Chapter 170: I don’t like your face

A warm smile broke across Adrian’s face.

"No need to be so nervous, my friends. We haven’t come here to pick a fight."

Neither Leo nor the members of the Freedom Convoy relaxed in the slightest.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh. His gaze shifted toward Nina, completely ignoring Leo, who stood like a shield in front of her. After a long moment, Adrian turned his attention to Valentine.

"Miss Valentine, we meet again. It’s always a pleasure seeing you." He placed a hand over his chest. "And thank you for saving my life during the battle."

Valentine snorted impatiently.

"Cut the bullshit. We both know you don’t mean any of that." She crossed her arms. "Just get to the point."

Adrian shook his head in mock helplessness. It looked like a confrontation was inevitable. Placing both hands behind his back, he twitched his fingers in a subtle gesture. The soldiers behind him caught the signal to remain alert.

Adrian looked back at Valentine.

"Very well, Miss Valentine. Since you insist on being direct, I’ll do the same." His friendly smile vanished. "You are currently in possession of something that belongs to the military."

"I have received orders to bring it back to headquarters."

Valentine’s lips curled into an amused smile.

"Oh? And what exactly is this thing?"

Adrian’s expression turned serious. He raised one hand and pointed a single finger at Nina.

"Her."

A chill settled over the camp.

"You know very well that she is military property."

Leo glanced over his shoulder at Nina. He had expected the military to come for her eventually, but Adrian’s blunt claim still caught him off guard. What shocked him more was Nina’s reaction. The girl who always acted brave and tough had drained of color. Her body trembled, and raw fear widened her eyes.

Valentine saw it too. Her expression darkened.

"She’s a human being, not a thing or a piece of property." She took a step forward. "Use your words carefully, Colonel, or face the consequences."

Adrian stood his ground.

"Call her whatever you want. My orders remain the same." He pointed at Nina once more. "I must take her back."

Valentine frowned. Before she could voice her anger, a cold ring of metal pressed against the back of Adrian’s skull.

His eyes darted to the side. Leo stood right behind him. The heavy barrel of the Rune Revolver rested firm against his forehead. No one had even seen Leo move.

When Adrian tried to turn his head, Leo dug the weapon deeper into his skin.

"I’d advise you not to move." His voice was dead calm. "You should already know what this gun is capable of."

Leo rested his finger lightly against the trigger.

"If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try."

Adrian’s eyes widened, his calm facade finally cracking. The surrounding soldiers reacted in shock, lifting their rifles and aiming them at Leo. Dozens of guns clicked into firing position.

Through it all, Leo stood completely unbothered.

Adrian took a breath and forced his composure back into place.

"Last time I checked, you weren’t one of them." He kept his tone steady. "Why are you risking becoming enemies with the military for their sake?"

Leo didn’t even hesitate.

"No particular reason." He kept the revolver fixed against Adrian. "I simply don’t like your face."

Adrian stared blankly ahead. For a moment, he wondered if he had misheard. What kind of answer is that? He had braced for negotiations, assuming Leo wanted some form of compensation. This answer made no sense at all.

Adrian exhaled a slow breath.

"This has nothing to do with you."

"I’m not going to harm the girl."

Leo shook his head.

"Then it’s simple." He glanced toward Nina. "Let’s ask her."

"If she wants to go with you, I won’t stop you."

"But if she doesn’t..." His gaze swept over the armed soldiers. "You’ll all leave this place."

Adrian’s jaw tightened.

Leo then looked at Nina.

"Do you want to go with them?"

Nina shook her head without hesitation. Her trembling hands balled into tight fists.

Leo turned his focus back to Adrian.

"There’s your answer."

Silence fell over Adrian. The soldiers exchanged uncertain looks. Breaking the tension, an officer stepped out of the formation.

"Do you realize what you’re doing?" He leveled his rifle at Leo. "You’re offending the entire military of this world!"

Leo gave him a sideways glance.

"Don’t care."

The officer’s face twitched in anger.

"You must have received help from them before, which is why you think you can interfere with us for their sake ." He motioned toward the convoy. "But do you even know who these people are?"

"Most of them are criminals who escaped from prison after the apocalypse began. There was no one left to manage the prisons, so they—"

"Even better." Leo offered a faint smile. "I’d rather associate with criminals than deal with two-faced officials like you."

The officer’s mouth fell open, stunned into silence. Unwilling to back down, he pointed an accusing finger at Grandpa Jiro.

"Do you know who that man is and what he has done?"

"He even—"

"Officer." Adrian’s voice sliced through the heavy air. His expression was ice-cold. "Watch your mouth."

The officer froze, ducking his head in submission.

"Yes, Colonel."

Adrian knew arguing with Leo was useless. The man refused to be reasonable, and the gun against his head made the situation far too dangerous. He needed a different approach.

He turned toward Nina.

"Nina, you know that you have defects, don’t you?" His tone softened. "The military can treat you."

"We can heal you and remove those defects from your body."

Nina’s expression wavered for a fraction of a second, but she still shook her head.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed.

By now, Leo had lost his patience.

"Colonel, you came here with this much fanfare." He eyed the heavy military vehicles nearby. "So you must have made preparations."

"You should have information about everyone’s abilities, which means you probably have countermeasures in place."

Leo’s gaze drifted across the armed ranks.

"But I’m certain you have no idea what kind of ability I possess." He leaned in close to Adrian’s ear. "The only person here who poses even a little threat to me is you."

His finger tightened a fraction on the trigger.

"Once I get rid of you, the others won’t be able to hold a candle to me."

Adrian’s pupils shrank. The moment he felt the genuine killing intent rolling off Leo, his expression changed entirely.

"Wait!" He raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Wait, wait!"