Chapter 82: caught red-handed

Night had settled deeply over the place bringing a cool breeze.The smooth hum of Smith’s wheelchair was the only sound breaking the evening calm as Astra pushed him forward at a steady pace. Walking alongside them was Jacob,he was to the left of Smith while Diana was walking a few paces back,the others to be ahead as a sign of distinct status difference and although Smith had told her to not act that way but at that time she had refused to walk along side him because, first it was a show of disrespect and second she was already trained this way so it was almost an instinctive reaction so she could not change for the short time and Smith hearing the explanation didn’t force it and let it be

​As they moved further away from the building. figures Dressed in black suits and dark glasses despite the late hour appeared, Smith’s personal bodyguards fell into formation efficiency, locking into a tight inner security circle. Simultaneously,the armed personnel fanned out across the outer perimeter.

​Smith looked at the double-layered security sphere, feeling a familiar wave of bewilderment wash over him. He couldn’t help but wonder when these men ever actually slept. Whether stationed at back at his villa, traveling in the armored escort convoys when going from one place to another, or patrolling open grounds at night, they operated at absolute peak readiness all the time like androids who never gets tried. He vividly recalled one day when he woke up at three in the morning where he got a sudden bathroom emergency and went into the washroom but after finishing his business he wanted a little fresh air a had looked down from his balcony, he was surprised to see his personal guards standing at full attention, just as alert as they were at noon. He had even arranged the quarters in the first level of the villa for them back at the residence, yet he had never caught a single guard resting or off-duty.

​Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Smith leaned back and glanced up at Jacob. "Hey, Jacob... I’ve been meaning to ask you. Do these people ever actually rest? I’ve never seen a single one of them in a bed, even with dedicated rooms prepared for them."

​Jocko chuckled softly, shaking his head with a knowing smile. "It’s natural to be puzzled, miss smith,your already know that your personal bodyguards are Master rank players right?"

Smith nodded in affirmation,he was told that his personal guards are Master Rank players by young master Peter after the first contact and him also could sense the immense power in them even if the try to suppress it.

"When a player crosses the threshold from Expert to Master rank, they undergo a major biological evolution that fundamentally alters their physical limitations. One of the very first mortal constraints cast off during that ascension is physical fatigue."

​Jacob gestured slightly toward the suited men surrounding them. "A Master rank player can remain fully awake, focused, and combat-ready for an entire week without taking a single second of sleep. When they finally reach their limit, four to six hours is more than enough to fully restore their energy. More importantly, while on active duty, they perform micro-sleeping—entering brief, one-hour recovery bursts while standing upright while others keep watch. In short, they do rest; it is simply executed so that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice."

​he then glanced toward the ones guarding the outer perimeter. "As for the ordinary armed personnel, the explanation comes down to strict, invisible shift management. The sentries you see protecting you today might not be the same men you saw two days ago, even if their uniforms and postures are identical. We rotate them on a strict twenty-four-hour daily schedule."

​He held up two fingers to emphasize his point. "Each shift lasts twenty-four hours of active duty, after which they return to the secondary compound to rest while a fresh unit takes over. These handovers are executed in an overlapping sequence—the outgoing shift cannot vacate their posts until the incoming shift has fully established position. To anyone watching from the outside, it creates the seamless illusion of an eternal guard that never sleeps."

​Smith sat dumbfounded as the mystery dissolved into a realization of pure strict discipline and evolutionary mechanics. Still, experiencing protection fit for supreme commanders of the Old Era left him feeling slightly uncomfortable. Yet, he quickly suppressed those feelings. He knew this world was far too dangerous and unpredictable for complacency.

​The group soon arrived at the residential building where his aunt, Sarafina, was currently staying. Uniformed guards stationed outside recognized Smith and saluted crisply, stepping aside to grant them entry. Reaching the entrance door of the building, Smith signaled for quiet, assuming his aunt was already asleep. Astra pushed the wheelchair smoothly forward as Smith gently turned the handle, unlocking the heavy door without making a sound.

​They entered into the well lit interior, but as Smith and the others maneuvered into the main living room, they froze in surprise. Aunt Sarafina was not asleep in her quarters. She was sitting comfortably on the sofa—and sitting directly beside her was none other than Elder Caesar.

​Hearing the door open, Sarafina turned toward the entrance, a warm, radiant smile lighting up her face. "Hello, Smith! Welcome back. Caesar informed me of your expected arrival time earlier, and I’m so glad you made it back safely."

​While Caesar stopping by to update her about the arrival of Smith was reasonable enough, what left Smith—and everyone standing behind him—utterly caught off guard was a striking physical detail: Sarafina and Elder Caesar were holding hands.

​They sat side by side on the couch, their fingers comfortably intertwined, completely at ease in each other’s presence. Sarafina displayed not an ounce of shyness or embarrassment; her calm demeanor signaled beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had officially accepted Elder Caesar’s romantic pursuit.

​It was no secret that Caesar had been pursuing his aunt for quite some time, but Smith had assumed it would take months for her cautious heart to open up. Yet, in just the brief period Smith had been away handling the matter of clearing the slaughterhouse which was a least a week, their relationship had progressed to the point where they were openly displaying such affection.

​A wave of deep, heartfelt joy washed over Smith. For as long as he could remember,since that incident of the of his parent passing away in the accident, Aunt Sarafina had been completely alone, devoting her entire life to protecting and caring for him during his weakest years while enduring quiet isolation and hardships. Seeing her now, smiling brightly and chatting comfortably with someone she could truly lean on, brought a profound sense of relief to Smith’s heart.

​After a few seconds of quiet observation, Smith broke the silence with a gentle smile. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. And... it seems things are moving along quite smoothly between the two of you. I have to offer my sincere congratulations on your progress!"

​Sarafina blinked, her eyes dropping down to her hand resting firmly within Caesar’s palm. Though a faint blush touched her cheeks, she made no move to pull away. She laughed gently, shaking her head. "You rascal! Caesar told me you’d be coming back exhausted , so we were actually planning to share the news tomorrow over breakfast. But since you’ve caught us red-handed... Caesar and I are still in the stage of getting to know each other properly, so don’t go jumping to wild conclusions just yet."

​Smith smiled warmly. "Aunt, you don’t need to explain or justify anything to me. You have every right to pursue your own happiness and live your life to the fullest. Whatever choices you make, you have my complete support."

​Smith then turned his attention entirely toward Elder Caesar—and it took every ounce of his self-control not to burst out laughing.

​Where was the boisterous, fierce, and utterly dominating Elder Caesar who had commanded the auction room with an iron fist just an hour ago? Right now, the formidable elder was sitting stiffly on the sofa, sweating profusely and nervously tugging at his suit collar under Smith’s gaze. He looked like a nervous suitor meeting his girlfriend’s strict father for the first time, anxiously awaiting approval.

​Behind Smith’s wheelchair, Jacob had to raise a hand to his mouth to suppress a snort of laughter.

​he marveled at how strangely karma worked. Just an hour ago at the auction, Elder Caesar had placed him in an extraordinarily difficult, high-pressure situation. Now, the tables had turned completely, leaving the mighty Caesar sweating in the hot seat, nervously awaiting Smith’s judgment.

​A sly, mischievous grin spread across his face. He decided right then that he wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. It was time to make the legendary Elder Caesar squirm a little longer and enjoy some well-deserved personal payback.