Chapter 195: 194 The Fragrance

"I think we should replace the leader."

Glancing at the empty main seat, a portly middle-aged man looked around the people seated at the long table, then said with a chuckle:

"Although Lord Nathan founded this organization originally, and we were all brought together by him, everything changes.

In my personal opinion, Lord Nathan is no longer fit to lead us. What does everyone think?"

"What do I think? I think nothing!"

After the portly middle-aged man finished speaking, a bald woman who was playing with a slingshot snorted, her eyes filled with displeasure as she said:

"A leader is always a leader. He saved my life and helped me gain my abilities. I don't care how others see him; I only recognize him!"

"Normal, very normal."

Not surprised by the bald woman's attitude, the portly middle-aged man nodded at her, then explained with a chuckle:

"Don't misunderstand; I am not denying Lord Nathan's achievements. We have all received his favors to some extent, even I, who wish to replace him with a new leader.

But whether everyone is willing to admit it or not, Lord Nathan has grown old. In the past two years, he is no longer as flawless and always correct as in the past; instead, he has started making frequent blunders."

As he spoke, the portly middle-aged man's smile faded slightly, replaced by a somewhat sorrowful expression, and he said in a low mood:

"A few years ago, we were all fine, but since the failed assassination of the prince at the beginning of the year, Samantha was first captured, and the Bandaged Abnormality was seized by the Cleanup Bureau.

Then Barton, who was lurking in the Special Investigation Bureau, was blocked inside the bureau by a Cleanup Officer named Hearing Li Ang while trying to cover Samantha and the others' retreat, and never returned.

Later, Lord Nathan led people to take revenge, sending David to infiltrate the Succession Ceremony to ambush Hearing Li Ang using 【Heartbeat Moment】, but in the end, he too fell at the hands of the Cleanup Bureau and likely will not return either.

Compared to the past few years, after losing three companions in a row, this long table, which was once somewhat crowded, now has an empty corner."

"..."

Unlike before, after the portly middle-aged man finished speaking this time, looking at the three empty chairs around the long table, the rebels seated there immediately fell into silence. Even the bald woman, who belonged to the "Leader Faction," did not speak up to oppose at this moment.

"Everyone, I admit that Lord Nathan indeed gave a lot in the past, but have our contributions been any less?"

After waiting a while and feeling that everyone's attitude seemed to have softened slightly, the portly middle-aged man's expression changed again. Pointing at the old woman and the little girl opposite him, he slammed the table in anger and said:

"Setting others aside, how much have the two sisters, Lucy and Phoebe, contributed for everyone these years?

When they first joined us, they were in their youthful and beautiful prime, but due to frequent use of their abilities, one has regressed in age constantly, with intelligence not even comparable to a five or six-year-old child, unable even to speak a complete sentence clearly.

And although Lucy is a bit better off than her, she has now become an old woman. Clearly not yet thirty, her physical condition is worse than that of someone in their seventies or eighties. If we truly talk about contributions, are they less than Lord Nathan's?"

"Enough, stop beating around the bush!"

Just as the people around the long table remained silent, a man covered in burns snorted and said impatiently:

"Oliver, you might as well be straightforward. Just say you want to replace Lord Nathan and become the leader yourself!"

"I do indeed have that idea."

Hearing the burnt man's words, the portly middle-aged man's anger faded, revealing an unmistakable look of joy. He then said excitedly:

"Do you remember? When we first joined, our intention was to take revenge on everything that forced us into a dead end! To destroy this kingdom riddled with sores! To prevent our tragedies from repeating!

Not to randomly cause destruction everywhere, fighting hard battles in turn with the Military Department, the Parliament, the nobles, and the merchant guilds! And certainly not to provoke that extremely troublesome Cleanup Bureau!

So everyone, now is the time when change is absolutely necessary."

After finishing these words, the portly middle-aged man's expression cycled through "joy-sorrow-anger-joy" and returned to his initial cheerful demeanor. He stood up and proposed with a smile:

"I think Lord Nathan in the past two years is no longer the man he once was, and is even less fit to be our leader.

We must make a change immediately while we still can! If we continue to let Lord Nathan act recklessly, it will be too late for everything!"

"I agree!"

As soon as the portly middle-aged man finished speaking, the burnt man who had just impatiently argued against him unexpectedly raised his hand without hesitation, being the first to express support.

"I do not support Oliver as leader, but I support replacing the person in this seat."

Facing the surprised looks from the crowd of rebels, the burnt man licked his lips and said with narrowed eyes:

"I don't care about changing or not, or whether it's too late or not. I think Lord Nathan is unfit to be leader mainly because, compared to when I met him back then, he no longer has that scent on him now."

"What nonsense are you talking about again?"

Glaring at the burnt man, who was even less sensible than herself, the bald woman stood up and scolded with a dissatisfied face:

"What scent is on the leader? What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Of course there is!"

Glancing disdainfully at the bald woman, the burnt man snorted and said:

"It's normal that you can't smell it. That is the scent only the strong possess! Naturally, only people as strong as us can smell it!

This scent belongs to the strong. It is the smell of believing that as long as one is still alive, even if every bone in the body is shattered, one can still stand up again and bite the opponent to death with one's teeth!

The reason I joined back then was attracted by this scent on Lord Nathan. I felt he could definitely do what he said, so I was willing to listen to him!"

"But in the past two years, every time we carried out a major operation, he would spend some time alone. When he returned, that scent on him would be weaker, becoming more hesitant and decadent.

After this Succession Ceremony, his scent changed again. Now, he smells just like a young antelope abandoned before it could even wean! Weak! Stinky!"

"..."

After listening to the burnt man's somewhat confused speech and barely understanding his meaning, the rebels exchanged glances. Even the bald woman put aside her anger, bit her lip, and sat back down.

The "scent of the strong" spoken of by the burnt man, described in less "beast-like" terms, would probably be called confidence.

Compared to the leader of the past, who was full of confidence, Lord Nathan now seems to truly reveal an inexplicable air of twilight.

Just like the giant in mythology who pushed a stone up the mountain only to watch it roll back into the valley time and again, the current leader seems to have truly lost that confidence to change everything compared to the past...

Could it be... that we really should replace him with a new leader?

"Inhale..."

Just as the rebels fell into silence, a loud inhaling sound suddenly echoed in the room.

Forcing open his nostrils, which looked like two black holes, and greedily sniffing the unchanged air, the burnt man kicked his chair aside and stood up abruptly, squinting as he looked outside.

"Tiger! A tiger that wants to hunt has broken in! The scent is so fragrant!"