Timeless Assassin - Chapter 844
Chapter 844: Verdict
(Leo’s Isolated Mansion, The Time Stilled World, Chaosbringer’s POV)
The tension in the room was thick enough to be sliced with a knife, as Chaosbringer and Leo sat across from one another with passive-aggressive smiles tugging at their lips, the kind of smiles shared only by men who trusted each other absolutely yet still recognized the sheer danger both were capable of unleashing, as the soft glow of the mansion’s lanterns washed over their faces and highlighted the silent killing intent stirring inside both.
Chaosbringer rested his gloved hands atop the table, leaning forward enough to signal respect without diminishing his own anger about the matter, as he spoke in an icy cold tone.
“My Lord, there has been an attempt by the Elders Council, at least that is my strongest assumption, to stir the public sentiment against you, a small push to make you appear as an illegitimate Sect Master now that God Soron has returned, as if your authority was meant to expire the moment the true Cult Master breathed again.”
Chaosbringer began, as he bared his teeth in anger, while Leo arched a brow with an amused calm, swirling his cup lightly as though this political treachery were nothing more than gossip from the marketplace, yet the faint curl at the corner of his mouth betrayed the coldness simmering beneath his surface.
“But their attempt failed,” Chaosbringer continued, allowing himself a small smirk as he reported the matter, “and not simply failed, my Lord… it collapsed so spectacularly that the common people did not even bother to entertain the idea, choosing instead to defend you with a loyalty I have not seen since the uprising, as they dismissed the rumor entirely and instead directed their irritation toward the ones trying to stir discord.”
Chaosbringer shared, as Leo set his cup down gently, the porcelain clicking against the table in a soft note, as he tilted his head in a mixture of satisfaction and contemplation, his gaze sharpening while his smile remained eerily relaxed.
“Still,” Chaosbringer added, his tone dropping lower as he folded his hands before him, “we must not take this lightly, for this event confirms that at least one Elder possesses access to information they should not have, especially since the fact that God Soron has returned is known only to a very limited number of people… which means someone, somewhere, has re-established contact with the outside world.”
Leo exhaled a slow breath, the sound almost a sigh yet far too controlled to be called exhaustion, as he leaned back against the throne and let his eyes drift upward for a moment, as if contemplating how many opportunities he had given the Elders before arriving at the inevitable conclusion.
“Well,” he began softly, his voice steady and dangerously reasonable, “I had hoped that bringing the Elders into the Stilled World would slowly dissolve their ego, that time and isolation would grind their ambitions down until they posed no real threat, and that I would never have to resort to eliminating them outright… yet this little stunt proves something I should have remembered from the beginning.”
He paused, his eyes narrowing with a hint of predatory intent as the temperature in the room seemed to drop ever so slightly.
“Sparing snakes,” he said quietly, “is never a long-term solution, for they always find a way to grow fangs again.”
Chaosbringer’s smile widened in approval, for nothing pleased him more than hearing his Lord embrace the ruthless logic necessary for true leadership, a logic Chaosbringer himself had lived by since his days serving Leo in the Uprising Guild.
“I’ll let you handle this,”
Leo continued, his tone steady as though he were delegating a minor administrative task rather than ordering the dismantling of the last great political threat within the Cult.
“Find out how they re-established communication with the outside universe and sever it completely, and if necessary… deal with the Elders accordingly.”
He instructed, as his gaze sharpened, his smile still unwavering.
“Within the next couple of years, make them die natural deaths in the cold of night, one after another, until the entire council is gone. Make every incident appear genuine and unavoidable, and when the time comes, even hold public funerals, allowing the citizens to express gratitude for the Elders’ long service while never suspecting that their quiet deaths were intentional.”
Leo instructed before grunting, as he shook his head in disappointment.
“One way or another, it’s time for the Elders Council to finally rest in peace.”
He ordered, as Chaosbringer felt his blood rush with a thrill he had not experienced in years, for these were orders tailor-made for someone like him, delicate and brutal in equal measure, requiring a blend of precision, patience, and cruelty that he excelled in.
“It shall be done, my Lord,” he replied, bowing his head respectfully even as his grin broadened in barely disguised excitement.
“I will trace their connection to the outside world, determine whether we can exploit it to our advantage, and once its usefulness ends… I will eliminate every last Elder as you please.”
His voice softened, reverent and confident.
“Within two years, not a single one will remain.”
He claimed, as Leo nodded with calm approval, though the light in his eyes hinted at deeper thoughts.
“I will be gone for a couple of years, Chaosbringer,”
Leo announced, his tone casual yet heavy with implication.
“I will train on the floating island we discovered a few years ago where the ancient Dragon lives.
I have some unfinished business with him.
But by the time I return, I expect this Elder situation to be dealt with.”
He instructed, as he brushed a hand through the air, feeling the surrounding mana swirl gently around him as if greeting its new master.
“For now, I’ll wait for my realm to stabilize fully before beginning that grueling training, but once I do… the era of holding back will end, and it will be time for me to lead the Cult’s forces back into the wider universe.”
He paused, his voice dropping just slightly.
“We will try to save Veyr.”
He shared, as Chaosbringer bowed deeply, his face solemn as he absorbed the weight of that mission and promise.
“Everything will be arranged, my Lord,” Chaosbringer assured, maintaining his respectful posture even as excitement simmered beneath his calm exterior.
“Train without worry. Issues of this level are beneath your attention… leave them to me.”
He said, as Leo’s smile softened once more.
Leo knew Chaosbringer would execute this task with the same cold, meticulous perfection that defined every mission he undertook, which freed Leo from even entertaining the issue any longer, trusting fully in the outcome.