“Tap tap...”

The sound of fingers tapping on the table.

In front of Kaelis stood the iron-willed old man she had just met less than ten minutes ago. To her right were the two noble ladies whom Kaelis had thoroughly dealt with earlier.

However, they no longer had the arrogance they'd shown towards Kaelis before. Instead, one of them seemed completely dazed, her pupils unfocused, while the other hadn't recovered yet, sobbing quietly with her head lowered.

At the doorway stood the quiet maid, eyes closed and head bowed, saying nothing.

Seeing the maid remain silent, the old man also fell quiet. After a pause, he raised his head and swept his gaze over the three women present.

“So... what happened this time?”

“...She... she was going to kill us!”

The sobbing woman, hearing the old man speak, instantly clung to him like a lifeline, blurting out her words as if she'd suffered some tremendous injustice.

When the old man turned to look at her, Kaelis merely blinked, remaining silent.

Mainly because she didn't see the point in speaking.

If this old man was the type who judges people by status, then nothing she said would matter... But if he wasn't, then naturally he wouldn't believe just one side of the story.

In that case, whether she spoke up or not didn't really matter.

“...You don't plan to defend yourself?”

The old man asked, slightly furrowing his brows, seems not the type to judge by status.

This finally made Kaelis consider saying something.

But after thinking for a moment, she shook her head slightly.

“There's nothing to defend.”

“...Did you really intend to kill them?”

“Not quite. But they definitely needed to be taught a lesson.”

Kaelis had never encountered bullying before... At least, she couldn't recall any such memories among the few she had left.

Facing it for the first time, Kaelis found it somewhat novel, but she could now understand why so many people felt their blood boiled.

Indeed, being randomly looked down upon and targeted for no reason was infuriating.

Although Kaelis had a good temper, she wasn't someone who would just accept everything passively.

These people didn't respect her, so she wouldn't be courteous either.

With no trace of guilt in her heart, Kaelis's tone remained calm and steady.

This contrasted sharply with the weeping girl's sobbing, immediately drawing the old man to look at Kaelis several times.

Clearly, he was now somewhat inclined toward Kaelis.

Yet he didn't rush to judgment.

After all, fighting within the training camp... was strictly forbidden by him.

He had to give a proper response.

“In other words, you admit you used violence against your comrades?”

The old man continued, raising his voice slightly.

This made the two girls feel the old man was on their side, so they lifted their heads again, glaring fiercely at Kaelis.

Kaelis found their actions somewhat amusing.

"Those who help each other are comrades. Those who act unilaterally are just fools."

“Outrageous!”

The old man suddenly raised his voice, sternly rebuking Kaelis... but not truly blaming her.

He merely needed to maintain his authority... He'd been in charge of this training camp for two or three years now, and he had a rough idea of what went on here.

Hearing Kaelis's composed words and seeing the noble status of the two girls, he already had a general understanding.

Still, understanding was one thing; publicly, he absolutely couldn't allow anyone to say things detrimental to the group.

Thus, in response to Kaelis's words that adapted herself from the others, he immediately issued a rebuke.

Don't think too highly of yourself... Here, you're just an ordinary soldier!

This makes the two girls even more triumphant.

But Kaelis still had no intention of changing.

Facing the old man's rebuke, she merely turned her head slightly, silently looking at him.

Neither spoke, but an invisible clash of wills continued in the gradually quietening air.

Kaelis wasn't stubborn by nature, but she did have her own pride.

Like how, even when she was nearly starving to death before, she never considered selling her body; Even in her most degraded times, she never abandoned her love for drawing.

If someone could truly convince her she was wrong, she wouldn't stubbornly insist on being right. But... this matter...

She was not wrong!

Since that was the case, no matter what the old man said, Kaelis will never back down!

Even in the face of this subtle threat, she could still push back!

Their invisible clash made the old man's expression grow even more serious.

Suddenly, he snorted coldly, and thick smoke surged from his body, vaguely forming rings!

He was a third-stage Ascender!

He had activated his power... Was he preparing to take action?!

Seeing the old man intervene, the two girls broaden their eyes, suddenly feeling triumphant.

Hmph!

What if Kaelis was fierce? Could she possibly defeat the old man?

But to their astonishment, even after the old man revealed a hint of his power, Kaelis's face still showed no trace of fear.

She merely narrowed her eyes slightly, silently placing her hand behind her back.

She said nothing, yet it seemed she had said everything.

White mist also began to rise from her body.

Although greatly less than the ring-shaped smoke from the old man, the fact that Kaelis displayed it at all was a clear stance.

Faced with the old man's rebuke, Kaelis not only didn't retreat, but actually stood firm in defiance?!

In an instant, not only the old man, but even the maid at the door, who had merely intended to observe, lifted her head.

Bright eyes stared at Kaelis in surprise.

Such a defiant person... just a bit foolish.

Any normal person would know to back down a little here... After all, the old man had just shown he wouldn't target Kaelis specifically; he was just considering things from his own standpoint.

But unfortunately, that wasn't Kaelis's temperament.

Not to mention this was just a simulation; Even if this happened in reality, Kaelis wouldn't retreat... At most, she'd analyze the difference in strength and choose to confront directly or maneuver strategically... But retreat? Absolutely not.

This made the old man's expression turn silent instead.

Upon realizing what had actually happened, he also felt Kaelis had been forced into a counterattack... His earlier rebuke was merely to assert his authority.

But he never expected Kaelis to be so headstrong... And he certainly never expected Kaelis to also be an Ascender? Judging by appearance, at least second-stage?

This was troublesome...

The old man suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Just then, a tense knocking sound came from the doorway.

“...Come in.”

Seeing an opportunity, the old man promptly retracted his spiritual mist. Seeing Kaelis also choosing to withdraw, he exhaled.

Soon, as the maid opened the door, a man with a panicked expression suddenly entered.

He was sweating profusely, his face somewhat unnatural.

Yet the old man suddenly raised his brows.

“You've... gained some weight recently...”

“Uh... y-yes, the meals have been quite good lately.”

Hearing the old man speak, the man's face turned even stiffer, his stammering words sounded extremely unnatural.

After seeing the people in the room, he looked puzzled.

“What's this…”

“Just now, these soldiers got into a fight in the barracks...”

As the old man spoke, his fingers tapped on the table again.

This made the man suddenly freeze, then quickly scan the situation before gritting his teeth and stepping forward directly.

“How could such a thing happen? You've clearly given orders; soldiers absolutely must not fight within... Please rest assured, I will properly punish her!”

“...”

The old man said nothing, and responded only with silence.

Seeing the other remain silent, the man gritted his teeth again, then glared angrily at Kaelis.

“Stand at attention! Come with me to receive your punishment!”

“...”

Kaelis glanced at him, then turned to look at the old man beside her.

Then she pointed.

Her meaning was very clear... She didn't think she was wrong. If she really had to be punished according to military camp discipline, Kaelis wouldn't deliberately escape it... She did violate military regulations, so punishment was acceptable... But the problem was, fighting wasn't a one-person affair, was it?

"What are you still hesitating for? Do you expect me to invite you out?"

The man roared again, suddenly stepping forward.

But everyone present feels their vision flickers.

When they regained their senses, a long sword had suddenly appeared in Kaelis's hand!

In an instant, everyone in the room was stunned.

Even the old man furrowed his brows at this moment.

He actually quite admired Kaelis... After all, such an upright and calm personality was truly the mark of a highly promising soldier.

But... At this very moment, Kaelis's actions truly made him frown.

“On the battlefield, this would be considered treacherous behavior...”

“How am I being treasonous?”

Kaelis reversed at the old man, raising an eyebrow in return.

“You attacked your superior officer...” The old man slightly furrowed his brows, but seeing Kaelis's half-smiling, half-serious expression, he suddenly froze.

Had Kaelis... actually attacked?

It seemed not?

She merely... took his sidearm...

“Commander Rod...”

The man immediately became anxious, but was stopped by Rod raising his hand.

He simply looked at Kaelis, wanting to see what she intended to say.

Kaelis had no intention of doing much, simply placing the sword silently on the old man's table before speaking.

“He said I should be punished... I won't resist that. But... weapons are a soldier's lifeline on the battlefield, right? If it can be so easily taken from him like this... can he really be considered a good soldier?”

Kaelis suddenly shifted the topic. The man, about to rebuke Kaelis, saw Rod actually nodding.

“Though this isn't something we should be discussing right now... you're indeed correct. You, go receive your punishment later.”

“But...”

“Any objections?”

Rod didn't even lift his eyes, and with just that simple sentence, the man turned pale.

He instinctively looked toward Kaelis, unable to stop clenching his teeth and fists.

After a long pause, he finally spat out one sentence through clenched teeth.

“Yes.”

With that, he turned to prepare to receive his punishment.

But Rod had called him here and still had something else to say.

“There's one more thing...”

“...”

“Though I've been away for nearly half a month... I don't believe I issued an order to change living arrangements, did I?”

Rod spoke, his eyes suddenly sweeping toward the two noble girls who were still dazed.

This instantly made the two girls' faces turn pale.

The man's body is also stiffened.

Rod continued speaking.

“Changing living arrangements... such a minor matter isn't really important. But... I've repeatedly emphasized, the army is the army. Here, what I need to cultivate is a soldier capable of fighting. Don't mix other things into it.”

“If it wasn't for my arrangement of Kaelis, then Her Highness would have 'coincidentally' ended up in a dormitory with two daughters of viscounts... who also happened to be the two highest-ranking soldiers in the entire camp. This seems a bit too coincidental, doesn't it?”

Rod's words were calm, but the more he spoke, the more grim the expressions of those present became.

Yet compared to the punishment Rod was about to deliver, everyone present couldn't help but secretly watch the maid's reaction.

Seeing her still with head bowed and silent, everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.

They had gone through so much effort, all to pretend a chance encounter and get closer, to secure future benefits for their families.

Now Rod had brought this matter to light, this maid would definitely report everything upward.

At that point, they wouldn't just fail to build a good relationship with Her Highness; avoiding being distanced would already be considered fortunate.

This made their faces increasingly pale.

By this point, the outcome was already clear.

Rod didn't say more, merely silently watching the man who suddenly knelt on one knee with a thud, then waved his hand.

“Your position as acting supervisor is revoked, your military rank demoted by one level, three months' salary penalized, and then go receive your punishment.”

“Yes...”

The man lowered his head, face pale. Actually, he didn't care much about the fine or losing his management role, the key point was... he'd been demoted!

Even if just by one level, it was like a mark. From now on, whenever anyone considered promoting him, they'd see this inexplicable demo event and surely think twice... And this meant his future promotions would become exceptionally difficult.

But what could he do at this point?

In this camp, Rod's authority could not be questioned...

No matter how unwilling, he could only bow his head and accept it.

After the man left, Rod turned to look at the three girls.

As for the two viscount's daughters, he didn't say much. Rod was only somewhat troubled by Kaelis.

He had to admit, what Kaelis had shown so far, whether it was that courage, her Spirit Energy abilities, or that unique step she took in an instant, all made him unable to stop looking at her.

Kaelis was a very unique person... But such a person wasn't quite suitable to be a soldier...

“As for you all... I won't punish you either. Just a major demerit. If you offend again, you'll be immediately expelled. I hope you understand the consequences of expulsion.”

Having issued his final judgment, the two noble girls didn't dare utter a single word of complaint. They had already failed completely in this matter; if they continued to argue, who knew if the other party would directly report the incident?

Then the embarrassment would be tremendous.

A demerit meant that apart from some officers, no one else would know about this... It was also a way of indirectly saving their face.

What more could they say?

They quickly nodded, then hastily turned and ran off, not even daring to glance at Kaelis once on the way.

Kaelis stayed behind, blinked, exchanged another look with Rod, then gave a slight nod.

“You're not punishing me?”

A demerit might be serious in the eyes of others, but in Kaelis's eyes... it wasn't really a big deal.

Even if she were actually expelled, she'd only lose a few days at most, no major impact really.

She thought Rod might have other arrangements.

“Heh, would you even accept it?” In response to Kaelis's question, Rod was both angry and amused.

Kaelis seemed a bit more obedient now, so why couldn't she have been like this earlier?

Then, after he exposed the man's matter, Kaelis might have received less punishment or even none at all... He could tell clearly that Kaelis had been passively retaliating. The reason he initially pressed her was merely to put on a show.

But unexpectedly... Kaelis didn't cooperate at all.

Instead, she nearly made him lose face.

But even so, Rod's eyes still reveal a hint of admiration for Kaelis.

If an ordinary person acts like this, they'd merely be considered a somewhat clever troublemaker. But...

Kaelis was an Ascender... And judged by appearance, at least second-stage.

Kaelis looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, yet had already reached this level, this was already an extremely rare genius... And for a genius, some special leniency was appropriate.

Moreover, her temperament truly suits Rod's preferences.

She wouldn't bow submissively to superiors, and as for subordinates... oh, that wasn't clear yet, but judging by her current behavior, Kaelis wouldn't deliberately bully others either...

This kind of soldier was truly a good soldier...

Of course, it would be better if she could be slightly more obedient.

“If I think it's reasonable, I'll accept it... After all, fighting really is wrong..." In response to Rod's helpless retort, Kaelis still nodded.

She was tough, but not someone who stubbornly insisted on pride.

Her dissatisfaction was toward the two noble girls; as for military discipline, she'd stand by what should be followed... After all, she planned to become a centurion through this.

“Then why did you do it if you knew it was wrong?”

“Whether something is right or not has nothing to do with whether I feel at ease... Sometimes, just because it conforms to rules doesn't mean it's good.”

Kaelis shrugged, her attitude still natural, completely any trace of the tense standoff she'd nearly had with Rod.

Rod deeply looked at Kaelis several times, then after a long while, sobbed and shook his head.

Seeing that the other truly had no further intentions, Kaelis gave a slight nod and turned to leave.

But just as she was about to step out the door, t

he maid beside her suddenly reached out, blocking Kaelis's hand from opening the door.

“Hmm?”

Kaelis turned with a puzzled look.

The maid said nothing more, simply keeping her head lowered.

Eyes closed, silent for a long while, before raising her head and opening her eyes again.

The heart-shaped earrings at her ears gently swayed.

“Her Highness invites you for a meeting…”

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