At the President's residence.

"President, sir," Reize said, leading Amelia into Leo's quarters.

"Oh? Reize, what's the matter?" Leo greeted Reize with a smile, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the unfamiliar elven girl beside him.

An elf? She looked very young. What is Reize doing...?

"President, sir, a subterranean casino has been discovered in the outer city of the main continent, and there have been severe cases of human trafficking involved," Reize reported succinctly. "I have already captured all the involved parties..."

As soon as Leo heard "casino" and "human trafficking," his expression immediately turned serious. These were two things he utterly despised, especially in his own city!

"Reize, you did well!" Leo affirmed.

"For those who trample the law, there should be no mercy. They must be severely punished to set an example!"

However, Reize's face showed a trace of hesitation, something that was extremely rare for him.

"President, sir, all the involved parties have been arrested and are awaiting trial," Reize continued. "But... the mastermind behind the casino is a descendant of the Morris family."

"The Morris family..."

Leo furrowed his brows deeply.

He had a strong emotional connection to the Morris family. They had been with him since the early days of Dalton Town and had helped him greatly. He still remembered Mrs. Morris's humble grocery shop and Miss Morris's enormous contributions to Dalton's economic development...

It was because of this that he had always shown them favor.

But this time, it was a matter of principle, the very foundation of the city—law and order!

As Leo pondered, a guard entered, escorting a panicked middle-aged man.

"Morris family head, Patrick, requests an audience with the President!"

Upon seeing Leo, Morris immediately dropped to his knees, crying and pleading for sympathy.

Leo, appearing unaware of the situation, gently asked, "Patrick? What's going on, why the panic? Please, rise and tell me."

Morris's crying intensified. He raised his head, about to express his grievances, but when he saw Reize standing beside Leo, his words suddenly choked in his throat, replaced by a strange, strangled sob.

"Re... Reize, Commander?"

"You... why are you here?"

He looked at Reize in disbelief.

Reize remained calm, his voice even. "I was just reporting to President sir. Please, continue, Patrick."

Morris fell silent, cold sweat appearing on his forehead.

Leo, understanding the situation, still asked, "Patrick, what exactly has happened?"

"Ah? President, sir... It's, it's like this," Morris wiped his cold sweat, speaking nervously.

"My useless son Kaer made a small mistake and was invited by the guard to... assist in the investigation."

"He's had poor health since childhood, and he can't stand being in a dungeon! Please, President, on the grounds of our ancestors' kindness, forgive him just this once. I promise to discipline him strictly when he returns!"

He gazed up at Leo with hopeful eyes.

As Leo listened to him, his smile gradually disappeared, and it was replaced by coldness.

"Small mistake? Patrick!"

Leo's voice rose sharply.

"Do you even know what your precious son has done?!"

"He has violated the iron laws that I personally established, laws that the Supreme Council passed with no room for compromise!"

Opening a casino, trafficking people!

If it had happened elsewhere, he might have ignored it, but this is Dalton!

It's his city!

He would not allow such filth to exist, especially not from the descendants of the elders, breaking the law and bullying others!

Seeing Leo's enraged expression, Patrick trembled, not daring to look up.

To be honest, he didn't even fully understand what Kaer had done, and his long-time indulgence had led to this bitter result.

"Reize!"

Leo spoke coldly.

"Tell him exactly what his son has done!"

"Yes, President sir," Reize replied.

...

A moment later.

After listening to Reize's clear and organized explanation, Patrick's face turned ashen, filled with despair.

Opening a casino...

And even being involved in human trafficking!

Just the former alone was enough for his son to face the death penalty!

"President... please..."

Patrick cried, making one last plea.

Leo, however, turned away without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Go home. Your son has earned his punishment. He must face the trial of the law. There will be no pardon."

"Don't tarnish the honor of your ancestors!"

In the end, Morris left the President's residence, disheartened. He knew he had lost not just a son, but perhaps his family's special standing in the President's eyes.

In the courtyard, Leo sighed softly.

Based on Walter's previous reports, he had already sensed that some of the great families had begun to foster an air of arrogance. With their large families and vast businesses, it was inevitable that there would be some black sheep.

He had been planning to take action to reprimand them, but he hadn't expected that it would be the Morris family to collide with the issue.

Moreover, Leo was somewhat surprised by the situation.

According to the Hat organization, their spies were spread throughout Dalton. There was no reason Walter should not have known about this incident!

"President sir, with this situation... What about Miss Morris..."

Reize asked cautiously.

Miss Morris had been one of the key economic drivers of Dalton and had made enormous contributions to its early development.

Although she no longer held any official position, her past efforts meant that Leo wasn't sure how she would react if she found out about this incident.

Leo's gaze turned distant as he slowly responded.

"Miss Morris is a reasonable person. She will understand my predicament, and she will understand the necessity of upholding Dalton Town's laws."

These great families indeed needed a stern warning.

And Kaer, the Morris family's descendant, unfortunately became a prime example of this crackdown.

At this point, Leo's eyes fell back on the elven girl who had been standing so close to Reize all this time.

"Reize, who is this young lady?" Leo asked with some curiosity, his attention now fully on the girl.

Reize's face showed a fleeting, almost imperceptible awkwardness as he…

"Amelia, come and greet President sir," Reize said, gently pulling the girl forward.

Amelia obediently nodded. Following elven etiquette, she was about to bow deeply to Leo.

"No need for formalities," Leo's gentle energy stopped her.

Amelia looked up, nervously saying, "I... my name is Amelia. I come from the Elven Forest in the southern part of the continent."

"Mm," Leo nodded with a smile, glancing between Reize and Amelia. With a playful tone, he asked, "So, what is your relationship with our serious Commander here?"

Amelia blinked her clear, large eyes, glancing at Reize, who was blushing slightly, then with an innocent tone, she answered:

"Reize-dàren is my soulmate."

"Poof—!"

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