Chapter 209: 208 Relieved and Unanimously Approved

Leon Lane?!

After recognizing his true identity through the toad pendant that flared and vanished over Leon's chest, the middle-aged Joshua's mind felt as if a broken gong had been slammed directly into his skull—his eardrums buzzed violently, and he even heard the rush of his furious blood surging into the vessels of his ears.

That damn little Bajins? This bastard who destroyed everything I spent years building is an Clearance Bureau agent in disguise—and he's none other than Leon Lane, the man who've clashed with me multiple times and will one day personally end the Kingdom!

I won't let him go! I absolutely won't let him go!!

"Aaaah! I'll kill you!!!"

……

Huh? The hatred actually stuck!

Watching the middle-aged man's eyes instantly turn blood-red, scramble up the long table on all fours, and roar toward him, Leon—surprised his "hold" had worked—couldn't help but brighten.

He'd originally had no hope of catching the middle-aged Joshua, given the description of 【Gate of the Far Side】: utterly uncapturable.

But seeing him about to flee and unable to wait for Elder Emma's support, Leon had taken a desperate gamble—using the Black Goat's horn to amplify Joshua's rage to its maximum.

Whether it was because he hadn't intended to kill him, or because Joshua's mind was entirely consumed by rage and no longer sensed danger, 【Gate of the Far Side】's crisis-teleport ability failed to activate—and allowed Joshua to charge at him barehanded.

Perfect! I just learned hand-to-hand combat two days ago!

Watching Joshua, now fully enraged and lunging forward with gaping openings all over his body, Leon's eyes lit up with predatory delight. He immediately released his grip on the goat horn, planted his foot on the table, held his breath, assumed his stance, and swung his arm back fully…

Then he threw a clean, crisp uppercut!

"Slap!"

With a thunderous crack echoing through the meeting room, the middle-aged Joshua's left cheek made intimate, near-zero-distance contact with Leon's right palm. The body that had charged like an arrow now flew sideways like a released bowstring, spinning violently before crashing into the chair on Leon's left—shattering it into splinters.

Before his body even hit the ground, Joshua's left jawbone had taken the full force of the blow, jarring his brain. His eyes rolled back mid-air, his consciousness and half his teeth nearly departed his body simultaneously. He didn't even have time to groan—he passed out on the spot.

You dared shoot me in the back!

Feeling the familiar texture of his brother-in-law's face, Leon finally landed that slap—and felt as if he'd just placed the final piece of a puzzle. A tingling itch surged from the base of his spine straight up to the crown of his head, filling his entire body with inexplicable relief.

Hmm… I forgot to use the hand-to-hand combat I just learned.

After two grueling days of training with the female cop, Leon had been desperate to test his new skills. But when Joshua's face entered striking range, something strange happened—his right hand seemed to act on its own, instinctively snapping out with a sharp slap.

Probably because of those earlier slaps I gave him, my arm developed some weird muscle memory—it moved faster than my brain… Too bad.

Though he hadn't gotten to showcase his hard-earned new skill—leaving a slight sense of incompleteness—he still smiled contentedly as he watched Joshua's face swelling rapidly amid the pile of broken wood.

You know what? Now that his face bears my palm print, the two Joshuas finally match… Hmm… His face looks most comfortable when it's swollen from a good slap.

……

"What… what just happened?"

Watching Joshua—who a second ago was preparing to flee, then roared and lunged straight at Leon, only to be slapped clean across the room—the rebel members were utterly bewildered by the sudden, chaotic turn of events.

"Nothing. He simply didn't meet the activation condition for his ability."

Adjusting his collar to cover the 【Holy Spirit Pendant】, Leon subtly shifted his foot, kicking the shattered nail gun from Joshua's hand under the table, then spoke calmly:

"Just now, Nathan… uh… I'll still call him that. He himself explained that if any danger approaches, he'll be teleported away immediately."

"But I had no intention of harming him—I only slapped him lightly. So his survival item probably didn't register it as real danger, and thus didn't teleport him away."

After briefly explaining why Joshua hadn't escaped and returning the goat horn to the mirror, Leon still hadn't seen Elder Emma arrive. To avoid drawing attention to his earlier lapse, he kept tapping the small mirror to urge it, then shifted the topic:

"Gentlemen, though Nathan's identity is suspect and his past leadership was self-serving, I still believe the intelligence he provided about the Krook Kingdom's sniffers deserves our serious attention. What do you think?"

We… how would we know?

Hearing "Little Bajins" ask, and remembering the terrifying Krook Kingdom, the rebels exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether to speak.

Never mind anything else—compared to their former leader "Nathan," this new leader "Little Bajins" clearly seemed more… hmm… he's probably Little Bajins? But given the clarity of his words, whether he's Little Bajins no longer matters.

All these years, we've worked hard, done plenty of things—but when we thought about it, we'd accomplished nothing. We drifted aimlessly, and lately we couldn't even tell if our actions were right or wrong.

Today, just sitting here listening to "Little Bajins" speak for ten minutes felt like suddenly seeing a streetlamp light up on a dark path—or like someone yanking open the door of a pitch-black room. Everything inside us suddenly cleared, and we finally knew which way to step. This feeling… what should we call it?

Reliable!

Yes! Following him is reliable!

Seeing nearly identical understanding in each other's eyes, the rebels finally relaxed.

We don't know much else, but this new leader is clearly far more reliable than the last—and far smarter.

Our minds couldn't even match Nathan's, let alone "Little Bajins'." We know nothing about Krook or its sniffers. On such critical matters, we shouldn't voice opinions—just follow the smart man.

……

"I follow you!"

The short man who temporarily seized control of the body spoke first:

"Little… Leader! I don't understand Krook Kingdom matters, but I believe everything you say! I follow you!"

"Yes!"

After the short man spoke, as if stirred by his words, one after another voice chimed in agreement.

The thin man stood up:

"I agree too! Attacking the boarding tower is dangerous—it might anger Krook Kingdom—but I trust you, Leader! You must have a plan!"

The old woman, holding the sleeping girl, nodded slightly.

"I abide by the Leader's decision!"

The burn victim's nostrils flared slightly.

"Doesn't matter—I can smell you're reliable."

"…"

Watching the "excellent" scene of four votes in favor, hearing the chorus of "Leader!" echoing around him, Leon's smile froze.

Don't do this! I just wanted you to debate whether to attack the boarding tower—to buy time so Elder Emma could show up and arrest you all! When did I agree to be your rebel leader?

Besides, ignoring my plan to arrest you all, my true identity is the Duke of Lionheart from the old nobility—the Prince of the Trillium Royal Family! I hold both noble and royal titles!

And if we count the Lane family side, I own hundreds of factories and the Kingdom's largest arms company! If you choose me as your rebel leader, isn't that like electing a Jew as the German Führer?

"Let's… let's first discuss the boarding tower."

Unable to explain his true identity, terrified he'd overachieve Red-Haired Director's "expectations" and become the rebel leader in just one day and eight hours, Leon awkwardly said:

"Gentlemen, I'm still young and lack practical experience. I can't possibly serve as your leader."

"So let's focus on the boarding tower. I've never done this before—if I lead the attack, I wouldn't even know where to start… Any suggestions?"

"Leader, you're too modest."

Watching "Little Bajins" no longer aggressive, refusing the leadership role outright, and instead yielding some authority, the portly middle-aged man smiled warmly and stood:

"Age isn't an issue. Experience can be gained. But long-term vision? That's innate!"

"Leader, don't refuse! Only you are fit for this position. And if you ever need guidance on experience, I, Oliver, will answer anything!"

"I… I have no objections either…"

The discussion about the boarding tower was now completely forgotten. Among the remaining seven rebels, the bald woman—the sole "former leader faction" member—touched her head and sighed:

"Nathan saved me once, but… his true identity is a prince, and he's been using us as tools. I can't trust him anymore."

"Little Bajins… no! Leader! As long as you lead us forward, I'll recognize you as my Leader forever!"

"Huh…"

As if to punctuate the moment, little Phoebe, fast asleep, twitched slightly and smiled sweetly in her dreams.

"Good… good… so sweet!"

"Zzz…"

【After careful planning, you have completely shattered the rebel members' trust in their former leader and gained unanimous approval from all seven remaining core members. You have obtained the Silver-tier hidden badge: "Usurper"】