightly unsettling.

Still, without concrete proof, Lamar couldn’t simply keep pressing. He nodded slowly. “I see.”

“Then perhaps there truly was nothing.” He seemed about to say something more—

When suddenly his eyes flickered. At the same moment, Axel felt a surge of icy, overwhelming Force erupt from behind him.

“Lamar… do you truly think the Silverwyn family is so easy to ignore?” A hoarse voice filled with suppressed fury echoed through the room.

“Zoltan?” Axel turned slightly, surprised. The surprise came from two places. First—Lamar himself was currently the strongest and highest-ranking officer in the entire military. He had still come looking for trouble.

Second— Zoltan had arrived far too quickly. Axel and Lamar had barely exchanged a few sentences before the old man appeared.

Why? Was he afraid Axel might expose the truth about Zachariah? Before Axel could think further, Lamar casually waved his hand.

The closed office doors swung open. At the top of the staircase outside stood the guard who had blocked Zelda earlier.

His uniform was torn to shreds, revealing countless brutal scars across his body. He knelt on one knee, refusing to retreat even a single step. Standing before him was Zoltan.

The old man didn’t even glance at the guard. The moment the door opened, he extended a withered hand straight toward Axel.

Danger. The instant Axel saw that motion, a bone-deep sense of danger exploded inside him. The next moment—

A terrifying suction force erupted from Zoltan’s palm, as if an invisible vortex had formed in the air. Axel’s body jerked violently as the force tried to rip him from his seat and drag him forward.

Aquarius Gesture.

Axel instantly activated the hand seal. The chaotic Force within his body stabilized into an extraordinarily balanced state.

In that instant, he felt as immovable as the Buddha statue itself. Solid. Unshakable.

“What?!” A fierce flash of shock crossed Zoltan’s eyes. His fingers curled again into a hook, preparing to drag Axel forward a second time—

“Sir… that’s going too far.” Lamar finally raised his hand.

The terrifying fluctuations of Force vanished instantly, as though the air itself had been cut apart. Zoltan’s pupils shrank sharply. But Lamar spoke before he could react.

“If we start using Awakened Techniques here,” Lamar said with a faint smile, “neither of us will come out looking very good.”

Though he spoke lightly, the atmosphere across the entire floor froze solid.

Axel felt goosebumps crawl up his spine. So this… is the power of the Divine Might Realm.

Level Seven. To reach this level through nothing more than aura and Force control was already terrifying. Breaking into that realm clearly required the perfect fusion of Force, spirit, and physical body.

“Very good… very good…” Zoltan slowly withdrew his power. His hoarse voice rasped like dry leaves. “You are stronger than the rumors say. Very good.”

Lamar smiled calmly. “And your condition appears much better than the rumors suggested as well.”

“You shouldn’t still be ‘holding the rear lines,’ should you?”

Axel immediately caught the hidden meaning behind Lamar’s words. Originally, Zoltan had supposedly remained behind due to poor health while General Jerome led the expedition.

But now it seemed obvious—The old man had deliberately concealed his strength. Avoiding the campaign on purpose.

“Some matters,” Zoltan said coldly, “are beyond the understanding of a brat like you.” He fixed his gaze on Lamar. “So tell me.”

“Are you truly planning to protect someone the Silverwyn family wants?”

“Protect?” Lamar shook his head slowly. “I merely had a few questions for Axel.”

“And besides…” His tone sharpened slightly. “There are no ‘Silverwyn people’ here. There are only soldiers of my military.”

“Your military?” Zoltan burst into a humorless laugh. “You think you have more right to represent the army than the Silverwyn family?” As he spoke—

Lamar slowly stood up. A metal token appeared in his hand. It was engraved with the image of a steel knife crossed with a rifle.

Axel glanced at it. Immediately, a suffocating weight pressed down on his chest. For a brief moment—

He could almost smell blood and gunpowder in the air.

“The Mountain Army Order?!” Zoltan’s pupils shrank sharply. “So Jerome actually handed it over to you…”

“Indeed.” Lamar’s faint smile returned for a moment. “I didn’t expect you to recognize it so quickly, sir.” Then the smile faded. “With the Mountain Army Order in my possession, I am the acting commander-in-chief of the military.”

“In all matters concerning the army… I have the authority to act independently.” Lamar’s tone was calm, but the message was unmistakable.

Zoltan’s brows twisted with anger, though a flicker of caution remained in his eyes. “Very good. Very good, Jerome,” he muttered darkly. “He’s got some nerve.”

Axel, standing nearby, felt a sudden realization strike him. This thing isn’t just symbolic… It might be something like the Star Guide—a powerful Original Instrument disguised as an insignia of authority.

Zoltan’s voice hardened. “Jerome transferred military authority without any formal announcement. No council meeting. No public decree.”

“Such a hasty decision… does he think the Krythos military belongs only to the two of you?”

Lamar didn’t even blink. “General Jerome has already consulted privately with the Head of State. This is an emergency measure for an extraordinary period.”

“It requires no public announcement. Nor consultation with other departments.” His eyes rested calmly on the old man. “As an elder of the Silverwyn family… you should already understand that.”

Zoltan stared at him for several long seconds. Finally he laughed bitterly. “Fine.”

“You’re ruthless… and Jerome is even more ruthless.” But his gaze turned cold again. “Even with the Mountain Army Order, there are things you cannot suppress by sheer authority.”

“For example…” His eyes slid toward Axel. “This sinner who nearly destroyed Krythos.”

Without waiting for a response, Zoltan flicked his sleeve and turned away. His figure drifted down the staircase like a shadow. The moment he stepped outside the courtyard—

Two ghostlike figures appeared beside him. They were the same two old men who had stood beside him on the city wall during the battle.

“Well?” one of them asked quietly. “Even with the three of us together… we still wouldn’t stand a chance?”

Zoltan shook his head. “Against Lamar alone… we might have had a slight chance.”

“But with the Mountain Army Order involved… There’s absolutely no possibility of winning.”

The two elders’ expressions darkened instantly. “Has Jerome lost his mind?” one whispered. “He dared to leave for that place without the Order?”

“Perhaps…” Zoltan murmured thoughtfully. “He and Lamar have gone further than we imagined.”

“Then what should we do?” the other elder asked anxiously. “That kid is in Lamar’s hands. If he reveals that secret—”

“It’s fine.” Zoltan sneered. “Lamar hasn’t gotten anything out of him yet.”

“As long as we push for a joint military trial of Axel immediately… We’ll be able to take him into custody ourselves.” He narrowed his eyes. “Lamar may not be able to get anything out of him.”

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t. And once we do…” He chuckled darkly. “Forget Lamar. Even if Jerome returns… we’ll still be able to challenge him.”

Back upstairs, the guard was still kneeling. “I failed to complete your mission,” he said hoarsely. “Incompetent,” he added quietly, awaiting punishment.

Axel twitched his lips slightly. The man looked battered—his clothes torn, scars exposed—but Axel could tell he hadn’t suffered any real injuries.

“It’s fine.” Lamar had already put away the Mountain Army Order. His expression returned to its usual mild and approachable calm. “Mr. Zoltan isn’t someone you can stop.”