Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1143: An Important Lesson

(The Underground Prison, Leo’s POV)

Mairon’s complete lack of remorse left Leo feeling deeply frustrated, because had his son shown even the slightest regret, this entire situation could still have been peacefully resolved.

However, instead of doing that, Mairon stood before him with unwavering conviction in his eyes, genuinely believing that everything he had done was justified from beginning to end.

And that stubborn certainty was exactly what made the situation so exhausting for Leo to deal with.

’Ah... what a damn headache...’

Leo thought internally, as he rubbed lightly at his forehead while already feeling a migraine forming beneath the surface.

Because before leaving Planet Satoru, Amanda had only asked one thing of him.

Set their son free...

That was all she wanted.

And although Leo knew she would understand if Mairon remained imprisoned after openly defying military command authority, a part of her would still suffer silently as a mother.

She would not sleep peacefully knowing her son remained chained inside a prison cell somewhere far away from home.

And because of that, Leo found himself hesitating.....

He hesitated, not because he did not know what the correct decision was here.

But because emotions complicated this matter.

Because, his wife being an innocent bystander in this situation made it feel even messier than usual.

*Exhale–*

"Let me explain something to you properly, son," Leo said at last, his tone calmer now despite the irritation lingering beneath the surface.

"You keep asking what I would have done if you were the one who died during that ambush..."

His eyes narrowed slightly afterward.

"But that is not the reality we are currently dealing with, is it?"

Mairon remained silent.

"You want vengeance for the soldier who died beneath your command."

"And honestly?"

"I would probably want revenge too."

Leo admitted openly.

"If one of my own Commanders died because of an ambush like this, I would absolutely make sure the people responsible paid the price eventually."

His gaze sharpened afterward.

"But the difference between us lies in HOW we approach the problem."

Mairon’s expression shifted slightly listening to that.

"You immediately jumped toward mass retaliation because you lacked the patience and intelligence necessary to solve the actual issue standing before you."

Leo continued firmly.

"If I handled this situation instead, I would quietly isolate the exact culprits responsible without terrorizing an entire district full of unrelated civilians."

His voice lowered further afterward.

"That would have been the real problem worth solving....

And that is exactly where your thinking failed."

Leo slowly stepped closer afterward until he stood directly before Mairon’s restrained body.

"You are too one dimensional right now.

You see violence first... And solutions second."

For several seconds, the prison cell remained silent.

Then finally, Leo spoke again.

"Six hours."

Mairon blinked once.

"I will solve this situation within six hours... And I will do it without harming a single innocent civilian."

His eyes locked directly onto Mairon’s afterward.

"And once I succeed...how ashamed of yourself do you think you will feel?"

He asked, as for the first time since the conversation began, Mairon looked uncertain.

His brows furrowed slightly as though genuinely trying to determine whether what Leo described was even realistically possible.

Until eventually, he lowered his gaze briefly before speaking again.

"If you can actually accomplish that, father, then I will admit that I was wrong here."

Leo remained silent while listening.

"I will apologize properly to Commander James..."

"And to my unit as well."

Mairon exhaled softly afterward.

"If there truly exists a solution to this situation where the real culprits are punished while the bystanders are not heckled then naturally I would prefer that outcome too."

His eyes lifted again afterward.

"But I only chose my path because I genuinely could not see another one available."

Leo nodded slowly hearing that.

And finally, some of the anger inside him eased slightly.

"It is fine to punish those who genuinely wronged you....

It is fine to retaliate against rebels and enemy sympathizers."

Leo continued calmly.

"But once you stop distinguishing between guilty people and innocent civilians..."

"...you slowly stop valuing human life itself."

His gaze darkened afterward.

"And that is how monsters are created."

The chains around Mairon rattled softly as he shifted slightly in place while listening carefully now.

"Most common people do not care about universal politics nearly as much as you think they do," Leo continued.

"They simply want stable lives, food on their tables, security for their families, and the freedom to live peacefully."

His eyes drifted briefly toward the prison walls afterward.

"But the moment you personally give them a reason to hate you... they WILL eventually unite against you."

Leo’s tone grew heavier afterward.

"You might get away with cruelty for a century."

"Maybe two."

"Maybe even several millennia."

"But eventually, retribution always arrives."

A faint bitterness surfaced in his eyes afterward.

"The Cult itself is proof of that reality."

"If the Righteous Faction had treated Cult citizens like actual human beings instead of disposable filth, perhaps we would not hate them the way we do today."

The atmosphere inside the prison grew quieter afterward.

"But because we suffered first, we understand exactly what kind of treatment should never be inflicted upon others."

Leo looked directly into Mairon’s eyes afterward.

"You are still young."

"Far too young."

"You do not need to form such absolute opinions about every issue surrounding the universe already."

His voice softened slightly afterward.

"You have spent almost your entire life isolated within the Time Stilled World surrounded by soldiers, war stories, and hatred toward the Righteous Faction."

"And because of that your worldview has become distorted without you even realizing it."

Mairon’s expression stiffened slightly hearing that.

"You were taught that the Cult is righteous."

"That the enemy is evil."

"That violence solves problems."

"But reality is never that simple."

Leo shook his head slowly afterward.

"There is always gray between extremes."

"There are always middle paths between blind submission and overwhelming violence."

"And if you truly want to become a worthy leader someday, then you need to start finding those paths yourself."

The room fell silent once more afterward.

"Today alone," Leo continued quietly.

"Your actions forced me to abandon important responsibilities on Planet Satoru."

"They interrupted my reunion with your mother."

"And right now, your mother cannot even sleep peacefully knowing her son remains chained inside a prison."

Mairon’s expression shifted slightly again.

"You may think your life affects only yourself, but that is not true."

"Myself."

"Your mother."

"Caleb."

"Your uncle."

"Your aunt."

"We all care about you deeply."

Leo’s gaze hardened afterward.

"And if tomorrow the Righteous Faction captured you, all hell would break loose across the universe."

"Because I would not be the only person marching to save you."

The prison air felt heavier afterward.

"So before you act, you must start understanding the wider consequences behind your decisions."

"Your actions ripple far beyond yourself, affecting your soldiers, the chain of command, and even the stability of entire planets."

Leo gestured toward the prison outside afterward.

"If you openly defy Commander James before your subordinates, then what example does that set for the rest of the military?"

"If a Lieutenant can ignore his Commander, why should Captains obey their Lieutenants?"

"Why should ordinary soldiers obey anyone at all?"

Mairon remained completely silent now.

"The universe is far more complicated than you currently understand."

"And right now, you are still far too naive to properly grasp those complexities."

Leo finished quietly before finally turning around toward the prison exit, as his expression remained stern despite the exhaustion visible beneath it.

Then without another word, he gestured for Commander James to follow him outside, as he exited Mairon’s cell.