From one voice to another, the complaints spread until most of them were shouting that their equipment had been damaged and that Eman should be held accountable.

Eman understood that the intensity of their anger could not be eased by a simple explanation.

Even as he found himself surrounded by people hurling accusations, Eman remained calm. As if every word they threw at him merely drifted through the air without hitting its mark.

Eman exhaled softly, then lifted his hand and brushed away Randolph's grip from his shoulder as if removing dust.

"That's enough," he said calmly. "You're angry because your item was scratched? Fine. I understand your frustration. But pinning everything on us without facts won't magically fix your damaged pride or your equipment."

A low murmur spread across the room. Randolph's jaw twitched.

"Are you mocking me?!" Randolph growled, taking a threatening step forward.

"No," Eman replied, still steady. "But I am questioning your logic. You're blaming my clan for something you haven't even investigated."

He shifted his gaze around him.

"Before you start demanding accountability and responsibility," Eman continued, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, "use your heads for a moment. My clan is small. We can barely take on high-level commissions because we don't have the manpower nor the resources. And yet—" he raised a hand slightly, emphasizing his next words. "—every customer we've served until now has given us favorable evaluations. Not once have we received a complaint. Not once."

After saying that, there was a sudden notification popped up in Eman's vision.

[The Deceptionist triggered!]

[Your words' favorability increases by a little percent.]

Eman's eyes widened ever so slightly.

'What perfect timing.'

As his words settled in the air, he noticed the shift.

The crowd previously, loud and confident, began exchanging uneasy glances. Shoulders dropped. Brows furrowed. The certainty in their accusations wavered as doubt slipped into their expressions.

Eman felt the momentum swinging gently toward him.

Without wasting the opportunity, he seized it.

"Think carefully," he said, voice carrying more weight now. "If our clan has consistently delivered good results, why out of nowhere would we suddenly damage multiple items? And all from the same group? The same clan?" He let the implication hang. "Doesn't that sound… odd to you?"

A few people suddenly looked unsure. If they were not dumb they should have realized it by now.

Eman stood tall in the center of the tense circle, his calm presence slowly overriding the previous chaos.

With the Deceptionist Title in effect, his mind urged him to continue his verbal attack without letting a window for them to take advantage.

"So tell me," he said with a hint, decisive edge, "do you want the truth revealed… or do you simply want someone to blame?"

The crowd hesitated.

For the first time since the confrontation began, Randolph faltered.

Silence hung in the air, but that didn't last long as someone finally broke it.

With a gentle clap of her hands, she spoke in a mild, composed tone, "Alright, that's enough."

It was the young lady who had led Eman earlier.

She swept her gaze over the gathered crowd and said, "Return to what you were doing. The leader will handle the rest from here. And remember… he specifically instructed that there should be no disturbance. So watch yourselves."

A few of the members flinched at her words. Even Randolph's expression tightened, anger still burning in his eyes, but now restrained. He clicked his tongue and looked away.

"Tch… Fine. I'll let the leader deal with him."

Before leaving, he shot a final glance at Eman and whispered, "Try to disrespect our leader and you'll see what regret means."

He turned around and walked away.

Eman chose to remain silent this time. He didn't need to respond to that provocation as it was unnecessary filler. It was either the last ditch of someone who lost the argument or a pure warning.

He kept his composure throughout, but he did not miss the meaningful glance the young woman gave to him.

Eman pretended he did not notice it.

In her mind, she was curious about Eman.

Despite being surrounded by many clan members, this young man remained composed from the beginning to end.

Normally, people who were in that situation would lose their composure and eventually get flustered.

However, he was not only calm throughout the whole event, he also delivered logical reasons in his words.

Once everyone was out of earshot, she turned to Eman.

"Come," she said softly. "The leader is waiting."

Eman fell into step beside her, but his mind remained alert. No matter what, he was still in someone else's territory.

From the commotion earlier, one thing became clear: this clan was volatile. A single spark could ignite an explosion.

As they walked deeper, into the training compound, he felt several pairs of eyes trailing after him. Probably, measuring him, doubting him, and perhaps also curious about him. These people were not part of those who gathered around him earlier.

'So this is the Red Tyrant Clan…' he thought. 'They truly have so many members.'

Without even counting those who were presently not present in the base.

The woman led him to a towering structure made of reinforced stone and metal. Its design was far sturdier than the rest of the buildings. Clearly, it's a place reserved only for the highest-ranking members.

The young woman remained silent all throughout, so Eman also didn't bother talking with her.

Just as they approached the entrance, she paused and glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Before we go in," she said quietly,"a warning."

Eman raised a brow. "…About what?"

"The leader," she replied. "He's calm and resonable… but he's not gentle toward his enemies, so be prepared."

Eman nodded lightly. "I expected as much."

With that, she pushed the heavy door open, revealing the dimly lit hall inside.

"Let's go," she said.

And Eman stepped forward to finally meet the person who held the clan's authority. The one who would decide whether this conflict would end peacefully…

…or erupt into something far worse.

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