Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1141: A Tough Call

(Planet Satoru, Leo’s POV)

After Planet Satoru had been fully stabilized following Yu Kiro’s disappearance, Leo finally brought his family out from the Time Stilled World and relocated them onto the planet.

He made that decision carefully, because although only a few weeks had passed for him outside, nearly four entire years had passed for his family within the sealed dimension.

The disparity was becoming too extreme.

Every single day Leo spent in the outside universe translated into nearly a hundred days within the Time Stilled World, which meant prolonged separation would only worsen over time.

It was why he no longer wished to delay their reunion any further, as upon his orders they were brought onto Satoru at once.

—-------

For the first time in a long while, the Skyshard family was finally together again beneath the same roof, as the atmosphere inside the residence remained unusually warm and peaceful.

Amanda especially seemed happier than she had been in recent memory, as watching her smile again after everything they had endured together made even Leo feel a sense of calm that battlefield victories could never truly provide.

However, unfortunately for him, that peace did not last very long.

*Knock* *Knock*

A soft knock echoed through the residence doors, as Leo slowly turned his gaze away from Amanda before letting out a faint sigh beneath his breath.

"Come in," Leo said calmly, though the interruption already irritated him slightly.

Shadow Number One entered shortly afterward, his posture respectful yet serious enough for Leo to immediately understand that this was not a casual visit.

"What is it?" Leo asked, his tone noticeably colder now.

"I hope you understand that I was in the middle of reuniting with my wife, and I don’t want to be bothered today....."

Shadow Number One lowered his head slightly.

"There are two developments, my Lord, both requiring your immediate attention," he replied carefully.

"The first is actually good news."

Leo raised an eyebrow slightly afterward.

"It seems Lord Dumpy has finally stabilized his body following the complications caused by his Demi God breakthrough nearly two years ago."

Shadow Number One continued speaking.

"He has successfully learned to control the corrosive aura leaking from his body and is now capable of safely traveling outside the sealed world again."

A faint smile almost appeared on Leo’s face hearing that report.

"Lord Dumpy is requesting permission to exit the Time Stilled World and travel personally to Planet Satoru so he may fight beneath your banner once more."

Leo nodded casually afterward before waving his hand dismissively, as though the matter itself did not require much discussion despite the relief he secretly felt internally.

"Approved," Leo replied simply.

"What’s the second issue?"

The moment he asked that question, Shadow Number One’s expression visibly stiffened slightly, immediately making Leo’s instincts sharpen.

"My Lord..." Shadow Number One began carefully.

"Commander Micky James contacted us personally earlier today regarding a serious incident involving your second born son."

Leo closed his eyes briefly afterward.

"What did Mairon do this time?" he asked flatly, already sounding exhausted before hearing the actual explanation.

Shadow Number One inhaled deeply before continuing.

"One of the soldiers under Mairon’s command was killed during an ambush carried out by local civilians on Planet Drexel."

"Following the incident, your son became increasingly aggressive and demanded permission to retaliate against the entire district involved."

His voice lowered slightly afterward.

"Commander James refused those demands, judging the proposed retaliation to be excessive and morally unacceptable under Cult military law."

Leo’s expression darkened gradually.

"However, Mairon refused to comply with the Commander’s orders," Shadow Number One continued carefully.

"In the end, the disagreement escalated into a direct confrontation between them."

Leo’s expression turned dark at those words, as he gritted his teeth and shook his head.

"He fought James?" Leo asked slowly.

Shadow Number One nodded immediately.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Although Commander James ultimately won the battle, reports state that your son fought extremely well and even managed to injure the Commander several times during the exchange."

The room grew noticeably quieter afterward.

"Following the duel, Mairon was restrained and formally court-martialed for openly defying military command authority."

Shadow Number One lowered his head further afterward.

"Commander James has reportedly offered to let him go if only he writes a formal apology and gives up on his demand to burn down a district.

However..... Mairon absolutely refuses to comply."

"As of this moment, your son is currently imprisoned under military custody awaiting formal judgment."

Leo remained silent after hearing the full report, his expression hardening, as he alternated his gaze between Shadow Number One and Amanda.

Because although Mairon’s actions deeply disturbed him, hearing that his own son was now sitting chained inside a military prison still caused something inside his chest to tighten painfully.

"That fool...!" Leo muttered, as he clenched his fists tightly while shaking his head in visible frustration after hearing the full extent of Mairon’s actions.

"There are far better ways to accomplish what he wants without openly challenging the chain of command like some reckless barbarian..."

His jaw tightened afterward.

"But of course, following orders was never really an option for that boy once his emotions got involved."

Shadow Number One remained silent briefly before speaking again, his expression growing even more serious than before.

"That is not the only issue, my Lord," he said carefully.

Leo immediately looked toward him again.

"What now?" he asked, already sounding tired.

Shadow Number One inhaled deeply before continuing.

"Apparently, the moment Mairon was arrested and placed into military custody, the entirety of his assigned unit demanded to be imprisoned alongside him."

Leo blinked once hearing that.

"They what?" he asked slowly.

"They insisted that if their Lieutenant was being punished, then they should be punished alongside him as well, because they had willingly followed him knowing exactly what he intended to do."

Shadow Number One explained calmly.

"And when Commander James refused those demands, several soldiers openly threatened to break into the prison facility and forcefully free Mairon themselves."

For a brief moment, Leo simply stared at him in silence.

Before then slowly raising both hands toward the ceiling in complete disbelief.

"Oh for fuck’s sake..."

Leo muttered beneath his breath, sounding more exhausted than angry now.

"Your son has inspired an unusually extreme level of loyalty among his men," Shadow Number One continued afterward.

"The soldiers following him are not simply respecting his authority as their superior officer anymore..."

"They are genuinely willing to die for him."

His eyes lowered slightly afterward.

"And while that level of loyalty is admirable in many ways, it is also becoming increasingly dangerous to the structure Commander James is trying to maintain."

Leo’s expression darkened gradually listening to that explanation.

"It does not take much for sparks like this to spread through military ranks, my Lord," Shadow Number One warned quietly.

"Especially during wartime, where charismatic figures capable of inspiring absolute loyalty can rapidly gather support from dissatisfied soldiers."

The room fell silent afterward.

"If Mairon is not properly contained now," Shadow Number One continued carefully, choosing every word with caution.

"Then eventually, there may emerge an extremist faction within the Cult whose loyalty aligns more closely with his personal ideology than with wider Cult doctrine itself."

Leo’s eyes narrowed sharply at that statement.

Because although Shadow Number One never said it directly, the implication behind those words was perfectly clear.

Either Leo suppressed Mairon now before this spark evolved into something larger...

Or he allowed him to continue growing naturally, eventually forming his own distinct wing within the Cult, made up of men willing to carry out actions the wider organization would never officially endorse.

And honestly, knowing Mairon’s personality.....

Leo could already picture exactly which path his son was unconsciously heading toward.